Headphones recommendation

[HT102]

Yo,

 

I am truly a newbie when it comes to headphones.. looking for one that can cater to both stereo (primary) and HT needs. Budget around $300.

 

Any recommendation?

 

Thanks!

[hifiluv]

Yo,

 

I am truly a newbie when it comes to headphones.. looking for one that can cater to both stereo (primary) and HT needs. Budget around $300.

 

Any recommendation?

 

Thanks!

 

remember seeing Philips got one wireless set,can check tat out.  sori i cant remember model. but headphone being LR how to simulate HT ???

[Transworld]

Check out the Grados at Music by Design at Adelphi. The clarity and musicality makes no mistake.  ;)

[HT102]

remember seeing Philips got one wireless set,can check tat out.  sori i cant remember model. but headphone being LR how to simulate HT ???

Thanks but not going for wireless.. owned a Sennheiser top model RS85 before and was not impressed. :(

 

Did a liitle of search and found sennheiser HD555 and HD595 (this should be above my budget, but I'm quite flexible ;D).. know where I can find them and their street prices here?

[HT102]

Check out the Grados at Music by Design at Adelphi. The clarity and musicality makes no mistake.  ;)

Thks Transworld. Which model do you recommend?

[hifi_enthusiast]

Same budget here. i bought Audio Technica ATH-AD900 for $295 (or $299 can't recall) from Stereo at Causeway Point. Price is stated on the sticker, no need to bargain.

 

I got the AD900 because it was SO COMFORTABLE. I have not found a headphone at this price level that is more comfortable that the Audio Technica.

 

Sound quality is also good. No regrets so far. Using it for my late night PC gaming (play too much Oblivion liao). As for 555, i found it uncomfortable as the headphone really CLAMPS on your head no matter how much you adjust it - its seems designed for joggers or portable music i guess - no chance of it falling off.

 

But note that $300 will get you ok and well-balanced sound but will not get you 'high-end sound' - that comes in around $500-$600 (entry level high end).

 

 

[sonofdbn]

Same budget here. i bought Audio Technica ATH-AD900 for $295 (or $299 can't recall) from Stereo at Causeway Point. Price is stated on the sticker, no need to bargain.

 

I got the AD900 because it was SO COMFORTABLE. I have not found a headphone at this price level that is more comfortable that the Audio Technica.

 

Sound quality is also good. No regrets so far. Using it for my late night PC gaming (play too much Oblivion liao). As for 555, i found it uncomfortable as the headphone really CLAMPS on your head no matter how much you adjust it - its seems designed for joggers or portable music i guess - no chance of it falling off.

 

But note that $300 will get you ok and well-balanced sound but will not get you 'high-end sound' - that comes in around $500-$600 (entry level high end).

 

 

I got the same headphones, also from Stereo Electronics in Causeway Point. The best thing is that they have a reasonable range of headphones to try out and you can bring your own CDs. Ask for Aron, who seems to be in charge of the headphones.

 

See sgheadphones for a local headphones forum or head-fi.org to see what other people like.

[karlie]

 

I am not a fan of the Grados sound but a lor of people like it.

 

For the Grados two warnings:

  they are extremely open: the radiate as much towards the head as towards the outisde.

  the foam they use is very uncomfortable to my ears.

 

[limestone]

I am not a fan of the Grados sound but a lor of people like it.

 

For the Grados two warnings:

  they are extremely open: the radiate as much towards the head as towards the outisde.

  the foam they use is very uncomfortable to my ears.

 

 

yeah, the Grados don't look good, but they sound good.

 

Have a look at the sennheisers, but take caution the native impedance of the headphone model that you are eyeing.. anything more than 16ohms will require a fairly good headphone amp to make it sound as good as it's intended...

 

Some of the models stand at 24 or 32 ohms.. these are pretty hard to drive...

[HT102]

Thanks all. Seems that Stereo Electronics is the one stop I must made.

 

*Sigh* Causeway Point is alittle too far.. :(

[manik_saha]

What amp are U using... if it's a transistor amp, then depending on the chip you would choose a either a grado or something else.

 

A colleague of mine and me are currently using AD8066 with Grado Alessandro headphones (modded iCute headphone amp) for office.. sounds great even from the PC.

 

Original chip was OPA2227, tried OPA2228 and now the AD8066... so far the best.

 

Cheers

[sonofdbn]

Thanks all. Seems that Stereo Electronics is the one stop I must made.

 

*Sigh* Causeway Point is alittle too far.. :(

 

From my limited research, other places to try are one shop in Parklane Shopping Mall (don't remember the name) (Beyer, Sennheiser and I think some Shure in-ear ones), Hung Bros in SLS and (from what I read), Jaben Networks in Adelphi, which carries the Alessandros mentioned above. Also look at www.bluetin.com (think they're local).

