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#1
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Headphones to try out under $200?
Hi folks,
It seems to be hard to find headphones to actually try out, sadly, so I'm hoping to get a few more suggestions for things I can try to hunt down. Intended usage: Mostly just listening to music at home or office. Occasional home recording use. No critical mixing or tracking. My listening tastes are largely (old) rock and indie pop, some electronic music, some acoustic folk-ish music. What I like: My ideal headphone would be so subjectively transparent and physically comfortable that I'd be able to forget I was wearing headphones. Not fatiguing. It should sound smooth and not obviously hyped. If I had to trade some clarity and detail vs. smoothness, I would probably lean that direction. Decent isolation of ambient noise would be a nice bonus but isn't critical. Comfort for long wearing is critical, but is highly subjective and dependent on head shape etc, so obviously I'm not gonna get much help here - have to find some to put on eventually! Price is somewhat arbitrarily capped at $200. What I've tried: In the past I've been pretty happy with AKG K-240 (they fit me fairly comfortably, the sound is pretty "natural" to my ears, not fatiguing)... but they could be a bit better in the detail and clarity department, and they don't isolate the room at all. I could end up buying a pair if I don't find anything I like a lot better. I've also tried a borrowed older ATH-A700 which was really impressive - quite comfortable. Good background isolation. Really smooth clear bass and mids. Very clear sound and not harsh. My only complaint is the high treble is a bit "pingy", it's pretty subtle, but it struck me that there's a bit too much of the very highs. I could probably get used to it. These are currently my top contender, but what else is out there? Also I'm not sure what's different between the A700 I tried and the newer A700x. I tried some Sony MDR-6... ouch! Did not fit me well at all and hurt my head, the sound was much too harsh for me as well, I wouldn't be able to wear them for five minutes without physical pain and ear fatigue. A store around here had some Sol Tracks V8 ... never heard of them, cost about $100, comfy to wear and pleasant to listen to but rather hyped: way too much mid-bass, and I think some midrange scooped out ... it sounded nice on the few things I listened to but it's definitely not a neutral sound, not what I'm looking for. Any other suggestions? If there was something just like the A700 but with slightly reined in high treble I'd be very into it... Thanks, - Paul |
#2
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
On 10/1/2014 10:11 AM, slinkp wrote:
Hi folks, It seems to be hard to find headphones to actually try out, sadly, so I'm hoping to get a few more suggestions for things I can try to hunt down. Intended usage: Mostly just listening to music at home or office. Occasional home recording use. No critical mixing or tracking. My listening tastes are largely (old) rock and indie pop, some electronic music, some acoustic folk-ish music. What I like: My ideal headphone would be so subjectively transparent and physically comfortable that I'd be able to forget I was wearing headphones. Not fatiguing. It should sound smooth and not obviously hyped. If I had to trade some clarity and detail vs. smoothness, I would probably lean that direction. Decent isolation of ambient noise would be a nice bonus but isn't critical. Comfort for long wearing is critical, but is highly subjective and dependent on head shape etc, so obviously I'm not gonna get much help here - have to find some to put on eventually! Price is somewhat arbitrarily capped at $200. What I've tried: In the past I've been pretty happy with AKG K-240 (they fit me fairly comfortably, the sound is pretty "natural" to my ears, not fatiguing)... but they could be a bit better in the detail and clarity department, and they don't isolate the room at all. I could end up buying a pair if I don't find anything I like a lot better. I've also tried a borrowed older ATH-A700 which was really impressive - quite comfortable. Good background isolation. Really smooth clear bass and mids. Very clear sound and not harsh. My only complaint is the high treble is a bit "pingy", it's pretty subtle, but it struck me that there's a bit too much of the very highs. I could probably get used to it. These are currently my top contender, but what else is out there? Also I'm not sure what's different between the A700 I tried and the newer A700x. I tried some Sony MDR-6... ouch! Did not fit me well at all and hurt my head, the sound was much too harsh for me as well, I wouldn't be able to wear them for five minutes without physical pain and ear fatigue. A store around here had some Sol Tracks V8 ... never heard of them, cost about $100, comfy to wear and pleasant to listen to but rather hyped: way too much mid-bass, and I think some midrange scooped out ... it sounded nice on the few things I listened to but it's definitely not a neutral sound, not what I'm looking for. Any other suggestions? If there was something just like the A700 but with slightly reined in high treble I'd be very into it... Thanks, - Paul My go to phones these days are the ATH-M40x, $99 on Amazon. Tuned to be flat for monitoring, comfortable with good isolation. Tim Sprout |
#3
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Headphones to try out under $200?
