Sony MDR-7506/V6, Senn HD280, Ultrasone HFI-650, Beyer DT770, DT250, Etymotic Review

[kelly]

Closed Headphones Comparative Review:
Sony MDR-7506 (aka Sony MDR-V6), Sennheiser HD280, Ultrasone HFI-650, Beyerdynamic DT250-80, Beyerdynamic DT770, Etymotic ER-4S, Etymotic ER-4B

Disclaimer: As always, this is purely a subjective review. The contents herein reflect my opinion alone and do not represent opinions of HeadFi, its sponsors, its moderators, nor any of the manufacturers or retailers. Moreover, the opinions were reached by subjective means only without the aid of any measurements. As with any review, please add a grain of salt and assume every statement to mean, “in my system”, “to my ears” and “in my opinion.”

Associated equipment:
sources
Sony XA777ES with ModWright "Absolute Truth" modifications
ART DI/O DAC
Philips Acoustic Edge Soundcard

headphone amplifiers
Corda Prehead-1
AudioValve RKV II
Corda HA-1 with "Corda Blue" modifications by KurtW

additional headphones
Sennheiser HD600 with Cardas replacement cable
Grado HP-1 with standard cable

cables
Ven Haus DIY power cables to source
Generic IEC power cables to amps
Jena Labs Trio Ultra with Cryo interconnect
DIY silver plated interconnects
FixUp Etymotic ER-4S cable

Closed Headphones
Closed headphones are a staple of portable audio where disturbing your neighbor with blaring headphones isn't always appreciated and pro audio where quietness may be necessary. Some would argue that all headphones should be closed design. After all, who wants to listen to someone else's second hand music? Isn't keeping it to yourself really what headphones are all about? Well, no, not for everyone. Some people enjoy headphones even alone. It's easier to create a high-end headphone system on a limited budget than it is a speaker-based system and unlike speakers, headphones don't care where you sit our what your room acoustics are like.

For these and other reasons, open headphones have been introduced that experiment with different acoustic designs and many believe those designs tend to be of a higher quality than the old closed design. It was this trend that made me most frustrated a year ago when I began my search for a good pair of closed headphones for use at work. Having not followed the headphone market for some time, I simply assumed that if I were willing to spend a little that it'd be easy to pick of a headphone equivalent to high-end open designs like the Sennheiser HD600. I soon found this was not to be the case and of the smaller number of closed headphones on the market, the reviews were few and far between. I was at the mercy of retailer web sites, catalog descriptions and a handful of non-comparative impressions.

Not Included
At that time, I ended up with Beyerdynamic's DT831 from Meier Audio. The DT831's treble was excellent for a closed phone but its lower mids and bass were so thin that along with its treble brightness, I eventually had to sell it and move on. The DT831 is not included in this comparison so if you want my general opinion of it, that's about all I have to offer. Several other closed headphones aren't listed here. Not included are the higher end Sony MDR-1700 and MDR-3000 nor the Audio-Technica W100, all of which have a similar (very comfortable) design, are somewhat overpriced and don't isolate all that well for a closed phone. Others are missing, I'm sure, but the seven listed here represent the best values in closed headphones... at least, as of the time of this writing (December 2002).

They're all good, honest.
The descriptions below are comparative. Remember that I actually think highly of all of these headphones, but find it necessary to say less than complimentary things when doing comparisons. If you already have or are considering any of these as an upgrade to one of the headphones included with a portable audio device, you simply can't go wrong.

Where to Buy
With the exception of the Sony MDR-7506/MDR-V6, all of the headphones listed here are available from Head-Fi's two longtime sponsors, HeadRoom and Meier Audio. I've ordered from both of these guys personally and recommend them to anyone. If you have a choice between the two, HeadRoom's 30-day return policy may be of use to you if you're still not quite sure which one you want or if you want to get it in your hands a little quicker. I suggest giving them a call at 1-800-828-8184 since they seem to respond better to phone than email. Call 1-406-587-9466 if you're outside of the US. Meier Audio, on the other hand, tends to be a few bucks less on most items and includes shipping in the price. They're best reached by email: Meier Audio but can also be reached by phone at +49 9131 532418. There are plenty of other places to pick up most of these phones, but these guys are the best I've found.



Sony MDR-7506
Sony MDR-V6
63ohm closed headphone
Retail: $100US
Street: $60US

The Sony MDR-7506 is Sony's answer to portable pro audio closed headphones. The MDR-V6 utilizes the exact same drivers. The only difference between the two headphones is that the 7506 version has a gold plated headphone connector. The MDR-V6 is commonly available for less money, a piece of information I wish I'd had prior to picking up the MDR-7506 at full retail back in 1998. Both of these models are commonly found in stores where other Sony headphones are sold and in musicians supply stores. For internet sales, look to Yahoo! Shopping for an easy list of vendors, but I can't personally vouch for any of them.

