Advice needed....Headphones for D2?

[dlichtdotcom]

Hi all,

I haven't tried head-fi yet and I'd like some advice from D2 owners about what headphones they think sound the best with the D2. I have a pair of Sony MDR-XD300's which possess an unacceptable SQ and makes me look like a pilot...they're huge...can't remember why and how I picked these up. A pair of Sony MDR-7506's which are pretty flat and in some genres I can here an empty, hollow sound, though to some ears these may sound great and in a few genres like trip-hop they sound really good. However...something seems missing in the midrange and bottom end of the hi spectrum, can't pinpoint what it is....maybe if I were a musician instead of a hobbyist. I do like the Bass reproduction for the most part.

Anyway, they're cheaply built(boo Sony) and I think the SQ could be better.

What I'm looking for -

1. Headphones with a SQ to match the D2.
2. Can't really get into in-ear headphones...not sure why. So please don't recommend these.
3. Budget of $200-$350
4. Genres I mainly listen to are trip-hop, jungle, pop, rock, 70's rock/pop, acid jazz, reggae, dub and lot's of electronica...mainly the Venetian Snares, Squarepusher, Anything on Ninjatune, Bleep, Warp Records, Aphex, Jega etc etc type. NOT trance and the house I listen to is very different than the house you'd find at clubs.
5. But I love jungle/Drum 'n' Bass also...think I always will so, Bass reproduction is very very important.
6. Would it be to much to ask that they be sexy as well? Or should I just stick to being concerned with SQ?

If you have any reviews to go along with the recommendations or know of any specific discussions going on in forums where people are creaming themselves for a particular headphone please do tell.

As always thanks for your time!

p.s. - I'm willing to go $50-$100 more on a recommendation if there's a particular pair that the Gods themselves have approved.

[SonOfFree]

If you don't like in-ear headphones...why don't you try semi-intra? Like sennheiser cx500...

[Toxeus]

Sennheiser HD25

Would it be to much to ask that they be sexy as well?
Sorry, they look cheap and ugly
But SQ is really great.

There is a huge thread on head-fi:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/hd2...thread-163153/

[Aimless1]

You can find the sound you're looking for with the Grado SR225. Nice bass response and should be excellent for the music genres you mentioned. Easy to drive, but they will sound sweet with a portable amp. At about $200 you will have money left over to pick up an inexpensive amp. Same principal but for about $100 the Grado SR80 would give you a taste of what to expect.

That was the good news. The bad is they have a retro look that may or may not appeal to you. Some find the bowls impossible to wear, as they find them uncomfortable. I like the retro look and have never had a problem wearing them for any length of time. These are open phones and they will leak sound. YMMV.

Even the D2 will have difficulty driving most cans without an amp. Eliminating In Ear Monitors really gives you a short list of what will give outstanding SQ. Another option may be the Yuin PK1, PK2 or PK3. These are ear buds on steroids that deliver impossibly good SQ for the $$$. For your music the low end PK3 at about $50 is probably your best option, otherwise the PK1 with a portable amp.

[grimloki]

Grado makes open phones, with a very particular sound. If you like it, you'll find it refined throughout the range.

Open phones generally have more detailed highs and mids, with a better soundstage. They also let you hear noises around you, and people around you hear your headphones. Depending on where you do most your listening, these qualities can be good or bad.

Closed phones (like yours) generally have more bass, will isolate, and have a lack of upper mid and high detail... they sound closed in. I don't like them... and we like the same music.

[breakfastchef]

I would seriously consider the Sleek SA6 IEM dsystem. They have a detachable cable, a nice selection of tips, and adjustable bass and treble. I auditioned these in May. While these IEMs do not particularly excel in anyone area (bass ot treble, for example), they are outstandingly neutral and transaprent.

[4ki]

Originally Posted by Aimless1

You can find the sound you're looking for with the Grado SR225. Nice bass response and should be excellent for the music genres you mentioned. Easy to drive, but they will sound sweet with a portable amp. At about $200 you will have money left over to pick up an inexpensive amp. Same principal but for about $100 the Grado SR80 would give you a taste of what to expect.

That was the good news. The bad is they have a retro look that may or may not appeal to you. Some find the bowls impossible to wear, as they find them uncomfortable. I like the retro look and have never had a problem wearing them for any length of time. These are open phones and they will leak sound. YMMV.

Even the D2 will have difficulty driving most cans without an amp. Eliminating In Ear Monitors really gives you a short list of what will give outstanding SQ. Another option may be the Yuin PK1, PK2 or PK3. These are ear buds on steroids that deliver impossibly good SQ for the $$$. For your music the low end PK3 at about $50 is probably your best option, otherwise the PK1 with a portable amp.

I don't know...a lot of talk says the Grado series aren't the best for the OP's genre of music. They're aggressive cans (not in fatiguing way imo), and if they're anything like my MS-1s I'd look for a set with less forward mids and focus on 'deep' soundstage. Something like the Audio Technica A-900s, closed cans well-regarded as having the most spacious sound of any closed model with the addition of the great bass response that most circum-aurals have. For the count, I really like my MS-1s; they're vocal synergy is a big unusual and give artists like Daniel Powter more 'breath'.


to the op:

I don't know how much you've spent on audio gear so far, but you don't even have to shed out $200 for good sound. If you really want to tip the scales, though, I'd point you to closed audio technica, beyerdynamics, and denon cans as they provide arguably the deepest bass you can get without destroying the midrange magic. Sennheisers may be in store for you if you don't want to go as deep; lots of people have two headphones on the draw to cover their music bases. IMO there's a big diminishing point after the $200-retail range of cans, and the difference between mid-100s and lower 200s isn't *that* great until you involve an amplifier. Just my 2c. If you're willing to spend up to $300 or more, investing in two 'mid-range' cans will better suit your needs and keep you from getting bored

[dlichtdotcom]

Thanks for the posts, links and suggestions thus far everyone! Please keep them coming.