I would recommend finding a used pair of Yamaha YHD-1 headphones on eBay. They
are near-electrostatic in sound quality. They are no longer manufactured. You should expect to pay around $150. |
#4
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
When I began reading your post I said to myself "AKG 240" and then you said that's the closest you know. They're my favorite- they're smooth and comfortable.
The audio technica ath m50 sound terrific except they're pretty bass heavy and they feel like a vice on my head so I can't use then. Sony 7506 are super comfortable but sound like **** to me. So my answer is AKG 240. Let me know if you do find something better. |
#5
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
slinkp wrote:
Hi folks, It seems to be hard to find headphones to actually try out, sadly, so I'm hoping to get a few more suggestions for things I can try to hunt down. Intended usage: Mostly just listening to music at home or office. http://www.amazon.com/Koss-KTXPRO1-Titanium-Portable-Headphones/dp/B00007056H - Paul -- Les Cargill |
#6
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
Shure SRH-440. Slightly bass shy, smooth straight up into the mids, and silky highs.
Can be driven by anything from iPod to a 100W per ch receiver. Just don't tilt your head forward or back to often - if the HD-280 & ATH-m50 are vices, these Shures are the anti-vice! LOL |
#7
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
On Wed, 1 Oct 2014 11:11:30 -0700 (PDT), slinkp
wrote: Hi folks, It seems to be hard to find headphones to actually try out, sadly, so I'm hoping to get a few more suggestions for things I can try to hunt down. Intended usage: Mostly just listening to music at home or office. Occasional home recording use. No critical mixing or tracking. My listening tastes are largely (old) rock and indie pop, some electronic music, some acoustic folk-ish music. What I like: My ideal headphone would be so subjectively transparent and physically comfortable that I'd be able to forget I was wearing headphones. Not fatiguing. It should sound smooth and not obviously hyped. If I had to trade some clarity and detail vs. smoothness, I would probably lean that direction. Decent isolation of ambient noise would be a nice bonus but isn't critical. Comfort for long wearing is critical, but is highly subjective and dependent on head shape etc, so obviously I'm not gonna get much help here - have to find some to put on eventually! Price is somewhat arbitrarily capped at $200. What I've tried: In the past I've been pretty happy with AKG K-240 (they fit me fairly comfortably, the sound is pretty "natural" to my ears, not fatiguing)... but they could be a bit better in the detail and clarity department, and they don't isolate the room at all. I could end up buying a pair if I don't find anything I like a lot better. I've also tried a borrowed older ATH-A700 which was really impressive - quite comfortable. Good background isolation. Really smooth clear bass and mids. Very clear sound and not harsh. My only complaint is the high treble is a bit "pingy", it's pretty subtle, but it struck me that there's a bit too much of the very highs. I could probably get used to it. These are currently my top contender, but what else is out there? Also I'm not sure what's different between the A700 I tried and the newer A700x. I tried some Sony MDR-6... ouch! Did not fit me well at all and hurt my head, the sound was much too harsh for me as well, I wouldn't be able to wear them for five minutes without physical pain and ear fatigue. A store around here had some Sol Tracks V8 ... never heard of them, cost about $100, comfy to wear and pleasant to listen to but rather hyped: way too much mid-bass, and I think some midrange scooped out ... it sounded nice on the few things I listened to but it's definitely not a neutral sound, not what I'm looking for. Any other suggestions? If there was something just like the A700 but with slightly reined in high treble I'd be very into it... Thanks, - Paul Grado SR80i --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com |
#8
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
Chuck wrote: "Grado SR80i"
+1!!!!! |
#9
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Headphones to try out under $200?
