Isolating Headphones for Metal
Apr 5, 2007 at 6:38 PM Post #31 of 45
Quote:

Originally Posted by lmilhan /img/forum/go_quote.gif
No. Grados/Alessandros leak sound like a sieve leaks water.

Your best bet would be to get a pair of MS-1s, a pair of JVC Marshmallows, a pair of KOSS KSC-75s and a GoVibe or cheap CMOY amp. That way you will have all the bases covered, and I am pretty confident you will enjoy all of those phones with your music.

MS-1s when you want the best sound quality, and when isolation isn't a concern.

Marshmallows when isolation and portability is a concern.

KSC-75s when you want good portability, don't care so much about isolation, don't want to muss up your hair, and sound quality that is only a few steps below the MS-1s.

If you buy all of that gear used, you should be able to come in pretty close to your budget.


Great! This is exactly the kind of advice I was looking for. And if I want to drop the cash for nice IEM's later, then so be it-- but these phones will all retain their value.
 
Apr 5, 2007 at 6:47 PM Post #32 of 45
You might even want to just start with KSC-75s and Marshmallows. See if you like the KSC-75's sound signature before getting Grados or MS-1s (it's my understanding their sound is similar, though someone correct me if I'm wrong).
 
Apr 5, 2007 at 7:09 PM Post #33 of 45
Quote:

Originally Posted by bungle /img/forum/go_quote.gif
You might even want to just start with KSC-75s and Marshmallows. See if you like the KSC-75's sound signature before getting Grados or MS-1s (it's my understanding their sound is similar, though someone correct me if I'm wrong).


Having owned the SR-60s and KSC-75s, I would say that they were indeed pretty similar. The KSC-75s are just stupidly good for how little cash they cost.
 
Apr 7, 2007 at 8:38 AM Post #38 of 45
Quote:

Originally Posted by yuletide /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Ooh, interesting... the v6 looks nice. It claims to be fatigue-preventing, has freq response down to 5Hz(!) and are foldable (and cheap)


One more vote for the V6 here. I've had them as my primary headphones for several years. I listen to them about 6 hours a day, mostly electronica (Juno Reactor) but also a good dose of metal (Tiamat, Apocalyptica, MDB, Anathema, Haggard, etc). To me, the V6 sounds really really good; nothing else I've tried (Sennheiser HD280 and HD580, various portable phones and lesser Sony models) comes close. The sound took some getting used to, primarily because listening to anything on V6's will reveal details you didn't even suspect were in there, which can be a little distracting
wink.gif
At the same time, the V6 subjectively seems to lack any coloration that is present in other phones: they are not "warm" or "bright" or anything really... just very precise. Some people have called them "clinical". I'm sure they have some coloration, I just don't have anything to compare them with which has less. I *like* this; if you are used to warm sound (think nice floor speakers) you may hate it. I would say the mids are great, the highs are exceptional, and the bass while not over-exaggerated is solid down to very very low frequencies but a tiny bit "smeared" (but only in comparison to the excellent clarity of everything else).

Physical comfort and lack of listening fatigue are both outstanding. There is an amazing amount of isolation of outside noise - you have to decide if that is good or bad for you but I often fail to notice that the phone is ringing right next to me
wink.gif
In the comfort department, I would say the only problem is that when you are not listening to music (say quiet part of a track, or between tracks) you become very aware of the "dead" ambiance (like a completely soundproofed room) and any body or movement noises.

All in all, very enjoyable headphones.
 
Apr 8, 2007 at 8:00 PM Post #39 of 45
Quote:

Originally Posted by dark_river /img/forum/go_quote.gif
One more vote for the V6 here. I've had them as my primary headphones for several years....


Thanks for the tip! I finally went and ordered the KOSS KSC-75 and the JVC 'mallows with E2C foams... they should be here next week and I'll let y'all know how they fare.

I'll keep this thread stashed away for when I go to upgrade, and I'll most definitely be considering the V6 as a possibility. I think for now the cheapness (I break things...) and the versatility/portability trump other concerns, but we'll see what happens :)

Thanks to everyone who gave advice! I hope this thread is useful for others who find themselves on a similar quest...

Oh, and Haggard are freakin amazing \m/
 
Apr 9, 2007 at 8:25 AM Post #40 of 45
Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackUtopia /img/forum/go_quote.gif
As a metalhead myself, I would recommend against Grados and the E4C. The E4C lacks the punch in the bass department, and has a weird coloration that makes many recordings unbearable to listen to (the most obvious example of this would be Cryptopsy's None So Vile album on the E4C's, and that's not even getting into albums such as Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse or Immortal's Battles in the North). I ended up giving my pair away and getting E500's which actually was VERY nice. The Grados have the same problem, except it has better bass. I like the general sound signature of Sennheisers, which captures the fullness of the bass and the thickness of the guitar groove of metal, so the PX100 is a good choice, although it doesn't have the isolation. Another good choice would be the Altec Lansing iM716, which offers isolation and an overall pretty neutral sound (which seems to be more suited for metal than colored sounds).




Headphone that would have Grados uppermids/lowerhighs for aggressivity of electric guitars and Sennheisers lower tones for grooval sound of metal would be perfect. If there is one, I want it now! I lean to Grado side of color cuz I prefer the aggressivity and live-like energy of riffs most of the time. Sennheisers coloring is too soft and boring, very "un-metal". Just to inform OP of the different views of optimal metal-headphone.

To OP, V6 definetly seem a good choice. They should have bright sound with hefty bottom end, from what I have readed.
 
Apr 9, 2007 at 10:46 AM Post #41 of 45
Sweet, another member who was smart and didn't get the 5 Pro.
icon10.gif


Good choices, yuletide. When they arrive try to tell us what you think about them.
 
Apr 9, 2007 at 3:12 PM Post #42 of 45
Quote:

Originally Posted by yuletide /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Thanks for the tip! I finally went and ordered the KOSS KSC-75 and the JVC 'mallows with E2C foams... they should be here next week and I'll let y'all know how they fare.


Congrats! Great choices. I've got both of those also. Excellent SQ for very little money.

Listen to them for awhile to get to know them. If you decide you'd like a bit more top end there are easy mods available for both of these. I've modded both of mine and love 'em.
 
May 2, 2007 at 12:23 PM Post #43 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.



I listen to the metal you do and love my Sure E2c's with my Sony MP3 for portability and is enough to satisfy but when I am at home I like the Ety's and Grado 325's. The Grado's are open so they do not isolate well and then I will use the Ety's.

BTW, Dark Tranquility and Bloodbath are awesome!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top