What To Do? So many Choices! These threads should be STICKY's
Jun 12, 2010 at 9:05 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 19
Mdraluck23

Mdraluck23

The Brown Noser
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I'm going to keep this simple. I am looking to step it up to some real MAN Over-ear headphones under about 90$. Any earbud suggestions are welcome however...
 
I have owned:
HiFi Man RE0's (EXCELLENT)
Koss PortaPro's
Klipsch Image s4's
Shure se210 (terrible IMHO)
 
To be used for:
 
Music. I like:played from my: iPod Touch 2g, Laptop  
Weezer, The Who, Nada Surf, Cage The Elephant, Third Eye Blind Rush, Yes, Green Day, The Eagles (rock?), Jay-Z, The Shins, Phantom Planet, Coldplay, etc.
Basically, everything except Heavy Death Metal Screamo, and crazy rap.
 
Some gaming. From my Xbox 360. Halo 3, NCAA Football, MW2.
 
Movies. (self explanatory?)
 
Price Range: Up to $100, Including any necessary accessories.
 
Currently eyeballing:
Grados sr60 on Amazon 79.99,
Sennheiser HD 448, Store down the street, http://www.worldofstereo.com/ 75.99 They have an ok selection.
A few DOZEN others.
 I would be happy to buy an excellent used pair off someone as well.
 
Any suggestions or comparisons at this price level (60-90-POSSIBLY110$) are VERY welcome, as well as any facts or opinions on ANYTHING in my price range. It would be nice to know about the comfort of the Grados, as I am leaning towards them at the moment...
 
Quick question, Is an amp a good investment for the Grados? Well, I know it is ALWAYS a great idea if I can afford it, but I want to know if they are necessary. Will my iPod be able to drive those headphones? 
 
THANKS IN ADVANCE :)
 
Jun 12, 2010 at 9:09 PM Post #2 of 19
An amp is not a good investment for Grados unless you have the extra cash, especially for the SR60 and I would probably go for the $99 MS1 instead. The AD700 and M50 are going to come up as suggestions, so do some research on those as well.
 
Jun 12, 2010 at 9:18 PM Post #3 of 19
Thanks Slaughter, Who makes the MS1? I googled it and got about 379395345235 hits... I have been eyeing the ad700's too.
 
Any pro's/Cons of any mentioned cans are appreciated.
 
Jun 12, 2010 at 9:32 PM Post #5 of 19
Also, do you need them to isolate well? Care about sound coming in/going out? If so, the Grados are very open, and everyone and their grandmother will hear what you're listening to.
 
I'll paste what I said earlier on another thread similar to yours...
 
In any case, the good sub $100 I know...
 
*ATH-AD700
*ATH-M50 (great isolation. probably the best $100 or less you'll spend...)
*ATH-ES7 (great isolation)
*Sony XB700 (great for bass heavy music)
Shure 440
Creative Aurvana Live! (same as Denon D1001)
Senn 555s (595 capable, but I hear it's a little bass light itself)
JVC HARX700
JVC HARX900
*Senn HD280 Pro (a muddy, uncomfortable pile of junk compared to the M50)
*JVC HA-S700 (Cheap, like $25-30 online, looks like the Bose Triports but with better build. They're uber comfy, and have good SQ for the price. They're a bit veiled without an amp. The E5 did the trick for me. Had I not bought the CAL! I would've bought these again as my night/relaxing headphone...they isolate extremely well)
 
Jun 12, 2010 at 9:37 PM Post #6 of 19
Some isolation is good. I would be willing to trade isolation for sound quality at a 2;1 ratio. If it sounds 2x better, but doesn't isolate, I'm okay with it. :D 
 
Jun 12, 2010 at 9:48 PM Post #8 of 19
Ad700's seem like a staple suggestion in these threads. so do the M50's. Do the 700's leak a lot more or sound better than the M50's?
 
ES-7's are maybe a little too much for me...
 
HARX900's for 56$... Great deal? http://www.amazon.com/JVC-HARX900-High-Grade-Full-Size-Headphone/dp/B0013P3ZOE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276393560&sr=1-2
 
I am just filled with questions. I wish someone would decide for me. If I gave Head-Fi about 75$, what would you spend it on, best bang for your buck? 
 
Jun 12, 2010 at 9:55 PM Post #9 of 19
I'd probably spend it on the Creative Aurvana Live...as I just ordered them.
biggrin.gif

 
They're supposed to be REAL good, comfy, and stylish. :wink:
 
The AD700s =/= M50. They can't be comparable, as they sound VERY different. If you want huge soundstage with impressive clarity, the AD700s are the ones. If you want to FEEL the music, with an overall good balance, slightly bassy can, the M50s are it. I speak for the ones that I have used...
 
Jun 12, 2010 at 10:04 PM Post #10 of 19
Hm... m50's are more expensive.....
 
The creatives seem like their overall SQ is not as good as others in the range.. (Sorry thats just what I've been reading...) Do the ad700's "lack" bass compared to the m50's? or do the m50's just boast more? Which are more comfortable? Thanks for answering my questions.
 
Jun 12, 2010 at 10:06 PM Post #11 of 19
if you can rate bass on a scale from 1-10:
 
AD700: 2
M50: 9
 
So yes, they lack bass.
 
Comfort: highly subjective, as the Ad700s are either god's gift to comfort, or a pain in the ass, as they are sooooo loose that they can't stay still with any head movement. Also, the M50s clamp hard at first, but if you bend the band a little, they can be a 9 in comfort.
 
The M50s are CLEAR. They just aren't as clear as the AD700s.
 
You can probably get the M50s for $90 if you look around.
 
Jun 12, 2010 at 10:24 PM Post #12 of 19
What type of plug does the M50 have? is it good for pocket use, or plugged into an ipod? (basically, is it HUGE?) I'm really leaning towards them right now, if I can find them cheap.
 
Jun 12, 2010 at 11:36 PM Post #13 of 19
 
Jun 13, 2010 at 1:44 AM Post #15 of 19
No 448? They are only 75$ and local... I'm leaning towards them... Any comparisons between the 448, 440, and M50? 
Best highs = ?
Most bass = ?
Biggest soundstage = ?
Overall clearest sound ?
 
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