[redquilang]

im facing a dilemma. i want to buy a new set but im hung on the decision. its mainly between a k701, dt880, rs-1, ms-pro. the problem is i live in okinawa japan and i dont want to go through the hassle of ordering and resending headphones if i dont like them so i only have one shot. two if i really need to. can any of you help me or give me a suggestion of which to pick. i know its all on personal preference so if you guys know a shop here that would be great.

anyways, i have some ety er4p and i notice the huge difference from stock but im definitely not entirely satisfied. so a suggestion for a portable amp would also be great. $500 or less please.

and just for reference, i listen to anything from de la soul (rap) to the beatles to coltraine to iron maiden. its a pretty broad range.

please please help out.

 

[redquilang]

please

 

[UAndy]

Hello Redquilang,
I cannot completely answer your question, but I try for part of it.
I own:
Grado RS1
Ety 4p
AKG K1000
Westone ES3
UE10Pro
Stepping up from Ety4p to RS1 is for sure very satisfying - I did that myself.
The RS1 is very relaxing, delivers a very natural sound which is never annoying. The long missed bass-punch comes alive, so that suddenly the music has flesh not only bones. (I listen to Rock, Soul ... mostly older stuff. Bob Seger, John Mellencamp, Tina Turner, Rolling Stones some German rock bands...).
Compared to the AKG K1000 the attack is slower, amplification of K1000 is however troublesome. So for portable players the RS1 is suprisingly good. I use the Meier-Prehead for stationary use, which is very fast, clean, and provides great focus.
So after 1 year or so I more and more compared the RS1 with the K1000 and that is when I became a bit dissatisfied.
For the sake of faster attack, stronger bass and sharper focussing I bought the UE10Pro. Another year or so I was very pleased with them - especially with the Prehead connected - but the midbass area (around 3-400 Hz) is definitely too strong (my opinion!).
So again I looked around and decided to get the Westone ES3. This is the rare occaision where an extremely fast as well as punchy bass is combined with an absolutely natural midrange. Although at times the highs are a bit rough (when the recording is delivering hard highs), these are still the best phones I have ever had. Mostly I listen to these with the Prehead.
The RS1 I still use, when I need to hear outside noises (Telephone, someone speaking to me intermittendly). Their warm natural sound is great for Rock. I use the Sennheiser ear-pads for better focussing and cleaner sound.
So although this was not exactly your question maybe it still helps a little.
Greetings from Germany
UAndy

 

[kramer5150]

well... you can probably forget about finding an RS1 or MS pro for under $500. If you do... jump on it. RS1 is my fave of that bunch. Ive never heard an MS pro though. I really kike the DT880 teamed with an M^3, if you hit the used market that duo might be less $$$ than an unamped RS1.

Garrett

 

[evilgnome]

I recieved my RS-1 this morning.

After having gone through a whole bunch of high end Sennheisers (of which only the 600 I really enjoyed) I can safely say the RS-1 is amazing. Its brang new life to all my favourite songs. I know cliched, but its so true.
Like mentioned sadly finding it for under $500 is slim.

 

[redquilang]

thanks alot for the information everyone. and just to make things clear, the $500 is just for an amp. ive saved up 1500 and im willing to spend about 1300 on a new setup. im really leaning toward the rs-1s now. thanks again. any more input would be appreciated.

 

[skyline889]

What about the Grado RS-1s with a Melos Sha amp? It would fit your budget if you go used and would probably pair very nicely since that Melos was designed to be used with Grado headphones, the HP1000 specifically.

 

[redquilang]

thanks but i was thinking more of a portable amp. maybe when i fall into a bit more money i will buy one specifically for home use. but now that youve brought it up, how does the hp-1 sound compared to the rs-1.

 

[skyline889]

Oops, sorry didn't see the portable part.