sureshot Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Thanks! Just ordered them, so let's see what happens. Nice! Be sure to let us know what you think. Keep in mind a break in period is pretty standard, and you will find the sound settle over time. And hey, if you decide you dont like them, worst case scenario is you're only out $60. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sureshot Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 That Bose image makes me cringe...I can't believe this thread has made it this far without a mention of Grado! http://www.gradolabs.com/product_pages/sr60.htm The SR60s are godsend. Best cans under under 100 bucks, no question. I've heard a lot of good things about those, but they are an open design which pretty much means I cant use them on the train or anywhere in public. One of these days though Im going to bite the bullet and get some SR225i's for home use Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SarahC Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 i use these and love them! panasonic rp-htx7's Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HungryHippo Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 i use these and love them! panasonic rp-htx7'smy old headphones were exactly like these! except they were made by Boost. the sound is wonderful in them. great bass. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
W(TF) Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 When you say "very easily driven by an iPod" does that mean there is more work involved than just plugging it in and hitting play? I'm really interested in a nice set of headphones and was about to spend $600 on a pair until I saw this post. Since you went ahead and bought them.....I'm sure they'll be a big improvement, so enjoy them and feel free to ignore the following. Most of the large, high-end headphones are designed to be driven by a separate outboard amplifier. There are many hundreds of great amps out there, and some of them are portable (kinda), but for the hardcore headphiles the amp is as important as the headphone- and the synergy between the two is paramount. The reason a small mp3 player isn't great for most of these headphones is that it only puts out a few milliwatts of power (for battery life), so your earbuds or headphones need to be well placed in your ear, have very sensitive drivers (speakers), and have a friendly impedance load - or all of the above. If two of those three needs aren't met by the headphone, then the iPod's tiny amp will be taxed and will perform badly--> sonic degradation. May also affect battery life. That's just a very simple summary, as I understand it. There are a few exceptions- some of the Audio-Technica models, and a few others, are dual-purpose and can work very well with just an iPod. (but still a bit overkill if that's your only music source) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sureshot Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Since you went ahead and bought them.....I'm sure they'll be a big improvement, so enjoy them and feel free to ignore the following. Most of the large, high-end headphones are designed to be driven by a separate outboard amplifier. There are many hundreds of great amps out there, and some of them are portable (kinda), but for the hardcore headphiles the amp is as important as the headphone- and the synergy between the two is paramount. The reason a small mp3 player isn't great for most of these headphones is that it only puts out a few milliwatts of power (for battery life), so your earbuds or headphones need to be well placed in your ear, have very sensitive drivers (speakers), and have a friendly impedance load - or all of the above. If two of those three needs aren't met by the headphone, then the iPod's tiny amp will be taxed and will perform badly--> sonic degradation. May also affect battery life. I get what you're saying, but I dont see how practical it is to haul an amp on your morning commute down the subway. Just seems like overkill to me. Obviously there are some models which wont perform well without an amp at all...in that case I woldnt recommend them for portable use. The Sony V6's however have low power requirements so you can still at least use them for that purpose. That is one of their commonly cited strengths, and if you plan on just buying one set of reasonably priced audiophile grade headphones for both home/portable use, its hard to go wrong. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Degenerex Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Those of you who own and use the Sony V6 model - did you have to buy an outside power source in order for it to work with your ipod? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
W(TF) Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 I get what you're saying, but I dont see how practical it is to haul an amp on your morning commute down the subway. Just seems like overkill to me. Obviously there are some models which wont perform well without an amp at all...in that case I woldnt recommend them for portable use. The Sony V6's however have low power requirements so you can still at least use them for that purpose. That is one of their commonly cited strengths, and if you plan on just buying one set of reasonably priced audiophile grade headphones for both home/portable use, its hard to go wrong. Totally agree with you, I was citing some common audiophile babble there and I got myself cured of that years ago. (I hope) When you spend, say, $1200 or $2500 on your set of handmade dream cans from Japan made of virgin-sanctified holy woods, you'll want them to sound as good as they possibly can, and that's when you start fussing over recording quality of the music, amps, high-end cables, and even boutique capacitors and resistors -- the next step after that is to throw yourself off a bridge into a cold polluted river because you realize some 4-year-old in Sudan died while you were obsessing over comparing 7 flavours of capacitors with the same 30-second clip of music. OTOH, there are some amazingly small external amplifiers that run on a few AA batteries and fit easily in your pocket. And some of them improve the sound of your mp3 player very noticeably, especially when you get into the $300+ range. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sureshot Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Those of you who own and use the Sony V6 model - did you have to buy an outside power source in order for it to work with your ipod? No. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tanner Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Hey, I know this isn't headphones related, but does anyone have speaker recommendations? I'm on a budget and looking to upgrade for Christmas. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
