You can go to Bestbuy and hear the MDR-1R anytime you want, but the MDR-1R is much smoother sounding, but maybe a tad less crisp in the midrange. The bass offers more impact and quantity and is a bit looser than on the M50. The MDR-1R also sports a slightly wider soundstage. The M50's advantage is mostly in its midrange, which is a bit clearer and more aggressive sounding than the Sony's, but I think the treble range is more of a wash. Rolled-off treble versus peaky treble...
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$500 cans on, this is how you dream right - Official Headphone Thread
- Thread starter HiResDes
- Start date
Glorified G
Member
Thanks for the quick replies
There's been bad things said about the Studios, and I'm talking about the word coming from original TMA-1 owners. It also worries me that people report that the rubberized finish cracks and peels off too easily.
IMO you should be looking for a set of cans which have a distinctly different sound signature than the TMA-1s. Here's a thread on head-fi that might help you: Comparisons: B&W P7, PSB M4U2, Momentum, MDR-1R, QC15, DT1350, UE9000, Beats Studio (2013) &...
I got them. cross post from head-fi, for anyone curious about these:
Being driven from the Burson 160D.
First impressions using them with the default comfy pads is that they have more bass boom that the RS1i, but it feels imprecise and smoothed out over the frequencies. a little muddy down low. high frequencies and mids not as energetic and soundstage is less precise.
so, around 10 minutes later I put on the standard L cush bowls. Now were talking! this should be considered a mandatory installation to these cans considering they cost $400. the comfies make them sound a bit more like SR60s
So, with the L cush pads, we get thinner but much better defined bass than with the comfies. I think the drivers are tuned for more bass than the RS1i - maybe a bigger hump around 100 Hz? Bass isnt quite as tight as on the RS1i. Theres slightly more oomph on some tracks compared to the RS1i but a bit less detail. And the upper mids around 2K are a bit less shouty. so some loud female vocals might bite less on the Bushmills than the RS1i.
Id also say that the treble on the RS1i is a bit peakier but that helps add to the sense of energy that the RS1i has - its one of the most energetic sounding Grados. The Bushmills are a bit more sedated. Maybe a bit more like the SR225 or RS2 in tone.
I find that soundstage and imaging is real close between the two when they both use bowls. The placement of instruments and size of instruments in space seem to be about the same when listening casually. The RS1 can sound slightly more open on some tracks but I think thats just the higher treble emphasis fooling me into thing theres more space.
I can't tell much of a difference at all when it comes to graininess to the sound or smoothness or details. they both seem to be on par here with the only differences being the tonality and not the quality. This is a bit different to my experience comparing the SR225 to the RS1i where the SR225 sounded a little rougher on some delicate vocal tracks. I dont hear the same difference in quality with the Bushmills compared to the RS1i but maybe Im just not listening to enough music that would make it obvious.
So this is really only after a couple hours of listening - all just first impressions. I really like them with bowls. They sound open and very much like the Grado sound that we expect, given the tonality differences we hear between all the headphones in the SR and RS lines. They are not tuned to sound like the much weightier PS500. That they come kinda close to the RS1i is pretty good, Id say.
Being driven from the Burson 160D.
First impressions using them with the default comfy pads is that they have more bass boom that the RS1i, but it feels imprecise and smoothed out over the frequencies. a little muddy down low. high frequencies and mids not as energetic and soundstage is less precise.
so, around 10 minutes later I put on the standard L cush bowls. Now were talking! this should be considered a mandatory installation to these cans considering they cost $400. the comfies make them sound a bit more like SR60s
So, with the L cush pads, we get thinner but much better defined bass than with the comfies. I think the drivers are tuned for more bass than the RS1i - maybe a bigger hump around 100 Hz? Bass isnt quite as tight as on the RS1i. Theres slightly more oomph on some tracks compared to the RS1i but a bit less detail. And the upper mids around 2K are a bit less shouty. so some loud female vocals might bite less on the Bushmills than the RS1i.
Id also say that the treble on the RS1i is a bit peakier but that helps add to the sense of energy that the RS1i has - its one of the most energetic sounding Grados. The Bushmills are a bit more sedated. Maybe a bit more like the SR225 or RS2 in tone.
