[xxphunnixx]

I'm a newb about to make a first headphone purchase.. I've scanned through various headphone forums and general consensus is people love both of them.. but it seems like its comparing apples and oranges.. no direct comparison between the both..
I know grado is open and senns are closed.. and the price range is fairly similar.. Grado seems to have comfort issues.. but i also heard of issues with closed headphones about needing a headphone amp to drive them (i plan to use it on my MD player also..)
I will be using this headphone mostly for music (all different kinds).. and occasionally DVDs.. rarely games..
I don't plan to carry this thing around too much so sound leaking (open vs. closed) isn't too much of a concern..

Strictly by the sound, which one is better?

 

[Magicthyse]

Bearing in mind that you are comparing apples and oranges. The superb sealing of the HD280 reveals more detail in the sound compared to the SR80 in an average room. However in terms of general sound and suitability for all types of music, the SR80 would kick the HD280's ass.

The HD280 has an excellent flat and wide response as befits a studio phone, but it's just too boring to listen to for the majority of music types.

There is the long-term comfort issue with the Grado bowl pads - but it's easy enough to get around, and a quick tweak of the headband usually solves things (the comfort issue being mainly a matter of pressure on the ears). The HD280 also has it's comfort issues - mainly problems with pressure exerted to the top of the head if you're a pin/bighead - although they're also easy enough to solve.

As far as 'ease of drivability' is concerned, both phones are in the ballpark to be driven by just about anything which isn't portable - and they'd even be borderline usable for portable.

For home listening, the SR80 would generally win hands down. However if like me you also like to record and edit your own audio, a HD280 is very handy to have. Just don't venture outside with the 280, unless you revel in the title "King Dork".

 

[xxphunnixx]

I think i settled on SR-80.. my next question would be where can I find grado headphones for a good price? best i've found so far is $95 which includes free shipping..

 

[theREALsean]

$95 is about the cheepest I've seen them for. Let me know how you like them. I would also like to get a pair for my iPod buy I will be using a CHA 47 amp and maybe even a boostroo amp to see what happens, hehe

Maybe nothing good. I'll have to find out.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by Magicthyse a HD280 is very handy to have. Just don't venture outside with the 280, unless you revel in the title "King Dork"

LOL, Magicthyse, when are you going to realize that you're one of the only people here who cares about looking "dorky" with good headphones on?

Stop trying to make the new members think they should care

 

[Magicthyse]

Sorry MacDEF, but I can't be held liable for you guys looking like dorks and not caring about it.

"Good" is a subjective word. I haven't found a "Good" phone yet in my book - one that sounds good, looks good, feels good, isolates good, drives good and stores good.

I may give up and get a 7506 of course...

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by Magicthyse Sorry MacDEF, but I can't be held liable for you guys looking like dorks and not caring about it.

No, but you also don't need to keep telling new members that looks are something they should worry about

The irony is that when you're walking around outside with your headphones, worrying about whether people think you look "cool" or like a dork, no one around you is even paying attention

 

[Magicthyse]

Quote:

Originally posted by MacDEF No, but you also don't need to keep telling new members that looks are something they should worry about The irony is that when you're walking around outside with your headphones, worrying about whether people think you look "cool" or like a dork, no one around you is even paying attention

I think we really need to have it out about this. If headphones were solely about the sound then you wouldn't have Street Styles - and people wouldn't buy them.

I warn people about the 280's because - well, you put on yours and look in the mirror. I've made an objective assessment of everything in the recommendation - sound, suitability and appearance since some degree of portable use was mentioned. Stop crapping on my responses please.

The issue is whether you actually look stupid, as opposed to whether you think you look stupid or not.

And noone wags their finger at me for an opinion honestly rendered

 

[radrd]

Personally, I think people who don't care are cool.

If you walk around outside with some bigass headphones strapped to your head because you enjoy the soud and you don't give a **** what other people think, then you are much cooler than some guy who hides his Sennheisers inside his house worried about what the other "cool" people think.

Of course, I also think that anything that costs over $100 shouldn't be worn in public because it will probably get stolen or broken, but that's beside the cool factor. That's a money issue, which some people don't have to worry about.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by Magicthyse If headphones were solely about the sound then you wouldn't have Street Styles - and people wouldn't buy them.

The reason we have StreetStyles and people buy them is that too many people are like you and they think other people care (when they really don't). So by continuing to tell people they should worry about how headphones look, you're simply perpetuating the cycle. So, you see, it's all your fault that we have StreetStyles

Quote:

I warn people about the 280's because - well, you put on yours and look in the mirror. I've made an objective assessment of everything in the recommendation - sound, suitability and appearance since some degree of portable use was mentioned. Stop crapping on my responses please.

LOL, sorry, but as long as you keep telling people they'll look like "King Dork" when they wear certain headhpones, I'm going to keep reassuring them that people really don't care how they look and they should just get the headphone that sounds the best to them

This is Head-Fi, not Head-Fashion

Quote:

The issue is whether you actually look stupid, as opposed to whether you think you look stupid or not.

The issue here is whether or not headphones sound good. Your issue is whether or not you think others think you look stupid. The truth is that none of us are important enough for people to care what we look like in public with our headphones on

Quote:

And noone wags their finger at me for an opinion honestly rendered

LOL, but isn't that smiley great?

 

[elnero]

I wonder which finger it is that's wagging though, rather hard to tell from the smiley.......

 

[radrd]

Quote:

The truth is that none of us are important enough for people to care what we look like in public with our headphones on

Or, if someone else does care, than that person is worthless anyway. Seriously, I had a couple of roommates that do care about such things, and they are both steaming piles of crap. If you care what steaming piles of crap think about you, than you are no better.

Quote:

I wonder which finger it is that's wagging though

I know which finger I mentally raise when Magicthyse starts recommending headphones based upon his "objective" assessment of their aesthetic appeal.

Quote:

Stop crapping on my responses please.

When you gota go you gota go.

 

[Sol_Zhen]

*Reads Magic's location. Can't help but grin*

Buying audio or video equipment based on aesthetics is a horrible idea. I cringe when people say things like, "I'm going to get that CD player because it will look great next to my receiver." Gah.

With headphones, who cares what they look like? As long as they are comfortable for the application (home, work or portable) and sound good...

 

[Sol_Zhen]

Sorry... double post.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by elnero I wonder which finger it is that's wagging though, rather hard to tell from the smiley.......

LOL! I never noticed that before! Magic, don't worry, it's not the middle finger