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[Giant Robot]

If you like Grado, try the Grado iGi. It's not exactly the same sound signature as their earpad cans, but they're pretty great in their own right and an excellent deal for about $80. It's as close to the Grado signature in an IEM you're gonna get.

damn, thanks for the suggestion. I wasn't even aware Grado made IEM's. I already took my chances and went for the MEElectronics promotion though.

 

[Gummifaust]

I have a little trouble understanding the whole headphone amp/dac business. I would like to connect the headphone to my laptop and my AV amp (my old Denon 3801). So what would be the best solution for the entry level?

This one seems to be very good except it's lacking an input for my AV receiver (or am I missing something): http://www.headfonia.com/audinst-hud-mx1-dac/

 

[Zeth]

So I picked up the Klipsch S4i as a portable for use with iphone/ipad. I think it compliments my home Grado SR225s pretty well. They have a definite "colored" sound in that the highs can be a little bright and the bass a little exaggerated with less detail. I don't find anything wrong with that at all since I was assuming it would be a fun IEM not a critical one since the price is barely $100. Haven't really burned them in but maybe I'll give it a shot since some headfi'ers claim they open up after 100 hours. These are also my first IEM and they fit and seal really well. They cable noise is atrocious however, luckily they fit really nicely over-ear and that nearly eliminates all cable noise.

I've been thinking about some new full size phones to *compliment* my SR225i. Since it's gonna cost upwards of $600 to significantly upgrade those phones while retaining the Grado sig I've decided to instead try to add something that excels at electronic music, bass, hip hop since the Grados are weakest with that. I'm wondering if the M50s would compliment them.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Hey GAF need some advice. The spring / chord retention thing on my ATH-m50's popped out a few weeks ago. As a result, the sheathing has been coming out of the connector and exposing the wire over time. I fix it by drawing it back down, but I think it's ridiculous that this is occurring. Is this worth an RMA seeing as they are only 3 months old?

 

[Alucrid]

I have a little trouble understanding the whole headphone amp/dac business. I would like to connect the headphone to my laptop and my AV amp (my old Denon 3801). So what would be the best solution for the entry level?

This one seems to be very good except it's lacking an input for my AV receiver (or am I missing something): http://www.headfonia.com/audinst-hud-mx1-dac/

You can try the Tubemagic D1, a preamp/dac/headphone amp. It has an RCA in and line in for your receiver and a USB in for your computer. It's a pretty decent headphone amp, especially if it's used only for something like the 555s or M50s. It also has coax and optical in so you can use it with PS3/360s.

 

[opticalmace]

So I picked up the Klipsch S4i as a portable for use with iphone/ipad. I think it compliments my home Grado SR225s pretty well. They have a definite "colored" sound in that the highs can be a little bright and the bass a little exaggerated with less detail. I don't find anything wrong with that at all since I was assuming it would be a fun IEM not a critical one since the price is barely $100. Haven't really burned them in but maybe I'll give it a shot since some headfi'ers claim they open up after 100 hours. These are also my first IEM and they fit and seal really well. They cable noise is atrocious however, luckily they fit really nicely over-ear and that nearly eliminates all cable noise.

I've been thinking about some new full size phones to *compliment* my SR225i. Since it's gonna cost upwards of $600 to significantly upgrade those phones while retaining the Grado sig I've decided to instead try to add something that excels at electronic music, bass, hip hop since the Grados are weakest with that. I'm wondering if the M50s would compliment them.

I can say my Denon D-2000 excels at electronica, hip-hop, and generally bass.

 

[PflargBlarg]

D'oh, I accidentally deleted my subscription to this thread. My LCD-2s are coming close to 100 hours of play time and I have to say I am really glad I bought these. I'm not a huge upgrade freak or anything so I don't see myself buying any new cans for quite a while. I'm quite satisfied staying with them.

On the other hand, I want to get better portables. SM3 sounds like the obvious choice unless anyone has some better suggestions?

