Hey folks,

Long time, no questions.

Hope everyone's doing well around these parts.

I have a pair of Alessandro MS-1's (supposedly ~ Grado SR-80), and they're quite nice 'phones.
However, they're starting to crackle and have some cord issues.
My question to you today:
Is it worth repairing the cable, or is it simply (a good) time to get a new pair?

If I can get something for under $150 that's decent, and has superior frequency response (rated, and reviewed, not just a number), I'll definitely look into it.
I'll be using them in a home audio studio with very little background noise, I don't care what they look like, quality/accuracy is key, no hardcore bass, just generally good sound.

I've seen the other reviews here and they seem helpful, but a little lacking in detail. I'm loathe to post a question like this on Head-Fi/etc as they seem to quite often talk nonsense, abstract nonsense at that.

I'm looking at Sennheiser, Audio Technica, Sony (maybe, had bad luck with the last studio ones I had recommended here, MDR-7506 I think), and even JVC- some nice reviews on the 700/900 series.

If anyone has any input I'm eager to hear it. Circumaural, open is my preference but I'm an open-minded person if anyone has a good suggestion.

I'm also not into headphone amps (unless needed to get good sound from the cans) or modding to improve sound (outside of replacing the foam pieces/bowls).

Any response appreciated. Thanks guys.

Regards,
- Spike

Sorry, no recommendation. However, depending on what you'll be doing in your studio open backed phones might not be the best bet. EG if you'll be monitoring via phones whiles laying down another track via mics, you'll probably pick up noise from the phones.

Electronic synth work, no real instruments to be found, nor mic tracks or anything like that.

Thanks for the feedback

- Spike

I think it's a given that there are NO headphones that are flat/accurate in the sense you get from speakers. Head placement, individual ear shape, all of these will effect the sound to some degree. There is a recent thread on Head-Fi where a person who does a lot of studio work said that even the headphones that are traditionally considered "neutral" are colored and have bad peaks in the treble range.

Even measuring headphones FR response is tricky. People do it on dummy heads but measurements always end up looking different depending on the system people are using for measurement.

the Sony 7506/V6 seem to get good recommendations for studio work in your price range. The AKG Studio 271 is also a good bet. Some people say the Audio Technica AD700 tends towards neutral as well and these are an open can. The Senn 280 comes up a lot but I think they have a very anemic bass response (your ears may vary).

If you are in the USA you usually have a 30 day return policy on store. Buy a bunch, find one that sounds like whatever speakers you are using, then return the rest.

As for headphone amps, I'm not going to get into that with any depth. I've done a bunch of volume matched tests on headphone amps and found the improvement ranges from nothing to minimal.

Can't you find a store that would let you try the headphones instead of buying it and returning them?

If you are in the USA then Guitar Center and Sam Ash are typically store that have a wide variety of headphones you can try. However, these stores are generally only in cities above a certain cities. Not too long ago I lived in a place (population 60,000) where the only headphones I could try were Bose headphones at Target.

Hi Spike, I just joined this fantastic site so I could Comment on how exceptional FOOBAR is, and saw your request for info. I've owned The Sony MDR-V6 for about 10 years now, and for under a $100, you Will not find a better set of phones; They are just awsome at the under $200 price point. You mentioned not having good luck with the 7506's, and if I am not mistaken, these are not the same as the V6. The V6 was discontinued for a few years, and replaced with the 7506. ( Again, not a 100% On this ) The V6 was such a popular phone, Sony had many requests to bring it back, and did so, and even at a lower price point than before. I payed $120 for mine, but I think the going rate is around $80 now. These phones are'nt open, but are comfortable none-the-less. Built like a tank, with a what appears to be a stainless steel head band you can bend to fit your head better as I have done. Hope this helps in you decision.

I've been using open-air Sennheiser HD-590s for about 7 years and have no intention of replacing them. Very durable (when you drive over it with your chair) and quiet (when you touch it) chord. It's discontinued, but the HD-595 should be just as good. The AKG 271 odigg mentioned is also very good, but I don't remember if it's open or closed.

