[sirslack]

Greetings,

I'm new to the audiophile world and have recently received a set of Grado SR80i earphones and a D4 Mamba DAC/AMP. I'm really happy with the way music sounds using this setup. I am hearing things in music that I have never heard before. I mostly notice the separation of instruments and the clarity of the vocals. I guess my only real problem at this point is that I'm itching to buy a new set of phones to take it to the next level. I guess this would be the wrong place to ask for help.

I've enjoyed this forum greatly and have learned a lot in the past week or so and look forward to learning more about this disease.

 

[kunalraiker]

The Grado SR 80i's are really nice headphones, these were the ones I was supposed to buy due to high recommendation,I have D4 also.
Now how much are you willing to spend on to your so called next level, and what are your music taste,you need to establish if getting new headphones are justifiable or not.

 

[El_Doug]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirslack /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm itching to buy a new set of phones to take it to the next level. I guess this would be the wrong place to ask for help. I've enjoyed this forum greatly and have learned a lot in the past week or so and look forward to learning more about this disease.

Welcome to Head-Fi, and sorry about your wallet!

 

[baka1969]

Try getting bowls for the 80i and you get a new perspective and the soundstage will open up a bit.

 

[BassoonHead]

I use the 225i w/D4 when I'm out walking. I don't feel any need to go any further with that set up-sounds great like you said.

For my bed table it's different. I'm playing cd's and flacs through a Little Dot MKIII tube amp into Senn HD600. I'd love to see what is better than the 600s but the price point is at a place where I would have to spend a lot of time with newer models before I purchase (I really like the 600s so this is not a pressing issue, just a thought). I'm seriously considering CanJam Chicago to do just that.

Happy hunting.

 

[stang]

As your name suggests, you are slack

. There are plenty of threads on here about which headphones to upgrade to from this or that headphone. Anyway, we need some more info out of you

Could you tell us what music you listen to, what you want more of, bass impact? Soundstage? Clarity? Better mids or highs? If you just want a general Grado upgrade, go straight for the SR-225.

 

[mritt400]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirslack /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've enjoyed this forum greatly and have learned a lot in the past week or so and look forward to learning more about this disease.

Ha - well put. We all here to help each other through this...

 

[sirslack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stang /img/forum/go_quote.gif As your name suggests, you are slack . There are plenty of threads on here about which headphones to upgrade to from this or that headphone. Anyway, we need some more info out of you Could you tell us what music you listen to, what you want more of, bass impact? Soundstage? Clarity? Better mids or highs? If you just want a general Grado upgrade, go straight for the SR-225.

Stang, thanks for the recommendation. I am leaning towards giving the SR-225s a shot. I realize after re-reading my post that it may have come across a little different than I had originally planned. I wasn't really asking for earphone help directly but just trying to be funny in that I was asking help from fellow earphone enthusiasts to help me control my new addiction.
Having said that, I'm really all over the place when it comes to music. I would really like a phone setup that is good overall. Most cheap earphones to me seem to have too much bass and not enough mids or highs so anything I can do to help that is a good thing. I definitely like the new clarity the 80s provide, this is a new thing for me.

I appreciate all the helpful responses guys!

 

[Happy Camper]

Yeah, the typical Grado path is 60>225>RS-1/PS-2>GS/PS1000>retired classics.

If you like listening to music on headphones, there are soo many presentations out there. AKG, Senns, DTs, ATHs, Sony, Stax, etc.

You should really make an effort to attend a meet (look in the local meet threads for an area near you) to hear some of the rigs the long time hobbyists and those with a passion have put into it. I've been an audio fan since I was a kid and I was impressed with the quality of sound the headphone hobby has attained. It's come a long way from Koss and Realistic.

Want to hear a reference in clarity and balanced sound, listen to some electrostatic rigs. Angels can't present it better.

 

[Bilavideo]

MY LOW-BUDGET ADVICE

1. Heat up some water, not quite to the boiling point but hot enough to be steamy.

2. Pour the water into a cookie tray or some other container but only up to 1/2 to 1/4 inch.

3. Put your Grados into that steamy water, but with the cushions off and the driver facing up (you don't want it immersed in the water).

4. Wait a bit, then carefully twist and pull till the outer cups come off. The steaming was to loosen the glue holding them on.

5. Pry off the plastic decal glued to the center. It's causing HF to fire back. It's one of the little limitations in headphone clarity.

6. Look at the inner cup. You'll see the back of the driver (with the magnet in the center and a plastic disc with holes arc'ing around. If you can't see the holes, hold your inner cup up to a light source. You'll see dots of light arc'ing all around.

7. Being careful not to protrude too far, pop the screen in each hole. This will allow your diaphragm to breath more easily. Grado has said, on more than one occasion, that his drivers are different for all his phones - even though each sports a 32 ohm driver that looks identical up and down the product line. This is partly because the screen is part of the driver assembly and it is different for different headphones. I pulled out both my friend and rear screens completely, but popping the holes is an easier, less-demanding approach. Just pop that screen open without jamming anything through the diaphragm. It'll double your bass in a heartbeat. It will also mellow your phones without hurting the detail.

8. Take the outer rings to a flea market or somebody who works with wood and have a woodworker made the same thing out of wood. I went further than this. I pried the driver out, and separated it from the plastic assembly, then took both halves to a guy at the flea market who made me a wooden pair (left and right sides) for $20. When I popped it all back in, I got the same great Grado HF, but the phones were warmer and the bass was enough to blow away the Monsters and the Sony bass-yapping-mudmaker. This little deal will actually give you better bass than anything Grado has, because Grado keeps the plastic assembly intact and simply sheathes wood, aluminum or wood/aluminum over the top. You don't need a plastic lining between your driver and its housing. Removing the plastic enhances the air chamber's effectiveness and gives you the best of both worlds.

 

[punkaroo]

Hello sirslack!

Another Grado fan here

Welcome to the boards, and remember, the SEARCH function is your new best friend!

And as always: Sorry about your wallet!

 

[krmathis]

Welcome to Head-Fi!

 

[dongringo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Camper /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, the typical Grado path is 60>225>RS-1/PS-2>GS/PS1000>retired classics.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why the 325s are usually skipped. They sound amazing and imo they are the sweet spot of the Grado line as far as price point is concerned. My brother just purchased them and I like them ALMOST as much as my RS1s. The build quality is so much better than the 225, leather headband, metal cups, thicker cord, etc. If I were going from the SR80 and couldn't afford the RS1 I'd go straight for the 325i. But hey, that's just me.

 

[plonter]

I say, go straight to the RS1 ...than you will notice what a real upgrade means

if you love the grado sound, it will happen eventually so you can save yourself some time and money.

 

[djphatp]

Welcome, I love the grado HF2. A little tough to get your hands on a pair for a decent price.