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Newbie needs help deciding on headphones!!

post #1 of 25
5/11/08 at 6:21pm
Thread Starter 
Hi! I’m a newbie…been researching for the past couple months trying to find the perfect headphones, and I need some help. Here’s some Info

FEATURES I WANT:
  • Over-the-head style
  • Circumaural
  • Lightweight (no more than 10oz, and that’s pushing it…4-6 is ideal)
  • Comfort is very important. I need to be able to wear them for 2+ hrs at a time without having to take more than a 2-minute break. I don’t want things that will have too much pressure. I want a loose fit.
  • Can’t decide between open or closed. I prefer the sound of open, but don’t want nearby people to be disturbed, as I’ll mainly be using these in places that are usually more quiet. At the same time, I prefer that closed keep more sound out. Ideally, I would like an open phone that didn’t leak too much and kept a good amount of sound out (i.e.. wearing them with no music muffles conversation)
  • Portability isn’t a very big issue. I don’t need anything collapsible or anything. Just something I can stick in a backpack and that isn’t too huge.
  • No noise canceling…I don’t like the buzz they produce, and sometimes they work so well that I literally can’t hear people yelling at me. So I’m fine with just having a circumaural set block out some of the noise.
  • Good sized cable length (i.e. at least 5ft, though I’d prefer 10)

PRICE RANGE:
  • Up to $100 using Amazon prices, which are considerably cheaper than other places. They have several $200 pairs for under $100.
  • Would prefer a set around $50ish, but if there is something amazing for $100, I can do that. Even if it’s more, ebay may have it new for cheap, so mention it anyway.

ABOUT ME
  • Average sized ears
  • Big head
  • Mainly listen to R&B, Jazz, Blues, Classical. I do some pop, some reggae. No rock/punk, and almost no country.

WHAT IM CONSIDERING
  • Mainly Sennheiser (apparently they are AMAZING)
  • For Open:
  • HD 485 (Nervous about how much sound is leaked)
  • eH 350 (nervous about supposed comfort issues)
  • For Closed:
  • EH 250 (Nervous about supposedly “overpowering” base)
  • HD 212 (same concerns)
  • Basically, I’m in conflict between all 4 because of the conflicting reviews I’ve read on Amazon and cnet.

WHAT IVE TRIED (this may help you to get a feel for what I like)
  • Sennheiser EH-150’s (closed) in a store. There ear-cups were on the smaller side, but fit me just right. They had a lot of bass, which was surprising, but I think I liked it. I admit that the base was muddy, but I figured they probably just need breaking in. Highs and mids seemed pretty good to me, but I’m no audiophile. I sampled it with R&B.
  • Sennheiser HD-280: A friend has these. They sound amazing. The reason I don’t like them is because they are so cumbersome. I couldn’t really carry them anywhere unless they were on my head. So that’s a negative.
  • Bose Triport Around-Ear TP-1: These were the most comfortable pair of phones I’ve worn to date. Unfortunately, I wasn’t that impressed with the sound. Even though the sound was fairly even in highs and mids, it missed a lot of the bass parts in some of my jazz favorites. Still, though, comfort was unbelievable, and exactly the fit I was looking for.
  • Koss UR-40s: Amazing comfort, but cheaply made (as in I could tell it would fall apart after a few months of intense use). Also, that cord was WAY too short. Sound wasn’t too great either.
  • I wish I could try more, but I’m not near anywhere that sells sennheisers

So that’s it. Please give me some feedback and/or recommendations, especially if you own a set of any of the models I’m looking at, or if you think you know of a pair of headphones that aligns well with my interests. Thank you!!
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post #2 of 25
5/11/08 at 6:37pm
Thread Starter 
Any opinions?
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post #3 of 25
5/12/08 at 12:57pm
Take a look at the Sennheiser HD555. I think it will fit most of the requirements.
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post #4 of 25
5/12/08 at 1:36pm
Equation audio Rp 21 should also fit your bill with a little bit of modding.
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post #5 of 25
5/12/08 at 2:12pm
I think you ought to seriously consider the HD201's. They are cheap, but sound very good (relative to the price of course). They are circumaural and sealed and comfortable to wear.
You can also read about them at Sennheiser HD 201 @ HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears.
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post #6 of 25
5/12/08 at 2:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jgonino View Post
Take a look at the Sennheiser HD555. I think it will fit most of the requirements.
...or even the HD485. AKG K530 eats them both IMO though. Consider closed fons only if isolation is a must, as the average closed fon mostly does not sound as good as its open contenders.
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post #7 of 25
5/12/08 at 2:19pm
How about the Sony MDR-7506 or it's twin, the V6? I think it meets all of your requirements. I've been spending a lot of time with the set I picked up recently, and I think these are really something. They are comfortable, provide good, but not total isolation, and sound really fantastic. For all of these reasons I've been spending all of my listening time with these, and my Ety er4p's, Grado SR-60's, and Senn HD-580's have all been set aside for the moment.

