Headphones - Whats your Pick?

**deacongreg** · **03-05-09, 08:41 AM**

Quote:

slwiser wrote:

Yes, the Edition 9 is discontinued.

They are now showing an Edition 8 but they say it is not an exact replacement. The Edition 8 is more focused on being portable application.

I did check out the Edition 8`s online. They look really well put together with all this new material there using now.
Tannoy, that is a speaker company I remember from back in the days of Klipshhorn and Bozak. Have not read or seen a review in a while for their speakers. Good to know there still around.

**Instal** · **03-09-09, 03:35 PM**

I am sure neither of mine are in the same league as yours but here goes. I have a pair of wireless Sennheiser HDR 65's that I am very happy with, they are light and comfortable. The only complaint would be a lack of bass. To my knowledge (limited) lack of bass is a issue with all headphones. For gaming I have a pair of Tritton AX 360's. These are true surround sound headphones which take gaming to a whole new level. I can hear things in the audio with the headphones that simply don't exist without them. For example I can actually hear grass being crunched under a footstep that does not appear even with my HK AVR 535 and Klipsch RB-81 audio set up (admittedly not the best but capable) The only complaint is that the controls are much too sensetive and there is no ability to control overall volume. You have to control front, rear etc seperately.

**slwiser** · **03-09-09, 07:08 PM**

Quote:

Instal wrote:

I am sure neither of mine are in the same league as yours but here goes. I have a pair of wireless Sennheiser HDR 65's that I am very happy with, they are light and comfortable. The only complaint would be a lack of bass. To my knowledge (limited) lack of bass is a issue with all headphones. For gaming I have a pair of Tritton AX 360's. These are true surround sound headphones which take gaming to a whole new level. I can hear things in the audio with the headphones that simply don't exist without them. For example I can actually hear grass being crunched under a footstep that does not appear even with my HK AVR 535 and Klipsch RB-81 audio set up (admittedly not the best but capable) The only complaint is that the controls are much too sensetive and there is no ability to control overall volume. You have to control front, rear etc seperately.

Your are right that bass is an issue with most headphones..but if you ever get the chance do yourself a favor and test out the Ultrasone Edition 9. I understand the Edition 8 will in a portable do almost as well. The UE9 can make me forget that subwoofer somehow. It is still not the same thing but the nearest I know of in the headphone world.

**Picture_Shooter** · **03-11-09, 09:31 PM**

Each and everyone of the headphones mentioned on here seem to be nice and *wish* I could fork that kind of money, but I am going to toss my question in the air and see what comes up ;D

~~ Ok,

Right now I own some Sennheiser HD457 and i got them about two-years ago from Circuit City. Until recently, I finally started to use them since my *movie* watching has been more late @ night and I could not really enjoy my HT b/c the kids and wife are sleeping. So I been substitute my HT for headphones.

Now I am not a hifi can fan and not sure what is nice and not, but using the ones I have they seem to have much bass and very quite and detail is really good. My only gripe is that after about an hour into my ears the pads around the ears start to fell uncomfortable and end up messing with the headphones searching for a better comfortable setting, but these are not that flexible, but I am sure that is why these are on the lower end of Sennheiser.

So I been browsing and came across the AKG K 77 which is still in my budget and look to be comfortable, but what is it that I need to look for. For gosh sakes, I know I love sound and I don't care to make the can's scream @ my ears and be def @ 35, so........ please let me know if you think these would be a better fit then my HD457.

Thanks

**Dub** · **03-23-09, 02:31 AM**

He

my fovorite headphones are the AKG K1000, the AKG K340 and the Sennheiser HD650. I have some others I also like as Ergo, DT880 etc.

**Dub** · **03-23-09, 02:32 AM**

I Use my AKG K1000 on my main amp, with the AKG switchbox and also with Jan Meier's EarTube headamp

**Dub** · **03-23-09, 02:32 AM**

Others headphones are connected to te same EarTube headamp

**Dub** · **03-23-09, 02:33 AM**

and also on my yamaha go44 firewire Interface

**Dub** · **03-23-09, 02:34 AM**

and sometimes on my classic 160go iPod

**Dub** · **03-23-09, 02:46 AM**

Here are some of my favorites:

The EarTube headamp:

And some headphones:

AKG K1000:

AKG K340:

Ergo2:

HD650:

DT880:

**deacongreg** · **03-25-09, 01:47 PM**

DENON AH-D1001K Good day mulveling and slwiser,

Have not heard from either one of you guys in some time. I assist in doing sound for my church. We have a sound board, a Tascam cd recorder, and a Sony cd changer. I purchased a pair of Denon AH-D1001Ks from Headroom. I was going to with the AKG 81DJs, but after researching the Denons, and all the favorable press right now surrounding their entire headphone lineup, I gave them a shot. What do you guys think?

