Grado SR 225's lacking bass...replacement?

[Johnny Canuck]

I bought some Grado SR 225's a few days ago. I am using a Denon 3805. Stereo setting. Tone control on bass at +5, the bass is kinda weak. And they sound a little bright. What Sennheisers or other brands do you guys recommend? I am thinking the Sennheiser 580, 590, or 595...opinions please? I can take these back within 30 days.

JC

 

[jaxvon]

I like the HD595 headphones. They sound very good and are super comfy. I also recommend the Sony MDR-7506 and Beyerdynamic DT880. I own the 7506s and love 'em. WmAx claims that the DT880 headphones have the transparency of the 7506 without some of the nonlinearities, so they're very accurate. They're also more comfortable to boot.

 

[warpdrive]

Try out the HD580's if you can. They are 97% similar sounding to the HD600's. They are available for $150 USD. You may find them recessed in the treble, so a little bit of treble boost might be bit necessary if you prefer a brighter sound.

Sennheisers are overpriced in Canada....the HD580's sell for well over $300 CAD the last time I looked.

Edit: on second thought, reading your comments in the other thread, you might want to try out the Sony 7506's mentioned above, you will might find the 580's way too dull.

 

[WmAx]

WmAx claims that the DT880 headphones have the transparency of the 7506 without some of the nonlinearities, so they're very accurate.

I stated that I 'suspected' that they were more accurate. With some minor modification, the DT880 does have a more linear measured response as compared to the 7506. The only non-linearity in the DT880 of significance is a narrow spike around 8-9 kHz, a result of the modal resonant frequency that develops between the ear and headphone baffle. This is eliminated with a very thin donut of high grade acoustic foam inserted on the headphone's baffle.

-Chris

 

[jaxvon]

I stated that I 'suspected' that they were more accurate. With some minor modification, the DT880 does have a more linear measured response as compared to the 7506. The only non-linearity in the DT880 of significance is a narrow spike around 8-9 kHz, a result of the modal resonant frequency that develops between the ear and headphone baffle. This is eliminated with a very thin donut of high grade acoustic foam inserted on the headphone's baffle.

-Chris

Sorry. I misinterpreted your words.

 

[Fastnbulbous]

If bass is your most important requirement, the Sony MDR-7506 seems the way to go. A friend has them and they sounded like there was a 14" subwoofer in 'em. An added bonus is they're cheap. Last time I checked they were $90.

<a href=http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=sonmdr7506&srccode=cii_14110944&cpncode=12-1072258-2>Sony MDR-7506, $90</a>
(Frequency response: 10-20,000)

 

[nm2285]

I actually own both the V6 (same as the 7506) and the DT880. I have owned the HD580s in the past and have heard many from the Grado line. The DT880s are by far my favorite. They do offer the clarity of the 7506, but they have a more refine, less edgy sound which is definately more linear. They have more refined detail of the grados with added bass. The senns certainly do seem to need a treble boost.

 

[johsti]

If you go for the Sony and want to save some cash, get the Sony MDR-V6. They are exactly the same as the MDR-7506 except the 7506 has a gold plug and the V6 has a silver plug. The difference in price is about $20-$30. I broke my V6's on a long flight to the Maldives (damn sleeping pills made me fall asleep on them and bend the plug), and replaced them with some used 7506's. Zero difference except for the plug.

I would try adding a headphone amp to the mix with your Grados. Headphone outputs on AV/receivers are usually pretty weak unless you have efficient headphones such as the 7506/v6 or lower end grados (60, 80, etc.).

 

[RMK!]

Grados

I have the Grado 325's. I use the headphone jack of my Denon 3805 and they are great sounding headphones with plenty of bass.

 

[markw]

When you say they lack bass, what other headphones are you comparing them to?

I bought some Grado SR 225's a few days ago. I am using a Denon 3805. Stereo setting. Tone control on bass at +5, the bass is kinda weak. And they sound a little bright. What Sennheisers or other brands do you guys recommend? I am thinking the Sennheiser 580, 590, or 595...opinions please? I can take these back within 30 days.

JC

...or are you comparing them to speakers? If so, bad idea. apples to oranges...

 

[T2T]

I have a pair of Grado 60s that I've had for about 3 years now. I've noticed difference performance sound from the headphones as I've changed my source amplification from time-to-time. The end result being that most modern receivers don't do the headphones justice.

I've had a chance to procure some vintage Sansui receivers that I'm working on rebuilding at the moment. When I use the Grado 'phones with these receivers, they sound fantastic. If you get a chance, see if you can use the headphones with a vintage receiver. You might be surprised at how well they actually perform.

 

[Sheep]

'phones

Um, Its pronounced "pones"...

SheepStar

 

[Johnny Canuck]

so, after comparing the Grado 225 ($300), Sennheiser 590 ($300) , and the Sony 7509 ($320), I decided on the Sony's. They sound absolutely amazing and completely blew my mind, and possibly my eardrums temporarily. . I have to turn the treble up a touch, but the bass is unbelievable. I seriously can turn the bass up to the point it hurts my ears. Without any sign of distortion. On my Denon 3805, I have it on "stereo" with the treble at +3 and the bass at about +1. Some sources can take more bass. I had it at +5 last night on a few CD's and seriously it felt like I was listening to a subwoofer. I am a basshead, but also like detailed highs. These headphones are incredible. They are better I thought than the 7506's I tried in the store for a few minutes. The Sennheiser 590's were close. A little brighter. Very comfortable ...but the tonal balance on the Sony's won out. I am not a Sony fan per se. I may have paid more for the name but I will enjoy these so it's worth it..

JC

 

[Steve1000]

Congrats on your Sonys. Please update us on the sound as you get used to them. We need more headphone data here.