Balanced or warm closed headphones at a reasonable price
Jan 28, 2020 at 7:53 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 26

MattiaC

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Hi everyone!
I'm not a headphones lover, since when going around I just use my IEMs, but lately I realied that after studying for a while they are a little annoying and at least for home use I've decided to buy a pair.
The main problem is that since i space from Rock to Metal to sometimes movies soundtracks and ambient music, alternating from singers and instrumetal stuff, I'd prefer something balanced or just a little warm-sounding. Well, Grados are there and perfect... If it weren't for the problem that they're open. It seems that most closed headphones are bass-oriented and for something a bit more mature there's some scarcity under the 200$ (or 150€) tire. I need my headphones to be closed, since rarely I'm in complete silence and I don't like the idea of bothering other people who are studying anyway.

After some researches I've found some good sub-150€ alternatives and I really can't figure out which would be better:
1) Marshall Major III / Marshall Mid (ANC, maybe)
2) Sennheiser HD569 PRO
3) Sennheiser momentum 2.0 over ear

1) It loooks like they're good for their price, cable-only major III are even just 60€. There aren't many reviews and I don't get if they're too recessed in Mids, which sounds weird for some rock oriented hp, but that's what I've read.
Also, afraid since they seem on a lower level compared to the other choices.
Mids are a little pricier (125/150€ depending on the model), but the active isolation, though not perfect as I've read, might be useful.
2) They're there. They're 150€. Reviews are good but nobody seems entirely convinced
3) I've found them on ebay, android version sold for new at just 150€. This Should seem the DEAL, according to what I've seen, but I'm afraid I won't be able to buy them since I need to wait sometimes to have the money anyway.


What would you do? Do you have any suggestion in the 50-150€ range? It's easy to get lost and I definitely am. Note that I would use them from my phone (S7 now, S10e from this black friday to black friday 2023) and laptop (acer swift 3). No amp.

Thank to everyone who managed to read everything
 
Jan 28, 2020 at 8:50 PM Post #2 of 26
Well just a bit confused as you think that Grados are a bit warm sounding I have heard quite a few Grados and not any of them I would call warm. The RS-1’s I have aren’t real bright or the GS-1000’s bit would not call them warm.
 
Jan 28, 2020 at 9:34 PM Post #3 of 26
Stretch your budget 50 bucks, and pick up the Audio Technica Ath-Msr7b. Might even be able to find it cheaper. The Drop Meze 99 Noir is a little warmer, but also a little more closed in. It won't be as good for media because of that, but it's far and wide the best 200 dollar closed back headphone on Earth for rock and metal.
 
Jan 29, 2020 at 5:28 AM Post #4 of 26
Well just a bit confused as you think that Grados are a bit warm sounding I have heard quite a few Grados and not any of them I would call warm. The RS-1’s I have aren’t real bright or the GS-1000’s bit would not call them warm.
They're described as balanced, which is better than bass-heavy or v-sounding for what I usually listen to. Grado SR-80e, for example. Even the title states "balanced or warm" :)

Stretch your budget 50 bucks, and pick up the Audio Technica Ath-Msr7b. Might even be able to find it cheaper. The Drop Meze 99 Noir is a little warmer, but also a little more closed in. It won't be as good for media because of that, but it's far and wide the best 200 dollar closed back headphone on Earth for rock and metal.
150€ is already stretched to the limit, sadly, if I wanted to raise it more I'd probably have to wait until late summer. Done some research and those Audio Technica are available for no less than 230€ here, the only meze I can find are Neo and Classic, for respectively 200€ and 300€

Seriously, italian market is pretty awful for audio products (noticed that looking for IEMs many years ago), and the above mentioned ones are basically one of the few sub-150€ I've found so far.
 
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Feb 3, 2020 at 9:38 AM Post #7 of 26
MDR Z7 used
Lol, nothing under 300€ around. As said, 150€ is quite a lot for me, I can't even spend more money to get an amp. it's quite improbable that these headphones will ever be around for that low. That's why I spent few weeks searching and came up with those that seemed reasonable, but nobody even cconfirmed what I understood about them from online opinions.
Also, I'm really trying to avoid used ones, since often you just get almost broken stuff which works for like a couple of months and I would definitely like to not trow away one year of savings that way. I've seen that happening, luckily not to me personally, not really nice.
 
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Feb 3, 2020 at 8:55 PM Post #8 of 26
They're described as balanced, which is better than bass-heavy or v-sounding for what I usually listen to. Grado SR-80e, for example. Even the title states "balanced or warm" :)

Even then, only in relative terms as Grado measurements aren't exactly balanced as they boost the upper bass but then roll off relatively early but at the top end they tend to also have spikes (though that one can be managed by wearing them forward of the ear canal, or if you have degenerative high frequency hearing loss).