It's easy to understand why this is so popular with pro audio people. The drivers collapse into the headband and wrap into a ball pretty neatly and the metal enclosures are stand up to the stresses the roadies and traveling DJs may put them through. The ear cups are somewhat small, just barely big enough to fully enclose my somewhat small ears and covered in a pleather (fake leather) material that can be somewhat warm and sweaty with extended use. Some hobbyists have modified these headphones to use the Beyerdynamic DT250 pads available direct from Beyerdynamic for $27US shipped but doing this is some amount of work. Search the forum for more information on that.

For sound quality, the V6 is an easy sell. It's tonally neutral throughout the mids and highs and has a bass response that other headphones at this price just can't touch. With its 63-ohm impedance and 106db of sensitivity, the V6 is easy to drive with practically any source or headphone amplifier, including the sections built into portable CD players and soundcards. This combination of traits and low price make the V6 a favorite for me to recommend to people just now deciding to buy their first serious headphone who are perhaps a little gun-shy of far more expensive headphone and dedicated amplifiers.

On the downside, the V6 is probably my least favorite headphone on this list. You see, no matter how much you want to argue the case for diminishing returns, diminishing returns are still returns. While the V6 is an excellent value, it's simply outclassed by more expensive offerings. Balance in the treble is fairly flat with good extension but some would say the treble is a bit on the grainy side and maybe even a little bit harsh compared to other phones. This makes for a revealing sound if not an altogether pleasant one. Imaging and ambient detail are sacrificed here as well.

The bass reaches down to the lowest lows (a feat far more expensive headphones often seem unable to achieve) but with a somewhat bloated but not too boomy midbass and the texture of the bass is somewhat bland and electronic sounding.

One point of warning: DO NOT confused this headphone with the Sony V600, which despite being a lot more expensive, most people agree isn't nearly as good. In fact, avoid all of Sony's other low-end models.

I regret that the only headphone I was able to directly compare the V6 with was the Ultrasone. Unfortunately, I had a little bit of a falling out with the person I gave my old V6 to (my fault, blame me) but with that comparison being fairly recent and my long term ownership of the V6, I'm fairly confident in my opinions. Still, add salt to your liking. Overall, the V6 is an awesome phone. Excellent bang for the buck, but spending more will get you more. Stop here if you've only got $60 to spend. Otherwise, read on.


Sennheiser HD280 Pro
64 ohm closed headphone
Retail: $200
Street: $100

For just a little more, you can get the Sennheiser HD280 Pro. As you can see, this one's also a folding type like the Sony V6 but with its larger headphone and drivers doesn't ball up quite so small. Its hard plastic enclosures, like most of the headphones featured here, serves well enough to protect it from being placed in a backpack despite lacking the metal covers of the sturdy V6.

I found the HD280 to be a bit more comfortable than the old V6. Its earcups are just a little bit larger and the pads a little thicker and far easier to keep on your ears for long stretches. The headband bends out far enough to house most of the big heads I commonly find myself arguing with on Head-Fi (though those folks tend to buy pricier stuff anyway).

The sound of the HD280 was disappointing at first. Its' soft, blurred presentation reminded me too much of the other low-end Sony models, especially when coupled with a slightly echoey sounding midrange and boomy inarticulate bass. To be sure, the V6 is probably the better phone if you're looking for accuracy. On the other hand, the HD280's polite sound and comfort are far less fatiguing than the old Sony. The sound is smoother and relaxed.

Frankly, the best and worst of Sennheiser's house sound can be found in this little headphone, but don't go expecting the HD280 to hold a candle to the company's high end HD580 and HD600. If you've got the money for a better headphone and amp, this probably isn't the best way to spend your money. On the other hand, if you've only got about a hundred bucks and want something easy to drive and pleasant to listen to, the HD280 is a good solution. Here I say: spend more if you can, but you could do a lot worse.


Ultrasone HFI-650
75 ohm closed headphone
Retail: $230
Street: $145

For just a little more, you can get the Ultrasone HFI-650. Ultrasone is a new headphone name that has sprung up in Germany recently. I'm not sure if their products are getting global distribution yet. In fact, as of this writing, I only know of Meier Audio who sells them. Hopefully this will change as I've become somewhat fond of this particular model and I look forward to hearing more stuff from the company in the future.

