[WhiteCrow]

get the Sr80i's it's like your listening to "Sibilance, The Headphone"

 

[BobSaysHi]

Quote:

get the Sr80i's it's like your listening to "Sibilance, The Headphone"

lol'd
 
 

 

[Vikingatheart]

So I cut my ridiculously long hair, and now that hair isn't covering up my ears, I can't wear the bowls anymore. At first I was scared because I remembered my ears getting a bit sore from the comfies as well, but that's not the case anymore. I now understand why they are called comfies!

 

[Arkamond]

I'm thinking about getting a Grado SR225i and a ASUS Xonar D2X
 
How well does the SR225I perform? --From anybody out there who has experience.
 
I was thinking either that or a Senn 598 but after doing some research it seems that the Grado is better at metal and rock, which is my genre.
 
But can it also play high's well? Such as for solo symphony?
 
And for Ipod usage (I have Wav's ripped 100% from CD on it for my important albums)
does it require an amplifier or DAC to play loud and well?
 
Thanks
 

 

[Chris_Himself]

Do you actually need the processing power of the Xonar? You'll benefit more from one of these if you're looking into good listening:
http://www.amazon.com/NuForce-uDAC-2-Silver-Headphone-24bit/dp/B003Y5LY1C
 
The DAC will play your music better from the ground up, followed by a rather powerful for it's size amp, which should push that DAC's signal very cleanly.
 
You truely don't need to run an amp if you have a good source, but if a DAC/amp goes a long way in this hobby and if you look in the classifieds, there are many good deals on such units. The nuforce is a great deal, a lot of dac/amps that had the same performance once cost about 300 dollars a few years ago.
 
 
The SR-225i performs like a 200 dollar headphone should I feel. It has deeper bass, a warmer midrange, and the highs were really hard to improve on since they were already so aggressive before but there is an improvement to the clarity. Mids are the forte of the Grado brand, since that is where most of the music is, the treble is bright so you don't have to listen loud to hear it, and the bass is very refined and tight, even though less than some other manufacturers, if you listen to quality music, you'll find that it has more than enough anyway.
 
That combined with the ease of "upgrades" that have been popping up lately, these are real good value for money. These headphones will never be discontinued therefore they'll always be serviceable from the factory.
 
With that Nuforce, it'll double as a headphone amp if you want to move around with  these too and a laptop or an ipod or something.
 
This is a thread with the same equipment:
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/479191/woo-grado-sr225-and-nuforce-udac-arrived
 
 

 

[Arkamond]

But wouldn't it sound better from computer if I had a better sound card? All I have is my Realtek on-board audio. 
I really want to experience the 24 bit 192 Khz affect, and the DAC only goes up to 96 Khz

 

[Chris_Himself]

The DAC replaces the onboard.
 
Music only really gets played in 44.1khz anyway unless youre listening to something fancy and very raw. Most music is 16-bit as well. CD quality is 16.
 
I used an X-Fi titanium for years, and when I get a dac/amp that just simply plugged into usb, the differences were definitely there for nearly half the money spent. Again, I play games so I do need things like 5.1 output, 128 voice rendering, and just plain processing power, but if I had to do it again, I wouldn't have even bothered and got a nice dac/amp.
 
Onboard sound does nearly all those things I paid 200 dollars for years ago today and Realtek HD is actually prety good.

 

[Arkamond]

From looking at the DAC it seems that it would need USB power right? And the only inputs from an Ipod would have to be transfered to RCA cabling. How's your take on the Fiio E7? or E5 for that matter. I can channel stereo plugs to RCA for home-purposes but plug to RCA on the go would be moderately bulky, wouldnt it?
 
I think the main matter about hardware would be for me is that how does the DAC really help out the sound? Wouldn't a higher-end audio card sound better than onboard Realtek HD even with a DAC? Because it's only modifying what's coming out. I would rather have better audio output on my computers side than taking it mobile, since it's open style headphones and are a 200$ investment I wouldn't be able to take it to many places such as school. 

 

[Chris_Himself]

Quote:

From looking at the DAC it seems that it would need USB power right? And the only inputs from an Ipod would have to be transfered to RCA cabling. How's your take on the Fiio E7? or E5 for that matter. I can channel stereo plugs to RCA for home-purposes but plug to RCA on the go would be moderately bulky, wouldnt it?
 
I think the main matter about hardware would be for me is that how does the DAC really help out the sound? Wouldn't a higher-end audio card sound better than onboard Realtek HD even with a DAC? Because it's only modifying what's coming out. I would rather have better audio output on my computers side than taking it mobile, since it's open style headphones and are a 200$ investment I wouldn't be able to take it to many places such as school. 

