Headphones for laptop grado sr60?

[jkresh]

I just picked up a vpr matrix 200A5, which is supposed to have amazing (for a notebook anyway) sound, due to its sonopur system. As its internal speakers are more then a joke (I have a 5 year old IBM ThinkPad which has better built in speakers) I think getting a good pair of headphones for it, my desktop and my Xbox would make sense. I am willing to spend up to $100 but less is better. So far the grado sr60's are looking like the best options, but if I am going to spend $70 and there is a significantly better set for $100 I might as well spend $100 so any suggestions would be appreciated. Also the headphones have to be at least semi portable as I will take them around with the notebook, certainly when I go home for break and back to school, possibly a bit more then that.

 

[slunk]

I've got a pair of sr-80s, and they are wonderful. The problem maybe for you is that they are open-air phones. If you plan on using them at school, then plan on having them turned down really low. Anyone next to you can hear them, and you can hear anything around you. One of the pluses with them (besides the unparalled sound quality) is that they don't need a headphone amp to be driven well. It would definitely help, but in no way is it required. If the open-air design will cause problems for you, you may want to look elsewhere. I'm definitely keeping my Grados, but I am also looking for a closed-air set of phones for those times I need them.

Closed SR-60 equivalents as well as great forum

 

[jkresh]

thanks, good point about the open air, i have been looking at the Sennheiser HD280 Pro as well, but it is a bit more expensive so I will have to think about it.

 

[FFactory0x]

NO NO NO. Go get the Senheissor hd-497's. The most comfortable headphones ever!!! Great sound as well. Listen to me and pick these up

 

[Ophir]

Open-air Grados are great when at home alone, but in public ambient noise is too low loud for them to be enjoyable. The same holds true for the open-air Sennheiser 497.

For good sound from a closed (or sealed) headphone, try the Sony V6 (NOT the V600). They aren't as bright or musical as grados, but are more accurate and have a darker, more relaxed sound. They also have a much better bass response than the grados. Link.

Also, the Sennheiser HD 212 Pro and Sennheiser PX200 are recommendable. The PX200 is more portable and seals a little better (12dB isolation), the 212 seems to sound a little better and are bigger.

This info is from reviews I have read only. Though I have personally tried the sony V6's and own the SR-60's and strongly recommend the V6 as an alternative.

Finally, go here Head-Fi.org for headphone forums.

 

[Ophir]

Also, you may, later on, look into purchasing a headphone amp. This is easily the best ugrade you can make for a headphone system. You can pick up home-made amps which are small (use an altoids tin as the case) and cost effective (<$100). Check out the headphone forums, there are builders everywhere.

 

[jkresh]

sony's are a posibility I guess. I think due to the open vs closed issue I may have to iliminate the grado's though. Still question the sony vs the Sennheiser HD280 Pro, which is a bit more expensive, is it worth the price difference, since I want these to last for a few years and I dont want to regret the purchase I would rather spend $100 on a great pair of headphones then $70 on a ok/good pair, but $30 or $40 for a good pair would also work.

 

[Ophir]

From what I've read, I'd still recommend the sony V6; but, the 280 is not a bad phone, it seems to have good sound with very high isolation, may not be as portable though. If your heart is set on the 280 try here for some decent prices.

 

[jkresh]

not set on any particular pair yet, just weighing my options. any good reviews on the Sony MDR-7506, that you could link to? I have seen plenty of users saying good things and a few saying bad, but some professional or semi professional reviews would be usefull, same goes for the 280's. Thanks for your help so far.

 

[everman]

Sony V6 and MDR-7506 are the same thing. I bought a set of 7506s a few months back and love them, after I broke them in a bit and got the headband to fit well. They sound great and don't need an amp at all imo (I use a minidisc player with them). I've also read that some velour pads made by beyerdynamics actually fit them perfectly if you ever wanted to upgrade them ( $20 to do so yourself).

I'd go with those or look at sennheiser 280s.

