Alright Gaf. I'm looking to get some new headphones but I'm have a hard time deciding which ones to get. My budget is around $200. My favorite genre of music is rock/metal but I do listen to a little reggae on occasion. I already own the Koss Portapros, PX100IIs, and an Audio Technica ATH-A900. I've listened briefly to the Grado SR225s and love the detail and clarity but i keep going back to the Portapros and PX100, because I love the bass on them. Are the DT770s going to fit my needs? Is it worth saving up and dropping the extra cash on the Denon D2000s? Maybe the Grados? I'll be using them with a Go-Vibe amp with an ipod or sometimes my Denon 2809 receiver. These will be used at home so open or closed is fine.
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$500 cans on, this is how you dream right - Official Headphone Thread
- Thread starter HiResDes
- Start date
I think the DT770 Pro's would probably fit your needs. They are a little warm sounding, much like the Porta Pros, but offer a little more bass.
Alternatively, if you're looking for loads more bass, and want a more forward mid range and high end, you might look to the Ultrasone HFI-580's or HFI-780's. They lack the comfort and isolation of the DT770 Pro's, but many people would describe them as being more fun to listen to, especially with rock and metal.
Alternatively, if you're looking for loads more bass, and want a more forward mid range and high end, you might look to the Ultrasone HFI-580's or HFI-780's. They lack the comfort and isolation of the DT770 Pro's, but many people would describe them as being more fun to listen to, especially with rock and metal.
mr stroke
Member
Just returned my Astro Mixamp+A40 in favor of this set up thanks to this thread
Denon D2000+Soundblaster recon 3D card
Never used a decent set of cans before and Fuuuuuuuckkkkkk what a difference. Music sounds insane, so clear with tons of bottom end(Denon's have so much bass). Surprisingly the Creative card was a 10 min install and the drivers worked flawlessly(generally shit with Creative)
Can't recommend the Creative card enough, great drivers+the built in headphone amp+THX surround headphone mode make an awesome combo for the money.
Denon D2000+Soundblaster recon 3D card
Never used a decent set of cans before and Fuuuuuuuckkkkkk what a difference. Music sounds insane, so clear with tons of bottom end(Denon's have so much bass). Surprisingly the Creative card was a 10 min install and the drivers worked flawlessly(generally shit with Creative)
Can't recommend the Creative card enough, great drivers+the built in headphone amp+THX surround headphone mode make an awesome combo for the money.
swordfishtrombones
Member
I just ordered the AKG K550s. I was looking for a closed pair, as I'm intending to wear them at the office. The low impedance is also welcome, so I can just plug them in something portable when I'm travelling.
It's very frustrating to find that most of the recommended headphones are not easily available here in the Netherlands. Sennheisers and Beats everywhere, but e.g. Denon (esp. the 2000s) are difficult to find.
I'll post an update once they arrive, really looking forward to them. They'll be replacing my HD-280 PROs, which are starting to fall apart after years of use (and I just wanted a new shiny gadget, obviously).
It's very frustrating to find that most of the recommended headphones are not easily available here in the Netherlands. Sennheisers and Beats everywhere, but e.g. Denon (esp. the 2000s) are difficult to find.
I'll post an update once they arrive, really looking forward to them. They'll be replacing my HD-280 PROs, which are starting to fall apart after years of use (and I just wanted a new shiny gadget, obviously).
If you're looking for closed budget headphones use google to find a cheap place to one of these in the UK:
Fischer Audio FA-004
CAD MH310 ( Superlux HD662 )
JVC HARX700
Panasonic RP HTF600
Expensive headphones are incredible, but offer diminishing returns. I'd say the $200 to $300 range is the sweet spot.
Well, most people who buy high end sets aren't driving them directly from iPods and have better source files anyway. Although if someone were to spend a bunch of money on a headphone to drive it from an iPod, I would recommend a Grado (or an IEM)
There are differences in high end sets, absolutely. Sometimes it's just a sidestep in terms of sonic preference from one to another or differences in soundstage depth and width. Other times, we find that a really expensive headphone is underperforming and has unnatural frequency response. Most recent example is the wonky treble response of the new Senn HD700. There's enormous peaks and valleys in the treble.
