[JonahNguyen]

I listen to mainly rock music. Ive been looking at the ATH-WS99 but I wasnt sure if they were a good upgrade from the COP's. Im looking for good bass but still have the highs and mids. Kinda like what people describe the WS99 as.

 

[JonahNguyen]

Forgot to mention, I'd pay anything under 200USD. The WS99 are $180

 

[Ginron]

Your probably not going to get a big improvement over the Custom one pros with a headphone under 200USD. 
 
You would be better off saving for something in the 300 to 400USD price range for any large improvement. 

 

[JonahNguyen]

What about the Grado SR325i??

  Your probably not going to get a big improvement over the Custom one pros with a headphone under 200USD. 
 
You would be better off saving for something in the 300 to 400USD price range for any large improvement. 

 

[Ginron]

  What about the Grado SR325i??

From what i read the Grado headphones are mainly great for rock music and are decent for most other types of music.
 
If all you listen to is rock then they would probably be a good choice.
 
If you don't listen to rock then there are better options at the 300 price point. 
 
but i'm sure the SR325i would be an improvement over the Custom one pros no matter what their sound signature is. 

 

[JonahNguyen]

Thanks. But i just bought the 225i's you think they would fair a chance against the Beyer's? I'l have to compare them when i get the Grado's

 

[JonahNguyen]

And this is a really stupid question but do i have to quote you so you know i responded???
 
 

  From what i read the Grado headphones are mainly great for rock music and are decent for most other types of music.
 
If all you listen to is rock then they would probably be a good choice.
 
If you don't listen to rock then there are better options at the 300 price point. 
 
but i'm sure the SR325i would be an improvement over the Custom one pros no matter what their sound signature is. 

 

[Ginron]

  And this is a really stupid question but do i have to quote you so you know i responded???
 

no, i know. it says so on the subscription page.
 
 

  Thanks. But i just bought the 225i's you think they would fair a chance against the Beyer's? I'l have to compare them when i get the Grado's

I really don't know for sure since i have never listened to the Customs or the Grados, but i would say compare them when you get them and if they don't give you a big improvement return them and save up for the SR325i or something like it.

 

[JonahNguyen]

Ok thanks. And this is kinda an off topic question but do you know how amps improve sound quality and if its worth investing in one?

 

[Ginron]

It depends on how efficient the headphone is. 
 
Most headphones above 200 need an amp to sound their best, but some like the Sennheiser Momentum don't need one at all. 
 
This is a good place to start if you are new to headphone amps: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/ultimate-headphone-guide-articles-what-headphone-amplifier-and-why-do-i-need-one
 
Then go to a Grado SR225i forum here, and ask if an amp helps their sound improve. 

 

[cel4145]

Thanks. But i just bought the 225i's you think they would fair a chance against the Beyer's? I'l have to compare them when i get the Grado's

The SR225i will have a totally different sound. You'll have to wait and see if you like it better.

Ok thanks. And this is kinda an off topic question but do you know how amps improve sound quality and if its worth investing in one?

The SR225i are fairly easy to drive. So you might not notice any difference with a better amp. If they easily get a good bit louder than you like to listen to them, then probably not a huge difference.

Now if you have a crappy audio source you are plugging them into, could be a combined DAC/amp would be a good choice. What are you planning on using them with?

 

[JonahNguyen]

On a iPhone, and on my laptop. 

The SR225i will have a totally different sound. You'll have to wait and see if you like it better.
The SR225i are fairly easy to drive. So you might not notice any difference with a better amp. If they easily get a good bit louder than you like to listen to them, then probably not a huge difference.

Now if you have a crappy audio source you are plugging them into, could be a combined DAC/amp would be a good choice. What are you planning on using them with?

 

[cel4145]

Laptops vary a lot in audio quality, but iPhones are generally very good music players. Use high quality audio files from your iPhone and test with that

 

[JonahNguyen]

How do Mp3 files compare to uncompressed files?

Laptops vary a lot in audio quality, but iPhones are generally very good music players. Use high quality audio files from your iPhone and test with that

 

[cel4145]

High bit rate 320k MP3s are often indistinguishable from lossless, uncompressed files. As you decrease the bit rate, the quality goes down.