recommendations for headphones

[chased13]

i know all about audio formats..sadly i cant re-rip all couple thousand of my songs as most of my stuff is downloaded/borrowed cds- most is high bitrate vbr though,

i know that aac is better and i can tell the difference but imo aac 160 isnt as good as mp3 320. if it was all lossless it wouldnt fit on my 30gb vid ipod so....

my fav stuff ive managed to find in 320- most of my zepp collectiona and floyd (together its like 500 songs) and the only low stuff are "fad" songs that my friends download when they come over (they dont know better)

mp3 isnt the best but i have to admit that it can be difficult to tell the difference between 320 and a cd (or atleast it is acceptable where as 128 is attrocious)

btw i cant in ear headphones, i like big and goofy best lol (more comfy, don fall out, dont get lost lmao)


edit: dont worry, i never buy bose- cant stand their over priced sh*t sorry i just cant stand buying stuff soley for the name (no i didnt buy my ipod for the name, i needed the smallest 20gb+ player and at the time, it was the best option - the sond hd series software sucked, i gave it a test drive)

i said before i wasnt going to be able to buy headphones, well i got an extra weekend of work...so im back in business. i went to some local stores and they didnt have the grados, would it be worth ordering them without listening first? ive heard the senns (the 100$ model, forget which one) and ive never actually listened to good headphones before and they blew me away.... i cant stand distorted/mucky bass...i get a headache really fast

 

[halcyon]

Cool maan, cool. Grados? If you can afford the SR225s ($200) then I'd say you're safe to order them w/o an audition first...they sound that good. ...but actually, if you can only have one pair of headphones I'd recommend the Sennheisers. Why? They sound good and, importantly, they're very comfortable, whereas the Grados are somewhat lacking in the comfort department (this matters for extended listening sessions). Based on what I've read and my experience with the HD595's I'd recommend the HD555's from HeadRoom ( http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-manufacturer/sennheiser/sennheiser-hd-555.php ) (if the HD595's are more than you want to spend (got my 595's from Amazon for $190 :0).

HeadRoom lists the 555's @ $170 with a unstated discount. That's likely to put them around $100, knowing headroom. ...and you may be able to find them lower. I've read that they're a good all around can. At a $120 I still believe they'd be a steal.

 

[chased13]

like i said i just listened to 80$ + headphones for the first time and it was a ginormous imporvent over the cheap stuff.

comfort is important

again i dont think

i found these senn hd 555s

only $93!!! think they are worht ordering ? headroom says the drive fine from portable devices and that means that my stereo should pump em great!

 

[halcyon]

$93?! Wow. I do think they'd be worth ordering. They're most likely very comfortable (they look almost identical to my 595's). I don't believe you'd be dissapointed from what I've read.

 

[pb_and_james]

If you'd be willing to make an investment, I'd recommend Sennheiser HD 580s (300 ohms so should be used with an amplifier) for $150 @ B&H or the HD 595s @ compuplus.com for $161, or even the Beyerdynamic DT880s (250 ohms) for $200 @ B&H. The first time I decided to trash cheap cans, I spent way more than I'd plan to, but I was very happy with my decision and haven't looked back since.

 

[MayDay94]

Sennheiser hd555 are awesome. big and comfy and sound is outrageous. others in room can hear them though, but would not disturb someone in next room. you should be able to find them for around $100 at newegg or amazon.

 

[chased13]

if i kept the volume reasonable...how much noise will esape? if im on an airplane will i annoy everyone around me?

an amp is like 100$ which would bring me up to 250 or so...thats just to much money for my likes, especially since these arent for full time- i like the stereo setup i have in my room.

im mean thats more than twice the price pbandjames, im sure the hd555s will be fine sound quality wise for me

 

[halcyon]

If you'd be willing to make an investment, I'd recommend Sennheiser HD 580s (300 ohms so should be used with an amplifier) for $150 @ B&H or the HD 595s @ compuplus.com for $161, or even the Beyerdynamic DT880s (250 ohms) for $200 @ B&H. The first time I decided to trash cheap cans, I spent way more than I'd plan to, but I was very happy with my decision and haven't looked back since.

