Hey. Out of curiousity, what is the best sounding can headphones (you know they look almost like cans, really!)? I know this is personal preference, but no need to worry because I would like multiple responses. Right now I have Sony MDR-V300:



They are very nice and I got them for $49.99 to top it. Of course, there are other cans out there that are better. Thank you audiophilers, you always keep me entertained and jealous!

I'm very happy with my Grado SR60s. They're around $70, and probably among the best headphones you can get for that price.

I don't understand how most cans can deliver ultimate sound but no style whatso-ever! This is absurd and I'd be ashamed to wear these because they look like subwoofers that DJ's unpack at parties! lol

I like how Grados look, especially the higher-end ones.

excluding the look of the subwoofers the djs unpack at parties, they have bunny ear wires!!! maybe you can pick up XM reception with those suckers B)

"Don't judge a book by the cover"

When I first saw my SR 60's I nearly returned them, but after you start using them you can't bear to part with them. Love

I simply my Grado SR-80.
The sound is rich and open, and what a bass!

I think how the Grados look is great. They have one of those elitist audiophile looks.

I'm really happy with my Sennheiser HD497's... Crystal clear sound and cheap. Look pretty cool as well.

I'll take any Grado, even SR-40 or SR-60 over an MDR-V300 any day of the week . I think if you see a SR-60 in real life you wouldn't find it as ugly as in photos. I already have a healthy number of headphones, but still looking to get some Grados. I have Sennheiser HD-580s, Sony MDR-V6, Koss KSC-35, Koss KSC-50, Koss "The Plug". I also have those horrible Sony Streetstyles headphones, but they're not really worth mentioning. I'm interested in some of Beyerdynamic's stuff like DT-250, DT-770 and DT-880. Also Grados like the SR-325 or SR225, I'm into a lot of rock and Grado's are famous for being well-suited for Rock.

BTW there's a bunch of photos of various Grados and other headphones at this headphone gallery:
http://www.austinv.com/pics/cans/index7.html

Has Grado improved the ear pads of their headphones in recent years? A few years ago a friend got a pair of SR-60s for Christmas, and while they sounded great I found them extremely uncomfortable to wear for more than about 15 minutes. (They hurt my ears.)

As for how they look - you can't really see them when they're on your head.

Myself, I have Koss PRO/466's that I got cheap at a clearance sale. They're not high-end but still so much nicer than the disposable phones that come with portables.

Go to Head-Fi, the Hydrogen Audio of the headphone world. A few members of there are here and vice versa.

I'd say for beginning phones the Grado sr-60's/sr-80's ($70/$90), Sennheiser hd497's ($60), and Sony mdr-v6's (not 600's) ($80) are all great phones. As for best, you can spend over a thousand.

Also see this. And this. And this.

As for the Grados, there are other pads you can use to make them more comfortable (search Head-Fi). In fact, there's a lot of things you can do with them.

And all the above models are miles above the mdr-v300's. I have the v200's, sr-80's, had the v6's and have listened quite a bit to the 497's, and the vXXX line is bad. I call them the treblekillers.

How are those Bose TriPorts? I have two within my reach, but haven't extensively tested them. Are they any good or people just buy them for the name?

Haha, Bose.. stay away

I just bought a pair because a friend of mine had some and they actually sound pretty good. I lke them because they are lightweight and I can wear them for a long time without them getting all sweaty and without them feeling like they are pinching my head (I have a rather large head). The bass response is pretty good for most headphones I have heard but then again, I haven't heard things like the Grado's or Beyerdynamic's (I should have asked my DJ/composer friend to let me hear his BD's). They have a pretty good isolation in blocking ambient sound that I like.

However, they cost too much for what you are getting if you pay retail ($150). I have a friend that got me an employee discount ($80) which is more reasonable.

Still I wish I had done some good side by side listening tests with headphones. I just heard these and thought they sounded pretty good. Then again, I mostly listen to headphones at work and my iriver when going to sleep or walking around.

But then there is the derision you get for buying Bose on audio boards like this so you'll have to balance that too.

If you need good sounding headphones get KOSS 35 Pro they are very cheap but good

Sony MDR CD3000 sound good, and meet your description of "cans". For good sound mated with good style, I think most of the higher-end Audio-Technica heaphones fit the bill.

bose == teh suck

all IMO, YMMV

lol whoah $474.98 for those things!!! I guess though they must produce some monster sound!!! Id like to buy huge 5 foot tall speakers if im going to look at prices like that!!