I find that soundstage and imaging is real close between the two when they both use bowls. The placement of instruments and size of instruments in space seem to be about the same when listening casually. The RS1 can sound slightly more open on some tracks but I think thats just the higher treble emphasis fooling me into thing theres more space.
I can't tell much of a difference at all when it comes to graininess to the sound or smoothness or details. they both seem to be on par here with the only differences being the tonality and not the quality. This is a bit different to my experience comparing the SR225 to the RS1i where the SR225 sounded a little rougher on some delicate vocal tracks. I dont hear the same difference in quality with the Bushmills compared to the RS1i but maybe Im just not listening to enough music that would make it obvious.
So this is really only after a couple hours of listening - all just first impressions. I really like them with bowls. They sound open and very much like the Grado sound that we expect, given the tonality differences we hear between all the headphones in the SR and RS lines. They are not tuned to sound like the much weightier PS500. That they come kinda close to the RS1i is pretty good, Id say.
I havent posted here in a while. Ive just been cruising along with mostly speakers at home, occasional Grado RS1 usage and the KEF M200 at work.
But I just saw that Grado has released a closed back (its a vented back) headphone in partnership with Bushmills whiskey and I just impulse bought it for $400. I should get it by early next week. My curiosity got the better of me. I have to hear how a closed Grado sounds - and how theyve tuned it. More dark like the PS500 or brighter like the RS series?
Ill come back with some impressions next week in case anyone is curious to try these.
http://turntablelab.com/products/grado-the-bushmills-x-grado-labs-headphone
D
Deleted member 22576
Unconfirmed Member
Uh, Well I just ordered the AIAIAI TMA1 studio addition and a nuforce udac2 DAC/AMP 
Will update whenever they arrive. At the very least its gonna look impossibly badass with my computer.
Will update whenever they arrive. At the very least its gonna look impossibly badass with my computer.
Haint
Member
Picked up the HD650 with the Sennheiser.com pre-BF coupon stack, the HE400's on BF for $299, and a Fiio Andes for $59. The HD650's are the greatest audio product I have ever heard and the Andes probably isn't even doing them justice. If I broke this pair tomorrow I would plop down $500 for a replacement with a smile on--and for perspective, I'm poor. There is no comparison whatsoever to the $50-$100 gear I have previously owned like the CAL's or M50's, these are at least 5 leagues apart. The difference IMO is as (if not more) significant than upgrading from a low quality HTiB to a very good pair of towers and sub. I can not emphasize enough how worth it it is to pay or save up the extra couple hundo or whatever, or at the very least try from somewhere with a 30 day trial.
The HE400's, well, all I have to say is do they commonly ship broken or are they a popular counterfeit? I got them through Kraft City Audio (Amazon Marketplace, FBA) who are an authorized reseller according to Hifiman, but these have to either be defective or counterfeit. Bass is non existent (and I don't just mean light or subdued, full on non-existent) and they are sibilant to the point of sounding broken. I can't imagine this is actually how they're supposed to sound with the very positive reputation they have earned in headphone circles. Only other explanation I can conceive of is that they're so comically oversized, the cups hang off the back of my head providing no seal for bass response whatsoever. Whatever the case, needless to say, they are going back with bells on.
The HE400's, well, all I have to say is do they commonly ship broken or are they a popular counterfeit? I got them through Kraft City Audio (Amazon Marketplace, FBA) who are an authorized reseller according to Hifiman, but these have to either be defective or counterfeit. Bass is non existent (and I don't just mean light or subdued, full on non-existent) and they are sibilant to the point of sounding broken. I can't imagine this is actually how they're supposed to sound with the very positive reputation they have earned in headphone circles. Only other explanation I can conceive of is that they're so comically oversized, the cups hang off the back of my head providing no seal for bass response whatsoever. Whatever the case, needless to say, they are going back with bells on.
Robobandit
Member
Your amp and DAC can affect the way a pair of headphone sounds as well.
Since you said they fit loosely on your head, though... that seems like the most likely explanation for the lack of bass.
Since you said they fit loosely on your head, though... that seems like the most likely explanation for the lack of bass.
