Headphones
This page is currently a work in progress, it is not the complete list of headphones we stock or have access to and does not cover some of the lines we stock (including closed back headphones, wireless headphones and so on).
Grado Prestige Series
The Prestige range of headphones are simply great fun. Their appearance might be rather retro, but the sound is anything but. All the models in the range have an infectious ability to draw you into the music and get your foot tapping. They have a very airy and open mid band and top end, with voices sounding especially impressively life like. As you go up the range the main benefit is additional detail which comes from improvements to the wiring, housing, cushion and so on.
Whilst they may not look like the most comfortable design, they are surprisingly easy to wear for fairly long periods and you can even adjust the pressure on the ears (by bending the hoop) as well as the usual adjustment of height of the earcups. These headphone are also ideal if you are using them whilst working as the stay on your head better when you look down than some others on the market.
Cable length: 2 metre
Standard jack plug: 3.5mm jack (with 6.35mm adaptor included) for the SR-
Basic specifications: SPL 98dB, impedance 32Ohm
Grado SR-
Grado SR-
Grado SR-
Grado SR-
Grado SR-
Sennheiser HD500 series
Above: from left to right, HD518, HD558 and HD598
The HD500 series spans three models, all of which have cushions that extend around the ear making them very comfortable to wear for long periods. They also able to produce high output levels from portable devices as they are very efficient.
The range starts with the HD518 which have a rich and slightly dark sound, with extended
and weighty bass. I feel they are especially suited to people using lower quality
files on portable devices as they are kind to the various negative artefacts of compressed
music files.
In comparison the HD558 are much more open and transparent, with a sound that is less boxy and with greater dynamic resolution. For me these off the best value of this series, as they are a much more neutral sounding design than the cheaper HD518 and offer a fairly large amount of the improvements found in the HD598.
The HD598 are quite radically different in appearance, with their cream and high gloss burl wood finish making them really stand out. Sonically they build upon the HD558 by being even more open, with improved resolution and a more seductive mid band which is especially noticeable on voices. The headband and cushions are also more luxurious, giving even greater comfort.
Whilst all the models in this range are very sensitive and therefore easy to drive with portable devices, the HD558 and HD598 are even more so, making them absolutely ideal for portable use as well as home use.
Cable length: 3 metre
Standard jack plug: 6.35mm plugs (supplied with adaptors to work with 3.5mm sockets).
Basic specifications:, SPL HD518: 108dB, HD558 & HD598: 112dB. Impedance 50 Ohm
Sennheiser HD 518: £107.99 10%off
Sennheiser HD 558: £144.00 10%off
Sennheiser HD 598: £179.99 10% off
Grado Professional Series
The Grado Professional series are instantly recognisable by their distinctive and substantial metal housings. Underneath lies a Mahogany sleeve, with the two materials working together to help damp and reduce resonance. The two models in this range have a very neutral presentation, but one that doesn’t become bland or sterile.
The PS500 has excellent transient bite, a slightly forward (but very pleasantly so) mid band, with great bass extension and tonality. The resolution is also quite stunning, their ability to resolve reverb and acoustic artefacts that other headphones often miss has to be heard to be believed.
The PS1000 adds even more scale and solidity to the sound, and the larger earpads are even more comfortable allowing very extended listening sessions with ease.
Cable length: 2 metre
Standard jack plug: 6.35mm plug
Basic specifications: SPL 98dB, impedance 32 Ohm
Grado PS500 £630.00 10% off!
Grado PS1000 £1,700 10% off!
Stax SRS-
The SRS-
Cable length: 2.5 metres
Connections: line level RCA phono
Stax SRS-
Items from above system can be bought separately:
Stax SR-
Stax SRM-
Sennheiser HD800
The HD800 is the current pinnacle of the Sennheiser range and as you’d expect represents what they consider to state of the art design. These are large headphones, but thanks to their almost skeletal design they are less bulky to wear than they might appear. Sennheiser claim that they have used the biggest transducers ever used in headphones and it certainly shows, as the earpads go around the ear with plenty of space to spare making them very comfortable to wear for extended periods.
Sonically they are exactly what you’d expect a top end Sennheiser to be, they have
a very clean sound and are neutral with a slight tip up towards higher frequencies.
The resulting treble is explicit but not tiring and the lack of grain (assuming your
source and headphone amplifier are up to it) is very welcome. If you are expecting
to be blown away on first listen then you may be disappointed, their strengths go
deeper than a cursory listen might show. The openness and freedom are perhaps their
greatest strengths, but there’s also an incredible ability to start and stop notes
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They are a high impedance (300 Ohm) headphone, so are not really suited for use with the average mp3 player as you may struggle to get sufficient volume, however in reality I suspect anyone considering these headphones would be using a dedicated headphone amplifier anyway.
Cable length: 2 metre
Standard jack plug: 6.35mm plug
Basic specifications: SPL 102dB, impedance 300 Ohm
Sennheiser HD800 headphones: £999.90
Stax SRS-
The SRS-
Cable length: 2.5 metres
Connections: line level RCA phono
Stax SRS-
Items from above system can be bought separately:
Stax SR-
Stax SRM-
Stax SRS-
The SRS-
Cable length: 2.5 metres
Connections: 2 x line level RCA phono, 1 x Balanced XLR
Stax SRS-
Items from above system can be bought separately:
Stax SR-
Stax SRM-
Stax SR-
The SR-
It’s a available in two different versions, a ‘standard’ one and a ‘Kimik’ version. The Kimik adds selected New Old Stock valves that have been cryogenically treated and with gold plated pins. EAT valve dampers are fitted and the bias and balance are adjusted over a period of 5 days running ensuring the best stereo imaging and sound quality.
Cable length: 2.5 metres
Connections: 2 x line level RCA phono, 1 x Balanced XLR
Stax SR-
Stax SR-
Items from above system can be bought separately:
Stax SR-
Stax SRM-
Stax SRM-
Stax SRM-
The SR-
The SR-
Stax SR-
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