Searching for Good Headphones & Headphone Amp

The Grado 80s are ok but you may want to look at the $69 Grado 60s which sound warmer and not as bright as the 80s. I've owned the 60s, 80s, 325s, and RS1s. The Grado's are open though so the sound will leak out and other people will hear them. For closed headphones under $100 you can try the Sony MDR-V6 which are pretty good for the money. Also, try the MDR-XD400 which is good too. They are both closed so the sound won't leak.

For headphone amps around $100 your choices are limited. You can try the DIY guys who make nonbrand name stuff. Or try Headroom. I think they make one for around $150.

Hope this helps.

Consider going over to head-fi.org (non-profit) and headphone.com (commercial) for good information. I own Sennheiser HD-600 and Antique Sound Labs MG HEAD DT OTL MKII Headphone Amplifier and am very pleased. I follow the approach of first deciding what style of phone (in the ear, around the ear, etc.) then how much you want to spend, the manufacturer's approach to sound, and finally the best match for a amp to the phones. It is worth taking your time. I had to jump without listening since I live in a very rural area with no dealers nearby. Good luck!

My Grado SR125 and Musical Fidelity X-Cans v3 make great music together. I've also got a pair of SR60s for computer listening, and they sound great too, but you will need the mini plug to 1/4 inch adaptor for the 60 or 80. The Musical Fidelity amp is a great deal for the $399 list price.

Chip

It depends on which concern is greater for you: providing your fiancee with a quiet atmosphere, or gaining the best headphone sound you can. If your goal is to have nice-sounding headphones which don't leak noise, then I'm affraid the Grado's might not be the best choice. I have SR 60s and 80s (someone gave me their 80s...don't ask) and love the sound, but don't love how much noise they leak into the room. If you don't mind in-ear headphones then the shure e3c is a nice choice, but a little over your budget. They make an e2c which I think is good, but think the 50 dollars jump to the e3c is totally worthwhile. These will provide you with an isolated listening experience, and provide your fiancee with total silence. The e3c lets you customize the earplug, and if you use the replacable foam ear-plug style ones, they're really comfortable and totally isolating. If your fiancee can deal with a little ambient noise, then definitely go for the sr-60s. Great sound for the price. The grado amp is good as well, but I think the CI amp is what I'd take if I had the scratch. A friend just got one from amusicdirect and it's a great sounding and looking thing.

I own the CI audio headphone amp and external optional power supply paired with Grado SR-60 and I love this combo. I also lokked at the Grado amp and the Musical Fidelity amp but found the CI Audio more dynamic and easier to listen to with all kind of music as opposed to MF and Grado which worked best with classical or jazz. Personnally I would have gone for the CEC HD-53 but it was out of my budget but if you can afford it, go for it. I also owned an Antique Sound lab but again found it a bit soft and lacking in dynamic with rock music.