[emjen]

For ipod use. For electronic to post rock music.

My mind is quite set on the 81 because it doesn't leak as much as the igrado and has a strong bass.

If you all say the igrado doesn't leak and sounds better I'll have to reconsider. If, however, you all say the 81 is a good headphone compared to the igrado AND it doesn't leak and has some decent isolation, I'm set!

thanks for the advice.

 

[ajames]

My k81dj's sound great paired with my 5G ipod.

They don't leak much at all, and have plenty of bass. if you're not a basshead type, i can even see it as being too much bass.

While they don't bother me, the akg's do have a SUPER strong grip on your head. Above 3 hours, they'll get uncomfortable. But they isolate quite well, and unless you're prone to premature deafness -- normal listening levels should not leak.

i have not heard iGrado's ... but if you can get the akg's for ~$50, they sound quite good.

 

[emjen]

Yeah heard about the grip and my head's pretty big so that'll get some getting used to. Is there any way to loosen the grip? I've also heard about the cable being too long and removing the foam pads. But that'll come in due time I guess.

 

[gritzcolin]

I just got my black iGrado's in yesterday listened to them all night at work. Had a bunch of compliments on them #1. They are paired up to an 80gb iPod with a C&C Box v2

Comfort is so so might get better with time. They are light and dont feel too bad on your head for 8 hours. I enjoy the feel of my big Senns better but they are big. They are also easier to get the hang of putting on than the KSC75's.

Sound - this is a fresh pair with no burn in, so far its pretty good, clean bass, separation is lacking in comparison to my HD580's, for example listening to Eric Clapton unplugged- Signe with the 580's it almost seems you can picture each individual in the crowd clapping. With the iGrado's it's more meshed together and there seems to be a slight roll off in the midrange, not to big a deal but kind of noticable when listening to Dr. John and other people with gravelly voices. So far so good though this might get me to go a little deeper into the Grado waters as a result.

One song they do very well with is on The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac - Big Love (1997 live performance) You can really hear the detail in the right to left channel shifts of the guitar. It's slight but i never noticed it with the KSC75's. Although you do hear the roll off of the mids with the vocals, they seem kind of distant.

I apologize for my possible and probable misuse of terminolgy but that is my review.

 

[emjen]

What about leakage? And what about the bass? Does anyone have both headphones and a comparison between the two?

 

[gritzcolin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by emjen /img/forum/go_quote.gif What about leakage? And what about the bass? Does anyone have both headphones and a comparison between the two?

Leakage on the iGrado's isn't bad since they are pretty tight on your ears, I work in a loud environment and I had no issues with needing to crank up my amp to drown out the machines.

 

[steviebee]

Hmmm...(thinks) maybe I should swap out my KSC75s for iGrados...they certainly look better, but how do they sound?

I read somewhere like SR60 only no headband. This true?

 

[BassheadJazz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steviebee /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmmm...(thinks) maybe I should swap out my KSC75s for iGrados...they certainly look better, but how do they sound? I read somewhere like SR60 only no headband. This true?

More or less, they use the same driver, IIRC. As far as iGrado vs the K81DJ, the K81 should be much better for what you're looking for, especially since they seal pretty well.

 

[emjen]

Allright, bumping this one again. I've seen quite some audio technica es7 love and can get it for around 130-140 USD (90-100 EUR) shipped to my place from amazon. That is a bit too much for what I want to spend on a headphone.

I'm quite set on the 81dj which is 59 EUR, a.k.a. 80 usd. Is the es7 really worth the extra 60 dollars or 40 euros compared to the akg?

 

[Sir Nobax]

The K81DJ aint worth 30 bucks if you'd asked me. I am pretty sure the ES7 are a big improvement.

The K81 is just 100% bloated, undefined, artificial base. I don't like it one bit.

 

[steviebee]

Haven't heard the K81DJ, but I can tell you the bass on the ES7 is pretty darn nice! When the music needs it, it's there. That, along with the 7's nice open sound makes it one sweet little performer IMO...

 

[Moocher]

I heard the 81s last weekend and compared them to my ES7s. The 81s had been blue tack modded to clean up the bass. They still didn't sound as well defined in the bass as the ES7s and the latter were, in my opinion, also better in the mids and highs. I think the guy who owned the 81s agreed. As a big-headed guy, the 81s also seemed too tight. To be fair, the ES7s were too tight out of the box and took some bending to be more comfortable. I couldn't wear the 81s for much more than 30 minutes and can't wear the ES7s for more than a couple hours. If comfort is an issue you might want to look at canal phones or iems, though I personally hate things sticking in my ears.

Keep searching on the forum, there have been a number of reviews and comparisons.

Mooch

 

[luckypictures]

This isn't my post, but thank you for the responses everyone, as it is something that I too am debating.

 

[ajames]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir Nobax /img/forum/go_quote.gif The K81DJ aint worth 30 bucks if you'd asked me. I am pretty sure the ES7 are a big improvement. The K81 is just 100% bloated, undefined, artificial base. I don't like it one bit.

I disagree. If they were $30, they'd be the biggest steal ever. I don't know, perhaps the ES7's are easily better -- but are they $80 better? Or even, will the K81's suit your needs and sound great? Mine have, and i'm happy that i have the $80 still in my pocket .. to fund future endeavors.

For the $50 i paid for them, my K81DJ's are great. Tight on the noggin? Yes. But still great.