@Reallink. Congrats on the purchase. The HD650 are one of the best headphones out there and scale up really well with better amps and DACs. When your wallet has recovered, look into a nice amp for the HD650 and, depending on the quality of your source now, a better DAC.
Without having to break the bank, you may have good success with the Schitt Modi DAC and their new Vali tube hybrid amp ($220 combined)
Without having to break the bank, you may have good success with the Schitt Modi DAC and their new Vali tube hybrid amp ($220 combined)
Haint
Member
Thanks for the heads up, I had those guys bookmarked from the recent audiophiliac article.
Do IEM's scale as significantly as these over ears (I mean makes/models tiers in general, not with amps/dacs)? Best pair I've ever had are probably some ATH CKM50's, but the difference here is larger than I could have imagined and is making me want a pair of the well regarded IEM's like the B2's or RE400's.
I went up and down the IEM ladder earlier this year as I was so curious. I found that - to my ears - the crazy 1000 dollar IEMs are not as big an improvement over the ones that cost between 200 and 400. They are technically better but the difference just isnt as big to me as it can be with headphones. The soundstage is just never as impressive and wide as with a headphone. Bass doesnt hit as hard. Or, if it does, it seems a little weird because its just not moving as much air around the ear.
Now, 300 for an IEM isnt cheap but thats around the spot where I would stop. Myself, I found a good balance with the Kef M200 ($200) as they have good (for an IEM) soundstage, bass and mids. But theres a ton of choice in this price range and some have harder bass or more lively treble. Or are just smaller and more comfy.
I think the RE400 is a good one to try. its not too expensive, is mostly neutral and its small and comfortable.
Now, 300 for an IEM isnt cheap but thats around the spot where I would stop. Myself, I found a good balance with the Kef M200 ($200) as they have good (for an IEM) soundstage, bass and mids. But theres a ton of choice in this price range and some have harder bass or more lively treble. Or are just smaller and more comfy.
I think the RE400 is a good one to try. its not too expensive, is mostly neutral and its small and comfortable.
I absolutely think so, yes. Their main drawback is comfort because they have wide 10mm bores. ya gotta really stretch out yer earholes to get them to fit right. But their sound is uncomfortably similar to a few of the much higher priced luxury IEMs that have been coming out last year.
oyoshimaru
Member
Looking for some recommendations. First of all, I mainly listen to 70s-90s rock. (Pink Floyd thru Radiohead) but occasionally listen to Pop and Hip hop. My range is not very limited, I can go up to $500. I've been looking at the Vmoda M100, Sennheiser HD 25-1 II, Sony MDR-1R, AT M50. I don't really know much about headphones but I hope to get something that sounds well. Thanks in advance!
See You Next Wednesday
Banned
Well this stinks, bought some comfortable velour earpads to replace my Superlux HD681 stock ones & now the treble/highs sounds off.
What's a good amp to remedy this? Doesn't have to be compact, I use these headphones for my PC.
What's a good amp to remedy this? Doesn't have to be compact, I use these headphones for my PC.
I'd definitely recommend checking out the KEF M500.
Garou
Member
I am looking for a christmas-present recommendation:
-Up to 80$
-Some rather complicated request: Should not leak sound to the outside. At the same time one should be able to hear ones surroundings as good as possible
-Earphones or Headphones are both OK, but regarding the above I guess earphones are better?
-Relevant Music-genre is Rock
Is such a combination possible? Help me Phono-GAF!
-Up to 80$
-Some rather complicated request: Should not leak sound to the outside. At the same time one should be able to hear ones surroundings as good as possible
-Earphones or Headphones are both OK, but regarding the above I guess earphones are better?
-Relevant Music-genre is Rock
Is such a combination possible? Help me Phono-GAF!
Headphone-gaf, what's up!
I'm in the market for new headphones for portable music listening & podcast's whilst commuting 'round the town.
- Budget: up-to 120, although I'd rather stay under 100's.
- Comfortable to wear even few hours at a time.
- In-line mic would be cool.
- Portable.
- Primary music use: Electronic & Trance.
- And durable.