Piercedveil
Member
Can someone with Audio Technica M50s tell me how they are for gaming and watching videos? Besides listening to music, I'd be using them very often for those things.
Bolded are garbage.
mhayze
Member
That's what I thought for a long time, until I heard electrostats and ortho-dynamics through a good setup at a head-fi meet. No wonder their standard greeting is "Welcome, sorry about your wallet"!
-COOLIO-
The Everyman
i can let you know in a week, i just ordered mine and i am EXCITE
So I posted this a little while ago and thought Id summarize my thoughts on the rare HP-1 from Grado
Some thoughts on the HP-1 (HP1000) after a little over a week of ownership. This is a long one. Grab a beer. I had one while writing this.
I should note that all my comments below are based on the modded version with foam lining inside the cups from purrins instructions on head-fi. It reduces midrange glare and shoutiness, reduces some treble glare, removes a small bit of lower midrange bloat and slightly expands and moves the soundstage forward. The sound is still similar, but the foam lining is, imo, necessary to push these headphones far enough in front of current Grados and other, more easily available TOTL cans to be worth their inflated collectors pricing.
Ive gone through many high end headphones in the past couple years. I like comparing the different sound signatures and, early on, it was very important for me to figure what I actually like and dislike from the headphones. So now I have a better idea of where the HP1000 fit in.
The HP-1 does the most right of all the headphones Ive yet heard with their faults being mostly trivial for my tastes - specifically lack of bass extension and soundstage height/width. Its my favourite headphone that Ive tried. I wont try to say its technically the best at anything but I find no obvious faults with it and I think I may keep these for a long while, unless I am shocked by an LCD3 which is on its way to me.
The basis for this praise is that the HP-1 has the most natural and most even frequency response I have ever heard (even before the mod but especially afterward). Everything sounds balanced in harmony and no one frequency band obscures another. Theres no sharp ridge in the treble that can be pesky on some female vocals. theres no bass bloat that obscures the mids. The tone and timbre of instruments feels more correct and true than any other headphone Ive tried. This may sound simple and trite but every other headphone Ive heard has some sort of deficiency in this key area that had bothered me.
Regarding details and speed, I put them up there with my memory of the HD800, GS1000, PS1000 and Stax. I dont have a trained ear to notice tiny differences in detail retrieval from one headphone to another. Once we get up to this level of technical refinement, detail retrieval all sound about the same to me.
Can I hear the slight brushing of fingers of a guitarist off to the side of the stage? yes.
Can I hear the barely audible triangle being played in the orchestra and can I tell when its being struck more forcefully or at double time? yup.
Do I hear people clearing their throats (at different tables) and clearly pick out bits of conversation in the audience of a live jazz recording? sure
On electronic music, are there incredibly rapid beats that sound distinct instead of a blurred whole? yes
I cant hear more detail than that. Once I got into headphones costing multiple hundreds of dollars, they all seem to be able to do this. The ones that have issues here, in my experience, are the ones with sound signature issues where, for example, a D5000 bass bloat will obscure background details. Not because the transducer isnt capable of rendering the detail, but because theyve tuned the thing to explode so much bass in your face that you just cant hear the lower volume subtleties.
Soundstage on the HP-1 is not incredibly tall or wide but I am impressed with the depth and forwardness of it. It is layered and precise in the way the Stax O2 was. It cant match the HD800 for width or height. However, what I like about the HP-1 that I dont get from many headphones is that the soundstage feels more forward and out of the head. At one point, I thought I had enabled the cross feed function in the Fidelia music player, but it was just the natural soundstage portrayed by the headphones. I thought that was pretty impressive. its not a miracle, out-of-your-head experience but it does feel a bit more natural than other headphones that put singers between your ears instead of slightly closer to your nose.
Some more direct comparisons of headphones which I hope some might find useful.
GS1000. I just sold these so I remember their sound very well. The GS1000 have powerful, speaker-like bass but they do it by having a mid bass boost like other modern Grados - only more powerful. There is more impact on the GS1000 but those crucial mids are thinner, the treble is peakier than the HP1 and the tonality suffers unless you EQ it.
