[Deac311]

I really want to try out the Senns, I've only owned the Grado 225's Ety er4s and the Grado RS-1 (all of which I still have) so I think it's about time I go to another brand and see where it leads me... I'll have to start looking at that sometime soon. As far as the ever constant flame wars on Grado vs. Sennheiser all I have to say is I love my RS-1's even more than I love the er4s'.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to own the HD-650s and do my own comparison and you all will get to hear about it then...

 

[GuineaMcPig]

People here seem to get really defensive when someone speaks negatively about their headphones. It saddens/amuses me a little bit to realize that deep down inside, some of us may be emotionally attached to these pieces of plastic or perhaps even a name. The whole "sennheiser vs. grado" debate that this has sparked isn't constructive, and it's also hypocritical given that people have been attacking the thread-starter for making generalizations about grados. Let's get over the basic information about these phones (grado = forward, sennheiser = veiled), listen to them, pick the one we prefer and let others do the same. Then we can enjoy listening to music on our headphones of choice to cool off.

Also, perhaps people should stop getting high off their own opinions for a moment to recognize that people listen to different music and hear music differently.

 

[kartik]

Your defense of the thread-starter is on thin ice. He said something unfounded and is merely experiencing the backlash from that. Throw garbage at people, don't expect bouquet's in return.

 

[braillediver]

The correct statement here would be-
People here who actually own the headphones seem to get really defensive when someone who’s never heard or had the opportunity to properly audition the headphones speaks negatively about them.

That’s the reason for people’s contempt for his original statements. It’d be like bad mouthing Senn HD650’s after hearing bottom of the line Senn. Headphones.


“the reason why newbies get confused. Without a cogent basis for his argument,”

This is important. People come to the site for fact-based information and reviews. If this thread were posted in Certifiably Inane it wouldn’t matter.

How about we all post our impressions on headphones we’ve never heard? Maybe critique the unknown systems used by people we don’t know who have the headphones that we’ve never heard.


Mitch

 

[shawnbowski]

Im happy with my SR-80's, but the hole haedphones are built cheap, they spent the money really on the drivers. I hate how the ear pieces twist around the wire gets tangled, and the wire thats soldiered on the driver breaks. And i got to resoldier, but other then that i love the sound

 

[fredpb]

WOW! Over 1200 views! My little statement makes the results worth reading!

People are making, basically, invalid statements about my original post.

I HAVE auditioned Grado SR225's. I found them wonderful for some music. But mainly dull recordings or some vinyl. I personally could not justify the money for headphones I would use just for a small set of recordings. The Grados did have some outstanding qualities.

But I listen to classical music. I just think that the Grados are NOT suited for most classical records. Not enough detail, and too bright, and missing most of the lower octave. But when you get a recording made for the Grados...WOW! Nice.

I could make a statement about my Senns too. Limited lower octave. Bass not completely tight like the Grados (what they do have). Rolled off high end. But incredible detail. But the Senns are suited to classical music, and most other kinds of music. I would really like to try the HD650's.

I still stand by my original post. It was my "take" or opinion of Grado. I am entitled to my opinion. And it makes the forum more interesting...all the interesting replies.

Oh yes.... Beyerdynamics.... why not mention these???

I have tried out some Beyer's. I cannot say much about them, but I did like them. But they did not fit on my fat head. Too tight and they did not extend enough (I am 6'3" and 300+lbs).

And we do not see debates about Senn earpads, but we do about Grado. Can't they even get earpads right?

 

[av98m2]

I actually agree with the earpads comment. I still cannot believe I'm using Senn earpads to get maximum enjoyment from my Grados. The irony!

Your first post makes a lot more sense now that you've mentioned your preference for classical music.
The comments about Grado users having bad hearing and/or low-end systems are still ludicrious though. Ditto for the crummy recording remark.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally posted by fredpb I also have the same feeling about Grado phono cartridges. I don't know about the wooden ones, though. It seems to be a Grado characteristic sound to have accentuated highs.

Well, not to be too far off the topic, if you don't care much for the lower-line Grado cartridges, you'll really hate the higher-end Audio Technicas and most of the upper-end moving-coil cartridges from other brands. Those cartridges are even thinner (less bass) and much brighter (much more treble, especially mid-treble) than the lower-end Grado cartridges. And I've found my Goldring 1012 cartridge to be extremely finicky as to which records that it could play - and to sound thin and overly bright.