 

[EdipisReks]

i love my SR-60's. they are very comfortable, and sound fantastic. just make sure you get recent ones with the soft pads, if you get Grados.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: EdipisReks
i love my SR-60's. they are very comfortable, and sound fantastic. just make sure you get recent ones with the soft pads, if you get Grados.

Me too . . . the SR60s are actually "better" than the higher models (and priced) Grados because they do NOT require a headphone amp.


And I am not so sure what you mean the "open air design disturbs anyone". How LOUD do you play them? At any volume short of causing your immediate hearing loss, you'd only bother a bat sitting/flying/hanging right next to you.

I traveled on several long flights listening to music and watching DVDs as loud as I wanted to and did not bother any of my fellow travelers (yep - I asked). 😛

 

[jkresh]

Thanks, guess I was mistaken, I doubt I would listen to anything all that loudly, got the impression from some people that they were quite loud to those around them. I will have to think about this a little more then.

 

[fatbaby]

Originally posted by: everman
Sony V6 and MDR-7506 are the same thing. I bought a set of 7506s a few months back and love them, after I broke them in a bit and got the headband to fit well. They sound great and don't need an amp at all imo (I use a minidisc player with them). I've also read that some velour pads made by beyerdynamics actually fit them perfectly if you ever wanted to upgrade them ( $20 to do so yourself).

I'd go with those or look at sennheiser 280s.

They are not exactly the same thing. The 7506 costs $40 more and has gold plated connectors. Not worth the difference IMO.

If you're travelling (a commercial jet or bus), i would recommend against the sr60s since everyone else would be able to hear your pr0n or your dvds.

 

[everman]

They are not exactly the same thing. The 7506 costs $40 more and has gold plated connectors. Not worth the difference IMO.

I've frequented a few headphone forums quite a bit and the general concensus is that they are the same (ok gold connectors, but not much beyond that). One thing that was interesting was that sony had sent a site a pair in which one side was labled V6 while the other side was labled 7506 🙂 I'm not sure on the current price on 7506s but I got mine for about $70, but if the V6s can be had for much less then go for that.

 

[slunk]

I have yet to max out volume on my discman with these, maybe listened up to 3/4 volume. People around me can hear them quite easily, and I can hear them quite easily when others have used them. If you'll be around noise, it will interfere with your listening. If you're in a quiet area, people around you might get annoyed. These are perfect when alone, but I wouldn't consider these very portable for the reasons stated above. That's why I would like a closed set too.

 

[Auric]

I did a lot of research a few months ago and scoured the usual places including the head-fi and headwize forums. When looking for a closed around-the-ear set that does not require an amp, the Sony MDR-7506/V6, Sennheiser HD280PRO and Beyerdynamic DT 250-80 are invariably recommended.

However, after eliminating the Beyerdynamic on a value basis, the Sony on comfort and the Sennheiser on availability (newegg was OOS at the time) I went with a dark horse: the Pioneer SE-MONITOR10R -and am glad I did. They have full-range accurate sound, excellent isolation and are lightweight and comfortable around the ears. The band could use some padding to increase comfort but the plus side is they fold up quite small without it. The thumb-screw locking adjustment is great too. The retro style may not appeal to everyone but I like 'em. Like most sets they do require break-in before really shining.

At the time, Newegg had the Sennheiser for $65 which seemed like good value but when they came back in stock they were $85 for some reason so I am glad I did not wait. The Pioneer were $130 from audiocubes but I got mine at lgdsuperstore for $65 shipped. It seems to be a bit of a dodgey outfit that sells at cost directly from warehouse stock and profits on shipping but hey it worked for me.

I think the main reason the Pioneer's are not more popular is that they are not as widely available as Sony and yet do not carry the same enthusiast snob appeal as Beyerdynamic or Sennheiser either but value-wise they may just be the best in this class.

 

[Ophir]

Originally posted by: slunk
I have yet to max out volume on my discman with these, maybe listened up to 3/4 volume. People around me can hear them quite easily, and I can hear them quite easily when others have used them. If you'll be around noise, it will interfere with your listening. If you're in a quiet area, people around you might get annoyed. These are perfect when alone, but I wouldn't consider these very portable for the reasons stated above. That's why I would like a closed set too.

