Headphones for Metal/Rock - $150-200
Jan 25, 2012 at 7:24 AM Post #16 of 41
So basically what I'm seeing is that there isn't a huge difference between the 225 and 325...at least not worth the $100 extra price tag (for me anyways).
 
So if I were to get the 225, what would be some recommended pads to go with it that would be the most comfortable?
 
Also, I notice that it is a 1/4" end and not an 1/8" end so I would need an adapter as well.
 
Thanks
 
Jan 25, 2012 at 7:33 AM Post #17 of 41
+1 for SR225i. Try the bowl pads they come with for a little while and see what you think, how comfortable they are will vary from person to person.
 
Jan 25, 2012 at 7:36 AM Post #18 of 41


Quote:
daemonsire said:
Currently, I have the Grado SR80's and I do like them, but I find they get uncomfortable for my ears after extended use.  As it looks like the SR225's are the same design, I would expect the same problems with them.
 
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I am probably going to confuse you even more, so I apologize in advance. :) 
 
I liked my SR60 much better than the SR80 for metal. The SR60 sounded warmer and more whole. I bought an SR225i to upgrade from the SR60 because I wanted more but it wasn't as big a leap as I had hoped. I was expecting to find the heavy metal headphone grail, so to speak. Now I'm selling my SR225i since all I use to listen to metal is my Sennheiser HD25-1 II and HD580. :)

See, a lot of rock and metal recordings are very sibilant. Most of the bands don't have huge production budgets or are victims of the loudness war and their album's sound is anything but audiophile. A Grado has some pretty brutal trebles that will only emphasize these production flaws. I found them grating and fatuiging with most of my music. Don't get me wrong, there are bands that sound great on my SR225i, but in general I prefer a warmer, less piercing sound for my (extreme) metal.
 
Actually, a headphone I'm enjoying tremendously lately for metal is my new Brainwavz HM5 (You can also find them as Fischer Audio FA-003 or Yoga CD-880). For some reason I'm liking neutral, closed cans better for metal since their sound is mostly more direct, with a smaller soundstage and more energetic without any direct frequency emphasis. For example, my Beyerdynamic DT880 and AKG K701 all sound too washed out and spacey (K701 especially) for brutal, in your face agressive music. They also sound too detailed (typical DT880) and unforgiving which, again, will only emphasize metal's mostly mediocre productions. 
 
Jan 25, 2012 at 7:46 AM Post #20 of 41
I was thinking about getting some Grado's/Alessandro's but they just seem uncomforable to me. I've never actually tried supra-aural, but the fundamental idea just seems stupid to me. I feel as if it'd be difficult to get a seal on my ears is there are lots of ups and downs/ins and outs and varieties in firmness and just general ear ****. Do I have the wrong idea, is it supposed to be like a speaker on your ear with no seal or what? It just seems like silly.
I've been tossing up a few cans lately and I just want a little bit of guidance. I want something that can handle the bass of Doom/Sluge, the blast beats of Death Metal, just reproduce drums well, including cymbals/highs. I just want something that handles real instruments well, can pump out decent bass and extend an atmosphere a song inherently has. I have quite eclectic taste in music but I want this to be able to handle "heavier" stuff. I've been looking at D2000, HD600, HD650, DT880, DT990, FA-002 (woodback) or some Grados. I'm open to suggestion, and would love for someone to give me some direction. I'll probably amp with E7/E9.
 
Jan 25, 2012 at 7:51 AM Post #21 of 41

thanks for the input, that does throw a wrench into the mix :)
 
Quote:
negakinu said:
I am probably going to confuse you even more, so I apologize in advance. :) 
 
I liked my SR60 much better than the SR80 for metal. The SR60 sounded warmer and more whole. I bought an SR225i to upgrade from the SR60 because I wanted more but it wasn't as big a leap as I had hoped. I was expecting to find the heavy metal headphone grail, so to speak. Now I'm selling my SR225i since all I use to listen to metal is my Sennheisher HD25-1 II and HD580. :)

See, a lot of rock and metal recordings are very sibilant. Most of the bands don't have huge production budgets or are victims of the loudness war and their album's sound is anything but audiophile. A Grado has some pretty brutal trebles that will only emphasize these production flaws. I found them grating and fatuiging with most of my music. Don't get me wrong, there are bands that sound great on my SR225i, but in general I prefer a warmer, less piercing sound for my (extreme) metal.
 
Actually, a headphone I'm enjoying tremendously lately for metal is my new Brainwavz HM5 (You can also find them as Fischer Audio FA-003 or Yoga CD-880). For some reason I'm liking neutral, closed cans better for metal since their sound is mostly more direct, with a smaller soundstage and more energetic without any direct frequency emphasis. For example, my Beyerdynamic DT880 and AKG K701 all sound too washed out and spacey (K701 especially) for brutal, in your face agressive music. They also sound too detailed (typical DT880) and unforgiving which, again, will only emphasize metal's mostly mediocre productions. 
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Jan 25, 2012 at 8:22 AM Post #22 of 41
There are essentially two camps on this issue.  One believes that since metal/rock can tend to be harsh and aggressive anyway, you should get a smoother, warmer, maybe more neutral can to compensate for this.  The other camp, which is the one I'm in, prefers cans that exploit the in-your-face sound to have their music sound even more powerful and intense.  For this purpose I really like the SR-325is, as compared to say, the HD-600, which I feel is too laid-back to give me the energy I want with my rock and metal.  The Ultrasone HFI-780 is also a good choice.  The HD-25-1 II and SRH-840 also come up frequently, and are probably a little less aggressive. 
 
Jan 25, 2012 at 8:52 AM Post #24 of 41
I'm not really into the abrasive, lo-fi black metal scene, but I do like some similar stuff that would probably drive some people up the wall.  I think it's a similar principle to eating really spicy food.  It's not really masochism, but to some people it surely seems like it.
 
Jan 25, 2012 at 9:08 AM Post #25 of 41


Quote:
lithojazosphere said:
I'm not really into the abrasive, lo-fi black metal scene, but I do like some similar stuff that would probably drive some people up the wall.  I think it's a similar principle to eating really spicy food.  It's not really masochism, but to some people it surely seems like it.
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Listening to the genre itself isn't masochism. :) I meant that, for me, some bands' sound needs a certain headphone sound signature to keep fatigue away. For me anyway. 
 
(On an unrelated note, what similar stuff do you like that would drive some people up the wall?)
 
Jan 25, 2012 at 10:02 AM Post #26 of 41
Another vote for the 225 rather than the 325. The best adapter I've used, coincidentally, is the Grado 1/4 to 1/8 that's available for about 15. It offers the least amount of change in the sound of any I've tried.
 
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