EDIT: I was contacted directly by a representative from EARS Audio Distribution who informed me that this product is officially released to North America as of October 1, 2002 and that its retail price is $230. Therefore the US street price may be slightly higher than the current Meier Audio price I have listed above. For your nearest dealer, it is suggested that you contact EARS by email at ears@earsaudio.com or by telephone at 615-794-4494.

Physically, the phone isn't all that different looking than the Sennheiser HD280. Another user pointed out that the headbands are identical. With them here in person, they are very similar, but I'm unable to know for sure whether they're sourced from the same company or not. An email sent to Ultrasone on the matter went unanswered, a likely casualty of the language barrier. The drivers look considerably different, which is just as well since they sound absolutely nothing like the HD280.

The pads of the Ultrasone drivers are the pleather (fake leather) type like the V6s only thicker. They're overall more comfortable than the V6, but that's about all I can say for them. I did go ahead and order the Beyerdynamic DT250 pads to fit onto mine but unfortunately the Beyer pads don't have a fabric attached to the middle section so I'll have to find my way to a fabric store to complete the upgrade. I tried it briefly without the missing inner material and did find the Beyer velour pads to be a good fit and comfortable on the Ultrasone but without that material in front of the driver, the sound became harsh and bright. Hopefully I should be able to correct this.

As far as sound goes, this is my favorite of the bunch excluding possibly the Etymotics. The sound is not the last word in tonal neutrality but it's reasonable and has good representation at all parts of the response curve. A slight midbass bloat exists, which I've begun to think is common in headphones but the bass is far more articulate than that of the old Sony V6 and the overall sound of the phone is faster and cleaner than the others on the list here. A natural bass rolloff exists just blow that bass bump which frustrates me but even the lowest registers get some representation.
Ultrasone boasts a lot about "S_Logic Natural Surround Sound System", which they claim shapes the sound three-dimensionally. I don't know how to say this but as much as I like the Ultrasone, it still sounds like a headphone to me and if you really want to force a three dimensional soundstage, I recommend checking out a technology called Dolby Headphone. With Dolby Headphone, I did enjoy the three-dimensional aspect of the Ultrasone, but without it I had to write off most of what they had to say about their "simply perfect surround sound" as marketing hyperbole. The soundstage is nice, though, for a closed headphone - and it's not the least bit echoey. So maybe they're technology is worth something and my BS-detector was simply running a little high.

Unlike the V6, the Ultrasone seems to benefit more from good electronics. Don't get me wrong, the HFI-650 is easy to drive and isn't likely to clip before reaching a deafening volume with any source, but the differences between electronics are easier to discern with the Ultrasone. In fact, a biggest issue there is that the V6's faults themselves seem to be more distracting than the faults of the equipment at a fairly low level. Budget accordingly for a good matched system, but don't be afraid of investing a little in the Ultrasone if you're planning to put good stuff behind it later.



Beyerdynamic DT770
250 ohm closed headphone
Retail: $200
Street: $145

For just a little more, you can get the Beyerdynamic DT770. This is Beyerdynamic's classic closed headphone and is very popular with disc jockeys and pro audio people. And for good reason: it's easily the most comfortable headphone on the list, by far. And its build quality? Unsurpassed at this price level. I think the DT770 could probably stand up to anything. Big thick velour pads line drivers large enough to house any sized ear (even Ross Perot could rock out with a pair of these). A metal frame is concealed under a leatherette button on skin and thick, sturdy hard plastic lines the outside of the enclosures. They just don't make ‘em like this anymore. Or maybe they do: Beyerdynamic's new top of the line headphone, named after a resurrected DT880, seems to share some common elements from the pre-release photographs. It remains to be seen whether that semi-open headphone can hold its own at the top of the German headphone food chain, but I for one really hope it's as comfortable and well built as the old DT770.

The only disadvantage to the build of the DT770 is that this isn't a folding type at all. You'll not be collapsing and balling this one up. Luckily the phone is built so well that you'd probably feel comfortable stowing it in your bag anyway.

Soundwise, the DT770 is bass heavy. No other words could summarize the DT770 better than "bass heavy." As someone who is often called a basshead (and less politically correct variations thereof), you can imagine how utterly shocked I was to find a headphone that actually had too much bass for me. In those bass registers, the DT770 does it all, down to the very last drop of 20hz sound and without any rolloff or dips. The bump seems to ride along from 40hz to around 100hz, my best estimate without relying on measurements. The bass is all good, textured bass, though, unlike the cheaper V6. Like bass a lot? This is the phone to get. I found this ironic given how utterly bass deficient Beyerdynamic's other top closed headphone, the DT831 is. If you guys are reading this now, how about something a little closer to the middle? Thanks.

