Hifi Si Posted April 28, 2014 Posted April 28, 2014 +1 on the beats - bloody dreadful. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the Skullcandy Aviators. Purchased these off Amazon. Ok, so they are not as good as my balanced HD800s, but for iphone listening, they are really quite enjoyable. They were a couple of hundy all up.
Mycenius Posted April 29, 2014 Posted April 29, 2014 Quote ... Senn, Grado, Focal, AT, B&W... Yes, I meant to comment earlier that the Focal's could well be worth a look. I have had a good experience with both Grados (RS-1) and Ultrasones (HFI-650) - although the current model equivalents of both are above the OP's preferred price point but may still be worth a listen. Currently have a pair of Bang & Olufsen Play H6's, not sure if you'd call them 'audiophile' grade, but very comfortable - haven't used them enough to comment meaningfully on the sound quality (yet), but again a bit past the OP's stated price point but again might be worth a listen...?
Mycenius Posted April 29, 2014 Posted April 29, 2014 P.S. I've found my Klipsch rugged IEDs (S5i - IIRC, now no longer produced) very very good for lossless coming off an iPhone and iPad - superior to any sub-$300 full or partial headphones I've tried or demoed - one of the reasons I've rarely used my B&O H6's since I got them...
aarond1553552714 Posted May 16, 2014 Posted May 16, 2014 The logitech UE9000 are worth looking into, I got them over the Sennheiser momentums due to the very good Bluetooth implementation. They are a bit too jacked up in the bass for my liking with the active NR/internal amp, but plugged in with NR off sound really good from an ipod and even better with a decent DAC/amp combo. The Bluetooth mode is very addictive, walking around the house streaming from the NAS! I've had a pair of Senn Hd600 for years and they are my open back at home phones for now.
paulsaints1553552770 Posted May 17, 2014 Author Posted May 17, 2014 Here is a really useful "headphone finder" chart: http://www.sonicsense.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ApplicationsInfo-1.jpg
paulsaints1553552770 Posted May 17, 2014 Author Posted May 17, 2014 And SonicSense have started putting headphone listening comparison tracks online. That can't be perfect but it may help choosers.
pocoloco Posted May 20, 2014 Posted May 20, 2014 SPLURGE Audeze LCD-2 for $1050NZD with aftermarket cable http://www.gpforums.co.nz/threads/487420-FS-Audeze-LCD-2-Rev-2-Rosewood-Orthodynamic-Headphones
little blue penguin Posted June 13, 2014 Posted June 13, 2014 Quote <div class="d4p-bbt-quote-title"> cloth_ears wrote: </div> ……till I can find a source for the locking 2.5mm trs connectors the phones need. cloth_ I’d be interested in a source of locking TRSs for my son, who’s repaired & made better quality replacement cables for his HP25s (which get club DJ hammering). (Off topic sorry…PM if any info, if u would, cheers.) http://www.ebay.com/itm/C8-Earphone-2-5mm-Pin-Adapter-For-Shure-SRH940-SRH840-SRH750-SRH440-Headphone-/251531811186?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a9076d972 Haven't tried one yet though.
paulsaints1553552770 Posted June 15, 2014 Author Posted June 15, 2014 So, having headed into the headphone zone, I ended up buying a pair of Fostex TH900's - about as far away from my original question as one can get. Part of my question was whether you get a lot more quality sound for bigger dollars or not. I guess the answer was, Yes. I got them in the USA from SonicSense who offer significant rebates if you "join". Freight was free as I am in the USA for a family wedding. So a rather significant upgrade from the Sony MDR-V6's and I can't wait to get home and try them on some higher-end gear. At the moment I am using an iFi iDSD Nano - with a couple of DSD albums, a few high res tracks, and the rest straight from iTunes. I really like the sound - more bass'y than I am used to, but a real lively immersion in the music. Thanks for all the input - I feel I have missed multiple mediocre stages and jumped straight to what will keep me happy for a long time.
Cooksferry Posted June 15, 2014 Posted June 15, 2014 Quote So, having headed into the headphone zone, I ended up buying a pair of Fostex TH900′s – about as far away from my original question as one can get. Part of my question was whether you get a lot more quality sound for bigger dollars or not. I guess the answer was, Yes. I got them in the USA from SonicSense who offer significant rebates if you “join”. Freight was free as I am in the USA for a family wedding. So a rather significant upgrade from the Sony MDR-V6′s and I can’t wait to get home and try them on some higher-end gear. At the moment I am using an iFi iDSD Nano – with a couple of DSD albums, a few high res tracks, and the rest straight from iTunes. I really like the sound – more bass’y than I am used to, but a real lively immersion in the music. Thanks for all the input – I feel I have missed multiple mediocre stages and jumped straight to what will keep me happy for a long time. Nice. Gotta love the finish on those Japanese wood phones. Reading various reviews it would seem that they scale up nicely with a good quality amp.
Elan Vital Posted June 23, 2015 Posted June 23, 2015 Generally it's a bit of compromise to find great cans which aid the audiophiliac tendencies and traveling needs at the same time. Travel requires small footprint (perhaps of the foldable variety) and good isolation, whereas larger headphones with open design will give you better soundstage. But a good balance between the two worlds can be achieved. For a good selection of headphones at any price point based on attribute selections and reviews, start here. acqurate.com you can customize the results by fine tuning the attributes.
SugdenA21 Posted June 23, 2015 Posted June 23, 2015 This was a great thread - glad it worked out well for the OP. I've been trying to find the right home headphones for a while, and this has offered some excellent suggestions. Really helpful posts, with great descriptions. I've personally been through: Senn HD600 & 650s - Nice, but a bit warm and laid back for me. Grado GS1000 - fast and exciting - makes the 650's sound veiled in comparison. Fantastic soundstage and detail, but too sibilant sounding on badly recorded rock albums. My favourite phones from those I've tried. AKG701 & 702 - More detail than Senns, but much too lean for my taste. The polar opposite of the current bassy trendy phones. Beats Studio (a gift from a well meaning family member) - look great, but hard sounding and absolutely way off the pace of the others. Good for plane trip movies with the noise cancelling though. AT-AD700 - best $75 spent on trademe. Warm and comfortable. Not high end, but way better than others at the price to my ears. Sorry about the gross generalisations. I would love to try the Beyer T1 or AT2000s one day, and if I can find some cheap enough, the Fostex TH900s. I haven't yet heard the Audeze or Oppo phones, but suspect I might miss the energy of the Grado style sound, from what others have posted?
three bob note Posted June 23, 2015 Posted June 23, 2015 There's a good bass mod for the 701s - take them to bits and peel the circular stickers off the bass ports. it turns the chamber behind the centre of the driver from aperiodic to reflex (I think) and fattens the bass. You lose a tiny bit of the sound-stage but I always found that a bit artificially wide and thinly strung out anyway. Much better headphone. At some stage I'll add a decent transparent cable that's also a saner length than the 10 and 20 foot ones that come with them and I expect them to get even better.
SugdenA21 Posted June 25, 2015 Posted June 25, 2015 Great tip three bob note. Wish I'd known that back then!
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