[redwarrior191]

okay.. i'm a newbie here, and 80%of the music that i'm listening to is rock..and general consensus (based on what i've read) is that grado= rock best friend.. now i'm just curious what is the kind of headphone character that is good for rock, because i've been looking around for closed cans that can do rock well but still reasonably priced (<300), but it seems that nothing comes close to grado in that price range.. do you have any reeccomendations??

 

[lbj]

Ok, I'll give this a stab.  A lot of Grados (my RS1's included) have a upper mid or lower treble hump that gives guitar a lot of presence and energy.  Makes rock come alive.  As for a closed phone that has this same characteristic, I don't know.
 

 

[redwarrior191]

any other comments??

 

[macrocheesium]

I would say Ultrasone has the best rockin' closed cans at that price range. Either the Pro 750 or the HFI-580/780 depending on your preference. I've heard it said many times though, that rock doesn't really have a "best" sound signature that goes with it, unlike some other genres, but whatever your personal preference for sound signature is will sound best with rock.

 

[redwarrior191]

hmm..but aren't the ultrasones have recessed mid?? i read in some threads that ultrasones work better for electronica, etc because the recessed mid won't make the vocals shine..

 

[Mad Max]

x2 on the Grados, but they are open.
ATH-A900 perhaps?
MDR-7509HD for sure.

 

[WhiteCrow]

Quote:

x2 on the Grados, but they are open.
ATH-A900 perhaps?
MDR-7509HD for sure.

X3 on the Grados
X2 on the HFI-580, they are great for rock, but they lack the forward midrange that only a woodie grado has shown me.

 

[redwarrior191]

hey..how about sennheiser hd25-1 ii??

 

[WhiteCrow]

they are okay but nothing like a grado.
 

 

[ZARIM]

I find Klipsch Custom 3 IEMs sound signature is close to Grado and they are amazing for rock. But now Klipsch released Image ONE closed headphone and they share the same sound signature. BTW Audio-Technica and Denon closed cans are good for rock genre.

 

[brasewel]

Quote:

Ok, I'll give this a stab.  A lot of Grados (my RS1's included) have a upper mid or lower treble hump that gives guitar a lot of presence and energy.  Makes rock come alive.  As for a closed phone that has this same characteristic, I don't know.
 

x2, Closed headphones like my Denons are perfect for rock. They tend to have a upper mid hump that is perfect for this genre of music. Open headphones tend to be less colored and have a larger soundstage which may not be the best for rock.
 

 

[earerror]

Quote:

hey..how about sennheiser hd25-1 ii??

They are fine...but the clamping force makes them uncomfy for some people. 
 
Take a look at the ATH-ES7's 

 

[redwarrior191]

ok..after more research, i've narrowed my choices to these phones.. so which do you think are the best?? without amp, btw..
Denon D2000
HFI-580
Senn HD25-1 ii
ATH-A900
 
i'm leaning more towards the ultrasones and sennheisers..
btw, after reading several guides and threads here, i suspected that the cans for rock should have emphasis in the lower treble/high mids, and punchy, but tight bass.. please correct me if i'm wrong.. it's just my assumptions after reading..

 

[macrocheesium]

ok..after more research, i've narrowed my choices to these phones.. so which do you think are the best?? without amp, btw..
Denon D2000
HFI-580
Senn HD25-1 ii
ATH-A900
 
i'm leaning more towards the ultrasones and sennheisers..
btw, after reading several guides and threads here, i suspected that the cans for rock should have emphasis in the lower treble/high mids, and punchy, but tight bass.. please correct me if i'm wrong.. it's just my assumptions after reading..

I don't think the A900 will give you the bass you want to feel the music. In my opinion, rock phones should just be really fun to listen to, not incredibly detailed. Of course detail can't hurt, but I'd much rather have a fun can to rock out with than sit down and analytically pick out every small detail (for this genre anyway). I also wouldn't go with the D2000 because the distant midrange detracts from electric guitars. Sticking with what I said earlier, I would pick the HFI-580 because I like an exciting and fun sound sig.

Again this is just me, all of the cans you mentioned are great and you may or may not like the same one as me depending on your preference.

 

[brasewel]

 
Quote:

ok..after more research, i've narrowed my choices to these phones.. so which do you think are the best?? without amp, btw..
Denon D2000
HFI-580
Senn HD25-1 ii
ATH-A900
 
i'm leaning more towards the ultrasones and sennheisers..
btw, after reading several guides and threads here, i suspected that the cans for rock should have emphasis in the lower treble/high mids, and punchy, but tight bass.. please correct me if i'm wrong.. it's just my assumptions after reading..

I have only heard the D2000. It sounds pretty decent unamped and significantly improves when amped.