On Thursday, October 2, 2014 2:53:45 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Chuck wrote: "Grado SR80i" +1!!!!! Thanks. That one's come up a couple times... What's the difference between the SR80i and the SR80e? I've been trying to puzzle it out from the Grado website. Is the "i" model just a later iteration of the earlier "e" model? Or ... no? |
#10
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
Nate Najar wrote:
When I began reading your post I said to myself "AKG 240" and then you said that's the closest you know. They're my favorite- they're smooth and comfortable. The audio technica ath m50 sound terrific except they're pretty bass heavy and they feel like a vice on my head so I can't use then. Sony 7506 are super comfortable but sound like **** to me. So my answer is AKG 240. Let me know if you do find something better. I was most unhappy with a pair of K240s that I bought secondhand. There was a 16dB dip in the response just below 4 Kc/s and a sharp 8dB peak at 6.5 Kc/s. Both sides were similar, so it was more likely to be faulty design than something wrong with this particular pair. Although the AKG K44s seem to have more ripples and a small peak at HF, they sound a lot better to me than the K240s and they fall well within your budget. They are also comfortable and reduce room noise to some degree. -- ~ Adrian Tuddenham ~ (Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply) www.poppyrecords.co.uk |
#11
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
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#12
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
On 3/10/2014 10:35 a.m., Adrian Tuddenham wrote:
Nate Najar wrote: When I began reading your post I said to myself "AKG 240" and then you said that's the closest you know. They're my favorite- they're smooth and comfortable. The audio technica ath m50 sound terrific except they're pretty bass heavy and they feel like a vice on my head so I can't use then. Sony 7506 are super comfortable but sound like **** to me. So my answer is AKG 240. Let me know if you do find something better. I was most unhappy with a pair of K240s that I bought secondhand. There was a 16dB dip in the response just below 4 Kc/s and a sharp 8dB peak at 6.5 Kc/s. Both sides were similar, so it was more likely to be faulty design than something wrong with this particular pair. I have some K240, but don't seem to have that dip. They are the nicest of my 'enclosed' AKGs though, but do sound a little 'boxy'. Unlike my K701s and Q702s I will be interested to listen to the pair of K812s that I am repairing (not mine), when the parts come. Hint for anyone with these - don't let anybody try to *screw* the detachable plug out ! (It has a little pull-collet release thingy). geoff |
#13
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
On Thu, 2 Oct 2014 12:13:46 -0700 (PDT), slinkp
wrote: On Thursday, October 2, 2014 2:53:45 PM UTC-4, wrote: Chuck wrote: "Grado SR80i" +1!!!!! Thanks. That one's come up a couple times... What's the difference between the SR80i and the SR80e? I've been trying to puzzle it out from the Grado website. Is the "i" model just a later iteration of the earlier "e" model? Or ... no? i means improved so it is the newer model. --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com |
#14
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
slinkp wrote: "Thanks. That one's come up a couple times... What's the difference between the SR80i and the SR80e? I've been trying to puzzle it out from the Grado website. Is the "i" model just a later iteration of the earlier "e" model? Or ... no? "
The SR80e is new to me. headphone.com (headroom) sells it now but not the i - which I bought 3 yrs ago and still enjoy. BTW the newer version isn't always better. |
#15
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
On Wednesday, October 1, 2014 11:11:30 AM UTC-7, slinkp wrote:
Hi folks, It seems to be hard to find headphones to actually try out, sadly, so I'm hoping to get a few more suggestions for things I can try to hunt down. Intended usage: Mostly just listening to music at home or office. Occasional home recording use. No critical mixing or tracking. My listening tastes are largely (old) rock and indie pop, some electronic music, some acoustic folk-ish music. What I like: My ideal headphone would be so subjectively transparent and physically comfortable that I'd be able to forget I was wearing headphones. Not fatiguing. It should sound smooth and not obviously hyped. If I had to trade some clarity and detail vs. smoothness, I would probably lean that direction. Decent isolation of ambient noise would be a nice bonus but isn't critical. Comfort for long wearing is critical, but is highly subjective and dependent on head shape etc, so obviously I'm not gonna get much help here - have to find some to put on eventually! Price is somewhat arbitrarily