[waffles]

I am in the navy and getting ready to go to sea for 4 months. I am looking for some great headphones to take with me. I listen to all types of music except rap. Mostly rock and some classical. I am ok with spending around $300 on a pair. A store where I live will sell me a pair of Grado SR 235i for $280 if I order this weekend. I will be using them with an iPod and a portable dvd player.

A few guys I work with have the bose noise canceling headphones, whatever I buy has to sound better than those.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Cry Havoc]

For rock, the HFI-780s are pretty awesome. Grado SR-60s and 80s will just shatter any Bose headphone for rock, but will come up short for classical.

Do you have an amp? If so, the MS2i's are probably exactly the can you're looking for.

 

[nutkicker]

the grado sr 325i are great for rock, if they are what you like to listen to mostly. for classical though, its not the best. from what ive read, the alessandro ms2i might be better for you although i've never heard them myself. perhaps someone else who has heard one can chime in.

 

[pez]

Yeah, of all the Bose HP's i've tried, the Grado SR60 sounded loads better. From what I've read, Ultrasone and Grado are good for rock, AKG for Acoustic? and Sennheiser for Classical? I think that should be right, help me if I'm wrong guys.

 

[boomana]

Check out the ATH-ESW9s. My co-worker, who brought in the Q3s a couple weeks ago, just bought them after listening to mine and declaring his "crap." They don't require an amp, but are good in offices because they're closed, don't leak much (no one can hear your music unless listening at ear-bleeding levels), but don't isolate to the point where you can't hear phones ring, people talking to you, etc. Not only do they sound much better, they look better, too.

 

[fdhfdy]

I recommend 701s for classic

 

[waffles]

Thanks for all the help. I will be listening to rock 90% of the time, and occasionally watching movies. I would prefer to not buy an amp. I have to haul all my stuff halfway around the world, so I would rather not have an extra part.

I really can't use closed headphones. I like to fall asleep with them on, and I need to hear if someone is trying to wake me up, in case they don't fall off my head in the night.

 

[boomana]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fdhfdy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I recommend 701s for classic

but he's using an ipod, and those require a dang decent amp, and not a portable one, either.

Waffles, the ESW9s don't isolate to the point that you can't hear around you. Folk near you just don't get the benefit or torture of having to listen to your music. Also, they're supra-aural so they're very comfy for lying down. I've been using them in a bedside rig.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/woo...d-pics-263985/

 

[Silvain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boomana /img/forum/go_quote.gif Check out the ATH-ESW9s. My co-worker, who brought in the Q3s a couple weeks ago, just bought them after listening to mine and declaring his "crap." They don't require an amp, but are good in offices because they're closed, don't leak much (no one can hear your music unless listening at ear-bleeding levels), but don't isolate to the point where you can't hear phones ring, people talking to you, etc. Not only do they sound much better, they look better, too.

I don't use my ESW-9 for classical. There's a lack somewhere that I can't describe (still a newbie), and that lack is big enough that I try not to use those beautiful cans for classical music. Rock music is great for it though.

 

[boomana]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silvain /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't use my ESW-9 for classical. There's a lack somewhere that I can't describe (still a newbie), and that lack is big enough that I try not to use those beautiful cans for classical music. Rock music is great for it though.

Probably because they're slightly warm and also tend to congest a bit in the bass. They don't have the attack that great headphones for classical music have, but other headphones in his price range that offer that (Grados) don't have any sense of soundstage that classical really needs. The deal is that I don't think there's anything better than the ESW9s available if going ampless and out of an ipod since the op isn't interested in iems.

 

[fdhfdy]

ESW-9 leaks

 

[fdhfdy]

try er4p

 

[ken36]

Have a great cruise.

 

[kydsid]

How much time before you go? If time is short I think you might have trouble getting a pair of ESW9's. Audiocubes stocks them but I'm not sure of current availability. The ESW9 thread around here somewhere had several comments about a delay. There might be other sources that would be quicker.

If time is of the essence, does the local shop carry the 225's? I recommend for four reasons: Probably can find them easily in another local hifi shop if needed. Easy to drive from iPod, etc. Great sound (no headphone will accomplish every type of music to its best, but in this case they will still sound better than most), and four the 225s are all black and plastic, they aren't as flashy as the 325i's and therefore won't stick out so much to get stolen, etc.

 

[waffles]

Thanks ken.

I have about a month. The local shop carries all the Grado's. I am not really worried about them getting stolen. I work on a submarine. I would be the only guy on the boat with them, nobody could ever use them.

Are the 325i's worth the price difference over the 225's?