[Bonny]

Hi Everyone!
This is meant to be an introduction thread and also a "Looking for help" thread  

I cannot decide between two pairs of headphones.
The Grado SR-60i and Sennheiser HD558.
May also be looking for some cheaper Sennheisers.
 
On-Ear or Over-Ear is not a problem for me.
I would get the Grado SR-60i if I only knew if I would get a good warm sound. I don't really know how to say this. With closed ear cups I would get the feeling I'm in the studio where the music was recorded. But the SR-60is have those S-Cushions. And I'm afraid I wouldn't get the desired sound from them. The only "custom" cushions I could get in my area are the
L-Cushions for 20 €. Will they change anything?
I could also buy those Sennheiser's but I'm more interested in the Grados. I'm mainly looking for headphones which would be great for listening to music and gaming.
Sound leakage is not a problem since I'm going to be using them at home. But I'm also afraid the sound will leak into my Blue Yeti microphone and for example: People on Skype calls will hear everything I'm listening to.
I don't think amplification is necessary since I've got the Blue Yeti with the Volume Knob and it somehow increases the volume even more than my computer does.
 
Thanks! 

 

 

[sinnottj]

  Hi Everyone!
This is meant to be an introduction thread and also a "Looking for help" thread  

I cannot decide between two pairs of headphones.
The Grado SR-60i and Sennheiser HD558.
May also be looking for some cheaper Sennheisers.
 
On-Ear or Over-Ear is not a problem for me.
I would get the Grado SR-60i if I only knew if I would get a good warm sound. I don't really know how to say this. With closed ear cups I would get the feeling I'm in the studio where the music was recorded. But the SR-60is have those S-Cushions. And I'm afraid I wouldn't get the desired sound from them. The only "custom" cushions I could get in my area are the
L-Cushions for 20 €. Will they change anything?
I could also buy those Sennheiser's but I'm more interested in the Grados. I'm mainly looking for headphones which would be great for listening to music and gaming.
Sound leakage is not a problem since I'm going to be using them at home. But I'm also afraid the sound will leak into my Blue Yeti microphone and for example: People on Skype calls will hear everything I'm listening to.
I don't think amplification is necessary since I've got the Blue Yeti with the Volume Knob and it somehow increases the volume even more than my computer does.
 
Thanks! 

 

 
I don't think Grado's are going to suit you, given your requirements!
 
They don't have a 'warm' sound and they have a small soundstage so are not very suited to gaming. They are very open and detailed, with an emphasis on upper-mids and highs. They leak sound like crazy.
 
Personally, I think they are fantastic, but you might be better off looking at Sennheisers, or maybe something like the Phillips X1 or Sony MA900, both of which are warmer sounding than Grados.

 

[Bonny]

   
I don't think Grado's are going to suit you, given your requirements!
 
They don't have a 'warm' sound and they have a small soundstage so are not very suited to gaming. They are very open and detailed, with an emphasis on upper-mids and highs. They leak sound like crazy.
 
Personally, I think they are fantastic, but you might be better off looking at Sennheisers, or maybe something like the Phillips X1 or Sony MA900, both of which are warmer sounding than Grados.

 
If that's so, could You or somebody else tell me about the Sennheiser HD 558s? Or any other cheaper versions.
I heard they are a really good pair of headphones but I heard they are mainly made out of plastic. Speaking of durability...
 
 
 
EDIT:
 
I just realised I could get my hands on some "more expensive" Sennheisers.
I could get some used Sennheiser HD595s, 545, 555 or 518 from Ebay. What do you think?

 

[GREQ]

Many have reported cracks in some of these Sennheiser models headbands after a couple of years.
And they're not isolated/over-hyped single instances. 
 
While the comfort and sound you get from Sennheiser is right on the money, the build quality is not.
They've  been plagued by bad plastic for a few years now, which is a shame because the headphones are really great. 
 
For your needs, I would suggest Beyerdynamic DT770. 

 

[Bonny]

  Many have reported cracks in some of these Sennheiser models headbands after a couple of years.
And they're not isolated/over-hyped single instances. 
 
While the comfort and sound you get from Sennheiser is right on the money, the build quality is not.
They've  been plagued by bad plastic for a few years now, which is a shame because the headphones are really great. 
 
For your needs, I would suggest Beyerdynamic DT770. 

 
I was looking at some Beyerdynamic's lately and I realised the DT990 Pro have a similar price. Also: Are you talking about the "normal" DT770 or the DT770 Pro?
I've also realised there are a few models with 250 Ohm, 80 Ohm or 32 Ohm impedance. Will the headphones with higher impedance be any problem since I have no actual amplification?
Is there any difference in quality between DT770, DT770 Pro or DT990 Pro or any other DTs from Beyerdynamic?
 
Thanks!

 

[zanox]

Grados if you like rock and metal. they have a treble emphasized sound
Sennheiser HD 558/598 if you like everything. they are versatile headphones. they have a natural sound.
Check my inventory. I own both(sr 60i and HD 598)
If you ask me , the HD 598 are better in almost every way. though grados are no slouch. they sound extremely good for their price.  but the HD 598 with that airy and spacious  soundstage along with the silky smooth mids(best mids i have heard under 500$) and natural bass are miles ahead than the grados. HD 558 are a lil thick sounding than HD 598 with a lesser soundstage and refined sound.
what's your budget?
if you have a  200$ budget , buy the HD 598 in a heartbeat.
under 150$ - HD 558
Under 100 - Grados 60i.
Hope this helps.

 

[sinnottj]

   
I was looking at some Beyerdynamic's lately and I realised the DT990 Pro have a similar price. Also: Are you talking about the "normal" DT770 or the DT770 Pro?
I've also realised there are a few models with 250 Ohm, 80 Ohm or 32 Ohm impedance. Will the headphones with higher impedance be any problem since I have no actual amplification?
Is there any difference in quality between DT770, DT770 Pro or DT990 Pro or any other DTs from Beyerdynamic?
 
Thanks!

The DT770 / DT880 / DT990 models share the same basic driver design, but all sound quite different! This thread is a great resource:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/513393/guide-sonic-differences-between-dt770-dt990-models-more
 
The first few posts give some detailed comparisons between the two. The 'pro' models usually have a less fancy design and slightly higher clamp.
 
I can highly recommend the DT880, but it does benefit from amplification (and might be out of your price range!)  In my experience, most of the DT Beyers will sound pretty good without an amp, but not their best (except the 600 Ohm models which do need an amp)

 

[Claritas]

Grados are astounding for certain genres, but don't meet your other needs. HD555/558 and HD595/598 are good choices.

 

[Bonny]

Thanks to all of you for the great help!
 
I'm out of cash right now but I really want to get my hands on the HD598s.
If there's gonna be some money problems I'll just go for the HD555s.
 
(Might Bump the Thread when I get them. First impression blablabla)
 
Thanks again!

 

[zanox]

  Thanks to all of you for the great help!
 
I'm out of cash right now but I really want to get my hands on the HD598s.
If there's gonna be some money problems I'll just go for the HD555s.
 
(Might Bump the Thread when I get them. First impression blablabla)
 
Thanks again!

no problem.
if i were you, i would save money and get the HD 598. it's only 60-70$ more but it's totally worth it. huge difference in sq.
i own the 598's, had the 518 and heard the 558.
there's not much difference between the 518 and 558 as they are both dark sounding headphones. 598 's is a lil bright sounding with a huge airy soundstage. it has the 3rd biggest soundstage after the ad 700 and akg k702 under 500$ + some people consider it's mids to be the best under 500$ . also the highs are smoother than the HD 800.