Different sound characteristics for diff. music

[lypk 0]

Hi.. i've read numerous post on having different headphones being suited to different types of music.. like Grados for rock, Senns for classical.. etc.. so.. would anyone be kind enough to give a rough classification of all the major headphones manufacturers sound characteristics and what type of music they are mostly suited for? Like, maybe have a comparison which includes AT, Beyer, AKG.. etc.. thanks alot And of course, it will be good if you could also give the best example of a headphone model from that particular manufacturer that ties in with that characteristic

[Absolute0 0]

I've only had enough experience with Senns to be able to give an opinion, so here goes. As usual, all IMHO and YMMV.

 

HD600: Excels in classical, jazz, female vocals; not great for rock/metal due to the laid-back nature

HD650: Excels in the same areas as the HD600, but more well-rounded and performs admirably with a wide range of genres

[Kube 0]

HD280 Pro: Classical, Jazz, not great for rock either.

[yaufei 0]

I have my hd650 for jazz and classical, sr-80 for rock and dt880 for pop music.

[Mackie 0]

Hey guys, don't forget the system as a whole. For instance, if your interest is solely rock genre and owns a Grado but the rest of your system, ie cdp and amp, lean towards a laidback and smooth sound, this system as a whole will not rock! Synergy is the word.

 

In my case, Senn HD600 sounds great for classical genre. HD650 and DT880 are both good in jazz but the former is relatively less transparent in the mid range. However those who dig jazz vocals may dig HD650 more because of its rosy and sugary mid range over the truthful DT880. Grados SR80 sounds good with rock and pop but I wouldn't recommend it for jazz or classical.

[[J]-ohn 0]

I think its very difficult to determine the strength of different headphones since its not only affected by its system (CD player/HP amp/DAC etc....), recording of CDs but also one's preference of good sound.

 

Likewise its too general to say senn hp are good in classical since classical music has a wide scope to cover, and recording can be laid back and forward, extreme highs and extreme lows, quiet and noisy, loud and soft. Cases like this Senn might sound superior compared to Grado or vice versa.

 

If you really have to know the answer, you should instead grab some of ur favourite CDs and test them out yourself. Or you can also buy all of them.

[Kube 0]

The last one is DEFINITELY the best solution...

[pbandp 0]

Hi, I'm new to all these. What would be a good headphone for listening to pop, and good bass is important? I am currently using Sennheiser HD490 (quite old) and Sennheiser MX500. Was thinking of the Grado SR60?

[Yon 0]

Grado SR60 has pretty good bass and very different sounding to your previous headphone, definitely should put it under one of your choices.

[fishball79 0]

I was in a similar situation to pbandp. I bought a pair of HD497 thinking they'd suffice for music listening whilst studying overseas. After a week with them I couldn't take it and chanced upon a pair of Grados sr225. I also heard the sr60s around the same time period.

 

I think hd490 -> sr60 is a sideways upgrade. I'd reccomend listening and comparing side by side before you buy. I think at least a sr125 or or 225 would prove an upgrade no matter which type of music.

[evil-zen 0]

Sennheiser HD490 is really terrible. Totally muddy and bloated bass. I believe the SR60 will be an upgrade to that. If you have the money, try to go higher in the Grado series.

[pbandp 0]

Hi all, thanks for the comments. Really appreciate it.

 

I am trying to keep to a budget of about S$250/-. Any other options besides Grado (i.e. AKG)? I mostly listen to pop (English/Chinese), some jazz....not much classical though.

 

I saw the earlier postings mentioning Grado SR80...Is the difference in quality between SR80 and SR60 worth the price difference (for pop anyway.....)

[xeonster 0]

Hi all, thanks for the comments. Really appreciate it.

 

I am trying to keep to a budget of about S$250/-. Any other options besides Grado (i.e. AKG)? I mostly listen to pop (English/Chinese), some jazz....not much classical though.

 

I saw the earlier postings mentioning Grado SR80...Is the difference in quality between SR80 and SR60 worth the price difference (for pop anyway.....)

the sr80 has a slightly stronger bass response :/

 

sound stage is pretty.. similar.. at least to my hearing

[Stereo_Electronics 0]

Alternatively you can also consider the Audio Technica ATH-AD700 if you don't mind the size. For $250, the closest Grado would be the SR-125 at $260.

[pbandp 0]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for your response. I just couldn't resist and went down to Music By Design to try out the Grados this evening.

 

In the end, I bought a Grado SR60 instead. It just seems to have a warmer sound as compared to the SR80 and SR125 (not that the rest are bad)...

 

And what people are saying about the Grados are true....I really had a 'Wow' experience listening to the SR60 for the first time connected to my MP3 player....It sure beats my old Sennheiser by a mile...