Best audio quality for around £100?

[admin_exported]

I'm looking to upgrade to some respectable cans from my koss porta pros. I like the look of the Grado SR60i and SR80i which are both around the same price on amazon uk (what's the difference)? I listen to Liquid DnB, Chillstep and Rock. The kind of sounds that get me off are funky, bendy, jazzy numbers like blues solos or the rich textured warmth of Liquid DnB (mainly what I'm after).

I was also thinking of picking up the Fiio E06, is that any good? I'm looking to become a respected audiophile. :rockout:

I'm also concerned about the open nature of the Grados and am wondering if there's not a similar closed model (price and performance). You know, just cause I don't want my music blasting out in the middle of a shop or what have you.

Thanks!

 

[quadpatch]

The Grados are good for Rock, very open and have a forward upper mid-range. The SR80 has slightly sronger bass than the SR60 but we're not talking about a huge difference and certainly not a huge amount of bass in either.

I think you would prefer one of the more 'well rounded' closed cans. My top choices would be (in order of awesomeness): V-Moda M80, Sennheiser HD25-1 II, Audio Technica ATH-M50 or maybe you can get your hands on one of the old Denon AH-D2000's going cheap from HMV before they get erased from existance and replaced by newer & s***er looking/sounding models.

Personally I would avoid the Fiio E6, it's a pretty week amp. If you are listening from a computer I highly recommend a combined DAC & headphone amp like the Fiio E10 (or E17 if you need it to be portable - for the amp to work with an iPhone). It sounds like they might blow your budget but I wouldn't bother with much less. It all depends on how much you have to spend, is your £100 for the headphones and the amp?

 

[dalethorn]

I definitely second Quadpatch's recommendations.

 

[Anonymous]

I really like the Modas and they're about £130 on Amazon so I think those will be the ones I get. I like the style and think they look pretty fashionable.

Thanks for the advice, and a great review of them quadpatch. It really helps to have all the facts and just know a bit about what you're buying before you do so.

Again, thanks!

 

[quadpatch]

Glad to help Audiophilistine! I see that you can get them for £121 from Amazon at the moment. The Apple gear seller seems reliable enough and they're fulfilled by Amazon anyway. I still use mine every day at the office. Please let us know what you think of em when you get em. Not that I think you won't be pleased, but it would be nice to hear back from another owner around here .

 

[Julian_b]

Picked up a pair of those Denon AH-D 2000's from HMV at Heathrow airport for only 124 quid.

Thanks Quadpatch for talking about them with such passion and conviction. Had a very enjoyable long listen to them as I flew back to Singapore.

Great for both music and movies. A really nice sound which i expect will get better with further running in, as, after only a few hours overall integration improved as the mid range strengthened, being a bit thin at first compared to the treble and bass.

Can't wait to have a blast with them on my Yamaha RX V 3067 receiver as well as try them with my little Fiio E17 too.

They are incredibly comfortable....

 

[idc]

IME the SR80s are worth the little bit extra over the SR60s in terms of clarity and dynamics.

 

[Anonymous]

Amazon UK (not a reseller) are currently doing the V-Moda M80s for £115. Seems excellent value given the reviews. I ordered some today.

 

[Anonymous]

I got them for £112 from Amazon :rofl: Amazon-everytime :clap:

Anyway, the headphones are FANTASTIC. I Love em! I'm hearing mid range sounds that I didn't know were there before. But I'm wondering, do I need something to power them to get the best out of them? Does a modern MP3 player or phone power them sufficiantly to get the best from them?

 

[dalethorn]

I got them for £112 from Amazon :rofl: Amazon-everytime :clap: Anyway, the headphones are FANTASTIC. I Love em! I'm hearing mid range sounds that I didn't know were there before. But I'm wondering, do I need something to power them to get the best out of them? Does a modern MP3 player or phone power them sufficiantly to get the best from them?

If you mean v-moda M80, then yes, most modern players (and certainly Apples) will drive the M80 extremely well. I don't ever feel a need to use a headphone amp when walking around or riding on transport, but a headphone amp may improve the sound if you're sitting somewhere quiet where you can hear the small details better.

 

[quadpatch]

I agree with Dale here, background noise will kill most benefits of a DAC/amp. On the move would be completely pointless IMO. My office is noisy enough to only make it about half useful, they are not the most isolating headphones around, which helps give them their nice soundstage I think. At home however I found the M-80 to get a nice boost from a good DAC/amp. My favourite combo with the M-80 is one of the Yulongs because of their neutrality and they push the headphone in all the right places. I'm not sure how practical that is though since even the cheaper Yulong is more expensive than the M-80.

