[widds2v]

Well by portable.... I'm being stationed on a ship in japan so I'm looking for a pair of headphones for while I'm there. They really don't have to be portable portable. The portable amp thing is because I'd rather be able to take it around with me versus having to plug it in, not neccesarly portable as in the pocket. I dunno, are there any amps that use wallwarts that offer battery use if needed? (good amps sub $400).

 

[lindrone]

SuperMono will do that when it gets released.. whenever the final version hits... another amp that comes to mind is PocketReference. I don't know of many other amps that has both battery & AC at the same time.

 

[3lusiv3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by widds2v Well by portable.... I'm being stationed on a ship in japan so I'm looking for a pair of headphones for while I'm there. They really don't have to be portable portable.

I wouldn't want to walk around with them on, if that is what you mean.

 

[MrMajestic]

I'm new here so I don't know what I'm talking about, but how about the beyer 250-80's?

 

[marmul]

MrMajestic, new or not you do know what you are talking about. I had a pair of 250-80's that I sold to a fellow headfier. The 250-80's are a great set of sealed phones. I upgraded my home phone therefore upgraded my work phone's which made the 250-80's expendable. The only problem is the 600's are too open, both for me and my fellow employees. I like the 250-80's a lot, the only drawback for me was how they fit (or didn't fit) my enormous melon. Not to mention I have no neck and the odd connector constantly rubbed my shoulder.

This is why the comfort part is so important.

 

[vasu]

How to the Senn HD25-1's compare in terms of isolation, leakage, and comfort? I know they rest on the ear instead of going around it, but are they good at all for leakage prevention?

A friend fo mine is going to get either the A500 or the HD25-1 and preventing her coworkers from hearing what she's hearing is very important.

So how do they stack up?

-vasu

 

[lindrone]

I had a chance to try out HD25 not too long ago...

They're surprising comfortable, despite the fact that they're circumaural and has a pretty tight grip on your head. They manage to stay on comfortably, providing very good isolation and still stay stable on your head during movements. So if you're looking for a portable, full-size headphone, it's hard to beat the physical design of the HD25 from that aspect.

Sound though.. is a different story. HD25 has one of the strongest bass I've heard from any headphone. Short of comparing it to DT770, since I never auditioned one of those, it has more bass than A900, CD3000, HFI-700, V6... It is indeed fun and enjoyable, but could be overpowering as well. It is beneficial in a commute environment, such as trains, buses, but definitely fatiguing for listening strictly at home/office.

There's something distinctively "missing" in its midrange, not that it's particularly recessed, but you just get a feeling that some notes aren't being resolved at all.. just "missing" entirely. In comparison with A900, it just doesn't feel quite as detailed.

The highs are a little weird as well, it's inconsistent from recording to recording. In some songs I tested, the treble seems to be light and missing, in others it is harsh and sibilant. Overall it is still acceptible, but definitely not up to par with the type of balance and consistency that a headphone of its price should be.

Lastly, soundstage on the HD25 is entirely stereo. There's basically no frontal imaging whatsoever. Sound is distinctively coming from right and left side, with a pretty clear gap of missing sound in front of your head. Another factor that could contribute to listening fatigue as well.

Basically, what it comes down to.. is that HD25 is an adequate trade-off in sound quality versus versatility if you want a closed, isolating headphone that's light and stays on your head with no fuss. Obviously A900 is not a good "portable" headphone, but HD25 is. However in sound quality comparison alone, I don't think HD25 has the type of balance and overall performance that should be apparent in a headphone of its price range. If what you need is portability and isolation though, it's hard to find a better ergonomic + sound combination than that of the HD25.

 

[steel102]

lindrone- go for it!

i (along w/ many other members, im sure), would LOVE to see a a500 - 700 - 900 review. from your previous review, it seems to me the killer for the a500 is the bad soundstaging. hopefully the a700 will be something in between.

 

[MichaelFranks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marmul Are the ATH 900's that much better than th ATH 500's? I would like to keep it around 100.00 or so.

IMO yes, the 500's have nothing on the top end. Coming from the Senn 600's I think you would be really disappointed with the 500's.