**deacongreg** · **04-14-09, 06:28 PM**

Quote:

Malice wrote:

Pre-amble

So why did I want to review these headphones (see below)? Well, unlike the aficionados in here, I have no history of ever using headphones to listen to my music, even on an irregular basis. Perhaps I have been fortunate in that all the houses I have lived in (parents) or owned, have been detached so “loud” music per se has not been an issue to be overcome with the use of headphones. However, I accept that there is a school of thought which supports the view that irrespective of any “loud” issues, a good set of ‘phones can enhance the listening pleasure over and above that which one may experience with a good set of speakers. So with that in mind I wanted to go back to school to see if there was anything to this headphone malarkey! In some respects I hope that by not having any preconceptions about any brand, model or perceived performance that I could offer an honest opinion based on my experiences with them.

Equipment

raise a few eyebrows in terms of stereo-phile ability, but like many people in here, it’s the ability of their AV systems to accommodate both multi-channel film sources and either multi channel or stereo music sources, that determines how content one may feel about one’s set up. After all, most AV amps have the so called “Pure” or “Pure Direct” mode turning off any video decoding and bypass most of the digital processing for the “audiophile” in every one of us.

That said I did break out my old trusty Nytech amplifier which I bought as part of a “stereo” system in the early 80’s. Back then £1,100 for an Nytech amp and tuner, Rega turntable, speakers, tuner, tape deck, stands and Naim cable was a lot of money and which I thought sounded great for the money. So having auditioned my Denon kit I powered up my Nytech amp for a comparison, but more about that later.

Sources

I fed signals from my DVD (SACD stereo and multi channel) and streamed digital signals off my PC through my Pinnacle Showcenter. My Rega deck needs a new cartridge so did not press that into action. As far as my music tastes are concerned, and being of a certain age (don’t ask), I gravitate to the progressive 70’s such as Pink Floyd, Genesis, Camel. Not that I should admit to this, but I also like the early Dire Straits stuff. I love my bass and like to feel it as well as hear it. I think I have my speakers/sub set up pretty well for dealing with music as well as films. “Comfortably Numb” at 0db cuts the mustard for me, as does the “Carpet Crawlers” off Genesis’ Seconds Out. That said I’ve been a recent convert to the Blue Man Group with some terrific bass lines, like Club Nowhere.

Order of play

Having no idea of any perceived pecking order, I auditioned in this order: MS1, RS1, AKG and HD650. After reviewing all of them I decided which I liked best and then tried to analyse why and then compare the others to them. So for those of you who haven’t fallen asleep by now, here’s my $0.02. For both comfort and listening pleasure the amp was set at about -6db.

Grado RS1.

Like with the MS1, I could not get on with the “cups” but preferred the “flatter” ones. That aside I thought the RS1’s were superb. The bass went low, was controlled and had excellent dynamics. I could not believe what I was hearing on some of the material; it was as if I was feeling the notes as well as hearing them, just like with my speakers. The mid-range and treble was excellent and supplied a soundstage which was totally enthralling. Instruments stood out where they needed to be without becoming detached from the overall soundstage. They were easy to listen to with no fatigue or feeling of harshness to them.

Allesandro MS1

In terms of mid-range and treble these units were very similar in performance to the RS1, but I did notice a very slight harshness to the upper frequencies which wasn’t present in the RS1’s. But it was only slight. They made a very good job of the bass but didn’t go as low as the RS1’s and didn’t have the dynamics of the RS1’s. The bass felt a little lacking in its presentation, as a result the overall soundstage was a little more “forward” than the Grado’s. Nonetheless I was impressed as well. Like the Grado’s they were easy to listen to but I felt over a prolonged period the slightly more forward treble may have proved a little tiresome.

On a second audition of these I am now of the opinion that on the material I auditioned they probably do go as low as the Grado RS1, but suffer slightly from focus at the lower end. A bit woolley or perhaps coloured. Not a lot, but not as clean as the RS1.

