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Dr. Dre Beats

Ok, so I really don't know where to post this question. PC Audio seemed reasonable but these are essentially speakers so it's going here.

The new Dr. Dre Beats. I had the pleasure of listening to these today at the local big-box store at ultra-high volume because I guess everyone is deaf and there was no way to turn it down. Anywho. I'm referring to the noise-cancelling headphones in particular. The on-ear headphones sounded a little dark. The around-the-ear noise cancelling ones had a bigger mid-range which was quite pleasant.

And then I walked over to the Bose noise cancelling headphones and it was a guy just talking in on the demo and wouldn't shut up so I put those down.

I have no real experience with headphones but am looking to get into them here shortly. And semi-seriously. And by that I mean I'm not spending a grand on headphones. $300-600 is my limit. I'll eventually be running them off a tube amp.

So, any input on the Beats? Are they worth it for $300? They sure sounded good. And quiet. And as comfortable as I would ever need headphones to be. But since I don't know what Ultrasone headphones sound like I'm wondering if I'd be selling myself short.

I know someone will ask what kind of music I listen to so here it is. Everything from Sia and Natalie Walker to Ludovico Einaudi and Erik Mongrain. Remember, I want to eventual pair these with a tube amp so I don't know if that really changes anything.

Thanks for any advice/input.

John
tiggerfc
gopher
499 posts
 
Grados won't provide you any isolation and will leak quite a bit into your surrounding environment (don't know if that is a problem for your co-workers). I'd suggest starting with the SR225s and maybe that hifi man hybrid tube/headamp. You'd probably clock in around $300 and have a very reasonable work system.

Your wants are a little confused to me as it seems you want isolation, but want to be able to hear important things--if isolation is your thing and your taste errs towards the analytical side, give Etymotic a listen. If you went for the er4ps you'd clock in below you budget and probably not need an amp. They'd provide great detail and tight bass--staging is on the flatter side and the signature can be on the drier side.

Triple.fi 10s are also a reasonable option. I ultimately gave my pair away to a friend as I wasn't using them (I'm a speaker guy) but they're nice though perhaps missing a little top end sparkle.

Audio Technica makes some great open headphone starting with the A or is it AD700--I owned the 900s and they were nice. They will leak and not give much isolation, but have a very musically satisfying signature.

I've owned a ton of headphones over the years and could go on with suggestions, but my strongest one will be to skip the beats. Seriously... You can do much better. No, I haven't heard the beats. Yes, I'm prejudiced against them despite.

tiggerfc OP
153 posts
 
Lol! Thanks Gopher. BTW, any and all of your thoughts or ideas/suggestions would be welcome. I'm slowly picking up on a few things from head-fi but suggestions for a person like me who doesn't know a thing about headphones and specific to what I'm looking for will get me much farther much faster. So please, fire away.

And I know it is confusing. I'm trying to figure out myself exactly what I should be aiming for as well. If I have reasonable isolation then I won't need to turn them up so I'll be able to hear things better. I use my Shure earphones for the same purpose and I hear everything I need to hear without losing my hearing and I can still listen to music and enjoy it.

So let's figure on well-isloated headphones. I don't mind spending a bit of cash on this either as long as they are worth it and provide a pleasant and articulate sound. They don't need to be able to get loud. They'll never approach the point of distortion. And I was thinking of just running off of a PS3 for my transport like I do now into a headphone amp. I'd also like to consider something that can be used to plug my iPod into.

Thanks!
james63
534 posts
 
WOW 90db in the background!!! Get IEM and save your hearing....
tiggerfc OP
153 posts
 
These cooling fans hit 102db when the cabinets are open. I go through a lot of earplugs. But the place I'd go to really do my listening is around 78db. Either way, sound isolation I think is key. Hey, it's better than no hearing protection and then turning the volume up to compensate for background noise. No it isn't an ideal environment but I've got roughly seven months to kill on a 510ft boat. I'm looking to keep myself entertained.
bwp
114 posts
 
I would recommend going to a Guitar Center to see if you can demo some headphones, they will have a big selection of phones generally used for DJing. These will all usually cover your ear and in your price range you will get really good sound. If you find a pair you like do some comparison shopping online and give Guitar center the opportunity to match the price.
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