[Matsumoto99]

Hello all, this is my first post on head-fi.org so sorry if I lack of precision and sorry for my bad english (I'm an Italiano guy).
 
I'm going to have a total audio hardware upgrade and the first step to it is the choiche of the headphones.
In these years i just owned a crappy pair of WESC oboe that i bought 3 years ago just for their aesthetics.
Used them with my 30gb iPod video (that i need to replace too with a cowon or a new generation rockboxed iPod) and on my PC. Useless with the guitar amp.
 
Now i'm more experienced, i've tried a few headphones (mostly Sennheisers and AKGs) but after a long surf into the web realized (by the users comments) that in general they lack of basses compared to Q40s and Grados.
I don't have a big Hi-Fi culture but I play guitar since I was 15 (now I'm 20) and I have deeply explored (maybe not SO deeply) the world of guitars & basses amps; what i mean is that i own a little essentials of what music is, and what i want from "her".
 
Now it's time to explain what I'm looking for:
I'm going to use headphones mostly for listening (indoor & outdoor) but also for mixing (as a noob DJ) and instrument recording (guitar & bass). I don't really need an expensive pair and that's why my choice is Q40/SR80/SR60 oriented.
I listen a very large range of music from Rock to Techno to Hip Hop to Ambient to Classical etc etc. and this is what i mostly listen to:
 
Post-Rock
Doom/Stoner
Old School Hip Hop
Trip Hop/Dub
Reggae
Deep House
Funk/Soul
Jazz
 
What I Play:
Stoner
Post-Rock
 
What I Mix:
Trip Hop/Dub
Funk
 
You will (maybe) easily figure out that the thing i most like is the bass section (Jazz apart), the punchy feeling (in hip hop) and the cosmical bassy distorsions (in rock) so i need headphones with a big bass presence but that don't generate a muddy crappy sound and i also like to hear a clear instrument separation also when i'm tripping into a wall of sound.
 
Now it's time for a few general questions:
In the web users often say that Grados are not bassy as Q40s. How much?
Differences about instruments separation?
Comfort?
Often also read that Q40s are very easy to ruin and break. How much are Grados better in this section?
Differences about portability? (I'll use them very much outdoor, on metro, at university etc.)
 
Almost forgot, comparisons betwen these and ATH-M50s?
 
Suggestions about other headphones are very well accepted, just remember that my budget is 100-150€ (something like 130-180$).
 
Sorry again for the noobish language and for my bad english.
Cheers.

 

[BotByte]

Grado Sr125i with L-cush pad upgrade.
 
I love my grado with Rock and Jazz

 

[Matsumoto99]

Quote:

Grado Sr125i with L-cush pad upgrade.
 
I love my grado with Rock and Jazz

 
Pay attention, when I say Rock I don't mean Classic Rock or 60's-70's rock (i listen to it but less than other genres).
When i say rock, as I meant when I said Doom/Stoner, i mean vintage output but huge distorted rock like:
Electric Wizard, Sleep, Ufomammut, High on Fire... at least Queens of the Stone Age. Maybe a better definition is Metal-distorted very bassy Rock. And i mentioned Jazz but i usually listen to it when I cut loops for Hip-Hop instrumentals.
Thanks anyway. i will look for more informations about the solution you suggested.

 

[Matsumoto99]

Another thing: As i can see on the web in Italy i can't find the SR125 for less than 239€ that is too much for what i wanted.

 

[BotByte]

Quote:

 
Pay attention, when I say Rock I don't mean Classic Rock or 60's-70's rock (i listen to it but less than other genres).
When i say rock, as I meant when I said Doom/Stoner, i mean vintage output but huge distorted rock like:
Electric Wizard, Sleep, Ufomammut, High on Fire... at least Queens of the Stone Age. Maybe a better definition is Metal-distorted very bassy Rock. And i mentioned Jazz but i usually listen to it when I cut loops for Hip-Hop instrumentals.
Thanks anyway. i will look for more informations about the solution you suggested.

Pay attention:
 
It doesn't matter if you think that metal is different then rock, Grado are great for Rock/Jazz. Meaning that they are great for: Rock/Metal (anything you think)/ Jazz and some electronic music.
 
Buy as much Grado you can. But a replacement L-cush pad set would be best for sound and comfort
 

 

[Matsumoto99]

So you say that a SR80 will be good as SR125? Because i found SR80 for good prices.
Do you think they will sound good for Oldschool Hip Hop or Trip Hop? They are usually Funk/Jazz loops with more basses and punchy drums.
 
Edit: Maybe you just know how os hiphop and triphop sound like.

 

[Matsumoto99]

Bump