[OUTRO 13]

Thanks so much for the added input you guys! The more I read about things the more overwhelmed I get. The big problem is that I can't find a place here in Las Vegas that I can audition any of these headphones. And in my original post I excluded the Grados as a suggestion because it has been clear and consistent to me that they are good for rock and such. Right now I'm starting to realize that most of what I listen to is some form of rock. I'm really thinking about Grado's but it is hard for me to get past the fact that they are uncomfortable and look like they are a relic from many many decades ago sitting in a time capsule. HOWEVER, I am so tempted to pull the trigger on a good pair of them because there is such an overwhelming satisfaction with their sound. To make this simpler for everyone, if I can find something that will submerge me by surrounding me and bringing out all of the details in tool, mastodon, and deftones I will be in absolute bliss. Are Grados going to do this for me? And I saw people put Senn 580 headpads on their Grados. Do you think this would significantly help the discomfort people speak of?

At first I was definitely thinking about the Senn 580/600 but it seems that Grados and Senns seem to be the antithesis of each other and the fans of each tend to clash with each other about which sound better for the same genres. And it seems half of people say that Senns are not for rock at all while the other half say that it is. But there is no doubt from what people describe that the Grados are good for this type of music.

Wangtox- How do you like your RS2i's? Your ultrasone suggestion was very helpful. But now im starting to think that I shouldn't look for something that is so well rounded if I'm pretty sure I'm gonna eventually get more headphones. Even though I listed a 300 budget I actually have more money. I had my eyes on RS2's and RS1's. What's your take being that you listen to basically all the stuff that I do. Is that why you said that your other headphones don't do these bands justice? Is it because you use your RS-2's?

 

[InFn-0]

Of all the genres K601 can do, it performs worst with hip-hop. It does nt have the thump you would be looking for in such music. They do great with the other types of genres you mentioned but do note that they are somewhat laid back and less in your face unlike the grados. From the genres you mentioned, K601 will go best with psychedelic music. If you are thinking that laid back is somewhat boring or something, dont, because laid back is basically more relaxing and you can listen to laid back cans for a long time without getting tired or your ears ringing; it is just a different signature. However, if you feel that you will like more in your face sound, do go with the other brands. Of the ones you mentioned, K601's will be the hardest to drive, meaning you will require a good amp soon.

If bass is high priority, you should go for closed headphones like the denon one, they would perform the thump better. Also, take a look at Beyerdynamic DT770 ones, they have a reputation of being dangerously bassy.

If you do not know the difference between open/closed headphones, here is a short description. Open headphones leak music/noise in and out, and sound more natural because the noise produced by these headphones can move out freely, letting you enjoy a wide soundstage; while closed headphones do not let music/noise in or out but since the headphones are closed, noise produced by these headphones get blocked, causing a constrained feeling. Before you freak out, do note that this soundstage thing makes a hell of a difference in classical music(which you do not have in your list) and other music where you want to get the feeling of being in a huge place. In most of the music you mentioned, soundstage wont matter too much.

 

[D_Strasse]

Well I did it - the K601s are on there way. InFn-0's comments really put me over the edge.

I will report back when I get them, but all I will be able to compare them with are IEMs. This will sound really crazy but I think I have spent close to $500 on phones this month. Now the proud owner of the 601s, some UE700s, and a pair of UE Triple.Fi 10s. Was originally only going to get the 700s but couldn't pass up the TF10 sale. Anyway, both UEs are nicer than my ATH-Ck7s that they are replacing.

 

[wangtox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OUTRO 13 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wangtox- How do you like your RS2i's? Your ultrasone suggestion was very helpful. But now im starting to think that I shouldn't look for something that is so well rounded if I'm pretty sure I'm gonna eventually get more headphones. Even though I listed a 300 budget I actually have more money. I had my eyes on RS2's and RS1's. What's your take being that you listen to basically all the stuff that I do. Is that why you said that your other headphones don't do these bands justice? Is it because you use your RS-2's?

While i just got the RS2i's for xmas and am still burning them in. I have to tell you they are what i have been looking for and missing all this time. If i had purchased the Grado first i would probably have never found the denon or the ultrasone. That being said i will still be keeping the denon and ultrasone as they both have a great sound to them. I dont see myself listening to Bill Laswell or Pete Namlook on the Grado's but know i cant pick either of the other two and get exactly what i want. Maybe i should state alittle why i feel the other two just arent as good.

I feel that the denon while being very dynamic are alittle to recessed in the midrange for what we listen to. I also sometimes get the feeling like the bass in this can has trouble getting out of its own way and when you are listening to someone like Torche or Jesu,High On Fire it just gets muddy.

I really dont have any issue's with the Ultrasone and thats why i said it was a good all around can , it just doesnt get me into the music like the Grado or Denon.

