[qcoder]

As the title says, I'm looking to replace my Cowon D2's stock earbuds. After spending hours browsing this site and others, I've decided to take the plunge into audiophile territory and buy a set of high quality cans. Here are my thoughts so far:

BUDGET

I want to get the best sounding cans possible for $100 or less.

PORTABILITY

Even though I'll be using the cans with my Cowon D2, portability is not one of my main concerns (I'll probably buy some canalphones later).

Open vs. Closed

The better isolation provided by a closed pair would be nice but from what I'm reading open headphones provide a better soundstage.

Circumaural vs Supra-aural

according to my research circumaural headphones are supposed to have a better soundstage than supra-aural phones...I read that this is a result of the additional distance between the driver and the ear. If this is the case then would headphones with bowl pads (like the grado sr80s) have a superior soundstage than cans with flat pads?


What I listen to
Mostly Rock/Alternative Rock....(U2,Coldplay,Radiohead,Red Hot Chilli Pepers,Snow Patrol,The Velvet Underground....etc)

In Conclusion...
I've found several pairs of headphones to consider:
Grado sr60
Graod sr80
Sennheiser HD-555
Alessandro MS-1
Audio Technica ATH-AD500


Right now I'm leaning more towards the Grado sr80s since I hear that Grado's are better suited for rock.


Any comments...or suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

[asmd]

i had the sr80 with the d2.
was atrociously uncomfortable. never got used to those bowls.
also paired with d2, it was way too bright and bass shy.
imho a warmer phone would pair better with the d2.

edit: strongly suggest you audition the phones brfore deciding.

 

[wang0215]

I ALSO WANNA SR 80

 

[qcoder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by asmd /img/forum/go_quote.gif i had the sr80 with the d2. was atrociously uncomfortable. never got used to those bowls. also paired with d2, it was way too bright and bass shy. imho a warmer phone would pair better with the d2. edit: strongly suggest you audition the phones brfore deciding.

What would you recommend for a warmer phone? I'm curious to know what cans you are now using with your D2....Also, did you try any EQ settings or any of the jet effects on the D2 to compensate for the brightness and lacking bass?


I really wish I could audition the sr80s and other headphones before buying, but I don't think I live near anyplace that sells them

 

[nyumetsu]

get the px100. That's what I started with with the cowon d2. it's a very warm phone, although you shouldn't boost it with too much jeteffect or anything like that. I'd say the d2 eq muddies up the px100.

 

[qcoder]

I would definitely consider the px100s for portable use, however, do they really compare with $100 headphones like the grado sr60/80, or senn HD-555??

 

[asmd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by qcoder /img/forum/go_quote.gif What would you recommend for a warmer phone? I'm curious to know what cans you are now using with your D2....Also, did you try any EQ settings or any of the jet effects on the D2 to compensate for the brightness and lacking bass? I really wish I could audition the sr80s and other headphones before buying, but I don't think I live near anyplace that sells them

currently am using audio techincas esw9s. which i would recommend wholeheartedly, they sound really good paired with the d2.
see review here: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/aud...w-pics-373179/

as to a recommendation.. now theres a hard thing to do, especially when it comes to so much personal preferance (and money involved).
to be frank the d2 is a finicky little thing. i for one never thought it sounded any good at all when i first got it .. how it sounds is very dependant on the headphones used. the d2 is definately a tinkerers device.. you do need to fiddle with it a little to get it to sound its best, and when it shines, it does shine. (mind you its still bested by the clip except in the EQ dept)

the portapros were my first ever upgrade some 5 years ago for portable use, so im quite familiar with its sound and shortcomings. compared to the esw9 (a league apart), while its bassy, its bass is not refined and muddies up tracks with complicated bass lines (jazz). the highs are not extended and harsh-ish (not sibilant and painfull though).. and to be honest its the least fatigueing and most fun pair of phones i own. they're light and you can easily forget that you have them on. playback is punchy (theres plenty of bass..... bass does sound plasticky though and does not extend low, it just will never compare to phones costing 4 times as much) and very musical... stepping up from stock buds or 15$ cheapos.. they will sound remarkable. to me, they never sounded right with the d2.. although they do sound very good with a creative zen micro (with EQ to taste).. just a pairing thing i guess. the d2 sound signature doesnt lend well to them imho.

