[PhoxHound]

Hey guys, some of you may remember me from a while back. I currently own a pair of RH200, and I like them. But despite that fact, I can't ever seem to bring myself to listen to them. I'm always running through my ancient Infinity SS2001 bookshelf speakers. Certainly not because of the sound quality, because the Rolands trump the Infinity hands down. It's just...as good as the headphones sound, they're boring. They're the quintessential monitor. Great for mixing (which I do use them for, they're a dream in that context) but they're just a little bland for my tastes as far as standard listening goes. I also find them to be a bit tight during long listening sessions.

So why am I back you ask? Though this may seem like an odd time, I find myself with some money in my pocket. So I thought I'd upgrade my cans, something a little more listening-friendly. The type of music I listen to is mostly electronic, ranging from europop to drum/bass to hardstyle to deep house. That's the majority of what I listen to, other than that is mostly rock and classical.

A while back I had the opportunity to give a quick listen to the Grado SR125. I quite liked the sound; it was the first open headphone I've ever listened to, and the sound was shockingly different. It was streamlined, transient, speedy. Like it had been taken out of the box and put into the open air. So my thought was, perhaps the SR125 would serve my needs well? $150 is a good price point by the way. I can go a little higher if necessary though.

 

[arteom]

I say try the Grado Labs Alessandro MS2. They are great for rock music, and convey the crunchy synthesizers in electronic music very well, being part of the Grado lineup they do inherit the Grado PRaT (pace rhythm and timing) which is certainly necessary for both those genres. They are also a surprisingly detailed headphone. The only downside I found is that they don't have the deepest bass, also they have a metal housing which is a bit heavy and this combined with the Grado bowl earpads doesn't render them the most comfortable headphone. They retail for $299, but can be had in the forsale forums here for $200, there might be one selling right now (no association to seller, if there is one available). If you don't want to spend that much you might want to take a look at the Grado SR225, its in a plastic housing which should make it lighter, therefore a bit more comfortable. Also you should be able to find it for $199, in the FS forum they usually go for $150. I couldn't tell you about the soundquality of the SR225 tho, never heard. The MS2 however I did own for a short period and it was very nice for the price (I sold it to upgrade to the MS-Pro).

 

[Acix]

If you bored with monitors cans, maybe you can find some more interest in the Ultrasone models HFI/580 DJ1Pro and up on the line...

 

[Brighten]

The SR-225 would be your best bet if you enjoyed the Grado house sound. When I initially saw this thread (trance and rock), I immediately thought of my RS-1. The sound is clear, fast and bubbly, with a tight punchy bass.

 

[mbd2884]

Cans for rock aren't necessarily good for techno. I prefer HD650 for Trance and my AD900s for rock. And I would not use Grados for either, too colored. I haven't tried Ultrasones, but would consider them before I consider Grados also. Quality build on headphones matters to me

Some Head-Fiers don't like me saying that, but just compare the where the PS1000 Grado Factory and the Sennheiser factory. Compare the SR225 build to the HD650 or the AD900s. Read the GS1000 thread where people pick up brand new GS1000 and the cup falls off, the drivers dying after a week's use, then the RS-1 quality control or the Friday rush build, threads going back years, nothing has changed from Grado.

Alright that said, good luck with whatever you choose. Even the SR225 will sound great if you don't mind the discomfort (fellow head-fier complained of ears bleeding) and quality build.

 

[Almoxil]

+1 for the Ultrasones.

 

[TubeStack]

I just got a pair of Beyer Dynamic DT 770 Pros (250 ohms), and they are fanastic for rock music.

Lots of warm bass, nice smooth highs, very 3-D soundstage, HUGE guitars. Since I bought them I'm suddenly listening to a ton of Joe Satriani; all his stuff just sounds so killer on these crazy cans.

Also listening to a lot of acoustic material, particularly bluegrass, another genre on which these 'phones absolutely smoke. Killer midrange tonal representation and nice warm, wide soundstage.

As far as techno, I've been having a blast with my Propellerheads and Prodigy albums. Again, the phat, warm bass, silky, clear highs, and full, detailed midrange really work here, as well.

Beyer Dynamic DT 770 Pros - check 'em out!

 

[PhoxHound]

Personally I didn't find the plastic Grados uncomfortable at all. They were so light (especially in comparison with my massive hulking Rolands) that they pretty much just hung gently over my head, only lightly touching my ears. Granted the metal backing of the MS2 might change that.

Only question is, is there a huge SQ gap between the SR125 and SR225? Because the 125 is easier to find for a better price (150 new). I'll also look into some of the Ultrasone prices since my understanding is they're just closed Grados essentially anyway.

Also, my impression of the DT770 (never tried them but I certainly have heard a lot about them) is that they're the biggest bass monsters on the whole planet. Some of the music I listen to (jumpstyle and hardstyle for those familiar) already has incredibly heavy, pounding bass, and I'm not so sure it would be a good idea to pump that all the way to maximum volume.

EDIT: HFI 780 and SR225 in the FS forum, both for 140.

 

[Almoxil]

IMO, HFI-780 for $140 is a bargain if they're in good shape. I paid $250 for my brand new pair.

 

[cscott]

I really like my SR325is for rock and techno.

 

[TubeStack]

Yeah, but I don't think the 770s would be pumping the bass up to max volume, necessarily, more like bringing it up to the level at which it should be heard, esp. in rock and techno.


Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoxHound /img/forum/go_quote.gif Personally I didn't find the plastic Grados uncomfortable at all. They were so light (especially in comparison with my massive hulking Rolands) that they pretty much just hung gently over my head, only lightly touching my ears. Granted the metal backing of the MS2 might change that. Only question is, is there a huge SQ gap between the SR125 and SR225? Because the 125 is easier to find for a better price (150 new). I'll also look into some of the Ultrasone prices since my understanding is they're just closed Grados essentially anyway. Also, my impression of the DT770 (never tried them but I certainly have heard a lot about them) is that they're the biggest bass monsters on the whole planet. Some of the music I listen to (jumpstyle and hardstyle for those familiar) already has incredibly heavy, pounding bass, and I'm not so sure it would be a good idea to pump that all the way to maximum volume. EDIT: HFI 780 and SR225 in the FS forum, both for 140.

 

[TubeStack]

Otherwise, you're looking at a picture and only seeing a partial version, with key elements being invisible.

 

[PhoxHound]

bring up my post.

 

[Brighten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoxHound /img/forum/go_quote.gif Personally I didn't find the plastic Grados uncomfortable at all. They were so light (especially in comparison with my massive hulking Rolands) that they pretty much just hung gently over my head, only lightly touching my ears. Granted the metal backing of the MS2 might change that. Only question is, is there a huge SQ gap between the SR125 and SR225? Because the 125 is easier to find for a better price (150 new). I'll also look into some of the Ultrasone prices since my understanding is they're just closed Grados essentially anyway. Also, my impression of the DT770 (never tried them but I certainly have heard a lot about them) is that they're the biggest bass monsters on the whole planet. Some of the music I listen to (jumpstyle and hardstyle for those familiar) already has incredibly heavy, pounding bass, and I'm not so sure it would be a good idea to pump that all the way to maximum volume. EDIT: HFI 780 and SR225 in the FS forum, both for 140.

I personally haven't done an a/b, but I've often read that the SR-225 is the sweet spot in the Grado line.

 

[Brighten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Cans for rock aren't necessarily good for techno. I prefer HD650 for Trance and my AD900s for rock. And I would not use Grados for either, too colored. I haven't tried Ultrasones, but would consider them before I consider Grados also. Quality build on headphones matters to me Some Head-Fiers don't like me saying that, but just compare the where the PS1000 Grado Factory and the Sennheiser factory. Compare the SR225 build to the HD650 or the AD900s. Read the GS1000 thread where people pick up brand new GS1000 and the cup falls off, the drivers dying after a week's use, then the RS-1 quality control or the Friday rush build, threads going back years, nothing has changed from Grado. Alright that said, good luck with whatever you choose. Even the SR225 will sound great if you don't mind the discomfort (fellow head-fier complained of ears bleeding) and quality build.

I seldom see these things mentioned on the forums. Although problems like these do occur, I've found no problems with the three RS-1s I've owned.

Also, the factories from where these two headphones come should not effect your final decision. The red herring (aside the point) mbd2884 uses has nothing to do with your initial questions, or anything in relation to sound quality. Why he did this, I don't know. Maybe he should start a business building headphones and have it run like Sennheiser as opposed to Grado.

If you like the Grado house sound, and the earpads don't affect your ears (which you've mentioned they don't), go for a Grado. I've heard none better for rock.