[Pott]

Well armed with my trusty Sony A729 and Sennheiser CX500s I went to the hi fi shop (RAF in Amsterdam for those in the know) and tested everything from the HD800 to the Grado SR80.


And I was left disapointed.

I guess I'm not used to it. Or my MP3s simply are too low quality to enjoy with truly great headphones.

I wanted to spend about 100 euros but it won't be much of an improvement over my HD202s at this price. Since my main beef with these is comfort I may go for some equally cheap but different Sennheisers.

They had the SR80i for 165 euros... too uncomfortable.
Sennheiser HD555 for 150. Sounded very good, very comfy... but didn't make me go 'WOW!' and were over my budget. I'd go for them if I had the dough though.

So is that a standard reaction? Have I been spoilt by my actually rather mid range IEMs..? Thoughts please!

 

[nraymond]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pott /img/forum/go_quote.gif So is that a standard reaction? Have I been spoilt by my actually rather mid range IEMs..? Thoughts please!

In my experience, it has taken less money to achieve an equivalent level of audio quality in an IEM vs. larger headphones, however the sound of an IEM will always be of a different quality than that of an open or closed set of headphones with larger drivers.

I use both IEMs and closed headphones, personally, and choose the pair I'm going to use based on my needs of the moment - active vs. sitting down, and how much size/weight of the headphone makes sense for what I'm doing or where I'm going.

 

[Pott]

So me going for a €100 to €130 set of full size headphone is most likely not going to impress me all that much I guess...? That'd explain my reaction. And a lot of the more expensive ones require an amp which I'm not ready to use...
Guess I'll just try to find some Senns 555 for the cheapest I can to upgrade my 202s and leave it at that for now... and focus on upgrading my IEMs!

 

[adiZero]

I am going the other way, from full size closed headphones to IEM's. I have a feeling I am going to be surprised by the level of SQ IEM's deliver.

 

[Uncle Erik]

What equipment did you test the headphones with at the audio shop? Sources and amps make a large difference with full-sized headphones.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Quote:

Originally Posted by adiZero /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am going the other way, from full size closed headphones to IEM's. I have a feeling I am going to be surprised by the level of SQ IEM's deliver.

And disappointed, I'm afraid. Call me a pessimist here, but from my experience throughout this hobby (and I'm sure may will agree with me), the sound quality you get from a full-zise headphone almost eclipses the sound quality you'll get from an IEM for the same price range.

It seems the JH-13 is a very rare exception for this (JH-13 vs. HD 800) from what I read, but once I went from IEMs to full-size the SQ difference was just staggering. Amps (home vs. mobile) also share the same comparison, although for the life of me I cannot think of any mobile amps that are the exception towards this "rule."

 

[Pott]

I'll be honest I don't know what was playing when I first tried the headphones. But it was the same source through all the headphones. Then I came back after work with my Soney A729 with me.

I guess I was expecting a HUGE change... but I didn't get it.

The best sounding of the sub €130 euros I felt were the Beyer Dynamics DT440, but again I only spent about 5 minutes with each. I'll try to read up on this model.

 

[spahn_ranch]

I don't have any IEM's but am set to bring my RS1i; HF2; Yuin PK1 and the RA1 amp to a lengthy shootout against JH13Pro universals.

Given all the advantages of buds and in-ears, including of course great portability, what may have me sink the money into a pair of custom JH13 is the fact that a lot of the time my greatest satisfaction with 'phones is when in couch or bed or similar relaxed situation, and the full sized lend themselves not at all or not as much to that.
Realistically, most of the time I'll be using my full sized while tethered to the desk; certainly no situation where IEM's couldn't be used, or quality buds if isolation isn't wanted. Of course, if you're that recliner kinda guy I saw in a magazine once, the levels of enjoyment may work out quite differently with full sized.

 

[nraymond]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif And disappointed, I'm afraid. Call me a pessimist here, but from my experience throughout this hobby (and I'm sure may will agree with me), the sound quality you get from a full-zise headphone almost eclipses the sound quality you'll get from an IEM for the same price range. It seems the JH-13 is a very rare exception for this (JH-13 vs. HD 800) from what I read, but once I went from IEMs to full-size the SQ difference was just staggering. Amps (home vs. mobile) also share the same comparison, although for the life of me I cannot think of any mobile amps that are the exception towards this "rule."

True - in general IEMs are driven with more ease by lesser amps than many full-size headphones. The fact that when I use IEMs a portable amp would negate part of their portability factor ends up affecting my value assessment in a way.

At the end of the day, if I'm at home, I use full-size headphones because I have amps that can dive them well and their size/weight is a non-issue (unless I'm listening to music as I fall asleep, which is when I use IEMs connected to an iPod at home most often). And while many of my full-size headphones sound better than my IEMs side-by-side, I paid more for several of my full-size headphones than my best IEMs.

If I'm traveling (flying, camping in the wilderness, etc.) I use IEMs, for many reasons (size, weight, convenience, ease of being driven by lesser amps, they cost me less so less lost should they be broken or be lost, less to go wrong should they get wet, less physical parts to wear out, more resistant to being accidentally sat on or crushed, etc.)

 

[Magnumxl711]

Try the ATH-M50 by Audio Technica. I PROMISE you won't be disappointed. (Actually for some reason after auditioning the DT-770's at Guitar Center i was severely disappointed, and yes i did use an amp)

 

[Moocher]

A standard recommendation at your price level is the Alessandro MS1, which has a mellowfied Grado sound and sells worldwide for $100. If you don't like them they should be easy to resell. Do a search and see what others say. Here's their web site: Alessandro High-End Products: Music Series Headphones

Mooch

 

[Happy Camper]

Comfort.