Open headphones, £200-£400

Auraomega

Auraomega

Auraomega

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Been on emergency tax since I started my new job; it's finally sorted out and I should be getting all that lovely money back so rewarding myself with a new pair of headphones me-thinks ;)

I have no idea what companies other than Grado produce open headphones in this price range to be honest, so looking for any pointers (inb4 ask head-fi). If you could give me 3 recommendations, for £200, £300 and £400 so I can figure out if I want to split the money with some shiny camera equipment as well! Just note I'm not interested in any more Beyer headphones as I'd like another sound signature to alternate between.

From what I've seen:
~£200: Grado SR225i
~£300: Grado SR325i

All input welcome :)
 
I don't have much experience with open headphones other than the HD600, which I did not like enough to keep, but I think the first step would be to decide what sort of signature you are after.

Grados are an acquired taste. They have a very forward signature which some people find perfect for rock due to it being very "exciting", but others may find them waaay too bright and harsh resulting in an ear-bleeding experience.

Since you aren't after more Beyers that's the DT880 and DT990 out. Others brands you could look into are Sennheiser (HD600,HD650), AKG (K701), Audio Technica (AD900, AD1000,AD2000), Ultrasone (Pro2900) and Sony (SA3000,SA5000).

There's probably lots more, but hopefully that will start you off.
 
I can't really recommend anything else and i've never used anything else in this range, but i use the SR325is myself and i love them :)

Other options i was looking at before i got these were the Sennheiser HD650s which are also quite recommended. Some people find the SR325is alittle bright (i don't, myself) so it may be an idea to get a demo of them and a few others if you get the chance. If you aren't used to Grado's then comfort can sometimes be an issue too. Mine hurt my ears for about 5 or 6 weeks when i first got them but i have no issues at all now. The sound quality is certainly worth it though :)
 
Avoid AKG K70X/Q series unless you love thin, bright bass-light sound that is super accurate. You won't get a better pair of headphones for jazz at this price point, but that's all they're good for IME.

Denon D2000s are very good, and awesome for rap, electronica, drum & bass and some rock. They are a closed design, but they sound very open (and aren't actually that closed as they are vented). Easily the comfiest headphones I've owned, but the cable is a little annoying. I often think that these sound the way Beats Pros should have sounded (for a lot less money too!). The bass is fairly well controlled and is very much present with mids that are still in the music and well detailed (although some say they are recessed). Overall slightly brighter than the HD 650s. They are definitely bass-lead cans, and as such they are brilliant with the aforementioned genres.

HD 600s are the bright version of the HD 650s, and I personally much prefer the 650. The 650s have fuller bass than the 600s, and as such a nice relaxed sound which works well with anything and utterly excels with female vocals and jazz. They are also very good for rock. HD 6XX tend to be quite clampy unless they are correctly adjusted by bending the spring steel bands that the earcups are attached to. With this done they are fine, but slightly less comfy than the D2000s.

I had DT880 250 Premiums, and found them to be good, but nothing above my HD 650s and a little thin sounding, although they were quite accurate. They are a good pair of cans for a sound mid way between K701s and HD 650s.

I've read all sorts about Grado 325is, and would like to try some myself one day. They're meant to be the daddy for rock. Not sure how they sound with other music though. Some people say Grado is a bit 'emperors new clothes' as you go up the model range, not sure how true this is though. Bare in mind that a lot of people have problems with the 125/225/325 series in terms of comfort, and as such a fair few tend to fit the higher end reference series earcups to them as they are quite a lot bigger/deeper. Avoid the Grado RA-1 as it's not worth the money.

Also factor in a nice desktop amp if you can get away with spending ~£200 on a pair of cans. Steer clear of the aforementioned RA-1 and also the Project Headbox as that is pretty crap too. A good £150-200 solid state amp will do whatever you buy proud, but research what goes well with your intended cans first. :)
 
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I didn't mention the Denons due to them being closed, but as danza said they sound very open (soundstage wise) and don't really isolate that well so might as well be classed as open.

I have some D7000s, but the D2000 and D5000 are also meant to be excellent. Denons generally have a smiley face signature.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys.

I'll check out the Senns at some point (they shouldn't be too hard to find) as well as the Denon and Audio Technica stuff. I haven't found anywhere that sells Ultrasone on the high street so I'll have to try these via the DSR I guess...

I've already heard the 702 but found them a bit... bland I guess.

I've read a lot about the lack of comfort the Grado's offer and they don't look the most comfortable pair I've seen but I'm sure I'll get used to them. I think they might be what I'm after as well as they seem the polar opposite of the Beyers, I plan on demoing a few pairs next week.

@danza:
I have a fantastic headphone amp already so that's not an issue.
 
Just looking at those SR325i's, damn they are £120 more expensive here on average than the US. I know we get shafted in UK with a lot of headphones brands, but £120 difference? Ouch.
 
Sennheiser HD650's are around the same price in the UK as they are in the US (£250 - $400).

Denon D2000's are £200 and $250 so overpriced by quite a bit as well.

Grados are terribly priced as pointed out by Marsman.
 
Have you seen the new customisation options on the Beyer wesbite? pretty cool if you're into a bit of bling :)
 
Also, if you like the SR325is and want to save alittle cash you could try importing some one these - http://www.alessandro-products.com/headphones.html

The Music Series Two's are basically SR325s and come very highly regarded in the US. They will ship them for free to the UK and i think even factoring in VAT on the price they only come in at around ~£230, which makes them essentially SR325s for the price of SR225s here.

One other option which is over your budget but maybe worth keeping in mind are the Pro's, which are equivalent to the Grado RS-1's and would come in at around ~£515 all in i believe, which is cheaper than you can even buy the RS-2s for here.

I was going to grab a set of these Alessandro headphones myself but i managed to get my 325's via a friend slightly cheaper than i could have imported the MS2's for.
 
Yeah properly amped 650s. Replace the stock cable because it's poorly made IIRC. They work well with most genres and are more forgiving than the HD800s (which are in another league altogether, and require similarly high-end amping). You could even go for a balanced amp/cable to get the best out of them.
 
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AbsenceJam said:
What will you be running them from? Because I wouldn't spend that much on just headphones if you don't already have a quality source and amplification.
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Auraomega said:
I have a fantastic headphone amp already so that's not an issue.
Click to expand...

My amp doubles up as a DAC too and is simply fantastic so I don't foresee any problems in that department, I just hope when I get to demo the cans I can demo with a good headphone amp!
 
Avoid 325i, horrible headphones when I heard them!

Look at the alessandro line as they are essentially improved and modified Grados, but can be shipped anywhere in the world and are not subject to the ridiculous Grado overpricing here in the UK.

Senn HD650 are also very very nice!
 
ive got the senn hd 600 ... briiliant imo ... using a graham slee solo srg 2 headphone amp with them ...

i take it the hd 650 arn;t worth "upgrading " to ? so next step is teh hd800......gulp only £1000 lol
 
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