iPod Headphones

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Grado high end headphones - only for audiophiles?

Published on May 26, 2008 in Grado Headphones, Headphone Product Info and HiFi Headphones News. 0 Comments

Grado RS1

Grado headphones sometimes get labelled with the term ‘audiophile’. The word audiophile may send shivers up your spine, but it’s just a word that has been used to describe discerning high end audio enthusiasts who take their music listening very seriously, and Grado headphones do deserve to be taken seriously.

Our first listening tests with a sample from the range of Grado open back headphones has left us wondering why we didn’t take a listen before.

During initial listening tests we’ve been very impressed by the sounds coming out of these distinctively retro looking ‘cans’ (an affectionate name for headphones). We love the energetic and up front sound that appears to be the hallmark of the Grado headphone range.

Below are a few highlights from the Grado headphone line-up.

Grado iGrado - iPod streetstyle headphones

Even the humble bottom of the range iGrado street style headphone really does sound very good indeed. When you compare the iGrado with the rather cheap and muddy sounding standard iPod earbuds you realise that excellent headphones don’t actually need to cost a fortune.

Grado iGrado

Grado iGrado

While the iGrado styling is distinctly unique and maybe not to everyone’s taste, nobody can deny the performance knocks spots off the competition.

Grado GS1000 - top of the range

If you are looking for sonic perfection then the incredible top of the range Grado GS1000 will actually cost a small fortune. The sound coming out of the GS1000 is, however, quite astonishing. If you are looking for perfection in a headphone then the Grado GS1000 has to be quite near to it.

Grado GS1000

Grado GS1000

With good Hi-Fi equipment the Grado GS1000 can sound on a par with far more expensive speakers. On a personal note the GS1000 has reminded me why I get so excited about headphones.

Grado SR225 - best headphones available at this price?

Somewhere near the middle of the Grado headphone range is the rather nice sounding Grado SR225. Compared with the budget priced Grado SR60, the SR225 is a much more refined sounding headphone.

The Grado SR225 is a low impedance headphones, so it is quite possible to drive it with a low spec headphone output, as found on portable players like the iPod and laptops.

Grado SR225

Grado SR225

Without a dedicated headphone amplifier the SR225 will give a stunning performance, with solid bass extension and high end intensity that will make you sit up and pay attention. On the other hand, with a good quality headphone amplifier the Grado SR225 will open up and you will experience a new level of sonic detail and even tighter bass response.

More Information

For the full range of Grado headphones, Grado Spares & Accessories and other Audiophile Headphones please visit the HiFi Headphones store.

High end audio without breaking the bank

Published on November 22, 2007 in Headphone Opinion. 0 Comments

Have you every looked through a HiFi magazine wondering how on earth anyone can afford to pursue an interest in high fidelity audio equipment? The cost of audiophile quality gear can be astronomic. A quick glance through What Hifi magazine and you will soon find a pair of speakers that cost three grand. Ouch!

How about an alternative to all this expensive HiFi? Imagine owning an audio setup that sounds like it costs thousands of pounds, but actually costs just a few hundred! It’s actually really simple. It’s no secret that the budget route to achieving sonic excellence is via headphones. You really do get dramatically more ‘bang for your buck’ with headphones.

Take for example the Sennheiser HD650’s Audiophile series headphones. These headphones are widely regarded as the ultimate pair of Sennheisers! The Sennheiser HD650’s have an RRP of £329 (approx $650) and you can find them for less than £250 (approx $500). Where would you find a pair of truly audiophile speakers for that kind of money?

Sennheiser HD650 HiFi Headphones

Sennheiser HD650 Headphones

Yes, you can spend thousands of pounds on headphones, but for normal HiFi listening a pair of £300 headphones can offer astonishing levels of detail and audio dynamics. Paired with a good quality headphone amplifier you enter a world of high fidelity audio that would normally cause serious financial trauma.

Take a look at our broad range of high quality HiFi headphones from Audio-Technica, Sennheiser, Grado and many other top brands at the HiFi Headphones store.

Sennheiser Headphones - UK market leader?

