iPod Good Headphones

[feakbeak]

Well, you guys have convinced me to look into the Grado SR80/SR60's a bit more. I've been reading alot of reviews and in some it said that they use an amp. An amp? Do you really need an amp to use these? Can someone with the Grados put some more insight into this matter?

You don't need an amp. I've used both the SR-60s and 80s with iPods and the signal is strong enough to listen at good volumes. Many audiophiles believe that having a dedicated headphone amp keeps the signal cleaner and they may be right in some ways but you do NOT need it at all. Just using the Grados directly with your iPod will sound amazing.

Also is the head phone connecter on them compatible on the iPod head phone jack or do you need a converter.

The SR-60s and SR-80s both have a standard minijack that will work directly with the iPod. Any of the higher SR models like the 125s and up would require a 1/4" to minijack converter. I have to use this with my SR-125s. It is clunky but since I mostly use them at work it is not a big deal. If I had bought my Grados after owning my iPod I would have gone for the 80s.

I listen to all types of music with my iPod, how do they hold up to different types of music? Especially rap, rock and classical... Are the SR80s or 60s better with the iPod?

I find the Grados perform well for most all music. There is a lot of variation of sound for different headphones, just like with speakers. The Grados are very accurate with sound reproduction and cover the entire spectrum of sound quite well. However, the bass is not artifically inflated as is the case with many consumer grade speakers and headphones. You can hear low-pitched notes very well, but it's not "boomy" which I like but some people do not care for it. This seems to be particularly true for those who listen to bass-heavy music like rap or techno, etc. If you'd like to listen to them before buying I would recommend checking out your local high-end audio dealers to see what headphones they sell. I know the one or two shops around my area that sell Grado allow you to listen to them in the store.

As a final note if you do decide to go for the Grados I would recommend the 80s over the 60s. They are not that much more money and they sound noticably better, particularly with bass response. My friend recommended them to me and I bought and was so impressed and talked them up enough at work that five of my coworkers bought them too and now they recommend them as well. I can understand people knocking them for style and their size, but they sound awesome. If you care more about style and size I would also suggest looking into Sennheiser.

Good luck.

 

[iGary]

I like my e3c's if you want in-ear.

 

[M.Capz]

Thanks for the reply Beak I really appreciate it. Looks like I'll be checking them out soon and ordering them. If I were going to get an adapter for use at home, what kind would I get? I've seen pictures of amps looking box like.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Can anyone recommend me a good pair of headphones that are not "in ear"? Im looking for something comftorable, lightweight and easy to travel with. I'm not a fan of the in ear headphones. Ive gone through 3 pairs of the apple in ears and they break way too easily. This most recent set acutally started shocking my ear when running on the treadmill.

I have the Sennheiser noise canceling headphones that I love (model PXC-150).

 

[feakbeak]

Thanks for the reply Beak I really appreciate it. Looks like I'll be checking them out soon and ordering them. If I were going to get an adapter for use at home, what kind would I get? I've seen pictures of amps looking box like.

I've used headphone amps a few times. One of my friends is an audiophile and had a very nice headphone amp. Honestly, I could barely hear the difference. It was better, but only marginally. It certainly wasn't worth what most headphone amps run. Perhaps there are modestly priced headphone amps available but the nice ones run a few hundred dollars. If you are interested I would definitely try one out at a local audio store before you buy to see if the difference in sound warrants the price for you.

If you plan to use the Grado headphones on a high-end home stereo system, perhaps a headphone amp would be worth it to you, assuming you can hear the difference and find it is imporant to you. However, using a headphone amp with an iPod probably wouldn't make much difference because an audio system is usually only as good as the weakest link in the system. And when you are using an iPod as your source - it would be the weak link with a pair Grado headphones an a nice headphone amp.

 

[M.Capz]

Yea, now that I think of it I don't think I'm going to use an amp. There's no need for it becuase I'm just going to use the Grado's for my iPod and iBook. I'm sure it's going to sound great

 

[adk]

Everybody with the grado headphones have been debating about External noise leaking in. I have a pair of SR 60s and I agree that if you turn them up you can drown out other sounds and have minimal ear fatigue as well. But since they're open air they send a whole bunch of sound out of the earphones as well. I once used mine loud enough to drown out the noise on an airplane and the person next to me (two seats over, empty middle) actually asked me to turn them down. Not sure if they were really that loud or the guy was just a jerk, but i felt I should add that.

 

[M.Capz]

Everybody with the grado headphones have been debating about External noise leaking in. I have a pair of SR 60s and I agree that if you turn them up you can drown out other sounds and have minimal ear fatigue as well. But since they're open air they send a whole bunch of sound out of the earphones as well. I once used mine loud enough to drown out the noise on an airplane and the person next to me (two seats over, empty middle) actually asked me to turn them down. Not sure if they were really that loud or the guy was just a jerk, but i felt I should add that.

Thats a good thing to hear about these headphones
I LOVE blasting my music.

