IXOS DJ1002 Ministry of Sound headphones

danger boy

i've never really paid much attention to headphones for music listening.. i live in a house and i can crank it as loud as i like.

today though, i decided to check out some headphones for the halibut. The stereo shop on carried two brands.. Sony and IXOS. what's up with that? Not a good selection.. but what the hell.

I tried some MOR (middle of the road) Sony ones.. and thought. yeah.. not bad.. and almost bought a pair. The sales guy said (he sells Polk speakers) take a listen to these headphones by IXOS. Ok.
WOWee! i tried the MOR ones first.. i loved em.

So we BS'd about Polk and other brands.. which i'll post more about later tonight when i get time.

SO i was ready to plunk down my $89.95 for the IXOS ones.. and leave. He went back to the store room and came back saying they were out of that model.. it's their best seller. Oh *^#!+@ ok.. so he said he would upgrade me to the TOTL IXOS which sell for $149 and let me have them for the price of the other ones.. which was $89.95 nice i said.

SO i got the IXOS DJ1002 ministry of sound headphones for a great deal.

Now i know there is a big difference in good high quality headphones. I"m hearing things in my music i've never heard before.. subtle things in the music that makes for a better listening experience. It even makes my MP3 player rock.

Danny Tse

Have you listen to Grado's yet?

Better kiss your wallet goodbye once you click on head-fi.org

And here's a thread with some serious headphone and related gear....25 pages worth.

danger boy

i'm staying away from the Grados and Sennheizers because they cost an arm and a leg..

i'm sure the Grados are incredible sounding.

Danny Tse

danger boy,

I have my Grado SR60 for about 7 years by now and they sound amazing. They are all of $69.95, but you can usually find them cheaper.

FWIW, the SR60 is on Stereophile's "Recommended Components" list, and winner of both "Budget Component of the Year" and "Accessory of the Year" awards.

If you go to Audio Advisor's "Clearance" section, you can even pick up the demo models of the "better" SR80 or SR125 for under $100.00.

danger boy

thanks Danny,

I prob should have checked here first.. before buying mine.. but there is also something about trying em out in the store that you can't get from ordering online.. I'm sure i'd be pleased with the Grados too.

Question for ya.. seems like most people prefer the open design.. can you tell me why? i prefer to block out as much noise as i can when i used headphones.

I went to that link you sent.. head-fi.org seems like alot of people like the Grados. If you are ever in a place tha carries.. IXOS headphones.. give them a listen. WHile these are my first real pair of headphones.. i'm quite pleased with their quality.

10-25khz
105db output
40mm drivers
max input 1000mw

Shizelbs

Originally posted by danger boy
thanks Danny,
Question for ya.. seems like most people prefer the open design.. can you tell me why? i prefer to block out as much noise as i can when i used headphones.

Generally, open cans provide a better bass response. I think this is similar to subwoofers having ports and such. Also, with the closed back, I believe, that there is some rebound of the sound off the closed back. Minimal, but, enough for obsessive audio freaks to prefer open. Also, I think generally open cans are better in that the better cans are just designed open. Thats my take on it.

Oh! Also, open back cans keep your ears cooler!

Shizelbs

Danger,

If you are interested at all, next time we meet I can bring over my Sennheisers. They are HD-590s. They are priced similarly to your IXOS, so, I would be interested to hear the difference. They are comfy as hell too!

shack

I've never heard of that particular brand..but if they sound good to you..thats great. I spent a considerable amount of time looking for a good closed design. The Grados sounded good but since I wanted a closed design I ended up with these: Sennheiser HD-280 Pro .

They are more of a old school DJ or Sound Engineer type of headphone. They do a good job of blocking out any outside noise, keeping the music from disturbing others around me and sound very good. I don't notice any lack of bass and as a bonus they work well with my portable CDP. Even though they are somewhat bulky...they are comfortable and I can wear them for extended periods of time (something that seems to be Grado's only downside).

I ended up getting these for around $79.

Shizelbs

Originally posted by shack
I don't notice any lack of bass

I believe that the impact the backing has on bass really comes into play when the phones are coupled with a dedicated headphone amp. Bass, compared to a normal 2 channel stereo, is pretty weak in headphones. Clean, but weak.

Danny Tse

I have 2 pairs of headphones that are quite similar, the Sennheiser PX100 and PX200. These are "Walkman"-type headphones that have been highly praised for their sound quality. While they are very similar in design, the PX100 is an open design and the PX200 is a closed design. Yes, the open design headphones generally give you better bass response, but closed design headphones will give you isolation from external noises. So if you need isolation from external noises, then closed design headphones are a must. But make sure they fit well and sound good....after all, headphones are the only hi-fi equipment you wear. BTW< these Sennheiser need some serious break-in time, at least 100 hours.

As for bass quality, depends on your source. Certain headphones go better without headphone amps. And portable CD players have gotten better this year....Panasonic now using digital amp in their PCDP and Sony rebounded with improved amps in their PCDP (not to mention a very nifty EQ).

Shizelbs

Originally posted by Danny Tse
....after all, headphones are the only hi-fi equipment you wear.

A very good point. Comfy phones should be hardly be noticeable. Uncomfy phones will not be worn for very long, and at that point, why even bother buying them. For me, heat bugs me far before pressure on my huge mellon does.

danger boy

Originally posted by Shizelbs
Danger,

If you are interested at all, next time we meet I can bring over my Sennheisers. They are HD-590s. They are priced similarly to your IXOS, so, I would be interested to hear the difference. They are comfy as hell too!

OK, sounds good to me. Let me know when you got time on an evening.. and we'll compare the two. I'm interested in hearing a good open back design.