I can identify with the cost of going from cheap to not-so-cheap. The 580's require an amp, though, I'm not sure he wants to go there. ...but if so, the HeadRoom Total AirHead can be had for $150 (or a Total BitHead for $200). That's getting into the specialty area. I still think the 555's would be good bang for your $$ w/out needing an amp.

 

[halcyon]

if i kept the volume reasonable...how much noise will esape? if im on an airplane will i annoy everyone around me?

an amp is like 100$ which would bring me up to 250 or so...thats just to much money for my likes, especially since these arent for full time- i like the stereo setup i have in my room.

im mean thats more than twice the price pbandjames, im sure the hd555s will be fine sound quality wise for me

On an airplane, at reasonable-to-low volume, someone sitting next to you won't likely hear (or, at least, be disturbed by) open-back cans against the sounds of the engines, IMO. ...but YOU will hear the sounds of the jet engines through open-back cans.

 

[chased13]

from your descripton halcyon i get the understanding that they leak sound like any normal headphone which isnt a big deal

at first i was under the impression that these would be like a boombox strapped to my head lol

i think i might order these i havent seen a single bad review yet. my recievers headphone jack seems to be alot more powerfful than an ipod one, so for home listenening the hd555s should be great, as for the ipod ill be they will still sound great

 

[chased13]

btw has anyone tried the senn hd 280 pros? they are sealed and wont leak as much sound

is it comparable to the hd555s? or would i be droping to a much lower level in sound quality

 

[pb_and_james]

Yes, I have a pair (silver). In relation to the 555s, the 280s are of lower quality, BUT the 555s are EXCELLENT headphones for the price. So while the 555s have excellent sound quality, the 280s have pretty good sound. But, for closed headphones, the 280s are pretty much the best in it's class (beyer dt 250s would be next). They are VERY durable and can be driven without an amp and to very loud volumes too. You'd have to be in a library to hear any sound escaping from these cans. For closed, circumaural cans that can take alot of punishment and for ~$80, I'd HIGHLY recommend these.

 

[chased13]

i think im gonna go for the hd555s

and u guys are sure an ipod can actually power these and produce good sound

 

[halcyon]

i think im gonna go for the hd555s

and u guys are sure an ipod can actually power these and produce good sound

This is just my experience. I've used my 4th generation iPod and my iPod Shuffle to power my Senn HD595's (which are 50 ohms), with not problem whatsoever and plenty of volume. Do they sound the same as when being pushed in the right direction by my Firestone gear? Not in my opinion, but they sound pretty durned good, straight off the 'Pods, IMO. I think, you'll not be dissapointed unless you've got some Senn HD600's with Zu Mobius cables driven by a hybrid tube amp, and you're using that as a reference. LOL.

All nonsense aside, if you're concerned about the 555's drivability off of a portable player, considers the AKG K26 ( http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-budget/40-80/akg-k-26-p.php ). It's cheaper and gets a good review, though maybe it would not sound as all-around good as the 555, but the 555 is just better gear, IMO. Check the frequency response charts, for both.

 

[chased13]

ur saying it's fine and uve used em...thats good enough for me

im only worried because its my 90$ and i know i wont return them because they will sound awesome out of my receiver

i thought i read somewhere the hd555s were 100ohms or mab i was wrong (thats why i was worried)

im sure im gonna be impressed, but im trying to decide on my purcahse path

im doin a whole system rehaul soon so its me spend 700$ now and get phones for my late november bday or get the computer stuff then and just pay for tha phones now

either i way i think i win just i dont think price will come down much in headphones and technology wont change so if i get em now ill have em for like 5 years

computer tech changes fast so i could possibly get a 2nd gen conroe mobo in november/december and dx10 might be out by then (?)

 

[halcyon]

I'm trying to check now on the impedance. I think a portable player would still drive 100 ohms with enough volume to cause you hearing damage, but I don't want you to take my word for it, let me see if I can find out precisely what the impedance of the 555's is.

