Upgrade Advice Required

[hughwi]

Hi everyone,

I am in a slight dilemma and would really appreciate a bit of advice. I recently took my first step on the audiophile ladder and sorted myself out a decent (albeit budget) amplifier and DAC combination (Marantz PM4001 and Beresford TC-7510) and am now looking to upgrade my headphones.

I mainly listen to rock, however also enjoy jazz and classical/acoustic guitar pieces. I have an old CD transport that i use for my album collection, and am also listening to mp3s (all 256+) and FLAC through SPDIF out on my M-Audio Delta DIO soundcard.

I am currently using some Sennheiser HD-497s through the headphone amp on the DAC and whilst i am enjoying the sound, i still feel that i can do better.

I have done a fair amount of searching, but have become rather confused. A friend owns a pair of Beyer DT 880s which i have demoed and REALLY like, however i am also looking at keeping with the Sennheiser sound (HD650s?) or even trying out a pair of Grados (SR125s?). Has anyone got any suggestions of other pairs of cans which i might be missing out on?

I am travelling to Houston later this summer and would like to pick such a pair of headphones up there, as i assume they are cheaper than over here in the UK. Any recommendations for shops i should visit there?

Sorry for such a long-winded first post, but i want to get this purchase right! I have a budget of around £100-150.

Cheers

Hugh

[DorKnight]

Something to consider is the price difference between the UK & US for Grado products, a pair of SR225s will probably set you back £100 new in the US.

If you don't like them you could actually sell them on and make a profit - Then you could invest in another brand if Grados aren't for you.

[milkpowder]

Originally Posted by DorKnight

Something to consider is the price difference between the UK & US for Grado products, a pair of SR225s will probably set you back £100 new in the US.

If you don't like them you could actually sell them on and make a profit - Then you could invest in another brand if Grados aren't for you.

That's clever. People on eBay will dish out more than 100 quid for your SR-225s

Another possibility would be the K701. I personally like the "defoamed" HD650 a bit more than the K701. The Sennheiser has bit more oomf to the lower frequencies which is great for symphonies while the K701 sounds sterile in comparison (great for solo violin, piano, small chamber music). The SR225 I haven't heard, but I've owned the RS-2 and listened extensively to the HF-1 and IMHO, the K701 is a better all-rounder than the Grados. It isn't quite as bright in the 2kHz region and is more refined.

[eirejam]

have you looked at the sennheiser hd-595's?
To me they are my favorite set of sennheisers at the moment.
Quality builds in every department.

[alexs2]

Originally Posted by eirejam

have you looked at the sennheiser hd-595's?
To me they are my favorite set of sennheisers at the moment.
Quality builds in every department.

Please be mindful that whilst these are no doubt very good phones,that you previously posted this...

Originally Posted by eirejam

I can't comment on other manufacturers models of headphones because I work for sennheiser and they are the only type of headphones I own

I have no problems with advice,but it MUST be impartial and the above should be made clear.