capped at $200. What I've tried: In the past I've been pretty happy with AKG K-240 (they fit me fairly comfortably, the sound is pretty "natural" to my ears, not fatiguing)... but they could be a bit better in the detail and clarity department, and they don't isolate the room at all. I could end up buying a pair if I don't find anything I like a lot better. I've also tried a borrowed older ATH-A700 which was really impressive - quite comfortable. Good background isolation. Really smooth clear bass and mids. Very clear sound and not harsh. My only complaint is the high treble is a bit "pingy", it's pretty subtle, but it struck me that there's a bit too much of the very highs. I could probably get used to it. These are currently my top contender, but what else is out there? Also I'm not sure what's different between the A700 I tried and the newer A700x. I tried some Sony MDR-6... ouch! Did not fit me well at all and hurt my head, the sound was much too harsh for me as well, I wouldn't be able to wear them for five minutes without physical pain and ear fatigue. A store around here had some Sol Tracks V8 ... never heard of them, cost about $100, comfy to wear and pleasant to listen to but rather hyped: way too much mid-bass, and I think some midrange scooped out ... it sounded nice on the few things I listened to but it's definitely not a neutral sound, not what I'm looking for. Any other suggestions? If there was something just like the A700 but with slightly reined in high treble I'd be very into it... Thanks, - Paul I like the Sennheiser 580 and their sucsessor the 600 for easy listening. There's probably a later version in that family, but my old 580s still sound great. |
#16
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
And just remember: Head-related Transfer function! Above all else this is the most impact on how you will perceive a can's sound.
Even a Beats by DRE, which "those of us who know" has no professional production value, might work best with certain peoples' hearing - perhaps even better than some AKGs, Beyers, or Sennheisers. |
#17
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
Head-related Transfer function! Above all else, this is the
most impact on how you will perceive a can's sound. In theory, that's true. In practice, it seems to apply only to listening to binaural material. For reasons I do not comprehend, most people agree on what most headphones "sound like", regardless of make or model. * If HRTF were a significant factor, this would not be true. * The one exception is AKG. I have never heard one I didn't think was poor. Yet lots of people like them. |
#18
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Headphones to try out under $200?
wrote:
And just remember: Head-related Transfer function! Above all else this is the most impact on how you will perceive a can's sound. No, actually it has very little impact on how you perceive a headphone's sound, which is the problem. You're used to listening through your personal HRTF day in and day out, and then you put on headphones and you're listening to something beamed right into your ear without the acoustical shading of your head and pinnae. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#19
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Headphones to try out under $200?
Scott Dorsey wrote: "No, actually it has very little impact on how you perceive a headphone's sound,
which is the problem. You're used to listening through your personal HRTF day in and day out, and then you put on headphones and you're listening to " So then I guess I'd better pay more attention to the very headphone response graphs http://cdn.head-fi.org/5/57/1000x500...one-Curves.JPG so many of you, not just Dorsey, told me weren't to be taken too seriously just a few years ago. smh! |
#20
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Headphones to try out under $200?
wrote:
Scott Dorsey wrote: "No, actually it has very little impact on how you perceive a headphone's sound, which is the problem. You're used to listening through your personal HRTF day in and day out, and then you put on headphones and you're listening to " So then I guess I'd better pay more attention to the very headphone response graphs http://cdn.head-fi.org/5/57/1000x500...one-Curves.JPG so many of you, not just Dorsey, told me weren't to be taken too seriously just a few years ago. The reason they aren't to be taken too seriously doesn't have to do with the HRTF... it's due to the shape of your inner ear rather than your outer ear below 500 Hz or so, and due to positioning issues above 5 Khz or so. The HRTF has to do with the characteristics of sound from the free field getting to your ears (which is mostly outer ear and head shape). --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#21
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Headphones to try out under $200?
