[mmhardky]

Hi,

I'm a totall newbie in this whole headphone thing. I own a Pioneer DV-646 DVD-audio/video player and a DENON AVR-3801 Reciever. I've checked out some nice headphones in our Hi-Fi store in Austria and now I want to buy one.
The problem is: I have only heard Grado SR-80 and SR-125 (for cca. 200$), and Sennheiser HD-580. I liked the sound of the SR-125 much, much more, than the sound of HD-580. I like jazz, rock and hard rock music.
BUT, I can have the Sennheiser HD-600 for quite the same price as the SR-125 (cca. 220$, I do not know, why are the HD-600 so expensive in U.S.). But I have not heard them! I have to make a quick decission, so please, give me an advice!
Are the SENNHEISER HD-600 better for jazz, rock, hard rock music (or overall better) than GRADO SR-125?

Thanx a lot!
Jan Steno

P.S. And what about Grado SR-225 (cca. 250$) vs. Sennheiser HD-600??

P.P.S. Excuse my bad english

 

[joelongwood]

Welcome to Head-Fi, Jan. Don't worry about your English......it's fine. If you hang around here long enough, though, it might get worse!

To answer your question, though, if you liked the SR-125 over the HD580, then I think the same would be true of the HD-600. Although I have the 600, and never heard the 580, most people here say they are very similar in sound characteristics.
The Grado Prestige series has a signature sound which you obviously like. The 225 is highly regarded by many people here. Some consider it to be great for rock and hard rock.......the type of music you listen to. I hope this helps.

 

[vn412]

I agree. If you do not like the sennheiser sound, dont go for it. Stick with the Grado sound. Testing is always the best method to figure out what is the best for YOU. Dont let reviews change you opinion!

 

[reaction]

I like Sennheiser sound – it is truly slow and heavy high-end sound. But when I first auditioned the Grados I really fell in love. They are not just headphones – they are state of the art products with very own charm (romantic looking, very elegant), sound (deep and fast bass, clean and wide treble and midrange) and musical character (little colored, but for good). Previously I had a pair of Sennheiser HD40 (oldies but goldies) and have listened to HD600 but when I bought the Alessandro MS-1 I really understood what my signature headphones would be. Now I am dreaming the MS Pros and some good solid amp for them.

 

[Braver]

if you liked the sound of the sr125 better than the 580, it won't be different with the 600. yeah there's a difference but it's very subtle and you might not even notice it. get the Grado, I bet it does better than the 580 with the music styles you listed.

 

[mmhardky]

Thank You. I have to test it with my favorite CDs (Queen, Muse, Dream Theater, Black Sabbath, Jean Michel Jarre...) and will see... But there is one thing I do not liked about the Grados. They seemed to be uncomfortable. I am used to continous music listening for many hours (3,4) so I do not know, if this would not be a problem. The Sennheisers are very comfortable and that is a big plus, even if the sound quality is the most important attribute.
What are your experiences with long listening?
Another question: Is there a big difference between SR-125 and SR-225? SR-225 cost 30% more, and I have a very limited budget, but if they are really, REALLY better..............

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

What are your experiences with long listening?

I am one of the people here that find the Grados to be quite comfortable for extended listening sessions. If anyone has a complaint about the comfort, it usually involves the texture of the pads rather than any clamping effect. The headband can be adjusted for comfort. The pads, however, to some people, are very irritating to their ears because of the material used. I washed mine in soapy warm water, rinsed and dried them, and they became softer. If you found the pads irritated your ears, you could replace them with the Grado comfy pads. They would tend to soften the treble output as well, thus changing the sound characteristics of the headphones. Hope this helps.

 

[fjhuerta]

Did you listen to the 580s without an amp?

They are kinda dull and lifeless when listened that way, and yes, Grados do sound better without an amp.

If you don't intend to get one, by all means, Grado will serve you well.

 

[MacDEF]

The "classic" complaint about Grado comfort (and the one addressed by the "mod" at the HeadRoom site) is that the headband is stiff, but it is bent too "wide" -- the entire weight of the headphone sits on one tiny spot at the top of the head. This can really get uncomfortable after a while. However, if you're careful, you can bend the headband so that it more closely follows the shape of your head, spreading the weight out. This makes them much more comfortable.

Now that Grado uses Brillo pads for earpads, I guess the pads are also a complaint

 

[fjhuerta]

Quote:

Originally posted by MacDEF Now that Grado uses Brillo pads for earpads, I guess the pads are also a complaint

Do you remember the time when ILoveGrado's ears bled from 8 straight hours of Grado listening?!? Ouch!

 

[slindeman]

I was never able to get comfortable with the standard Grado pads, even after 6 months of daily use, softening, bending of headbands, etc. They would just cause my ears to hurt after 40 minutes of listening. Luckily you can put more comfortable pads on them, either from Grado or Radioshack, which solved my comfort problems but did change the sound a little for the worse.

I owned the SR-125s for 6 months and often regretted not getting the SR-225s which I auditioned extensively and preferred.

 

[r3cc0s]

my girlfriend hated the bowl pads that came with the sr-80 so I replaced the pad with some sennheiser 414 pads

volia
comfort
very comfortable acctuality
but too bad it's a krazy yellow color
hehe
well anyways it's comfortable

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally posted by mmhardky But there is one thing I do not liked about the Grados. They seemed to be uncomfortable. I am used to continous music listening for many hours (3,4) so I do not know, if this would not be a problem.

Why not try Beyerdynamic or AKG's? They should be fairly priced against the senn's. the reason why the Senn's are expensive in the states is due to import taxes, the same reason why the grado's are so expensive to the senn's in Austria. Check out www.headphone.com for more info on the two brands i listed above, best of luck!

George

 

[mmhardky]

Damned, I have found out, that I can have the HD-600 for only cca. 180$! Now it is a very hard decision... The Grado SR-225 would cost me cca. 250$. By the way, I do not plan to buy a phone amp (please don't blame me for that...

). I will use my reciever (DENON AVR-3801) phone output. Or should I better use my DVD-AUDIO players output??

 

[mmhardky]

Hm?