canNoobie
New Head-Fier
I've owned an sr80e and a 400i, and I really prefer the fun sound that the grado has. I was thinking about buying a used sr325e, but I wanted to know if there are similar headphones in that price range that I should consider.
What is a bright headphone with good soundstage ~$300
- Thread starter canNoobie
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AKG K/Q series should be almost perfect for you; they are considered by some to be notoriously bright and are well respected for their soundstage width
YJX94
500+ Head-Fier
If you want absolute brightness with whopping soundstage then AKG K701.
To be clear the AKG K701 is bright and has a very wide stage but.....It sounds nothing like a Grado.
canNoobie
New Head-Fier
Based off the real quick research I just did, I think I would go with the 702 over the 701. Could you explain the difference between that and a grado a little?
A Grado is a Grado,and nothing else,except an Alessandro,which is made by Grado.If you like the forward aggressive nature of Grados you should move further up the Grado line.From my understanding the price-for-performance champs are the SE225e and SE80e.
The only other headphone that reminds me of a Grado is the long discontinued AKG K240 sextett,which is a brilliant headphone,but requires a beast of an amp.I did a review of them,the only on YouTube AFAIK.Have a look and see what you think.
The AKG K701/2 are more balanced across the board vs Grados but do not do rock/metal as well as Grados do IMO.
The sextetts are superior to both in my opinion,but again the amp required is no joke.
The only other headphone that reminds me of a Grado is the long discontinued AKG K240 sextett,which is a brilliant headphone,but requires a beast of an amp.I did a review of them,the only on YouTube AFAIK.Have a look and see what you think.
The AKG K701/2 are more balanced across the board vs Grados but do not do rock/metal as well as Grados do IMO.
The sextetts are superior to both in my opinion,but again the amp required is no joke.
ProtegeManiac
Headphoneus Supremus
If you're looking for soundstage I wouldn't be looking at the SR325e, or any Grado for that matter, unless your idea of replicating a stage where sound emanates from has Reed Richards on the drums with his arms outstretched to hit cymbals positioned where the guitars are.
They sound "fun" due to the response (booted upper bass, which makes for a strong attack and very short decay reverb on beat noes) and high sensitivity (which makes them easier to drive, unlike how the HD600 can sound really lazy on a smartphone), but really not what you should go for if your goal is soundstage and imaging.
easily_amused
Head-Fier
Can you pick up a T90 for this price? Beyer house sound is a little bright and the sound stage on my T90s is quite nice. Great headphones actually.
canNoobie
New Head-Fier
What about finding a used pair of Ad 900x or AD 1000x? They fit the bill of bright + soundstage right?
AKGs and Beyerdynamics are the ones you should focus on if your sole goal is detail+soundstage.
ATH is okay.I have the original AD2000 and it has decent width on the stage but not close to a Beyer DT990 or T1.
And I will stress one final time that none of these sound like Grados.
ATH is okay.I have the original AD2000 and it has decent width on the stage but not close to a Beyer DT990 or T1.
And I will stress one final time that none of these sound like Grados.
YJX94
500+ Head-Fier
You want something that's fun meaning you want bass. AD900X and AD1000X are bass-lite. Fun + Bright + Soundstage for $300 = AKG K712 Pro.
The sextetts are nice but have a differently shaped soundstage compared to both grados and the K/Q series .
I second the amp requirement statement, only my AKG K340s and HE500 are more inefficient .
Yeah, the beyers also share the same general bright and big soundstage trait. Beyer's are a bit brighter imo but the T1gen2 sounded like a perfect version of the K7XX to me.
The sextetts soundstage is nothing to write home about.Imaging however is razor sharp.I only mentioned them as I find their sound similar to Grados.
Havent heard the T1.2,used to own the first version...wasnt a fan,but coupled with a good OTL the sound stage was massive and quite holographic.
I actually like the soundstage of the K240, agreed it's not massive but it has a nice circular shape (K7xx being a straight line without depth); imaging is definitely strong too.
I haven't listened to too many grados so no comment there .
I really liked the T1.2 but I couldn't justify the price difference of upgrading .
canNoobie
New Head-Fier
I don't listen to too base heavy music much, to me "fun" is emphasis on upper mids\ treble I guess
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