What headphones are still very good un-amped?

[Apple254]

Im not sure if anyone know what I mean, but I want a new pair of headphones but I do not really have the kind of money for the kind of amplifiers available in England. So getting to my question, what are the most well rounded pair of headphones that do not need amping? Thanks, Jake

 

[synaesthetic]

Audio Technica ATH-AD700

Excellent price/performance ratio, sounds good straight from a portable or sound card, sounds even better with an amp, very comfortable, nice well-rounded sound that works well for most genres.

A little lacking in the bass impact department (this is most noticeable without an amp). May have honky-sounding mids right out of the box without bending the headband out to make it fit more loosely.

 

[tintin47]

Grados are great. All of them. Unfortunately, that exposes you to the Grado overseas pricing policy, which means they are roughly 2x as expensive. I would say pick up some SR225s from the FS forum.

 

[synaesthetic]

Grados aren't a good headphone to own if they're your only headphone. They kind of fail at genres outside of rock and metal and the comfort is a real issue for a lot of people.

I recommend open Audio Technicas, especially the AD700 or AD900 (if you can find the latter for a good price) because they work for pretty much anything music-wise.

 

[Apple254]

Thanks, just judging by price my headphones were only £15GBP cheaper so would the Audio-Technicas be a great deal better than the Sennheisers I have (HD-485's)

 

[synaesthetic]

yeah, they should be quite a step up from those Senns. I found the AD700 to be comparable and even nicer-sounding than the Senn HD555 (both of which I like).

 

[Apple254]

I see, well HD 650's are relatively cheap over here so I mean I could go for those, or do they HAVE to be amped to perform?

 

[synaesthetic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apple254 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I see, well HD 650's are relatively cheap over here so I mean I could go for those, or do they HAVE to be amped to perform?

HD600/650 need a pretty powerful amp to sound halfway decent.

 

[intoart]

My Sennheiser HD280s are the only full-size headphones I have heard that sound great powered by a portable CD player. Low impedance and high sensitivity are the reasons.

 

[Apple254]

Dammit! well thank you for your input! I just wish you could get cheaper amps over here

I guess it will be something like the Audio Technicas. Thanks for your advice!

 

[synaesthetic]

Going the DIY route might not be a bad idea for you. Something like the SOHA, MHSS or CKKIII would be very good and not at all expensive. Don't just look at commercial amps; getting someone to DIY you an amp--or doing it yourself--can get you some pretty good equipment for a minimal cost.

 

[Apple254]

Well originally I was looking at Penguin CMOY amps. I am sure someone such as yourself knows all about them but as they are produced in Germany, shipping is very cheap and there is no import tax, only problem being they are out of stock on the official site and I cannot find out how much they retail for...

 

[synaesthetic]

Why not build your own CMoy?

 

[Apple254]

The only time I have ever used a soldering iron was to make a small LED torch when i was 12 years old in school lol. I do not think I could physically make a Cmoy. I do not know what is needed either...

 

[epaludo]

I'm a huge fan of the Grado SR-60 unamped. Solid performance ...