Published on November 9, 2007 in Headphone Product Info and Sennheiser Headphones. 0 Comments

Sennhesier Headphones

We are a big fan of Sennheiser headphones here at HiFi Headphones. Sennheiser are the without doubt the headphone & earphone company with the largest market share. Their range covers everything from humble ear buds that replace the standard issue Apple earphones, to sports headphones for jogging and cycling, right through to high end full size Hi-Fi models. With a headphone business that includes supplying specialist headphones to helicopter and jet pilots, they really do have it all covered. If you read Sennheiser’s marketing blurb they are quite partial to the term ‘electroacoustics’ to explain what they do.

So, Sennheiser are market leaders, but are their headphones and earphones any good? Well, yes! In our experience Sennheiser’s headphones and earphone are always well made and the sound quality if often excellent, even with the cheaper models. It was once said in the IT industry that you could never be fired for buying IBM computer equipment, well we think that phrase fits well for Sennheiser. If your job depended on it you couldn’t go wrong with a Sennheiser headphone purchase!

One word of warning. Beware of cheap fake Sennheiser headphones! We have seen (and have even been offered) very cheap Sennheiser headphones. These are always fake. Often these rip-off headphones are of the lower end (e.g. CX300 ear bud headphones) and are offered at bargain prices.  These are not genuine Sennheiser’s and the quality is very poor.  They can look almost identical to the real thing, but it’s not until you actually plug these headphones in and hear how bad the sound quality is that you will realise they are fake.  As always you don’t get something for nothing!

For a wide selection of competitively priced genuine Sennheiser Headphones take a look at the HiFi Headphones store.

Sennhesier HD 465 Headphones

Sennhesier HD 465 Full Size Hifi Headphones

Audio-Technica Headphones - stylish new headphone range!

Published on November 9, 2007 in Audio-Technica Headphones and Headphone Product Info. 0 Comments

Audio Technica Logo

Audio-Technica ES7At the HiFi Headphones Store we appreciate products that sound as good as they look. All too often good looks are not backed up by solid audio engineering.  Audio Technica seem to have got it just right with their newest range of stylish consumer and semi-pro headphones.

Check out a wide selection of Audio-Technica headphones at the HiFi Headphones online headphone shop.

If you follow the world of professional audio you won’t be surprised they sound so good, as Audio Technica have a background in professional sound and audio equipment. Audio Technica are primarily known for their range of professional microphones and studio headphones.

It may not be a surprise that Audio Technica are the number one headphone manufacturer in Japan. A bit like Sennheiser in Europe, Audio Technica have the Japanese market well and truly sown up. Audio Technica are widely regarded as the best headphone manufacturer in Japan.

Audio Technica offer a large selection of headphone models to suit most budgets and applications, including portable/iPod, high end hifi models, noise cancelling and semi-professional headphones. Audio Technica have really paid attention to the aesthetics and design - their headphones look beautiful.

Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Headphones

Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Headphones

More Information

Take a look at the full range of Audio-Technica headphones on the Hifi Headphones website.

Why should I upgrade my standard iPod headphones?

Published on November 8, 2007 in Headphone Opinion. 0 Comments

So what’s wrong with the standard issue iPod ear bud headphones? They’re good enough for mobile listening, aren’t they? Well, at Hifi Headphones we’ve heard this said more than a few times! We’d normally be pretty quick to offer a different opinion :)

If like many iPod owners you’ve imagined that your standard headphones are pretty good, then you really have been missing out! Unfortunately Apple chose to supply relatively poor quality ear bud earphones with their little musical marvel. There is a level of detail and audio clarity that is simply missing with these standard issue earphones. We would always recommend upgrading the standard iPod headphones to something with a more musical punch.

So what are the iPod headphone upgrade options? Below are a some ideas:

Sennheiser MX 500 ear bud headphones

If you must stick with ear bud headphones then the Sennheiser MX 500’s give good performance and are very competitively priced.

Sennhesier MX 500 Headphones

Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 Studio Sound Isolating earphones

The audio quality on these sound isolating ‘ear canal’ headphones is light years ahead of the standard iPod ear buds. The Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 Studio headphones give a smooth, even response across the entire audio range and decently-articulate mids and highs. Their bigger brother the Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 Studio’s have even better high end response.

Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 Studio Headphones

AKG K 26 P foldable headband headphones

The AKG K 26 P’s offer an alternative to the normal in ear varieties, with a neat and tidy foldable head band. The bass responses on these headphones is truly astonishing! The convenient design and killer sound make the AKG K26 P’s a serious contender for best portable headphones at this price point.

AKG K 26 P Headphones

Considering an iPod can set you back hundreds of pounds (or euros, dollars, etc), it really is worth investing a little bit extra in a decent set of headphones.

For a huge range of headphones and earphones for the iPod and much more please visit the Hifi Headphone online store.

Sennheiser Headphones

Published on October 28, 2007 in Sennheiser Headphones. 0 Comments

Sennheiser headphones invariably offer excellent audio quality, good looks and are generally designed to last.  The HiFi Headphones store holds a large inventory of Sennheiser headphones as well as many other high quality brands.

Sennheiser are one of the biggest and well known headphone manufacturers with a massive range covering all categories, including wireless headphones, noise cancelling headphones, full size headphones and ever popular in ear sound isolating headphones.

Sennheiser have a long history in the audio industry making headphones and microphones, but more recently have also become involved in making aircraft systems and telecom’s equipment.

This blog entry provides a brief summary of some of the best Sennheiser headphones on offer from each of the major headphone types.

The HiFi Headphones store stock a broad range of Sennheiser headphones.

Sennheiser Full Size Headphones

Sennheiser HD650 - One of the most highly regarded consumer headphones available at an affordable price is the super smooth sounding Sennheiser HD650. The Sennheiser HD650’s are superbly balanced and are perfect for listening to high quality audio sources at home. The open back design and relatively large size means it’s not really practical to use the HD650’s on the move, but we have heard of HD650’s being used mobile with an iPod!

Sennheiser HD650 Headphones

Sennheiser HD650

Sennheiser In Ear Headphones

Sennheiser CX300 - The Sennheiser CX300 is an excellent first step into the area of sound isolating ear canal headphones. Ear canal headphones generally seal inside the ear canal to keep out external noises, meaning you hear the audio better and can listen at safer volumes.

The CX300’s do not push completely into the ear canal like more expensive models (such as the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio or Shure SE110), but do seal over the entrance to the the inner ear. This makes fitting the CX300 a little easier than the real deal.

Sennheiser CX300 Headphones

Sennheiser CX300

Sennheiser Wireless Headphones

Sennheiser RS130 - The Sennheiser RS130 wireless headphones are currently one of the best sounding wireless headsets under £100. The Sennheiser RS140’s are more expensive, and come with closed back earcups to keep noise out and prevent sound leakage. The RS140’s closed back earcups can be handy if you don’t want to annoy people nearby, but the earcups add their own problems with sound reflections.

The Sennheiser RS130 headset is definitely the best of the Sennheiser wireless RS range and definitely worth the extra money over the RS120’s. The RS130 feels slightly better constructed than the RS120, has ‘over the ear pads’ which are more comfortable and also have an easy to use auto tune feature (the RS120’s have to be tuned manually).

It is truly liberating to be able to listen to your music without wires, it has to be said that audio quality is not as good as an equivalent wired headphone. For example you may notice a background hiss during quiet passages of music. So while it’s not possible to claim any of the RS range are audiophile quality sound, but the convenience more than makes up for it!

Sennheiser RS130 Wireless Headphones

Sennheiser RS130 Headphones


Welcome to the HiFi Headphones News and Reviews Blog

Published on October 23, 2007 in HiFi Headphones News. 0 Comments

Welcome to our news and update blog for the HiFi Headphones Online Store. Check back here often for the latest news and insights into the world of headphone and earphone technology. Alternatively subscribe to our RSS or Atom feeds to receive our blog entries automatically.

We love to get feedback from visitors and customers, so if you have a moment please feel free to add comments to our blog entries.

Thanks for reading!

The HiFi Headphones Team

http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk