[a1rocketpilot]

1: AKG K340
2: Grado HF-1
3: Beyedynamic DT-770/80

However, that is not to say that it is always like that. I prefer the HF-1's for guitar based and rock music, and theyre just plain fun. The DT-770's are a great all-purpose can for music, movies, gaming, you name it. However, for serious listening, the K340's are a good bit superior to the rest.

Aditya

 

[grandenigma1]

Dynamically speaking:

balanced HD650
balanced L3k
K1k
balanced RS1
HP2
HD600
balanced K701

 

[xand1x]

#1 AKG K1000
#2 AKG K340
#3 AKG K701

 

[panyncor]

It's a near tie for the top spot . . .

1. Sennheiser HD-600
2. AKG K-701 (for some music it's #1)
3. Beyerdynamic DT-880
4. Beyerdynamic DT-990 [traded]
5. Sennheiser HD-555 [sold]
6. Sennheiser HD-570 [sold]
7. Grado SR-60 [broke twice!]

 

[jesusfr3ak4evr]

1. Sennheiser HD 595 (COMFORT! sound, gaming)
2. Labtec Elite-840 (also comfortable, sound was decent, very cheap! downside is they're discontinued)
3. Sennheiser HD 212 Pro (Good bass, not nearly as comfortable, not as good for gaming)
4. Everything else I've ever heard (nothing else compares to HD 595s)

My Sennheisers come in first for comfort and sound. They are really the perfect headphones for me. I could see myself buying some better cans and a nice amp 8 years down the road, but for now I'm very happy with these!

 

[ferraro25]

This is ferraro, back from a self-imposed ban. Doubt any of you remember me (but I hope some do, as pathetic as I am, heh), but I left because I wrote some stupid crap that I felt was embarassing. Since then, the "need" to post at this forum has become too strong, so I signed up again. I have gotten permission from a mod to use this new account.

Anyway, my list of favorite headphones has changed since I last posted in this thread. [All of this is just my opinion]

The KSC-35s are now my favorites ahead of either the HD-595s or the SR225s. This is regardless of price. Why? Well, because the HD-595s and SR225s both have severely flawed sonic balances. The HD-595s are muffled beyond what is acceptable (however, if I move the headphones out and away from my head a bit, the veil disappears - it is as if the HD-595s are closed cans), the SR225s lack any kind of bass presence on most tracks (there is no lower-end body to the sound, basically... it feels detached from the ground, wayyy too light), and neither have very good soundstages (why the HD-595s are recommended for gaming is beyond me - my KSC-35s are at least as good for gaming, soundstage and all). The only problems the KSC-35s have are slightly boomy bass and somewhat harsh highs.

Now, I can fix the problems of either of my more expensive cans with eq'ing, but should I have to do that with cans that are supposedly solid performers at the ~$180 level? No - more should be expected out of them. The much less expensive KSC-35s need no eq'ing, and thus are the better cans, regardless of price.

1. Koss KSC-35 (overall rating: 6.2/10)
2. Grado SR225 (overall rating: 4.3/10)
3. Sennheiser HD-595 (overall rating: 3.7/10)
4. Sennheiser MX-400 (overall rating: 3/10)

Now, I know that a good amp (I currently have a Xenos 0HA-R, little portable amp) would improve my more expensive cans a bit, but I don't feel like spending more money on what I consider to be flawed cans. However, I might get some flat pads for the SR225s, though I think the pads are overpriced.

I am not trying to be "cool" by liking cheap headphones - after all these hundreds of hours of listening to all of my headphones, I have come to dislike the unbalanced sound signatures of both the HD-595s and the SR225s, while finding no glaring faults with the KSC-35s.

Update: Hah, "this is ferraro," like I have some kind of reputation here. Anyway...

 

[ilovesocks]

Spacing represents distance on the scale.

