[trip221]

I'm a newcomer to this whole audiophile headphone stuff. A couple years ago I bought a set of Senn HD555's to go with a new digital piano I bought. It's my first pair of "serious" headphones. I think they sound great, but after reading the discussions on this forum for awhile I realize there are so many options.

I'm thinking of buying another pair of headphones and I want them to sound noticeably different than the 555's. I don't want to spend the money on another pair that sound the same or close to the same. And of course, the best I can get for the money.

I'm looking at a similar price range $100-150. They'll be used with a digital piano and for music (through computer and my stereo head). I listen mostly to indie music, but also classic rock and jazz. I wear glasses, so would like something almost as comfortable as the senns (I'm not sure you can get more comfy than that). Oh yeah, and they'll be used without an amp, so something easy to drive. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[GlendaleViper]

It's funny, I have a friend who bought the 555 a couple of years ago... to go with his new digital piano!

Generally speaking, you really can't get any further from the Sennheiser sound than a pair of Grados. Thankfully, Grado's have a uniform impedence/sensitivity rating throughout the line, all of which can be driven easily without an amp.

Another bonus is your pricerange here. The Grado SR60 and Alessandro MS1 (a Grado variant) both use "comfy" pads, which are basically just a big flat disc of soft foam. You'll have no problem with comfort using these pads - even moreso if you gently flex the headband out a little to ease clamping force.

Anyway, from my experience, the Grado SR60 is more to my liking, though both cans are excellent for the money. Allow me to present a brief comparison:

SR60: Good bass slam, sparkly treble and wonderfully smooth mids. Very "in your face" (a Grado trademark) and aggressive.

MS1: Much less bass quantity with more emphasis on smoothness, especially in the upper mids. A more refined sound.

Despite my preference for the SR60, I can state that overall the MS1 is the more accomplished headphone. Considering your purposes, the MS1 might be the better choice between the two.

Just some food for thought and by no means your only good options in the pricerange.

 

[trip221]

I'm glad to hear that, as I've always been intrigued by the Grados.

Anyone else have other suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[nibiyabi]

I'd have to agree, though I have only had limited listening time with Sennheiser headphones (besides my HD25-1, which doesn't really ascribe to the house sound). Sennheiser is the Dark Side and Grado is the Light Side.

The SR-60s will probably be further from the Sennheiser sound than the MS-1s would be. You could actually grab the SR-125s at this price: http://www.amazon.com/Grado-Prestige...2960868&sr=8-1

 

[spiN]

I've personally never heard the HD555, but if you look in my sig, you'll notice that I have some experience with how they sound. I also own the SR60s and I can attest that they have a completely different sound signature. If different, cheap, comfy, and fun are what you are looking for, then I would totally recommend them. I got them for $70USD, you should have no issues finding them for that much if not cheaper.

 

[trip221]

Thanks for your help guys! I ordered the SR60 this morning. With the good reviews and cheap price, I decided that would be best right now (I've been eyeing the new ipod shuffle for biking so I can use the surplus on that).

Now it'll be fun trying to tell my friends (and girlfriend) why I have more than one set of headphones. I don't actually know why, but I'm pretty excited about it!