AKG 701

I liked the fit of the larger pads compared to the either of the options on the RS/MS/1’s. As per usual my initial interest is the bass reproduction. I’d say that these went a little lower than the MS1’s but not as low as the RS1’s, but they were so laid back in their presentation that the bass had little dynamics. Couple that with their equally laid back mid-range and treble the 701’s did not engage me as the other two. “Bland” is perhaps a little too unkind a description, but there is no doubt that overall the control of the entire frequency range was excellent. Perhaps they would be more suited to other material, classical perhaps, but for good gut wrenching bass pumping rock, they left me a little flat and cold. There was no doubting its pedigree, but as with cars people like different things for different reasons. No one would doubt the engineering excellence and comfort of say a Bentley, but when that fails to impress in a way that say a Ferrari would, then you know that each targets a different audience. Perhaps the same with headphones.

Senn HD650

When I put these on and cued up the first track which had a very strong thumping snare drum on the opening beat, I nearly had an accident which would have required a change in underwear. Man these were loud! To get them to the same perceived loudness as the others, I had to notch back my amp from -6db to about -13db. Once my heart had stopped racing I was only then able to asses their real performance on the now well auditioned tracks. Of course bass was the first on my list. There was no doubt that these were approaching the RS1’s in terms of absolute frequency reproduction, and the dynamics were pretty good too. However, to make an analogy with a 5.1 set up, the “sub” was uncontrolled and would have benefited from a bit of in-room EQ’ing. The bass, although loud and low and dynamic, appeared to be suffering from a lack of focus and control. With the RS1’s some of the bass lines were well placed and coherent, not so with the Senn’s. Disappointed. The mid-range was good from what I could tell, but the trebles were a tad too bright and harsh for my fifty year old ears. As a result I felt the soundstage was fragmented and the trebles were too much in my face, if that’s possible! The soundstage appeared nearly as three distinct performances each vying for your attention. I was tired of listening to these in no time at all. No matter how many times I put these on I could not like them for one minute.

Other amp.

I thought that perhaps my Denon amp, even in Pure Direct mode may not have been a good pairing for the audition, so I broke out my trusty Brit designed and built Nytech amp. Although it was a modest 25wpc, it nonetheless had produced very satisfying performances with my other kit. Well, it was immediately clear that with over 20 years of technological improvement under the Denon’s covers since the Nytech was introduced, that the Denon’s performance far exceed my aging beauty. Oh, well, back in the cupboard you go! At least I now know I gave the headphones the best shot I could muster.

Other’s input.

I have two sons who were equally keen to have a listen and express an opinion as well. One son prefers Dance/Techno Music, and the other heavy metal/rock. The former preferred the MS1’s with their slightly more forward presentation than the RS1’s (#2), with the AKG (#3) and HD650 (#4) following behind. The latter (who by the way had invested in a £200 pair of in-ear plugs for his Ipod) took the approach of “first impressions” count and asked for a quick run through of the bassy Blue Man Group. In his view he’d have liked the RS1 for mid and treble and the bass of the HD650’s!

Conclusion

This exercise has underlined what most good advice advocates: audition any equipment for yourself and use materials which you both like and are familiar with. Don’t be swayed by other’s opinion’s as your ears are unique to you. You can’t please all of the people all of the time! For me the Grado RS1's had the edge in all departments.

On researching the pricing on these units and I have to say that bangs per buck has to go to the Allesandro MS-1. OK, $99 doesn't get you the "wood" effect, but hey, at that price it's a steal.

However, on revisiting all the above cans, and as much as the MS-1 absolute "value" could not beat IMO, having heard the Grado RS-1 I don't think I'd be happy with anything less. They did perform better in all departments than any of the others. "Better" in subtle ways which breathed an added dimension into the appreciation of the music.

Listening to Floyd's WYWH, the RS-1 really made an excellent job of the bass lines. It was if I could hear the bass guitar being plucked and producing a note, rather than just a bass note, which the MS-1 did. The RS1 just seemed to pull out every minute detail and presented with precision, control and dynamics. Awesome!

Very nice. I like what you did here. And you quoted the bottom line, after all reviews have been read, all questions have been answered, you must go audition yourself. I have yet had the opportunity to hear the HD650`s. From what I`ve read, I would think the prior king of the hill, the HD600``s, would be a better choice. Because, most reviews state that the HD650`s, have a darker sound, than the HD650`s.
And I know, I would not want that.

I first heard the RS1`s years ago when working at Harvey Sound in Manhattan, here in New York on 45th street. Joe Grado himself (Did not know who he was at the time) walked in with the RS1`s, a portable cd player, a cd, thats it!! What I heard changed my life. I could not believe the clarity, detail, bottom end, overall presentation that I heard. All of this without a headphone amp. So, though I know one that has had your opinion that the Grado RS1`s are better than the Sennheiser HD650`s, I`m not surprised at all, either. I wonder how the new PS1000`s at $1649.95 sound??