W(TF) Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Hey, I know this isn't headphones related, but does anyone have speaker recommendations? I'm on a budget and looking to upgrade for Christmas. I'm happy to share some recos, if you'd give a little more info. (music, budget, system, room, used/new, etc) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 For what it is worth, W(TF) is right. That doesn't mean that anyone should care who doesn't otherwise care, but there's no way that an iPod can drive good headphones. If you are listening to mp3s, or if you are listening on the train ride to work, it may not matter. Or, as a general matter, one may not care (or may not even notice) the hairs being split, but those hairs do exist. Put an amp between your source and high-end headphones and there is a difference. It's up to the individual whether he/she cares. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. My ipod operates as my music source for traveling. And in that scenario, there's lots of outside noise, etc. So, I listen on those crappy little earbuds. I would not listen to music that way (and don't) at home. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cusacker Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Hey all. Has anyone had the opportunity to try the wesc headphone range? There are mixed reviews on the sound quality in the link below, but it sounds as if most of the posters are using them with an ipod. I get the impression they are more fashion over function. Can anyone shed any light? http://www.freshpilot.com/wesc-street-fashion-headphones/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 OK, I pretty much have it narrowed down to: Audio Technica ATH M50'sSennheiser HD-280'sSony MDR 7506Grado SR-60i I think I'm going to rule out the SR-60i because I want the more wrap around type of cans. These seem like they would get uncomfortable quicker. Plus I want closed instead of open. (Is there really that big a difference with open headphones sound quality wise?) All the reviews say the Sennheisers tend to be uncomfortable, especially for people with a big melon like myself so I think I'm ruling that one out. That leaves the Audio Technica or Sony. Any reason to pick one over the other? The Sony's are cheaper but other than that it seems like a wash. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
M. (hristine Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 OK, I pretty much have it narrowed down to: Audio Technica ATH M50'sSennheiser HD-280'sSony MDR 7506Grado SR-60i I think I'm going to rule out the SR-60i because I want the more wrap around type of cans. These seem like they would get uncomfortable quicker. Plus I want closed instead of open. (Is there really that big a difference with open headphones sound quality wise?) All the reviews say the Sennheisers tend to be uncomfortable, especially for people with a big melon like myself so I think I'm ruling that one out. That leaves the Audio Technica or Sony. Any reason to pick one over the other? The Sony's are cheaper but other than that it seems like a wash.I have the Audio Technica ATH M50's.The sound is phenomenal.I've not heard any of the others, so I can't comment on them. However, when I was researching my purchase, the ATs came out far ahead. Edit: Oh I see I already posted in this thread. Yes Moss, I'm still over the moon with them.* *Supposedly there is a 'burn in' period with headphones that sweetens their sound over time. After a year they still sound pretty sweet. I'm listening now! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I have the Audio Technica ATH M50's.The sound is phenomenal.I've not heard any of the others, so I can't comment on them. However, when I was researching my purchase, the ATs came out far ahead. Edit: Oh I see I already posted in this thread. Yes Moss, I'm still over the moon with them.* *Supposedly there is a 'burn in' period with headphones that sweetens their sound over time. After a year they still sound pretty sweet. I'm listening now! Awesome, thanks so much. Nothing like a personal recommendation from someone with real experience. I'm going for it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sureshot Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 (Is there really that big a difference with open headphones sound quality wise?) There can be. I think the main advantage is it gives you a far more expansive soundstage and reduces distortion. Wheras with closed headphones, the sound feels trapped inside your head, which can also become fatiguing. The tradeoff is that they leak sound (not good for use in public), and typically have weaker bass. Thats my understanding anyway. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 I have the Audio Technica ATH M50's.The sound is phenomenal.I've not heard any of the others, so I can't comment on them. However, when I was researching my purchase, the ATs came out far ahead. Edit: Oh I see I already posted in this thread. Yes Moss, I'm still over the moon with them.* *Supposedly there is a 'burn in' period with headphones that sweetens their sound over time. After a year they still sound pretty sweet. I'm listening now! Yay, listening to Jason Isbell with my new M50's. Thanks for the endorsement, these things are super comfortable and sound really good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
M. (hristine Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Yay, listening to Jason Isbell with my new M50's. Thanks for the endorsement, these things are super comfortable and sound really good. Excellent! Glad you like them! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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