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Anyone on my previous post?

 

[Jesus Carbomb]

That's what warranties are for. Use it. Get the problem fixed. Be happy.

 

[IrishNinja]

looking at superflux hd 681s, just a few questions before i pull the trigger:

1) i mostly wanna play vidjah games and listen to hip-hop with them. i understand they're not super-awesome for bass, but im hoping they're not horrible for it? is this a good choice?

2) this is a good price for them, yeah?

3) any idea how long the cord is? if i need to extend it, does that affect quality?

4) am i going to hate that much of my music collection is 128-192kbs now?

Spoiler

sup res!

 

[Gravijah]

looking at superflux hd 681s, just a few questions before i pull the trigger:

1) i mostly wanna play vidjah games and listen to hip-hop with them. i understand they're not super-awesome for bass, but im hoping they're not horrible for it? is this a good choice?

2) this is a good price for them, yeah?

3) any idea how long the cord is? if i need to extend it, does that affect quality?

4) am i going to hate that much of my music collection is 128-192kbs now?

Spoiler

sup res!

Have you compared those to the HARX700s? I know they cost around the same price, I'm just not much of a headphone nut to know which is superior.

 

[IrishNinja]

oh man, im totally new to this and going on kamspy/des' say so with this pair. no idea how they stack up - do you have the latter, and if so, thoughts?

 

[Gravijah]

oh man, im totally new to this and going on kamspy/des' say so with this pair. no idea how they stack up - do you have the latter, and if so, thoughts?

I had a pair of HARX700s before moving up to the HARX900s and they were absolutely amazing. They also had pretty nice bass for the hippity hopping.

 

[SolarPowered]

I actually didn't expect to see the thread on the first page so I guess this is as good a time as any...

The Beyer DT-990s have been amazing for the first two weeks or so after nearly two hundred hours of burn in, but something just went wrong while I was playing Bayonetta with them plugged into the receiver. The sound on the left side kept cutting off. I hoped it would be a problem with the game(I just beat Mirror's edge a day ago and they were fantastic the whole way through) or the plug, but something is definitely up with the phones. I tried the M50 and they are crystal clear. I guess I'm gonna have to return the Beyers and get brand new ones. I already fired off an email to the seller from amazon.

Two hundred hours of burn in gone...

;_;

 

[K.Jack]

Wow, I forgot all about the FiiO E11.

I might order one to test with my laptop.

 

[HiResDes]

Harx700 have better isolation, maybe slightly more bass

SR850/HD681 sound better overall

...Oh and that sucks about the DT990's, but you should be able to get a full return or exchange right?

 

[SteveO409]

Been flustering around for days on whether or not to order Denon D2000s. I currently own AD700 and TripleFi v10 but they don't offer the "oomph" in the music I listen to which are K-pop, rock, and heavy metal. I'm just going to come home late one day drunk and click on the order link lol

 

[K.Jack]

Fuck it. Just ordered an E11 from Head-Direct. It's too pretty, and the initials coming from Head-Fi are very positive.

 

[Ark]

Been flustering around for days on whether or not to order Denon D2000s. I currently own AD700 and TripleFi v10 but they don't offer the "oomph" in the music I listen to which are K-pop, rock, and heavy metal. I'm just going to come home late one day drunk and click on the order link lol

Click that link now, you wont regret it.

The D2000's are magnificent headphones, I'm using them with my E7 right now infact.

 

[sharkmuncher]

Had my Grado SR80s for almost a year and still absolutely love them, although every day I get more an more tempted to upgrade to the 325s (I love those metal cups). That is all.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Headphone-Gaf, best overall headphones for $150 or less. Go!

 

[sharkmuncher]

Headphone-Gaf, best overall headphones for $150 or less. Go!

Going to need more info.
Use (Games, movies, music [genre])
Mobile or home
Open or closed
Phones or IEMs

I suggest looking at OP and coming back. Someone will be more than happy to help, but specifics are needed.