grado sr 80. as i mentioned, a recommendation is a hard thing to do. and the sr80 is proof positive of that. it seemed the perfect pair of headphones.. a slight upgrade to the much touted ultimate newbie upgrade, the sr60 and still within a 100 bucks. seemed like the best bang for the buck. and all roads here at headfi brought me to that conclusion. it was a complete disaster for me. they were too bright and were bass shy. (even over my main rig, foobar2k, ASIO, M-audio revo headphone out). even compared to my main speakers over pc, klipsch IFIs which are known to be bright! i tried so hard to like them. the comfort was bad.. after a short period, they would hurt my ears.. i dont think ive actually put in so much effort to like something. (wash the bowls, bend the headband.. it was getting ridiculous). the d2 sounded harsh with the sr80.. very treble-ly and bright. bass was nowhere near up to snuff.. i suppose, if you listened to speed drumming, then yes they would prob play them back perfectly (take that as a strenght) note for note. there simply was no weight to the sound being reproduced. compared to a denon d2000, portapro or the esw9, (i know its not a fair comparison), its all treble and harsh highs. burn (skpetic here) in, out and laterally helped not a bit. the portapro which are so much more mellow although nothing sounded terribly accurate.. still was just so much more pleasing to listen too provided you didnt listen too hard (it was never meant for critical listening anyway). wrt to the d2s awesome tone controls...? not much help there.. mach3bass is the best thing since presliced pizza. it actually works compared to the rubbish offered by creative ect.. but even so where it boosts bass cleanly without clipping, the sr80 just never played it back quite right. there would be some extension, but overall, it was bright, bright, bright.

the denon d2000 doesn not sound good straight up from a d2. bass is muddy and everything sounds like its going to fall apart. sounds just fine using an amp.. not portable or even remotely practical. i just threw this in as a FYI.

the ath-esw9: you can read my opnion on it here:http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/aud...w-pics-373179/

as to what i would recommend.. well, the sr80 would set you back a 100 bucks. it is my understanding that the ath-es7 sounds a lot like the esw9 and can be had for a little more over a 100 bucks. be wary of fakes though.. seems to be a problem of late. do a little reading up on the ath-es7, imho it would be a better bet for you and the d2. compared to your list of phones in contention, the es7 is portable, and should be decently comfortable (prob not as comfy as the full sized ad500, supraaurals never are.) and will be driven easily enough by the d2. you may also want to give the denon ad1001 a look. i cant relate a personal experience, but have heard many good things. i do apologise for not sticking within your list apart from the negatives, i havent had any experience with the rest, personal or otherwise.
eg: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/ath...-d1000-298601/

hope this helps.

disclaimer: preferences are personal, and this is my personal opinion.

 

[qcoder]

Thank you! I really appreciate you comments. I can see that it would really be to my benefit to locate somewhere where I could audition all these different phones.

 

[Antony L]

These all sound great with the d2
ksc 75s

px 100 (exellent , i prefer these to the koss)

hfi 780 omg wooooow

 

[Aimless1]

I have the D2 and have listened to both the SR225 and RS-1 out of it, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Have not heard the SR-80s or SR-60s though. The SR60 and SR80 have different ear pads. The SR80s have the bowls which I and many others find plenty comfortable. Some only find them tolerable and a vocal few find them grossly uncomfortable.

Although I prefer the Grados, the Alessandro MS-1 should also work quite well.

I have not heard the others. I have listened to the Grados, the Sennheiser HD580 (not a good combo), the K501 & K601 (again, not a good combo) and the DX1000 (not as nice as the Grados with the D2).

I think the D2 is better paired with IEMs but it will work just fine with some cans. Good luck!

 

[nyumetsu]

I hear that grado's have a very bright sound signature in comparison with sennheisers. I'd say if you're just replacing those stock d2 buds (I have the d2, I know how horrible they are) then you might want to take it step by step. The px100 is a very, very friendly pair of headphones for anybody. Incredibly comfortable, light, and you can use them out of anything. Not to mention they're debatably one of the best bang-for-buck sounds in the price range.

I think most people who buy px100's keep them, even if they upgrade.

 

[Antony L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nyumetsu /img/forum/go_quote.gif I hear that grado's have a very bright sound signature in comparison with sennheisers. I'd say if you're just replacing those stock d2 buds (I have the d2, I know how horrible they are) then you might want to take it step by step. The px100 is a very, very friendly pair of headphones for anybody. Incredibly comfortable, light, and you can use them out of anything. Not to mention they're debatably one of the best bang-for-buck sounds in the price range. I think most people who buy px100's keep them, even if they upgrade.

Thats true the px100s are keepers they even do some things better than my ultrasones, that bit in Radioheads "let down" where it sounds like stars coming out if that makes sense, pin pricks of sound kind off, that blows me away with the senns

 

[Almoxil]

In the $100 range, I can recommend the M-Audio Q40. They do a pretty job at isolating, but require some EQing to tame the bass (for me), since it is very strong. Apart from that, it's a good sounding can for rock, although not portable (for me).

Other than that, I can recommend the Koss PortaPro. They are cheap, easy to find (even here in Brazil) and pair very well with the D2. I prefer them over the Sennheiser PX100 (which I also have), and wear them at home when I can't stop to listen to my stationary rig.

All of the above is my personal opinion, of course.

@Antony L: Hello! I see from the picture in your post that you have both the FiiO and the HFI-780. Have you listened to the Ultrasones through the FiiO? How do they sound?

And yes, the HFI-780 is really OMG WOOOOW!