$100 cans for a newbie

D

daweinah

Weaksauce
Joined
Jan 16, 2006
Messages
80
First off, my budget is around $100. Currently, I have a 2.1 speaker set up (Klipsch 2.1 ProMedia) that I am happy with for music, but I rarely can turn the volume up to a satisfying level because it upsets the rest of the house! I also long for a better surround sound experience.. something these 2.1s really can't do.

For the headphones themselves, I don't have a preference between open or closed, but I think I would prefer supraaural phones just to keep the size down, increase portability, and decrease awkward looks on the street; although circamaural is fine too. Soundstage is very important because I want a good surround sound effect. I mostly listen to rock/alternative/rap/country music, so strong bass and crisp, clear treble is desirable. Noise reduction/isolation isn't a huge deal since I mostly listen in my room, which is relatively quiet.

I probably missed some other things I should've said, but that's all I can think of for now.

I have heard alot about Grado SR-60s and I have found some good reviews from headphone.com on these 3: Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 Studio (IEMs), beyerdynamic DT 231, and Sennheiser EH 250. Does anyone have any feedback on those, or some other ideas?

Thanks,
daweinah
 
I have the senny hd280 pro and sound NICE... but I would not walk around with them in the street.
 
I'm not familiar with Sennheiser's product scale but there's no reason to get anything less than the hd280 pros. I love my set! >:}!
 
Pipo said:
I'm not familiar with Sennheiser's product scale but there's no reason to get anything less than the hd280 pros. I love my set! >:}!
Click to expand...


Agreed as I stated earlier. However if you go outside I don't think you want to walk around with them on. Shame. They really are quality.
 
Haven't used a lot of different cans, but I really like my Sony MDR-XD400s. They sound really good, and are really comfortable. And they get me laughed at when I walk around.
 
I have the SR60's. they are sound great, but completely different from the sennheiser line.
 
Are there any major stores that have headphone demos available? It'd sure be nice if there was a place I could go and test em out before I buy them.
 
Guitar center has a few, but not many of the ones mentioned.

the HD555 is better than the HD280 pro.

Though personally I liked the Audio Technica ATH-A500 better than either of those 2, but their size makes them "awkward on the street"
 
I've got a pair of 280 pro's that I've had for about two years now and I still really enjoy them. Great sound and super comfortable.
 
You might look into some V-Moda Vibes. They're IEM's though, so I don't know what your preference on those, but since you mention Super.fi 3's I thought I'd suggest them. They're one of the better if not best sounding IEM/Earbuds for ~$100. They're also much better for portability and don't get you laughed at compared to full sized cans. :D

Good luck.
 
MC FLMJIG said:
Agreed as I stated earlier. However if you go outside I don't think you want to walk around with them on. Shame. They really are quality.
Click to expand...
My little brother bought a pair of 280 Pros, the only problem I had walking around with them was that the cable was rather bulky compared to the iPod I was using. I just threw the iPod into my bag with the rest of the cable, easy as pie. :)
 
skeeder said:
I have the SR60's. they are sound great, but completely different from the sennheiser line.
Click to expand...
What do you mean? How is the sound different?

Between the SR-60, DT231, and the V-Moda IEMs that were mentioned, which have the best sound (strong bass, clear treble) for rock/rap/country and good soundstage for gaming?
 
It's been said that Grados don't have much soundstage (unlike Sennheiser's cans which is probably what he's referring too) so they tend to suck for gaming.
 
funny i found this thread

my wife just gave my christmas present literally like 20 mins ago

280 pros

and my first impressions are:

pros:

nice bass response - goes very low but doesn't punch too much
seems to respond well to EQ
i personally like the wound cable a lot
i also like the mult-pivot/swivol design


cons:

i've only had them for 20 mins but the highs seem a little harsh .. this will probably level off with breakin in me thinks
they are pretty tight and my ears hurt a little but i think they will stretch out a bit
and that's about it


overall they're really sweet and i imagine i'm gonna enjoy them for a good while...