So far, I've been eyeing various sale's and I found out that the Sony MDR-10RC's http://www.sony.co.uk/product/hps-prestige-headband/mdr-10rc retail for around 80 here. Which pretty much tick almost all of my preferences. There doesn't seem to be that many reviews of them, though.
Any other headphones to keep an eye out? Preferably looking for getting the most out of my purchase.
I'm in the market for new headphones for portable music listening & podcast's whilst commuting 'round the town.
- Budget: up-to 120, although I'd rather stay under 100's.
- Comfortable to wear even few hours at a time.
- In-line mic would be cool.
- Portable.
- Primary music use: Electronic & Trance.
- And durable.
So far, I've been eyeing various sale's and I found out that the Sony MDR-10RC's http://www.sony.co.uk/product/hps-prestige-headband/mdr-10rc retail for around 80 here. Which pretty much tick almost all of my preferences. There doesn't seem to be that many reviews of them, though.
Any other headphones to keep an eye out? Preferably looking for getting the most out of my purchase.
Thanks Des. I tried reading up on the clone differences, most stated that they sound very similar with the XPT100 with a more flexible headband. I think I will be skipping these right now, too neutral from what I heard but if I had to buy one, I would go with the XPT100, has a lot of extras like the 2 cables, 1/4" adapter, and case like the HM5 I believe.
I think the Fostex T50RP that are priced around $100 would be a better buy for me as it can be modded for around $50 in materials.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008JFRRYK/
or if you want something a bit more pricey:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GFLV7V4/
Like the hat?
Banned
My wife is looking for a gift for her godson, and he wants some headphones. While we would love to get him some crazy eat ones, he's ten years old. Our budget is an absolute maximum of $100, and we'd prefer something from amazon. Any thoughts? Would also prefer something relatively durable.
Grado SR225
Honestly, it depends what youre looking for. If you want the same upfront sound of the SR60 but better refined, stick with Grado and I recommend the SR225 as a step up. If youre looking for a change - bigger soundstage, more extended bass, darker sound, or maybe something closed and portable, whatever - then theres lots of other choices.
Blimey, hadn't even heard about the RHA's. Those seem right at my alley and under the budget too.
Definitely trying to find those locally to try them on.
Cheers again.
Sennheiser Amperior would be great if you ever want to go closed - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009QV14MC/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I said got dayum! There's my option!
Chance Hale
Member
As a recent high quality headphones owner(Black Friday HE-400s) what's the best place to find high quality music files outside of piracy? Blu-rays and DVDs would be above CDs right and all of those are above streaming? Was recommended FLACs in another thread which I know of but it seems somewhat hard to find them and the site linked was down.
Well, FLAC actually isn't anything special. Not in the way you're thinking of, at least. As far as sound quality is concerned, it's just WAV in a smaller file size. FLAC gets you bit-perfect playback of any regular CD you care to rip. While it's possible to rip higher-quality music (from, say, SACDs) or get higher-quality music from live sources, ripping your own music to FLAC'd be a pretty great way to start.
Chance Hale
Member
Ah ok, am a bit confused over the quality of certain sources though. How does a CD compare to others exactly? And I have the Beatles USB stick from the big remaster a few years back that has flac versions of every album, how does that register on the scale? All very new to me as audio was something I'd never really paid attention to unlike video.
Edit: To clarify the first post's flac question I was asking whether there was any site to download high quality music as from what I understand amazon/itunes are lacking. Although I still plan on buying CDs/Blus etc. This is all very exciting, will be nice to hear some of my favorite music in new ways.
Haint
Member
Can't comment on the 650 Vs. 600, but see my post just above for thoughts on the 650 Vs. 400.
I really hated the 400's, but it's entirely possible they were either too large for my head or I had a defective sample. 650s have inspired RL bandaras gifs and out loud wows daily. Based on what I heard (and remember this may only apply to my head or a defective sample) the 400's were very very sibilant and bass effectively didn't exist at all. The 650's meanwhile sound like a great pair of loudspeakers in a sound treated room, everything is just right as far as I'm concerned.
Don't be silly there isn't much of a difference between high quality mp3s and FLAC. There isn't anything really above FLAC and even if they were you wouldn't hear it even if you were listening with the HD800s.
