[nae45ro]

I need a pair of headphones wich sound great without an amp.I'll use them inside with my stereo amp and a onkio minidisc.I also have a graphic equalizer.I want to spend around 200 $.I must also say that my favourite music is dance and Eurodance,so i'll need deep strong bass but also crystal clear treble.Thanks!

 

[a1leyez0nm3]

Sennheiser HD280 PRO headphones for $100. great, deep bass. good highs. not sure about the EQ tho...

 

[erikiksaz]

Quote:

I must also say that my favourite music is dance and Eurodance,so i'll need deep strong bass but also crystal clear treble.

I think that just SCREAMS Grado. Anyone else?

 

[dohminator]

The audio technica phones sound like a wonderful option as well

 

[Magicthyse]

If you're using them inside, I'd say the Grado SR's are a very good place to start. SR125 would be at the lower range of your budget, SR225 (which I have) at the upper end. Yes they look hokey, but as the salesguy said to me, "they sound as good as they look sh!t"
The 125's would probably be just the right phones for you. In the short time I compared the two, I decided on the 225 because it sounded easier to casually listen to.

One potential problem with the Grados is that they are very open - which means that they let a lot of ambient noise in. If you live in a noisy household, this may be a problem.

Another 'open' phone which gets consistent mentions of 'bass' and generally good reviews is the Sennheiser HD580. I can't comment on it, but this is definitely one phone to try.


The alternative is 'closed' phones. These are closed against ambient noise intrusion. However this process colors the sound slightly.

The Sennheiser HD280 is one closed phone often recommended here. I unfortunately can't recommend the Sennheiser HD280 for all sorts of reasons - lack of comfort, over-emphasis on the trebles (although you can defeat this with the graphic equalizer), etc. Annoying to listen to in the end, if that's all you're doing - listening that is, not analysing the music.
Give them a try by all means if you can since many of the seemingly more geeky contingent here like them - but do not buy these phones untried. If you do try them in a shop, and the phones are new, bear in mind that bass response improves after a while on these phones - but not by a spectacular amount.
The Sennheiser has one thing going for it though - which is the fact that they let very little ambient noise in. I have the 280 and have relegated it to computer headphone duty.
Well, no, relegate is too strong a word - they're superb headphones for certain music, classical and soft rock for example - but not really your dancy headphones. Due to their isolation they also do work very, very well as a computer phone BTW, especially if you have several PC's in a room as I do.


After a lot of research, I've recently ordered an Audio-Technica ATH-A9X. If you don't like the look of the Grados, I think you might like this for your musical tastes. I ordered mine from a shop, but you can get it from audiocubes.com - at $189.

 

[kelly]

nae
A dedicated amplifier is really the way to go if you want the best sound. I understand you want "crystal clear treble" and "deep bass", but even the best of headphones break down without proper amplification.

Since you have $200 to dedicate, the Grados that have been mentioned are a consideration. For my taste, though, I find the Grado SR- series to be too bright and harsh. To get the bass and midrange you want, you'll be tempted to turn the volume up which will make the bright treble seem even worse. I honestly think that these headphones are actually a health hazard but I can only say this in my opinion.

Another headphone I would consider is the Beyerdynamic DT250-80. The 80 designation is 80 ohm which means it'll be easier to drive than some of the other good headphones. The DT250-80 is a little on the warm side and forgiving which will probably mate better with your mini-system.

As a last consideration, you may be able to talk yourself into an amplifier if you could get one of the small DIY amplifiers from a fellow HeadFier. A couple of these have been for sale in the Gear For Sale area for under $100 and you could probably find a used Sennheiser HD580 with the remainder of your budget (or only slightly over it). I don't recommend the HD580 route without a dedicated amp, though.

 

[kwkarth]

There are few phones that really shine without a dedicated headamp and Sony makes a couple of them.

The venerable MDR-V6/7506 of course and then probably the best sounding can I've ever heard unamplified is the Sony CD-3000. The Beyer DT-250/80 isn't too bad without a dedicated amp either.

Cheers!

 

[LTUCCI1924]

YEP many options to just drive you crazy and spend lots of money. This is the head-fi way. If you would like real good sound with no amp and would like to keep most of your money you could consider the koss-35 or portapros for under 50.00 but then that might be to sane of a thing to do. So if you would like to get caught up in our lets spend money and never be quite happy with what you got and keep looking to upgrade you are at the right place. Just get ready for the nut house but I heard at the nut house they use the koss-35 and the portapros because they are cheep and great sounding cans.
PS
You should start thinking about a storage bin to put all your headphones and amps in.

 

[jpelg]

lou -

you seem to be on an "anti-money spender" rampage of late. what's up?

I agree that one can get caught up in the whole "constantly upgrading" thing, to the point of craziness from a certain perspective. I also agree that the Koss 60ohm lineup are great cans. And it takes alot to better them. But even I, "joe budget", have had to conceed that each incremental upgrade I've made has had some sonic benefit. Now some could easily argue the price/performance ratio, but that has been discussed ad nauseum.

For me, it seems, that like with fine wine, once you taste the good stuff, it is difficult to go back. Ignorance is truly bliss, and once you have heard better, it is near impossible to ignore. You now just know too much! The search for sonic beauty (I won't say "perfection") is as addictive as any drug. If it is money thing, just sell off your good stuff for now and re-purchase later down the road.

BTW, I think Koss is selling the PortaPro's for half-price (~$25) directly from the website. The discount code has been posted somewhere here and/or on HeadWize. Great value at that price!

Hope things are OK.

 

[LTUCCI1924]

jpelg
HI: Yes I do seem to be on a money saving thing. I am well off money wise but am tired of spending only to be dissapointed with my new stuff. I think about those who have less money then me and try to point them to great sound for little money. I have a very nice main rig but use my portable rig way more and though it dont sound as good as my main rig my portable rig sounds really very good and I enjoy it almost as much as my main rig. Especially with the convenice of the portablaty. I think that new members dont have to spend a lot for a can when there are cans like the koss-35 or portapro. I hope not to afend anyone with this thinking but for me I would get rid of my main rig which sounds better and keep my portable rig which dont sound as good but cost way less money and I get much enjoyment out of it. To listen to my main rig I must sit at a certain place and am locked in there and spent a lot of money for the privledge to be stuck in one place . To use my portable rig I can use it anywhere and it didn't cost a lot of money. Now I use a mini disc or portable radio the koss-35 or portapros and the total airhead amp and this combo really sounds great. I hope that you understand and I mean no pun or afense to anyone.