[taran]

ive got the buds (sony mdr e888) and the IEM (shure e4), now i need to fill the headphone gap.

i like my buds and IEM and wont be changing them unless they break or something. this is what i want from my headphones. i want the best possible so i wont want to upgrade.

unfortunatly this would be hard as i will be using them unamped out of my iaudio m3.

i was thinking of grado sr60's but i was just thinking if i get them, i might want something better which is why i want the best possible now, if that makes sence.

can anyone suggest headphones that dont look like beyerdynamics which i think look big.

 

[facelvega]

You bought E4's and won't spend sixty bucks on an amp? Any headphone SR-60 up deserves an amp. They're not such a risky buy, since they hold their value so well. If you want a placeholder in the meantime, get some KSC-75-- it's the head-fi way. They should suffice to show you what those buds and IEM's aren't doing.

 

[taran]

the reason why i baught the e4's was for that exact reason. last year i didnt know much about headphones and well didnt want the size factor of them and knew IEM's were the way to go. i also considered buying an amp for my e4's but i was looking into a ray samuals amp and i didnt think the improvement in sound would justify the cost.

as i use the e4's when im out and about, i am perfectly happy with the sound that they give. people say they lack bass, i personally dont think they do that much.

so your advice would be, if buying grado sized headphones is to definatly buy an amp?

KSC-75? thanks for the advice but i rather not. like i said, i dont want to keep upgrading. i know it sounds stupid but i just want the best possible now to keep me going for over a year atleast.

my brother recently baught the senn px100's and they are what gave me the push to get headphones as they just sound different compared to buds and IEMs's. more open an stuff.

 

[sgrossklass]

What are your preferences in music (and sonic presentation)? You see, "the best" in all regards does not exist in this (or just about any) price bracket, which I assume to be about $100-ish:

The best for rock: Grados - but they fall short in terms of comfort. Then the K240S (more comfy, being circumaural, but still with pleather pads), then the HD555 (good allrounder, most comfy). HD485 and K301 Xtra are somewhere in between in both regards.

The most comfortable: (Arguably?) HD590 refurb'd. Also fares very well in terms of "openness", not bad for rocking out but maybe too much of a "studio sound" - which in turn helps it on anything airy or spacious where it excels (good for electronic stuff, too). If one likes the sound, still a bit better than the HD555 (unsurprisingly, bigger drivers and all). Not huge (ATH-A900s are huge), but still not small either, as circumaurals just cannot shrink below a certain size.

The most compact: Supraaurals like Grados. This inherently means you have to trade off comfort (and/or headbanger-friendiness) and soundstaging.

Any headphone choice will always be a compromise.

 

[taran]

thanks for you opinion.

i listen to rnb an hip hop with some music from other genres.

i had a look at the headphones you suggested. i havent seen some of them before.

i live in the uk and so if i was to spend $100 here, i dont think i could find much in terms of good headphones.

i was thinking of a budget of around £100 ($200 ish) however budget is not a real concern at the moment. i just want to get a shortlist of headphones and then choose.

i believe some of the headphones you suggested might be hard to drive without an amp? this is what i am intending to do for a while as i dont want to jump onto the amp boat just yet.

would the grado sr-80 be a good choice to start off with? or are there other headphones which would sound better without an amp.

im not too concerned with comfort levels really. i mean i got the e4's and when i wear them they can be quite uncomfy so i believe anything should be better than shoving someting into ur ear.

 

[cantsleep]

sr80s arent that good on hiphop and RnB

 

[Headphony]

AKG K81DJ's are about the best headphones I have heard for hip-hop and r&b. You will not be disappointed with them, and they are a bargain.

 

[taran]

so the best bet for me would be AKG K81DJ's?

i really wanted to buy a good set so i wont have to for a while but it seems theres not alot of choice out there without using an amp.

is there any hope of me and a pair of grados though? i think they look so good an all

 

[wakeride74]

Grado 325i or Senn HD595 would probably make you pretty happy.

 

[taran]

i would love some grado 325i's or hd 595's but both would require an amp really wouldnt they. unless they still sound good enough without an amp? i wouldnt know which is why i need to know.

 

[wakeride74]

An amp would make them shine but not having one will not make them sound bad by any stretch.

 

[taran]

so if i was to buy something like a grado 125 or a dh 595 or senn hd 25 and use them without an amp, they would sound good but perform best with an amp.

but then how good would they sound without an amp e.g would they sound as good or better than the grado sr-60 or AKG K81DJ's?

 

[F107plus5]

There IS a Grado that you may want to take a look at: The Alessandro MS-1. It is very near to SR-125 in appearance and components, but uses a different driver which makes it a bit more neutral than either SR-60, 80 or 125. They ship all over the world from the Alessandro web-site for $99.

It takes a bit of persistance, but following ears-break-in they aren't really all that uncomfortable. I managed to get in a fourteen hour listening marathon last week with no problems at all, and that was with the much heavier MS2i.

They are great for a wider range of music types than most Grados, but then again, being more neutral in nature, they aren't quite as much FUN either!

Bass is quite OK, but bass monsters they ain't!!

If the source is a good one, an amp is optional with the MS-1, it IS a Grado after all, but it is also 2db more efficient than its purely Grado counterparts. I have a very good CD/DVD player with an excellent head-out stage and am currently even running my MS2i without an amp......I do have my eye on an amp for after the hollidays though!

And....you can order the MS-1s with either a 1/4 or 1/8" plug so there is less strain on those components that require the smaller plug. A 1/8 to 1/4" adapter is included with the cans equiped with the smaller plug. Neat; huh?

.......The MS2i sells for $299 all around the world, and is also a good choice if the budget allsows!!

 

[taran]

you said it in one sentence when you said they arnt as much fun. i dont really want too analytical headphones, i want to be able to put them on and rock my head to some good music. ofcourse i want to be able to hear the clarity, but i also want to be able to listen with ease and it to be enjoyable.

i have looked at the ms1 and i dont know how but but at $99 for the ms1 seems very cheap considering what they are. from what i read on their website it seems as though they might not be that enjoyable, i dunno i could be wrong.

i think im building up a small list of headphones.

these are -

grado sr-60
grado sr-80
grado alessandro ms1 or grado sr-125
sennheiser hd 595 / hd 555 ( i assume the hd 555 would be easier to power?)
AKG - K81DJ

other headphones would be welcomed as recommendations.

 

[hYdrociTy]

k81dj gets my vote. They are small closed and sound good for closed, not to mention these types are designed for hiphop/dance/house music, and they wont dissapoint. Plus they swivel, for that added dj touch.