[Nupie]

Hello Head-Fi!

I own porta-pros for good 4 years now and we've been through all kinds of stuff together. I've used them during summer storms and cold winter blizzards. I've once dropped them out of my window and then stepped on them (by accident

). Despite all odds they continue to please my ears with the sound. However lately I feel like they are lacking in terms of sound quality even compared to my very simple home system of Juli@->art Headamp4->Sennheiser hd555. Choosing an upgrade has been difficult for me and that's where I need your advice.

I've been reading lots of good things about HD 25-1 II and ath-es7 but there are some things I'm not sure about.

First thing is how they fit for the music I'm listening to. Most of my music librarly is electronic (specifically downtempo) but that doesn't mean I'm not up for jazz/instrumental/hip-hop etc. I'm more or less universal but slightly prefer electronic music. Do you think either hd 25-1 II or ath-es7 is better for that kind of stuff?

Second would be comfort. It is rather important for me because I tend to wear my portable headphones alot. It really looks like those cans on both headphones are rather small. Not that I have big ears but are they really comfortable?

Third thing is more of a question to myself really but any input is appreciated. It really is good to have a little street awareness (or whatever you'd call that

). Sure, being isolated from the noise is good and I might sound paranoidal but actually being somewhat aware of the stuff happening around you ain't gonna hurt. Do you guys think it's a problem even?

I would also appreciate any suggestions regarding other headphones in this price range of ~200$.

The reason I'm not even considering IEM's is that my ears are pretty sensitive and I don't think I'll enjoy them. I've tried Sennheiser cx300 for about 50-60 hours and didn't like them. All I've heard were wires dangling around me. And also as an example of how sensitive my ears are - I've had Grado SR80 for a couple of days and when I put them on they instantly made my ears itchy and in 5 minutes of listening they even started hurting.

I would also like to mention that I'm using unamped Sansa Fuze as a source.

One more small question - do you think there's a portable amp around 50-80 bucks that I would benefit from?

Please don't bash my English

, it's not native to me.

Thanks in advance!

 

[ljokerl]

1. Both work fairly well for electronic music IMO but I think the HD25 is more of a jack-of-all-trades
2. The ATH-ES7 is notoriously uncomfortable for many people, myself included. The HD25 I can wear for hours.
3. Isolation is much better on the HD25, good enough to drown out a busy city street. Whether that's good or bad is up to you.
4. Both work very well unamped with the Sansa Fuze. The HD25s scale better if you add an amp but it's not really necessary. If you're going for a cheap amp, I recommend searching for a DIY mini3. Nothing I've heard in the price range comes close.
5. CX300s are notorious for having excessive microphonics (cable noise). I wouldn't really take experience with them as a good indicator of IEM performance.

 

[Hero Kid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nupie /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you think either hd 25-1 II or ath-es7 is better for that kind of stuff?

Sennheiser HD-25-1-II for sure. I recently looked into buying some good portable headphones. After weeks of research and scrutiny I bought the HD-25's. They are the only audio related thing that I haven't regretted purchasing.
Highly highly recommended for portable phones. You'll struggle to do better.

PS: I talked to a guy I saw walking down the street in Melbourne wearing them. He said his friend was a sound engineer and had told him about he HD-25's.
He said his friend stood on them on them just to prove how durable they were. I've also talked to numerous people who have had theirs for 5-10 years and they are still going strong.
Not to mention you can buy and replace all the parts yourself. So if you want highly durable "small" portable headphones I can't speak highly enough of them.
I won't talk about the sound quality because I don't have the confidence to be held to anything I say but to my ears they sound amazing.
Not much of a soundstage but depending on what you listen to this will/won't be a problem.

 

[Nupie]

Thank you guys. I'll be ordering HD 25 this week then

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you're going for a cheap amp, I recommend searching for a DIY mini3.

I doubt I can assemble that thing so I guess I'll just have to wait till it pops up here for sale.

 

[jjsoviet]

Good thing, man. The HD25's are incredibly tough and versatile headphones that will amaze you for years on end. Even if I did sell off my amp, its sound quality is still crisp and clear straight off my Cowon S9. Definitely a great can for the price.

And I still wonder if there's a difference between the stock steel cable and a copper one. Anyone care to shed some light on this?

 

[nv88]

The HD25 are a good choice. (Really either would have been a good choice.) The HD25 are very tough and don't need any pampering. Many people do find they clamp on your head quite tightly, especially when new.

IMHO the stock steel cable has a constrained, scratchy, metallic sound. Switching to either a HD600 or HD650 copper cable is definitely an improvement. The copper to me is more open and full sounding. Unlike many mods and tweaks I've tried changing the cable to copper was very noticeable.

 

[jjsoviet]

How about custom cables? The stock HD600 series cables are way too long for me. I already know someone who could make me one, but I've been debating on the kind of cable that will suit the HD25 best. Is Mogami Starquad a good choice?

 

[AdityaIshak]

vote for HD 25 , its comfortable, portable with good build and sound quality
IMO hd25, one of the best portable headphone, if ur like koss portapro character, hd 25 is suit for u

 

[Nupie]

Thank you for your opinions guys