Headphones - Senn HD 800 or Grado RS1i.......

Hi Guys,

Just got the Senn HD800s along with the Headroom amp (very necessary with these). Anyway, while I was on the phone with HeadFi I asked them what other headphones they would also recommend for good bass response and they suggested the Denon A-HD 2000 (a couple of hundred bucks) and I told them to send me these also. Well, as it turns out these have got waaaaay more low-end slam than the Senns and they sound great, no, make that fantastic - a nice "big" sound!!!!
I have been listening to light rock, and electronica that I always use for reference. If I had done a blind test and someone had told me the Denon's were the ones that cost five times the price would have believed it. At this point (only an hour of A/B ing) I am loving the Denon's much more. On both sets I am hearing stuff my speaker system never revealed to me in my music. Anyway, an hour isn't going to be enough time to to make a black and white decision, but at this point I would be surprised if I end up preferring the Senns. I know the issue is me loving my low-end a lot, but I can say for sure these Denon's are great all-rounders - great sound quality and great bass......and all for a couple of hundred bucks!!!
Bottom line is if you like your low-end the Senns are probably not for you. I am keeping an open-mind here since so many people really see the Senns as "the" headphone.
This is my first exploration with headphones but at this point for two hundred odd bucks I would HIGHLY recommend the Denons. Anybody else out there familiar with these?
Anyway, I will report back in about a week after a lot more listening.
Cheers Guys

What headroom amp did you get? Also - good lesson learned as to the Denons higher price and a lot of hype does not necessarily mean 'better'

That's great that you prefer a MUCH less expensive headphone. Give it a bit of time and continue to compare as long as you can return them, but if they are that close to you at this point, I wonder if there are any changes in break-in that would be significant enough to warrant the extra $1000+ investment?

Well, as it turns out these have got waaaaay more low-end slam than the Senns and they sound great, no, make that fantastic - a nice "big" sound!!!!

=243&graphID[1]=863&graphID[2]=&graphID[3]=&graphType=0&buttonSelection=Compare+Headphones]As you can see here the bass response of the two headphones directly compared is not quite what you seem to be describing. It's not all about the numbers though. Regardless, if you like what you're hearing that's all that matters. Keep the cheaper cans and be happy! That said, my HD800's put out ample bass that is not in any way bloated, or lacking in detail. If you are a bass-head you may really like the HE5LE that I mentioned before. But again, if you like the Denon's as much as you do, I say, go no further - enjoy your music.

I am keeping an open-mind here since so many people really see the Senns as "the" headphone.

There are too many "the headphones" - choose your own, don't listen to what others say. HD800's are just one of many cost-no-object attempts at getting it right. As you may have guessed, just like with speakers, opinions will vary widely and all this stuff is subjective. BTW I had a pair of Denon D5000's for a few months. I liked those pretty well too, but moved on looking for better staging. What I've found in moving up the chain in headphones has been that gains have been mostly in refinement and capturing subtle nuances and occurring to flow without any strain or effort. Bass doesn't come as such an expensive part of the package as it does with speakers. Most of the decent headphones can reproduce pretty low bass, though the better ones reveal much more within that low bass.

Hi Guys - some wrong info on last post.....the Denons were actually $349 and not two hundred odds, still well worth it at two or three times the price though. A real shame that certain gear including headphones can lose all that low end, the stuff that gives me goose-pimples. I sometimes wonder why a lot of audiophiles don't seem to care too much for low-end, I know I can't listen to my speakers at all without a sub - it really makes a world of difference and not just for electronic music.
Musicnoise -
I got the Headroom Ultra Desktop and although I have never compared it with anything else it sounds fantastic. Re. comparing the two headphones there might be a tiny bit of extra resolution with the Senns but the Denons make the music sound powerful as opposed to the very "delicate" sound of the Senns. I guess the type of music you listen to might have a bearing on things but as I said, I like a sub on everything and these Denons sound like they have a subwoofer inside. Obviously many people like a delicate sound but to me it sounds like you are losing a huge chunk of the recording by not having a sub or phones with a great bass response. This has got me curious about audiophiles and bass and it might be interesting for me to start a thread on the subject to see what others like and don't like about subs.

Anyway this whole hobby is ultimately about trial and error and that is part of the fun for me.

Jax2 - Hi,

Didn't check out that link yet. If it is very technical I will probably be lost. Anyway, don't know how they would come up with numbers that would suggest different to what I am hearing - it really is a massive difference. Pity you didn't have a pair to compare as I am sure you would be shocked. Oh, one thing I just thought of that might affect the numbers - since the Denons are closed headphones could this account for more bass sensation? The Denons are far from top of the line but apparently have the best bass response, as mentioned in my last post, you would think there is a subwoofer in there. Not sure what your listening tastes are but if you like a bit of thump you might want to audition the Denons if you have the opportunity.
As I said before, this hobby is a lot about trial and error and I would be surprised if anybody half serious about the hobby got it right first time - all part of the fun if you ask me and yes, you are right, there are horses for courses or whatever that saying is.
Funny thing has happened today - I have been listening for about twelve hours on the phones (yes, I know) and I was hoping the Senns would grow on me but as each hour of listening passes I am moving further away from them. I love drums and the Denons do a killler job on picking them out. Even on vocal acoustic music the sound is much bigger on the Denons. I am sure a lot of you guys are much more critical listeners than me and many would never trade a grain of resolution for more bass but for me losing the bass is losing resolution and I would be happier trading in this direction.
Not giving up on the Senns yet though since a huge amount of serious audiophiles heap praise on them I am open to the possibility that I (as a novice) am missing something.
Thanks for all the input guys !