Stax O2. Its important to note that I never wanted to spend the extra 5 or 6 grand needed to get this headphone working on a powerful amp that would inject a bit more bass impact or reduce lower midrange bloat. I used a GES and 323S. Before the HP-1, the O2 was my favourite headphone as it had tonality nailed down mostly to my taste and had the perfect sized soundstage. But the dynamics and impact never matched other, lesser dynamic headphones. It always felt a little weak down there when a big drum solo would come on. The HP-1 is about the same sound signature (slightly less dark with the equipment Ive used) but gives me the bass impact I need without having to spend 5K on an amp and then wait 12 months for it to be built by hand. The HP-1 isnt the best at bass impact but its good enough for most of my music.
The HP-1 can also sound almost as good straight out of an iPod, so theres that, too. Bass impact, convenience and required monetary investment are the reasons why I prefer the HP-1 to the O2. But I dont want to pretend that the HP-1 is a superior headphone under all circumstances - only my limited experience.
HD800. The HD800 have the widest, tallest, most out-of-head soundstage of any headphone Ive used and that sounds awesome on about 1/3 of my music collection. But on the other 2/3 of my music, the distant soundstage makes the songs seem less involving unless the volume is cranked way up. The HP-1 achieves a better balanced soundstage for the majority of my music. Its good enough for the classical and some jazz (mainly because of that forward nature that pushes the image out a bit in front of the ears) but I dont need to reach for another headphone when I want to listen to something more immediate. In addition, the HP-1 doesnt have that 6kHz treble peak. that treble peak wasnt a big problem for me but its nice to not have to worry about any treble peaks now when increasing volume on songs.
Grado PS-500. I like these a good bit but the HP-1 are just more realistic in tonality and have no nasty glare on any higher frequencies. The PS500 have GS1000 like massive bass that doesnt bloat into the midrange (which is nice - the D5000 are brought down by this tendency) but I know that this comes from artificially boosting the mid bass. Still, the PS500 is very good and shares more in common with the HP-1 than the RS1, SR325, etc.
Magnum V4. I also got these back from Symphones a few weeks ago. With flat pads on - and before the foam mod to the HP-1 - these sounded similar on most songs in my library. Not the same - but similar. There was still more glare with the Magnums than with the HP-1 but the difference wasnt as large. And they both had the classic thick lower midrange and compressed soundstage you get with flats. But the improvements to the HP-1 with the foam mod improved the soundstage and lower midrange sound to the point where the Magnum are left farther behind. Magnums with bowls sound a bit too thin without enough bass for my taste.
Older headphones had other issues (im only listing negatives here). the Denon D5000 bass bloat hurt the midrange. The LCD2 had no comfort, no soundstage, and no treble energy at all. The PS1000 sounded good to my ears, but were very heavy and had peaky treble The HE-5LE were impossible to drive with authority and didnt fit my head. The Stax 407 had no dynamic impact.
I prefer the HP-1 to all of these.
So there you have it. The best dynamic headphone Ive used and my favourite headphone that Ive yet tried also happens to be around 20 years old and is almost impossible to get serviced if anything happens to it. lucky me.
Its charms kind of creep up on you. Its not an immediate whoa sensation like when you hear classical on an HD800 for the first time, or some bass heavy electronica on an LCD2 but it strikes a more perfect balance for my tastes than these other headphones.
But I try to stay pragmatic about all this and not get too attached to physical objects. I still want something a bit better for a similar cost if it exists. I would still like better bass impact and real sub bass. Id like a larger soundstage.
Which is why I ordered an LCD3 and will be comparing these two head to head in around a week or two. Should be fun.
Equipment: My amp is an ALO Amphora. DAC is an HRT MS2. Although I also used a Yulong D18 for a little time. Music files were mostly 320 kbps MP3 from iTunes with a few FLAC files in Fidelia.
Some thoughts on the HP-1 (HP1000) after a little over a week of ownership. This is a long one. Grab a beer. I had one while writing this.
I should note that all my comments below are based on the modded version with foam lining inside the cups from purrins instructions on head-fi. It reduces midrange glare and shoutiness, reduces some treble glare, removes a small bit of lower midrange bloat and slightly expands and moves the soundstage forward. The sound is still similar, but the foam lining is, imo, necessary to push these headphones far enough in front of current Grados and other, more easily available TOTL cans to be worth their inflated collectors pricing.