And speaking of Grado headphones, I found them to be brighter but not always more detailed than some other less-bright headphones.

Oh, well... Different horses for different courses.

 

[Bill Ward]

Quote:

I have tried out some Beyer's. I cannot say much about them, but I did like them. But they did not fit on my fat head.

BW

 

[wali]

Any headphone company, which does not even know how to make proper ear-cups for it's headphones - the most importnant part of the headphone is a total farce to claim 'audiophole status'.

even worse people have to use 20+ yr-old Sennheiser pads to make thier Grados sound 'ok'... really sad.

Those two simple reasons confirms Grado as the biggest farce in headphone history... not to mention selling the same drivers in 10 different packages.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Originally posted by fredpb I HAVE auditioned Grado SR225's. I found them wonderful for some music. But mainly dull recordings or some vinyl. I personally could not justify the money for headphones I would use just for a small set of recordings. The Grados did have some outstanding qualities. But I listen to classical music. I just think that the Grados are NOT suited for most classical records. Not enough detail, and too bright, and missing most of the lower octave. But when you get a recording made for the Grados...WOW! Nice

This is dumb. If people thing they need different headphones for different types of music, that is just absolute nonsense. The headphones don't give a **** what type of signal they are fed. If they are rolled off for some music, they are rolled off for ALL types of music. If they peak in the midrange with pop, they peak in the midrange with chamber music. And so on...

 

[Synch]

Two things:

One. Grado earpads are not sufficient reason to make their status as an audiophile headphone questionable. So we as a general consensus dislike the bowls. Fine. The flats are comfortable and sound good. The drivers are what's important. By your analogy, if I think the clamping factor is too great on a pair of headphones, then those headphones can't be audiophile. Apparently, for you audiophile = good sound & comfort. If I gave a rat's ass about comfort, I'd be a comfortphile.


Two. The genre of music absolutely does matter. It's not that the headphones characteristics are different depending on the music, it's the music's characteristics that are different. My 225s have an accentuated mid, which sounds good in rock music, where the guitars are firmly in the midrange. That's why the genre matters. Certain styles of music are divided across the wavelength spectrum differently than certain others. This is not suprising. Want proof? Listen. Your ears are highly advanced audio sensory equipment. Does classical sound different than rock? If so, it stands to reason that there's a difference in the recorded frequencies.

If you don't hear a difference, what are you doing here?

 

[robert]

Quote:

Originally posted by fredpb But I listen to classical music. I just think that the Grados are NOT suited for most classical records. Not enough detail, and too bright, and missing most of the lower octave.

what you should have done, but i guess didn't, was review the graphs at Headroom. and been aware of what most people know: classical (and lots of jazz) music is (are) recorded and mastered on senn 600s and similar.

play back such a recording on a grado, and it will sound less bass and more treble.

but if you *do* review those graphs, you will see that it is the *grado* which is flat, while the senn is *not*. (they both shuck and jive above about 2K in about the same way).

so which is better?? you need both. the grado is more accurate, in an absolute sense. the senn compensates for itself on classical recordings. the grado for most pop recordings will do likewise.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Originally posted by Synch The genre of music absolutely does matter. It's not that the headphones characteristics are different depending on the music, it's the music's characteristics that are different. My 225s have an accentuated mid, which sounds good in rock music, where the guitars are firmly in the midrange. That's why the genre matters. Certain styles of music are divided across the wavelength spectrum differently than certain others. This is not suprising. Want proof? Listen. Your ears are highly advanced audio sensory equipment. Does classical sound different than rock? If so, it stands to reason that there's a difference in the recorded frequencies. If you don't hear a difference, what are you doing here?

The equipment, be it speakers, amps, headphones whatever, affect the sound of all master tapes if they are coloured, which they are. 90% of all music is in the midrange. If the midrange is coloured or has peaks or dips, it effect oboes or trumpets the same way it affects electric guitar, piano, synthesiser or voice. If you don't think this is so, you are fooling yourself.

 

[av98m2]

Quote:

Originally posted by wali Any headphone company, which does not even know how to make proper ear-cups for it's headphones - the most importnant part of the headphone is a total farce to claim 'audiophole status'.

And I thought the drivers are the most important part of a headphone!

So I'll have to say the hd600s are a farce too because people need to spend more than a hundred bucks on replacement cables because the stock one ....can be better? Doesn't make any sense to me.


Quote:

Those two simple reasons confirms Grado as the biggest farce in headphone history... not to mention selling the same drivers in 10 different packages.