Grado vs. Sennheiser == "dry" vs. "warm"?

[slag]

Need some veterans for this one - when describing my ideal sound, I use words like "warm," "rich," "fluid," "smooth."

I was preparing to order a pair of MS-1's, but now I'm worried that the Grado sound is too "punchy," "dry," and "sharp."

For those who have owned both Grados and Sennheisers, are these fears somewhat founded? I KNOW what kind of sound I like, and it's definitely not too aggressive. It's smooth, laid-back, but not without losing its "crisp" quality.

 

[yellafella321]

Grados are in no way dry nor are they sharp. They are incredibly rich and fluid and smooth, but they are also very aggressive. For something thats smooth and laid back, some senns are definitely the way to go, but "crisp" isn't a characterstic that I'd associate with senns.

 

[slag]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellafella321 get some senns then.

Could you please recommend a model in the price/quality range comparable to the MS-1's?

 

[sacd lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slag Need some veterans for this one - when describing my ideal sound, I use words like "warm," "rich," "fluid," "smooth." I was preparing to order a pair of MS-1's, but now I'm worried that the Grado sound is too "punchy," "dry," and "sharp." For those who have owned both Grados and Sennheisers, are these fears somewhat founded? I KNOW what kind of sound I like, and it's definitely not too aggressive. It's smooth, laid-back, but not without losing its "crisp" quality.

I would say the description of your preferance is more like the sennheiser sound. The senn 580 is a great deal these days.

The senn 595 is also much like our description but has a crisper, quicker sound characteristic .... IMO.

 

[yellafella321]

The hd580 is probably the best choice at your price point, it will usually run for about 120$ used. They will sound pretty good un-amped, but definitely need an amp to shine.

 

[granodemostasa]

Well, for one thing, i'd call and AKG701 dry.. .but definitely not a Grado! the grado sound is as smooth and liquid as imaginable. Yes, sometimes they are sharp when coupled with the wrong amp...

for grado's i like the 225 and hte HF1, both of which sound fluid and inoffensive to sennheiser ears like mine.

only the 595 of the senn would i describe as having anything near a "crisp" sound.

 

[slag]

Quote:

Originally Posted by granodemostasa only the 595 of the senn would i describe as having anything near a "crisp" sound.

"Crisp" is a good thing in my book, but only after "smooth," "warm," "fluid," etc. Would you say that your SR225's fit my sound description? I'm after accuracy, but more importantly, a rich and smooth sound. If that makes sense.

 

[chouman]

if you mentioned what kind of music you like, that might help.

i could also recommend the hd 595 for a detailed but warm sound. Grados are not laid back but that will also depend on the music I guess.

Good luck!

 

[granodemostasa]

warmth is not a characteristic of the grado house.
i say the 595 is your best unamped bet right now... unless you get an HF1, which is about as warm as a 595.

 

[yellafella321]

I think it would be nice to know your budget. MS-1's sound great unamped, as do 595's, but there are a lot of other phones that we could recommend that require amping in order to sound their best. If we knew your budget, we could make a recommendation factoring the cost of an amp too.

 

[slag]

Alright. You guys are great, did I tell you that?

My ONLY source will be an Indigo IO card coming from my laptop (does that count as an amp? If not, then I'm willing to spring for an amp if it fits into my budget with the recommended cans.)

Budget is ideally around $100, still fair at $150, and hey, at this point I'm willing to choke it down and go to $200. $200 is really my max, though.

If it helps, comfort is a highly valued. If you take comfort into consideration, I'm looking for full headphones that _feel good_ to wear. Also, since my source is a laptop, semi-portability is a nice feature -- but far from a necessity.

 

[Gaughtfried]

This really sounds like a job for the 595 imo...

 

[granodemostasa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaughtfried This really sounds like a job for the 595 imo...

totally agree.

 

[slag]

I was going to post something about me liking the look of the Grado cans better, but then I laughed at myself. (However, I still think they look awesome.)

Well, Amazon has the 595's for $180 shipped; that's pretty decent, isn't it?

 

[Jbucla2005]

I always thought the Grados sounded warm but bright. And Senns sound warm and dark.