[ames]

Hello all,

I am an absolute newbie hoping to take advantage of your collective expertise as I decide on my first pair of proper headphones. I've been doing a lot of research, and reading through these forums has led me to conclude that you lot are the ones to ask.

*** About me: I am an amateur musician and home recordist who, embarrassingly enough, has never owned anything but crap headphones. But my make-due-with-what-I've-got approach is giving way to a desire to be better at what I do and to hear things better. As I learn to listen more critically, of course I need far better representation of the sound. Already I'm more aware of some subtleties of sound than most, and I'm the type that can get mesmerized by the musical rhythms and tonal complexities of the machines at the construction site next door. When I'm listening to music these days my attention is generally focused on the mix , how the pieces have been brought together spatially, tonally, etc., and the limitations of crap headphones are absolutely clear. (Oh, how I miss my old flatmate's hifi setup!)
As I'm somewhat transient right now, I'm using a stripped-down portable set up for recording that, along with a small budget, puts some limits on what will work for me now.

*** What I'm looking for: Basically I'm seeking a good trade-off balance of these features:

Comfort for long sessions
Durability ("buy cheap, buy again")
Portability
Sound quality, clarity (more on this below)
and, of course, Cost (preferably under 150 Euros, but I know I get what I pay for)

Looks are really of no concern to me at all--they could be furry and sparkly and I wouldn't care as long as they were the right balance of the above.

Ideally my cans would be somewhat multi-purpose at this point--good for use while tracking, rudimentary mixing, critical listening on the train daily, and maybe general use on airplanes and such, as well as occassionally working on projects in transit.

I'm looking at closed cans or IEMs.

IEMs are intriguing for the possibility of future use as onstage monitors that protect my hearing. And I like the idea of having something that will still be quite useful after I buy proper monitors and higher-level cans in the future. I have to remind myself that it's okay to be entry-level, I don't have to start with the best (can't afford the best anyway).

Since much of my listening will be during my commute, I think I'm leaning toward phones with lower power requirements to work with my iPod nano, but I'm quite open to the right portable amp and full-size cans combination--I just don't know anything about headphone amps and really don't understand what the power and resistance specs actually mean.
My sources right now are the iPod and my laptop sound card, although I'll likely have my Presonus FireBox sent to me soon (Maximum Output150 mW/CH @ 60 Ohm Load).

*** Sound: My emphasis is on clarity. I tend to prefer things rather analytical--no need to rock out since I get just as excited by the subtleties. My own music varies among styles from folk to pop to rock to electronic 'experimental' textured weirdness. And my listening habits vary from Stravinsky to Bad Brains, Erykah Badu, Nirvana, the Beach Boys, Bjork, Dave Brubeck, Digable Planets, U2, Talking Heads, Amon Tobin, Sonic Youth, and the ridiculous sonic pretentions of Joan of Arc, and some cheesy dance pop thrown in. At this point I'm more interested in listening to learn than for enjoyment.

*** What I've been considering: Based on advice found here at head-fi, at hifiheadphones.co.uk, and at headphone.com, I've made a short list of the following:

Goldring GX200
Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio
Senn. HD280pro
DENON AH-D1001K
Sleek Audio SA6

I had actually been ready to go with the SA6s, despite them being well outside of my ideal budget, because the early threads on head-fi seemed so overwhelmingly positive and the possibility of future wireless upgrade could be nice for on-stage use. But the later posts made me think there may be some durability issues, and I don't want to lay down that kind of money on something too fragile.

I'm aware, of course, that these phones are a varied lot.

I appreciate any feedback, suggestions, or comments. And I thank you just for taking the time to read my ridiculously long post.

Cheers!

 

[soyama]

sadly I think I've never heard any of the items you list, but after what I've read, I'd go with the sleek sa6 iems.

I have no plans on enlisting any of the other iems you list, just ordered myself a triple.fi. but before I ordered that one, I was snooping around sa6 aswell, it looks sweet

 

[Taikero]

If you have a friend in the US who would ship to you, Klipsch is selling their dual driver Custom 3s for $150 right now (50% off). They're an excellent deal at that price.

Otherwise, I'd probably stick with the Sleek Audio SA6, or maybe you might want to consider some Etymotic ER4-P's if you want to hear some of the best treble available in your price range.

 

[ames]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taikero /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you have a friend in the US who would ship to you, Klipsch is selling their dual driver Custom 3s for $150 right now (50% off). They're an excellent deal at that price.

Thanks for the tip--I'll certainly look into that.

As a dual driver, would the Custom 3s require an amp?

 

[Taikero]

No, the Custom 3 would not require an amp. Their impedance is listed at 32 ohms, which isn't bad at all. My X10's (also from Klipsch) have a 50 ohm impedance and don't require an amp either.

 

[ames]

Ok, so I'm very seriously looking at the Klipsch Custom 3, given the current sale price. Can anyone give me a good idea of how this would relate, sound-wise, to the Sennheiser HD280pro, or suggest a some other closed over-ear phone that I should consider? I'm hesitating a bit on the IEM thing because of reduced sound stage (listening critically to mixes is one of my main interests).

I'm trying to take appropriate time to make a great first headphone decision--I know already they will just be the first in a collection. Also, as attractive as the Klipsch sale is, I'd love to be able to walk into a store and walk out with my new phones.

So, still looking for input.