help which headphones

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

I don't think i said anything about big bass,but more big sound and headphones never being able to replicate it ,but you should try and dem some grado's with the 325 series being the start,moving up the range,i'm pretty sure you'll find something that floats your boat.you might get something from the R or RS range used on that well known auction site,,if you don't like then sell on for not much loss.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

The Sony headphones I've got are pretty good for £40 but the bass can be a bit overkill and the fact that when you push up the volume they can distort a bit but the sound is very full sounding which is what I like

i might look at the high end Sony headphones and see if it's different at the other end of the scale

 

[Deleted member 108165]

Headphones, just like speakers, will distort if driven too hard, back it off a bit as that's where the beauty is.

You're only an hour up the road from me so if you want to borrow my Senn HD650's and Grado SR225's for a couple of weeks the offer is there. These are two very different heaphones but are both captivating in different ways.

My own personal opinion on headphones is that I prefer speakers every time.

 

[dalethorn]

Headphones, just like speakers, will distort if driven too hard, back it off a bit as that's where the beauty is.

You're only an hour up the road from me so if you want to borrow my Senn HD650's and Grado SR225's for a couple of weeks the offer is there. These are two very different heaphones but are both captivating in different ways.

My own personal opinion on headphones is that I prefer speakers every time.

My own personal opinion on speakers is that I prefer headphones every time.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

I was watching some YouTube reviews last night on the hole range of sens HD585 - HD800

the HD650s seem to fit the bill for me but Anything up to HD585s are ok for iPad , iPhone and anything portable but time you get to the HD600s you got to use an amplifier to get the best out of the rest of the headphones sens range .

The HD700s are a big jump in price from the HD650s nearly double the price the other brand I've looked at are Philips f something can not remember the name but theses are meant to be top quality and a top sound but the same kind of money the sen HD650s go for. .

anyway I will keep looking but the demo I had at richer sounds was not a very good one as the headphones I tried should of been demonstrated on a headphone amp as some of the headphones I tried were not portable headphones they were hifi headphones which needed an amplifier so not really a good demo so I've learned from looking at headphone reviews .

 

[dalethorn]

I was watching some YouTube reviews last night on the hole range of sens HD585 - HD800

the HD650s seem to fit the bill for me but Anything up to HD585s are ok for iPad , iPhone and anything portable but time you get to the HD600s you got to use an amplifier to get the best out of the rest of the headphones sens range .

The HD700s are a big jump in price from the HD650s nearly double the price the other brand I've looked at are Philips f something can not remember the name but theses are meant to be top quality and a top sound but the same kind of money the sen HD650s go for. .

anyway I will keep looking but the demo I had at richer sounds was not a very good one as the headphones I tried should of been demonstrated on a headphone amp as some of the headphones I tried were not portable headphones they were hifi headphones which needed an amplifier so not really a good demo so I've learned from looking at headphone reviews .

If they play loudly enough, then the mids and treble should be much the same on a solid state amp. The difference is the bass, because the Senns' impedance spikes in the bass, which could make the bass muddy on music tracks that have a strong bass, when played on an underpowered device.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

so what your saying is that an amp will give better bass control then say an iphone ?

 

[luckylion100]

or if I've misunderstood this but I'm quickly reading this on the go.

I'm surprised, actually shocked that a retailer like Richer Sounds don't have headphone amps/dacs at their disposal to assist customers in making an informed choice when buying headphones.

The headphone section of an albeit ancient Roksan K2 was shockingly bad. the better the headphone the worse they sounded. If I'd had to judge my headphones on the performance of the Roksan I would have binned them there and then! I doubt the K3 has improved massively in this area.

I believe the OP intends to use his new headphones on his Yamaha amp so perhaps testing them on a reasonably 'good' amp in the shop is as near an approximation as to what he can expect when he gets home. It may have made sense, may have been all that was availble but he's being sold short, just as the headphones are. My advice would be, go make the effort to listen to some quality headphones on a half decent dedicated headphone amp/dac just to see what they're capable of even if it's not how you intend to ultimately deploy them.

