headphone sampling.....

[heavy_-j]

Hey guys....I'm just getting into true audiophile territory lately and am thinking about just trying to sample all the different sorts of headphones out there at once!
 
 
I've got a little dot MKIII on order and being made right now (expect it in about two weeks; so I've got some time to figure the hp side of things)
 
I'm thinking about pairing it with a little dot MK_I DAC mostly fed by my computer....
 
and I've already got some audio technica ath-es7's on the way.
 
 
 
So what I'm thinking is, get a few different headphones at once rather than spending the same amount on one set of super nice phones......my theory is that, like good whiskey, you really cant appreciate super nice stuff until you experience the crappy and the decent end of the spectrum....I have of course experience plenty of crappy phones and speakers (and whiskey) in my life, and I want to try some 12 year whiskey and scotch before i decide if I want to spend five bills on a bottle older than me!   ya know? 
 
I also want to do this because it seems that opinions on headphones are so varied and personal that you just have to try a bunch out yourself to even begin to know what you like! 
 
 
 
.....so I wanna snag maybe four headphones at once (give or take one pair) and just listen to them for a year or so.....really spend some time with some varied high-entry level equipment to get a feel for what I like!
 
 
 
 
Here is what I have/am waiting for/am dead set on getting:
 
 
Little dot MKIII amp
Little dot MK_I DAC
audio technica ath-es7
grado 125
beyer 990 600ohm....
 
yeah I know that the beyers are actually pretty high end stuff but everything I read about them just sounds so awesome and so.......um...epic, in a word....that I just need to try them! 
 
 
So I'm wondering what else I should sample in the headphone world, to really get a varied taste of whats out there to experience in this sort of price range (under $150)....?
I'm thinking the grado and beyer are a good contrast in the open phone world, so I'll get a good feel for that genre of phones.....and the ath-es7 is a good closed/semi-portable phone to get started with....
 
I'm thinking at least one other closed phone needs to be added to the list to make things diverse enough here.....any suggestions?
 
I'm open to anything! 
if this is a dumb idea....let me know!  tell me why....
if my choices are weird or bad....let me know!
If you like the choices.....say why...
If you have nothing useful to add......go home.....
 
 
thanks for the help in advance!  i hope this isnt too common of a question....I figured since this is a little different approach to entering the audiophile world, I might get welcomed without so much animosity towards noob questions!  haha
 
I've got lots to learn at this crazy place.....and I hope to stick around for a while! 
 
 
thanks
peace!

 

[Slaughter]

I would say just try one phone and build on that. Ask yourself, do the highs, lows and mids match what you are looking for. Does the music sound too closed in or is it too distant? Comfort is another big issue to look at. Just get one pair, ask yourself these questions and then search or ask questions. You need a reference point. I wouldn't just start buying all kinds of headphones.

 

[heavy_-j]

well right now the only half way decent pair of headphones i have are the bose tri ports.....and I understand they arent particularly detailed, very base heavy, and really just dont have much going for them besides comfort!  haha  kinda seems like I can only go up from here!  I suppose these could be a benchmark of sorts......a very low one albeit....
 
I do think I'll like the grados because they just sound so fun....so much detail and soundstage goodness from what I hear, I plan on listening to a fair bit of rock, especially older (60s or 70s) rock, so I think these will pay off there....I also want to find out if my ears like the "grado sound" or not.....I kinda hope they do! 
 
I also think I'll like the dt990s from everything I hear!  they arent necessarily a super detailed phone, but have a really full range of sound...powerful from the highs to lows!  an exciting phone to listen to from what I hear!  I also hear they're so darn comfortable (especially the non pro, manufaktur ones, that im talking about getting), so I cant argue with that!  Im also curious about high impedance phones in general, so I figured I couldnt go wrong with these.  I just dont seem to hear many negative things about these at all....If I can find a pair under 300 i think Id like to get one!
 
and the ath-es7, I got those because they sound like a darn solid pair of closed/portable phones....and I liked the way they look!  haha  (I'm usually not so petty, but they sure are fly!  ....I mean, just look at the bose triports, I wear those atrocities in public! ha)
 
 
 
well perhaps you're right, maybe I should limit myself at first.....but i should clarify, that I wont be getting all of these at once...probably a couple weeks apart each.  I'll just grab some when I find them on sale and the paycheck happened to be big enough that week! 
 
 
If I really should only start with one or two, any suggestions on what?

 

[NapalmK]

From my experience, the whole knowing what to listen for thing comes with time. I first had a pair of HD280s and upgraded after about two months to a pair of D2000s. I honestly didn't notice too much difference at first. I could pick up on a couple of things but I couldn't pick up on everything. After a month of listening to the Denons I went back to A/B the HD280s and the differences were incredible. Detail, soundstage, bass, control, character, highs, etc. Of course if you want to dive in head first that's fine too just don't rush through the process. It will happen naturally.
 
My advice is to pick up one or two cans preferably ones that compliment each other which should make it easier to tell the differences. I highly recommend going through the FS forums as the prices are generally very reasonable and if you end up not liking your purchase you can usually sell them for little to no loss. I can't say I followed my own advice though.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Probably the best way to go is to pick a pair of the very well-known headphones here. There are two that I usually recommend: the Grado SR-60 and the Sennheiser HD-600.

The reason you want to try these two is because pretty much every experienced member has them or used to have them. If you want to find a comparison or ask for something that, for example, has more bass extension than a HD-600, you'll get plenty of spot-on recommendations because pretty much all of the people who have been through a lot of headphones know what the HD-600 sounds like. It's a good frame of reference.

Also, I do not recommend buying a bunch of headphones to try. Pick one or two based on your preferences and spend a lot of time listening. It can take weeks to finally get used to what a pair will do. Also, if you buy a lot of different ones and end up not using them, you'll have to sell them at a loss. You're better off occasionally picking up headphones that turn up in the For Sale Forum. That way, you can resell them for about what you paid if you decide not to keep them.

As for buying your amp first... I generally don't recommend it. An OTL is not a good match for all headphones (no matter what the ad copy on the website says) and you should always look to pick an amp that's suitable to drive the headphones you have. I won't get into the long rant on amps, but there are reasons why some amps synergies with some headphones than others. Aside from the quality of the recording you're listening to, the headphones are next most important in what you hear. You'll want an amplifier that's capable of getting the best out of the headphones you choose. You may or may not pick a pair suitable to an OTL, but if you don't, then you'd probably end up selling the amp to get another that does the job right.

 

[heavy_-j]

well alrighty then, thanks for the advice so far....I guess i wont buy as many phones as originally planned......
 
although yes, i understand whatever I end up doing, it's gonna take time........I plan on spending lots of time with each headphone I get seperately......
 
 
one question though....what is OTL?

 

[NapalmK]

If I'm not mistaken OTL stands for Output Transformer Less which generally means a tube amp. Here is a helpful link.