[CloudySkies]

My situation is as follows: I have an Iaudio M3, a Sony D-NF400, and a couple of old discman players. As for headphones, I currently have the stock Cresyn buds that came with my M3, Sennheiser MX450s, and Koss KSC75s. Since the MX450s and KSC75s are considered to be good/cheap solutions for portable uses, should I just stick with those for on the go situations, and then look for some high quality cans for in-home listening? I was going to spend $40 on a set of Sharp MD33s, but for that much money, I should probably just go a little higher and see what else there is. With that in mind, would full sized phones like the Grado SR60 or Sennheiser HD497 be considered a big step above high grade ear buds and canal phones in terms of sonic quality? I'm mostly interested in Sony MDR-E888s, Audio-Technica ATH-CM5s, and the Sharp MD33s for ear buds/canal phones, and then I'm also looking into Grado SR60s, Audio-Technica ATH-EM7s, and Sennheiser HD497s for full sized head phones and clipons. So what do you guys think of my situation, and is it safe to say that the Grados are more than likely the best sounding phones out of what I've listed? Thanks.

 

[CloudySkies]

anybody care to help an idiot?

 

[joelongwood]

Whew....that's a lot of choices you've laid out. I'll give you my opinion on those I have.
The Sharps offer good isolation and very good sound. They are extremely light weight and comfortable. Their major drawback, for me, is the very microphonic cord. But if you are stationary, that is not a problem.
The Grado SR-60s, for $30 more, are a bargain, and IMHO, a large upgrade from the Sharp 33-S. There's a whole thread here, entitled "The Grado SR-60 Appreciation Thread," in which a host of members voice their praise for this outstanding headphone.
The Sony E-888 buds, are, to my ears, a wonderful earbud. They have a very well-balanced, smooth sound, and they fit my ears perfectly. I modded them by cutting a hole in the center of the foam bud pads which allows more of a high end.........Hey, at my age (57), I need all the highs I can get! For long walks, they are my preferred portables.
The ATH-EM7 looks great, but is totally without any bass, unless you press them against your ears. Nice details, though.
Bottom line? I would say, if you're happy with the sound of your KSC-75s as portables, keep 'em and get a pair of Grado SR-60s. I've never heard the KSC-75s, but if they're anywhere near the KSC-35s in sound quality, they are very good, indeed.
I'm sure others here will chime in with their observations and recommendations. Remember, everyone hears differently, and your best bet is to audition the 'phones for yourself.
Hope I've been of some help.

 

[jerb]

Since you mentioned Using them as home phones i would go with grado's (i dont like using buds and canalphones whn at home) the sound will be better than the sharps aswell. search around head-fi for some more information on the grado's.

however my recomendation will be different depending on what kind of music you listen too and how these phones are goingt o be used (at night with others around? For long periods of time? ect?) if you provide us with a little bit more information im sure many more members can help you spend your money... err.. choose the heaphone right for you

 

[CloudySkies]

I really like the overall character of the Koss's, but the thing that turns me off are the flabby and thuddy bass and the fact that I have to pump up the volume as compared to when I use the Sennheisers and Cresyns. Everything else is great though and they have that "big" character to them. I've seen a few threads that have said the Grados are kind of like the bigger brother to the KSC line in some ways, and I'd definately be happy with that if they were kind of like a tighter, louder, and clearer version of the KSC-75. I think that the Ksc75 is supposed to be real similar to the KSC35s in character. Do you know if all of the Audio-Technica clup-ons are bass deficient, or is it just that particular model? I was also looking at the ATh-EM5s on AudioCubes and just figured that the EM7s would be a bit better. But I'm starting to inch closer and closer to the Grados, and yes I have read the SR-60 appreciation thread

. But I have another question: I know that they both have completely different strengths and weaknesses and are a totally different design, but would you say that the Sr-60s are generally better sounding than the E-888s? Thanks!

 

[joelongwood]

The only other ATH clip-ons I have are the EW-9. Beautiful to look at, and nicely detailed sound, but with the iPod, they are too bass deficient for my taste......more bass than the EM-7, but still nowhere near the Grados. However, I have been enjoying them more of late plugged into a portable minidisc unit with bass boost at 1. They actually sound very good to my ears.....but out of my iPod, I don't rank them too high.
As for a comparison of the SR-60 and E-888, they are so different sounding and designed with different uses in mind, that it's impossible for me to say which is better. I only use my E-888s when I need portable.....the SR-60, for me, is a home 'phone. If I could only keep one, it would be the Grado.......but then, I prefer the Grado house sound. You may feel differently. To my ears, they both provide very good sound.

 

[CloudySkies]

I'm into a little bit of everything, but mostly 90s/80s rock of all types, 90s/80s pop ,and then some electronica/techno and 50s/60s surf and rock music. And just to throw out a few random names: Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Sonic Youth, Garbage, Tori Amos, 10,000 Maniacs/Natalie Merchant, 90's U2, Goo Goo Dolls, Wallflowers, Gin Blossoms, Counting Crowes, John Mellancamp, R.E.M., Guns N' Roses, Bruce Springstein, Talking Heads, Moby, Ventures, etc. So I guess I need a good all around headphone that sounds good for just about everything. I was originally going to buy the M33s as an in-home silent phone, mostly because I prefer ear buds in general, but that would be kind of pointless if I could get something twice as good for a somewhat similar price(the Grados?) and use it for the same purpose. I don't have nice, full sized, over the head style phones as it is and wouldn't mind having them as another style option as long as they outperform similarly priced ear buds. Isolation phones would be nice, but I don't really need them since the Cresyns aren't all that bad for cheap $5 packed-in buds, and are comfortable and actually pretty good for sound suppression. I could just use the KSCs and Sennheisers for mobile situations, as I wouldn't mind if I wrecked them or had them stolen since they only cost about $15 each.

So I guess that I'm just looking for something that sounds truly amazing(or at least something that I'll think sounds that way....hopefully I'll never hear a pair of $100+ phones for my wallet's sake), and clearly better than the Koss and Sennheisers that I already have. It also has to cost $75ish tops, work well with DAPs and PCDPs(especially the iAudio M3 +192kbVBR LAME/EAC MP3s), isn't the size of a house and doesn't hurt to wear them, and also has SOME sort of potential for portable and night time/before sleep use.