Exactly. Grados are not a good idea if there is moderately loud ambient noise. Even a loud computer can be irritating as it can be heard clearly when the music is turned down. A person sitting next to you talking is very annoying.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Ophir

Originally posted by: slunk
I have yet to max out volume on my discman with these, maybe listened up to 3/4 volume. People around me can hear them quite easily, and I can hear them quite easily when others have used them. If you'll be around noise, it will interfere with your listening. If you're in a quiet area, people around you might get annoyed. These are perfect when alone, but I wouldn't consider these very portable for the reasons stated above. That's why I would like a closed set too.

Exactly. Grados are not a good idea if there is moderately loud ambient noise. Even a loud computer can be irritating as it can be heard clearly when the music is turned down. A person sitting next to you talking is very annoying.

Do you guys even have Grados or do you BLAST your music so LOUD that people around you are "bothered" by tiny headphone drivers. 😛

To do a REAL TEST for yourself, turn the phones up to the max volume you will listen to and put the ear pieces to cover each other and hold them at arms length - IF it bothers you(r batlike hearing) - then get a CLOSED phone.

 

[EdipisReks]

Originally posted by: Ophir
A person sitting next to you talking is very annoying.

that is why my SR-60's came with a set of brass knuckles. with all seriousness, you can clearly hear the set of Grado's from 6 feet away when they are set at moderate sound levels. however, i have never gotten a complaint in public, or even when i have them on at work. however, i am a large, scary looking man, which may be what keeps the complaints to a minimum. 😉

 

[FishTankX]

For portable use, nothing beats the Sony D66 'Eggos' and they run under 100$. If you like sony sound, these are the ones for portable use. And they look nonconspicious too!

 

[Auric]

EdipisReks (the large, scary looking man), you should carry around a big boombox just because you can 🙂

I have not heard the Grado's but while I am sure they sound swell I personally would not use and open set nor one that went on the ears, if I did not have to. I reckon that for other than ultra portable use (like ear buds) the whole point is isolated top-notch stereo sound. Otherwise one may as well be using speakers. Sure, open drivers probably give better quality than comparably closed ones but then the only real advantage is they are cheaper than good speakers.

 

[Ophir]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: Ophir

Originally posted by: slunk
I have yet to max out volume on my discman with these, maybe listened up to 3/4 volume. People around me can hear them quite easily, and I can hear them quite easily when others have used them. If you'll be around noise, it will interfere with your listening. If you're in a quiet area, people around you might get annoyed. These are perfect when alone, but I wouldn't consider these very portable for the reasons stated above. That's why I would like a closed set too.

Exactly. Grados are not a good idea if there is moderately loud ambient noise. Even a loud computer can be irritating as it can be heard clearly when the music is turned down. A person sitting next to you talking is very annoying.

Do you guys even have Grados or do you BLAST your music so LOUD that people around you are "bothered" by tiny headphone drivers. 😛

To do a REAL TEST for yourself, turn the phones up to the max volume you will listen to and put the ear pieces to cover each other and hold them at arms length - IF it bothers you(r batlike hearing) - then get a CLOSED phone.

I'm NOT talking about bothering someone else, I thought I was clear on that, I couldn't care less if some one else hears my music. I'm talking about other people bothering me when I listen to music. Loud roommates, loud neighbors (I live in a college town), cars, they all become very distracting when the music is turned up.

And YES I do own grados, they're possibly the favorite pair of cans I own (I own quite a few). They're cheap, but they sound great. They sound almost as well from my MD player as the do from my main setup (cambridge D500 CDP --> corda headphone amp). When it's quiet, the grados are the first I go for. When it's loud, I pick up a sealed pair. Grados are great, but they are NOT a portable phone - unless you only plan to use them in a library or monastery.

 

[jkresh]

thanks for all the information, at this point I think I am going to order the sennheiser hd 280's as I think a closed set is best and am not positive on the sony's.