The Headphones Thread - Page 14

Watch your ears guys...you dont wanna blow it with high volume...

Better to keep the volume low.

Use WinDVD-5 and set the surround settings etc. and you will have a real out of the head sound which is hard to get with headphones.

I just picked up a M-Audio Audiophile Firewire and it ROCKS!! No more laptop screeches and clicks and pure high quality sound.

Cheers!

gsferrari, those Ultrasones sound like what I'm looking for. I'm still loving my HD-212's, but I'm going to get a nicer set of headphones sometime in the next month or so. But I'm wanting to buy an amp. Will I tell a difference with my HD-212's with an amp? What amp would you recommend? I don't want to make my own. (don't have the time) Should I consider buying an amp that someone else built in one of those audio forums? I'm wanting an amp that does a pretty good job, but nothing REAL expensive.

BTW, thanks for posting that review of the Ultrasone's. An audio site needs to hire you to review audio equipment.

EDIT: Are the Ultrasone's comfortable?

ultrasones are comfortable if you have shallow pinnae (the outer ear - if it sticks out then it will rub against the driver foam - not too bad but hey - I am picky.

Plenty of amps for sale on the forums. What is your budget? Give me a budget and I can make some suggestions. I am building a few amps next week...I will let you know how this project goes.

budget...budget...

The HD-212 also improves with an amp but not by much.

I just got a Grado SR-225 and now I have owned the entire series (grado SR-60, SR-80, SR-125, SR-225, SR-325, RS-1 - I could never afford the PS-1 - that is $1400 something)

budget ... budget...

I am looking for a pair for headphones for under $100. I listen to alternative/rock/punk music (not alot of bass), play games (surround sound would be fun), watch dvds, and need them to be notebook friendly of course. I spend a lot of time doing these things so comfort is also a concern.

Any suggestions?

the best thing to do IMO is to go to a audio shop where you can try on headphones. bring a cdplayer and a CD that you like, and try them with all the different headphones. for me i had to get one with nice large comfortable circumaural pads (going around and over the ears).

I ended up with Sony MDR-V900s, and actually use them for professional music production purposes, but they have a younger brother (the MDR V600s) that you may want to try out.

Best advice - Dont buy a pair of headphones from Best Buy / Circuit City or any of these mass marketing stores you have near you.

Surround sound via headphones can be stunning HOWEVER few recording studios recognize the actual potential of the headphone market and simply avoid using "Binaural" techniques to record sound.

Most games come with EAX which will give you a pretty decent sound presentation with headphones - but this is seriously 5.1 multimedia speaker system territory

You can do a LOT with $100.00 if you know what to look for.

What you want :-

* Rock music friendly
* Laptop friendly (foldable...compact)
* nice for games (you need bass here )

I can give you a $40.00 solution - the Koss PortaPro2 which is actually (ugh!) something you can order from circuit city online.

My other recommendations (pricier) :-

* as always - Grado SR-60 + Todd Flat pads (www.ttvj.com for both) ($100)
* Sennheiser HD-555 ($140)
* Sennheiser HD-515 ($100)
* Sennheiser HD-580 ($150 this could well be the best ever headphone at this price point)
* Grado SR-225 ($160.00 - um...this one is just as good - but different sounding than the HD-580)

Hope this helps

Audio stores DONT stock a wide range of headphones. You are eliminating your options straightaway. www.headfi.com has some very accurate descriptions of these headphones and opinions there can be trusted (assuming you ask around and know who represents observations accurately).

Best

gs

While the last thing I'd want is to 'eliminate his options', I have to take exception to your claim that 'audio stores dont stock a wide range of headphones'. When I purchased my headphones, I walked into my local Guitar Center and tried out a decent array of Sennheisers, Grados, Sony, etc. While I'm sure your suggested URL is a great resource, each individual's hearing and physical circumstances make it such that NO ONE can tell you how it sounds to you, nor can they tell you how it will feel on your ears.

That's why I advised him to try out candidates for himself before purchasing.

I have a pair of MDR-v300 sonys. they are all i need, thankyou. Today they broke. The peice of plastic "C" shaped that attaches to the speaker housing and also to the hinge for head band. (it swivels). anyway, it's broken, and i am wondering if i can get a warrenty on that sort of thing? Thanks

zah

You went to a guitar center and found a Grado Headphone? This is news to me. Which Guitar Center is this? Can you give me a zip code? I know people who will be very interested in this information (people in Grado).

Sennheisers - model numbers?

Sony model numbers? - aah forget it. The only Sony headphones worth using are the $3000 Qualia and the $3000 (discontinued) Sony R-10

And when I say wide range - I mean 100's of options...yes there are that many if not more...No local store has stocked or ever will stock that many different varieties.

Guitar center headphones are studio monitors - not musical headphones. The AKG K240DS, AKG k271S. Sennheiser HD-280 etc. are good but nowhere near a similarly priced Grado or Sennheiser.

