[pbirkett]

I'd like suggestions as to what members think are "groovy" sounding headphones, that is, they are musical, foot tapping, make you wanna dance type headphones. Ones that convey the emotion of the music.

What I dont want to hear about is "audiophile" type designs, ones that are technically "correct" but fail to excite.

I'm welcoming suggestions from all price categories...

The closest I've heard personally so far are the DT770 Pro's and Grado's SR-80's.... but both have faults which prevent them from being truly groovy IMO (too much bass at times on the 770s and too bright on the Grado's)

 

[williamgoody]

When I had them I found the Sennheiser HD25sp's to be groovy.

 

[Snufkin]

DT770pro and DT531

 

[JMedeiros]

Porta Pros and Sony V6 (or 7506)

groovalicious

 

[lini]

Paul: Maybe one of the Groovalizers (see below)?

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[pbirkett]

Quote:

Originally posted by lini Paul: Maybe one of the Groovalizers (see below)? Greetings from Munich! Manfred / lini

I knew you would be along at some stage my friend

Speaking of AKG's, courtesy of bangraman, I have a loan of some K271's. Hopefully these groove well....

 

[lini]

Paul: Yes, I hope that, too - especially since I also have one of these. To my shame, though, I have to admit that I still haven't tried and compared it, since I've taken it home... That's partly due to my hearing being not so great lately - the lack of sports (or physical exhaustion in general) and smoking finally seem to show impact, I guess... *sigh* Anyway, compared to the K240S, I'd exspect the K271S to be a bit more pronounced in the midrange, a little more closed in soundstage-wise and maybe a bitt less extended as well as slightly punchier in the bass. Well, we'll see...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[aphex944]

Don't know if I would call the Grado SR-60s "groovy" but they definitely convey the emotion of the music. They do color the sound a bit, but make you feel great listening to music, just sounds so sweet!

 

[joelongwood]

To my ears, the RS-1s are definitely "groovin'" headphones. My foot hasn't stopped tapping. And the brightness that many attribute to the Grados, I believe, is not as much of a problem with the RS-1s as it is with others in the lineup. Just my opinion, of course.

 

[lini]

joelongwood: The tendency to shrillness of the SR60-225 is definitely cured in the RS series. Nevertheless, I liked the RS 2 better, as it seemed more neutral and precise in the bass area to me - the RS 1 already seemed a bit mushy and a bit too warm in direct comparision; it seemed to have more in common with the SR325.

But beware: I did my Grado comparisions in a shop (Harmony Audio Video in SF/West Portal area)- and the setup seemed good, but certainly not optimal for low impedance headphones. Since my K240S purchase, I've got fairly fond of warm sounding cans, though, so I could imagine that the RS 1 would really shine, when coupled with a good headphone amp. Oh, well - not anytime soon (I've recently quit my editor job in order to work as freelancer, again, so I've got to be careful with gimmick aquisitions at the moment.)... *sigh*

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[kuma]

Grado RS1 or RS2 driven by a kick ass amp.

Paul,
I think i'm going to pester you till you get one.

I have to confess that I was bit surprised you went for DT880.

In spite many critisism and shortcomings, RS1 ( albeit you do need the right amp to do justtice ) still get the overall picture right.

Most sophisticated? No. Most detailed? No. Most precise? No.

Most hi-fi kills the music. RS1 is NOT one of 'em.
There's something about the honesty of RS1 that reaches down to the heart of the music I keep coming back to.

Knowing your music preference, chances are you won't be dissapointed.

 

[mikey]

grado sr80s with sennheiser hd414 yellow ear pads - the pads tame the highs and therefore much more groovy and if you keep the pads yellow and not dye them, they also look funky

 

[bangraman]

If you stick unpunched Sennheiser pads on the SR80, they certainly become a lot less 'Grato', so much so I thought I could live with them.


Grado are indeed very musical phones. However when technical excellence with higher end kit is required as well, the upper end Grados unfortunately seem to fall short. The RS-1 in particular given its status in the Grado range does not deliver the capabilities required of headphones of this calibre. One thing they are lacking which is very desirable is the 'Grato'.


There is no doubting that it is great fun to listen to and they do indeed groove, but to me the RS-1 stands out more than any other phone as the “Sony MDR-V700DJ of the high end”. I think they accidentally share identical traits: Trading on image geared to the target market, comparatively poor ergonomics, entertaining given undemanding listening but the technical quality of the sound for the level the phones pitch at does not stand up to detailed scrutiny. That's my take on them... But they are undoubtedly immensely likeable. This is one of those headphones where I'll say my thing but tell you to try them anyway. Get a used one.


[Gratuitous image removed to speed up thread]

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

Originally posted by bangraman The RS-1 in particular given its status in the Grado range does not deliver the capabilities required of headphones of this calibre..... ...to me the RS-1 stands out more than any other phone as the “Sony MDR-V700DJ of the high end”.

Hey, I resemble doze remarks!

 

[kuma]

Quote:

Originally posted by bangraman There is no doubting that it is great fun to listen to and they do indeed groove, but to me the RS-1 stands out more than any other phone as the “Sony MDR-V700DJ of the high end”. I think they accidentally share identical traits: Trading on image geared to the target market, comparatively poor ergonomics, entertaining given undemanding listening but the technical quality of the sound for the level the phones pitch at does not stand up to detailed scrutiny. That's my take on them... But they are undoubtedly immensely likeable. This is one of those headphones where I'll say my thing but tell you to try them anyway. Get a used one.

with Grado or RS1, it's not about their sonic virtues but it's more about 'attitude' which I value more in any hi-fi kit than most do.

I certainly understand your gripes, tho.

Quote:

What I dont want to hear about is "audiophile" type designs, ones that are technically "correct" but fail to excite.

Paul's original post really rings truth.

In order to truely appreciate what RS1 or Grado phones offer, it seems to reqire a particular listening 'attitude' from the listener.