Isolating Headphones for Metal
Apr 5, 2007 at 3:34 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 45
yuletide

yuletide

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Howdy all, Wow. This is a long one so here's a quick summary:
I'm looking to buy replacement head/earphones for my iPod buds, considering the following factors:
  1. I listen to Metal.
  2. Isolation would be nice.
    etysmile.gif
  3. Bass is important.
    basshead.gif
  4. [Lack of] listening fatigue is very important.
  5. I listen to Metal. \m/
    evil_smiley.gif
    \m/
  6. I hope to eventually use a portable headphone amp.
  7. Price point: ~$100, but I'm willing to go up to like 150 (at the MOST) if its worth it.

I've been scouring these forums on and off for the last year or so waiting to finally jump in and drop the $$$ for some new headphones. Well, here I am with my very own post. First, I listen largely to Metal. That is, Heavy Metal. I listen to other genres too: hip-hop, jazz, blues, prog, classical, electronica... But mainly I'm looking for phones that will give me the shred of distorted guitars, the thunder of double-bass drums, the soaring voices and angelic choirs of power metal, the hellish growls of death metal, yet without being too fatiguing. That has been my biggest complaint with the iPod buds, and Metal is a genre that is especially susceptible to fatigue.

The other major factor is that I'm looking to spend about $150 at the absolute MOST, but only if the extra money will really give me extra quality. I'm just looking for a pair of entry-level sexyphones to tide me over until I drop some real cash.

So... my clearest option at first was the Grado SR-60's... everyone loves them. But I'd really like to be able to use these in noisy environments like the library (hah), commuting on the train, or even flying. So my next logical choice was IEM's... [Edit: I just found a pair of SR-125's for sale for $80 shipped... also worth considering]

I actually got to try out a pair of Shure E2C's last week during a trip to Spain and had mixed feelings. I loved the isolation and didn't mind the in-earn-ness of them, but I was less than blown away by the sound. The bass was most noticeably lacking, something that is quite important in my area of interest. But other than that they were pretty good. Not good enough to justify $100, but pretty good, and not too fatiguing. Though I can imagine spending the $69 for SR-60's, dealing with the less isolation, but then enjoying the orgasmic sound the rest of the time. So should I go with IEM's? Are there any that will give me the sound I'm looking for at a decent price?

I'm also, almost tempted to just forget about the isolation and enjoy the Grado's... after all I made do with my ipod buds for this long, and things weren't too bad. Though those did have marginal isolation... Or should I opt for a pair of budget sealed phones like the AKG K 26 P? They seem to be pretty well reviewed.

One last thing I'm trying to consider (enough variables?) is response to amplification. This summer I built (well, mostly built...) a CMOY amp and crossfeed circuit that I hope to eventually carry around with me... So if some of these phones don't have great base at first, but respond well to amplification, then they may work out.

[EDIT]
Here's my updated list of contenders:
IEM's:
Shure E3C (used)
Shure SE210 (???)
UE Super.fi 5 Pro (used)
ER-4P (used)
Jays d-JAYS (???)
AKG

Headphones
AKG K 26 P (????)
Alessandro MS-1 (no isolation tho!) or SR-60/125
Koss KSC75 (no real isolation...)
Sony MDR-V6 (mixed reviews)
Beyerdynamic DT 250-80

[Edit: no more westone's... refined the list of contenders a bit] So what's the deal with the Super.fi 5 Pro? There seems to be some serious disagreement as to the bass on those, especially as they would be suited to metal. Hard to believe it'd be too much... But I guess the most universally positive reviews thus far are for the er-4p's.

Hopefully this isn't too rambling or confusing :) Please ask for more info if it'll help!
 
Apr 5, 2007 at 3:54 AM Post #2 of 45
Choice #1 for me at $150 would be a used pair of Grado SR-225s without hesitation.

If Isolation is a must, the only set of phones that come to mind that might work for you portably is the AKG K81DJs (assuming they are comfortable for you). Also the BeyerDynamic DT250-80s would probably work as well.

I am not a real big fan of IEMs, so I will let the IEM experts comment there. The only IEMs I have owned that will put out the Bass you are after are the JVC Marshmallows. They are bass monsters!
basshead.gif
 
Apr 5, 2007 at 4:41 AM Post #3 of 45
oooh, and there's even a basshead mod for the grados...
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=150699

How do they stand up to portable use? I can see using them as "at home" phones (if I used headphones at home), but on the road? Also, the thought of breaking $150 bulky headphones is daunting... not to mention lugging them around with me all day, every day... (with books... ugh)

edit: OH, and I almost forgot to mention the Alessandros! Those are in contention too... Though it seems they are less suited to the extremes of metal
 
Apr 5, 2007 at 5:26 AM Post #7 of 45
super.fi 5 pro's are awesome. They will isolate like you wouldn't believe. I found them to be much more upfront than the shure e4c, I guess you could call them bass heavy, but I thought they were pretty clear all round
 
Apr 5, 2007 at 6:11 AM Post #10 of 45
I listen to alot of metal, from Dark Tranquillity to Bloodbath, and I actually love the ER4P for metal. The even quick response and strong mids make the guitars sound incredible, and you can hear every note independently, even on the fastest tracks. I'm sure it's not going to be the common recommendation, but I really think the Ety sound is very suited to metal, especially if your tastes are more towards Megadeth, and the like. Remember, Mustaine never used a "scooped" sound, so a headphone with bloated bass will make Hangar 18 sound like a fart.
 
Apr 5, 2007 at 6:20 AM Post #12 of 45
A cheap solution is creative ep630s. I love the bass and lower mids on em and they isolate pretty well. Only 30 bux so it could be a good place to start.
 
Apr 5, 2007 at 6:43 AM Post #13 of 45
Quote:

Originally Posted by deathklok /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I listen to alot of metal, from Dark Tranquillity to Bloodbath, and I actually love the ER4P for metal. The even quick response and strong mids make the guitars sound incredible, and you can hear every note independently, even on the fastest tracks. I'm sure it's not going to be the common recommendation, but I really think the Ety sound is very suited to metal, especially if your tastes are more towards Megadeth, and the like. Remember, Mustaine never used a "scooped" sound, so a headphone with bloated bass will make Hangar 18 sound like a fart.


Hrm... that's good to know. But the ER4P's are just a bit expensive for the moment... Should I just buy some cheapies to tide me over? I've just been reading about the JVC Marshmallow and the MDR-EX90... argh
 
Apr 5, 2007 at 6:43 AM Post #14 of 45
Quote:

Originally Posted by rwest1389 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
A cheap solution is creative ep630s. I love the bass and lower mids on em and they isolate pretty well. Only 30 bux so it could be a good place to start.


ms1 and ep630 are a good combo that cover most situations.
 
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