[steve1979]

Hello,
 
I need some help looking for a good set of open backed headphones for listening to while sat at my computer. What headphones would you recomend for around $100-150?
 
The Grado SR80i have had good reviews for sound quality but there's also alot of comments saying that they're a bit uncomfortable.  Is there anything that can be done to make them more comfortable?
 
I currently own a pair of Westone UM3x in ear monitors which I use with a Sony walkman, could a pair of $100-150 open backed headphones sound as good as these?
 
I will be listening to 320kbps MP3's from my computer via a digital optical cable.  I don't have a dedicated DAC or headphone amp so I'm hoping my Yamaha RX-V667 receiver will sound good enough for this.
 
Any help or advice you can offer will be much appreciated.
 

 

[zmd]

I'd recommend a pair of modded Sennheiser HD558. They sound more "complete" than the Grados.

 

[Chris_Himself]

Wear the Grados properly haha. Just bend the headband so that they are exactly the curvature of your head (out of the box they'll honestly fit nobody!). It tells you in the 1-page instruction manual enclosed with them. If you don't like them, you can return them at a lot of the dealers on head-fi.
 
With the SR-80i, they ship with comfy pads now, with the bowl pads from before, 80 percent of people were wearing the headphones wrong and rested the pads around the ears instead of on them. The SR-80i model I've been borrowing is quite comfy in my opinion with the new pads Grado came out with. You can then upgrade to bowl pads for more open and articulate sound. You just need to angle/position the pads correctly to get proper comfort. 
 
And yeah, they'll work without an amp, maybe a WEE bit more volume to match the UM3x since they isolate, but honestly 95 percent of portables work with even the 225's I have. Amp is better, but totally not needed to enjoy these.
 
As for how good they sound, I think the SR-80i's will surprise you. Lets just keep it at that so I don't build them up. The UM2's I had were my favorite IEM's in the world, replaced by the SF5.Pro w/ a custom reshell, then when my shell broke, I dusted off my SR-225's and blew them away... funny how your ears adjust to certain cans over a period of weeks/months. The SR-60's I have are better than my Ety ER6, it's just I need IEM's for isolation when I'm walking around haha.
 
 
It's my personal mission to get as many people enjoying these cans as possible on this forum! 

 

[sidel]

Strictly musical listening or not?
The grados just aren't going to make good movie/general can. -- the sen 414 pads will make them a lot more comfortable
Check out the AD700.

 

[ZARIM]

HD598, SR850, FA-002 and K501.

 

[steve1979]

Quote:

Strictly musical listening or not?
The grados just aren't going to make good movie/general can. -- the sen 414 pads will make them a lot more comfortable
Check out the AD700.

Yes they will be just for listening to music and will be running of the headphone amp that's built into my Yamaha RX-V667 receiver.
 
 

 

[steve1979]

How do the Grado SR125 compare to the SR80i? Would it be worth saving for a bit longer and getting some SR125's instead or is there only a small improvement in sound quality?

 

[steve1979]

OK. After doing some more research I've decided to wait a while and save up for the Grado SR225i.  Hope my Yamaha receiver is good enough to do them justice.

 

[Chris_Himself]

They're all worth the the money, just buy the ones you can afford and you won't really care that there are others in the lineup. All the differences are audible, the SR-125 has an improved high end from the SR-80. The 225 is a bass upgrade.
 
Just find one used here in good condition!

 

[steve1979]

I like a bit more bass than most so the 225 will be worth that bit extra.