If you don't do this you are not hearing the sonic capabilities of the headphone, any headphone. To me seems like a total waste.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

What happened was I phoned up richer sounds before making the trip to the store to find out if I needed to book the demo room to demo some headphones but the chap I spoke to said no you can try them out with your iPhone if I wanted to . As I have never brought an expensive pair of headphones before I said ok I come and have a look at what you have .

when I got there I said I phoned up about buying some headphones but I forgotten my iPhone so I said can I try some on a amp the chap said no problem he offered me the Arcam which I hate and knowing that the best they had n stock is roksan caspain cdplayer and its matching amp but they never had the matching amp at hand only the roksan k3 so that's what the demo was done on using the caspain cdplayer as a source .

the only headphones I liked but not to the point I would buy them were the sennheiser momentum 2.0 wired they were good but found them a little bit bright on treble .

now normally I would say that richer sounds normally have treat me well in the past but this time apart from the store manager I did not know anyone as they seemed of had a staff switch round and the chap who served me it was his first day and he normally works in a different store . I had thought about trying them again and asking them to demo the headphones this me around on a headphone amp that's made for the job . I might get on better !

 

[luckylion100]

wasn't having a sly pop at you. ;-)

I'm by no means an expert in any aspect of hi-fi but have had a fair bit of equipment and several pairs of not cheap headphones. I would imagine that any pair of headphones and especially those in the higher end of your budget if demoed properly would blow your socks off. This clearly wasn't the case. The fault lies with Richer Sounds whatever the circumstances in the shop that day. And seriously to suggest to you using your iphone is a suitable source is just plain nonsense.

As a long term frequenter of these pages I recall the search you endured concerning the right choice of amp in particular and would hate for you to embark on a similar quest with headphone swapping. If done right, it need only be done once until you seek a proper and meaningful upgrade.

Eventually armed with a decent pair of headphones you may find your listening habits change a little, ie using a dedicated amp/dac or good portable player other than your iphone.

I follow with interest as this is a route I'm taking myself.

 

[dalethorn]

so what your saying is that an amp will give better bass control then say an iphone?

If your sensitivity is "just OK" at 300 ohms at 1000 hz, but the impedance rises to 600 ohms at 100 hz, you'll be out of power and the bass will suffer.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

i know you were not having a go do not worry *smile* i want to get things right first time too .

that is why i am asking for lots of good advise

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

Oh btw.Sabbath Grado do an excellent 4mtr extension cable for full size jack plugs 5.5 mm I think.or is it 4.5,anyway it's a nice thick cable and comes in at around £40.

 

[Richer Sounds]

Hi there,

I saw your comments on the thread and was sorry to read you’ve had problems with your local branch.

So that I may investigate further and resolve the matter to your satisfaction would you be so kind as to e-mail me with your contact details?

John.p.clayton@richersounds.com

Once again, I offer my apologies, I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Many Thanks

John Clayton

Operations Director

Richer Sounds

 

[Blacksabbath25]

It's ok do not worry

i do not have an issue with richer sounds and will carry on supporting richer sounds I just hit a day a week after Christmas when the store I normally go to had a stand in sales assistant that was not from that store.

if I had the knowledge I have now I would of asked for the headphones to be demonstrated to me on a headphone amp . I had it mind to pay a visit and book the demo room with a headphone amp this time so things should be different experience . *smile*

 

[Blacksabbath25]

Thanks Mark for the info I will add them to my demo list .

just not had the time yet to go demoing *smile*

 

[Blacksabbath25]

No luck yet on the headphone front ...... but been reading people's reviews on headphones

because I listen to a lot of heavy metal , classic rock , blues I need a headphone that will do justice to the music.

Most of the reviews I've read say that most of the good headphones have a natural flat response

i mainly been looking at sen h650 , h800 but hate the plastic look the g 325es I think they are lots of people like this but one problem is there the right bass response for metal on these.

I've looked at Shaun I like the quality of these but again bass response is there going to be what I am after with theses .

ive been busy so not had a chance to go out and listen to any headphones but I have been reading a lot about headphones.

i did come across a web site stating which headphones were best for heavy metal the article was saying you need openback headphones with metal music and it's important to have the right kind of bass on the bottom end . Treble end needs to be right to to hear cymbals crashes and correct mids .