Ive gone through many high end headphones in the past couple years. I like comparing the different sound signatures and, early on, it was very important for me to figure what I actually like and dislike from the headphones. So now I have a better idea of where the HP1000 fit in.
The HP-1 does the most right of all the headphones Ive yet heard with their faults being mostly trivial for my tastes - specifically lack of bass extension and soundstage height/width. Its my favourite headphone that Ive tried. I wont try to say its technically the best at anything but I find no obvious faults with it and I think I may keep these for a long while, unless I am shocked by an LCD3 which is on its way to me.
The basis for this praise is that the HP-1 has the most natural and most even frequency response I have ever heard (even before the mod but especially afterward). Everything sounds balanced in harmony and no one frequency band obscures another. Theres no sharp ridge in the treble that can be pesky on some female vocals. theres no bass bloat that obscures the mids. The tone and timbre of instruments feels more correct and true than any other headphone Ive tried. This may sound simple and trite but every other headphone Ive heard has some sort of deficiency in this key area that had bothered me.
Regarding details and speed, I put them up there with my memory of the HD800, GS1000, PS1000 and Stax. I dont have a trained ear to notice tiny differences in detail retrieval from one headphone to another. Once we get up to this level of technical refinement, detail retrieval all sound about the same to me.
Can I hear the slight brushing of fingers of a guitarist off to the side of the stage? yes.
Can I hear the barely audible triangle being played in the orchestra and can I tell when its being struck more forcefully or at double time? yup.
Do I hear people clearing their throats (at different tables) and clearly pick out bits of conversation in the audience of a live jazz recording? sure
On electronic music, are there incredibly rapid beats that sound distinct instead of a blurred whole? yes
I cant hear more detail than that. Once I got into headphones costing multiple hundreds of dollars, they all seem to be able to do this. The ones that have issues here, in my experience, are the ones with sound signature issues where, for example, a D5000 bass bloat will obscure background details. Not because the transducer isnt capable of rendering the detail, but because theyve tuned the thing to explode so much bass in your face that you just cant hear the lower volume subtleties.
Soundstage on the HP-1 is not incredibly tall or wide but I am impressed with the depth and forwardness of it. It is layered and precise in the way the Stax O2 was. It cant match the HD800 for width or height. However, what I like about the HP-1 that I dont get from many headphones is that the soundstage feels more forward and out of the head. At one point, I thought I had enabled the cross feed function in the Fidelia music player, but it was just the natural soundstage portrayed by the headphones. I thought that was pretty impressive. its not a miracle, out-of-your-head experience but it does feel a bit more natural than other headphones that put singers between your ears instead of slightly closer to your nose.
Some more direct comparisons of headphones which I hope some might find useful.
GS1000. I just sold these so I remember their sound very well. The GS1000 have powerful, speaker-like bass but they do it by having a mid bass boost like other modern Grados - only more powerful. There is more impact on the GS1000 but those crucial mids are thinner, the treble is peakier than the HP1 and the tonality suffers unless you EQ it.
Stax O2. Its important to note that I never wanted to spend the extra 5 or 6 grand needed to get this headphone working on a powerful amp that would inject a bit more bass impact or reduce lower midrange bloat. I used a GES and 323S. Before the HP-1, the O2 was my favourite headphone as it had tonality nailed down mostly to my taste and had the perfect sized soundstage. But the dynamics and impact never matched other, lesser dynamic headphones. It always felt a little weak down there when a big drum solo would come on. The HP-1 is about the same sound signature (slightly less dark with the equipment Ive used) but gives me the bass impact I need without having to spend 5K on an amp and then wait 12 months for it to be built by hand. The HP-1 isnt the best at bass impact but its good enough for most of my music.
The HP-1 can also sound almost as good straight out of an iPod, so theres that, too. Bass impact, convenience and required monetary investment are the reasons why I prefer the HP-1 to the O2. But I dont want to pretend that the HP-1 is a superior headphone under all circumstances - only my limited experience.
