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Rock Headphones

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Hey everyone! I just picked up an Audio-Technica LP100 turntable and also planning on getting a dark voice amp for strickly headphone listening. I listen to mostly rock (Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Metallica, AC/DC) and wondering what a good headphone pairing would be. I already own a set of 4XX and 7XX. Budget would be around $500.
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ShaunP
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wdappio
25
Dec 11, 2018
For a little more than the $200 you'd pay for the 336SE you could get the Aune X1S. (I've seen it for around $180 or so here when it's available. ) That should be able to power your headphones without distortion. Me, I personally have the iFi Nano iDSD BL, but unfortunately I've never seen it here. If I didn't have the iFi I likely would have gotten the Aune.
For Rock I have yet to find a headphone that matches Grado. They can be polarizing so I recommend you check them out before purchase. The sr325e are my personal go to rock cans. They won't play especially well with a dark voice however. That is really best suited to high-impedance cans. Honestly that amp isn't at it's best with your existing headphones either. Edit: Saw you have an Asgard, that should mate really well with Grado.
(Edited)
ShaunP
1
Dec 13, 2018
You were not kidding about the grados, sound amazing! They bring out the guitar in ways I have never heard. The only drawback is comfort, they are on ear and after a while they pinch. Maybe I just need to break them in more. Still also interested in the DV/ 6XX combo, wondering how they will compare in sound.
ShaunPComfort is a bit of an issue with Grado. One thing that can help is giving the stock pads a "wash" with mild soap and water. If I position them just right I can get several hours wear without issue. Glad you like the sound, would have felt bad if I led you astray. If you arent already familiar check out David Gilmour "No Way Out of Here" from his first solo album. That guitar is phenomenal on the 325e.
dcha12
461
Dec 9, 2018
By DarkVoice, are you referring to the 336 SE? If so, they pair well with the high impedance Sennheisers; the 6XX in particular makes a great pairing (it scales way better than the 58X Jubliee). You can also consider some Beyerdynamic cans; I personally liked the DT 1990 the most (but granted, I only tried the DT 880, DT 1990, and T1. All of them were fine-sounding, if a bit v-shaped in frequency response). However, the DarkVoice is going to be a really poor pairing with the 4XX and K7XX; keep in mind that OTL tube amps have high output impedance and tend to lose power as impedance goes down, two things that make them not suitable for the headphones you currently own (the 4XX is going to turn into an underdriven mess and the K7XX is going to sound distorted due to its low impedance). So unless you're planning on using the 4XX and K7XX on another rig and have the vinyl rig have its own headphones I wouldn't recommend the DarkVoice.
ShaunP
1
Dec 9, 2018
dcha12Yes I meant the 336SE if it ever goes back up on MD. I plan to strickly use the 7XX for gaming and the 4XX is running off my bifrost multibit / Asgard combo (sounds amazing). I wanted to have a dedicated set of cans for record listening. I have heard a lot of good things about the DT 1990 and of course the 6XX. Thanks for the recommendations. Cheers!
Keth
760
Dec 9, 2018
ShaunPI find I like the Amiron Home better than the 1990's, but they both blow the 6XX and 58X out of the water when it comes to sound stage. Honestly the sound stage on those Sennheisers kills them for me. You can get the Amirons on Amazon for about $400 "used", which just means minor box damage.
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