Scott D:
Well heck, inner ear, outer ear, it all sounds head-related to me! LOL |
#23
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
wrote in message
... And just remember: Head-related Transfer function! Above all else this is the most impact on how you will perceive a can's sound. Bull****. Even a Beats by DRE, which "those of us who know" You are not among those who know. You are among those who are utterly clueless. Your comment about HRTF confirms this. |
#24
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
wrote in message
... Well heck, inner ear, outer ear, it all sounds head-related to me! LOL A moron laugh at his own ignorance. |
#25
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
wrote in message
... Scott Dorsey wrote: "No, actually it has very little impact on how you perceive a headphone's sound, which is the problem. You're used to listening through your personal HRTF day in and day out, and then you put on headphones and you're listening to " So then I guess I'd better pay more attention to the very headphone response graphs That won't help you. You can't understand them, and you'll still be retarded. http://cdn.head-fi.org/5/57/1000x500...one-Curves.JPG so many of you, not just Dorsey, told me weren't to be taken too seriously just a few years ago. smh! Are you trying hard to be a cretin, or does it just come naturally? |
#26
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Headphones to try out under $200?
I'm sure people have been wondering about this for the intervening three years (—”_—”)
.... but I just remembered this thread and thought I'd post what I actually ended up doing. Namely: first I found my old AKG K240 that I thought were long lost, and used them for a couple more ears. Tried various other headphones whenever I had a chance*. Then a coworker let me try his Grado SR60e, and I just loved how they sounded. And they're only $80 a pair, so I bought some. I feel like everything's there, much clearer than the AKGs, and nothing is exaggerated to the point of annoyance. Bass is emphasized, but still sounds tight, not boomy or tubby - it's enough that I can listen at low volume and still hear the low end clearly without sounding overwhelming if I turn the volume up. And crucially they fit my head pretty well. After a couple days, I do think they're a little tiring to wear ... my ears get rather warm under the foam pads, and they do clamp a hair tighter than I'd like. Closed cans would have been nice for isolation, but, oh well. I didn't try anything that sounded better to me. * Re. trying out headphones: It turns out, millennial tech workers in an open-plan office are a great pool of headphone enthusiasts who will often gladly let you borrow their cans for a test run. I think the reasons are that a) big headphones are back in style and b) they perform an essential dual function - both blocking or covering all the distracting conversations around you while also visibly signaling to people "I'm concentrating, don't bother me". It used to be you would just, you know, CLOSE A DOOR, but you don't see those things around much anymore. A couple other phones I tried and took notes on: - Sennheiser HD-25: Borrowed for 30 min. Impressions: Very nice bass, good mids, pretty good balance, treble slightly more forward than I'd like but probably could live with it. Listening to music on these is nice. A little on the tight side; ears feel a bit hot and uncomfortable after that time. - AT-M50x struck me as pretty similar to the A700. Nice bass. A bit harsh highs. - Sennheiser HD280 Pro - Tried at a local Guitar Center where they nicely let me open a box. Too tight for my head. Maybe I just have a weird head. Seemed like they would be very uncomfortable for long periods. Sound was good, if a bit bright for my taste. Very good isolation. On Wednesday, October 1, 2014 at 2:11:30 PM UTC-4, slinkp wrote: Hi folks, It seems to be hard to find headphones to actually try out, sadly, so I'm hoping to get a few more suggestions for things I can try to hunt down. Intended usage: Mostly just listening to music at home or office. Occasional home recording use. No critical mixing or tracking. My listening tastes are largely (old) rock and indie pop, some electronic music, some acoustic folk-ish music. What I like: My ideal headphone would be so subjectively transparent and physically comfortable that I'd be able to forget I was wearing headphones. Not fatiguing. It should sound smooth and not obviously hyped. If I had to trade some clarity and detail vs. smoothness, I would probably lean that direction. Decent isolation of ambient noise would be a nice bonus but isn't critical. Comfort for long wearing is critical, but is highly subjective and dependent on head shape etc, so obviously I'm not gonna get much help here - have to find some to put on eventually! Price is somewhat arbitrarily capped at $200. What I've tried: In the past I've been pretty happy