[stoogeboy]

Hi all,

I'm new here so please be gentle.

I'm currently on the hunt for a new pair of headphones for home use only. I've never given headphones much thought in the past as I only used them sparingly. However, I recently got back into hi-fi after a long hiatus. I basically have a modest Cambridge Audio setup (340A SE Integrated Amp, 340C CD Player, 540P Pre-amp, S30 speakers), along with a Pro-Ject Xpression MkIII turntable.

I'm very happy with the setup. However, I didn't anticipate that I'd be listening to my music, generally, late at night. So I find myself listening primarily through headphones. I currently have a pair of Sony MDR-V250 which have served me well, and do the job, but I feel like I need something a bit more substantial to get the most out of all the music I'm buying (a lot of "audiophile" reissues).

I mainly listen to 60's/70's rock, prog and a bit of metal, as well as soul and funk. I would like to spend no more than $200 (USD) and I am not in the market for a headphone amp (at this stage). I've been steered towards the Grado SR225i headphones by a member of another forum, who helped me with my hi-fi component purchases, so I trust his judgement, but he also said to come here and see what advice I can get.

I look forward to, and appreciate, any suggestions.

 

[barleyguy]

IMO, for your requirements (rock/soul, unamped, home listening), the Grado SR225i is a great choice. That is like a laundry list of what they are good at.

 

[wallace]

Open your wallet and say after me...HELP YOURSELF..Welcome to head-fi.
I would say that SR225i's are a very good place to start.Where to stop is of course another matter altogether.
Good Luck...

 

[jjinh]

grado sound right for you... do it!!

 

[stoogeboy]

Sounds unanimous then (well...3 out of 3 so far).

Now where's that credit card.....

 

[cwoo]

I think you will enjoy the 225s as well. They offer an intimate, upfront view into music. If you don't like 'em, just make sure you can return them.

Some other ~$200 headphones that might be interesting are: Sennheiser hd595, Sennheiser HD25-II, Shure SRH840 or SRH440, Alessandro MS1i ($100).

 

[eucariote]

Of the headphones recommended above, I own SR225 and Shure SR840- both are spectacular, but for rock and soul, I think SR225s are more exciting and open-sounding. However, they are more fatiguing and have fairly bright highs (out of an ipod, stock D10, less so with udac). The tape mod definitely boosts and improves the bass, and you can always tame the highs later with Grado flat pads (a foam barrier that muffles high frequencies) or a tube amp

 

[mistyfud]

I too started with the Grado SR225. After auditioning both the SR80 and SR125, I found that the SR225 really stood above the two. They sound superb unamped and work wonders with the genres you are interested in.

Once you go Grado, you can't go back

 

[panda]

used sr225 (make sure it comes with fresh bowl pads) + post wanted ad for a dual 9V cha-47
very good value for money for under $200.

 

[baka1969]

Yes

 

[sampson_smith]

x9 on the SR-225i's!

 

[paaj]

how about a used SR325i? It's around $200 and will stay there since the new->used conversion is already done. Less risk at losing money if you somehow don't like them.

 

[Palpatine]

Yippers... the Sr225i will put a smile on your face for that sort of music. Buy 'em...and enjoy them.

 

[AnalogJ]

If you are not going to use an amp, I'm not sure I'd recommend the SR325is. While they are really superior to the SR225i in the ways that most audiophiles would appreciate (much more texturally revealing midrange, more extension at the frequency extremes, more sense of air and ambient space), without a good quality amp or headphone out from your preamp, the bottom end won't match the the power of the SR325is high end. The highs on this headphone seem more prominent than on the SR225i because they are much more extended than on the 225i. The bass is also more prominent, but you need more power to really expose it and balance the top end. If you don't do that, you'll have a headphone that seems tilted toward the top. The SR225i doesn't go as low, but sounds also somewhat rolled off on top so it's not only more forgiving of lesser quality recordings, but of lesser quality electronics.

There is no doubt in my mind, if you have a really musically sensitive set of ears, that you'll hear a difference in the midrange with the 325, even with rock music. If you are not quite as musically picky, you'll do fine with the 225i. But check out my review of the 225i, 325is and RS1 I did recently.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/win...rs-1-a-463536/

As it is, if you have access to somewhere you can listen to them (I was fortunate to be able to do so), I recommend doing it. Give your ears an education and hear for yourself rather than have it be merely theoretical.

 

[stoogeboy]

Well I finally took the plunge and ordered a pair of 225i's. They arrived yesterday and I took them for a spin last night. All I can say is, Wow! What a different experience. I really didn't expect that much of an increase in quality and clarity. I found myself switching between my old phones and the new ones for each song I was listening to (West German CD pressing of Houses of the Holy). The old phones have served me well but are now serving their retirement as laptop phones.

Thanks to everyone for your comments and input. I'll be back when I decide to upgrade my portables.