they go well with my klipsch ultra 5.1s, of coarse nothin touches the klipsch 5.1s, i can't image a better sound then they produce. i know a lot of people say logitech this/that bla bla bla .. Klipsch FTW... Klipsch = not a mouse company lol


think it was about 100 bones for the 280s with shipping and everything..
 
malicious said:
funny i found this thread

my wife just gave my christmas present literally like 20 mins ago

280 pros

and my first impressions are:

pros:

nice bass response - goes very low but doesn't punch too much
seems to respond well to EQ
i personally like the wound cable a lot
i also like the mult-pivot/swivol design


cons:

i've only had them for 20 mins but the highs seem a little harsh .. this will probably level off with breakin in me thinks
they are pretty tight and my ears hurt a little but i think they will stretch out a bit
and that's about it


overall they're really sweet and i imagine i'm gonna enjoy them for a good while...

they go well with my klipsch ultra 5.1s, of coarse nothin touches the klipsch 5.1s, i can't image a better sound then they produce. i know a lot of people say logitech this/that bla bla bla .. Klipsch FTW... Klipsch = not a mouse company lol


think it was about 100 bones for the 280s with shipping and everything..
Click to expand...

yeah, if only they had a bit more bass they would be much better. the tightness will go away too, just give it about a week. they can be loud, so be careful. i had them all the way up and i was using them as speakers (not really, but they're that loud.)
 
topdragon147 said:
yeah, if only they had a bit more bass they would be much better. the tightness will go away too, just give it about a week. they can be loud, so be careful. i had them all the way up and i was using them as speakers (not really, but they're that loud.)
Click to expand...


i don't mind the low bass response so much .. the bass is very accurate so it still sounds good ... you can just EQ it a little... overall a nice set for 85 bones..... i'm going to enjoy them for a few years at least

mal
 
I have Senns 485s and they're awesome. I'm betting for just sitting in front of a computer and having a little extra cash in your pocket, the 280's will probably be the better choice. If you wanna save 20 bucks or so, the 485's will not disappoint. I wrote a review on them with lots of pictures somewhere in here.

*runs off to find said thread*

found it!

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=935166& Hope that helps a little.
 
malicious said:
i don't mind the low bass response so much .. the bass is very accurate so it still sounds good ... you can just EQ it a little... overall a nice set for 85 bones..... i'm going to enjoy them for a few years at least

mal
Click to expand...

True, but sometimes even the EQ doesn't make up for the "shortcomings." I too am impressed with the bass response.
 
I have the following, ranked from least liked to best liked:

Sennheiser HD555 (~$120) + CMoy
Sony MDR-71s (IEM ~$60)
Grado SR-80 (~$90) + CMoy
Sennheiser 212Pro (~$50) with and without various sub-$100 amps
Sennheiser CX-300 (IEM ~$50)

Out of all of them, I like the CX-300's the best. They sound absolutely wonderful to me. I used the 212Pro's for couple of years before I got the CX-300s and they still sound good, and can be used without an amp, though they sound better with one.

I do not recommend the HD555s. Grado SR-80s get rave reviews from many people, but I don't care for the way that they sound. Both of these headphones really need an amp to drive them to their fullest potential. Whether or not the headphones need an amp should be something that you consider. In some cases, an el cheapo amp can improve the sound much more than a higher price bracket.

If you are considering IEM's, I would give the CX-300s a try. They sound excellent, with good bass and crisp highs. They don't cost a lot either. If I am not mistaken, they are identical to the Creative EP-630s which are $30 (I believe the Sharp earbuds are also identical and they are similarly priced). For that price you could get them and a pair of higher end phones.

If at all possible, I'd listen to the CX-300s and their variants before blowing a big chunk of money on larger and more expensive cans. They sound great, and you can use them with your PC and your iPod without an amp and without a bunch of crap strapped to your head.

Many people will recommend Grado's in this price range...Listen to a pair that is broken in first, and try them with/without an amp before committing. As another poster mentioned, they are a completely different sound experience than Sennheisers. (heck if you are interested, you can buy mine! I still have the box they came in)

Note that I'm no audiophile, I just know what I think sounds good. That's why it's better to try them out if at all possible, because different things sound good to different people.