HD800. The HD800 have the widest, tallest, most out-of-head soundstage of any headphone Ive used and that sounds awesome on about 1/3 of my music collection. But on the other 2/3 of my music, the distant soundstage makes the songs seem less involving unless the volume is cranked way up. The HP-1 achieves a better balanced soundstage for the majority of my music. Its good enough for the classical and some jazz (mainly because of that forward nature that pushes the image out a bit in front of the ears) but I dont need to reach for another headphone when I want to listen to something more immediate. In addition, the HP-1 doesnt have that 6kHz treble peak. that treble peak wasnt a big problem for me but its nice to not have to worry about any treble peaks now when increasing volume on songs.
Grado PS-500. I like these a good bit but the HP-1 are just more realistic in tonality and have no nasty glare on any higher frequencies. The PS500 have GS1000 like massive bass that doesnt bloat into the midrange (which is nice - the D5000 are brought down by this tendency) but I know that this comes from artificially boosting the mid bass. Still, the PS500 is very good and shares more in common with the HP-1 than the RS1, SR325, etc.
Magnum V4. I also got these back from Symphones a few weeks ago. With flat pads on - and before the foam mod to the HP-1 - these sounded similar on most songs in my library. Not the same - but similar. There was still more glare with the Magnums than with the HP-1 but the difference wasnt as large. And they both had the classic thick lower midrange and compressed soundstage you get with flats. But the improvements to the HP-1 with the foam mod improved the soundstage and lower midrange sound to the point where the Magnum are left farther behind. Magnums with bowls sound a bit too thin without enough bass for my taste.
Older headphones had other issues (im only listing negatives here). the Denon D5000 bass bloat hurt the midrange. The LCD2 had no comfort, no soundstage, and no treble energy at all. The PS1000 sounded good to my ears, but were very heavy and had peaky treble The HE-5LE were impossible to drive with authority and didnt fit my head. The Stax 407 had no dynamic impact.
I prefer the HP-1 to all of these.
So there you have it. The best dynamic headphone Ive used and my favourite headphone that Ive yet tried also happens to be around 20 years old and is almost impossible to get serviced if anything happens to it. lucky me.
Its charms kind of creep up on you. Its not an immediate whoa sensation like when you hear classical on an HD800 for the first time, or some bass heavy electronica on an LCD2 but it strikes a more perfect balance for my tastes than these other headphones.
But I try to stay pragmatic about all this and not get too attached to physical objects. I still want something a bit better for a similar cost if it exists. I would still like better bass impact and real sub bass. Id like a larger soundstage.
Which is why I ordered an LCD3 and will be comparing these two head to head in around a week or two. Should be fun.
Equipment: My amp is an ALO Amphora. DAC is an HRT MS2. Although I also used a Yulong D18 for a little time. Music files were mostly 320 kbps MP3 from iTunes with a few FLAC files in Fidelia.
Check out the Alessandro MS2i's as well, which are a bit more flexible than regular Grado's.
Edit: Incredible writeups LC, I wonder what you would think of the Fostex TH900
Using some Pioneer HDJ 1000s. Despite being DJ headphones, they're still cheaper and better than my solo hds
Those are pretty good headphones for the price don't feel bad, they just aren't durable
thanks.
The TH900 are popping up on my radar but I need to read more of it before I think about plunking down the cash (or, more realistically, selling what I have now to afford it.)
I was initially impressed. Got the first pair replaced because of the buzzing in the ears that came on when they were connected to my laptop. As a gift though, I'm grateful for them. Good for future reference when I venture into more high end shit
Oh lmao. The HDJs aren't mine. Brothers. Oh yeah, for a headphone connoisseur I'd imagine they'd sound like shit. My biggest exposure to headphones were Iphone buds and CX 300 IIs. Hip Hop is an entirely new genre with decent headphones
Iems just simply don't feel as good. Got some in ear beats that came with my Htc phone which are alright, but I'm starting to prefer Headphones a lot more. Fuck Dr Dre
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Haven't there been issues with production yields with the LCD3? I've read about a number of owners getting gypped by Audeze who just plain won't own up to the fact that they are having a hard time manufacturing some elements of the transducers.