1) Ultrasone HFI-650

2) Grado HF-1
[AKG k271S would go here, very close behind the HF-1, if I still owned it]


3) Koss KSC-75


[HD-555 would go here]
4) AKG k26P and Koss the Plug

The HF-1's sound is superior to the HFI-650, but that infamously peaky upper range fatigues me very quickly. Plus, the HFI-650's are sealed, which is very useful in my home. The KSC-75's sound very similar to a pair of Grado's. I'd wager that they'd give an SR-60 or even an -80 or -125 a run for its money. The k26P (which just arrived today, and I'm unsure as to where they are in the burn-in process) is extremely bass-heavy and the highs are almost nonexistent, but they're very comfortable and offer excellent isolation for such a small headphone. The Plugs have a more balanced yet papery sound, but don't isolate, and isolation is important to me.

Will be edited when we see where the k501 stacks up in a week or so ..

 

[I312ly]

ER4P
ER6
ER6i Black
Ultimateears superfi.5 EB
Ultimateears superfi.3 studio

 

[markmaxx]

Sennheiser HD 600 with main MPX3 (slam) Meridian.

Grado RS-1 too punch up my 2006 total Bithead computer rig.

Ety ER-4P with Nano (lawn mower rig)

Sennheiser PX 100 with Nano and i-river player for over all portable music.

Koss KSC 75 with the ear clips can't get used to them, but have not given up yet.

 

[union]

Headphone:

1. Alessandro - Music Series Pro
2. Alessandro - Music Series Two i
3. Alessandro - Music Series Two
4. Beyerdynamic DT990 Edition 2005
5. Sony MDR-SA5000
6. Beyedynamic DT770 Edition 2005
7. Grado GS1000
8. audio technica ATH-W5000 + HA5000
9. AKG K701
10 Beyerdynamic DT880 Edition 2003
11. Beyerdynamic DT880 Edition 2005
12. Sony MDR-F1
13. Sennheiser HD650 + Cardas Upgrade Cable
14. Sennheiser HD600 + HD650 Cable
15 audio technica ATH-AD2000
16. AKG K601
17. PHILIPS SBC-HP1000
18. audio technica ATH-A900LTD
19. AKG K271 Studio
20. AKG K240 Studio
21. Philips SHN 9500 (Noise Cancelling Headphone)
22. Grado SR-325
23. Grado SR-325i
24. Alessandro - Music Series One
25. Grado - iGrado (White)
26. AKG K181DJ
27. Sennheiser PX100
28. Sennheiser PX200
29. KOSS Porta Pro
30. Grado SR-80
31. audio-technica ES7
32. Panasonic RP-HTX7 (White)
33. audio-technica F55 MS
34. audio-technica FC5
35. audio-technica ATH-700PRO MS
36. Denon DN-HP1000
37. Technics RP-DH1200
38. Pioner HDJ-1000
39. PHILIPS SHP895
40. AKG K81DJ
41. audio-technica Ath-AD500
42. AKG K27i
43. Philips SHG8050 (Sonic Vibes System)
44. Sony MDR-XD400
45. Sony MDR-710SL
? KOSS KSC75
? AKG K501
? AKG K401
? Creative HN-700 (Noise Cancelling Headphone)
? Sennheiser HD215
? Sennheiser HD280 Silver
? Sennheiser HD280 Pro
? AKG K171 Studio
? Sennheiser HD555
? Sennheiser HD595
? Sennheiser HD515
? Sennheiser PXC 300
? Creative HN-700
? Sennhesier HD200
? Sennhesier HD201
? Sony MDR-7506
? Sony MDR-7509HD
? Edifier H800
? Sennheiser HD25-SP
? Sennheiser HD457
? Denon AH-D5000
? AKG K141 Studio
? Beyerdynamic FX1
? audio-techinca ATH PRO5 MS
? audio-techinca ATH-A950LTD
? audio-techinca ATH-W1000
? Pioneer Monitor 10R
? Philips SBC HP890


IEM:

1. UE Super.fi 5 pro
2. Altec Lansing iM616
3. SHURE E4c
4. Shure E500 PTH
5. UE Super.fi 3 studio
6. Etymotic ER-4P
7. Etymotic ER6
7. Etymotic ER6i
8. Dunu DN-EX01
9. Shure E5c
10. ALTEC LANSING iM716
11. WESTONE UM2 (Clear)
12. WESTONE UM2 (Black)
13. Sony MDR-EX90SL
14. Westone UM1
15. UE Super.fi 5 EB
16. Panasonic NJE70
17. Creative Zen Aurvana
18. SHURE E3c
19. Koss Park Plug
20. Sony MDR-NC11A
21. audio-technica CK7
22. Edifier H260
23. SHURE E2g
24. Sony MDR-EX71SL
25. Victor JVC FX77
26. Sharp HP-MD33-S
27. KISS KS-E100
? Sennheiser X Logitech CX300
? Sony MDR-EX90LP
? audio-technica CK9
? BOSE IN-EAR
? Dunu itube 3C
? Shure SE210
? CrossRoads Mylar Three


Earphone:

1. audio-technica CM7ti
2. audio-technica CM700ti
3. Sony MDR-E888LP
4. Philips X Nike - HJ080
5. AKG K12p
6. Sony MDR-E888SP
7. ALTEC LANSING iM202 WHT
8. audio-technica ATH-CV5 RD
? audio-technica ATH-EW9
? Sennhesier MX90VC
? Edifier M220
? Edifier H200
? Edifier H180
? audio-technica ATH-EM9d
? audio-techinca CM700ti
? audio-techinca EC700ti

 

[avid]

#1 Akg K1000
#2 Sony SA5000
#3 Akg K701 / Audio-technica W1000

 

[ferraro25]

Resurrecting this thread (that I think should be stickied).

Re-ranking my headphones now that I have another addition. This time, I felt like ranking my headphones in various categories.

TREBLE
1. AKG K 81 DJ
2. Sennheiser HD-595
3. Grado SR225
4. Koss KSC-35

I find the treble of the K 81 DJs to be the most accurate and neutral. The SR225s treble is too strong to be considered realistic on most tracks.

MIDRANGE
1. K 81 DJ
2. SR225
3. HD-595
4. KSC-35

The HD-595s lose out to the SR225s due to muffled mids.

BASS
1. SR225
2. HD-595
3. K 81 DJ
4. KSC-35

INSTRUMENT SEPARATION
1a. SR225
1b. HD-595
2. K 81 DJ
3. KSC-35

SOUNDSTAGE
1. HD-595
2. SR225
3. KSC-35
4. K 81 DJ

DETAIL
1. HD-595
2. SR225
3. K 81 DJ
4. KSC-35

OVERALL SOUND SIGNATURE
1. K 81 DJ
2. SR225
3. KSC-35
4. HD-595

The HD-595s have a somewhat muffled, and just plain odd, sound signature. I don't have enough knowledge/experience/of an ability to explain in what ways their sound signature is odd.

The K 81 DJs have the most natural and balanced sound signature to me. They are my favorite cans despite their narrow, flat soundstage, their inability to separate instruments in busy passages (but they are not that much worse than the top 2 in that category), and their somewhat unrefined bass.

 

[vpivinylspinner]

Okay I guess I have made enough changes to warrant a new ranking.

Headphiled AKG K-340s
Sennheiser HD-650
Sony MDR SA-5000
Grado RS-1
Westone UM2
Grado SR-60
Shure E3c

 

[Razoramus]

Updated 1/27/07

1. Sennheiser HD595
2. Etymōtic ER•6

Retired/Sold/Lost
3. Sennheiser HD201 / Koss KSC75
4. JVC Marshmallow with E2 foam / Shure E2c
5. Sennheiser MX500
6. Creative EP-630

 

[Fitz]

Time for an updated list...

1) AKG K501
2) Stax SR-X Mk3
3) Sennheiser HD650
4) Sony MDR-SA5000
5) Beyerdynamic DT990