[simplesimon]

Hello, Head-Fi.
 
I've recently been searching for a new pair of headphones and stumbled upon this website and decided to see if you guys could help me out. 
 
I'm looking for headphones in the 100-300$ price range that have the best possible sound without the use of an amp. I plan on looking into amps in the future, but it is a bit tentative at the moment. 
 
I listen to Ambient, Classical, and Folk music. A few artists I appreciate are: Brian Eno, John Cale, Townes Van Zandt, Mahler, and Debussy. 
 
Am I being too picky especially since I won't be able to purchase an amp in the near future?
 
Thanks for any help.

 

[Katun]

I have the exact same question, and am in the exact same boat as you.
 
I recently foolishly bought a K701 to use straight out of my MP3, and that was a bad decision. So, I send it back after a week, and now I am awaiting a refund so I can decide on my next pair. This time, I will be a bit more careful to buy a less amp dependent headphone.
 
Anyway, I'm also looking for headphones without using an amp. Through my searching, many recommend Grado's, as they sound fabulous without the use of one. Although, I decided Grado might not be the best choice for me due to it's comfort and 2D sound.
 
As of right now, I don't have many candidates for my next headphone without an amp. They are hard to find. The few I know of are: A900/AD900, Grado SR225i/SR325i, Ultrasone HFI-2400/Pro 2500. Unfortunately, that's about as far as I got. Luckily for me, I've been very curious about the HFI-2400 for the longest time, so I most likely will be getting that one.
 
I'm not sure what you will decide, whether it's on that brief list I gave you or not, I wish you good luck. We "unamped" users don't have the world's biggest selection you know.

 
And there are always IEM's...

 

[simplesimon]

I was on the verge of making a hasty purchase as well, but I began to read more into it and discovered how many of the headphones I was considering required an amp for it to sound good. 
 
I had looked at the Grado headphones you mentioned and have heard positive things about their quality when not amped. The HFI-2400 does look interesting, but it might be a bit too pricey for me. 
 
I'd like to get some more information (I feel newbish) as to what makes a good unamped headphone before making a purchase, but it seems those types of phones in this price range are few and far between. 

 

[Katun]

Quote:

I had looked at the Grado headphones you mentioned and have heard positive things about their quality when not amped. The HFI-2400 does look interesting, but it might be a bit too pricey for me. 

 
What Grado's are you thinking of ? (assuming you are thinking of any) Actually, the HFI-2400 is about $250 now, which fits into your price range. Although, it is on the verge of going over your limit.
 
Quote:

I'd like to get some more information (I feel newbish) as to what makes a good unamped headphone before making a purchase, but it seems those types of phones in this price range are few and far between.

I'm sure more can get on and answer better than I can, but I a few basics. To tell you the truth, I don't know what makes a headphone *need* an amp to *sound better* rather than to just boost volume like I always thought they did. Usually, users will tell you if one needs to be amped, so there really is no question to *if* one needs an amp. Mainly, it depends on the drives and impedance of the phones. Many have different styles and types, that require different amounts of power to successfully perform to full potential. My K701 on the other hand, had plenty of power from my MP3, they just sounded *nothing* like they could by using a good amp. All in all, it's a bit confusing to me, that is why I go off other user's experience and reviews.
 
And yes, these type of headphone get really scarce in this price range. Which is a real bummer, as one now feels obligated to buy an amp, to unleash their full potential. At least, there are still a few of them left, and I definitely plan on buying one of them!

(Ultrasone HFI-2400 most likely)

 

[CaptainRusko]

I don't know much about this either but this thread may be useful, if you haven't already seen it that is...
 
http://www.head-fi.org/wiki/buying-guide-headphones-by-price-range

 

[beeman458]

Am I being too picky especially since I won't be able to purchase an amp in the near future?
 
You're not being picky.  Think about some IEM's like the Sennheiser IE8's as they're in your price range.
 
Two points, in the case of your player, it's about Vrms out and the Ohm rating of your headphones and what you're player can adequately power.
 
Later you might want to consider something along the lines of a decent portable amp.
 
Hope the above helps.

 

[simplesimon]

To be honest, the only reason I went up to 300$ in the price range is because I was hoping I could shop around and possibly find better deals. Maybe on amazon? Maybe I'm being too cheap. 
 
The Grado SR225i are the ones I'm considering because that extra 50$ does make a difference for me. 
 
Why are you leaning towards the HFI-2400? 
 
I'm definitely not an experienced audiophile, so I really don't know what will make the difference for me here. I wish I could test out these headphones we've mentioned, but it doesn't seem like I could really do that without making a purchase first. 

 

[simplesimon]

It seems a lot of people are recommending IE phones, but they don't aesthetically appeal to me. I don't mean to exclude IE phones simply because of aesthetics, especially if they have the better sound, but it is something I would have to get over.  

 

[beeman458]

FWIW, when you're out and about, IEM's make the most sense, in all categories.

 

[Katun]

Well, it depends on what IEM you buy simon. Some of them go half way to your brain, and have a very obtrusive fit. Others, can just barely sit in your ear canal, and feel perfectly comfortable. So comfortable, you can't even feel them. Now, the matter is, if you like sticking stuff in your ear, period. Which is fine if you don't, as many don't like IEM's. I'm not trying to convince you or anything, but it's always nice to have a pair of them as well. Because if I could only have two headphones, I would have a full-size, and a pair of IEMs.
 
Grado's would be a good choice. Just a word of advice, order from Amazon or an Amazon certified seller. That way, if you are certain you don't like them, you can send them back and get a refund to try another phone. This is exactly what I did with my K701. So I won't be ordering from seller's on Amazon when shopping for headphones.
 
Well, I think it may be final I'm getting the HFI-2400. And there are quite a few reasons I'm doing so. Like I listed above, there aren't to many headphones that like to be used without an amp. And out of the list I posted, the Ultrasone looked the most appealing. Besides, I've been keeping an eye on that headphone for a very long time. I like the "3D" sound from headphones. I also want to try out the whole S-Logic thing, whether it works or not. Detachable cable is a nice plus too.
 
But I also think Cnet helped me a bit. Yes, Cnet. Here is a quote from them about the 2200:
 
"To finish up, we plugged the HFI-2200 into our iPod. We were instantly wowed--the sound was big and weighty with exceptional clarity. The iPod had enough power to play the HFI-2200 fairly loud, but nowhere as loud as our reference Ultimate Ears UE-10  in-ear headphones. The HFI-2200's sound was much better than the far more expensive UE-10s, but the HFI-2200s' size will deter customers looking for a portable and practical set of headphones. Still, it's nice to know it can work with an iPod if the need ever arises. The HFI-2200 was a much better match with the iPod than Ultimate Ears UE-10, which we wouldn't ever recommend using with an iPod."