[seattlesnd]

Hey guys, I could use some advice A little backstory first to help you know where I'm coming from. Warning.. I am not good with all the terminology you guys use but I'll do my best.
 
At the moment my only source is a 4G iPod touch. I listen to rock almost exclusively at the moment, though I have been wanting to explore some classical when/if I could ever figure out where to even start. All my files are ripped from my CD collection to ALAC. I do all of my listening at home in a quiet room when I'm by myself.
 
I started out with Koss KSC75s a couple of years ago. I liked the sound, considering the ridiculously low $15 they cost.  I mean they just got better, and better, and  better the more I used them, except they were a little bit harsh or shrill in the highs and ultimately what killed them was the fact I just hate clip-ons and got tired of messing with constantly readjusting them to suit me.
 
I then assumed the right thing to do was get Koss PortaPros and let me just say in short, they weren't the answer. Looked dumb and just sounded really artificial to me. The bass just seemed kinda inflated for the lack of a better term. I still have them, but they stay in a ziplock bag.
 
Next I bought Senn PX-100 (original) last year. The good news is they were extremely light and comfortable. The bad news is they are rather flimsy in construction and the sound was/is boring beyond belief, even after 100 hours of use. Kinda hard to go from Koss to Senn I guess, atleast these Senns. I'm sure they were accurate but they just aren't fun at all. It's like I just can't wait for the album to be over. I will keep these though for travel and the rare occasions I need phones away from my house.
 
I bought Grado sr60i phones and received them about 10-14 days ago. I have reached the 20 hour mark on them as of today, and the following are my impressions:
 
Comfort - no real problem much to my surprise. I have my hair shaved short so the headband is a little uncomfortable, but all in all they are ok.
 
Bass - It's adequate for me. I'm not a basshead and in fact I have some ear pressure problems because my tubes don't function properly and bass heavy phones would just aggravate that problem. It seems natural to me. I could probably get away with a hair more, but would be afraid to go a lot further with bass.
 
Mids - As most of you know, and from everything I had read prior to purchase, the mids did not disappoint! OMG guitar equalled melted butter as promised and I see what they mean about "liquid" I do love, love, love this aspect of these phones and would not want to stray far from this sound. I did however have a few albums where it sounded a little like the vocals were being sung through a cardboard paper towel tube. Is that the recording, ot the grados?? Anyway, the mids were freakin sweet and when I went back to the PX100s today on the same album and compared a few tracks I realized what a total joke the Senns were and I cannot believe how often in the past they have been compared to the sr60s in vs. type threads. No comparison to my ears.
 
Highs - HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM! I love the bright and lively sound these produce, but for whatever reason, my ears just can't take it. I think I know what they mean by "fatigue" now. They seem to have the treble boost from hell and as much as I thought I loved treble, I just gotta say OUCH. Man they are harsh. I kinda like it is the bad part, but I feel it's causing me problems. My ears hurt afterwards and I have not been jacking the volume at all. Some songs it's not too bad, but frequently it's more than my ears will tolerate. I can also only tolerate one album at a time and I prefer to be able to do 2 or 3 at a sitting.
 
So here I am looking for my next move. The PX100s don't hurt me but man that is so boring now that I've been exposed to Grado for what I listen to. I've never heard any other Senns though so I'm open  minded to any suggestions. I also will purchase an amp if necessary, but it would be advantageous for me financially speaking to let me buy a phone that will let me use them unamped while I save for the amp. I'm open to any/all brands you might think will suit my needs.
 
Please chime in with whatever you can, and I also have some specific questions:
 
1.) I am thinking about Grado sr225i because I have read quite a bit that the 80's are so close to the 60's, the 125s seem to be a red headed stepchild of the series and I have read more than a few cases where people went backwards fromn the 325s to the 225s and were more happy. I can't afford anything over $300 and $200 is closer to what my budget but I don't want 80 pairs of phones to find the right one either. So the 225s... Will they tone down that ear piercing treble of the 60s, or it doesn't work that way? And how much more bass would I expect remembering bass isn't a good thing for me because of my ear problem?
 
2.) I can get ATH-AD700s from amazon for $92 shipped which seems like a ridiculously good deal. I thought maybe that would be another route I could go but don't understand how exactly they would compare to the Grados. I also could stretch my budget to the extreme and go with ATH-AD900s which I hear little about, but what I hear is good, real good compared to the 700s. Like making a good thing great but at tripple the price unfortunately.
 
3.) Do you guys agree that I would be better off to find the phones I like, and then ask for suggestions for what amp to save for? I don't understand the logical order you would do this in but I assumed you would try to match the amp to the phones if the amp wasnt neutral?? I'm speaking of a portable amp as I assume people don't hook ipods to desktop amps even if they will only use it by their chair at home?? Sorry for a noob question like that but I'm trying to sort this all out. Its all a lot to soak in even after lurking aroiund the forum for a while.
 
Thanks in advance!!
 
 
 
 

 

[xander90]

Alessandro MS1i

 

[SS109]

Quote:

Alessandro MS1i

I just got mine and they are awesome.
 

