headphones redux

[davemchine]

You may have noticed my recent posts regarding headphones. I had two situations. One, I need a pair of "buds" for the gym. The other situation was that I needed a good pair for listening at home.

To solve the first problem I bought a pair of Koss "The plug" headphones and a pair of Koss "spark plug", $19 and $12 respectively. The Plugs aren't too bad, they fit well in the ear and the sound is fairly detailed given the price point. Voices sound good. Some distortion though, even at moderate listening levels. The Spark Plug on the other hand is very bad. Harsh, muffled, boomy, really terrible. If anyone else is looking I'd recommend spending the few extra bucks for the Plug's or going even further.

I haven't really resolved my situation where I want to listen at home yet other than making a wish list. After getting recommendations here and doing ALOT of reading I've settled on the Grado SR60's for home listening in the short run. http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-manufa...-sr-60.php . They are only $70 which makes them a bargain in my book.

When I can afford to I'm going to jump up to the Bose Quiet Comfort 3's, http://reviews.cnet.com/Bose_QuietComfor...29466.html . These should sound great and have the added benefit of noise canceling while traveling.

Dave

[earache]

You'll love the Grado's. Just make sure you keep them out of UV light when not in use, the foam will turn orange if you don't.

[Yoyodyne ArtWorks]

Yep, Grados are top value (and they come from an iconic company to boot). For those who may be unfamiliar with Grado's history, Joe Grado (RIP) was an absolute legend in the American audio industry, playing a key role in the development of high-quality phono cartridges.

[davemchine]

I'm putting the grado's on my father's day list. It was pretty clear after reading the reviews that they were the best value out there. Thanks for all the help I got here!

Dave

[jdc]

i had a pair of the SR60s a long time ago, they are nice -- lost them in some move

ended up getting a pair of senn HD435s recently and i really love them -- the replaceable cord is a nice touch...

http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/pro...sid=500265

[karsen]

Congrats. Give us a review of them when you get the Grados. I'd love to see how you think they stack up versus the Koss which you already said aren't too bad.

[deckeda]

One caveat we, um sorta glossed over, davemchine. The SR-60s aren't very comfortable for long-term listening. May not affect you. The SR-125s have bigger pads that distribute the weight a little better, FYI.

[jdc]

[quote deckeda]One caveat we, um sorta glossed over, davemchine. The SR-60s aren't very comfortable for long-term listening. May not affect you. The SR-125s have bigger pads that distribute the weight a little better, FYI.
yeah, thats what i should have said -- grados got to be uncomfortable after about 1 hour or so of regular use

the 435s have big pads and take a few hours of use for the pads to conform to your ear, but once they do, you can leave them on for hours

single sided 10 fit cord keeps it out of the wheels of my chair...

[karsen]

There are lots of hacks to make the SR-60s more comfy though.

I also have some Senns HD 280 Pros that are more comfy. They all have their place though. Senns block out all outside sound. Grados are great with the iPod when out jogging or whatever and dont want to get blindsided by a car.

[RAMd®d]

When out and about, there is *no* substitute for looking out for trouble. I think a pair of 'phones putting sound in the middle of your head, so to speak, is much more problematic than most people realize.

That said, I think dave's qualification for using the 60s is a fair and accurate one.

The Koss Port-A-Pros are a much better sounding set compared to the Spark Plug, in that price point.

Even the behind the head Grados would seem a little heavy for jogging, but I've never tried with acutal headphones.

Current 60s are supposed to be far more comfortable than those of years past. The last thing I'd do is "hack" them to make them comfortable. One exception would be replacing the earpads with better ones, as long as Gorilla Glue or some other hack is not required.