sccrfreak342

And need a decent set of cans for ~$100 or less. I plan on using them mainly for music (mostly rock/metal/some techno) and would like to be able to switch between the headphones and my computer speakers without having to unplug one or the other from my sound card.

I also plan on using them for my Zune as well, so I'm looking for a set that does decent with a mobile device and doesn't need an amp to sound good. IEM's are also an additional option, if a good set of cans won't sound as good from a Zune, however I'd like to try and keep it under $150 if i have to get a set of each.

Since I'm new to the whole Audiophile thing, I have only really heard of the Sennheiser HD 555's being a decent set for a new audiophile that are priced in that range around $100. Other than that, I have only heard names of brands, but no details on much.

I would like to join all of you in the Audiophile community, yet I've only had experience with a few mediocre sets of headphones/in-ear sets (I currently own Skullcandy Ink'd buds, Skullcandy Lowriders, Zune premium earphones, Icemat Siberia In-Ear Headset, and Tek-N-Motion Headset).

I was hoping that the great community of OCN could help me finally make the move into the Audiophile setting for good . Thanks ahead of time!

Sccrfreak342

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Juggalo23451

Audio Technica - ATHA700
http://www.electronics-expo.com/inde...&id=AUDATHA700
102.88

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sccrfreak342

I see that those are closed-back headphones, and I know that the HD 555's are open-back... Is there any difference between the two styles? If so, which style will fit best with what I'm looking for?

Sccrfreak342

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chinesekiwi

Music taste?

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soloz2

Grado SR80

a selector box with 1 input and 2 outputs will help you.

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Please do not PM me general audio questions that should be asked on the open forum. I reserve the right to ignore your PM's.

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GoTMaXPoWeR

I really need to get me one of those selector boxes. I'm getting fed up of having to switch 5 different cables around every time I feel like gaming.

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Audio Rig - Z-5500's, X-Fi XtremeGamer, FB2K

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Aura

x2

SR60's with flat pads (from ttvj.com) would also suffice.

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sccrfreak342

As I said in the OP (which I guess you didn't see), I mainly listen to rock and metal both at home and on the go.

Are those Grado's open or closed-back headphones? I am also still looking for someone to help me out with the difference of the two, I.E. which would be a better choice for my needs and music?

Finally, do you know how those Grado's compare to the HD 555's or the A700's that Juggalo posted? The 555's look a bit nicer and are in the same price range. Like I said, I'm new to this audiophile stuff so I might be asking some stupid questions, but bear with me. Thanks for the replies so far everyone!

Sccrfreak342

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Aura

All Grado's are open.

From my experiences, open headphones exhibit a certain amount of airiness to the sound that (for me) sounds more natural. Almost all of the closed headphone I have heard present music with a more-constrained feeling, a lack of openness in comparison to open headphones. There a few exceptions to this but they are considerably out of your pricerange.

So yes, in general I prefer open to closed. However, I solely listen to music in a private, quiet environment. Closed headphones have the advantage of portable use in which they somewhat keep you from being disturbed by outside noises and keep you from disturbing others with your music. If this is a primary concern of yours, Grado may not be the answer.

That being said, both the SR60 and SR80 will produce a sound that closely matches your genres. Far more closer than either the HD555 or A700 by my estimation. The house sound for Grado has an emphasis within the midrange (primarily vocals and guitars), generally tight/accurate bass, and rather present treble that can have a sort of honk in it. The treble section for Grado is very love/hate among the headphone hobbyists. The midrange is the sweet spot and the reason I prefer the brand to many others. The presentation is generally fast and very textured, meaning that it sounds very upfront and "in your face". This is why Grado is attributed as the best brand for metal/rock/etc.

Your questions are not by any means stupid. Audio is quite overwhelming at first, far more than pc's in my experience.

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mbones

I have both Senn HD-555s and the Audio-Tecnhica ATH-A700s, and I like them both for different situations. IMO the HD-555s sound slightly better, but the ATH-A700s are more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time, which is weird since they're slightly heavier (maybe the way they fit on my head is better or something. ).

Grado makes some nice cans too, but all they have is a hyped frequency response, which is basically like setting your EQ like a big smiley face. Personally I'd prefer to have more accurate cans and tailor the EQ to suit my taste after the fact.

Sennheiser HD-280s are also a good set of cans, and I'd be willing to bet they have a more accurate soundstage than the Grados, but it's all just personal preference really.

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