with AKG K-240 (they fit me fairly comfortably, the sound is pretty "natural" to my ears, not fatiguing)... but they could be a bit better in the detail and clarity department, and they don't isolate the room at all. I could end up buying a pair if I don't find anything I like a lot better. I've also tried a borrowed older ATH-A700 which was really impressive - quite comfortable. Good background isolation. Really smooth clear bass and mids. Very clear sound and not harsh. My only complaint is the high treble is a bit "pingy", it's pretty subtle, but it struck me that there's a bit too much of the very highs. I could probably get used to it. These are currently my top contender, but what else is out there? Also I'm not sure what's different between the A700 I tried and the newer A700x. I tried some Sony MDR-6... ouch! Did not fit me well at all and hurt my head, the sound was much too harsh for me as well, I wouldn't be able to wear them for five minutes without physical pain and ear fatigue. A store around here had some Sol Tracks V8 ... never heard of them, cost about $100, comfy to wear and pleasant to listen to but rather hyped: way too much mid-bass, and I think some midrange scooped out ... it sounded nice on the few things I listened to but it's definitely not a neutral sound, not what I'm looking for. Any other suggestions? If there was something just like the A700 but with slightly reined in high treble I'd be very into it... Thanks, - Paul |
#27
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Headphones to try out under $200?
On 1/12/2017 5:32 AM, slinkp wrote:
- Sennheiser HD280 Pro - Tried at a local Guitar Center where they nicely let me open a box. Too tight for my head. Maybe I just have a weird head. Seemed like they would be very uncomfortable for long periods. Sound was good, if a bit bright for my taste. Had some, sold them. Sound was thin and harsh, like sticking needles in my ears ..... geoff |
#28
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Headphones to try out under $200?
slinkp wrote:
Then a coworker let me try his Grado SR60e, and I just loved how they sound= ed. And they're only $80 a pair, so I bought some. They sound really good. They are great for casual listening. I have a pair in the office myself. But sit down with the AKG and the Grados and a parametric and see how much EQ you have to add before you notice it. You can hear little changes a lot more easily on the AKG. I feel like everything's there, much clearer than the AKGs, and nothing is = exaggerated to the point of annoyance. Bass is emphasized, but still sounds= tight, not boomy or tubby - it's enough that I can listen at low volume an= d still hear the low end clearly without sounding overwhelming if I turn th= e volume up. And crucially they fit my head pretty well. The Grados make everything sound good, even recordings that aren't actually good. That's great for casual listening or to give the customer something to listen through, that's not so good for studio work. After a couple days, I do think they're a little tiring to wear ... my ears= get rather warm under the foam pads, and they do clamp a hair tighter than= I'd like. You should have heard the earlier versions with the torture pads. The new improved pads came out about five years ago and make them much more pleasant. - AT-M50x struck me as pretty similar to the A700. Nice bass. A bit harsh h= ighs. I didn't like them, but I liked the M70s. Go figure. - Sennheiser HD280 Pro - Tried at a local Guitar Center where they nicely l= et me open a box. Too tight for my head. Maybe I just have a weird head. Se= emed like they would be very uncomfortable for long periods. Sound was good= , if a bit bright for my taste. Very good isolation. Did you try the Beyer DT240? It's a little forward for me, but not bad and not too expensive. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#29
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Headphones to try out under $200?
Try the care full use of a couple of earbud cotton sticks to each ear! I am amazed every time I do this, usu about 2 weeks apart, though this does depend on what you are eating, literally. The amount of wax that comes out may appear small but the change in hearing acuity especially in the higher frequencies is well remarkable! Why this part of personal hygiene is not referred to as a staple activity I have no idea. But the incidence of deafness in older people who have not been to war in a tank nor have they attended any raves in their lifetime is also a sad affair. A taboo subject? Its time we woke up to living pro actively. What do you think? Pardon?
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#30
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Headphones to try out under $200? .... and OT - Macca
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#31
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Headphones to try out under $200?