If not for this strong bass frequency bump, the DT770 would be a killer phone as the rest of the sound is pretty evenly distributed. This surprised me. Often when a headphone's bass is too strong, the treble is utterly sacrificed. Not so with the DT770. Of course, this old design doesn't quite keep up with the much more recent technology driven Ultrasone in terms of resolution and linearity but considering the headphones other qualities, I might lean this way anyway if not for that bass issue. Still, if you're looking for the best fidelity in terms of ambient detail and imaging, the Ultrasone is a better phone for you.

I strongly recommend this phone for traveling DJs who could use the strong bass beats to do on-the-fly mixing in clubs. Remember though, this is a 250ohm headphone and won't quite come to life on some of today's modern headphone jacks--and dedicated amplifier is strongly suggested. I also can't help but feel that it'd probably be a good option for folks who have an equalizer at their disposal. I really hated to send this headphone back to its proper owner. Even though this one's not for me overall, it gave me exactly what I was looking for in terms of comfort and build quality. I sincerely hope other companies will strive to equal it.


Beyerdynamic DT250-80
80 ohm closed headphone
Retail: $200
Street: $160

For just a little more, you can get the Beyerdynamic DT250-80. This phone is actually offered in two versions, an 80 ohm model and a 250 ohm model. I've only had opportunity to audition the 80 ohm model so my comments stem from that.

Like the DT770, the DT250 isn't a folding type headphone either, even though it looks like one. I'm not sure why Beyerdynamic didn't opt for a folding type headband with this phone given its smallish drivers but for whatever reason, they didn't.

This phone reminds me the most of the V6 in looks otherwise, which isn't altogether a bad thing. Its drivers are similar in shape and form to those of both the Ultrasone HFI-650 and Sennheiser HD280--which is to say, not nearly as large and comfortable as the DT770 but still easily a more comfortable alternative to the Sony V6. Again, the enclosure seems rugged enough to survive trips in your bag but I'd probably try to be more careful with this one than the others due to the way the drivers attach to the headband without folding.

The sound of the DT250 could best be described as a compromise. It's a little rolled off on top and it's a little bit bumped in the bass and a little bit rolled off in the extreme bass. Overall, this is a great combination of characteristics to take the bleeding edge off of a nasty sounding portable or soundcard-based source. Its low 80 ohm impedance also makes it easy to drive without clipping. If you have sensitivities to high frequencies and can't quite afford to fix the electronics, this is a good headphone to check into. It's smooth throughout without being quite as blurry as the HD280 but never quite as articulate as the Ultrasone. It's a compromise but it's a good one and the overall sound is still somewhat high end for a closed phone of this price.



Etymotic ER-4S
Etymotic ER-4B
100 ohm in ear canal headphone
Retail: $330
Street: $270

For just a little more, you can get the Etymotic ER-4. This is an interesting headphone and can't really be considered to be in direct competition with the other headphones on this list. You see, these are in-the-ear-canal headphones. No, we're not talking earbuds here: these things go all the way down inside your ears just like earplugs. Etymotic is actually a company known for making hearing aid devices and earplugs so the side project of having a killer headphone makes Etymotic a peculiar innovator.

These headphones are virtually unknown to the world outside of headphone enthusiast sites and a few priviledged musicians. When inserted, the Etymotic blocks out 20-25db of noise from the outside world. That's isolation that the other headphones can't even dream about. What this means for your health is that you're able to completely block out outside noise and listen with full attention at a much lower volume. Because the plugs seal pressure and equalize slowly, the Etymotic is absolutely ideal for airplanes where you might prefer to have earplugs anyway.

Of course, not everyone's big on the idea of sticking things in their ears. If you can bring yourself to get past it, it's worth giving it a shot, though. The Etymotic experience is like no other. Because this isn't for everyone, this is a good product to try out from HeadRoom where you can take advantage of that 30-day return policy mentioned earlier. HeadRoom says they stick in fresh tips if they end up reselling the phone so hygiene shouldn't be an issue. Of course, if you end up keeping them, you'll likely be paying more attention to our own ear hygiene. You'd be surprised how nasty looking that wax can be if you haven't flushed your ears out recently.

The next issue of consideration is insertion itself. For most people, this is just a matter of training but occasionally the individually shaped ear canals just won't make for a good seal. A good seal is critical for the Etymotic because without that pressure lock, you're left with a very thin sound. Within a couple weeks of use, I found myself able to get a good seal easily and inserting and removing the Etymotic was easy.

