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I need some headphones. Update: Bought Grado SR-80s. Update2: Recieved. Update3: Bought some new pads. Update4: Recieved

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Originally posted by: Baked
Sennheiser doesn't sound "good" until you get to HD580/HD595/HD600/HD650 range, and you're gonna need an amp that can drive them.

$100 = Alessandro MS-1 or Audio-Technica A500. Excellent value and performance for starting Open and Close cans. Don't require amp.
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really? i was thinking of picking up a pair of px-100s from ebuyer. they are known to sound remarkably similar to SR225 if i remember correctly.

hope you like your new phones, grado phones are great if you can get past the comfort issues 🙂 then again, prolonged use of headphones can be detrimental to your ears. in a way, you could view grado discomfort as a safety mechanisim 😛
 
i learned a hard lesson on "Isolation" once.
back then I was sharing my room with another dude; he was sleeping and I was watching porn using Senn HD570... (the ending is unnecessary)
 
Originally posted by: VanillaH
what was the ending? guess it depends on the type of pr0n material you were watching 😱
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No one likes to wake up to a face full of donkey porn
 
SR-80 huh? Hope you like 'em. I hope you won't regret not spending another $8 for that pair of Alessandro MS-1, which is modified Grado SR-125.
 
Originally posted by: Baked
SR-80 huh? Hope you like 'em. I hope you won't regret not spending another $8 for that pair of Alessandro MS-1, which is modified Grado SR-125.
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Ahh...

I did search for that name, but didn't find much... I saw the Grados and went for them, heh.
 
Originally posted by: andylawcc
i learned a hard lesson on "Isolation" once.
back then I was sharing my room with another dude; he was sleeping and I was watching porn using Senn HD570... (the ending is unnecessary)
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Yeah must've been awkward when your roommate woke up to find you wanking to the pron while he was asleep in a bed not 5 feet from you.
 
ultrasones makes some fine phones, hfi-2000 and and 650 are highly praised. but i am wondering why you included a link to edition 7, thir cream of the crop. you do know that thing costs like $2k right?
 
Originally posted by: esun
Grado SR-80s. I've got the HD280 Pros and while they're nice for sealed phones, they're just not as good as the Grados. I've also heard the MS-1s, and you should definitely consider them depending on what you like listening to. The Grados are more aggressive than the MS-1s, which can be either a good or a bad thing depending on your preference.
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I had the exact opposite reaction. The SR-80's were uncomfortable, and just didn't sound as good to me as the HD280 Pros. It just goes to show that relying on other peoples definition of what's the "best" is not the best idea when choosing headphones/speakers. Everyone's ears are different, and the same speakers will sound different to each person.

🙂
 
I'd consider a headphone amp for those 80's. Most will say you don't need it, but I did a blind test with my brothers setup and I could definately hear the extra bass response with the amp.
 
Eli, I know you've already ordered the Grados, but if you don't like pressure on your ears you might not be happy with them at first. I have the SR60s and they were pretty uncomfortable until I got used to them. They sound fantastic though - well worth the pain.
 
Originally posted by: Eli
I want new, fresh advice. 😛

So, how about this...

I'll list a price, and you tell me what's good in that price range. 😉

~$50$(±$20)

And ~$100(±$20)

I'll weigh whether the added cost is worth it or not ....

Update: Picked up some Grado SR-80's for 91$ shipped on eBay the other day. Should be recieving them next week sometime.

I'll post what I think. 🙂
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good choice, I own a pair
 
Wow, recieved them way earlier than I thought. USPS Priority is way faster than UPS Ground.

Well... hmm.

The comfort thing is definately going to be an issue.

When I first got them, the spring was so stiff that it made my ears/head hurt after a half an hour. A bit of stretching and adjusting has eased the clamping force on my head.

The biggest problem is that I guess my ears are small, so my ears try to fit inside the cups.. Parts of my ears are resting against the harsh plastic driver grill instead of the foam.

I'm thinking that if I can get new foam pieces for them, that it will be OK.

As for the sound, they sound great. You must take into account that before this, I have never had a pair of headphones that was over 10$.. so I do not exactly have a lot to compare it to.

They definately sound better than the 10$ headphones I had(Sony MDR-201). And they haven't even broken in yet. Although I do have to admit, I don't know if the difference is worth 8x the price... I haven't objectionally listened to enough headphones.

The bass is more full. It sounds much more like listening to the stereo through the regular speakers, than tinny headphones.

Mids and highs are crisp and non-fatiguing. I put on the other headphones to compare and immediately noticed the incredible ammount of high frequency distortion my old headphones were giving off, even at only moderate volume levels. It was really grating compared.. And to think, I was used to it.. :Q

I've only logged about an hour with them so far, but I let them play all day yesteray to help break them in.

Are there different foam pads you can get for these 'phones?
 
Originally posted by: sniperruff
sell your grado's and buy a pair of sony V6's while you still can...
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I'm thinking about it..

They sound great, but ... what's the point if you can't wear them? 😕

I'd probably get the HD280 Pro's though.

I should've done a little more research before I jumped on them, I think, because comfort was indeed a concern.. I've had headphones before that hurt my head, and it sucked.
 
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: sniperruff
sell your grado's and buy a pair of sony V6's while you still can...
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I'm thinking about it..

They sound great, but ... what's the point if you can't wear them? 😕

I'd probably get the HD280 Pro's though.

I should've done a little more research before I jumped on them, I think, because comfort was indeed a concern.. I've had headphones before that hurt my head, and it sucked.
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do you live in the city eli? go down to J&R and try some headphones out. the Sony V6 is the same as the Sony 7506 AFAIK. try on each one of them and see which one is comfortable... i bought my senns HD-497 and luckily they fit me comfortable for at least a couple of hours

good luck!
 
Grados are legendary for their hurtful clamping. You should have done your research. BTW, Grados, won't really stop hurting...no matter how much tweaking (earpads, etc) you do to them.

For comfort and great sound, stick with Senns or Audio Technica A500.

For walking about city streets, get Etymotics (better than the Shures).
 
I would have thought that after 50 years or so they (Grado Labs) would have fixed that comfort issue by now.
 
if you are serious about the sound, consider a used pair of HD-580. these babies will run $100~$120, in fact there was a massive sale for around that much new. the sound is hit and miss, some say they sound too gentle. but they have absolutely the best bang for buck for that price, and scale very well with your source/amp/gear. one thing that defines hd-580 is lushness of the mids with a slight midbass hump (which can be remedied with aftermarket cables if you are willing to spend more). comfort wise, they are the best i have had, including the famous CD3000. the only caveat is you WILL need amping of some sort, a lower tier meta is about the cheapest you could get by with one.
 
Originally posted by: VanillaH
if you are serious about the sound, consider a used pair of HD-580. these babies will run $100~$120, in fact there was a massive sale for around that much new. the sound is hit and miss, some say they sound too gentle. but they have absolutely the best bang for buck for that price, and scale very well with your source/amp/gear. one thing that defines hd-580 is lushness of the mids with a slight midbass hump (which can be remedied with aftermarket cables if you are willing to spend more). comfort wise, they are the best i have had, including the famous CD3000. the only caveat is you WILL need amping of some sort, a lower tier meta is about the cheapest you could get by with one.
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Something I should add is that I'm running them through a Dynaco SCA-80Q for now.
 
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