When you know that you want to hear your music without rattling the windows and your fillings, what kind of headphones do you use most? I have tried a lot of different headphones that range from Shure in-ear monitors to SRH550DJ and SRH440 to some bargain-basement Samsons, and even some Monster Audio Beats Studios. My most true set of headphones are my Monster Audio Beats Studio Pro DJ. These have seen many hours and have turned heads in airports in Ottawa, Toronto and Winnipeg. I want to try Grados or much higher-end Shures. If I have to pay more than $1000 for a set of headphones, then they better blow away my best set of speakers.

Stax SR-202s on a modded Stax SRM-006t II tube headphone amp, Stax SR-80s on a Stax SRM-212 headphone amp, AKG-K-240rs on a GF DAC-11 tube DAC//headphone amp.

Denon AH-D7000 when I need/want isolation and full bass and AKG K240M for general use. Shure in ear SH model for travel.

I use a pair of Grado SR80. I mainly use them for playing video games.

Denon D7000's when I'm listening to more bass heavy music such as hip hop or electronic and/or when I don't want to wake up my wife. Audeze LCD-2 when listening to jazz, classical, more sparse rock and acoustic music and don't care about isolation. Westone 3's with my portable rig and Audio Technica ATH-M50 with my portable rig when I'm not on the move.

D7000's for me as well - wow, looks like a lot of CAM-ers like 'em...I power mine with a Graham Slee Solo to good effect.

At home I mostly use a pair of Audio Technica ATH-W1000 cans. The headphone amp is Yamamoto Soundcraft HA-02.

Sennheizer HD540, on my 3rd set since the late 80's.

Cheers,
Ian

Ian, you gotta admit that my Stax sounded pretty sweet at last year's SSI! BTW, upgrading to a new, better pair in short order.

AKG K701's mostly, occasionally Sennheiser RS110 wireless for wandering around

Audez'e LCD-2 Planars on vintage McIntosh receiver
Sennheiser HD-800 on Homebuilt Headamp GS1, looking for something better.
Grado PS-500 on the Fiio E9/E7 combo when at computer or on my homebuilt/modified Mapletree Audio Ear+ Purist
Vintage Sennheiser HD-420.

Two other headphone amps. A homebuilt PPA with Meier Audio crossover and a homebuilt Grado RA clone.


IEM: rotate between Phonak Audeo PFE 122, Etymotic Research hf-3, Jays a-JAYS Four and NuForce NE-700M

Favorite right now are the LCD-2 even if I find them quite heavy

Hi GWN
I'd like to hear more about your modded Mapletree
I built my EAR+ HD lat year and love it with Grado RS1i

I do all my headphone listening at my PC, where I have a Sennhesier HD800 running off an SPL Phonitor amp which is in turn connected to my slightly modded Asus Xonar Essence STX soundcard.

My Mapletree kit was one of the early ones. I upgraded all output and cathode bypass capacitors to Blackgates. The plate resistors of the input stage were changed to Audio Note Tantalum film type. The 5watt resistors were changed to Mills wirewound resistors. The Auricaps were changed to Mundorf MCap Silver. Volume pot was changed to a Noble 32 step attenuator. That's it as far as I can remember. I guess that would put it in line with the current model.

-Grado RS-1s driven by a modded Presence Audio tube linestage. I've had the Grados for nearly 15 years and, despite trying a few other headphones & HP amps, have yet to hear anything which delivers mid-bass & low bass like the RS-1's do. The only 'phones I've heard which quote-unquote "beat" them, (note: just beat them), are Grado's own PS-1000s. Sadly the PS-1000's cost $1,700CDN MSRP.

-A few months ago, I almost bought a dealer-demo pair of Stax Omega 007 'phones. The 007s have carbon fiber housings & come with their own amplifier. Sadly, the deal fell through. They retail for around $4,500USD and, if you have similarily priced ultra high-end tube-based gear at the front end of your listening system, may deliver the best sound available from headphones.

-For Sean David: I'm not sure if Grados would work well in noisy airports(?), but, in a reasonably quiet home environment, they offer amazing detail, soundstaging, timbral accuracy, & bass definition. Some find them too warm, but if your like the increased "flavour" of tube audio, the mahogany housings utilized in Grado's upper level models are hard to say 'non' to.

-Enjoy the music.