[h8uthemost]

For around the $100 price range?

I'm looking for something closed for mobile, and the few that I've tried I've sent back(i forget exactly what they all were, but one was definitely the ath m50's). I love my Grado's(even before i did some simple mods), but i would like something closed that would give me similar sound. And i know the whole open between closed thing...

I'm trying to catch something on amazon's black Friday. And I'm looking at one of the portable AKG closed cans. Am i heading in the right direction?

Any help will be immensely appreciated...

 

[h8uthemost]

By the way the AKG's i was looking at are the k450's and q460's.

(sorry about the double post, tapatalk wouldn't let me edit my initial post)

 

[Mad Max]

No such thing as a "closed Grado", unfortunately.  You have a variety of good options anyway at $100 and under for closed portable headphones.

 

[h8uthemost]

Well yeah, i know there's no closed Grado's, but just looking for a similar sound through a closed can.
Alright, I'll try the AKG'S that i mentioned. Hopefully one of those will be close to what I'm looking for.

 

[Claritas]

The current state of research: http://www.head-fi.org/t/689357/closed-grados-a-compilation-of-30-threads-poll

 

[wje]

  The current state of research: http://www.head-fi.org/t/689357/closed-grados-a-compilation-of-30-threads-poll

 
I'm surprised the AKG Tiesto isn't on that poll.  It has great detail  The real issue I've had with it, though, is that the pads on the 167 would cover my ears, but as the foam stared to compress, my ears would be basically rested right against the baffle.  I didn't think that was such a good thing for me.  However, with the Tiesto, it appears AKG leverages the closeness to one's ear to improve the bass response.

 

[Claritas]

  I'm surprised the AKG Tiesto isn't on that poll.

 
I made the poll based on what was mentioned most frequently through all the threads. Too many threads, not enough consensus.

 

[h8uthemost]

Wow, didn't know there was a poll. Thank you very much Claritas. It looks like I'm just going to have to jump in and start trying out closed cans and see what I can come up with. I'll start with what's on the poll though.

Thanks again.

 

[Claritas]

Wow, didn't know there was a poll. Thank you very much Claritas. It looks like I'm just going to have to jump in and start trying out closed cans and see what I can come up with. I'll start with what's on the poll though.

Thanks again.

 
You're most welcome and please post your findings. We're all hunting the same the whale: it improves our chances. 

 

[h8uthemost]

Well, I've decided that i think I'm going to try the Quincy Jones AKG Q460's. I've never tried an AKG, and like i said i want these for portable use. I think that android has a great little sound system in their phones(so much so that I've switched to it from my Cowon D2 and Sansa Clip, two portable players that have fantastic sound, as my default portable player), and i just found out that the Q460's come with a mic and volume controls on its one sided detachable cable(and it comes with two cable lengths).

So that will definitely be helpful in the go. And for $94 bucks, i really don't have much to lose. If i don't like them I'll just send them back to amazon like I've done with my other closed cans that I've bought from them.

I'll update this thread and give my impressions as soon as I've received them and spent some time with them.

 

[h8uthemost]

Just s heads up. I did order the Q460'S. Amazon had them on lightning deal. So they were brought down to around $63. And since i was at work when they went on sale i had my mom manning the computer at home. So anyways she had something like $50 in reward points(all from me using her card), so i got the headphones for like $10 bucks. So the site says they'll be here by the 14th(which it always comes sooner), so like i said once I've spent sometime with them I'll post back.

Guess i really can't go wrong with a pair of AKG'S for $10 though.

 

[Errymoose]

the Q460 is not bad, but it's a very different sound to the Grado's.

 

[h8uthemost]

Thanks for the heads up errymose. Add long add they're clean and clear like the Grado's are then I'll be happy. I'm just looking for a pair of closed cans that I can live with...

 

[Errymoose]

I don't find them hugely enjoyable for music listening... they're a much much darker kind of sound than the grados.
 
If you like grado's for being airy and sparkly up top, then that's not at all what the AKG sounds like.  But given I'm only usually using them in noisy environments, it's hard to listen critically, and they work fine for certain types of music.

 

[h8uthemost]

So is there anything that you've tried, as a closed can, that comes even close to that open, clear, airy sound that the Grado's offer?

Anyways, i received the Q460's. I can't really give an opinion until I've listened to them for a couple weeks and have broken them in. But right off the bat, nothing like the Grado's. Not bad sounding by any means(I'm not going to send them back like i did the M50's), but I'm still wanting that open clarity in a closed can. Looks like I'm not going to find it... I'm not going to go through hundreds of pairs and thousands of dollars to find that perfect pair.

Anyways, I'm mostly a jazz listener, and what I've listened in the Q460's have sounded great(for closed cans). I can hear every single instrument just perfectly. And the strings thunking by Charles Mingus' bass sounds great.

So like i said, definitely not what i was looking for. But i do think I've found a pair of closed ones that i can live with. Like i said, i won't be sending them back. Besides the sound, i like the single sided cable(and that it's detachable) and the portability. They fold up nice and small into their hard case.

So i think I'm done with messing around with closed headphones. I'm going to enjoy what i have(including my multiple pairs of iems that i love)... For now... Then I'll start trying out the higher end Grado's and/or Alessandro's(or maybe put the money into modding the hell out of my 60's with wood cups and a silver cable before i try the others). Since this is the sound for me. And maybe start getting into amps...