Oh and headphone brands/models that you are aliminating by going to a local store :-

Grado high end
Sennheiser high end (no market - they will NOT stock these)
AKG
Audio Technica
Ultrasone
Etymotics
Shure
Beyerdynamic

hsferrari I'd be curious to hear your oppinion of the Bose Triports ... other than being physically/structurally sort of weak. And of course $$$$$.

Some where at the begining of this thread he said "No" to Bose

Yes, I definitely tried Sennhesiers and I am fairly certain, Grados at a Guitar Center in Kirkland, WA about 2-3 years ago. As far as I can tell they seem to have narrowed their selection since then. I've been out of the country most of the time so I haven't kept tabs on it.

Obviously, I agree that no one retail store has hundreds of headphones, and I agree that many regular retail chains sell overpriced crap. But I also do believe that comfort is a very important aspect of using headphones; and, again, no one can tell you how they will feel on you. Head shapes and sizes, use of glasses, ear placement, size of earlobes, etc. I would never buy a pair of headphones without having tried them on.

Headroom (www.headphone.com) and todd (Www.ttvj.com) have rock solid 30 day return policies.

Todd will also arrange an audition piece - you pay shipping, he sends you a used piece, you try, return and he ships you a new piece at no additional cost to you. This allows him to save his fresh pieces for the serious customers.

You wouldnt want to buy a headphone that a dude who never washes used now would you?

What a great forum you have here! And what a great thread! Time to join the fun

I've done a lot of online research into high quality headphones (and laptops) during the last ten days because I twisted my ankle badly and have to sit on my ass for two weeks anyway..
Great sound is very important for me since I make music myself. I can only buy one set of high-end cans for now, so first I ended up with Senn 580s. Then I realized how horrible the street noise is in my overly expensive room and that I love bass-heavy music (Fluke, Chemical brothers and the like).
I'm seriously thinking of getting those Ultrasone HFI-650s when I have the money - currently on a diet of noodles/tuna pasta

Gsferrari,
you seem to be a very knowledgeable and helpful person in audio issues. What kind of soundcard/amp -combo would you recommend to be used with the Ultrasones. I'll be using them out of a laptop and I want to be able to get the best out of my them without spending a lot of money on marginal improvements. I haven't any equipment or experience in building an amp myself, so it has to be prebuilt. If you also happen to know a good low-price place to buy them that ships to Italy cheap or preferably without added cost, let me know.
Thanks in advance!

Why dont you start with the Grado SR-60 and go up from there if necessary. These headphones are so good that I still have them...sometimes I think i'll give everything up and just go back to these headphones

Laptop sound cards SUCK. You need an external solution for better sound. You can go from sensible to insane if you look hard enough. Here are some sensible solutions :-

Echo Indigo - PCMCIA card with volume control - this is a basic solution and works well

Headroom Bithead - USB External DAC+Amp in one box. Versatile - it can be used as a portable amp with your CD player or DAP (Digital Audio Player) on the move (runs off batteries). This is the best solution for a laptop because it also turns into a mobile amplifier.

M-Audio Audiophile Firewire - this is a very nice piece of kit. Firewire interface, RCA inputs and outputs so it doubles as a headphone amp that you can use with your home CD player. Needs external power (not usable on the move).

There are other solutions but this is an area I have not really played around with much. The Bithead seems to be the most sensible option. It is built well and a Bithead with an SR-60 will be a great combo.

The SR-60 is an open headphone and leaks sound in and out. If your laptop of environment is noisy you might want to get a closed headphone like the AKG-271, Ultrasone HFI650, Sennheiser HD-25 (the $199 version) or in-ear phones like the Shure E2C, Shure E3 etc. which will block all external sound and give you pure blissful music. I find myself using the in-ear phones more than my full fledged full size headphones these days.

I would be happy to be in Italy. One of the best headphone amplifier builders in the world is in Italy (Rudi of Rudistor - www.rudistor.com) and I have most of his amps...stunning amplifiers...

see my review here : http://www.gurushankar.com/Rudistor%...0Reference.pdf

Cheers!

Thanks for a quick and good response!
The SR-60 does seem to be a very good bang for the buck, but the traffic noise in my room is REALLY bad, so I'm sticking with the closed cans. I didn't realize how bad it was until I tried listening to my roommate's cd-player there yesterday - horrors!
Do you know if there's a noticeable sound quality difference between M-audio and the Bithead? How do their amps compare? The fact that I cant power the M-audio from battery isn't a problem since 99% of the time I'll be using my setup near power outlets. The size and weight however are important: I'll be moving my stuff to different places (outside my flat) every now and then.
How big/heavy is the M-audio, it's hard to estimate this from the pictures I've seen. If you've also used or seen the bithead, how would you compare these two? Is the M-audio also durable enough to be carried around in a backpack.

BTW: those Rudistors seem to be sweet amps, but way outside my budget right now. I'll definitely look into these when I graduate and have a non-crappy job that actually relates to what I've been studying.

M-Audio is well built. The firewire version is full metal...very nice.

Also - it supports ASIO in Foobar 2000 so the sound quality is much better (if you do critical listening and if you use the RCA output into a better amp).

As a standalone solution it is good. Get it.

Bithead is more compact, excellent build quality and a little more versatile. You can use it on the move, in airports etc.