Maybe you need a pair of phones that never actually touch your ears (can get speakers, but attached to your head!)-

AKG K 1000

Hard to find very decent speakers for $500. Remember the ratio of headphone/speaker quality spending- 1/7 to 1/10. Should be able to spend around $70 to easliy beat those $500 speakers.

Still away from the Tri-ports. Most comfortable headphones I've ever tried, just sound like crap. Koss 35's are great (I use them for port use), when you can find them. Saving up for the Sony 3000's. Inner ear Etymotic ER4's are my other curiosity.

And also remember the hearing loss ratio. I've got bad hearing and very bad tinnitus anyway so I don't care, but any hearing doctor I've gone to tells me that headphones being used as an alternative to speakers is not a good idea since it'll screw up your hearing later.

Sennheiser HD497s rule

..exactly why i don't want to listen to headphones all the time...but i love the way some music sounds through them.

I've never understood this as with anything (next to or 15 feet away) the sound is going into the ear. Course turning up those phones to "jam"... that's another story. I have a feeling this hearing loss explains the dramatic shift towards bass boost and subwoofers, but that's another thread.

Also "crossfeed" adapters (software or hardware) helps with headphone fatigue/headaches before that comes up.

I would like to hear some opinions on...

Grado Prestige SR 325
Sennheiser HD-25

Regards,
Sebastian

Back to your first question. AFAIK the Sennheiser Orpheus which come along with their own amp are the best headphones ever built. They cost 10000€ but they seem to rule (according to hifi magazines).



I'm pretty glad with my Sennheiser HD600. btw. later this year Sennheiser will release the HD650, which are supposed to rock.

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....=ST&f=21&t=6718

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....=ST&f=21&t=7889

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....=ST&f=21&t=7362


I love my HD580s. I haven't tried anything else in that price range. My wife thinks they're stupid because she can hear what I'm listeing to. "I thought headphones we're supposed to keep the sound to yourself?" "No - these headphones are just supposed to sound better than any speakers we've got!" and they do. I don't have any problems driving them from an old underpowered Sony MD walkman either.

Cheers,
David.

Hmm, are you sure, I have hd580's as well but my sblive is barely able to drive them to normal volume... BTW from what I understand those cans aren't supposed to be hooked without an amp, with 300ohm impedence it seems very logical.

Since I am not sure about the budget of the original person who started this thread, I am heartily making four recommendations: Grado RS-1 Reference Series Headphones, Etymotic ER-4S earphones, and perhaps the Sennheiser HD497 / PX100 cans respectively. Right now, I only have the Grado RS-1 cans and I am listening to Annie Lennox's, "BARE" Redbook CD; she is simply amazing on this album. At $700 USD, these are not inexpensive headphones. The Etymotic ER-4S earphones are amazing because I owned them for about 7 months. They have a very flat frequency response, hence they sound "uncolored" or "neutral" which is the Holy Grail that most headphone audiophiles pursue, and they have a tremendous amount of sound isolation (i.e., 27dB). You can literally shut out the entire world while wearing them. Comfort is an issue: most people find them to be a bit fussy at first and it takes practice to achieve the "seal" in order to get them to sound right. Bass response, in my humble opinion, is sufficient but it becomes non-existent when travelling on the road or walking with them in your ears. Then, there is the issue of microphonics. Whenver the cords that are attached to the ear plugs touch something, you can hear it. This becomes extremely annoying. So, you must sit still while listening to the ER-4S. They retail for $270 USD. Then, there are the Sennheiser HD497 / PX100s. I owned both at one time or another. The HD497s are a good value but they are not my cup of tea. I found that these cans simply could not reproduce a sufficient level of "natural" or "unadulterated" sound reproduction to suit my rather elitist tastes. Mid range seems recessed. Bass response is very good and it extends pretty far down the range while sounding tight and punchy. Highs are sparkling but a bit rolled off. On the other hand, the PX100s are for "bass heads." They have a tonally dark presentation of sound and the bass response is bloated, boomy, and exaggerated. They reproduce an artificial sound. However, they are compact and a decent value for the money.