[haxhax]

So, I'm looking to buy some nice, up to $300 headphones. I've been looking around the forum for a day or two and there are too many to choose from.

I'm looking for closed-ear headphones w/ good isolation (low sound leakage). The more musical things I like to listen to are metal such as Nightwish, Metallica, Machinae Supremacy, Dream Theater. Bass is important to me. I also really love the sound of an electric guitar, especially with heavy distortion, so it would be ideal to have headphones that really bring it out. Bass is also important. As an example, I'd love the song "Machinaeguns" to play well on them.

I'd be willing to have more sound leakage if the sound quality is vastly better.

Picking through the forums, these seemed to stick out as good choices:

Senn HD-280
Sony MDR7506
beyerdynamic DT 880/990
Sony MDR-SA5000 DJ
SR325i

Is any one of these particularly suited to the music I was describing? The headphones I had been using (which recently broke due to a wire-meets-vacuum-cleaner incident) were only about $50, so likely any of these is likely a huge upgrade.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haxhax /img/forum/go_quote.gif I also really love the sound of an electric guitar, especially with heavy distortion, so it would be ideal to have headphones that really bring it out. ... I'd be willing to have more sound leakage if the sound quality is vastly better. ... SR325i

If you love electric guitar, Grados are a must. The SR-325i is good, but also take a look at the SR-225i, used RS-2, and the Alessandro MS-2i.

Don't worry so much about the leakage. You won't care after you hear guitars on Grados.

 

[azncookiecutter]

If you're really bent towards having a pair of isolating, closed headphones, Denon D2000 and Shure SRH840 are pretty good choices.

But, as Uncle Erik said, you've never heard guitars until you hear a pair of Grados.

 

[haxhax]

Thanks for the tip! That's really making me lean toward Grados now. Is there any difference between SR225i, SR225i prestige series, SR225, SR225 prestige series?

 

[haxhax]

And also, is the SR325i "better" than the SR225i, generally, (I'm just going by the larger number and price tag), or are there areas where the SR225i shines more than the 325?

 

[ktsai1283]

There seems to be more of a love-hate relationship among people here regarding the 325. A common complaint is that the treble is too harsh.

The 225 is more universally praised as a great headphone for rock, and the sweet spot in Grado's lineup in terms of price-to-performance ratio.

If you want to purchase new, just go for the 225i. Several months ago, Grado upgraded their entire lineup (to the "i" models), but I haven't heard much about sound-quality differences between the newer and the older models. FWIR, they all pretty much stayed the same.

Do a search, you'll find tons of info on both models here. Good luck!

 

[nullstring]

Make sure you realize that some headphones, such as: the sony's and beyer's you listed need amps in order to sound their best.

I would suggest buying a cheaper grado, and see if you like them first.
Get the SR60, and if you like it.... then buy a higher priced grado.
You can always give someone else the SR60 as a gift like Uncle Erik likes to do =p

 

[Tiemen]

GermanMaestro GMP250 don't leak, are great with rock and have a juicy bass....

 

[haxhax]

@nullstring: Hehe I might take your advice about getting the cheaper ones first. Question though: do the SR225i's need an amp to sound their best, like you're saying about the sony's + beyer's?

 

[nullstring]

well, arguably any headphone benefits from a headphone amp.

But, the sr22i's are not one of the headphones essentially -requires- one.

so, the answer is no, it is not.