 

[InFn-0]

Quote:

Originally Posted by D_Strasse /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well I did it - the K601s are on there way. InFn-0's comments really put me over the edge. I will report back when I get them, but all I will be able to compare them with are IEMs. This will sound really crazy but I think I have spent close to $500 on phones this month. Now the proud owner of the 601s, some UE700s, and a pair of UE Triple.Fi 10s. Was originally only going to get the 700s but couldn't pass up the TF10 sale. Anyway, both UEs are nicer than my ATH-Ck7s that they are replacing.

Dont worry, you will like them. If you dont, i will prescribe another medicine to you.

 

[OUTRO 13]

I'm probably just being fickle and such because this is my first pair of cans and I really don't have much experience. With that said I think that I will probably be blown away by whatever I choose (at least I think so) because I haven't been spoiled with the strengths and weaknesses of other phones to compare. But I still want to get the best for what I listen to most.

Quote:

Originally Posted by InFn-0 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Of all the genres K601 can do, it performs worst with hip-hop. It does nt have the thump you would be looking for in such music. They do great with the other types of genres you mentioned but do note that they are somewhat laid back and less in your face unlike the grados. From the genres you mentioned, K601 will go best with psychedelic music. If you are thinking that laid back is somewhat boring or something, dont, because laid back is basically more relaxing and you can listen to laid back cans for a long time without getting tired or your ears ringing; it is just a different signature. However, if you feel that you will like more in your face sound, do go with the other brands. Of the ones you mentioned, K601's will be the hardest to drive, meaning you will require a good amp soon. If bass is high priority, you should go for closed headphones like the denon one, they would perform the thump better. Also, take a look at Beyerdynamic DT770 ones, they have a reputation of being dangerously bassy. If you do not know the difference between open/closed headphones, here is a short description. Open headphones leak music/noise in and out, and sound more natural because the noise produced by these headphones can move out freely, letting you enjoy a wide soundstage; while closed headphones do not let music/noise in or out but since the headphones are closed, noise produced by these headphones get blocked, causing a constrained feeling. Before you freak out, do note that this soundstage thing makes a hell of a difference in classical music(which you do not have in your list) and other music where you want to get the feeling of being in a huge place. In most of the music you mentioned, soundstage wont matter too much.

Thank you so much this is very helpful to me. I think the thing that has been scaring me away is this whole concept of something being laid back as opposed to being in your face. People act like the in your face grados are to be exalted and that the laid back sennheisers or akg etc are something to avoid like the plague for rock. However the bands that I listen to are my favorites because they relax me and hypnotize me and though many of my bands have interludes where they have an in your face kind of section, it generally also has a really chill instrumental part that I love. So that was really nice of you to explain the whole laid back vs in your face thing and the open vs closed. I have heard really good things about Senn 580/600/650 with a headphile woody on it. I have been told it bridges some of the gap between grado and sennheiser. I was very tempted because I know that I will probably end up modifying the headphones that I get. But this lets me know that I will probably have a setup like yours where I have something like senn/akg/something laid back and then grados for in your face. Let me know what you think about this sennheiser thing

D Strasse - Congrats! Good to hear you pulled the trigger. Be sure to let us know how you liked them. I would love to hear your thoughts on how they do similar music to what I listen to.

Wangtox - That is quite impelling to do Grado's because I love Jesu as well. And I swear I see a lot of well versed people in love with Grados for some reason or another. If that reason is for the type of music that I listen to then I definitely think that I need to buy the Grados first. Do you think that it is inevitable to upgrade from RS2's to RS1's?

 

[Bullseye]

I listen to some bands you wrote there. I really like Mastodon. And I think it sounds best with Grados. I have heard the RS-2 (not the RS-1), and I think they are awesome cans for Metal/kind of music you listen to. I have also listened to Sennheiser HD600, HD595, HD650, and others. Weren't my cup of tea.

I recently listened to the Denon AH-D2000, however I could not try this ones with metal. They are very comfortable. Even so the tonality seems to be better in open cans than in closed cans.

This is all IMO, but if you can get the RS-2 it is an excellent buy and a beautiful pair of cans. Electrostatic headphones also sound great with that kind of music, that it is a bit out of your budget.

 

[MomijiTMO]

Just also like to add that you will get other cans later on

. So don't worry if you start with the Grados and later on buy and prefer the Senns or vice-versa.

 

[OUTRO 13]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullseye /img/forum/go_quote.gif I listen to some bands you wrote there. I really like Mastodon. And I think it sounds best with Grados. I have heard the RS-2 (not the RS-1), and I think they are awesome cans for Metal/kind of music you listen to. I have also listened to Sennheiser HD600, HD595, HD650, and others. Weren't my cup of tea. I recently listened to the Denon AH-D2000, however I could not try this ones with metal. They are very comfortable. Even so the tonality seems to be better in open cans than in closed cans. This is all IMO, but if you can get the RS-2 it is an excellent buy and a beautiful pair of cans. Electrostatic headphones also sound great with that kind of music, that it is a bit out of your budget.

