[Pipster]

Hello there everyone !!!!!!

I have been lurking and seaching this exellent site for a few days now and have learned lots of wonderful stuff about pink noise, biaural recording and tube amps. Sounds like fun to me - I want in.

Here are my final choices for a starter set of cans

HD595 - £80

SR60 - £65

SR125 - £100

They will be for home use for when the wife and baby are sound alseep and I want to be transported into the wonderful world of music. Source is my Denon seperates system. No amp yet but plan to save and buy one in the next 12 months if you feel I would benefit at this range.

Music I like includes The Flaming Lips, Beck, Pink Floyd, Orbital, Bob Dylan, Joanna Newsom, The White Stripes, Mike Oldfield, Bob Marley, J.M.Jarre, Radiohead

I was all for the 595 but comments on the last of bass have made me wobble a bit. I really like the idea of John Grado hand-making my phones in Brooklyn as opposed to the big corp that is Senn. I can't find stores locally to compare the Grado sound to the Senn but understand that the Grado is more immediate and close up compared to the warmer more spacious soundscape of Senn.

To be honest I was going to just toss a coin and try one but I though I would put it out there to you lot and see what you think. I am of course still open to other suggestions.

 

[headphonejunkie]

I would go with a pair of sr80's if you can afford them. They are a great choice.No amp needed.

 

[nfsu]

It depends what kind of sound you like. HD595 provide really neutral sound, but they don't have that something what Grados have. For me Grados add fun and excitement to listening, but HD595s are great headphones, though.

 

[epaludo]

I suggest the Grado also. But i'm a big fan ...

 

[Pipster]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I can get SR80 for about £90 but is is not worth the extra £10 to get SR125 with the better coil thingy?

Do you think Grado suits my music taste better than Senn?

 

[Chrysoberyl]

It mainly depends on your tolerance to bright sound...I don't have experience with the sr 125,but the HD 595 blows the sr 60 out of the water.I like some Grados,but those are brighter than the sun and harsher than sandpaper! The Senns are a bit more than ideal on the dark side,though,but have bigger soundstage.They change VERY much after 100 hours or a bit more,naturally for the better.They present the music in a very coherent and musical way,and are quite versatile.They improve apreciably in soundstage and separation with amplification,something that I discovered recently and that changes the behaviour of the cans from good to great,bringing them nearer to HD 600 level(but those are still a great deal better...)

 

[Pipster]

oops - Friday - 5pm - time for beer

Check back tomorrow

 

[Pipster]

oops - Friday - 5pm - time for beer

Check back tomorrow - thanks again

 

[Chrysoberyl]

....not to mention the fact that Grados are very overpriced in Europe!

 

[EnOYiN]

Maybe MS-1?

 

[shw24]

If you are in the UK, I would say I will buy HD 595. It is now quite cheap now at 80 instead of when I bought that 2.5 years ago for 100.

The reason is you can find in the forum that a lot of ppl saying that HD 595 is a good all-rounder cans, Good price in the UK (at 80), while the Grado is overpriced in the UK (dunno about SR 125, but SR60 at 65 is definitely overprice). THat is also my questions 2.5 years ago before I decided to go for HD595 based on price/performance ratio.

As for the bass, it is good enough for me, since I'm not listening to ROck or metal that much, and not a basshead definetly, while others quality is more important for me. But the bass can goes deep enough for my taste.

So if you only looking for 1 cans, in the UK, HD 595 would be my choice. unless you expand your list to others like Bayern Dynamics, etc.

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pipster /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you think Grado suits my music taste better than Senn?

Pink Floyd, Orbital, Radiohead, and especially Beck sound better on Senns IMO. Beck in particular sounds awesome through the HD650s

If you're mainly into alternative and electronica, my vote would be the 595 over Grados: the 650 would give you more bass, but does get costly when you consider the price of the headphones and then the equipment. The 595s are way more versatile.

 

[shw24]

Ops forget 1 thing...

To me, HD595 is much more comfortable than grados for long time listening. Since I like to listen to it at home while reading books so the comfy plays quite important to me.

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pipster /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the quick reply. I can get SR80 for about £90 but is is not worth the extra £10 to get SR125 with the better coil thingy? Do you think Grado suits my music taste better than Senn?

Yup; maybe MS-1 indeed! The MS-1 also has the better coil thingy! Yeah; it does, The MS-1 shares the same materials with the SR-125 although it has differently designed drivers with a different sound. It also has a choice of 1/4" or 1/8" connector, and it's a lot cheaper in the UK also since they ship worldwide for $99 USD with free shipping!

....you just don't get that relatively expensive ID button, and they ship with the cheaper comfy pads rather than the bowls. But since lots of folks swap pads around to customize the sound and comfort to their particular tastes anyway, it adds to the fun!

The Alessandros sorta split the difference in sound between the Grado house sound and the Senns.

From a comfort standpoint, I find my rather heavy aluminum MS2i with the dreaded bowl pads to be just as comfortable as my HD600 now that the bowls are getting a bit older and forming better. I did a fourteen hour listening marathon a few months ago with no permanent damage at all!

 

[Timmy029]

ive got sr225 and the hd580.. not the same headphones i know but similiar, maybe you could pick up some hd580's, a little darker than the 595's from what i hear. Mike Oldfield especially sounds awesome through the senns. Grado sound a little bright for me, but are really detailed. Senns are so much comfier, so comfy you want to put them on, if youve got a richer sounds store near by anywhere they stock both grado and senns. maybe look at the 580, really good for the money when amplified, i personally regret buying the sr225 before the 580, i dont use the 225 anymore mainly because the senns beat them easily for sound quality and add a definite richness the grado's lack, but also because the grados hurt my ears, theres my opinion. Whatever you buy theyre still good headphones, check ebay out theyve always got a pair going cheap, got my 225's for £90 delivered and my hd580's nearly new for £60 delivered, or check the for sale forum here, but yeah the 595's are a good inbetween grado and senn and good all rounder, but as i said see if you got a richer sounds near by they stock the 595 and the grado line try them out there if you dont wana take the plunge having not listened to them