[Ranma13]

Hello all, I currently have a pair of Grado RS1's that for the life me I can't seem to make comfortable, despite bending the headband and buying flat pads and jumbo bowl pads. I really love the sound but unfortunately, I think I have to get something else because it's gotten to the point where I don't even want to put them on unless I really have to listen to something critically.

So I'm in consideration and the ones I'm looking at are the DT880, DT990, and AH-D5000, though I'm open to other suggestions (not Sennheisers though because of their laid-back nature). Price range should be around or below $500, and the most important quality for me is female vocals because almost all my songs feature them, ranging from anime J-pop songs to techno. Bass is also somewhat important, though I'm not a basshead, I want to really feel the bass when the song calls for it. Of course, comfort is of utmost importance considering my experiences with the Grados.

Can anyone recommend something that has a sound signature close to the RS1's but are comfortable to wear?

 

[Happy Camper]

I'd recommend the K701s but you would need a beefier amp to get some decent bass out of them. They do sound good with vocals.

Might be time to call a mini-meet to hear some of your bra's gear. There is some fine stuff on the rock. (And not Pocalolo in October)

 

[majkel]

Beyerdynamic DT880 fits your needs, no way the K701's.

 

[XXII]

Why don't you consider the ATH-AD2000? Apparently, the sound signature is similar to the rs-1 (e.g. forward mids)...

 

[MONVMENTVM]

GS-1000 = RS-1
+comfort
+soundstage
+bass
-too forward mids
+money

So maybe you could get one used here...

 

[silverrain]

Consider Ultrasone HFI-780 for reasonable comfort, close-to-Grado-like highs, good mids, pluse bass-to-die-for as a bonus.
And (relatively) low-priced to boot!

Also, the PRO 750 does female vocals (my favorite) just as good, or better, with a smidge less highs than 780 has.

I have both, and love both -- for *me*, they do female vocals better and more natural-sounding than my RS-1's do. Definitely.

But, if you want Beyers for ultimate comfort, the DT990 is the best of the three overall, (and I've had them all to compare) -- and do feamle vocals very well.
Really well. Nice bass, too.

 

[Henmyr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XXII /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why don't you consider the ATH-AD2000? Apparently, the sound signature is similar to the rs-1 (e.g. forward mids)...

If it weren't for the comfort I'd recommend them too (the mids are a bit forward on both headphones, maybe slightly more with AD2000, but otherwise their signatures are rather different). My ears touch the driver and make it very uncomfortable to use them for many hours in a row. I find their overall comfort to be worse than RS1.

 

[SleepyOne]

701 does very good vocal and natural instruments. It bass is very deep and dynamic but it does require good amp. However, it isn't good with techno etc....

 

[majkel]

DT990 best? No way. Big, empty bass, lots of sibilance, sucked out midrange. It cannot replace RS1's being so smiley. The AD2000's have artificial and unpleasant higher midrange coloration. GS1000 is a difficult headphone to match with the rest of the rig. Not the case with the RS1's which have denser sound, BTW, not as dry and harsh from time to time as the GS1000 when improperly driven. We don't know whether the OP has got the equipment that suits the GS1k's well. They're not coherent in matching the headphone rig with the RS1's IMHO.

 

[Ranma13]

I probably don't have the equipment to run the GS1000 since all I have is the Pico amp. I have a friend who has the DT990's and I'll be auditioning them this Friday. I really wish I could use these RS1's because I just simply love the sound, but it's been almost a year since I've owned them and I realized that I'm mostly using speakers because of the pain they induce.

 

[wolf18t]

Forget about DT-880 and DT-990. Way different headphones. I know, I have both (DT-880 '03 and RS-1)

 

[coolcat]

X2 to forget the DT880.I own DT880 with corda aria amp.And a friend of mine owns the RS1,which I've always borrowed from him.
I post a thread here to ask if tube amp can make DT880 sounds a bit liked RS1(especially for rock and indy).Everybody told me to forget bout it.

 

[BlueSundays]

If you are willing to wait, and maybe take a little chance, the ah-d7000s will be out soon, and some stores are selling em for a little over $500. It sounds like they will be a good phone from preliminary reviews.

Ive owned an RS-1 for a short time, but preferred the mspro for its superior midrange. Also owned the gs1000 for a time. There are a few mods you can perform to make your headphones more comfy. You need to explain why its so painful to listen to. For me I hated the pads. I actually ghetto rigged a pair of senn and beyer pads to the bowl and flat pads I owned to make it more comfortable. And change the sound to somewhere in between bowls and flats. You can also order c pads from headphile. If the phones dont fit snugly you can take a sock or small towel and wrap it around the middle of the headband which will create some distance effectively making your head bigger, and giving some more leeway in adjusting the phones.

 

[eruditass]

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverrain /img/forum/go_quote.gif Consider Ultrasone HFI-780 for reasonable comfort, close-to-Grado-like highs, good mids, pluse bass-to-die-for as a bonus. And (relatively) low-priced to boot! Also, the PRO 750 does female vocals (my favorite) just as good, or better, with a smidge less highs than 780 has. I have both, and love both -- for *me*, they do female vocals better and more natural-sounding than my RS-1's do. Definitely. But, if you want Beyers for ultimate comfort, the DT990 is the best of the three overall, (and I've had them all to compare) -- and do feamle vocals very well. Really well. Nice bass, too.

or if you don't want that much bass, don't forget the overlooked 680's

 

[musicmind]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henmyr /img/forum/go_quote.gif If it weren't for the comfort I'd recommend them too (the mids are a bit forward on both headphones, maybe slightly more with AD2000, but otherwise their signatures are rather different). My ears touch the driver and make it very uncomfortable to use them for many hours in a row. I find their overall comfort to be worse than RS1.

The phatpad mod fixed the comfort issue for me and I havent looked back. If you havent tried it already I would recommend it, I didn't find it to alter the sound character of the headphones.
I have a feeling the AD2000 would be closer to the OP's preference than the K701 or DT880.