Audio Need help in finalizing a headphone setup

fLUX

Skilled
Hi Guys,

I can get a headphone from US in coming 1-2 months and going by price differenence there is at the max 2k difference in Indian and USA pricing (sans the warranty ) . So what i thought would be best get a brand not available right now in India . I have tried a AD700/Denon D1100 as of now . I would like to try different signatures .

So what i decided was to buy a Grado SR 80/125/225i (which one of the following is best vfm ) from the US . And get myself a Sennheiser HD 558/598(again VFM wont mind minute difference) from India . Are the sound signatures similar of both these headphones . So should i go for a M50 & a Grado combo or a HD558 & grado combo .

Really confused would be great if some one helps me out .

P.S :- I like a fun sound signature (like in the NE7 of nuforce )/ mid centric sound signature (so would like two headphones matching these).
 
yeah denon d2000 did come to my mind , but the amazon pricing put me off , should have sealed the deal when metalspree was selling :( .
V-Moda M-80 will read reviews on that one.
 
If you're set on a pair of Grados then the 225 is what you want. Classic Grado signature but with the highs being more tame than then rest of their SR series. I jumped back on the Grado wagon recently :hail: .................. missed them!

The HE-300 which are Hifiman's dynamic driver offerings are a good buy as well. Good mids with a reasonably "fun" signature that plays well with quite a few genres. Think this is something you should look at. Probably around the same price as the Sennheisers if I'm not wrong.
 
I have never tried a Grado , tried a AD700 liked it pretty much other than fior the lack of bass . Does grado cover up the bass issue.
 
@ritvik
One is decided as Grado SR225i , now will i need another headphone for covering up what SR225i , (any sennheiser one insider 8k u can suggest)
 
if you have money to buy two HPs that complete each other. its better to buy better HP system at the price of two.

Grado do more or less without an amp, so yeah SR225 is a good choice, but if you have money to by a sr225 and a 8K headphone, , extend your budget a little bit more and get RS1i. you can find great deals on a used pair of those.

Buy a good amp later that will be a good upgrade for them. But even without an amp they are great.

D2000 have been discontinued. A good entry headphone, doesn't excel in any area but doesn't suck in any either.

I will recommend the Sennheiser offerings HD600 or HD650. Get them used, from US at around 250, and a good amp like M-stage. Thats also a good route IMO.

it all depends on your budget. So how much is it ??
 
I'd agree with strategy too, unless you're looking for two very different sound signatures.

Having heard most of the Grado range save the PS500, I like the 225 and the RS2 the most, with the RS2 the highs are not as aggressive as the rest while they are a slight deviation from what I'm told is the Grado sound.
 
Hmm , in that case i will buy a Grado SR225i and check if i am content with it and go later on for a HD650 or something . Budget can go upto 20-22k (not right now , but can save for few months to this amount).
RS1 retails for 649$ would not like to spend that much right now .
 
I have never tried a Grado , tried a AD700 liked it pretty much other than fior the lack of bass . Does grado cover up the bass issue.

The bass is accurate and tight, not bloated. Good mids and highs, been a while since I heard them though. I remember liking them more than the 325 although the plastic finish is something I didn't like.

Maybe you should get in touch with @bennysachdev think he owns a pair.
 
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@bennysachdev
Can you please give a small impression about the 225i , and also give some comparision to ad700 (if you have tried it).
 
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What kind of amp/dac/source are you looking to use with these headphones. Maybe I can suggest something that would offer a better synergy with them.
 
@op,if you are looking for fun sounding phones,have a look at Ultrasone Pro 550,perfectly fits in your budget,cheap E11 can drive it perfectly.
Try a HD25 also,Gradoish sound with tighter lower frequencies.
Ver
 
What kind of amp/dac/source are you looking to use with these headphones. Maybe I can suggest something that would offer a better synergy with them.

BTW do you use the bowl, jumbo, flat pads with your Grados? Thinking which ones to get , don't want to make the mistake of getting the wrong ones ........................... they're expensive for just foam. Think its 25/35/45 USD for the bowl/TTVJ Flats/Jumbo. Any places that sell them locally?
 
Jaben sells all the pads your looking out for. Now here's the thing, i personally prefer the bowl pads but the jumbo pads are more comfy. Personally i feel the sound is kinda weird with the jumbo pads. I know weird isn't really an accurate description or something that you were expecting but you gotta hear it to know what i'm saying. For my kind of usage(2-3hrs) bowl pads are the best bet. For longer usage the jumbo pads are better. Actually I find the SR225i a bit too detailed for my brain to process at times so I don't use them for long uses.
 
Think the TTVJ flats might smooth out the treble a bit if you find them hard to handle while bringing out the lows more than before, probably at the expense of some imaging/details.

Still confused on what pads to get :(
 
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