4ki - I was looking at Audio Technica as one of the brands on my list and a friend from work yesterday said in his opinion I can't go wrong with certain models. He's a sound engineer and in general we have some cool conversations about music production. He actually studied music unlike me the hobbyist, so I try to pay keen attention to our discussions. Beyerdynamics have come up as well and I've used Denon equipment in the past but not any of their cans.

breakfastchef - I was looking at those on head-fi.org and might actually need a pair of in ear after all.

Grimloki - thanks, we should share music lists and artists sometime then and see if we've missed anyone that the other might enjoy.

Aimless1 - yeah they're retro look doesn't appeal to me and if 4ki is spot on they may not be the best fit for my genres, however I will try to get to a music store and test out a few cans with my D2 and am willing to sacrifice looks for good SQ.

After remembering that I will shortly be getting a bike, it seems like I will need a pair of in ear after all. So 4ki for the money I'm willing to shell out I may just get two pairs of phones as you've suggested.

Interestingly enough I was listening to Windowlicker from Aphex yesterday and heard a few sounds in the track that I had not distinguished before. This was with the Sony MDR-7506, so things are getting interesting.

[Aimless1]

[QUOTE=4ki;185449]I don't know...a lot of talk says the Grado series aren't the best for the OP's genre of music. They're aggressive cans (not in fatiguing way imo), and if they're anything like my MS-1s I'd look for a set with less forward mids and focus on 'deep' soundstage. Something like the Audio Technica A-900s, closed cans well-regarded as having the most spacious sound of any closed model with the addition of the great bass response that most circum-aurals have. For the count, I really like my MS-1s; they're vocal synergy is a big unusual and give artists like Daniel Powter more 'breath'. QUOTE]


So, you got the MS-1. Congratulations! I hope you are enjoying them, and it sounds like you are .

I am NOT intimately familiar w/all the OP genres mentioned. I was thinking more of bass response, but you are probably right...they may be too forward on the mids. I haven't heard the A-900s so I can't really comment there.

[dlichtdotcom]

4. Genres I mainly listen to are trip-hop, jungle, pop, rock, 70's rock/pop, acid jazz, reggae, dub and lot's of electronica...mainly the Venetian Snares, Squarepusher, Anything on Ninjatune, Bleep, Warp Records, Aphex, Jega etc etc type. NOT trance and the house I listen to is very different than the house you'd find at clubs.

[4ki]

yeah....it seems like sony 7506/v6 units sound close to the audiotechnica a700s, which aren't vastly different from a900s (though the latter is said to have some substantial improvements). I've read that the sonys are a bit colder-sounding, so getting a warmer (possibly open) phone with a warmer and deeper bass extension should improve things quite a bit.

There seems to be a lot of talk about denon D2000s vs Beyerdynamic DT770s (80 ohm version); the former being a more open-sounding and warmer phone (staging and separation), the latter being a little more aggressive, but with a tighter low-end that brings out more energy. Both phones go around $250-300 retail, but I'm seeing a lot more Denons going even as low as $200 new. Either of them will be a pretty big step from the MDR7506 model you're with, though they're also a bit bigger (beyers more than denons).

For IEMs it's a bit easier to pick because you can narrow down function > sound. How much isolation do you think you'll need (airplane, bus, etc), and how much you'll focus on sound while commuting around?
I usually stick to cheap/durable and fair-sounding inner ears when doing things like that, saving the good gear for long flights/travels. The only hard part is that they'll never sound as good as a full-sized set of cans =[

It'd probably be a good idea to keep the IEMs around $100 or less as the quality diminishes more sharply as you get more expensive, than with full-size headphones.

[Matt Scarlett]

Originally Posted by dlichtdotcom

4. Genres I mainly listen to are trip-hop, jungle, pop, rock, 70's rock/pop, acid jazz, reggae, dub and lot's of electronica...mainly the Venetian Snares, Squarepusher, Anything on Ninjatune, Bleep, Warp Records, Aphex, Jega etc etc type. NOT trance and the house I listen to is very different than the house you'd find at clubs.

Then much as i like the Grado's (i've only owned three pairs) then i would go for the Sennheiser HD 25-1's. More of a portable option than the Grado's, yet for a pair of Sennheiser's, they are very upfront in their presentation, just like the Grado's. However, when it comes to wanting bass, the Grado's never really 'floated my boat' if you catch my drift! They always left me wanting for a bit more depth. Don't let anyone fool you that Grado's are any kind of bass bins...they're not. The HD 25-1's are a better all rounder. that's not to damn them with faint praise, because they can perform. I've had mine for 11 years, and if i was stuck on a desert island with one pair of headphones, i'd want them to be the HD25-1's!

[4ki]

^they're really freaking durable, that's a fact. What of the sound, though? Everyone's chanting that their phones are great, but I don't see any facts/reviews/links on the table. For what it's worth, the HD 25's reviews all share on fact in common; they can get harsh.