one or many?

[kelly]

Some of the folks on Head-Fi have quite the collection of headphones. Others find one that they really like and stick with it. Which are you and why?

 

[Zanth]

I voted many. If this were speakers...then I would go with one. But with headphones...they are more versatile and cheaper...(in most realms) hence...the possibilities are greater. HP-1's for main rig along with RS-1's. Ety's for bedroom and portable, SR-60's and Ety's for the office, ksc 35's for on the go.

Headphones permit versatility and I just couldn't bear the thought of running with RS-1's in the rain, sleeping with them beside my wife (leaking sound) and crating them back and forth to the office.

So many for me.

 

[chadbang]

They are less expensive than speakers, but as someone with a little money -- I began to think of extra headphone sets as wasted money lying around. Consequently, I voted one as I now only use my Sennheiser 600s after narrowing down the field (but, if I still wore my rig out, I'd have two as I'd have a portable set of phones as well).

 

[JMT]

I don't consider my collection "many," I call it "a tad more than a few."

I like variety, and I like options. If I get tired of how one unit sounds, I like the ability to switch to a different unit as a change of pace. I also like the option of hearing how one unit sounds over another with the same CD.

joelongwood: "Many"

 

[jude]

I have several. In order of use (starting with the most-used):

1. Sennheiser HD-600 with new Cardas cable (new cable on the way)
2. Sennheiser HD-600 with old Cardas cable (I have two sets of HD-600s)
3. AKG K-340, about tied in use lately with....
4. ....Grado HP-1 with JGSUWBR cable
5. Sennheiser PX-100
6. Sennheiser PXC-250
7. Etymotic ER-4S
8. Sennheiser PX-200
9. Sony MDR-V6

The HD-600s I use in both my main rigs, and sometimes even portably, because, sonically, I haven't yet used another headphone in my rigs that sits better with me. Overall, the HD-600, more than any other headphone I've had in my rigs, gets me closer to the ambience, emotion and feeling of a live musical performance (particularly with jazz, classical and other acoustic music) than any other headphone I own. As such, I currently use the HD-600 far more than any of my other headphones.

The K-340 is a very interesting headphone, extremely enjoyable to listen to because of its very nice midrange-to-mid-treble detail, and a very large headstage. Fun stuff. Limited at either extreme? Yes, but a very fun, enjoyable, musical headphone, nevertheless.

I enjoy the Grado HP-1 very much, too. To my ears, it's more neutral, particularly through the mid- and upper-bass, than the HD-600; but the presentation is a bit too close for my preferences, and I don't find it to be as capable as the HD-600 in terms of a sense of spatial accuracy and presentation. I find, for example, that the soundstage benefits of upsampling are a little less evident for me with the HP-1 than with the HD-600. The HP-1 is a wonderful headphone, though, but just not my favorite -- I can understand why it is the favorite of many, it's just not mine.

The Etymotic ER-4S is, sonically, one of my favorites, but, with 25 dB to 30 dB of isolation from ambient noise, it's too isolating (for me) for general use. Nothing beats the ER-4S on a plane, though, when you want to drown out the din of the plane; but even then it's sometimes too isolating, especially if you're flying with someone you'll be talking to.

The Sennheiser PX-100 is currently my first choice for a portable headphone for its combination of impressive sonic performance (considering its size and price), durability (so far), portability, and open-backed design (I usually need to be able to hear what's going on around me -- phones ringing, people, etc.).

The Sennheiser PXC-250 is usually what I turn to first when I want more isolation than the PX-100 (or any of my other open headphones) provides, yet don't want to enter the isolation chamber that the ER-4S so effectively creates. It's probably the best-executed consumer-use active noise cancellation circuit I've used, and provides the most acceptable sonic performance with the noise cancellation activated than any other of this type of headphone I've tried. Still, the PX-100 sounds better to my ears, but, again, the PX-100 is very open. Because I have the PXC-250, I only use the PX-200 while exercising (which isn't often enough lately).

The MDR-V6, an old pal o'mine, sits largely unused (in fact, I think my older brother currently has them), because, with the other headphones, I just don't find myself turning to the V6 much at all anymore. I think I bought my first MDR-V6 back in 1985, so it'll always have a special place in the hobby with me.

 

[kelly]

Rather than just list your collection, state why you use multiple headphones or if you don't, why you stick with just one.

 

[elrod-tom]

I use a couple of different headphones (at home, at work) regularly, and switch back & forth between some others. Just depends on what kind of mood I'm in.

 

[radrd]

Technically I have 'many,' but I only use one frequently.