(I still can't imagine someone listening to the CX-300s/variants, though, and feeling any regret over spending $30-$50 on a set! They put higher priced Sony buds to shame, and some of the more esoteric, higher priced ones too).
 
daweinah said:
What do you mean? How is the sound different?

Between the SR-60, DT231, and the V-Moda IEMs that were mentioned, which have the best sound (strong bass, clear treble) for rock/rap/country and good soundstage for gaming?
Click to expand...

Senn's have a "bigger" soundstage to me, and I find the mid-range on Grado SR-80s to be overpowering. To some, Senn's sound more artificial because of these same characteristics.

Because I don't have $500 to blow on amps and $6000 to spend on high quality audio, though, I like the fact that Senn's have bigger bass and highs.

I hesitate to say anything more about this beyond "listen for yourself", though, because then we'll have a flamefest bigger than ATI vs. nVidia with the Sennheiser vs. Grado debate. You really do need to hear for yourself which you like best.

Personally, the only two Grado products I've heard have been SR-60s and SR-80s with and without amps. I own SR-80s which I do rate higher than HD555s, but that doesn't say a whole lot since I don't like the HD555s. Personally, I have heard at least 10 different Sennheiser headphone products and overall I prefer them. Personally, I like deep bass and crisp highs, though it sounds artificial to some. Personally I think Grado's sound like headphones, rather than sounding like a stereo that is turned up and properly spaced. (Did I say "personally" enough to head off the potential grado/senn debate..LOL ?)

Again, though, I truly don't see anyone wringing their hands in regret over a cx-300 purchase, because they sound very good with both an iPod and a laptop or PC, and don't break the bank. Personally, I do not feel this way about the $100 I spent on my Grado's - they need an amp regardless, they are way too big to use with an iPod (notwithstanding the need for an amp along with it) and they sound boring to me.

I felt that the money I spent on the Grado's + amp was a waste, especially since I now know that CX-300s can be found for ~$30 in the form of Creative and Sharp buds, and to me sound a hell of a lot better than anything in the ~$100 category. Again, though, this is 100% my subjective opinion.

Also, some people detest IEMs.
 
Thanks for the link to the HD485s.. they are now my top preference :) I wish they came in other colors than green, though.
 
Everybody is being deadly serious when they say you don't want to plan on wearing the HD280s outside...

I got them thinking "How big can they possibly be?" because I used to wear my HD202s outside all the time. The 280s are fricking MASSIVE. I'm not very self conscious at all and I wouldnt wear em out.
 
my 280 pros make my ears feel a little like the pressure on an airplane when i first put them on .. like my ears need to equalize or something

mal
 
Demon_of_The_Fall said:
Everybody is being deadly serious when they say you don't want to plan on wearing the HD280s outside...

I got them thinking "How big can they possibly be?" because I used to wear my HD202s outside all the time. The 280s are fricking MASSIVE. I'm not very self conscious at all and I wouldnt wear em out.
Click to expand...

LOL...You aren't kidding there. I was thinking of getting a pair. I think I'd wear my Grado SR-80's on a walk (and sorry, but I think Grado's are the ugliest mofo's ever made) before the HD-280s. If you walk around with either, though, you might as well just have a huge glowing neon arrow pointing at yourself labelled "Dork".
 
If I might suggest:

Grado SR80 if you put new pads on them. Great for music. So so for movies/games. Horrific sound leakage. Funniest headphones anybody could ever make fun of you for wearing. 95 bucks + Sennheiser pads (talk to me if you are interested in what these pads are)

Sennheiser HD555. Great for movies/games. So so for music. Not bad sound leakage. "Huge" and very bulky. Lack lots of bass and low end sounds. 98 bucks.

Sennheiser HD595. Never got a chance to listen to but I hear they are like the 555's except they have the missing bass. Problem = $ which is something like 160.

Never buy Bose, please.

Hope that helps you out a bit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top