On Wednesday, October 1, 2014 at 2:11:30 PM UTC-4, slinkp wrote:
Hi folks, It seems to be hard to find headphones to actually try out, sadly, so I'm hoping to get a few more suggestions for things I can try to hunt down. Intended usage: Mostly just listening to music at home or office. Occasional home recording use. No critical mixing or tracking. My listening tastes are largely (old) rock and indie pop, some electronic music, some acoustic folk-ish music. What I like: My ideal headphone would be so subjectively transparent and physically comfortable that I'd be able to forget I was wearing headphones. Not fatiguing. It should sound smooth and not obviously hyped. If I had to trade some clarity and detail vs. smoothness, I would probably lean that direction. Decent isolation of ambient noise would be a nice bonus but isn't critical. Comfort for long wearing is critical, but is highly subjective and dependent on head shape etc, so obviously I'm not gonna get much help here - have to find some to put on eventually! Price is somewhat arbitrarily capped at $200. What I've tried: In the past I've been pretty happy with AKG K-240 (they fit me fairly comfortably, the sound is pretty "natural" to my ears, not fatiguing)... but they could be a bit better in the detail and clarity department, and they don't isolate the room at all. I could end up buying a pair if I don't find anything I like a lot better. I've also tried a borrowed older ATH-A700 which was really impressive - quite comfortable. Good background isolation. Really smooth clear bass and mids. Very clear sound and not harsh. My only complaint is the high treble is a bit "pingy", it's pretty subtle, but it struck me that there's a bit too much of the very highs. I could probably get used to it. These are currently my top contender, but what else is out there? Also I'm not sure what's different between the A700 I tried and the newer A700x. I tried some Sony MDR-6... ouch! Did not fit me well at all and hurt my head, the sound was much too harsh for me as well, I wouldn't be able to wear them for five minutes without physical pain and ear fatigue. Maybe you need to shrink your head. I have the Sony, what's the number, something like, MDR7650 and they offer premium sound and comfort! Jack A store around here had some Sol Tracks V8 ... never heard of them, cost about $100, comfy to wear and pleasant to listen to but rather hyped: way too much mid-bass, and I think some midrange scooped out ... it sounded nice on the few things I listened to but it's definitely not a neutral sound, not what I'm looking for. Any other suggestions? If there was something just like the A700 but with slightly reined in high treble I'd be very into it... Thanks, - Paul |
#32
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Headphones to try out under $200? .... and OT - Macca
geoff wrote:
"Was dismayed to realise that I'd left my earplugs at hotel Saturday night when half-way to Macca concert. But thankfully the levels were not at all excessive. Not like Neil Youg last(?) year, who was painful even *with* 20dB Etymotic ear-plugs in ! " If one needs to wear ear plugs at a concert then something is clearly wrong. |
#33
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Headphones to try out under $200? .... and OT - Macca
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#34
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Headphones to try out under $200? .... and OT - Macca
On 19/12/2017 9:16 AM, Geoff wrote:
On 19/12/2017 2:59 AM, wrote: geoff wrote: "Was dismayed to realise that I'd left my earplugs at hotel Saturday night when half-way to Macca concert. But thankfully the levels were not at all excessive. Not like Neil Youg last(?) year, who was painful even *with* 20dB Etymotic ear-plugs in ! " If one needs to wear ear plugs at a concert then something is clearly wrong. Something is indeed clearly wrong. Presumably you haven't been to many rock concerts in the last decade..... You mean the last 4 decades surely? Trevor. |
#35
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Headphones to try out under $200? .... and OT - Macca
On 18/12/2017 22:16, Geoff wrote:
Presumably you haven't been to many rock concerts in the last decade..... It's not just big venues either. The last time I went to my local pub, where the whole venue will fit in a square 70 feet on a side, the band were determined to get the full kilowatt out of the PA system, right up to the point of driving the mic preamps into clipping. It sounded a lot better from about 50 yards away from the venue, after I pointedly walked out past the band after a couple of tracks with my ears ringing. The open mic night at the same venue a couple of weeks later sounded a lot better and quieter, so I stayed to the end. -- Tciao for Now! John. |
#36
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Headphones to try out under $200? .... and OT - Macca
On 18 Dec 2017, Geoff wrote in