 

[BotByte]

Alessandro do control the highs better, but I would say to experiment and mod your sr60is before you decide.
 
You can make some custom ear cups, not foam but doughnut fashion on ear cups out of pleather and that would bring out the bass, which would cover the highs a bit and make them well rounded. It's what I did and I almost cried at listening to them My little Grados have grown up

 

[seattlesnd]

First off I want to sincerely apologize to everyone for starting this thread. I don't know how in the world I missed the giant thread that asked these type of threads not be started and to ask the questions inside that particular thread asking for suggestions, but honestly I'm that stupid and I did miss it, and I do apologize. That's not at all how I wanted to get started here.
 
I'm going to assume since I see a few other threads like mine, that there's no need to delete this one? If so, I understand and will adjust to the other thread and for sure, next time I'll know better.
 
Thanks to those of you who replied, and I'd like to respond to those suggestiions:
 
1.) I appreciate the suggestions about going in another direction with the MS1i and I will take that into consideration. However, I find it hard to believe thaey are going to be far enough away from the  problems the sr60i are causing me to be the answer, I have those same concerns about my own idea of the sr225i. I listened to a couple more albums yesterday after I made this post. I had been listening mostly to hard rock so I thought I'd try something slightly different, so I listened to Pink Floyds Animals and Radiohead's In Rainbows. Same results. My ears hurt so bad it sucked all the joy out of the experience. Just way, way, way too much treble or something. They are really harsh. I feel like someones driving a ice pick through my eardrums.
 
2.) As far as modding the 60's.. Another good suggestion and I thank you, but I don't have enough confidence that is going to turn them into what I need since I'm so far off now. I really don't want them to have much more bass because that will aggravate my other forementioned problem. I'm starting to think I may need to look for something outside the Grado family? I can return these sr60's to amazon for the price of return shipping if I do it in the next 10 days or so.
 
I see nobody really responded to my numbered questions at the bottome of my original post. Between the post being 25 miles too long for anyone with a life to read through, and the fact I probably made some members mad by mistakingly disrespecting the thread already in place asking not to make these threads about suggestions I'm not holding my breath today to get them answered, but if anyone is reading, man I'd really appreciate some help.

 

[seattlesnd]

Should also probably mention.. At this point I will try to see if I can shorten and change my first post a little in hopes it will be easier for you to make a suggestion:
 
iPod 4G, ALAC files, currently only listen to rock
 
Only listen at home in a quiet room alone
 
Don't have an amp, but I am willing to buy one if need be. Just would help if I could payoff the phones and use them for a couple of months while I save for said amp.
 
I'm looking for an open headphone only as I have some problems with pressure in my ears from my eustation(sp?) tubes not functioning properly and having exhausted the option of 2 different ear doctors fix it. They pierced my eardrum to test if putting tubes in would be an option and my ears did not respond well enough to risk it they said. My ears just kinda trap pressure and won't release it so phones that would be sealed or heavy in bass would not be an option at all.
 
I love the lively fun sound of the Grados compared to my PX100 Sennheisers which do not hurt me butr are too boring to enjoy now. However the grados harsh upper end is way too much for my ears and it's just really really painful like an eear infection on crack.
 
I want to know if the Grado SR225i will have too much bass for me compared to the sr60i, I mean does it have a lot more that you think could be a problem? And more importantly, I have no idea if they would tame the high end enough that they wouldn't hurt me ears so much, or is that just going to be the case even with the 225s because thats the deal with Grados sound signature?
 
As I mentioned, if you think ATH-AD700 or ATH-900 would better suit my needs I can get the 700s through Amazon for $92 shipped and try to go from there. I hear they are light, comfortable, large soundstage, high level of detail, and the biggest knock is the looks (which suit me okay), the lack of bass (which may be a blessing for me) and the fact you supposedly need a big head for them to fit properly and I have a big fat ol' mellon head.
 
I also am intrigued by the Sennheisers better than my PX100s but they would have to be open style and while I wouldn't expect them to be as fun as the grados, I'd like them to not be as boring as the px100s I own and they would have to be at or under $300 and be able to use unamped until i could save for one (2 months probably)
 
Anyway, thanks so much and again sorry for the oversight!
 
seattlesnd

 

[audiofil]

Have a look at Sennheiser HD595 or 598.
They're amongst the livelier Sennheisers but much smoother and more refined than most Grado's.
 
Whatever you do try to audition first.

 

[seattlesnd]

Thanks. Unfortunately I live in a rural area and there is nowhere I know of to audition any phones. I will look into these 2 suggestions further. Seeing as I have to send the 60's back to amazon I did check there and they have both of them and one was only $145 ot something like that. I just skimmed through some reviews, which i would not trust as much as reviews from this site, but it one compared them to the Grado actually in that the treble was harsh and having one person say they couldn't stand to wear them for more than an hour because of it. That wouldn't suit me because I want something I can listen to for 2-3 hours at a time. I'll read further into them. The price is right on the one and the reviews are mostly positive for both. Just my special needs with the ear issues concerns me. Also saw some complaints about them being 1/4" plug and complaints about the adapter (I use iPod). I can't say if they'd work with my ear issues and reports of being in yoiur face and sharp treble compared to other Senns, but I know it's hard for people to relate to my special situation and I applaud you for your effort because it does look like the they are the Senn closest to the Grado sound that I like. I'm just afraid of getting in a situation where I have to send a bunch of headphones back as it will get costly.
 
