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Old 01-04-2021, 05:23 PM
Deliberate1 Deliberate1 is offline
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Default Headphone suggestions

Friends, I have fallen down the rabbit hole that is the world of headphone choices. For a few years I have been using a pair of medium tier ear bus that eventually crapped out.
The source will primarily be my lap which makes me wonder, in my relative ignorance on the subject, if there is enough juice to power a pair of mid tier ($250-300) muffs. Is there a need or reason to use an intermediary headphone amp? And what is the deal with powered isolation feature, and is that a desirable option. Finally, for the moment, do wireless headphones operate at the same audio quality level as wired.
Obliged for the help.
David
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Old 01-04-2021, 05:45 PM
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rick-slo rick-slo is offline
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GRADO SR225e

fine without a headphone amp

https://www.amazon.com/Grado-Prestig.../dp/B00L1NZTSS
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Old 01-04-2021, 05:46 PM
merlin666 merlin666 is offline
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Choice probably depends on your listening habits. Are they for Studio use of your own recordings? Are you an audiophile with vinyl and uncompressed digital tracks? Is your music streaming from your phone or in compressed mp3 format? I usually use headphones when I am out for walks and I am very happy with my Bluetooth Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2. They also have noise cancelling for airplane travel and came at a cost of about half what the competition from Bose etc is selling. They are not audiophile level and not tiny in ear, and have a fairly neutral sound without the bass emphasis that youth is looking for to play their beats.
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Old 01-04-2021, 05:54 PM
Deliberate1 Deliberate1 is offline
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Thanks, gents, for the suggestions. These phones would be largely for casual listening of on-line content - videos, clips, etc. I do have a Zoom recorder and can imagine getting into some audio fiddling now that I have some time on my hand - much like my photo editing work. That said, and while my dedicated listening is speaker based, a good pair of headphones could get some more serious listening time.
David
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Old 01-04-2021, 07:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rick-slo View Post
GRADO SR225e

fine without a headphone amp

https://www.amazon.com/Grado-Prestig.../dp/B00L1NZTSS
I have a pair of 325e's, they are AWESOME and I think the 225e's are spec wise the same. Both are within your stated budget.
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Old 01-04-2021, 08:00 PM
Deliberate1 Deliberate1 is offline
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Rick-slo and Sprint Bob, I have been doing the quick read about the Grado brand, and the 225e's. Specs are good, reviews universally positive and I am very pleased to be supporting a family run business in NYC rather than Sony. Looking forward to getting them. Obliged for the recommendation.
David
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Old 01-04-2021, 09:09 PM
Birdbrain Birdbrain is offline
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Default Will you be listening alone?

Grados are justifiably famed for good sound at a low price. But I had to retire my SR80s from bedtime use. They're "leaky," and the stray sounds brought complaints from my wife. So they're only good for solitary listening, and I have speakers for that.
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Old 01-04-2021, 09:39 PM
Deliberate1 Deliberate1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Birdbrain View Post
Grados are justifiably famed for good sound at a low price. But I had to retire my SR80s from bedtime use. They're "leaky," and the stray sounds brought complaints from my wife. So they're only good for solitary listening, and I have speakers for that.
I read about the lack of sound isolation. Not an issue for me. My wife probably will consider "leaky" headphones less intrusive than my laptop speakers, and more often than not, I am listening alone. Appreciate the Grado endorsement.
David
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Old 01-05-2021, 04:46 PM
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Default One more thing...

Grados seem to be designed for folks with perfectly round ears. They sit on my ears, not around them. I've had more comfortable headphones, for sure. All their earpieces are circular and the same size. The high-end models get better materials, but you apparently have no choice in dimensions and fit.

I really like Grado's sound, and their family business reputation and US production. Even Consumer Reports praises them. At $100 and under they're an easy choice, but at $200 and above, there are many good choices. I'd want to listen to -- and feel -- some other brands like Sennheiser and BeyerDynamic.
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Old 01-05-2021, 08:18 PM
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Sennheiser HD6XX from Drop.com are hard to beat at 220.00

Like many, they take a bit to burn in, but once they do it's MAHVELOUS......

https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-sennheiser-hd6xx
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Old 01-06-2021, 08:35 AM
Deliberate1 Deliberate1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fitness1 View Post
Sennheiser HD6XX from Drop.com are hard to beat at 220.00

Like many, they take a bit to burn in, but once they do it's MAHVELOUS......

https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-sennheiser-hd6xx
Good call. The Sennheiser HD650's (or Massdrop doppelganger)and Grado 225e's are neck and neck. No one but me can tell what my ears and brain would prefer, but in the absence in the ability to A/B testing, any observations from those who have compared both would be appreciated. And again, these cans will mostly be used with my lap top, so any differences between the power needs of each is a consideration.
Thx.
David
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Old 01-12-2021, 06:39 PM
johnnydobbers johnnydobbers is offline
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i use hd6xx with a schiit dac and a schiit amp. incredible sounds....the schiit products keep their value so there is no harm in buying used and reselling them if you dont need them in the future
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