If you’re looking for a general purpose open back and have $150 to spend, and you like acoustic or vocal music, these are one of the best values in headphones. If you listen to a lot of electronic, hip hop and such, the K371 is probably better suited to those genres and still good as an all rounder.
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these look amazing!
but say that i record something into a condenser microphone, i am scared that the open back will cause a problem of sound leakage into my recorded audio tracks thru the microphone, what do u think?
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Good point. In case you do use a condenser mic, that might be an issue, but there is an excellent solution to plug onto some of the high end headphones (like the SHP9500 I linked to) along with Sennheiser 6XX line and that is the VModa mod mic. These are marriages made in audiophile heaven. I used this combo and nothing leaked into the mic. It’s a pretty well known combo for audiophile gamers really. Others might chime in too.
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Careful, my friend! That $100 can quickly turn into thousands as you discover the great possibilities and advantages of different gear and amps, DACs, etc.!
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Couldn’t have put it better myself
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This post should be pinned on top of every audiophile forum! Kudos. (Y)
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It’s almost always money well spent, even if spouses and friends may not agree!
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This is a REAL quote from a person on HeadFi Classifieds (… and my own life as well): “… have already been told to stop buying things (not just audio products). My wife is about to take my CC from me.”
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Probably can’t, or shouldn’t, do that right now though.
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I personally would never buy the M 40x over the K361. It’s also excellent if you don’t want to spring for the 371. Also the SHP9500 sounds like it costs, a $50 headphone and not a cent more. Don’t make it sound like it’s an HD 6XX because that is definitely not the case with the grain that thing puts out.
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If budget is the issue, then the Koss Porta Pros are contenders. Especially with YAXI pads. The Koss Porta Pro thread is here:
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Consider the Grado SR80 (e or i version) as perhaps the best all around headphone for you listening, editing/creating and gaming usage.
They’re $99 and have been among the world’s highest rated and biggest selling headphones for decades.
Hey There: Koss ‘Porta-Pro’ -amazing portable headphone that sounds great, comfortable, near bullet-proof and represents amazing value.
A larger/more serious ‘Can’, the impressive Hifiman '400i -another great headphone at an incredible price: $200-$300. !
pj
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And you can get the very similar HE4XX for less at drop.com, sometimes as low as $130 though currently $145.
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I love Grados and they make me smile. Bought an SR60e to replace some broken Sennheiser PX-100 headphones (Another contender, PX-100 or PX-200) and was very happy with them. Now I also have the much more expensive RS1e.
However, Grados can be a little strong on the high end of the frequency spectrum, and if someone has issues with that, the Grado is possibly not the right choice. I still like the SR60e, but have improved the sound by swapping out the stock S-pad foam for L-pads, and then done the “tape mod” which is simply wrapping the edge in black plastic electrical tape. (Or the color of your choice!). This has, without a doubt tamed some of the more piercing issues, and was found on Tyll’s site.
I don’t think Grados are lacking bass so much as people are used to a more closed design. They are certainly worth consideration, but they seem to polarize people into love em or hate em, which is why I didn’t suggest the Grado.
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Wow. And you’d be right. Amazing !
pj
And that’s why I wouldn’t recommend either pair. I wouldn’t recommend Beyerdynamic headphones either. It’s ok to game on mastering/studio headphones where the FR is neutral or “reference” shaped, but I’d say it’s a big no no to master on gaming headphones that blow the FR way out of proportion in certain areas, or on any headphone that over emphasizes things like treble.
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Yes, the HE4XX is a bit on the bright side and has a peak around 8-9KHz. On the spectrum of “great without EQ” to “intolerable without EQ”, I would put the HE4XX at “best with EQ”, which is to say I don’t require it but strongly prefer it.
Hi David,
The Grado’s give a lot of bang for the buck but, as you say, their highs become too much for me pretty quick.
I have the SR60 too. Also the 500i. And think I’ll try the “tape mod” you mentioned to tame the piercing highs. Where exactly do you put the electrical tape…on the wood frame, or the pad itself?
Thanks…Lee
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The tape goes on the pad itself, around the outer edge. What it seems to do is to slightly compress the foam all around the edge. It also seems to create just a touch of isolation, and reinforces the base. If you look on Tyll’s website (I’m at work, don’t have the reference handy) you can see differences in the frequency response graph. It really does tame that treble peak.
Remember to use the L pads, not the big dishes or the stock “comfy” S-pads I think that somewhere on the forum I have a picture showing it. Use the search.
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