Oh whoops sorry, I tend to forget the Nuforce isn't battery powered thus adding to why it's so cheap yet so good.
 
You're on the right track for sure, that Fiio E7 is pretty awesome apparently since there are like 1000 people on here that own it. Listen, the main point is that you enjoy Grados as they are out of the box, getting an amp will improve on that experience and a DAC will obviously resolve the music much better and remove a lot of signal noise you get from computer sources. They should sound like 85 percent of their best out of most sources. I've never once recommended someone to buy a pair of Grados AND an amp just to try them out. Buy the cans first, figure out if you even like them, then upgrade the rest of your chain if you feel that is appropriate.
 
This thing isn't so bad either
http://ibasso.com/en/products/show.asp?ID=43
 
You'll be able to use it with your ipod and your laptop/desktop seamlessly. Ask them for a discount, they give you a discount if you ask them to remove the leather pouch acessory.
 
Also don't base your purchases on just one guy's thoughts, I'm sure some other people have thoughts on this whole plan of yours.
 
Btw, Grados really suck for portable. Cable is too darn long (I'm running custom cables obviously) I use IEM's for portable use and I break out the Grados for long train rides. I enjoy hearing train sounds while I listen to music.
 

 

[Arkamond]

Yeah I wish I could get more people how had listened to my Genre and have had experience with the 598 and the SR225I. Would make decisions easier .
 
Cord is fixable, all I care about is the sound quality. Looks and things I can comprimise. If I get a Grado I'm probably going to modify it anyways (I'm experieced with modifying electronics)
 
I have a G930 Logitech Gaming headset which has a nice button that can change from 7.1 surround to direct stereo. I would have to say that closer-up stereo would be my thing for upfront music like metal and rock which from reviews fall's into the the Grado's capabilities. Only thing is that the 598 has a much higher frequency response. 

 

[BobSaysHi]

 
Quote:

Yeah I wish I could get more people how had listened to my Genre and have had experience with the 598 and the SR225I. Would make decisions easier .
 
Cord is fixable, all I care about is the sound quality. Looks and things I can comprimise. If I get a Grado I'm probably going to modify it anyways (I'm experieced with modifying electronics)
 
I have a G930 Logitech Gaming headset which has a nice button that can change from 7.1 surround to direct stereo. I would have to say that closer-up stereo would be my thing for upfront music like metal and rock which from reviews fall's into the the Grado's capabilities. Only thing is that the 598 has a much higher frequency response. 

 
I'm willing to flatout say the sr225i will sound better than the 598. Since you say you're going to mod it, it will sound dramatically better. Be wary though, if you're going to mod the grados, it would benefit you more to pick up a lower end model since the majority of the improved sound of the higher end models can be achieved with mods.
 
good luck
 
EDIT: you read into the frequency response? those numbers are altered to impress people who have no idea how little frequency response matters.

 

[Arkamond]

That makes decisions MUCH easier then . Either way I go I'm going to be blown away by quality but I'l get a pair of 225's. My parents are going to hate me for modifying them, but I make some interesting modifications. I'l be sure to post a review unless I suddenly change my mind in the next 6 hours. 
 
 

 

[BobSaysHi]

Quote:

That makes decisions MUCH easier then . Either way I go I'm going to be blown away by quality but I'l get a pair of 225's. My parents are going to hate me for modifying them, but I make some interesting modifications. I'l be sure to post a review unless I suddenly change my mind in the next 6 hours. 
 
 

I'm not trying to dissuade you, but I've owned sr60is, sr80is, and sr225is, and they all sound almost exactly the same once you put them in wooden shells (if you're planning on doing that of course).

 

[KneelJung]

Quote:

I'm not trying to dissuade you, but I've owned sr60is, sr80is, and sr225is, and they all sound almost exactly the same once you put them in wooden shells (if you're planning on doing that of course).

I'm not so sure about that. Setting aside the wood for a moment, the 225 plastic to plastic is a better headphone, you get the 4 connector cable and bowls versus the two connector cable and comfies. The signature is relatively the same but the 225 overall is just a more complete (better anyway) presentation. Unfortunately I fried one of the drivers in my 60 before I could really take it head to head with the 225 wood to wood but just from memory, there was a difference, be it ever so slight and the 225 was still the better phone. Of course the 60 was dead at that point so it probably slightly colored my perception.
 
That said I ordered a pair of T50's today so I could have something else to tinker with. I hope they synergize with my Sparrow. I'd hate to think I need a new amp. I was seriously considering having Marty make me a pair but I'm going to take the full Fostex journey and mod a pair from the ground up.
 

 

[Tefloon]

I tried amping my MS1s with a Denon DRA-625RA and quite liked the effect. Will an actual headphone amp be even better?