urbino
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 26, 2012
- Posts
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Hi, all. Seems like a fun, laid back but knowledgeable crew around here. Bravo!
So, here's my story and I'm sticking to it. My beloved AKG 240s finally died on me last year. We were together 23 wonderful years. I held a little ceremony for them in the back yard before committing their soul back to the audio universe.
Finding myself in need of new cans for the first time in 23 years, I was a bit daunted. My first thought was to get another pair of 240s, but the MK II version didn't seem to be up to the old snuff, so I decided to venture out and try something completely different. I got myself a pair of Grado SR125s. Then a friend loaned me a pair of Klipsch IEMs. I can't remember the model, but he said they cost him something like $250, new, a couple of years earlier.
Here are the lessons I learned from those experiences:
Rather than taking another stab in the dark, I thought I'd ask you guys what you might suggest. Here are my criteria:
My musical taste favors blues, jazz, Appalachiana, alt-country, and rock. There's no heavy metal, hip-hop, dubstep, etc., in my rotation. I listen to both digital and vinyl.
My heart wants to go back home to AKG and get some Q701s or maybe K702s. I know I like the AKG fit and feel. But I don't want to cut myself off from other options. I'm also looking at the Audio-Technica AD900s, Beyer DT-880s, and Sennheiser HD598s. Those represent the price range I'm looking to stay in, though I don't mind straying a bit north of that if there's something great to be had. If we start sailing past $400, though, I'm going to give you the skunk-eye.
What do you guys think?
Also, I'll be getting a portable amp, so there's an opportunity for component matching, here. Any thoughts along those lines also very, very much appreciated.
Thanks, everybody!
So, here's my story and I'm sticking to it. My beloved AKG 240s finally died on me last year. We were together 23 wonderful years. I held a little ceremony for them in the back yard before committing their soul back to the audio universe.
Finding myself in need of new cans for the first time in 23 years, I was a bit daunted. My first thought was to get another pair of 240s, but the MK II version didn't seem to be up to the old snuff, so I decided to venture out and try something completely different. I got myself a pair of Grado SR125s. Then a friend loaned me a pair of Klipsch IEMs. I can't remember the model, but he said they cost him something like $250, new, a couple of years earlier.
Here are the lessons I learned from those experiences:
- My ears do not like 'phone foam parking itself on them.
- My ears spit IEMs out faster than a toddler spits out brussels sprouts.
- I don't care for the "house sound" of either of those brands.
Rather than taking another stab in the dark, I thought I'd ask you guys what you might suggest. Here are my criteria:
- Circumaural.
- Open or semi-open design. I overheat after about 5 minutes in a pair of sealed 'phones.
- The lighter the better. This is one of the things I loved about my AKGs. I could very quickly forget they were there.
- I favor fast, punchy, controlled bass over boom and whump; rhythm is important, rumble is not. (This shows up in my loudspeaker tastes, too.)
- The most important thing is the midrange, which should be very liquid and, well, *present*. The new cans should shine on vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, reed instruments, etc.
- I like to hear the acoustics of the room, the sound of the instruments being played, etc.
My musical taste favors blues, jazz, Appalachiana, alt-country, and rock. There's no heavy metal, hip-hop, dubstep, etc., in my rotation. I listen to both digital and vinyl.
My heart wants to go back home to AKG and get some Q701s or maybe K702s. I know I like the AKG fit and feel. But I don't want to cut myself off from other options. I'm also looking at the Audio-Technica AD900s, Beyer DT-880s, and Sennheiser HD598s. Those represent the price range I'm looking to stay in, though I don't mind straying a bit north of that if there's something great to be had. If we start sailing past $400, though, I'm going to give you the skunk-eye.
What do you guys think?
Also, I'll be getting a portable amp, so there's an opportunity for component matching, here. Any thoughts along those lines also very, very much appreciated.
Thanks, everybody!