Headphones - 'Ware the audiophiles !

[Pob255]

Um, I've tried a few Grados in the SR-series, and they I find them comparatively easier to drive than almost any other decent headphones I've tried. The Grados never really sounded -bad- even on those generic USB Pen drive with MP3 player built-in you get on Ebay. They always sound like a good pair of headphones, though you do not realise -how good- until you put through some decent source.

Considering they are over £100 I sould damb well hope so.

I'm just not an audiophile to talk myself into spending that much on some headphones

[TooNice]

Lol, the point I want to make though, is that not all £100+ headphones *sound* like £100 headphones on weaker source. Grados, to me are amongst the most forgiving ones.
If you are ever curious about the Grados sound, get the KSC-75. They are about £15 if you shop around, occasionally less. It gives a good gist (I dare say 80% - subjectively) of what the Grados sound is like (not everyone like them - at least once you've tried a few headphones in that range).

[arthurleung]

Um, I've tried a few Grados in the SR-series, and they I find them comparatively easier to drive than almost any other decent headphones I've tried. The Grados never really sounded -bad- even on those generic USB Pen drive with MP3 player built-in you get on Ebay. They always sound like a good pair of headphones, though you do not realise -how good- until you put through some decent source.

At least its not like my TF10 which sounds like I'm underwater when driven by underpowered music phone.

I would say the difference between £10 and £50 is significant, £50 to £100 is also significant, £100 to £250 I can still tell the difference. I doubt my ear can hear the difference past that price though. People who used to listen at high volume probably have their hearing deteriorated so badly that they hear no difference between £10 and £50.

Past £100 the playback device will be the deciding factor in sound quality. I ended up having 2 sets of IEM in case the playback device is crap and I have to use something easier to drive.

For games, it depend (the implementation of CMSS is actually different for movies and games and in some games I do prefer it off).

You do know there is a setting for headphone/speaker in Windows audio setting. And games nowadays have cut-scene close to the quality of movie.

Really the best way to find out what is good is to find a shop and test various headphones yourself. I "converted" my friend from a £30 IEM & SE music phone to £250 IEM and a decent PMP this way.

[TooNice]

I agree that it's best to try out in stores if possible. And I also converted a couple of friends and been to headphone meets to try things out. The DT880 mentioned earlier wasn't mine. After a taste of a couple headphones, my friend went for that and a Shure E530. A jump from a MX500.

I am quite reluctant to classify by cost though, if only because you get some oddities, and personal taste comes into play. I consider the low end Koss (PortaPro/KSC-75/KSC-35) and the Sennheiser PX100 in the same class, yet above most headphones in that price range (there is another one well known headphones in that price range, but I don't remember what it is, as I've not tried it).

There are people who do not like the Grados sound, and would rather stick with a £100 Sennheiser than a £200 Grados. Personally, I am not big on IEM. They are a necessity when isolation is a must, but it took the Shure E500/530 to make feel that I am not compromising SQ for portability/isolation. But even then, if isolation is not an issue, I would gladly pick an AKG K701/HD650 over it (both cheaper). And they are (or were? I admit I've not been following on IEMs that closely for 2 years now) pretty much at the top of non-custom IEMs. While I am somewhat curious about custom IEMs, I am just worried that at over twice or three times the cost, and for all the ingenuity of technology, they are still not going to improve on my enjoyment over the aforementioned full sized cans.

[Uriel]

I was quite happy a year and a half ago with Speedlink Medusa 5.1s and an Audigy 2, which I'd owned for years. Then I started getting problems with the soundcard and have somehow been through onboard realtek, a cheap C-Media soundcard, 2 X-Fi Xtreme Musics, a Xonar D2 and am currently on my second X-Fi Prelude. Most of the changes were due to problems although I must admit, the last change from th Xonar D2 to Prelude was just me being picky.

Somewhere in there, I got to borrow a set of Sennheiser HD600s from a colleague. Then the trouble really started. I A/Bd them against the Medusas and to be honest wasn't that impressed. Then after giving them back, I started to miss the additional detail and control. It's the start of a slippery slope and 5 or 6 sets of headphones later, I'm just about happy.

Thanks to buying discounted or 2nd hand, and selling what I no longer use, I've not actually spent a horrendous amount. Try before you buy is always the way forward if possible though. And if you want to stay happy with what you have don't go trying stuff you can't afford.

[ArCElM]

I use a Xonar D2X + HD595 and the sound DESTROYS my old Realtek on board + Steelseries 5Hv2.

[cheekster]

Interested in purchasing a good quality pair of headphones for when I'm watching HD tv episodes and movies through the night. Originally thought about trying one of the surround sound types but in general think I'm correct in thinking they aren't that great? So I'm leaning more towards a pair of stereo headphones and then may give Dolby Headphone a try.

Unless there's a huge compromise in sound quality I'd prefer headphones that don't leak loads of sound?

Sennheiser or Grado's then...?

Thanks.

Cheekster.

[nibbler]

I've got realtek HD audio (onboard) and its pretty damn good for me!