[bangraman]

Sources: EU-restricted iPod unamped, ipod on dock with META42 simulating non EU-restricted iPod (only for volume and dynamics evaluation), Sony SCD-XA777ES + Chord Anthem IC + Modded WAD amp.


Scores are relative to each other. The best is rated 10, then the rest are judged based on that.

Detail is how detailed the sound is.
Bass is how good the bass is.
Soundstage refers to width and depth of soundstage
Sibilance is how bad the S's come out. It's a major contributing factor to listening fatigue

OQSE: Overall Quality Of Sound, Europe. Entirely subjective and based on the discounted European TSP of these phones.
OQUS: Overall Quality of Sound, US. Ditto.

EU compatibility is how well it works out of power limited portables
Comfort is a wholly subjective comfort rating without mods
Isolation is how much outside noise the phone blocks
Portability is how easy the phone is to carry. Considered parameters include weight, size taken up while being listenable without additional adjustment (easily folding would score higher) and durability.


Detail:
V700 (07), HD25-1 (10), SR80 (09)
Bass:
V700 (07), HD25-1 (09), SR80 (10)
Soundstage:
V700 (07), HD25-1 (08), SR80 (10)
Sibilance:
V700 (-03), HD25-1 (-10), SR80 (-06)

OQSE:
V700 (07), HD25-1 (09), SR80 (10)
OQSU:
V700 (06), HD25-1 (04), SR80 (10)

EU compatibility
V700 (10), HD25-1 (07), SR80 (06)
Comfort
V700 (07), HD25-1 (10), SR80 (07)
Isolation
V700 (9), HD25-1 (10), SR80 (01)
Portability:
V700 (10), HD25-1 (09), SR80 (05)


You work out the score based on whatever parameters you want to combine.


For example, if you lived in the EU and wanted to find the best value based on sound regardless of sibilance, you'd add Detail, Bass, Soundstage, OQSE and EU Compatibility together and end up with 37 for the V700, 43 for the HD25-1, and 45 for the SR80.



(EDIT) All edits finished now!

 

[dokebi]

Nice. Where is your panasonic grado?

 

[plainsong]

And here I was going to complain about price - but in these parts, those are all more or less the same price. Great info to have for us Euro-headfiers.

 

[bangraman]

The OQS rating is the 'value' weighting. While the Grado and the V700 is around the same relative price in both sides of the Atlantic, the HD25 shows a huge disparity. You can see the different markings to reflect this.


I haven't done anything with the Grados yet. I'm still (sullenly) trying to save the V500. That I spilled beer on the drivers isn't helping but I am determined that these should at least sound acceptable.

 

[plainsong]

In the US the sr80 is what - 100 USD, while here it's 165 Euros. It's the factor that prevents me ever considering upgradoing.

 

[Daroid]

Nice review, Bangraman, and thanks for that

You said somewhere that you could find HD25s for £99 in the UK - where is that ? The cheapest seen I could find was £109 - and that was only at a place that offered the sicount if I have bought £500+ from them before, the rest of the places are like £120 - £140 and some crap shops even above. In the US the HD25 is about $199.... I wouldn't exactly say they are enormeously overpriced in the US compared to EU. $199 US equals exactly £124.04 (today), but then again VAT differences and import duties are not included etc. I know from the local shopping mart (quite a big supermarket) they offered pretty lower prices on some stuff, so they actually loose money on it´, but that way they attract new customers and earn more money on the other suff being sold.

 

[bangraman]

The HD25 at £120 in the US doesn't seem particularly overpriced compared to Europe, but you have to bear in mind that the V700 and the SR80 are both around £60 by the same calculation. Is the HD25-1 worth twice as much as the SR80 or the V700? No, not unless you were desperate to have it.


The HD25-1's best price I've seen so far is Turnkey on Charing X Road in London, or www.turnkey.co.uk. I use/used them for Sennheiser (entire range orderable, well represented in the shop), Beyer (Once again the whole range) and Shure. They do all of AKG too. They also sell the MDR-7506 although I didn't check the price.


However you can find a HD25 cheaper (£65+ship) since I am selling my pair.