Kuato
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2008
- Posts
- 16
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- 0
Just like half the thread-starters in this forum, I'm planning to buy my first pair of quality full-size headphones. I've been lurking at this place for a while, and through all your gnomic utterances I have whittled it down to six specimens.
I hope to spend no more than $200 on the phones themselves. If they're cheaper, that's definitely a bonus. They'll be running straight out of my 2003 Dell P.O.S. If I have to buy an amp, I will, but it wouldn't be ideal. Also, I'm not planning to upgrade for a few years after this.
My two biggest problems are that I live in Melbourne, Australia, and so am not able to try out most of the headphones discussed here, and that I haven't heard anything better than my beloved KSC-75.
Also, I'm fairly certain I don't have the ability to distinguish marginal improvements in sound quality. When I first tried the Sennheiser MX-400 earbuds, I found them vastly superior to the iPod buds. Then, when I first put on the KSC-75's they blew my mind. However, I never detected a large improvement going from the MX-400's to the lauded Yuin PK3's. And I can't tell the difference between low bitrate and high bitrate mp3's. So I've concluded that I just don't have the ears that some of you guys seem to possess.
85% of my music is rock. 5% folk, 5% jazz and 5% metal. To some, that might instantly spell "Grado's". But here's the thing: while my KSC-75's at times sound orgasmically good -- eg with a piano's high notes -- they are mildly fatiguing. I'm not sure if it's the bass or the treble that does it, but after an hour (rare, since I never listen to more than one album in a sitting), I am secretly glad to take them off. The other thing is that they can't handle death metal. The music is just too complex. I get a very muddy sound in comparison to my new car's speakers.
Returning to the thread title, I've narrowed it down to the Audio Technica ATH-AD700, Grado SR-80, Alessandro MS-1, Denon D1001, and Beyerdynamic DT-880. However, each have a drawback.
The AD700's lack bass. I'm not sure if I'm a fan of bass. I know the KSC-75's are supposed to be bass-heavy, and while I do detect that, I prefer them to the PK3's, which sound flat in comparison.
The AD700's are very large, too. One thing that has always impressed me about you guys is that you seem to have such a good idea of the size of your own heads. I mean, how can you tell that? I'm 6 feet tall, but have never thought of myself as having a large head.
Also, I've heard that the AD-700's sound like you have speakers on. I don't care about isolation, but really -- speakers? That's not ideal, if it's true.
Otherwise, these phones ("cans"? Is that the right term?) sound like good all-rounders.
The SR-80's sound like they'd be terrific for rock. But I'm worried about comfort, which I value. I'm also worried about fatigue, though I'm not sure if these present the same kind of fatigue that the Koss's give me, or a different sort that is not as bad, or perhaps worse.
MS-1's seem to be a good compromise, and they are supposed to have a similar sound signature to the KSC-75's, so I know I'll love them. But that also carries with it the promise of similar fatigue, which isn't a deal-breaker, but is a small flaw nonetheless. Plus, they not very comfortable, from what I've heard.
D1001's are very popular on this forum. But I get the impression that they're bass-heavy (don't know if that's a plus or a minus for me). They're also closed, which I understand typically means an inferior sound.
The DT-880's look the most solid and comfortable. Objectively, they're clearly the best headphones of this bunch, which is why they cost twice as much as the rest. They are also supposed to have a very detailed, neutral sound, which I can't be certain I'll like but which I really do like the idea of.
Their problem is that they need amplification. If the difference between these amped and the rest unamped is going to be huge, I am willing to pay an extra $200 for an amp. But if it's still debatable, no way, Jose.
The other problem is my largely 192-256 bitrate mp3 collection and my atrocious source. I've heard that these phones are unforgiving.
So, for those who've actually read this far, first -- thanks! Second, though: which pair would you recommend? If none of these will be a large improvement over the KSC-75's to my untrained ears, I'm happy to buy nothing.
I hope to spend no more than $200 on the phones themselves. If they're cheaper, that's definitely a bonus. They'll be running straight out of my 2003 Dell P.O.S. If I have to buy an amp, I will, but it wouldn't be ideal. Also, I'm not planning to upgrade for a few years after this.
My two biggest problems are that I live in Melbourne, Australia, and so am not able to try out most of the headphones discussed here, and that I haven't heard anything better than my beloved KSC-75.
Also, I'm fairly certain I don't have the ability to distinguish marginal improvements in sound quality. When I first tried the Sennheiser MX-400 earbuds, I found them vastly superior to the iPod buds. Then, when I first put on the KSC-75's they blew my mind. However, I never detected a large improvement going from the MX-400's to the lauded Yuin PK3's. And I can't tell the difference between low bitrate and high bitrate mp3's. So I've concluded that I just don't have the ears that some of you guys seem to possess.
85% of my music is rock. 5% folk, 5% jazz and 5% metal. To some, that might instantly spell "Grado's". But here's the thing: while my KSC-75's at times sound orgasmically good -- eg with a piano's high notes -- they are mildly fatiguing. I'm not sure if it's the bass or the treble that does it, but after an hour (rare, since I never listen to more than one album in a sitting), I am secretly glad to take them off. The other thing is that they can't handle death metal. The music is just too complex. I get a very muddy sound in comparison to my new car's speakers.
Returning to the thread title, I've narrowed it down to the Audio Technica ATH-AD700, Grado SR-80, Alessandro MS-1, Denon D1001, and Beyerdynamic DT-880. However, each have a drawback.
The AD700's lack bass. I'm not sure if I'm a fan of bass. I know the KSC-75's are supposed to be bass-heavy, and while I do detect that, I prefer them to the PK3's, which sound flat in comparison.
The AD700's are very large, too. One thing that has always impressed me about you guys is that you seem to have such a good idea of the size of your own heads. I mean, how can you tell that? I'm 6 feet tall, but have never thought of myself as having a large head.
Also, I've heard that the AD-700's sound like you have speakers on. I don't care about isolation, but really -- speakers? That's not ideal, if it's true.
Otherwise, these phones ("cans"? Is that the right term?) sound like good all-rounders.
The SR-80's sound like they'd be terrific for rock. But I'm worried about comfort, which I value. I'm also worried about fatigue, though I'm not sure if these present the same kind of fatigue that the Koss's give me, or a different sort that is not as bad, or perhaps worse.
MS-1's seem to be a good compromise, and they are supposed to have a similar sound signature to the KSC-75's, so I know I'll love them. But that also carries with it the promise of similar fatigue, which isn't a deal-breaker, but is a small flaw nonetheless. Plus, they not very comfortable, from what I've heard.
D1001's are very popular on this forum. But I get the impression that they're bass-heavy (don't know if that's a plus or a minus for me). They're also closed, which I understand typically means an inferior sound.
The DT-880's look the most solid and comfortable. Objectively, they're clearly the best headphones of this bunch, which is why they cost twice as much as the rest. They are also supposed to have a very detailed, neutral sound, which I can't be certain I'll like but which I really do like the idea of.
Their problem is that they need amplification. If the difference between these amped and the rest unamped is going to be huge, I am willing to pay an extra $200 for an amp. But if it's still debatable, no way, Jose.
The other problem is my largely 192-256 bitrate mp3 collection and my atrocious source. I've heard that these phones are unforgiving.
So, for those who've actually read this far, first -- thanks! Second, though: which pair would you recommend? If none of these will be a large improvement over the KSC-75's to my untrained ears, I'm happy to buy nothing.
