Justin & Jerry's Hifi Blog

[jandl100]

Not sure a duck actually swims, isn't it more of a flotation device with paddles attached?

[struth]

Not sure a duck actually swims, isn't it more of a flotation device with paddles attached?

I can swim better than you can fly

[jandl100]

New toy ... I'm going a bit headphone crazy atm ...

[southall-1998_mk2]

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts, Jerry.

S.

[User211]

£250 for a decent set of cans. Where's your money i.e. given what you have learned where would you put it?

Stack of experience you have gained must have some bearing for a decent recommendation.

[struth]

Add a bit and buy some nuraphones

[jandl100]

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts, Jerry.

S.

Very positive initial impressions, Shane. Fast, detailed, open.
They had a bit of a challenge as I was listening to the Stax SR3 when the Grados turned up, and while limited in some ways the Stax are ridiculously transparent!

I don't think they are the original Grado earcups, though - I suspect they wore out / got damaged and previous owner got a cheaper Chinese copy.
The Grado cups are of a different denser foam, and of a rather complex internal construction with foams of different density and somewhat differently shaped.
I have ordered a pukka Grado pair. I know that they can make a big difference soundwise. And it would be nice if they didn't have a faint whiff of stale cigarette smoke.

[jandl100]

Add a bit and buy some nuraphones

Yup, never tried those.
I do have a pair of Even H1 which also do a built in hearing test with DSP correction. Extremely impressive, but maybe less so for a young whippersnapper like Justin. Old fogey that I am - 63 in a couple of weeks.

I also now have a Sonnneteer Headspace inline widget which works extremely well - thanks to a reccie by Brian . A significant uplift to headphone sq, even though I find it hard to describe quite what it does. It just makes it sound more real. Have just ordered a 2nd one as I have headphone setups rather scattered around the place.

[jandl100]

£250 for a decent set of cans. Where's your money i.e. given what you have learned where would you put it?

Stack of experience you have gained must have some bearing for a decent recommendation.

Ah well, I suspect that headphones are quite personal things.
£250 will buy you my Audeze EL-8 planar magnetics. I suspect you'd love them, very clear, detailed and dynamic - I can pop them in the post if you fancy trying them.

Or those Nuraphones do get rave reviews and Grant clearly loves his.

My Fostex TH600 are also amazing in a slightly less focussed way - very open and also detailed but a bit on the blowsy side - a bit diffuse - sort of Beyerdynamic 990 done proppa! I'm defo keeping those.
The Even H1 are very impressive, too, although I guess I'm still in the honeymoon period with them.

Some folks love AKG 701, but I can't bear them. Similar with mid price Sennheisers.
You might love them, who knows?

My Stax SR3 do the clarity and rez thing incomparably well, but they don't have much welly and the bass is a bit MIA and/or AWOL.

Jury still out on the Grado PS1000, awaiting decent earcups, but they are a bit up in price.

Some vintage Wharfedale Isodynamics continue to impress - amazing sound, really, in terms of clarity and realism but they do lose out on the lower bass. Can be picked up for around £50 - vfm out of sight if you can get a pair with decent condition earcups or have some made up

[struth]

If bass is your cuppa then the nuras have bass that comes out the ear cup, and is felt by your bones. This is converted to sound.
But yes I don't know how great they are with younger folk