[Mogwai]

Hi fellow music lovers!
I'm sorry for making yet another recommendation thread, but I'm about to buy my first pair of mid/high-end headphones and I'm struggling.

I listen mainly to alternative rock in all shapes and colors. Hardcore bands like Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Bad Brains, indie rock bands like Sonic Youth and Chavez, instrumental bands like Don Caballero and Explosions in the Sky, and so on.

I was set on buying Grado SR80 or SR225 because they seem to be popular among people who listen to rock/metal, but after reading more about their sound signature, I have the feeling that they might be too revealing for my taste. For example, I prefer the warmer sounding Koss Porta Pro for their emphasize on low extension to the Sennheiser PX100 with their more neutral sound. I think it has to do with the fact that a lot of the CD's I listen to aren't exactly Diana Krall productions.

So, what are my options, Denon, Koss, AKG etc.?
Recommendations are highly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[captian73]

Try a pair of Alesandro MS1's, or my personal favourites, the Sennheiser HD25-1's

 

[rwest1389]

what are you going to be listening out of? and i think if its a modest setup, the bitrate will matter before the actual recording quality (unless its really bad i guess)? if its going to be VBR or at least 192kbps out of an ipod, youre probably not going to find grados revealing to the point of disliking them (although thats assuming youre not an ulta-audiophile already. but at the same time, they dont have as much bass as your Koss. it would be really good to demo them, but if youre daring you could always buy a used set, and sell it if you dont like it, and just end up swallowing some shipping costs. fwiw, with your musical tastes i would be pretty confident youd like them.

 

[Mogwai]

Thanks for your answers, guys.

I'll be primarily using the headphones with my trusty Sony Discman on the bedside table, and sometimes with my PSP. I might consider buying an amp in the future, but they should be easy to drive.

 

[Mogwai]

I've narrowed it down to the following models:

Alessandro MS-1
Sennheiser HD595
Denon AH-D2000
Goldring DR150

I know there's quite a price difference between the Denon and the other models, but the most important thing for me is that the headphones I buy match my taste in music and that they don't need an amp to sound good.

What do you guys think?