[number1sixerfan]

Grados along with the akg 501 complement each other very well. They do cover an array of genres. I had the akgs, hd-580s, and ms-2s. Between them I always used the ms-2s and the akg's.

 

[Wolfsbane68]

Beyerdynamic dt880? *With* an amp.

 

[Ko Nectic Jazz]

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Originally Posted by scrypt In the abstract, your musical taste matches mine. I, too, like a lot of what's on 12k, as well as touch, fallt and orthlorng musork. I also spend hours listening to classical music while reading the scores (esp. to Webern, Berg, Henze, Josquin, Shostakovich and Bartok). Based on what you've said, I suspect you might be an unbleached fan of Ryoji Ikeda's op. It sounds as if you listen to music that is delicate, detailed, high-frequency-specific and possibly recorded in various antiseptic environs. In which case, soundstage shouldn't be a concern, nor would a lush, mid-specific presentation give you a proper dose of what I call the cold emotion. Too much bass could upset the whole viral-ballet-on-a-Petrii-dish microcosm, h-m-m-m-m? All of which might explain why I, like you, respect without loving the Sennheiser sound. I want something less forgiving -- perhaps ostentatiously so (or at least allowing glitch music to be sterile in all its insect mandible specificity).

In fact, I don't know if I'm a "fan of Ryoji Ikeda's op." 'cause I can be a bit irrational sometimes in what I say, I just say it as I feel it. But I think that we have indeed the same musical tastes.

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My favorite headphones for capturing that sound are high-end Grados and the ER-4S. For conveying a string orchestra's sublimity and polyphony, I suggest high-end Grados with a really good DAC. Listening to classical through the RS-1 offers me a nebulizer-perfect cocktail of pleasure and musical insight.

You know what ? This is exactly what I thought, about the RS1 regarding some reviews I've read. Unfortunately... I don't have enough money for those blessed rs1, and I'm not fairly sure that my family is ready to put so much money in "such a little poor headphones", regardless that I'll have to buy an amp too !... I'd love to buy a rs1, but I prefer look for something more affordable for my tiny wallet, and save some money for an amp or materials for a DIY-amp.

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No use trying to form an opinion of Grados based on the MS1, which seem to me to be lacking in detail and high-end luster. Personally, I've never been able to use them except in transit. I actually prefer the MS-2 and 325 (which others, not I, have called the harshest of three-digit Grados). The ER-4S and even the ER6i are also good choices for the music we both seem to like. The ER family seem especially at conveying microscopic detail. Listening to minimalist electronics through Etys is like studying the topography of a miniature moon through jeweled lenses. Everything has an hallucinogenic clarity.

I've tried canalphones and I can't bear them... They hurt my ears...
I gave up from canalphones. But I can believe that they should have a very clear sound as they don't leak sound.

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(Off-topic: I recommend this DVD to you: Glenn Gould, The Alchemist. Here is what he plays: Bach, J S: Partita No.6, BWV830; Berg: Sonata No.1; Byrd: Galliarde No.6; Gibbons: Lord Salisbury's Pavane; Schoenberg: Suite, Op.25: Intermezzo; Webern: Variations, Op.27. To watch him perform Webern is to attach jumper cables to your full-frontal lobes. If gorgons killed by over-enlightening the hapless, they'd show their victims this brain-nutritious vid.)

Thank you for the advice. From now on, I never liked Gould very much. Many I'll learn to like it that way !

To finish this message, I give some of my favorite composer, to help my purchase : Malher, Rachmaninov, Bartok, Janacek, Gershwin, Debussy, Avison, Wagner, etc... and some Ligetti and Katchatourian from '2001, Space Odyssey'.

 

[Ko Nectic Jazz]

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Originally Posted by spike33 you found 595 to have too much bass?! with amp, I'd recommend k501 without amp, 555... a bit less bass than 595, similar sound

spike33 : Hi. Well not 'too much', but I don't really need cans with some much bass emphasis. I'm pleased with my ms1. And if I need excessive bass, I still have my QC-2.

Wolfsbane68 : Yeah I was thinking about it. At first, I was looking for closed-cans at Beyer, but I'll try to here this one.
Soon, I'll audition the k501, DT-660 and DT860 in a shop. That's all they have as interesting cans...'Discouraging...

Anyway. I saw this review about dt-860. Would you agree with it ? Do you think it can mach with what I'm looking for ?

adhoc & number1sixerfan : thank you for your testimony.

Which amp should I have with a K501 ? (What about with a k-271 ? Just curious.)