Finally, even when everything is just right... there's still the issue of occlusion and microphonics. Occlusion is basically the effect of having our ears plugged and then hearing every solid hit the rest of your body connects. You'll notice that due to occlusion, you might pay closer attention to your own breathing. It's a bit like being underwater. You get used to it, though, and in the end it's a lot less distracting than outside noise. Microphonics on the other hand is the effect that corrupts your sound when the headphone cable drags across your shirt or some other object and transfers a rough textured sound all the way up to the driver.

Frankly, the stock Etymotic cable is horrid for this microphonic effect. It bewilders me that Etymotic has failed to address this issue themselves. Luckily a hobbyist by the name of FixUp addressed this problem himself and carries and aftermarket cable that is FAR less microphonic. I ended up buying the $45 version of his ER-4S cable and recommend it highly--at least until someone like Cardas finally puts a cable out to market.

With that lengthy prelude, you'd think I'd be ready to talk about how the thing sounds, but no, it gets worse from here. The Etymotic ER-4 actually comes in three varieties: ER-4P, ER-4S and ER-4B. I think this has probably been a source of confusion for a lot of people. Here is the graph taken from Etymotics' own web site to show the differences in frequency response curves.



The difference between ER-4P and ER-4S is interestingly enough ONLY a resistor. What's really odd is that it works the opposite of the way you'd expect: the ER-4P actually has stronger bass than the ER-4S. Etymotic created the 27ohm version so that it'd be easier to drive and then, according to their web site, said the average person in their test audience actually preferred the 4P due to a stronger bass response. Not I, and this, along with not having an easy way to AB, is why I didn't include it in the heading. The ER-4S and 4B sound much better to my ears, for whatever reason and their 100ohm impedances aren't really THAT hard to drive unless you insist on using a modern portable audio device without an outboard amp. (Let's face it, that's sacrilege for a headphone at this price anyway.)

What's the ER-4B then? B stands for binaural. According to Etymotic, binaural recordings aren't recorded with room acoustics in mind so without things like carpet and couches to absorb the sound; a binaural recording can sound a bit darker than it should. Thus, comparatively, the ER-4B is brighter than the ER-4S (this should make it easy: B for bright).

Oh, but that's not the whole story is it? A fellow Head-Fi'er sent me the ER-4B because hardly anyone had heard one and he felt the bright label was overstated. He said to him the ER-4B was a more linear sound. So where would I fit in? Somewhere in the middle. The differences between the ER-4B and ER-4S are not as exaggerated as I'd been lead to believe but what is there is both a slightly more linear sound and a slightly brighter sound. I suppose this shouldn't surprise me looking at the response curve.

But don't let that chart do too much of the talking, here. We'd like to think that a straight line is what we want to see, but our ear canals play a funny trick in that treble region such that no headphone is completely flat there (and if it measured flat, it wouldn't SOUND flat). Which is more accurate? It's hard to say. On normal recordings, I preferred the ER-4S and found it a little more tonally balanced. The ER-4B sounded better in some ways but I wasn't quite willing to make the move.

All of this and I still haven't told you how they sound? Ok, the Etymotics are incredible. They project a tiny little soundstage in your head but do it with such absolute precision that it's incredible the way you can pick out individual instrument placement. I know the first thought most people must have is "$270 for an earplug?" but once you hear them, that goes away and you're just left in amazement by that technology. The Etymotics are capable of picking up the tiniest nuances and as such are commonly compared with far more expensive electrostatic headphones.

But are they THAT good? Well... For me, I couldn't help but find a signature in the Etymotic. There's a certain stickiness in the midrange and glossiness in the highs that make the Etymotic seem not quite real to me. I don't know the technology enough to try to put a blame on this, but it's enough that overall, the Etymotics aren't really my favorite phone despite the many wonderful things I have to say about them.

I reserve my own pair for airplanes and when absolute isolation is needed. For other times, a normal pair of closed headphones will block out my coworkers enough and prevent me from disturbing them. And yet again, I find myself preferring the sound of other headphones that employ open and semi-open models when I'm at home alone. But the "your mileage may vary" slogan has never applied better than it does with the Etymotics and I strongly recommend any headphone enthusiast to at least give them a shot. They isolate best, they're the most portable and ultimately they outperform most of the other closed headphones in almost every way.

(Note: There's a lot more information to be found about Etymotic headphones on Head-Fi, including information about different tips, how to get a better seal and many other users' impressions of the headphone. Please employ Head-Fi's search function to read what others have had to say.)