marcm09
100+
Audio Monster
Posts: 119
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Post by marcm09 on Apr 27, 2006 12:58:40 GMT
Here is a poll to see what your favourite brand of headphones are - cast your vote now ! Also if you like list the model of your favourite Cans below ! >:(Rules are that you must have listened to them personally yourself though and not just heard of them thru word of mouth or reviews for example - HD650 because they are well regarded and expensive !
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xerxes
Been here a while!
Posts: 1,115
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Post by xerxes on Apr 27, 2006 15:06:18 GMT
I have a pair of Sennheiser HD 650's which I use on my main system and a pair of PX 100's which I use with an MP3 player and with the little shoe box sized Denon CD player/receiver on my desk. I think the little PX 100's are great when you want something smaller and lighter than a full size pair of cans. They have a slightly bass heavy sound which adds a bit of weight and scale to "lightweight" sources. I've had them for around 2 years, use them almost daily and they are still all in one piece and work perfectly, so they're pretty durable. You can find them for around £25.00 and I think they are absolutely superb value for money. I've also had a pair of HD 470's and another pair of Sennheisers before them, can't remember what they were now, but I liked both of them. The only pair of Sennheisers I've tried which I didn't like were the HD 595's. I found these too bright and forward and way too light in the bass department. I perceveired with them for a few weeks, but in the end I gave up and bought the HD 650's. Having said all that, I've never tried the competition, Grado, Beyerdynamic, AKG etc. With the expception of the 595's I've liked all the Sennheisers I've heard, so I've just stuck with them.
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rickcr42
Fully Modded
Rest in peace my good friend.
Posts: 4,514
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Post by rickcr42 on Apr 27, 2006 16:15:00 GMT
Grado man here.I need my music to be dynamic with great speed and impact and so far only Grado gets that right.My main cans are the RS-1 but the Alessandro MS-1 gets WAY more use because it is such an all around steller performer that does more things right than any other headphone I have ever owned yet cost me only $75 (RS-1 is $700).
Because of the high efficiency it can be driven straight out of any headphone jack ever devised by man yet gets better as the driving source is improved and the current delivery of the amp raised which to be honest most get wrong anyway.
All that ampage,all those eleborate circuits,all that huge chassis work for nothing when a simple Buffer with a volume control is all the amp Grados will ever need for 99% of all uses
Quick tip for the Grado lovers :
LT1010 buffer run Class-A and having a 50K input volume pot.If used after a preamp this becomes a "set it and forget it" sensitivity control for matching the volume to the loudspeaker setup where you use the preamp volume control for all changes.If on the Tape Out or following a CD player (or other source) then it becomes the headphone volume control. finally I like to add a front panel "line/headphones/both/full mute" rotary for control over the signal so I can pass the signal along bypassing the buffer entirely,choose to have the headphones and active at the same time,headphones only (very important if the feed is from the preamp-to-amp connection as it enables cutting off the speaker amp) and finally the "full mute" is self explanatory.
The Sennheiser vs. Grado debate is an old one that I beleive is not helped by the cost of Grado in Europe and Asia where to be honest they are no bargain but for those who like the SET amp/horn speaker sound there is no other way to fly with the senns being closer to the Sealed cabinet/high power SS amp speaker style.
one that leaves me flat and sounds more like elevator music than it does a living breathing dynamic monster which is what music is
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thegreatroberto
100+
The Great Roberto "himself" The real deal on a stick!
Posts: 157
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Post by thegreatroberto on Apr 27, 2006 20:10:05 GMT
Senns for me,but only because that's all I ever listened too.My 470's were £1 in a boot sale and the 600's were greatly reduced before the 650's came out............Current priority is to get a V2 or even V3 X-can....
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 27, 2006 21:48:14 GMT
Had to be honest and vote for Sennheiser as the HD-600 always seem to be on my bonce these days. Love the sound of the K-501 (AKG) but for all rounder headphone it has to be the Senns.
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Post by manic on Apr 27, 2006 22:47:30 GMT
Hi guys
My favorites are Senns. The 565 Ovation was the most comfortable set of phones I ever owned. I still have a set of 1970's Senns used with an Akai midi system - you know the black plastic ones with the little yellow pads. They still sound great with modern portable equipment although the current crop of teenagers think they are not cool (too big and yellow - small white is much better!!!). I grew up with Sony phones have an old pair of CD 3000 's. I recently bought my father a pair of Senn 200's for his radio listening which sound very good for the price.
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marcm09
100+
Audio Monster
Posts: 119
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Post by marcm09 on Apr 28, 2006 14:56:15 GMT
My own current headphones are the senn 595's, I love the way they sound and havent noticed them to be bright, maybe just a little forward sounding though, mind you I have never compared or listened to the hd600 or 650's yet.
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Post by themystical on Apr 30, 2006 14:37:52 GMT
My original set-up was the Sennheiser HD600's with the X-CanV2 and did it sound fantastic! Couldn't be bettered could it??? Yes it could...the Stax 3030 that I replaced it with is a lot better imo but I really believe that the best headphones out there are the ones that I currently use... the AKG K1000's provided you get the amping right. These give the closest experience to listening to high-end loudspeakers that you are likely to get from headphones
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 30, 2006 17:17:52 GMT
These give the closest experience to listening to high-end loudspeakers that you are likely to get from headphones They would considering the K-1000 are "ear speakers" and not headphones.
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marcm09
100+
Audio Monster
Posts: 119
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Post by marcm09 on May 3, 2006 11:27:23 GMT
[glow=red,2,300]These give the closest experience to listening to high-end loudspeakers that you are likely to get from headphones[/glow]
In my experience most decent headphones blow away a set of speakers for sound quality and that my cans would be equivient to a 4000 pound pair of speakers.
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xerxes
Been here a while!
Posts: 1,115
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Post by xerxes on May 3, 2006 16:33:37 GMT
I don't think you can compare speakers and headphones very easily, I find the two a completely different experience. With speakers you feel the punch and rumble of the bass and get a sense of space and the positioning of the instruments and voices etc. With headphones you can perhaps hear into the recording better.
For me, headphones will always be second choice to the more visceral experience of listening through speakers.
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rickcr42
Fully Modded
Rest in peace my good friend.
Posts: 4,514
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Post by rickcr42 on May 3, 2006 16:58:54 GMT
I am not anal about either path and like with sources feel there is a place for everything. Headphone listening is about as antisocial an event as there is in all of audio and once you strap them on your head you are telling the world "leave me alone".This is a statement if others are in the room that they need not bother you with their petty words because you are not listening and if they DARE tap you on the shoulder to get your attention in the middle of a favorite song they do so at their peril Then there are those who out of neccessity have no choices.Those who liusten late at night or who have young children or very thin walls separating them from other humans who just may take exception to your music taste. So headphones truly are a personal/antisocial experience between the listener and the musical event with conversation being very low on the priority list (unless you have Grado cans which leak both ways ) Speakers are for sharing with others and do not preclude human interactiuon.In fact they invite a "group" sharing experience that unless you overstep certain boundies of SPL is mostly a pleasant time for all (assuming good music ;D ). Parties,small gatherings,background music for the daily grind,family together watching DVDs on the surround system (try that with cans !)...... I have put as much effort into my speaker based rig as i have my headphone rig but to be honest a lot more actual loot went into the speaker based system and I am not yet done there though I AM close to "close it up and play music" on my headphone rig and it only took me 30 years to get it right
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