 

[halcyon]

Nominal impedance for the 555's is 120 ohms. Only the best portable players are going to be able to put out enough voltage to drive that with any authority. Volume is not the same thing as what I mean by "authority". If these are going to be used a lot with a portable player, without an amp, the 555's might not be the best choice ( http://www.dansdata.com/hd555.htm ). Specically,
"The 555s have 120 ohm nominal impedance. All things being equal, more impedance means less volume for a given volume knob setting, and the amplifiers in most portable audio devices (and a disturbing number of non-portable ones) can't manage a whole lot of clean output voltage. Even if background noise (which'll come straight through open headphones) and the goofiness of big headphones with a little MP3 player aren't an issue for you, therefore, the 555s may not quite cut it without an outboard amplifier of one kind or another - though 120 ohm impedance isn't that high, and some of the higher quality portable players can pump out decent voltage.

Just the same, though, low impedance (32 ohms, usually) or very high efficiency (more noise per milliwatt) headphones are better for portable use, and higher efficiency is, all things being equal, a good thing in general."

In the $100 range the Sennheiser HD280 Pro's seem well received as well ( http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-budget/80-150/sennheiser-hd-280-pro.php ). My reading this AM, confirms my belief that you need a headphone amp or, at least, a receiver with a high-powered headphone output to extract the potential from the better headphones out there. However, HeadRoom, for one, states that the 280's can be driven fine from an MP3 player with an amp only necessary to extract their full potential. ...their usual prescription which is not necessarily music to the budget conscious crowd's ears.

 

[sojrner]

a friend of mine has the 280 pro's and I have heard them. They really are worth it. Work great off of his home amp, but sound very good off of his ipod as well. (not quite as good as driven by his big amp, but better then anything else I have heard on an ipod)

just thought I would add to the reccomendation for those.

 

[chased13]

yeh that's what i was afraid of

im sure the hd555s are superior but i cant spend 150 on an amp to get them to sound good

while the hd280pros are still very good but will probably sound better through an ipod than the 555s because their impedence is 64

 

[halcyon]

...and since the 280's are closed you'd have noise isolation.

 

[chased13]

yep so i get both good sound quality along with noise cancleing

are there any other good headphones at the 100$ price point with a low ohm?

or do you guys think the hd280pro is prob the best bet

im really disapointed..i went to radio shack (like 2 seconds from my house) and they wouldnt let me try any headphones on! ridicoulus!

 

[sojrner]

yep so i get both good sound quality along with noise cancleing

are there any other good headphones at the 100$ price point with a low ohm?

or do you guys think the hd280pro is prob the best bet

im really disapointed..i went to radio shack (like 2 seconds from my house) and they wouldnt let me try any headphones on! ridicoulus!

ya, that is what I liked about headroom when I lived near them. They let me try anything i wanted. Great guys. Radio Shack any more has become rather irritating the last few times I have been in there.

IMO the 280s are the best @ that price. I am no expert though, just an opinionated music lover.

 

[halcyon]

yep so i get both good sound quality along with noise cancleing

are there any other good headphones at the 100$ price point with a low ohm?

or do you guys think the hd280pro is prob the best bet

im really disapointed..i went to radio shack (like 2 seconds from my house) and they wouldnt let me try any headphones on! ridicoulus!

The Grado SR80's are pretty descent as well, but because of comfort issues, I didn't mention them. Their foam pads may interfere with long-term listening comfort so I can't really recommend them over the comfort of Sennheisers.

Radio Shack has turned "ghetto", IMO. Their service leaves much to be desired. You have to know precisely what you want and simply desire the convenience that retail offers to have a good Radio Shack experience. ...at least in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. Perhaps its different elsewhere.

 

[chased13]

im in jersey but i was disspaointed- the guy wansnt willing to open any up for me to try, so forget about getting my business

 

[chased13]

i found the 280pro at 80$ shipped...seems like a steal---- under my origginal budget too!