[pete~]

I've never owned an expensive pair of headphones. All of the ones I have heard have cost about 30 bucks. I have also never heard a high end headphone so I dont know what to expect. The headphones I have heard have been quite poor compared with the high end speakers I have heard. Not surprising since they were cheap.
 
How much would i need to spend to get fairly good high end sound? I was considering the grado sr80i as a start. But then I thought i could spend double or triple that. There is no end. I even considered Grados PS1000. I need to narrow my choices so what should I buy?

 

[TK277]

Budget is always the first question...not how much you want to spend, but how much can you spend? The "Buyer's guide for newbies" is a good read.
 
Also, what are your needs out of these? Do you want to use them on the go, or is portability optional?

 

[pete~]

I will never use them outdoors it will be indoors so I dont mind if its not too light or if it leaks a lot of sound.

 

[Camjon]

Quote:

I've never owned an expensive pair of headphones. All of the ones I have heard have cost about 30 bucks. I have also never heard a high end headphone so I dont know what to expect. The headphones I have heard have been quite poor compared with the high end speakers I have heard. Not surprising since they were cheap.
 
How much would i need to spend to get fairly good high end sound? I was considering the grado sr80i as a start. But then I thought i could spend double or triple that. There is no end. I even considered Grados PS1000. I need to narrow my choices so what should I buy?

My Grado 325is came in today. This is my first pair of headphones and I love them so far. I thought about getting the beats studios before coming here. These sound so much better!

 

[TK277]

Quote:

I will never use them outdoors it will be indoors so I dont mind if its not too light or if it leaks a lot of sound.

Alright. Hmm.. most people like Grado and for a first-time purchase beyond $30 I am sure you would not be disappointed with the 60 or 80 models. I had the Grado 225i until recently because I found headphones closer to my preferences: long listening periods, clear & forward vocals, and as much detail that my price range would give me. If you want to stay in the sub-$100 range, you could go for the aforementioned Grado headphones or check out some of these threads: click.

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

I've never owned an expensive pair of headphones. All of the ones I have heard have cost about 30 bucks. I have also never heard a high end headphone so I dont know what to expect. The headphones I have heard have been quite poor compared with the high end speakers I have heard. Not surprising since they were cheap.
 
How much would i need to spend to get fairly good high end sound? I was considering the grado sr80i as a start. But then I thought i could spend double or triple that. There is no end. I even considered Grados PS1000. I need to narrow my choices so what should I buy?

 
 Here's what Grado PS1000 ownership looks like :-
 
 
 
 That's right - an abyss of expenditure.
 
 Think long and hard before pulling the trigger as they are part of a select few of high end cans that
 have an immense potential for scalability - in other words - the gear that you pair with them will
 determine the final reproduction, in general - the more you spend - the better they will sound.
 
 This can present you with a very big dilemma. Ultimately, thousands of dollars aside - are
 they worth it?
 
 Yep.

 

[brokenthumb]

The SR80i is what I started with and they still sound pretty good compared to my other cans.  I don't think I will ever part with them.  The 60i or 80i are really a great place to start without spending a ton of money.