Remember that FLAC or lossless formats don't fix badly mixed and mastered music. FLAC is useful because it serves as a good archival audio format, which is useful if you want to convert music to other formats while minimising quality loss. You can buy 4TB hard drives these days so the main trade-off of FLAC (file sizes) isn't really a problem.
Chance Hale
Member
Depends more on the mastering then? Different articles seem to say different things, although some seem to be written before itunes improved their download quality/amazon was a thing. To make it clear I am asking questions, not making statements as I really don't have much experience with audio. Let's say I want to listen to the latest Flaming Lips album. Should I buy the CD, get it from amazon, or is there a 3rd option given there is no blu-ray audio available?
Mastering is key, 256 kbps aac or mp3 are both nearly cd quality...Most people can't hear the difference between 160 kbps aac and FLAC, as much as apparent audiophiles love to obsess over bitrate
Hi, I'd like some recommendations for my 16 year old daughter. She is WAY into Monstercat right now and wanted some hq headphones to go with it. She was thinking Beats over-ear noise canceling headphones because she likes to be enclosed without distraction, but also due to marketing pressure. I want her to enjoy the sound without so much audio processing.
I'd like her to have good quality closed headphones with good passive isolation. No processed notice canceling. Thinking around $150, I'd like to have Amazon Prime as my store. *I* like Sens, but these are for her. Can I have some help?
I'd like her to have good quality closed headphones with good passive isolation. No processed notice canceling. Thinking around $150, I'd like to have Amazon Prime as my store. *I* like Sens, but these are for her. Can I have some help?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000TDZOXG/?tag=neogaf0e-20
A bit over $150, but they're well liked. I've seen many DJs using these headphones, too.
Edit: and recommend her some good music, please! lol
I use the 256 kbps aac for all my cds. I could not hear the difference between the AAC and ALAC so I decided to just save the space on my laptop. The one thing I did notice was that earlier songs or albums from the Beatles anthology set were pretty awful in both AAC and ALAC format. I therefore came to the conclusion that mastery and well recorded tracks were key to sound quality, at least for me.
Chance Hale
Member
Any particular software recommended for the best ripping of CDs? Anyone have experience with the blu-ray audio in particular? Appreciate the knowledge, massive field with a lot of things to take in for someone who has never thought about such things before.
When my drive worked, I used EAC to rip my CDs. No experience with BD ripping, sorry.
super-famicom
Member
For OSX users, I recommend Max. It's free and can rip CDs to many different formats, including MP3, Apple Lossless, and FLAC.
I keep my music library in 320kbps MP3 and FLAC.
Well, she used to listen to the Beatles, but she grew out of it.
Anyway, those look like ON ear, not over ear, right?
What about sennheiser HD 380 Pro
Chance Hale
Member
How does one grow of the beatles? Thanks for the ripping suggestions. To clarify my comment about blu-ray audio, I meant general impressions rather than ripping although if anything specific applies then I'd appreciate that knowledge . Use MakeMKV for blu-rays when I have to but it tends to compress the files a bit so it's not very often. Imagine audio blu-rays are somewhat different.
She's 16 and she used to love everything dad liked. Now she's pushing back.
I am looking for a set of wireless headphones for gaming/movie use as we have a baby on the way and I wont be able to enjoy my surround sound system cranked to the max when I game anymore.
I was looking at the Sennheiser RS-180, but wanted to check in here first to see if there is any other set I should be looking into?
Budget would be anywhere from 300-500, would kinda prefer to get the best audio quality possible for a wireless set in that price range.
Thanks in advance.
I was looking at the Sennheiser RS-180, but wanted to check in here first to see if there is any other set I should be looking into?
Budget would be anywhere from 300-500, would kinda prefer to get the best audio quality possible for a wireless set in that price range.
Thanks in advance.
Audio BDs have a higher quality files on them, because they have a lot more space than CDs. I'm pretty sure you won't be able to notice the difference between a BD recording and a CD recording, unless they're not the same mix.
Sounds like it's between the KEF M500 and the Sennheiser Momentum. Any thoughts?
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