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  • #1

    Monitor Headphones

    My Dad's birthday is coming up and he's a bit of an audiophile. His monitor headphones are at LEAST 25 years old. He Christmas present last year was a set of Logitech 5500's and he loves them. I'd like to get him a new pair of headphones but could use some suggestions.

    I'm trying to stay in the $50-100 range. I'd love to get him something truly high end but that's not going to happen this year sadly. Until about twenty minutes ago i was leaning towards the Sony V6's (over the V600's) but I hear the midrange is lacking due to very crisp treble and bass. People seem to complain about the Bass on these but that seems to be due to a preference to to much bass in headphones and speakers that both my Dad and I don't fully agree with. We'd prefer overall excellence. The reason I'm steering away from them now is because they seem to be truly geared towards mixing and while you hear everything it won't necessarily be the best pure listening experience. Am I wrong here?

    My other possible leaning is the SENNHEISER HD 485's. I don't like the look of these as much, and they don't have the accordian cord the v6's do.

    Of note is that my Dad just got from Iraq and part of his outprocessing was getting his first pair of hearing aids. It's made a HUGE difference but headphones that work well with them will be key. Him not having them before might explain his aversion to overly base-centric headphones before, but I'd probably steer clear of to much base anyway.

    Thanks in advance.
    Wikipedia and Google.... the needles to my tangent habit.
    ________________________________________________

    That special feeling we get in the cockles of our hearts, Or maybe below the cockles, Maybe in the sub-cockle area, Maybe in the liver, Maybe in the kidneys, Maybe even in the colon, We don't know.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Oh his old ones were Koss but I can't remember the model. They were the style with the accordian cord and the folded in on themselves.
    Wikipedia and Google.... the needles to my tangent habit.
    ________________________________________________

    That special feeling we get in the cockles of our hearts, Or maybe below the cockles, Maybe in the sub-cockle area, Maybe in the liver, Maybe in the kidneys, Maybe even in the colon, We don't know.

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    • #3
      In that range there is only one name you need to know:

      Grado!

      The SR-60's are an AWESOME sounding pair of cans for the cash. I have a friend who got some and they sound awesome. Not as good as my Sennheiser HD-595's, but the 595's cost $200 more If you can afford to upgrade to the SR-80's, your dad won't be disappointed.

      Grado Labs - Brooklyn Headphones and Cartridges Since 1953
      http://www.gradolabs.com
      Grado Labs is a family run manufacturer of audio headphones, phono cartridges, amps and accessories. Proudly assembled in the United States since 1953


      Headphone.com sells the SR-60 for $69 and the SR-80 for $95. Both within budget, and both will knock your Dad's socks off. Your local audio shop may carry them, too.

      Jammrock
      Last edited by Jammrock; 12 June 2006, 20:11.
      “Inside every sane person there’s a madman struggling to get out”
      –The Light Fantastic, Terry Pratchett

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      • #4
        hrm... reviews and info looks interesting. I'll have to check those out.
        Wikipedia and Google.... the needles to my tangent habit.
        ________________________________________________

        That special feeling we get in the cockles of our hearts, Or maybe below the cockles, Maybe in the sub-cockle area, Maybe in the liver, Maybe in the kidneys, Maybe even in the colon, We don't know.

        Comment

        • #5
          Coincidentally I had a pair of Grados back in the day when I did DJ work. Don't remember the model, but they were purchased without regret and provided much auditory pleasure over the years.

          Remembered them when I went looking for a new pair to replace the merely adequate iPod headphones I've been using. Bought the SR-60's. So far, rather pleased with them. They aren't as nice as I remember my former pair, but for the price I can't complain, nor feel any need to.

          Of course, I largely use them hooked up to my iBook.
          “And, remember: there's no 'I' in 'irony'” ~ Merlin Mann

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          • #6
            Maybe a little out of your price range, but here, you can find the Sennheiser HD595 for about 130 EUR, which is a steal.
            There's an Opera in my macbook.

            Comment

            • #7
              Nowadays, that's equivalent of some US$ 160 I think.
              Join MURCs Distributed Computing effort for Rosetta@Home and help fight Alzheimers, Cancer, Mad Cow disease and rising oil prices.
              [...]the pervading principle and abiding test of good breeding is the requirement of a substantial and patent waste of time. - Veblen

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              • #8
                I'd LOVE to spend that much but it's not in the cards this year
                Wikipedia and Google.... the needles to my tangent habit.
                ________________________________________________

                That special feeling we get in the cockles of our hearts, Or maybe below the cockles, Maybe in the sub-cockle area, Maybe in the liver, Maybe in the kidneys, Maybe even in the colon, We don't know.

                Comment

                • #9
                  The problem with the HD-595's, and I know this from experience, is that unless you have something good driving them they don't sound that good. For example, if I plug them into my old Audigy live drive, they sound ok. But the live drive doesn't have a headphone amp. If I plug them into my Echo Indigo, which does have a high impedence headphone amp (albeit a smaller one), they sound amazing. And when I listened to them off a $400 Music Fidelity headphone amp, they blew my mind.

                  So unless CMs dad has something nice to drive a pair of 595s, he'd be better off with SR-60's, which are pretty much the best headphones you can get without the need of an amp.
                  “Inside every sane person there’s a madman struggling to get out”
                  –The Light Fantastic, Terry Pratchett

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Jam thanks for that information. That actually makes a lot of sense. I'll probably stick with the 60s for now. If my Dad and i like them I might buy him something higher end and a headphone amp and take over the 60s for myself.
                    Wikipedia and Google.... the needles to my tangent habit.
                    ________________________________________________

                    That special feeling we get in the cockles of our hearts, Or maybe below the cockles, Maybe in the sub-cockle area, Maybe in the liver, Maybe in the kidneys, Maybe even in the colon, We don't know.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Not to sound harsh, but how much of the sound quality does arrive at your dad's brain, when he has to wear a hearing aid?
                      There's an Opera in my macbook.

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                      • #12
                        Not harsh at all. I've thought about this a lot. From what I can see the hearing aids do an amazing job. He was able to hear a lot of nuance I was pointing out when we first unpacked the 5500's. Before the hearing aids I wouldn't have thought of this gift at all.
                        Wikipedia and Google.... the needles to my tangent habit.
                        ________________________________________________

                        That special feeling we get in the cockles of our hearts, Or maybe below the cockles, Maybe in the sub-cockle area, Maybe in the liver, Maybe in the kidneys, Maybe even in the colon, We don't know.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          /me couldn't resist.

                          There are actually audiophile hearing aids Etymotic Research is a company that makes many in the ear products, including award winning earbuds, earplugs and hearing aid components. Of which is the K-amp high fidelity hearing aid amplifier.

                          Etymotic
                          http://www.etymotic.com/ha/kamp.aspx
                          Etymotic Research, Inc. is an engineering-driven research, development and manufacturing company.
                          Last edited by Jammrock; 13 June 2006, 17:51.
                          “Inside every sane person there’s a madman struggling to get out”
                          –The Light Fantastic, Terry Pratchett

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            neat. Just forwarded that link to my Dad. He actually is an organist and has been a Choral conductor many times.
                            Wikipedia and Google.... the needles to my tangent habit.
                            ________________________________________________

                            That special feeling we get in the cockles of our hearts, Or maybe below the cockles, Maybe in the sub-cockle area, Maybe in the liver, Maybe in the kidneys, Maybe even in the colon, We don't know.

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              I wonder ... aren't there any headsets that basically use an induction loop to send the audio to the hearing aid?


                              Jörg
                              pixar
                              Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die tomorrow. (James Dean)

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