Congrats on getting the M-80s BTW, glad you like em, not that I had any doubts . I noticed the price has gone back up again on Amazon now. You were lucky!

 

[Anonymous]

Right time, right place. Thanks a lot Quadpatch m8! :dance: :clap:

Last question:

What about mobile phones, do they have the technology in them to make the modas sound the same as an ipod?

 

[dalethorn]

The iPod has a very small chip to provide audio output, same as the iPhone essentially, and the manufacturer (or owner of the technology) is listed in the copyrights in the Settings/General/About/Legal Notices etc. Apple changes chips/manufacturers occasionally for various reasons - probably to get the best deal on quantity pricing, not to get the best audio quality.

I would think nearly all mobile phones have a variant of these common chips, and the sound off of the chip shouldn't be a lot different, but there might be a difference in the way that sound is delivered to the headphone jack or to a Line Out. The output impedance of the original iPods or even some Classic iPods was high enough to affect the bass sound of some headphones we have, so we switched to iPod Touches.

It's best to get a line out if you can when you use a headphone amp.

 

[Paulq]

What are the V Moda's like bass wise for rock music guys? I travel quite a bit and the idea of a compact pair of over ears really appeals but only if they are gonna be the right sound for me (plenty of bass but controlled).

Would be used with iPod classic unamped.

Cheers.

 

[dalethorn]

What are the V Moda's like bass wise for rock music guys? I travel quite a bit and the idea of a compact pair of over ears really appeals but only if they are gonna be the right sound for me (plenty of bass but controlled). Would be used with iPod classic unamped. Cheers.

"Plenty of bass" covers a wide range of opinion and can lead to the wrong item. Starting at the bottom I would say the ATH M50. The M80 costs more and is more refined or smoother through the mids and highs, but is also leaner in the bass. So the M80 is probably not ideal for rock. The Sennheiser HD25 series might be better, and the Amperior is the latest in that series. I'm sure you would like it but it's nearly twice the price of the M80. The B&W P5 could be a good possibility for overall sound, but doesn't have quite the deep bass impact of the M50 or the Sennheisers. The Philips L1 might be a good bet - lots of strong bass there. If overpowering, it sounds excellent with a small amount of bass reduction. The SoundMagic HP100 has excellent bass, but is much brighter than the M80.

 

[quadpatch]

Just to add a little about Audiophilistines question of phones sounding like ipods: Dale pretty much covered this but I just wanted to add that I didn't find much difference between the iPods that I heard and the wife's iPhone. They both sound pretty good. My Samsung Galaxy S is pretty poor, there is no other word for it, but I think the newer ones have been better. The S2 only a little bit. I have been pretty impressed by the sound from the Nexus 7 tablet.

As for Paul's question about the M80: "Plenty of bass, but controlled" is a pretty good definition of them but like Dale mentions I am not sure they are the best for rock.

Dale: What you say about the HP100 makes me waht them even more now

 

[dalethorn]

Dale: What you say about the HP100 makes me waht them even more now

I think the HP100 comes down to a couple of things. On the plus side, and very plus for the price, is the comfort. They did the earcups large enough, like the better Shures, that they're pretty well perfect.

The other thing is the sound. I think they compare well to the best in bass that aren't bass heavy. They also compare well to the better headphones that have good treble. The midrange is the key. I hear the HP100 as pretty neutral and uncolored, so if anyone has a negative reaction on first hearing, my prediction is it's going to be because of what they've been listening to most recently.

 

[quadpatch]

At the moment i am switching between the M-80, D7000 and DT880 and I am liking them all. I am hoping that the M-100 will be a more powerful M-80 moving slightly towards the DT880, but it sounds like the HP100 are already there.

 

[dalethorn]

The HP100 is a very different treble from the M80. So far I don't know anything about the M100.

But I will suggest this - if you lean toward the type of treble the Beyer DT1350 has, the HP100 is like that. If you lean more toward the ATH M50 or Senn HD25/Amperior, the v-moda M100 would likely be more like those.

 

[quadpatch]

Well, I am getting the M-100 anyway so that's ok. I kinda like the idea of having the HP100 too if they are different enough. If they are not I can always sell one on again, but I get the feeling that these are two I will want to keep above other that I have anyway. I haven't heard the DT1350 but that sounds good enough for me to give the HP100 a go.

I think I am going to be able to get the HP100 as a test unit on trial anyway so that will work out great. If I can't then I will just buy it anyway.