 

[Ashhong]

Who cares about what he's looking for, the answer will be Audio Technica M50s

 

[sixteen-bit]

Headphone-Gaf, best overall headphones for $150 or less. Go!

ATH M50 [/default thread answer]

edit: lol, beaten

 

[AwesomeSauce]

Harx700 have better isolation, maybe slightly more bass

SR850/HD681 sound better overall

...Oh and that sucks about the DT990's, but you should be able to get a full return or exchange right?

@IrishNinja

If you're anywhere sensitive to sibilance, i heard to avoid the HD681 and go for the 668b/SR850s. SR850 are more neutral and probably don't have as much bass as the HD681 so if you're looking for bass i would look elsewhere or maybe the Sony XB line.

About the RX700's they are great cans for the money, i think my only beef with them are the pads can get hot for me overtime (If anyone knows replacement pads that will fit, let me know) and they can get sibilant/harsh on some tracks (Most people won't notice it and i am unfortunately sensitive to harsh/sibilance and can hear it sometimes on the RX700).

 

[SolarPowered]

...Oh and that sucks about the DT990's, but you should be able to get a full return or exchange right?

Yeah, they said they'd gladly exchange them for new ones. I already dropped the package off at the UPS store so it'll probably be a few days of M50 listening for me.

Headphone-Gaf, best overall headphones for $150 or less. Go!

A little more information on how you might use them would be great.

 

[IrishNinja]

huh. what's sibilance, and again, anyone know how long the cord is on that set? id like to sit at the opposite end of the room from my receiver, but it's not a big apartment.

 

[opticalmace]

Had my Grado SR80s for almost a year and still absolutely love them, although every day I get more an more tempted to upgrade to the 325s (I love those metal cups). That is all.

Are those the senn pads? I got some for my SR-80 but didn't care for them.

 

[AwesomeSauce]

huh. what's sibilance, and again, anyone know how long the cord is on that set? id like to sit at the opposite end of the room from my receiver, but it's not a big apartment.

Sibilance is when the sounds with s's etc sound harsh/sharp enough to make you cringe. When i hear it, it reminds me of someone scratching the chalk board. Sorry for the crappy definition :/ but you don't know what it is, so you probably aren't sensitive to it i hope.

Also I'm sure the cord is long enough to reach where across your receiver. The cans you're looking at are pretty generous with cord lengths, also if it's too short by any chance you can buy an extension.

 

[SolarPowered]

Had my Grado SR80s for almost a year and still absolutely love them, although every day I get more an more tempted to upgrade to the 325s (I love those metal cups). That is all.

I miss my Grado so much. If I got my hands on $300 I would probably buy the 325i in a heartbeat. I'm a Grado man with no Grado...

 

[SonofdonCD]

Here we go.

I need a pair of headphones that I can wear with a hat, but I HATE earbuds, since they never stay in my ears. I have a pair of open headphones that wrap around the back of your head, but they don't pump out a lot of sound at all. The train or bus I take are often louder than the headphones.

So, to recap:
A good pair of travel headphones I can wear with a hat
Preferably NOT earbuds
Good output of sound
Not too expensive (let's say no more than $60, and preferably less)

So, without going too expensive, give me some suggestions GAF!

 

[Ikuu]

Have you tried the ones that you put into your ear canal? They block out most of the noise and shouldn't fall out.

I use these for going out and about, don't want to spend much as I tend to break them (broke a pair Snowboarding and another I got caught in a door).

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Going to need more info.
Use (Games, movies, music [genre])
Mobile or home
Open or closed
Phones or IEMs

I suggest looking at OP and coming back. Someone will be more than happy to help, but specifics are needed.

Sorry for the lack of information. I am looking for something for music while at work. I use earbuds now so any really awesome earbud suggestions would be great but I also love closed over the ear headphones. I don't want them too huge, so I can take them with me when I travel. Thanks!