[HT102]

What amp are U using... if it's a transistor amp, then depending on the chip you would choose a either a grado or something else.

 

Pai seh.. the headphone will be used with pio AX5Ai receiver.. I know not the best amp for stereo but the jitter free i-link is fanstastic for DVD-A/SACD playback.  :-[

 

[daredevil_kk]

If you dun mind earphones you can try the ER-6 or ER-6i. I have the ER-6. It is good sounding and there is good noise isolation too.

[manik_saha]

the headphone will be used with pio AX5Ai receiver..

 

Sorry bro, not sure what chip the AX5Ai has for the headphone output stage..  :-\

 

I like the grado's in general for their musicality, and vocals are sublime.. ;D

 

 

 

[Madsumm]

Pai seh.. the headphone will be used with pio AX5Ai receiver.. I know not the best amp for stereo but the jitter free i-link is fanstastic for DVD-A/SACD playback.  :-[

 

 

One thing on the safe side, go for 32ohms or if possible 16ohms HP. Easier to drive.

 

Most receivers out there are not able to drive 500-600ohms (Sennheisers HD650). So no point.

 

Rgds

[Tachikoma]

One thing on the safe side, go for 32ohms or if possible 16ohms HP. Easier to drive.

 

Most receivers out there are not able to drive 500-600ohms (Sennheisers HD650). So no point.

 

Rgds

 

Well... its a common misconception that headphones with a lower resistance are easier to drive; a lower resistance means the headphones will require a larger current input for the same power, while headphones with a higher resistance usually need less current and more voltage swing. (P=I^2xR = V^2/R) You also have to pay attention to the headphones' sensitivity rating, for instance the K1000 is rated at 120 ohms, but people have to use power amps instead of headphone amps to drive it =P

[Madsumm]

Well... its a common misconception that headphones with a lower resistance are easier to drive; a lower resistance means the headphones will require a larger current input for the same power, while headphones with a higher resistance usually need less current and more voltage swing. (P=I^2xR = V^2/R) You also have to pay attention to the headphones' sensitivity rating, for instance the K1000 is rated at 120 ohms, but people have to use power amps instead of headphone amps to drive it =P

 

Yeah, nice one.

 

I do agree if you are running in on high amps and power. For headphones, its a tad different I think.

Why I said this is that, the diff of 32ohms compared to 600ohms is huge. Its not like in speakers, 4,6,8 ohms.

 

Also, most AVs phones output are in fact.. capped. Yes, they can still drive 600ohms (barely because of the resistive load), but in fact not built to. That is what I meant. The power output from Phones connection is fixed anyway.

 

As with speakers, headphones have to be matched with how the amp drives it. Doesn't matter if you use an AMP to drive your K1000, so long as it matches.

 

Rgds

[HT102]

Hi all,

 

Just to report back that I had visited Stereo Electronics over last weekend and after almost an hour of tries and listening.. I eventually purchased Sennheiser HD595.

 

ATH-AD900 was my initial choice but gave up on that line when I find its bass definition to be significantly inferior to those of closed design.

 

Had tried one of the Grado's, liked the sound but comfort is one of my most important criteria to ignore. That leaves HD595 and A900, which provide reasonable good wear comfort and are priced within my budget.

 

Following are my personal findings (YMMV)..

 

Comfort - Both are excellent in this aspect but I find the HD595 a tad lighter. Being smaller, the Sennheiser is also more comfortable if worn while sleeping or lying on a reclined sofa.

 

Build Quality - The ATH wins this area hands down. The cable in the audio-technica is of high quality cloth-type while Sennheiser's rubbery cable looked cheap.

 

Sound Quality - This is most important obviously. Both have their merits. Instruments with A900 sounded more detailed as I can hear some faint musical nuances that does not exist in the Sennheiser. The HD595 fared strongly in vocals, which sounded more "bodied" and its bass definition seemed better, compared to A900. I am afraid there is no clear winner.  :-\

 

Style/Bundle - This is the area which the Sennheiser excels. HD595 looked really nice with its stylishly designed cans. The package also include a cool-looking headphone holder that can be clipped-on to the side of my hifi-rack. In comparison, I have yet figure out how I can neatly (and aesthetically) store the larger A900.

 

Edit:

Others - The Sennheiser comes with a 2-year warranty while Audio-technica only 1. The earpads, cable and headband of HD595 are designed to be exchangeable, not sure abt the A900.

 

Last but not least, the sales person (Aron) at Stereo Electronics was very helpful and patient. I had the opportunity to try every headphone I requested, and not a single moment was I pressured to make the purchase decision. If you are a newbie like me and have plans to get a quality headphone, this is one stop you should not miss.

 

[hifi_blues]

Agree with transworld.

Grado SR125 are a good value.