Chris

The 7506 and V6 are the same headphone. I believe the only physical difference was the 7506 had a gold plated (or colored) plug. There was also a warranty difference. Sony replaced the 7506 with the 7506 during warranty repair. They replaced the V6 with the V600 under warranty repair - the V600 is NOT the same headphone. I think they did this, as Tuberocity said, because the V6 was discontinued (still sold long after they were discontinued in the US)and the V6 street price was roughly ~US$30 cheaper than the 7506.

As far as the HD595 and HD555, apparently they use the same drivers. Somebody on Head-Fi has claimed the only difference is a piece of cloth (foam?) on the 555 and it can be removed to make it the 595. I don't know if the 555/595 has accurately represents sound though. Apparently the HD280 uses the same driver as well and the sonic differences between the three is all from the housing.

[Quote from odigg - The 7506 and V6 are the same headphone. I believe the only physical difference was the 7506 had a gold plated (or colored) plug. There was also a warranty difference. Sony replaced the 7506 with the 7506 during warranty repair. They replaced the V6 with the V600 under warranty repair - the V600 is NOT the same headphone. I think they did this, as Tuberocity said, because the V6 was discontinued (still sold long after they were discontinued in the US)and the V6 street price was roughly ~US$30 cheaper than the 7506.]

I would suggest to Spike, read the reviews on the net, and decide for yourself, but Many have stated in their reviews they would recommend buying the V6's site unheard. lol You get my drift, for $72 and free shipping, you can not go wrong with these. As to the V6 and 7506 being the same phones; A better warranty & gold plug on the 7506 with a frequency response of 10-20,000HZ , while the MDR-V6's are rated at 5-30,000HZ, and were originally designed with the proffesional studio in mind, hence the wider frequency range. I can't comment on the 7506's as I have not heard them, but the reviews look real good. I wouldn't worry about warranty on either of these phones as My wife reminds me I had these phones, The V6, when I met her 20 years ago, and the only problem I have had relate to the phone cushions which started to deteriorate probably 6-7 years after I purchased them, but they are easily replaceable with original pads or aftermarket modded Beyer Dynamic DT 250 pads as some users prefer. As odigg pointed out, these are essentially indentical phones. I would be concerned about the Frquency difference, though the drivers do have the same part number. The 7506's are another 20 bucks so I would definately listen to both these phones, and see what you think. Most major retailers probably have these in stock as they are very popular cans. Not sure if I'm allowed to post links, but here's a few to check out ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_MDR-V6 ) ( http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-V6-Monitor-...IN%3DB00001WRSJ )

P.S. As an afterthought, the V6, and most likely the 7506 as well, are drivable to decent levels by my Sandisk Clip, a tiny $40 4gb mp3 palyer. Something to consider if you ever plan to use a portable device.

Just searched this forum and found the MDR-V6 were actually the ones I owned (I still have them, left them behind in Australia if anyone wants them).
I found them intensely uncomfortable and I don't remember the sound being anything standout (not good, not bad).
I remember I preferred my Alessandro MS-1's to them back in '06.
So, probably not going to buy Sony cans at this stage.


AKG 271 and Sennheiser HD595 seem nice, but too pricey for me right now.

The HD555 are ~100 US bucks now, are they any good? People always talk about how 'good' Sennheiser's sound but I rarely see people get specific. And I don't kow how useful they are for both listening to music and editing recordings, and monitoring (keep in mind I'm not monitoring live recordings).

JVC HA-RX700 and 900 seem to get rave reviews for their price range, also.

At this stage I just want a pair that is circumaural, open, excels in the under $100 price range and is relatively comfortable.

Thanks for the responses, guys.

- Spike

Sennheiser makes nice sounding headphones. I've had the HD555 and thought it was a great sounding headphone. However, it seemed to have a slightly euphonic boost of the upper bass/mid bass to give a "warm" sound. That being said, a large number of headphones are colored for euphonic reasons.

I've never heard the JVCs but yes, the people who buy them really have a lot of good things to say. I suspect, from what people have said, even they are colored in the bass area.

And that's something you have to think about. If you want something simply for just listening to music you can pick and choose the coloration that suits you. If you want something for mixing/studio work you want to try to avoid headphones that are colored in a drastic way.

Also, if you like the Alessandro sound you might find the Sennhesier sound not to your taste. I've never heard any Allessandro headphones so I cannot give you a better comment than that.

I can seriously recommend the HD595's. I have had a pair for some time now and find them excellent for headphone mixing.