[Hudson77]

Hi,(first post!!)
I'd like to enter the world of hi-fi headphones. I decided to make the jump after putting on some Bose (I know they suck) headphones, I'd like something as comfortable as them. They sounded okay but not the best, i thought there was too much bass. So...I am looking for headphones around the 100 price range give or take... Mostly listening to rock but also a variety of other genres, I'd also like to watch movies with these, and I do very little gaming so that really isnt important. Thanks for any help you can give me!

I was thinking maybe the Grado SR60's, but I dont know how they would be listening to movies...

 

[ChaseD13]

sennenheiser hd 555s-very good, all around headphone

grado are supposed to be terrible for movies, but great for rock music.

 

[3x331m]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hudson77 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was thinking maybe the Grado SR60's, but I dont know how they would be listening to movies...

Rock and movies ? and around $100.

I would think of K501 or MS1.

 

[Hudson77]

I love the look of the HD555's and they look comfortable, can you tell me more about these headphones? I'm definitely leaning towards these right now, what makes the MS1 or K501 better?

 

[reivaj]

ms1 hands down for rock. the 555 is more of an all arounder headphone. i got the 590 and i think its wonderful for movies and games but for music(unless it requires deep bass extension) then the ms1 is a clear winner for me

 

[3x331m]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hudson77 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I love the look of the HD555's and they look comfortable, can you tell me more about these headphones? I'm definitely leaning towards these right now, what makes the MS1 or K501 better?

Personally, I don't own any Senn phones, but I've auditioned, and found that they're too nice for Rock. I would love to own Senn if my music is mostly classicals.

On the other side, MS1 has the Grado forwarding attributes which I find very kickin' with Rock and Vocals. Too bad, I sold my MS1 when I upgrade to RS1. The K501 has way better soundstage and more neutral in comparision to Grado phones. I also sold my K501 when I upgrade to K701. I found the soundstage and neutrality of K501 is better with movie than the MS1.

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3x331m /img/forum/go_quote.gif Personally, I don't own any Senn phones, but I've auditioned, and found that they're too nice for Rock. I would love to own Senn if my music is mostly classicals. On the other side, MS1 has the Grado forwarding attributes which I find very kickin' with Rock and Vocals. Too bad, I sold my MS1 when I upgrade to RS1. The K501 has way better soundstage and more neutral in comparision to Grado phones. I also sold my K501 when I upgrade to K701. I found the soundstage and neutrality of K501 is better with movie than the MS1.

While k501s are a great deal now, they're still not begining headphones. They need a good amp to sound decent.....so that sets their price higher then $100. IMHO, MS-1s would be better all rounders then SR60s (I find the SR60s just too bright without much detail in the mids). Haven't heard the HD555, but I do highly favor its bigger brother, the HD595 for general rock and movies. Oh, and the 555s might be the most comfortable (they're like the Bose and fit around your ears)

 

[Hudson77]

Alright, so I've narrowed it down to the MS1's and the HD555's, does any one know if the MS1's are comfortable to wear during say a long movie? Is the movie quality better in the MS1's or the HD555's? Do I need an amp with either of these? THanks for all your guy's(and ladies too) help!

 

[Davesrose]

It's going to be hard to say one is better then the other! I haven't listened to either (but I do really like the HD595). But I hear that the 555's sound quality is much different then the 595. They're still supposed to be popular for games and movies. Some think the 555 actually sounds better unamped. But most say that the MS-1's sound quality is really good for rock. Almost everyone thinks that the 555s are really comfortable. For the MS-1s, you really have to try them to see if you'll find them comfortable. I actually tried listening to Grados for the first time recently (the SR60s....why I think you can do better then those). I actually didn't find them uncomfortable. They go over your ear, but I found they don't put much pressure on your ear. The main thing is that they're not as snug as a circumaural headphone (meaning if you bob your head around, they'll slide around...maybe even off).

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hudson77 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Alright, so I've narrowed it down to the MS1's and the HD555's, does any one know if the MS1's are comfortable to wear during say a long movie? Is the movie quality better in the MS1's or the HD555's? Do I need an amp with either of these? THanks for all your guy's(and ladies too) help!

One of the fun things about the MS-1 is its' affinity to "pad rolling"!

The MS-1s come with the Grado "comfy" pads and lots of folks like to swap them out for other types of pads for both performance and for comfort considerations.

I was able on numerous occasions to easily exceed four hours wear time with my MS-1s shod with reversed and quarter-modded HD414s!!

The MS-1 is very happy running all day long without an amp.

......I also ran just over fourteen hours while doing a CD listening marathon with my heavier MS2i with "bowl" pads!

 

[kramer5150]

Koss A250 (if you can find them) is my fave DVD movie can.
SR80 (or SR60 with bowl pads)

MS1 is also a good candidate, although I prefer bowl pad Grados for their added soundstage and treble detail.

HD580 is another good one, but unlike Grados and the Koss it needs an amp to be enjoyable.

I watch movies all the time with my Grados, and IMHO they are very enjoyable. Although I do find their lack of soundstage kind of a bummer. They ROCK for sporting events though. Their energetic and lively presentation work just as well for sports as they do for music.

 

[Hudson77]

THis is really tough...It seems as the HD555 are more comfortable over a wide range of people but dont have the best music listening...So are the MS1's good for movies as well as Rock music? I might lean towards it...I just wish I cuold test them out at Best Buy to see which one I like better.

 

[3x331m]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hudson77 /img/forum/go_quote.gif THis is really tough...It seems as the HD555 are more comfortable over a wide range of people but dont have the best music listening...So are the MS1's good for movies as well as Rock music? I might lean towards it...I just wish I cuold test them out at Best Buy to see which one I like better.

I was lucky to have a few friends who are Senn fanboys and they let me try their rigs. However, I bought my Grados and AKG with decision based entirely from reading Head-Fi.

Good luck.

 

[F107plus5]

I've used my MS-1s for movie watching with relatively good results. They do a great job with draging out the details in dialog. The soundstage IS a bit tight however.

I haven't had much luck using my MS2i though. My extension cord from the receiver is only 1/8" and standing two feet in front of the TV isn't very effective.

 

[Davesrose]

Well where you're coming from, I'm sure you'll find either one a good can! If you do a lot of movie watching, the 555 might be better (for comfort and soundstage). If you do a lot of music listening, then the MS-1 is probably better. I'd make sure you buy from a place that has a return policy. That might be one way to audition the MS-1 to see if it's to your liking. Or you might luck out and find a head-fier in your area with a MS-1! Oh, I think the 555 is at CompUSA now. You can check and see if you can buy it locally....makes returning easier.