I'm really impressed with these; they provide much of the accuracy (to my ears anyhow) of the other higher-end phones, and in some ways are the most enjoyable of the quartet to listen to. They do vocals exceptionally well, have tight, controlled bass that is clearly there, but doesn't overwhelm, and provide excellent sound staging for a closed phone. All in an extremely well built package that folds up nicely, and doesn't cost a fortune. Two thumbs up from me!
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post #8 of 25
5/12/08 at 2:56pm
The HD280s can (surprisingly for their size) fold flat enough to fit in a knapsack or laptop bag. That's what I do with them while traveling. My only problem with their sound is their anemic bass, which can be alleviated if you aren't afraid of your MP3-player's equalizer/bass boost functions. They can handle a surprising quantity (and quality) of bass, it just needs to be brought out of the music through EQ.
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post #9 of 25
5/12/08 at 9:58pm
i can't stand the sennheiser hd555; give the grado's a go
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post #10 of 25
5/12/08 at 10:04pm
In my opinion you should forget the V6/7506 and look forward to the Sennheiser HD280 which are much better. The V6/7506 are awful cans IMHO.
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post #11 of 25
5/12/08 at 10:09pm
what's going to provide the source for these phones, and will you be using a portable amp?
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post #12 of 25
5/12/08 at 10:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Philco View Post
In my opinion you should forget the V6/7506 and look forward to the Sennheiser HD280 which are much better. The V6/7506 are awful cans IMHO.
Of course many people have the same opinion of the HD280's, so as you can see, YMMV.
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post #13 of 25
5/12/08 at 11:43pm
People (me included of course!) get used to cans. I used the 7506 for two years straight, without using no other cans during this period. I got used to the overhyped treble and whenever I would use a neutral speaker system, I would notice that my ears were expecting the coloration the 7506 gives in the highs.

After comparing the 7506 to many other cans, I came to the conclusion that they're a useless plastic assembly that's made in China. I now hand those to performers in my studio for tracking but never use them myself.

Of course, mileage always varies

Quote:
Originally Posted by zhenya View Post
Of course many people have the same opinion of the HD280's, so as you can see, YMMV.
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post #14 of 25
5/14/08 at 3:10pm
From the sounds of it... you want a comfortable, closed can.

Triports are prolly the most comfortable headphone because they're absolutely no larger than they need to be. As you said, tho... the sound could be better for the money.

MDR-V6 are definitely worth $80 for portable, closed cans because of their solid durability. They do well all around, esp. with detail & tight bass. However, there's not too much soundstage and the highs can get a little sibilant as many others have said before.

The Koss option is the only other way I'd go. KSC75s still possess one of the greatest drivers I've come across. I bought a radio from WalMart that had a super light headband that fits the back of the KSC75 drivers. You'll have some leakage, but the sound is AMAZING for a $17 pair of headphones. If you really don't need closed headphones... get the KSCs. Or the UR40 or PortaPro for slightly different, but still awesome, Koss sound... and more professional looking headband.
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post #15 of 25
5/15/08 at 1:41am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all of your responses!

Ok, so I'm hearing a lot of Sennheiser HD 555 and Sony V6. How does sound compare for an R&B/Jazz/Classical/ Hip-hop listener? Also, how do they compare in comfort?

My main concern with the HD555 is that they look really big. Does anyone know where I can find photos of someone actuall wearing them?

I'm liking that the V6's fold up, and I'm particularly impressed by the 4.5 star rating on Amazon. I will admit that the earpieces look kinda funky, but willing to look over that.

Also, someone asked if I was using an amp. I'm not really sure what that is, but I don't think I am (I just want to plug them into an mp3 player). Can someone explain what exactly a headphone amp is? The wikipedia articles

Finally, for anyone who has used sennheiser or sony open models, can you comment on the amount of leakage?

THANKS AGAIN!!
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