 

[IrishNinja]

Sibilance is when the sounds with s's etc sound harsh/sharp enough to make you cringe. When i hear it, it reminds me of someone scratching the chalk board. Sorry for the crappy definition :/ but you don't know what it is, so you probably aren't sensitive to it i hope.

Also I'm sure the cord is long enough to reach where across your receiver. The cans you're looking at are pretty generous with cord lengths, also if it's too short by any chance you can buy an extension.

shit, now that you've said it like that, im afraid it'll be a problem, haha...gonna try to forget about it.

just ordered a pair off amazon ($6 shipping? boo), thanks guys!

 

[Giant Robot]

I went in on the MEElectronics grab bag promotion they got going on. $20 for a mystery IEM's with a guaranteed value of $30 or more.

Got the M31's today and are my first real IEM's. The retailed at $49 i think. My intention was to use these with my iPod, but I dont have it on me today. So listening to these via my laptop and its a drastic change i need to get accustomed to, especially coming from Grado SR80is. Really bass heavy with a lot of loss in the midrange. I wasn't expecting headcan quality and it's been a while since I've listened to anything on my iPods + earbuds.

 

[Jarate]

my mom picked me up some HEC NCH20 for 15 bucks

how good are they?

 

[opticalmace]

my mom picked me up some HEC NCH20 for 15 bucks

how good are they?

Probably the same as most run-of-the-mill headphones around $15.

Why not just try them?

 

[woxel1]

Just got my M50s today; let them burn in for a paltry five hours but they're sort of a dream come true for me. The sound they produce... is like passionate lovemaking. I can't describe it any other way

 

[HiResDes]

I went in on the MEElectronics grab bag promotion they got going on. $20 for a mystery IEM's with a guaranteed value of $30 or more.

Got the M31's today and are my first real IEM's. The retailed at $49 i think. My intention was to use these with my iPod, but I dont have it on me today. So listening to these via my laptop and its a drastic change i need to get accustomed to, especially coming from Grado SR80is. Really bass heavy with a lot of loss in the midrange. I wasn't expecting headcan quality and it's been a while since I've listened to anything on my iPods + earbuds.

M21s > M31's, seriously...That's why this random IEM business wasn't really a good deal unless you get one from their clarity series.

 

[turnbuckle]

Thanks to this thread I just purchased the m50s and the FiiO E7 amp. Moved to a new office and the sound from my co-workers bleeds through the walls like crazy and it just drives me nuts. My Technics 1200s are falling apart and I needed an upgrade.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

You'll be very happy with that combination.

Just got my M50s today; let them burn in for a paltry five hours but they're sort of a dream come true for me. The sound they produce... is like passionate lovemaking. I can't describe it any other way

Welcome to the M50 family.

 

[Jeff Stephen]

So I plug in my HD595 today and the L side is no longer working. Any quick fixes or is it just a lost cause?

 

[Max Armstrong]

Help!

I just bought a pair of Sennheiser HD55 and when I plug them into my TV, it makes this crackling/static sound. But it only does it when there is music or dialog. Did some Google search, but couldn't find anything TV related. I played with every option related to audio on my LG and it doesn't change anything.

I'm pretty pissed off, since I bought these headphones so I could be able to watch movies and play games with some good quality sound, now I'm stuck with this shit. Even my shitty 10$ headphones don't make this noise when I plug it in. :\

BTW, the sound is amazing on my PC and iPod when I listen to some music.

So is there anything I could do?

 

[perryfarrell]

So I plug in my HD595 today and the L side is no longer working. Any quick fixes or is it just a lost cause?

Probably a loose connection? Get a soldering iron and fix that thing. (Earlier today I fixed my in-ear RE0 headphones that had ended up in the vacuum. A bit of solder - like new!)

 

[EraldoCoil]

Any of you all try out the Klipsch Image One headphones??

I thought they sounded good, but is $150 a bit too steep? Or worth it?

 

[Anarchistry]

I'm going off to college next year and am looking for some headphones. I won't be doing any sort of recording or mixing with them.