Audeze got their act together around March and confirmed there were driver problems and have been accepting returns from anyone who suspects they may have a problem. theyre replacing drivers and changing foam for everyone who asks, basically.
there was a period - too long a period - from December till March where they were too quiet while figuring out what was going on. I remember following along with that and the customer confusion shouldnt have been allowed to go on for so long
My pair is a factory refurb from Audeze that I got for a $250 discount from Headroom. I confirmed with them that it received the latest drivers and the full Audeze warranty so Im not concerned about getting a veiled lemon.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
They are a pretty young company but man... you shouldn't have to put up with that when you are dropping that sort of cash on a pair of phones. In any case, I look forward to your findings. If there's any truth to the hype, the LCD3 is a HELL of a phone.
totally agreed on that first part. the launch of pretty much all their headphones have been problematic in ways that should have been avoided. More experience and more staff will hopefully set them right.
My initial findings on the LCD3 will be very preliminary as my amp isnt a real powerful beast so Ill be looking for signs of underpowered performance (blub blub bass, thin mids). But if the comfort is good and I like most of what I hear, I may drop some cash an a more powerful amp to focus on the LCD3. I just need to know how the comfort situation is before spending any more money.
The Big Rig
Member
The pads look uncomfortable. They look like their built from the same material as the rest of the cans.
LCfiner, HiResDes and all the pros out there...
I'm trying to figure out which direction should i take my headphone passion...here's the deal.
I currently own a Grado SR325 and a German Maestro GMP8.35 (my #1) and i love both of them very much and they have such different signatures... it makes me wonder what else is out there. Thing is, i keep hearing about the diminished quality upgrade in pricier headphones and that makes me second guess that direction...
so, should i enlarge my collection with other 250-400 cans (AKG 550, TMA Studio) or should i fork out the big cash in order to try out one of 'em big boys(HD 800, LCD2)?
I'm trying to figure out which direction should i take my headphone passion...here's the deal.
I currently own a Grado SR325 and a German Maestro GMP8.35 (my #1) and i love both of them very much and they have such different signatures... it makes me wonder what else is out there. Thing is, i keep hearing about the diminished quality upgrade in pricier headphones and that makes me second guess that direction...
so, should i enlarge my collection with other 250-400 cans (AKG 550, TMA Studio) or should i fork out the big cash in order to try out one of 'em big boys(HD 800, LCD2)?
Neko Mimi Mode
Member
Diminishing returns hits this hobby more than most, in my experience. In some ways it's a good thing, but yeah, Des is right about the sweet spot being $200-300.
One of my favorite comparisons for this is Beyerdynamic T1s vs the Shure SRH840s (the two best headphones IMO in their price range). Now the T1s are cleaner at the high end and the 840s have more bass, but they sound very very similar IMO. The T1s are undoubtedly superior but I really couldn't bring myself to recommend them at three to five times the cost, unless you really are looking for the very very best.
On that note, check out the Golden Ears charts (and opinions) for both to see what I mean;
http://en.goldenears.net/4213
http://en.goldenears.net/5272
Your Grado's are good cans and you may find better results by improving what you drive them with. What Amp/DAC are you using?
If you want to go ahead and get a new set of cans, I would recommend aiming for the $200-300 range. Let us know what kind of music you listen to for a rec.
First, what HiResDes said. Do you have a decent amp and DAC? it doesn't need to cost a fortune but you need something solid before getting into HD800s or similar.
Last year, I was at the point you are at now. Do I stick with multiple midrange headphones with different signatures or try out a big jump and just get one totl headphone. Well, I went with the totl option but then I found out that even these really expensive headphones have strengths and weaknesses just like their cheaper cousins. The weaknesses or differences in sonic signature are less pronounced but they are still there. So I ended up trying out a bunch of higher end cans one after another and the situation was the same as when I was messing around with 300 dollar headphones
I would recommend trying out the hd800, though. Getting one used is a good idea as it'll save you a lot of money and, if you sell it, you may only lose 50 to 100 bucks for the long term in house demo. The hd800 was the first uber headphone to really display a massive improvement in all areas over the cheaper headphones I had used before. Soundstage, tonal accuracy, bass extension, comfort. It's really great. It needs a good amp and dac but my experience is that you don't need to spend thousands for this. Something well designed and affordable like a schiit Asgard paired with a music streamer 2 DAC will give you the bulk of the HD800 performance and you can see if you like this type of very technically proficient, expansive sound.
