Upgraaade Me.

January 6, 2010 2:15 AM

I hearts my Grado SR80s. But I need punchier bass. What are my options (for other cans, or whatever)?

For the record, I listen to mostly hip hop (I know, I know... sue me.) and while the Grados are crystal-clear, they just don't really give me the full bass that I want to hear. Also, I tend to use the Grados when I listen to my iPhone or laptop.

I'm looking into the Sennheiser HD-555s or 595s... but is something like a headphone amp what I need?

Thanks, MeFi.

posted by the NATURAL to Shopping (4 answers total)

Best answer: I really like my SR80s too.

The Sennheiser 595s do not have punchier bass than Grade SR80. They're a fun headphone, but not for bass.

The Grado SR80 are low impedence, so an amp will likely provide little improvement.

I also own Beyerdynamic DT880 and Denon AHD2000 . Both have magnificient bass, but the Beyerdynamics really need an amp to do it well. The Denons are a fantastic headphone sound qualitywise, but I consider them too delicate for travel. If you use them at home primarily, I'd recommend them.

There's other cheaper headphones that might have better bass, like Koss PortPro, but I haven't heard them.
posted by mealy-mouthed at 3:45 AM on January 6, 2010

This thread over on head-fi.org would probably be helpful.
posted by namewithoutwords at 5:43 AM on January 6, 2010

Best answer: The Grados are actually known for their over-emphasis on bass - I don't think there's a "quality" headphone at that price-point with more bass than what they offer.

That said, the Koss PortaPro's (which are usually $30-$50) look v retro, and aren''t as "home"-styled as the Grados, but they're not only the single finest walking-around budget headphone on the entire market - they're also uh known for their boomy bass. This makes purists complain, but I bet it'd be a good match for a hip-hop head. (And honestly I can''t think of a "better" bassy headphone. You'd need to seriously sacrifice the rest of the dynamics.)

DON'T go near those Sennheisers. Sennheiser's sound is even more balanced/restrained than Grado!
posted by Marquis at 6:54 AM on January 6, 2010

I really like my Sennheiser PX100s. Pretty bassy and cheap.
posted by DuckFOO at 7:47 AM on January 7, 2010