 

[conradzoo]

Sennheiser PX100. Perfect sound for the bucks. Right now listening to Amusment Parks On Fire. A blast

 

[Scottyk9]

Well, you guys have convinced me to look into the Grado SR80/SR60's a bit more. I've been reading alot of reviews and in some it said that they use an amp. An amp? Do you really need an amp to use these? Can someone with the Grados put some more insight into this matter? Also is the head phone connecter on them compatible on the iPod head phone jack or do you need a converter.
I listen to all types of music with my iPod, how do they hold up to different types of music? Especially rap, rock and classical... Are the SR80s or 60s better with the iPod?
I was also looking into the Bose TriPort's but these seems better.Any have the TriPorts?
Thanks guys...

- you don't need an amp
- as long as you get the SR-60 or 80, you do not need an adapter. If you go for the SR-125 or higher, you need an adapter (which ends up being almost as long as the iPod!)
- I listen to all kinds of music too, and really they are outstanding headphones
- With each step up in the Grado's, the sounds is a little better.
- sorry, haven't tried Bose (although I have heard the sarcastic "no highs, no lows... must be Bose)

There is one huge downside that you should be aware of. Having gotten used to portable headphones (stock Apple, then MDREX-51, then etymotic ER-6i), these are big, the cord is thick and perhaps a little too long for using with an iPod. However, they sound so fantastic I prefer listening to these rather than anything else, which can get a little inconvenient

 

[Squonk]

Koss Porta Pro is a good choice. And Bose Triport if you can afford them (not sure of the price outside of Norway)

I second the Koss PortaPro's (or SportaPro's). I've been using these for better than 20 years. But don't let that fool you. They are the most comfortable headphones that I've ever used. And they have a LIFETIME warranty - just mail them back with $6.00 for postage and voila - new phones.

My SportaPro's just died 3 weeks ago and once again, repaired for $6.00. I run 15+ miles week with them on and they take the sweat very well. You gotta love running with BASS!

I believe they are on J&R's website.

 

[feakbeak]

- you don't need an amp
- as long as you get the SR-60 or 80, you do not need an adapter. If you go for the SR-125 or higher, you need an adapter (which ends up being almost as long as the iPod!)
- I listen to all kinds of music too, and really they are outstanding headphones
- With each step up in the Grado's, the sounds is a little better.
- sorry, haven't tried Bose (although I have heard the sarcastic "no highs, no lows... must be Bose)

There is one huge downside that you should be aware of. Having gotten used to portable headphones (stock Apple, then MDREX-51, then etymotic ER-6i), these are big, the cord is thick and perhaps a little too long for using with an iPod. However, they sound so fantastic I prefer listening to these rather than anything else, which can get a little inconvenient

Do I have a twin in Alberta?

Go back and read my response to this same post by M.Capz post, it is nearly identical and I own a pair of ER-6i's too. Spooky. But I must say, you have great taste in audio equipment.

 

[Scottyk9]

Do I have a twin in Alberta?

Go back and read my response to this same post by M.Capz post, it is nearly identical and I own a pair of ER-6i's too. Spooky. But I must say, you have great taste in audio equipment.

Sorry for the duplicate info - I responded without going to the next page!

 

[geese]

Yes, I bought a pair of these about a week ago and, whilst you can get better quality if you're willing to pay for it, the MDR-EX71 and MDR-EX81 seem to be the best value for money in the lower price bracket. They're certainly a lot better than the Apple In-Ear earphones in my experience.

I've got a pair of EX81's. Sound quality is very good, but they wont last you more then 6 months. The cable seems to be made out of some super soft plastic that melts easily. They are baaaaaad.

 

[M.Capz]

Sorry for the duplicate info - I responded without going to the next page!

Hehe, it's ok. The more positive feedback the better I live in Brooklyn so I'm going to check them out this week.

 

[Konradx]

I have the Sennheiser noise canceling headphones that I love (model PXC-150).

ive never heard the quality or saw them in a store but by the pictures onthe Sennheiser website all their headphones look like cheap made in china dollar store headphones..

Are their any headphones with Grado quality but conceal the music? i listen to music REALLY loud and im always on bus' and trains so i dont want to get yelled at for having music even decently high. i love music quality and sport 5.1 digital surround sound for my computer with a nice reciever..i want some good headphones for my ipod and computer..i already got good in ear sony earbuds

 

[DarkNetworks]

does logitech make good headphones?

 

[M.Capz]

I just saw this page from Grado:
http://www.gradolabs.com/frameset_main.htm
Should I wait now
EDIT: Go to updates on the bottom.

 

[Konradx]

http://www.macally.com/spec/ipod/mtunen.html

can anyone tell me the sound quality based on those specs? I know they aint no grados but are the decent as compared to like MDR 300s?

 

[M.Capz]

Well, I just picked up my SR80's a few hours ago and they ROCK.
Awesome sound, I can't believe it.

 

[feakbeak]

Congrats on your purchase. I'm glad you are enjoying them.