I like the idea of detachable cables , over ear headphones , open back headphones with comfortable on the ear

 

[dalethorn]

No luck yet on the headphone front ...... but been reading people's reviews on headphones

because I listen to a lot of heavy metal , classic rock , blues I need a headphone that will do justice to the music.

Most of the reviews I've read say that most of the good headphones have a natural flat response

i mainly been looking at sen h650 , h800 but hate the plastic look the g 325es I think they are lots of people like this but one problem is there the right bass response for metal on these.

I've looked at Shaun I like the quality of these but again bass response is there going to be what I am after with theses .

ive been busy so not had a chance to go out and listen to any headphones but I have been reading a lot about headphones.

i did come across a web site stating which headphones were best for heavy metal the article was saying you need openback headphones with metal music and it's important to have the right kind of bass on the bottom end . Treble end needs to be right to to hear cymbals crashes and correct mids .

I like the idea of detachable cables , over ear headphones , open back headphones with comfortable on the ear

Most headphones under $500 or £500 are closed, so you have very little to choose from. Go up to a Focal Elear, and then you'll have great sound. The Elear has a great, detailed bass, but a lot of recordings have poor bass and people choose bass-boost headphones to compensate.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

I did not really want bass boosting headphones more like headphones that give a real bass so you can hear the kick drum on a drum kit without the over done bass bit I kind of want punch when it's needed that how heavy metal is but if you say Led Zeppelin , Black Sabbath I would like to hear the instruments as well as the singer but without it sounding boring .

if I have to hold out and spend £600 I will if I can get a headphone that's right for the job

 

[dalethorn]

I did not really want bass boosting headphones more like headphones that give a real bass so you can hear the kick drum on a drum kit without the over done bass bit I kind of want punch when it's needed that how heavy metal is but if you say Led Zeppelin , Black Sabbath I would like to hear the instruments as well as the singer but without it sounding boring .

if I have to hold out and spend £600 I will if I can get a headphone that's right for the job

I've reviewed 170 headphones now - several of them over $1000/£1000, and you'd be amazed how bad things are even with the high-priced models. I've been very disappointed with the planars I've had - they're supposed to be great at bass, but what I've heard was meh. The Focal Elear isn't perfect either - it needs some treble EQ, but the bass is phenomenal.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

i did look at the focal elear headphones

in the uk they are £800 new i see they have a nice long lead for plugging up to your hifi but some of the video's ive seen on youtube say that lead is very heavy but if your sitting down its not an issue also they say they are heavy headphones to were .

i have read some of your reviews that you have done on some of the headphones you have reviewed which kind of give me some pointers what to look out for when i get to demo some .

 

[paulkebab]

If I'd trusted them I'd have wasted, and I do mean wasted, £1600 on the totally wrong headphones. I auditioned a lot and 'saved' £500. Planars are a step above the norm but the wrong ones sound truly 'meh' as Dalethorn says.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

It's a case of each to their own

its the same for amplifiers and speakers some people like a marantz pm6005 then someone else would turn round and say I hate a marantz pm6005

i mainly read uses reviews online what they say about what they have brought not a magazine review

peoples experiences go a long way as well as a good demo which you can not beat

i have 5 different headphones that I am going to demo if I spend £200 then good but I also have it in mind to try planers out on a demo if I like then I will end up spending £800 .

 

[Blacksabbath25]

I come across hifi man headphones

the hd400i and hd400s what do you reckon as the reviews I've looked at say the hd400i sound good for heavy metal

the only issue is that they have a small lead but I could buy an after market lead which is longer .

 

[paulkebab]

I'd be taking home the Audeze but they weren't for me, I like a V profile as my ears are midrange sensitive. The problem with this is that certain parts of that midrange start to disappear in a non-linear fashion so it's a tricky situation to control. The clear winners for me in this aspect were the planars, detail is wonderful without having the volume overly high to get that detail in the first place. Turn up the volume and everything still stays sweet. I spent half an hour over two planars, the Oppo and the Fostex and it was close.