High-end headphones

http://www.head-fi.com

Join. Read. Post. Such a wealth of headphone information there it's not funny.

For canalphones/IEMs, it all depends on budget. At the entry level are the Shure e2c (a bit muddy and I don't care for them, although some like them), Shure e3c (a step up from the e2c), Etymotic er6i (Incredibly Detailed Presentation and Great isolation, but some think they're a bit TOO bright since they present a lot of detail in the highs), the Westone UM1 (I've heard great things but never had a chance to try them) and the Super.Fi 3. As you go up the chain, there are the e4c/e5c and the Etymotic er4p/s, the well-loved Westone UM2, as well as Super.Fi 5 and 5EB (most bass ever to come out of an IEM).


I personally reccomend starting with a less expensive pair such as the e3c or er6i - Canalphones aren't for everyone. I own a pair of er6i, but I'll probably be reselling them in the next few months because I find them rather uncomfortable and find myself using my Sennheiser HD-280 for Isolating and Portable use more often and my HD-580 for home use.

Words of advice: Avoid Surround Sound, and avoid BOSE. BOSE spends all its money on advertising and none on R&D - their phones truly suck. They cost 3 times as much as other headphones with similar levels of sound quality and the build quality is horrible (anyone who has ever touched a pair of Triports knows what I'm talking about). Surround Sound headphones have crap SQ.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Megalith

Get Grados.

You're done.

Grados are an acquired taste. Ignoring the fact that they leak as much as speakers and that, being supraaural, they are incredibly uncomfortable for anything more than 10 minutes of listening, and ignoring their complete lack of any soundstage whatsoever, they're an INCREDIBLY bright phone that I personally don't enjoy at all. ESPECIALLY the SR-125 - that's kind of like a recipe for Tinnitus right there. The RS-1 have a wonderful sound, but if I had $700 to spend on cans there are choices I much prefer.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Quote:

You really think so? I always thought that Grados were very appealing to people who've never heard high-end sound equipment before, since they have the basic tonal qualities of regular old stereo equipment, except better. The SR-60 and SR-80 are certaintly fun little rock headphones, at the very least...lots of mid-bass and treble impact, even if they won't win any awards for clarity or low/high extension.

It really does depend on the person in my experience. I have friends who heard a pair of Grado/Alessandro and instantly fell in love (one now owns a pair of MS-1, one owns a pair of SR-325i with Headphile C-Pads). I have a few friends who just can't get used to them (myself in that group). It often depends on their preferred styles of music. People who exclusively listen to rock often tend to like Grados. Those of us who listen to either a mix or primarily symphonic/jazz tend to prefer other companies (Sennheiser in most cases, although I know a few Beyer fanboys). I may try and trade my er6i for a pair of SR-60 to mess around with, but for the time being I've been quite satisfied with the Senn world.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I must grudgingly rescind any previous overt Grado-hatred I may have had. While I still believe the SR-125 should be removed from existence, now that I finally own a pair of SR-60 (I traded away my Etymotic er6i for them) I can admit that there are some things they do stunningly. They have no soundstage, they suck for anything Symphonic, and they leak like speakers, but there's just something special when you throw a good rock track on these things. Metallica is stunning, there are new parts of the Beatles that I'd never heard before (and I've lost count of how many times I've listened to those tracks).... they do have their strong points.

Because most of the music I listen to is Symphonic, I'm still a Sennheiser guy. But I can at least see where Grados are coming from.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?