[maingarden]

so much to learn just starting out with new phones.

my genre is indie rock, some electronic like M83, classical as well.
i've read much praise for Grado here and the MS1 sounds very tempting for what I want.

I started with the Shure SCL3 (dirt cheap at guitar center) as my first IEM and I love the detail of the mids, appreciating the voice more than ever now. This has opened up my desire to upgrade already and try out some full-sized headphones.

so...

I"m fearing these Grados are just what I love without enough bass, just the problem I'm finding with the SCL3 - I don't think of my preference as basshead, but I do want some more bass to drive the music.

Do you think the SR60 provides enough bass to drive the music? I"m worried about fatigue too with the SR60.

Or should I be going for the more balanced MS1? There seems to be a huge following here.

It just sounds convincing the grados have a real energy to them.
If something about Denon, ATH has jumped out at you, please help point me in the right direction.

 

[maingarden]

i posted choices in the poll based on $100 price range.

i guess i'm asking, if you were to start over again, which entry-level phone would you go with?

 

[cn11]

Unfortunately I can only comment on the Denon AH-D1001's out of the four you've listed. But they are very nice. For sub-100 they offer a very refined sound to my ears. They're very comfy too. They have decent bass and are smooth and detailed. They don't isolate the best due to their loose fit, but that's what gives them their comfort.

I didn't vote because I haven't heard the other three to make an informed choice for you. You may want to look in the FS section and get something second hand, it could get you into a slightly higher end headphone for about the same cash you'd spend for new.

Best of luck.

 

[Townyj]

The MS-1's are a fab phone

Also the Denon's arent to bad either!

 

[.coco]

Have you ever had open headphones before? They sound good, but they do cause a lot of noise to anybody around you.

Of the choices you mentioned, I would vote for the SR60. You should also give the Sony MDR-V6's a look though.

 

[goober-george]

I used to own the SR-60s and just recently bought the MS-1s, and I have to say I much prefer the MS-1s. Not only are they more refined, but they in my opinion have a better tone/balance. At the same time they still have the Grado punch, which I enjoyed with the SR-60s but at times found too forward. The MS-1s sound just right to me, I was actually really surprised by how much more I enjoyed the MS-1s.

Oh, I also should add that I use reversed quarter-modded pads, with my MS-1s, I find it really opens up the sound compared to the stock comfy pads. But it may work well for people who find them too bright. I also ordered bowl pads to see how those are like.

 

[fjrabon]

Hmm, they're all pretty different headphones (well except the MS1 and SR60). I enjoy them all for different things. Unamped I probably like that ATH AD700 the best. The D1001 is the most portable and is a bass monster. Grados/Alessandros are awesome for rock, which makes up the majority of my listening.

I would certainly choose the MS1 over the SR60i if I had it to do all over again, and I'm currently contemplating stepping up to SR225s. Other than that its purely a matter of what you're after, as they all do different things well.

 

[adrift]

I recently got the SR60i's as my first pair of somewhat decent phones, and though I like the sound stage and detail I pick up in my music, the lack of thick or heavy bass is very noticeable, especially for electronic music. I was sorta let down on that actually, especially after all the rave reviews I read about these phones. Don't get me wrong... they're nice phones, everything else about them I like (including the retro look), but I'm already saving up for something that's less bright and a bit more funky.

 

[lucky]

AD700.

 

[az2123]

+1 on the SR60s!

 

[jonathanjong]

The MS-1s are a real step-up from, SR60...especially with regard to bass. I'd usually vote D1001, but I voted MS-1 because I preferred my MS-1s for indie rock. Well...how much electronic do you listen to? Because D1001 does that well...

 

[krmathis]

My vote went to the SR60. But then again I have never heard the MS1.

 

[maingarden]

bump - there's so much love for the MS1 here and i actually do like the style of the phone too.

anyone else out there who feels the MS1 lacks bass? i know there's a difference b/w quantity and quality, but i'm looking for a good presence. i don't get midbase or a deep response from the shure SCL3 that i own now and i'm afraid to get the same with the MS1 or SR60.

anyone else?

 

[doping panda]

I haven't listened to any of these cans, but I have some experience with an RS-1 so I can at least comment on the Grado sound signature. If you're anywhere near sensitive to treble, then I don't think a Grado would suit you. After every RS-1 listening session, my ears would be ringing because of the treble response. I have never listened to an SR-60, but I don't know if there would be much of a difference.

 

[JamesL]

I got the d1k's first.
I always thought they were "pretty good", but I never really used them much after getting my hd650's.. that is until I finished my millet starving student build a couple days ago.
The two of them together sound amazing, and I'm almost leaning on selling my hd650's to try the d2k's.