Feel free to enlighten me on electrostatic more anyway because I actually do have more than 300. I have heard that electrostatic phones are pretty godly. I just don't know that much bout them. I would be open to the Grado RS1 pricerange but probably not any more than that. I figure if I'm going for the higher grade types of headphones I will keep an eye on the for sale thread. I'm basically positive that Grado's will be in my collection so I figure it will probably be the best first cans for me. It just seems that especially with Grado's people inevitably go to the RS1s. While it is nice to experience the nuances by going up the ranks and seeing the difference, I would spend more money doing it this way than just going for the RS1's in the first place. Do you feel that grados will surround you and really immerse you in your own little universe if you were to close your eyes? (sounds corny but this is what I want) Oh yeah and how is the build quality of these things. I hear incredible things about their sound quality but to be completely honest the visible glue and lots of other aspects of the Grados look kind of sketchy. Does anyone have any testimonials on Grado build quality?

MomijiTMO - Yeah trust me I can see that this becomes addictive and I know dang well that I have an addictive personality when it comes to hobbies and such. Basically this is why I'm not just going to buy SR80's and then upgrade over and over if I already know what I will eventually want.

So far, with all this advice, it seems to be sealing the deal on some Grado's and showing me that Denon's D2000's will be bought later for my Hip Hop/Trance needs. I just don't get enough people supporting the laid back senns for my metal needs. But more Senn/AKG testimonials are more than welcomed if you think I am wrong!

 

[OUTRO 13]

So yeah anyone who can vouch for Grado in the build quality department? Do I have anything to worry about as far as them falling apart? (I baby all of my prized possessions and it won't be portable, it will stay at home). Are Grados known to last as long as the rest of the companies? Someone persuade me to buy these because I'm itching to I'm just being probably overly cautious. =p

 

[Bullseye]

To answer to your question, Grado's build quality is not at the top of the scale, however it is not that bad either. People have had Grados for a decade or so and they have worked perfectly for them. Mine keep working w/o any problems.

I also thought about going for the RS-1, but after having the HF-2 I see no reason to do that.

Regarding stats, I think the STAX Basic system is one of the best for the price. You can get it from Japan at a nice price. Just customs is the problem, yet it will be cheaper than buying it directly from your distributor.

Regarding the feeling of being surrounded by music, basically any can can do that, you just need to feel good and prepare yourself to do so. The answer lies in your head more than in your cans.

If you plan to get another pair of headphones X time from now, I would recommend you go for Grado. However if you plan to stick with a pair as long as possible, I'd go for Stax Basic system. Build quality is really good. Comfort is great and sound as well.

 

[OUTRO 13]

I think a lot of my confusion is based on the fact that I don't know what traits in a headphone that I need to look for being that I listen to post metal/sludge/doom/downtempo. Most are pretty guitar oriented however the speed of my music doesn't necessarily require a really speedy headphone (I don't think). I was told that a midrange is one of the main focuses that I should look for given my music? What else should I be looking for? I don't think my music is too bass heavy. I need just enough to suffice without feeling like something is missing. What characteristics should I be looking for guys?

 

[gordonshowers]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OUTRO 13 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just don't get enough people supporting the laid back senns for my metal needs. But more Senn/AKG testimonials are more than welcomed if you think I am wrong!

I listen to Tool regularly on my HD600s and think they sound awesome! Also a bit of other stuff not too dissimilar to your music (ish!) (Godsmack, Dinosaur Jr, etc).

But I've nothing to compare to them apart from Grado SR60s and they're in a different league altogether. I use the SR60s straight out of my PC at work and they sound great for what they are, but the HD600s totally lose me in the music.

So although I have nothing to compare with them to give you a subjective comparison, I have absolutely no desire to change my HD600s any time soon because I like the sound so much. And I've owned them for just over ten years now!

 

[OUTRO 13]

Gordonshowers - Thank you for your reply. It definitely makes sense that the senns would sound good too (albeit different) being that they have a killer midrange. Do you know anything about how Senns sound with semi open woodies like the ones that headphile has? I've heard really good things about them kind of bridging the gap between the Senn signature and Grados. I will keep your vote in mind for sure. =]

But still, if someone could tell me what else other than a strong mid range I need in a headphone I think it would be very helpful. I don't know what characteristics are conducive to a good listening experience with my type of music.

 

[MomijiTMO]

I'd stay away from 'mods' until you have nothing else to do.

You get why people say laid back don't you? Apparently the Grados are like being on stage with the band with the 'woodies' sounding like you are in the front row. The Senns make you feel you are in the middle of the mosh pit. My K701s put you at the back which doesn't sound particularly good.

Go with some Grados for now.