[imported_S_S]

I mostly listen to rock, alternative and metal, and some rap..

so, for about 200$, which one would be the best?
Grado SR225, Audio Technica ATH-A900 or Sennheiser HD595(50 ohm)?
I need it to be easily driven out of my 4th gen iPod, and i'll probably get an amp soon.

I can get the A900 and the grados really easy, but I couldn't find a site that ships the 595 directly to Israel and i'll have to wait untill someone I know is going to europe, and that may take a while.

Thanks in advance!

 

[mmmmcheese]

I would say either the SR225 or the A900 because they both have great bass and can be powered well out of portables.

Sorry about your wallet

 

[imported_S_S]

Thanks for your comment.

I think i'll get the A900, but I was offered to buy grado SR-60 for about 45$, only the box is open, not used or anything.
I think i'll maybe get the A700 for home use and the SR-60 for portable use, at the same price of the A900 more or less, what do you think?

 

[mmmmcheese]

Well I have not heard the A700 or A900 so hopefully someone else could give you a better opinion abou those. On the other hand I have heard the SR60s and they are great cans for thier price. Nothing beats em that cheap.

 

[kramer5150]

Note the A900 is closed and SR225 is open. If you must have isolation, then that might be your limiting factor.

Ive never heard the A900, or senn... so Im not qualified to comment. Hopefully I'll be able to change that after the san jose meet

Garrett

 

[philodox]

If you don't need isolation get the grado's... If you do need isolation, while I can't personally recommend them, the A900's are probably your best choice. If you think you will get an amp the HD595's are worth considering. Audition if you can, you may be suprised what you like.

 

[donunus]

Why did you guys recommend the a900 and the grado and the a900 if used with a portable and not the 595? isn't the 50 ohm 595 as efficient or better than the a900?

 

[Kameleon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramer5150 Ive never heard the A900, or senn... so Im not qualified to comment. Hopefully I'll be able to change that after the san jose meet

Me neither, let me just say that the SR225s are amazing for rock/alt/metal. Not listened to any rap (unless Eminem counts, lol) but I imagine they'd be decent.

 

[philodox]

None of them are all that great for portable use when you get right down to it.

I wouldnt touch the A900 with a ten foot pole... I did not like them one bit either time that I heard them. [at meets admitadly, but they are closed headphones so the whole 'meet conditions' excuse doesnt really work]

The Grado's are likely the easiest to drive headphones on your list and I have heard them and liked them a lot. I would not be satisfied with them as my only headphone though as they only really shine with certain types of music. They are open though, so as a portable headphone they are not ideal.

I have never heard the Senn's, but I have heard the HD580's and like them a fair amount. Even though they are low impedence they are likely still hard to drive properly. My K271 Studio's are 55ohms, but improve a lot with amplification.

For portable headphones I would suggest one of the newer canalphones or one of the low end Koss' with a 75ohm adapter and a pocket amp.

Or you can go all out with a full sized headphone and a good portable amp, but beware the summer... those pleather pads get HOT.

 

[Murdoch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philodox but beware the summer... those pleather pads get HOT.

but they don't soak up the sweat, which imo makes them perfect for summer use

 

[Andrea]

I would heartily recommend the HD595, but the fact that the headphone needs to be driven satisfactorily from an ipod, makes me hesitate a bit. That is because the 595 doesn't have a boosted bass to compensate the reported 'bass shyness' of the ipod, while the A900 is supposed to be heavier on bass. Other than that, I believe the 595 would trump the A900 easily. The SR225 is agreed to be very good for rock, but again it shouldn't be very full sounding, and less so than the 595. So I hesitate.

 

[Andrea]

My 50 ohm 595 is almost as (very) efficient as my PX100 btw.

 

[imported_S_S]

Thank you for your comments guys!

I really don't mind if the headphones are closed or opened, and I won't be using them out and about, what i'm looking for is headphones for home use, and I don't have and amp (well, the closest thing to an amp is my Altec Lansing computer speakers MX5021 built in amp, but I don't think it would be a good amp for headphones, or am I wrong?).

For portable use I have the sonys EX81, I'm saving up for the new UE or E4C, and i'll probably get an amp after that.

My only problem is that it would be hard to convince my dad to let me use his credit card to buy 200$ headphones (he's sattisfied with his 4$ headphones and mic), even though it's my money.

Anyway, if there are any other headphones I should consider buying with my budget, please tell me

 

[apostate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrea The SR225 is agreed to be very good for rock, but again it shouldn't be very full sounding, and less so than the 595. So I hesitate.

I have the SR225 and the 595 (120Ohm) and I would be hard pressed to choose between the two. My 225 was woodied already when I got it so I'm not sure how much of a change there is from stock.

Personally I prefer the 225s with flat pads for rock over the 595s but generally prefer the 595s for everything else since I feel they provide a better soundstage and are more neutral.

My 595-120 is a little hard to drive from the iPod (75% volume just to get to a reasonable listening level) but sound pretty good. The 225s also sound pretty good straight out of the iPod. Both are much better amped.

With the bowls I couldn't stand the 225s straight out of the iPod.....

Ant

 

[DevilDog]

IMO, it's simple, get the SR-225s. Again, IMO, there is no better headphone for rock. I own the HD595s, but I'd still prefer the 225s strictly for rock.
I know you said they're for home use, but the SR225s are also much more portable.
The grados are great, if you can stand the discomfort and slight fatigue factor.