I'm with you on the comfort and EQ actually. I can wear my 900s for hours, they are extremely comfortable.
It's amazing what a difference a little adjustments to the EQ can do. I bought a pair of Audio-Technica m50x-BT2 for on the go. They have a parametric EQ. I asked ChatGPT to give me settings for it that would make them sound like my Grados but with bass. They don't sound exact, but they sound good.
As far as my actual Grado SR80x goes, I bought the sheepskin pads for them which really brought out the bass, but I lost that musicality they are known for, so again, EQ saved them. Now I have extremely comfortable Grados with bass.
Again, not sure if I'll reach an end game per say (I like the way you frame it though), all I know is I'm having fun and that's what matters.
At home on my laptop it's DT 770 Pro, 900 Pro X and Grado SR80x through the Zen DAC V3.
Out and about it's Sony ULT Wear or JBL 770NC.
I like all of my headphones for different use cases.
Of the eix main pairs of headphones that I use, three are wired and three are BT (all three of them can be wired though). I'm at home most of the time so my daily drivers are my Beyerdynamic DT900 Pro x and 770 Pro 80 ohm. I have a pair of Grado sr80x that I also enjoy from time to time.
For wireless on-the-go use cases I usually use my AT M50xBT2. I also have the ULT Wear and JBL Live 770NC.
My ears aren't trained well enough to notice a difference from BT, but my BT cans are all consumer grade, that's what makes the difference.
I really like my grado sr80xCheap and sounds great.
Importantly they are open back.
Also if you can. Especially if you have two channels to work with get it panned hard left and hard right. Sounds way bigger.
I like headphones with treble, my Grado SR80x and RS2e are the perfect example of the sound I enjoy. Love the "house sound" (I think this is the term they use) so much!
That said, my work headphones are the Meze 99 classics which are a warm nuetral? I have velour pads which change the sound and removes some of the boom. I know these are a complete contrast profiles but I enjoy the variety. They are great for long listening sessions during work hours which helps.
Yes kph 40, you can easily change earpads if desired. Very good sound and featherweight. Under $40. Portapro and kph 30i too. Kph 30 wireless if you don't like wired.
For much better sound and a step up in quality: Grado 80x and Sennheiser 560s. Comfortable and light but not like the Koss.
Grados are sharp. I adore mine, but you should know they are not for everyone.
I highly recommend you start with something cheap and neutral like the koss kph40 or the new Moondrop Old Fashioned. Both are excellent headphones and are just about the comfiest thing you can get.
Otherwise if you can spend a little more than your budget you can get Hifiman Sundaras - they are still some of my absolute favourites despite having headphones that cost twice as much (back when I got them in 2021 they were 300$ now you can find them for 140$).
If you’d like something closed-back fiio Ft1 are my best recommendation, but again they might be a little over your budget.
AngryGoose