So far, I've looked at the SR80i and the Audio-Technica M50. Both look great, and from the reviews I've read the sound quality of both would really be adequate. I want to bite on the SR80i's but I've heard they leak quite a bit of sound. This is kind of a bummer, given that I'll be living in a dorm next year. Is it that bad?

Is the $50 difference enough to warrant the M50's? Or should I stay with the SR80i?


Also: I'm a complete audio noob. I've heard about amps some. Do I need one? How about the fiio E7?

Thanks for your help guys

 

[MacGurcules]

I'm going off to college next year and am looking for some headphones. I won't be doing any sort of recording or mixing with them.

So far, I've looked at the SR80i and the Audio-Technica M50. Both look great, and from the reviews I've read the sound quality of both would really be adequate. I want to bite on the SR80i's but I've heard they leak quite a bit of sound. This is kind of a bummer, given that I'll be living in a dorm next year. Is it that bad?

Is the $50 difference enough to warrant the M50's? Or should I stay with the SR80i?

Also: I'm a complete audio noob. I've heard about amps some. Do I need one? How about the fiio E7?

Thanks for your help guys

It depends on what kind of environment you're going to be in. Open headphones aren't just speakers attached to your head. It's not like they just blast out sound in all directions. They're directed, but they do let some sound in and out. If it's going to be reasonably quiet and you don't mind your roommates knowing what you're listening to, then open should be fine. On the other hand, if it's something you might want to take to the library or something, a closed headphone might be more appropriate.

 

[paskowitz]

In case anyone cares the Sure S210 is a great starter IEM (in ear monitor). I got mine for $99 bucks on sale at Best Buy. What has made them great is Sure's customers service. I have had them for over 2 years and have broken them twice (both times completely my fault). Even though both times I was past warranty, Sure replaced them for free. Then when I lost my foam ear inserts, the sent me a new pack for free (Normally costs $20). I do not know if this experience is common but its worth considering. They normally list $150 but you can find them for less.

 

[thatbox]

I finally need to recable my SR-60s from 2005; the Y-joint just couldn't take it anymore and the left side cut out.

Since I have to open them up anyway, I'm thinking of modding them to just have the cable going into one side and installing a female plug instead of a cable. I only have a little soldering experience, but since SR-60s aren't expensive and I've already gotten a lot of use out of them I figure I may as well give it a go.

Anyone have any experience doing this to Grados before? Just looking around on the internet they seem like a pain to open up. I'm also not sure where to get cable and connectors from; most of the "good" stuff like Mogami is insanely expensive. I don't want to pay thirty dollars for the cable I'm installing in a pair of headphones I paid eighty bucks for six years ago. My default is currently to just grab cheap stuff of Amazon - bad idea?

So far, I've looked at the SR80i and the Audio-Technica M50. Both look great, and from the reviews I've read the sound quality of both would really be adequate. I want to bite on the SR80i's but I've heard they leak quite a bit of sound. This is kind of a bummer, given that I'll be living in a dorm next year. Is it that bad?

I got my SR-60s the first year I lived in a dorm and never had any complaints. They're open phones; they don't fill up a room with sound or anything. I've used them on airplanes and asked my neighbors if they could hear my music and haven't had anyone answer affirmatively yet. As long as you're not deafening yourself you're not going to be bothering anyone else.

 

[Malvolio]

In case anyone cares the Sure S210 is a great starter IEM (in ear monitor). I got mine for $99 bucks on sale at Best Buy. What has made them great is Sure's customers service. I have had them for over 2 years and have broken them twice (both times completely my fault). Even though both times I was past warranty, Sure replaced them for free. Then when I lost my foam ear inserts, the sent me a new pack for free (Normally costs $20). I do not know if this experience is common but its worth considering. They normally list $150 but you can find them for less.

Glad you are enjoying your Shure's. I have the SRH840's for home use and completely love them. I've got a friend that works in the main office so I'll be sure to let him know there's at least one more satisfied customer out there!