[davekojo]

I currently have Monster Inspirations (ANC) for the office. I like the sound profile however the shape of the earcups and their weight mean that after a few hours they become uncomfortable.
 
I mostly listen to music from my mobile phone with no amp (and would prefer to keep it that way although I do have a Fiio mont blanc i think its the e11).
 
Could anyone recommend a pair of headphones which would be good to wear all day in an office environment (eg closed full size). My budget would be no more than 200 USD. If I could get something with ANC or has good isolation, as I find that the ANC on the monsters makes a (small but noticeable) difference. I also like the fact that the monsters still work with flat batteries.
 
Thanks in advance

 

[KG Jag]

Headphone comfort is a very individual thing.  Everyone has a different head size and shape, as well as different sensitivities and levels of sensitivity.  We can point you to headphones that are generally considered to be comfortable and mention others that have garnered complaints for being uncomfortable.  However, the only way to know for sure is to wear them yourself for a time equivalent to your longest listening session--especially when that period is all day.

 

[davekojo]

  Headphone comfort is a very individual thing.  Everyone has a different head size and shape, as well as different sensitivities and levels of sensitivity.  We can point you to headphones that are generally considered to be comfortable and mention others that have garnered complaints for being uncomfortable.  However, the only way to know for sure is to wear them yourself for a time equivalent to your longest listening session--especially when that period is all day.

 
All I need are some recommendations... maybe I should rephrase my question and say I want light, closed headphones with clamp force and sound profile similar to Monster inspiration with larger ear cups. Would that be more helpful?

 

[KG Jag]

 

  Headphone comfort is a very individual thing.  Everyone has a different head size and shape, as well as different sensitivities and levels of sensitivity.  We can point you to headphones that are generally considered to be comfortable and mention others that have garnered complaints for being uncomfortable.  However, the only way to know for sure is to wear them yourself for a time equivalent to your longest listening session--especially when that period is all day.

 
All I need are some recommendations... maybe I should rephrase my question and say I want light, closed headphones with clamp force and sound profile similar to Monster inspiration with larger ear cups. Would that be more helpful?

 
Yes--that is much more specific and objective. 
 
Those here who are familiar with that Monster can, as well as cans in your price range should be able to give you the best available options.

 

[juan1894]

   
All I need are some recommendations... maybe I should rephrase my question and say I want light, closed headphones with clamp force and sound profile similar to Monster inspiration with larger ear cups. Would that be more helpful?

Hi.
 
The only model that comes to my mind is the Denon D600, very comfortable and similar sound profile (although I think it will be far superior than inspiration's)

 

[5h4d0w]

What about Sony MDR1A? Looks like it's what you need.

 

[davekojo]

Thanks guys, those will definitely stretch my budget, I'll have to try and find them on sale, unless you know where I can get a good deal on them. 

 

[davekojo]

So I went with the MDR-1A. They should arrive tomorrow. I'll update the post after a bit of listening in case anyone is interested in how they perform.

 

[LNuneek]

  So I went with the MDR-1A. They should arrive tomorrow. I'll update the post after a bit of listening in case anyone is interested in how they perform.

Good luck! Hope they work out for you, and also hope you purchased from a retailer where you can return them. Just in case...

 

[5h4d0w]

Im pretty interested about how MDRZ7 and ak240 will work.

 

[davekojo]

So after a few shipping issues my MDR-1a's have arrived and they are well worth the wait. The earpads are deeper and wider that the inspirations and the headphones are much lighter so in the comfort stakes they are spot on.
 
In terms of sound I think they beat the pants off the inspirations. The sound stage is much wider, the clarity, detail and instrument separation are all better. The bass is a bit boomier but not to the point where it ruins the overall sound.The isolation for office and home use is great, voices will still penetrate if they are loud enough but generally the music will block them out. There is minimal sound leak so you don't disturb those near you. They are also as easily driven by the inspirations so I can use them directly from my phone.
 
I would definitely recommend them.
 
I listen to mostly hip-hop/rap, r&b, funk and jazz. These work well for these genres.

 

[Japheel]

Im pretty interested about how MDRZ7 and ak240 will work.

I was actually demoing them today at a hifi store in Manhattan with AK's flagship, and I could not like those Z7s. They were way too rolled off in the treble and the bass was pretty boring and poorly extended to my ears. The only thing that I liked about them was the comfort, which was awesome and the fact that their imaging was pretty damn good for a closed back, regardless of price. My friend(not audiophile) liked them for rap, but I don't trust his ears.

 

[JK1]

I don't know of any closed headphone that I could wear for over an hour at a time without getting hot ears. The ones with velour earpads take longer to get my ears overheated, while those with pleather earpads make my ears overheat in under 15 minutes. Instead of closed headphones, I now use IEMs.

 

[davekojo]

IEMs make my ear canals itch after a while. I've tried a few different types of silicon tips and comply foam. I don't have any issues with the Sony's. I probably have a 10 minute break every 2 hours.