150€ is already stretched to the limit, sadly, if I wanted to raise it more I'd probably have to wait until late summer. Done some research and those Audio Technica are available for no less than 230€ here, the only meze I can find are Neo and Classic, for respectively 200€ and 300€

Waiting isn't all that bad if you get something better considering you have something else to use in the meantime. Maybe just use EQ for now.


Seriously, italian market is pretty awful for audio products (noticed that looking for IEMs many years ago), and the above mentioned ones are basically one of the few sub-150€ I've found so far.

Only for personal audio. Speaker audio is totally different considering Unison Research and Sonus Faber.
 
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Feb 4, 2020 at 4:44 AM Post #9 of 26
Even then, only in relative terms as Grado measurements aren't exactly balanced as they boost the upper bass but then roll off relatively early but at the top end they tend to also have spikes (though that one can be managed by wearing them forward of the ear canal, or if you have degenerative high frequency hearing loss).
Uh, ok. I couldn't take them anyway because they're open. Thanks for the clarifying.

Waiting isn't all that bad if you get something better considering you have something else to use in the meantime. Maybe just use EQ for now.
Actually what I have now is a decent pair of IEMs (1 more dynamic driver, I would have bought the triple, if I had the budget, still not disappointed for everyday life). I realised that i feel a little tired after an afternoon spent studying with them on and a pair of headphones would make some difference. Since I'd use them in a semi-silence environment, focused more on my notes than on my ears, and since I still have some years of university waiting for me i was more oriented to the best i can get for 150 than to the best I can get long term waiting more.

Only for personal audio. Speaker audio is totally different considering Unison Research and Sonus Faber.
Wait, I was mainly talking about what one can get online, avaibility and prices.
 
Feb 4, 2020 at 4:51 AM Post #10 of 26
Uh, ok. I couldn't take them anyway because they're open. Thanks for the clarifying.

Some ironing out was needed for the terminologies used and what the headphones actually sound like.


Actually what I have now is a decent pair of IEMs (1 more dynamic driver, I would have bought the triple, if I had the budget, still not disappointed for everyday life). I realised that i feel a little tired after an afternoon spent studying with them on and a pair of headphones would make some difference. Since I'd use them in a semi-silence environment, focused more on my notes than on my ears, and since I still have some years of university waiting for me i was more oriented to the best i can get for 150 than to the best I can get long term waiting more.

If that's the case there might be a few alternatives, although I still lean towards waiting. I mean, maybe try new tips and really just rest your ears every 45mins by pulling them out. Unless I pass out wearing my IEMs like when I'm on a plane I really don't wear them non-stop for more than 1hr.


Wait, I was mainly talking about what one can get online, avaibility and prices.

There's Meier in Germany. They sell headphones on top of their amps, and they ship throughout the EU.

That said they concentrate at higher price tiers.
 
Feb 4, 2020 at 5:00 AM Post #11 of 26
If that's the case there might be a few alternatives, although I still lean towards waiting. I mean, maybe try new tips and really just rest your ears every 45mins by pulling them out. Unless I pass out wearing my IEMs like when I'm on a plane I really don't wear them non-stop for more than 1hr.
I'm the kind of person that could spend half day with their IEMs in, but the sound from some in-ears gets a bit weary after a while. I'll try resting more and wait next year if that makes that much difference, if that won't be enough I'll be back soon :wink:
 
Feb 4, 2020 at 3:34 PM Post #12 of 26
I've used the Edifier W855BT for the past 15 months, and they're great when you're on a budget. Not bass-heavy at all, with very clear mids. In that price range, I haven't been able to find anything that comes close to the sound quality of the Edifiers.
 
Feb 5, 2020 at 2:07 PM Post #14 of 26
Nothing at all? I can't stretch 80€ (90$) a budget which is already been stretched a little to reach 150€ (170$)...

Seriously everything I've found and listed sucks? :frowning2:
Yes, everything you listed sucks and are inferior to Meze Empyrean and Sennheiser HD820S!!!!!

No just kidding:stuck_out_tongue:

Marshall MID (ANC) it is if you want warm closed headphone. The Marshall Mid ANC comes with a very nice and cool case and the headphone looks nicer than the non-ANC. It's up to you which one to pick.
 
Feb 5, 2020 at 3:32 PM Post #15 of 26
Yes, everything you listed sucks and are inferior to Meze Empyrean and Sennheiser HD820S!!!!!

No just kidding:stuck_out_tongue:

Marshall MID (ANC) it is if you want warm closed headphone. The Marshall Mid ANC comes with a very nice and cool case and the headphone looks nicer than the non-ANC. It's up to you which one to pick.
Got it! Of course I'm still evaluating: it will take a while, if I know me...
 

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