**slwiser** · **04-19-09, 09:47 AM**

I have yet to get my pre-ordered Ultrasone Edition 8s. I am looking forward to them to come in over the next two weeks. There have been a great pictures lately, much better than the one's that I put up. Thanks for the show and tell.

I will let you guys know what I think of the 8s when they come in.

**deacongreg** · **04-20-09, 05:00 PM**

Quote:

slwiser wrote:

I have yet to get my pre-ordered Ultrasone Edition 8s. I am looking forward to them to come in over the next two weeks. There have been a great pictures lately, much better than the one's that I put up. Thanks for the show and tell.

I will let you guys know what I think of the 8s when they come in.

Sounds good, looking forward to it.

**slwiser** · **05-15-09, 05:33 PM**

Well, I am not going to get the new Ultrasone Edition 8. Northern Light and Sound which has been a long time Ultrasone approved reseller had their partnership pulled by Ultrasone. This was apparently done because NL&S sold their product to low. NL&S has generously offered to substitute the Edition 9 as a replacement to me since the E9 is on hand and available. I have agreed to take the E9 as a substitute which will make it my second E9.

**deacongreg** · **05-18-09, 06:50 PM**

Quote:

slwiser wrote:

Well, I am not going to get the new Ultrasone Edition 8. Northern Light and Sound which has been a long time Ultrasone approved reseller had their partnership pulled by Ultrasone. This was apparently done because NL&S sold their product to low. NL&S has generously offered to substitute the Edition 9 as a replacement to me since the E9 is on hand and available. I have agreed to take the E9 as a substitute which will make it my second E9.

Well, your very blessed to get that deal. Its good to see a dealer stand behind their customer. Good for you.

**Wayne A. Pflughaupt** · **08-02-09, 06:19 PM**

Quote:

avaserfi wrote:

Quote:

Wayne A. Pflughaupt wrote:

Thanks for the tip, Jim. I've been on the look out for some good-sounding, but economical 'phones. I've been a Sennheiser fan for years, but I've grown weary of their cheesy replacable cables. They don't last long at all, and after 2-3 replacements you've spent the price of the headphones once again.

If you are interested in high quality low cost headphones I strongly suggest you look into the Sony MDR-7506/Sony MDR-V6. They can be had new for about $90 and refurbished for around $60. These headphones are extremely accurate with a good build quality to boot.

Well, I finally got around to snagging a pair of MDR V6’s on eBay for $50 shipped, and I must say I'm impressed. They’re as good as everyone says.

Compared to the Sennheiser HD 25 SP’s they’re replacing, the MDRs have what I’d characterize as flatter response – brighter on the top end, with less bass. Not overly so, however, nothing a simple control adjustment can’t compensate for, if needed.

They’re really comfortable, too, and I like the coiled cable attached to only one of the earpieces. The Sennheiser cable is a mess, way too long and always getting tangled up in the “y” that comes off both ear pieces.

In searching for a pair to bid on, I saw one seller who said AKG makes the MDRs for Sony. Anyone ever hear that?

I’ll evaluate them for a few weeks and if I decide to keep them (and I probably will), I’ll get some replacement velour earcushions for the Beyerdynamic DT-250. Most people seem to think they’re a considerable improvement in both comfort and longevity over the stock Sony earcushions.

Regards,
Wayne

**the_rookie** · **08-30-09, 09:24 PM**

Hey, there's a lot of arugeing in pages 3 and 4...and was wanting to get a pair of headphones, but more of rather a condensed list of them posted.

My budget is under 100...preferably around 50$.

I am looking for headphones with a good punch in bass, but has a more neutral sound. I got a pair of sonys, and phillips studio monitors; but they were trash. No bass, no nothing. They were very muddled sounding, and couldn't even play very loud without distortion. I guess having the 876 AVR with it Audyessed makes me kinda spoiled.

But like I said, decent flatish...FR, decent bass response, and can handle being played loud.

**deacongreg** · **08-31-09, 11:59 AM**

Quote:

the_rookie wrote:

Hey, there's a lot of arugeing in pages 3 and 4...and was wanting to get a pair of headphones, but more of rather a condensed list of them posted.

My budget is under 100...preferably around 50$.

I am looking for headphones with a good punch in bass, but has a more neutral sound. I got a pair of sonys, and phillips studio monitors; but they were trash. No bass, no nothing. They were very muddled sounding, and couldn't even play very loud without distortion. I guess having the 876 AVR with it Audyessed makes me kinda spoiled.

But like I said, decent flatish...FR, decent bass response, and can handle being played loud.