It's a shame there isn't a place I could audition some, but AFAIK there's not. Also I'm disabled and long story short, I don't get out much and not because I don't want to. LOL
 
Is it going to be a deal where because of my ear issues I'm going to have to have a boring sounding phone too be able to stand more than 60 minutes of continuous use? I have to say that is my biggest concern at this point. It's almost like "lively" is going to equal "painful and/or fatigue" or is that not the case??
 
I will thoroughly look into each phone you guys recommend. It may take me some time as I can't use the laptop much at a sitting. Appreciate the help!!!
 
Nobody seems excited about my ATH-AD700 idea. Why? I just think they would be very gentle on my ear problems. I know they aren't normally recommended for rock, but does that mean they wouldn't work? Would they be as utterly boring as my PX100s or as ear piercing as my 60s? They wouldn't require an amp from my ipod, and the price is right. Though I'm not wanting the price to be the determining factor, just a bonus. I want something that's going to be easy on the bass and the treble, but fun at the same time. Is this a unicorn type phone that doesn't exist? Do phones have to be bass haevy and or ear piercing to be lively and fun?

 

[seattlesnd]

UPDATE: after listening to 2 more albums this afternoon I have come to the conclusion that while I'll not rule out further up the chain Grados, I'm done with the sr60s. Guess I'm not man enough for them. LOL! They kinda remind me of the old Simpsons episode where one of flanders kids says "oww my freakin' ears".
 
They are boxed up and will go back tomorrow.
 
I have ordered the Audio Technica ATH-AD700s and for $92 shipped, I feel good about giving them a try. If they don't work I'll probably try the 2 Senns recommended above. Failing all of that i'll keep trying until something sounds good and doesn't cause fatigue/pain.
 
seattlesnd

 

[bcasey25raptor]

Quote:

Alessandro MS1i

sorry to rob the thread but what is the difference between the alessandro ms1 and ms1i's. i ordered the ms1 not i version. what should i expect.

 

[seattlesnd]

Feel free to rob away! I can't remember what the difference was myself, but I do know I read it on their website yesterday. I don't think it's anything major.

 

[keanex]

The Ad900 might be for you, and they can be found in good condition used here for under $200. The Ad900 have better bass control, quality, and response than the SR60i by far. The bass is not even close to overwhelming and defined rather nicely. The mids aren't as IN YOUR FACE as the Grado's, but they definitely shine and provide enough forwardness to satisfy most listeners. They do great for classic rock, for instance. Vocals are also handled amazingly by them. The highs sparkle, but they aren't even close to fatiguing. The Ad900 do almost every genre well, other than music with really heavy bass, and since you liked the SR60i, I feel like you'll love the Ad900.
 
If you do happen to buy them used here for $200 or less, you won't lose even a dime if you don't like them. You would easily be able to sell them back here for what you paid for them. I am a firm believer that the AD900 are the "best" headphone for $200, and even close for $300, unamped even.

 

[seattlesnd]

I'm going to try the AD700s since they are ordered now, but if I had found a good price on the AD900s I would have propbably went strait for them. It never even occured to me try to find them here used. i'm new to all of this and the forum other than skimming it a few times off and on and I don't even think I realized there was a for sale forum, lol.
 
I feel like I've looked at every make and model under $300, and of the open type I'm looking for the AD900s looked like they would be the ticket. I found very little reviews on them on various sites, but they were very positive.
 
Compared to the AD700s I got the impression that both the bass and highs were better, they were lighter, magnesium instead of plastic, and saying they were a better color is an understatement. BUT for $92 shipped (new) I thought I'd try these first to see if I was even in the ballpark. It looked like people had paid $200 for them and been quite happy other than people with smaller heads and I don't fit into that category with my giant mellon.
 
One thing about this is, I don't want to buy 80 pairs to find what I like, but at the same time I'm not afraid to buy a pair of phones and they not work out because I figure each one I try I'm going to learn more what I won't or don't want in a headphone. I really enjoyed the Grados "fun and lively" sound. I mean it pretty much rocked my world. unfortunately for me and my unique set of ear problems those phones just were not going to work for me wanting to listen for 3 hours plus at a time, or even one at a time for that matter. IF I try another Grado, i'll be going strait for the SR325is because that is the best I can afford and I assume at some point higher up the Grado chain they become a little more tame in the highs so I don't feel like a bug is in my ear trying to eat my brain.
 
Good call on the AD900 though, I'm with ya 100%. Thanks for letting me know about the for sale forum too. I will check it out.
 
seattlesnd

 

[keanex]

It's okay the Ad700 are good, but if you like your Ad700 though you're going to hate yourself when you eventually get the Ad900 =)
 
The only problem I see you having with the Ad700 is them not being near as engaging as the Grado's due to the airy sound of them.

 

[Alghazanth]

The AD700 is good, amazing for the price even, but most certainly not for Rock or Metal.