I'm not a big fan of collecting multiple headphones in the house. I'm like this about all gadgets and items, though. If I'm not using it frequently, out it goes. So I can't recommend enlarging your collection with other midrange headphones. That becomes a lot of money sitting on shelves. Try them out if you like but if the plan is to keep them all but only use one or two regularly, then I say give a totl can a shot with that money.
EDIT: Oh and the fairly obvious suggestion is that if you like the 325 a lot and want something that is more refined than the 325 but similar in signature (less glare, less resonances, more balanced treble) try getting your hand on a used Magnum headphone. I’m not sure how much longer Symphones will be modifying new headphones with this but you can contact them and find out, if curious. I think the Magnum is excellent and a bargain for a taste of the kind of refinements you get moving up the ladder.
Piercedveil
Member
HiResDes, Hix and LCfiner, you guys are awesome, thanks for the answers...this is why i love HeadphoneGAF.
Anyways, as i was a album collector, i usually did my listening through a Sony system...wouldn't know about the amp in it...but i'm moving to a digital based system now cus it is way easier for me.
First step in the transition was to upgrade my library...almost everything i have is either FLAC or raw WAVs.
Second, i upgrade the sound card...i'm now running a Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium HD ( http://www.guru3d.com/article/sound-blaster-xfi-titanium-hd-review/10 link with specs for all the components) and just by doing that the quality is already stunning.
I'm running no desktop amp yet, but that would come with the territory if i chose to get one of the big boys. I also run FLACs through a samsung Galaxy 2s > Fiio E11...this is my mobile setup. Should i go for a DAC and/or desktop AMP first? Would i get benefits from them with my current cans?
Thanks in advance!
Anyways, as i was a album collector, i usually did my listening through a Sony system...wouldn't know about the amp in it...but i'm moving to a digital based system now cus it is way easier for me.
First step in the transition was to upgrade my library...almost everything i have is either FLAC or raw WAVs.
Second, i upgrade the sound card...i'm now running a Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium HD ( http://www.guru3d.com/article/sound-blaster-xfi-titanium-hd-review/10 link with specs for all the components) and just by doing that the quality is already stunning.
I'm running no desktop amp yet, but that would come with the territory if i chose to get one of the big boys. I also run FLACs through a samsung Galaxy 2s > Fiio E11...this is my mobile setup. Should i go for a DAC and/or desktop AMP first? Would i get benefits from them with my current cans?
Thanks in advance!
My experience has always been that the headphone, then amp, then DAC makes the biggest difference (this doesn’t include making that first step away from built in motherboard DACs and amps)
if you want to try something that’s low impedance and similar to your current headphones in price (e.g.: Grado PS500 or RS1), just get the headphone first and use them off your sound card, which is pretty decent. See if you notice and appreciate the differences.
if you wanted to try something with higher impedance and/or less efficiency (e.g.: Sennhesier HD650 or Hifiman HE-500) then you should look into a nice desktop amp first to help their power needs. I recommend the Schiit Asgard as a solid choice that should be an improvement over your sound card amp and won’t cost too much. A DAC could come later or you may want to look into something like the DACport ($400 USB powered DAC/amp) or the versatile nuforce HDP (~450 dac/amp/preamp).
if you ever want to increase your budget to headphones over $1000 and get a corresponding higher quality amp/ DAC, then advice becomes harder to give without knowing specific details of the sound sig you’re looking for. That’s why searching through head-fi can be informative since there’s lots of people who have tried out lots of gear so you can get a feel for how a combination might work out. But it’s also maddening as some of the guys who have real expensive setups will throw out opinions like the HD800 are “unlistenable" unless you have some $3K tube amp. gotta watch out for those exaggerations.
have fun!