Okay, I have two choices for you. Both of which I owned. The Grado SR60s are probably the best bang for the buck headphone around at $69.00. I still have mine, I guess its at least 5- 6 yrs. now. Comfortable with the foam ear cushions, (which you will have to replace!!), overall balance is good, bass response is excellent w/o being muddy. But if you really need to stay at $50.00,, I used to have one of the coolest looking headphones around, that collapse, and go in a little pouch, the KOSS KSP (Koss Sound Partners). You will give up a little sound to the Grados, but for what they can do, pretty nice. But the competiton is a lot stiffer in this price region then ever. But based on my own experience, you can`t go wrong with these. ENJOY!!

**JCD** · **08-31-09, 01:25 PM**

I was going to say the Grado SR60i's as well. I haven't heard them, but I do know a lot of people love them -- expecially for the the price.

However, other than cost, are there any other characteristics that we should be aware of? Do you want them closed? Or is open better? In ear? over ear? Does size matter?

**deacongreg** · **09-01-09, 04:14 AM**

Quote:

JCD wrote:

I was going to say the Grado SR60i's as well. I haven't heard them, but I do know a lot of people love them -- expecially for the the price.

However, other than cost, are there any other characteristics that we should be aware of? Do you want them closed? Or is open better? In ear? over ear? Does size matter?

Open or closed really was never an issue for me. I think you can decide that personally. Based on your living conditions, noise in and surrounding where you listen to your music and movies. My only thing after having them for a while now, is replacing the foam ear cushions. They used to be 8.00, now its 15.00!! Also, now that the SR60i, (improved) model is out, I would investigate, what the improvement is..

Enjoy!!

**the_rookie** · **09-01-09, 06:10 PM**

Whats open and closed?

Furthermore, I think over ear. I dont like ear buds at all. More like studio monitor sized. Good bass response, fairly equal FR, the ones i have tested were low highs, muffled/loud mids, and weak bass....so pretty much .

I want clean highs, deep lows, and controlled mids.

**JCD** · **09-02-09, 02:37 AM**

Quote:

the_rookie wrote:

Whats open and closed?

Furthermore, I think over ear. I dont like ear buds at all. More like studio monitor sized. Good bass response, fairly equal FR, the ones i have tested were low highs, muffled/loud mids, and weak bass....so pretty much .

I want clean highs, deep lows, and controlled mids.

I'm still thinking the Grado's are your best bet. Do you have any music stores around you? They often have headphones you can try.
Posted via Mobile Device

**Max-Volume** · **09-19-09, 05:17 PM**

Quote:

avaserfi wrote:

Until I have finished my speaker build all of my critical listening has been relegated to my two pair of headphones- Sony MDR-7506 and a brand new (to me) pair of Beyerdynamic DT880s 2003 model with a slight acoustic modification. Both pairs are extremely linear with the DT880s having an ultra clean waterfall with near zero resonance although it has a small bump in the trebel response, but I use an EQ to take care of that for listening.

I was wondering what everyones favorite sets of cans/in ears are. Post pics if you will. I willt ry to get some pics of my pairs up soon.

I use a Xynex 802 to power the headphones at home as it actually works as a great headphone amp and the DT880s are harder to drive.

I also use the DT880 s(studio), basically for the last 25 years. I t has been repaired (new drivers) at Beyerdynamic in the mean time, but otherwise served me very well. But I prefer speakers to headphones, so I don't emply a dedicated headphones amp, which may produce even better sound.

What I always likes about the DT880s is its neutrality, which is not boring. It is very fast and very near to the original in its reproduction, adding nothing artificially. I compared it to the newer DT990 and some AKGs - but always found the DT880s superior. I was tempted by the Jecklin Float in the past, but the "floating" on my head always felt precarious - I always felt it would fall down, if I move just a tiny bit...

For travelling I use the Koss foldable headphones, which are surprisingly good, but lack bass, if they are not pressed down onto the ears hard.

**number 5** · **09-25-09, 03:35 PM**

I ordered a pair of Shure SRH440 headphones from Amazon last night and opted for Saturday delivery. I'll have them tomorrow. I haven't seen anyone else in this thread mention them.

These new cans are actually for my partner, not for me. I don't care much for headphones; they always make me feel hot and uncomfortable. We also read the reviews of the Sony MDR-7506 and the Grado SR80i. We didn't actually audition any of them. The reviewers seemed to give the Grado the highest marks for fidelity, but we were concerned that too much sound might leak out of them due to the open supra-aural design. The Shure SRH440 is a closed circumaural design.

I'll report back on our impressions soon.

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