[LayLay]

I'm interested if you guys can name headphones that sound nicely grainy, which would mean the opposite of smooth. One I've personally heard but don't own is the HD 555, if I'm recalling correctly. I also wonder if such character exists in mid priced headphones or does this characteristic I personally find very pleasing not jive with the HiFi theory.

Thank you in advance for contributing to this thread.

 

[Orestes1984]

Hey mate,
 
What you want doesn't exist with digital audio. If you want that you're going to have to go back to listening to records and tapes.

 

[Madcat207]

A $10 pair of Skullcandy headphones?  Maybe i dont understand, but i cant see wanting low quality audio....

 

[c64]

Grados

 

[Music Alchemist]

"Nicely grainy" is an oxymoron to me. When I think of the opposite of smooth, I think of screechy, harsh, sibilant, piercing treble, which is not exactly pleasant. If that's what you're after, the Sony MDR-7506 and Bose QuietComfort 15 are sorta like that.
 
The Sennheiser HD 700 and HD 800 have some rather obnoxious treble issues as well, but their sound quality is a lot better...and I don't think you're looking for anything that expensive.
 
I see you have the Koss PortaPro. I haven't heard that one, but I own the KTXPRO1 and also had the KSC75 and UR40. The KSC's treble is more sparkly than grainy; the KTX is not as trebly; and both have somewhat emphasized treble. Depending on how you define the term grainy, you may find them to be crude enough for your purposes. They make music sound exciting, but in a less refined way than, say, an HD 650. Although they have the same driver, the KTX is more dynamic and impactful than the KSC thanks to the enclosure. On the other hand, the KSC has a better soundstage since it hangs away from your ears.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

I'm interested if you guys can name headphones that sound nicely grainy, which would mean the opposite of smooth. One I've personally heard but don't own is the HD 555, if I'm recalling correctly. I also wonder if such character exists in mid priced headphones or does this characteristic I personally find very pleasing not jive with the HiFi theory.

Thank you in advance for contributing to this thread.

 

If by "nicely grainy" you mean a studio recording sounds a little bit more like it was recorded live (except the hard bass hits are still strong as in a proper studio recording), go with the SR325 or RS-1. You might want to go for the original or "i" versions as the e-series are slightly smoother.

 

[Orestes1984]

I picked up a coupe of set of Senns off the rack in my local Hi-Fi store yesterday, obnoxious would be the right word for it really. They've become another "lifestyle" brand like BOSE which is sad.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  I picked up a coupe of set of Senns off the rack in my local Hi-Fi store yesterday, obnoxious would be the right word for it really. They've become another "lifestyle" brand like BOSE which is sad.

 
Which models? I've owned 5 Senns and heard 3 more. The sound signatures vary a lot, ranging from awful to amazing.

 

[Orestes1984]

Everything from their ultimate to ther DJ7 and a few in between. Their price in many ways doesn't represent what you can pick up off the shelf from other brands for around $200-$250 for what they charge $800 (list price for)

 

[Orestes1984]

I understand you can have bright highs and not so muddy bass, on the opposite end I also picked up a set of Beats By Dre Studio headphones for a laugh, which is the opposite, but I don't need to assault my ears with treble settings = 10 without even adjusting it on an equaliser.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Everything from their ultimate to ther DJ7 and a few in between. Their price in many ways doesn't represent what you can pick up off the shelf from other brands for around $200-$250 for what they charge $800 (list price for)

 
Their "ultimate" costs over $50,000, so you're gonna have to be more specific.

 
Perhaps you meant the HD 800? And which $800 model are you referring to?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  I picked up a coupe of set of Senns off the rack in my local Hi-Fi store yesterday, obnoxious would be the right word for it really. They've become another "lifestyle" brand like BOSE which is sad.

 
They've always had cheap headphones in bubble packs or cheap boxes marketed to teenagers. These were popular back in college, and I've gradated to the HD600. 

 

[Orestes1984]

I probably did, I wasn't really paying much attention, of the few I remember I picked up the Urbanite-XL, DJ7, Momentum 2.0 among others looking at the store website now. My general impression was that they didn't really hold a candle to my Focals in both a simmiliar and more expensive price bracket.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  I probably did, I wasn't really paying much attention, of the few I remember I picked up the Urbanite-XL, DJ7, Momentum 2.0 among others looking at the store website now. My general impression was that they didn't really hold a candle to my Focals in both a simmiliar and more expensive price bracket.

 
Ah, okay. Looks like you may not have gotten to hear their better headphones, then. The HD 800, 700, and 650 are much, much better than the MOMENTUM and so on. I had two Focal Spirit Professionals, but it can't compare at all to Sennheiser's better headphones or even the less expensive Yamaha HPH-MT220.
 
Back on topic...I think my Koss KTXPRO1 can be grainy in a pleasurable way, but only when the recording itself is like that.

 

[Orestes1984]

This is the problem I think the OP doesn't understand the crackles and pops and graininess and other texture generally come from listening to analogue recorded audio which you don't get with digital audio, even listening through an analogue preamp to add "warmth" is nothing more than an anachronism really.

Despite its inferiority issues I like listening to that also occasionally but its an expensive hobby. Even a decent headphone preamp lets say a "Fatman" as a starting point which has a class A phono stage will cost you $300 by itself, and then you need a turntable, and needles, and vinyl, and then you have to deal with the fact that even if there is a current release it's likely three times as expensive as a CD press, lets say $20 new, and that's to get you started before you start looking at vintage valves such as 6V6 or whatever in old stock.

If you've got at least $500 before you buy headphones and spend another couple hundred at least to get something decent well you're out at around $1000 in gear total before you can hear cracks and pops properly. It's not even really worth the endeavor if this is a passing affliction in terms of interest. It's better to negotiate the facts of why analogue is inferior.