M-Audio cannot be carried in your pocket and you will need a backpack to carry it with your laptop. It is NOT heavy but it is large.

Hang in there a bit - I will give you some more details...

be back in a bit...

cheers!

What are in your opinion the best headphones that have a mic? I have looked at the logitech extreme pc gaming ones which look to me allright. So far I have gone through 2 Headphones with mics and they were very poor. Any information is great!

This is a collection of observations, images and videos of all (I hope) available pads for Grado Headphones. The pads are compatible with all the headphones in the SR,RS,PS and HP lineups and each one of them affects the sound in a different way. This review is done using the Grado SR-225 headphone, Rudistor RP5 Reference amplifier and my cheap SACD source. I am positive that with a better source the changes will be much more noticeable.












Just spent about 3 hours with my new SR-225 and a variety of pads. These are initial impressions subject to change.









VIDEO : Squishy Test : Todd Flats

• Satisfying FULL sound
• Deep bass with what I suspect is a 80hz hump
• recommended for most users
• best with hip-hop, rock, techno, trance, new age, lounge
• are these worth $30.00 (a pair of flat pads) = YES! emphatically

VIDEO : Squishy Test : VWAP Flats

• full sounding without the imposing bass-tone of the flats
• much more detail and instrument/vocal separation than the Todd flats
• liquid midrange
• more emphasis on treble than the Todd Flats
• recommended for most mature users
• best with classical instrumental, vocal, guitar (strings in general), jazz and blues
• OMG these are awesome with blues!! BB King is in your bedroom...on your bed (only if you are so inclined )
• Norah Jones is on my bed (yes I am so inclined )
• are these worth the $15.00 or so that they cost? = Yes! but I dont know if vwap still makes them

VIDEO : Squishy Test : Bowl Pads

• Heavy emphasis on higher frequencies but definitely NOT as grainy as SR-325
• Treble doesnt drill into your head so much with these headphones
• Detail and Separation...The "AIR" is unbelievable. I simply have to give the RS1 another listen if these are so good...
• Midrange drops out a bit - giving a lighter, easier touch to the music...perfect for midday listening when you are grumpy
• recommended with reservations to the general populace
• best with intense classicals which can sound congested on the other pads
• recommended with strings...the best with strings so far...unbelievable
• I can understand now why Grado insists on these pads shipping with the headphones. NOT without reason
• Eric Clapton is right here...I can reach out and touch him...nah...i'll wait for the next babe to show up
• Does anyone know any babe who plays guitar well enough to consider? :eggo:
• Are these worth getting with the headphones : YES!
• Are these worth buying (if you dont have them?) - Maybe - depending on your musical preferences - I would get a vwap pad which is a more rounded performer

VIDEO : Squishy Test : Comfies

• These are actually surprisingly decent...
• Nicer bass than the bowls but everything sounds confused and muddled
• smudged detail...not bad but disappointing if you have other pads around
• these pads are the easiest on the ears over long listening sessions...actually they fall behind the vwap pads and tie with the bowls
• recommended - general user
• If you get them with your headphones - fine - otherwise dont bother with these
• I will use them when I put away my headphones or to tide me over in between the better pads (which dont last quite as long)

Some random images for scale and just plain jobless viewing pleasure












As a conclusion - having the vwap pads and the flat pads will set you back $50.00 including shipping. Thats the price of a headphone...its up to you. If you had to choose - and if you got the bowls with your cans - get the flats.
Basically - Todd Flats are a MUST HAVE for every grado junkie







Contact Todd at www.ttvj.com to order the following pads :-
* Grado Bowls
* Todd Flats
* Grado Comfies

Contact vwap to ask about the vwap flat pads.








NOTE : mature user = users with a more mature taste in music..um...and with high frequency deafness LOL :3000smile








Finally : all this talk about pads and no info on where to find them.

All the pads (Grado/Todd flat pads, Bowl pads and comfies) are available directly from Todd - www.ttvj.com

Here are direct links :

Grado Bowl Pads : http://www.toddthevinyljunkie.com/pr...uct.php?id=175

Todd Flat Pads :http://www.toddthevinyljunkie.com/pr...uct.php?id=167

Grado Soft Pads (a.k.a comfies) :http://www.toddthevinyljunkie.com/pr...uct.php?id=168

What a great thread! Followed it for about six pages then jumped here to the end, so forgive me if these questions have been asked and answered, I'm too lazy to go through all 19 pages.

I have a pair of Sony MDR-605 which I like (I'm no audiophile--they're good enough for me). I ran into Circuit City one day in desperate need of headphones to go with my then new rack of outboard gear (I miss my Microwave XT ). I decided not to spend less than $60 and grabbed them when I saw them. ANYWAY...

These 'phones are about four years old. They sound okay to me, but... what is the practical lifespan of a pair of headphones? Also, the foam covering the actual, uh, speakers are pretty much ripped to shreds. Aside from being ugly, does this affect sound quality? And can they be easily replaced? The pads around the outside are still in good shape, but I might like to replace/upgrade those too. Thanks.