rec.audio.pro: Presumably you haven't been to many rock concerts in the last decade..... The past several rock concerts I attended weren't all that super loud. That doesn't really say anything about the volume of rock concerts in general, but I guess I'm lucky that the artists I've chosen to see seemed to strike a good balance between the visceral experience and physical discomfort or damage. Shows seemed louder in general in the past. However, I'm sure there are still plenty of live shows that are unnecessarily loud. Where I *have* had problems lately are at the movies. I went to a couple this past year that were just PAINfully, punishingly loud and shrill, and in fact, the last one I went to, the Blade Runner sequel, left my ears ringing for a few days and I feel like I may have suffered some longer-term damage. I will be wearing ear protection to any films from hear on out, especially big bam boom action movies. |
#37
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Headphones to try out under $200? .... and OT - Macca
Nil wrote:
"The past several rock concerts I attended weren't all that super loud. That doesn't really say anything about the volume of rock concerts in general, but I guess I'm lucky that the artists I've chosen to see seemed to strike a good balance between the visceral experience and physical discomfort or damage. Shows seemed louder in general in the past. However, I'm sure there are still plenty of live shows that are unnecessarily loud. " Your concert experiences probably run contrary to most people's! |
#38
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Headphones to try out under $200? .... and OT - Macca
On Tue, 19 Dec 2017 21:12:40 -0500, Nil
wrote: On 18 Dec 2017, Geoff wrote in rec.audio.pro: Presumably you haven't been to many rock concerts in the last decade..... The past several rock concerts I attended weren't all that super loud. That doesn't really say anything about the volume of rock concerts in general, but I guess I'm lucky that the artists I've chosen to see seemed to strike a good balance between the visceral experience and physical discomfort or damage. Shows seemed louder in general in the past. However, I'm sure there are still plenty of live shows that are unnecessarily loud. Where I *have* had problems lately are at the movies. I went to a couple this past year that were just PAINfully, punishingly loud and shrill, and in fact, the last one I went to, the Blade Runner sequel, left my ears ringing for a few days and I feel like I may have suffered some longer-term damage. I will be wearing ear protection to any films from hear on out, especially big bam boom action movies. Saw Dunkirk at an AMC IMAX with an audio level so loud that I had my fingers in my ears 90% of the time. Will have to watch it on cable with CC to find out what much of the dialog was. |
#39
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Headphones to try out under $200? .... and OT - Macca
On 20/12/2017 1:12 PM, Nil wrote:
On 18 Dec 2017, Geoff wrote in rec.audio.pro: Presumably you haven't been to many rock concerts in the last decade..... The past several rock concerts I attended weren't all that super loud. That doesn't really say anything about the volume of rock concerts in general, but I guess I'm lucky that the artists I've chosen to see seemed to strike a good balance between the visceral experience and physical discomfort or damage. Shows seemed louder in general in the past. However, I'm sure there are still plenty of live shows that are unnecessarily loud. Yep sure are, many Rock artists still think louder is better, and I imagine Heavy metal groups that I never go to are just as bad. Where I *have* had problems lately are at the movies. I went to a couple this past year that were just PAINfully, punishingly loud and shrill, and in fact, the last one I went to, the Blade Runner sequel, left my ears ringing for a few days and I feel like I may have suffered some longer-term damage. I will be wearing ear protection to any films from hear on out, especially big bam boom action movies. What I find annoying about such films is the sound effects are usually ear splitting loud, but the dialog is often hard to hear. :-( Trevor. |
#40
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Headphones to try out under $200? .... and OT - Macca
In article , Trevor wrote:
What I find annoying about such films is the sound effects are usually ear splitting loud, but the dialog is often hard to hear. :-( I am increasingly suspecting this is because they are mixed in tiny dubbing rooms with the intention of getting good sound in living rooms, and then when those films are shown in auditoria with a much longer reverberation time intelligibility suffers and the immediate response is to turn levels up. Theatrical releases don't get the money, the money is in home distribution today so that is what the sound mixes are optimized for. The days of 2,000 square foot dubbing stages are long gone. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
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