EDIT. I gotta gush one more time about these HP1000. I’m listening to “Jazz at the pawnshop” and I’m feeling really transported to the club where this was recorded. absolutely incredible. I’m getting a more “in front of head” soundstage from these than I remember from the HD800. I guess it’s because the HD800 are so wide and tall in soundstage. jeesh. jazz isn’t usually my thing but this is excellent.
if you want to try something that’s low impedance and similar to your current headphones in price (e.g.: Grado PS500 or RS1), just get the headphone first and use them off your sound card, which is pretty decent. See if you notice and appreciate the differences.
if you wanted to try something with higher impedance and/or less efficiency (e.g.: Sennhesier HD650 or Hifiman HE-500) then you should look into a nice desktop amp first to help their power needs. I recommend the Schiit Asgard as a solid choice that should be an improvement over your sound card amp and won’t cost too much. A DAC could come later or you may want to look into something like the DACport ($400 USB powered DAC/amp) or the versatile nuforce HDP (~450 dac/amp/preamp).
if you ever want to increase your budget to headphones over $1000 and get a corresponding higher quality amp/ DAC, then advice becomes harder to give without knowing specific details of the sound sig you’re looking for. That’s why searching through head-fi can be informative since there’s lots of people who have tried out lots of gear so you can get a feel for how a combination might work out. But it’s also maddening as some of the guys who have real expensive setups will throw out opinions like the HD800 are “unlistenable" unless you have some $3K tube amp. gotta watch out for those exaggerations.
have fun!
EDIT. I gotta gush one more time about these HP1000. I’m listening to “Jazz at the pawnshop” and I’m feeling really transported to the club where this was recorded. absolutely incredible. I’m getting a more “in front of head” soundstage from these than I remember from the HD800. I guess it’s because the HD800 are so wide and tall in soundstage. jeesh. jazz isn’t usually my thing but this is excellent.
Piercedveil
Member
I found a decent deal on some used M50s from an authorized Audio Technica dealer on Amazon. Good idea or should I spend a bit more and buy new?
The entire post featuring this photo:
Listening to headphones and comparing/contrasting is never that easy for me. I'm starting to hate you and your relationship with Grado cans, LC... but only because I'm envious.
If it's authorized, you're probably fine... as long as I don't get them before you do.
Check out this combo, just started shipping, but is popular with the HeadFi (as well as some of HeadphoneGAF too).
JDS Labs O2 Amp/ODAC (you're looking for the combo, not the board itself)
It's not that easy for me, either.
although, it might be easier for me than for others since I dont hear differences with headphone cables, power cords, interconnects or any DAC over a couple hundred bucks.
so that helps me focus
mhayze
Member
So I posted this a little while ago and thought I’d summarize my thoughts on the rare HP-1 from Grado
Some thoughts on the HP-1 (HP1000) after a little over a week of ownership. This is a long one. Grab a beer. I had one while writing this.
{snip}
Equipment: My amp is an ALO Amphora. DAC is an HRT MS2. Although I also used a Yulong D18 for a little time. Music files were mostly 320 kbps MP3 from iTunes with a few FLAC files in Fidelia.
Good post. I had my requisite beer as I read. As a former HP-2 owner, I agree with a lot of what you had to say, except maybe the Stax comparison. Your HP-1 looks pristine, I must say. I mainly listen to my Audezes and HD800s nowadays. As you say, the HD800 is not the best for everything, but with the right music, with the right amp and source, it is sublime. For the rest, there's the Audeze. When I find the right amp, I will buy Stax though. I still own two pairs of Grados, but I let the HP-2 go to a fellow head-fi'er.
Piercedveil
Member
Just ordered my M50s can't wait!
can't wait!
shira
Member
Black silver or white?Just ordered my M50s
Piercedveil
Member
Just black with coiled cable. I also thought the white looked very nice.
thanks.
Full disclosure. that photo is not mine. it’s a photo I grabbed off the net. Mine arrived with around 80% of the lettering around the edge already gone so I took off the remaining lettering to make it look cleaner. I would not pay the extra grand that pristine HP1000s go for on ebay.
As for the Stax comparison, I think the Stax does a few important things better than the HP1000 (soundstage, bass extension) but I could not afford the amp to drive them that would (potentially) make them better at dynamic impact than the HP1000 (or any good dynamic headphone, really). Plus the HP1000 are more comfortable and don’t make the sides of my face feel all warm.
yeah, all those headphones I listed are pretty great. Before these HP1 came up for sale, I was seriously considering rebuying the HD800 since I liked it so much. Maybe I will in a few more years if or when used prices get below $800.
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