The 'one,' is my W1000, which I really like and use all the time for stationary listening.
My Etys have been relegated to car/airplane/sitting travel and times when I need complete isolation to do homework.
My KSC35 is only for active listening, which doesn't happen frequently this time of the year.
My HD280Pro is for pc gaming until I buy the Grado 1/8" to 1/4" adapter, then I'll sell the HD280 and stick with the W1000 for gaming as well.

 

[gloco]

I use many.

Some of my cans work well with portable units, so i like to choose which one depending on whether or not i'm gonna travel on the train or not (ie. Open vs. Closed).

As for the rest, i tend to swap depending on my mood and i always have an itch to do comparisons for the hell of it.

 

[joelongwood]

Many. I like variety.......simple as that.

 

[dhwilkin]

Many. Each for a different application, such as airplane listening, portable listening, reference listening, etc...

 

[nebuchadnezzar]

....a long time ago....(about two years) I had a desire to purchase headphones (can't remember why).

So, I did some homework. I found that Grado RS-1s claimed to be "The World's Best".
I also found that Sennheiser was a very highly regarded manufacturer.

I wanted the best, I wanted 'keepers' from the start. However, I couldn't justify paying for the RS-1s.
I found the RS-2s new for $340. (fell of a truck, I guess). I don't remember what I paid for the HD-600s, I think they actually came first.
But, within the same week.

As I was doing my research, I found out that headphone amplifies existed! Gotta have one for the headphones to be at their best....

Somewhere along the way I stumble into Head-Fi.....then come more toys...upgrades...tweaks.....

....and Etymotics...

I bought the Etys for portable use (work)

 

[kelly]

I have many but I'm not confident that having many is the best thing. I was hoping some of the guys with only one headphone wuuld express thier opinions and perhaps they still will.

For critical listening, the Grado HP-1 to me is the best dynamic phone and the next best thing to Stax. I consider them to be the most neutral and closest to transparent and they reveal the biggest difference between components and recordings to me. However, I don't find them very comfortable especially after long listening sessions. I will always wish for a phone that sounds like the HP-1 but fits like something else.

The Sennheiser HD600 was a dream headphone for me for a long time and it's hard to believe I didn't stick with just that one when I finally got one myself. Obsession, I guess. I love the way the Sennheiser feels and despite not having it as my favorite, it has some real strengths in sonic performance. It's very dynamic with a smooth midrange. I end up using them for long listening sessions and late at night when I don't mind recessing the vocal region on pop/rock recordings a bit. And lately I've taken to using them in the bedroom.

Etymotics I have and thought they were awesome but ended up not liking their signature overall compared to regular headphones and I guess in the end, cramming things in my ears was just never an absolute preference for me. I hang on to them for those few events when I need the incredible isolation they provide and I'll be using them on airplanes.

At work, I have to have a closed headphone and now that I have the Ultrason HFI-650, I use that instead of the Etymotic. I don't like this headphone as much as the Sennheiser, but I like it quite a bit more than most of the other affordable closed headphones. It's also folding, easy to transport and somewhat durable so this is the one that might get thrown in a bag to take with me somewhere if I needed one. A part of me still believes that all headphones should be closed despite all of my favorite ones being open design. The usefulness of a closed headphone is simply too much for me to be without one.

I still very much believe there are benefits to only having one phone and one system overall. You can spend all your money on it and you get a better return on your investment in the amount of time you dedicate to it. You also "adapt" to the sound better so that the flaws become less noticable (ideally, anyway). I'm kind of envious of people who exercised a little restraint and built one good system. (Or even those who didn't have restraint and built one extreme system--like Nik's.)

 

[KR...]

I now have three main headphones :

Sennheiser HD600 with Clou Cable Red Jaspis

This is my main headphone that I do most of my listening with and my reference for which all other headphones are judged.

Sennheiser MX500

This is my main portable headphones.

Grado SR60

These are my computer headphones.


Headphones that I used to own :

Sony CD1700

I sold these because I needed the money and due to the fact that they sounded like a less refined version of the 580. Since I have the HD600, it didn't make much sense to keep this one around.


Grado HP-2

One of the best ever, but I shocking didn't use them nearly as much as my HD600, which to my ears are much more musical! The HP-2 was used mostly to test new sources, cables, DACs and Amps. It did this job better than any other headphone that I heard, but for musical listening, I just rather listen to the HD600. Also, the HP-2 sounds much better with a much beefier amp than I could ever possibly afford anytime soon. I really, needed the money badly at the time, so I really didn't have much choice in selling them.

 

[Audio-Me]

Single, one for each use home and portable
Just like home speakers and car ones.

kelly - you should try the beyer 250-250