[jaycee1]

Quote:

 when doing some real listening, i can't imagine being under... say 60 or 70db. else the soundstage collapses and all music with a high range of dynamics would result in not hearing the most quiet sounds. (i love normalizers for movies but i can't resolve myself to massacre a fine piece of music with those tricks)
 
on the other hand when i listen to music at home while doing something else, i would go lower and lower in volume over time and end up, i guess, around 40db (that would be the fans of my computer level of sound). with such low volume, everything is a mess from soundstage to bass.  i gave up on soundstage as i'm not really listening, but i tend to go for bassy headphones on those occasions to keep the "feel of music". that way when the bass begins to fail, there is still enough to be neutral. given that those small bass left have the ****tiest damping you can dream of.
 
if you can't stand badly controlled bass, i guess something closer to a monitor would be best.
 
 
ps:got a hd650 (again) recently and i must agree with the others,  it is surprisingly nice for quiet listening. just don't expect to hear the hd650 at its best, but details are ok and the smooth signature goes well with the idea of relaxed low volume listening. 
 

 
I often listen at low volumes. My room is pretty quiet so there isn't a heck of a lot of ambient noise. 45 - 50 dBA is quite sufficient in such situations. I can go even lower, around 40 dBA. Below that, and music sounds more like a whisper and is not especially rewarding.

 

[headfry]

I would like to revive this thread, with several head-fier's dealing with tinnitus and hearing loss,
I would like to recommend listening at low to moderate volumes - loud is out for me.
 
Having said this, both the Grado SR325e, SR80e's are great at low volume - but the best headphones
I"ve ever used for low volume is undoubtedly the Grado GS1000i (the 1000e is very similar, as may be the original GS1000),
using proper dac/amplification in your system - I use the low priced and discontinued ALO Audio the Island -
 
and the enjoyment is sublime! I liken the experience to listening to a modern Quad electrostatic speaker system,
like I've heard demonstrated at TAVES audio show and elsewhere - the headphones disappear, leaving the original
performance with all of its detail, subtleties, etc.......the sound lacks Nothing except perhaps the very lowest octave - for me this is
WORLD Class and the BOG (Best of Grado)!
 
....again, I'd like to see more promoting of low volume listening, too many of us out there are doing our hearing a disservice.
 
 
- highest praise to the Grado GS1000i and low volume listening!

 

[milosingh]

IMO high treble and high treble/bass headphones should be good for low volume listening. I'd guess DT 880/990 may fit the bill. As would headphones from AKG.

HD 650 is okay for low volume listening but doesn't engage you until it is loud.

The best for low volume listening should be HD 800 IMO. But Grados should do a good job as well, but I'd guess the bass would take a hit as they are anyway bass light.

 

[headfry]

not my pair - the GS1000i sound fantastic in the bass,
wouldn't call them bass light 

 

[Bugler]

I have a Sennheiser HD650 open back and a Beyerdynamic DT770-PRO-250OHM closed back. Both are high impedance (300 ohm and 250 ohm respectively) used with a Schiit Valhalla tube headphone amp. They both sound quite nice at low listening levels though the HD650 in all aspects has superior sound quality.

 

[headfry]

a vote for Grado SR325e.....sounds really excellent at low volumes with my iPhone 6s+!
 
also, let me add the Grado SR80e....also superb.
 
 
the king though is the GS1000i - reference sound, musicality,
weight, detail, coherence, etc. even at very low volumes (through a suitable,
fairly low cost Dac or Dap)!

 

[GloriousLettuce]

I actually searched the post to share this.

Among my set of hd600, fidelio x2, takstars, hd598 and hp150 i found HD598 has awesome sound on low volume, the lower the more clarity and soundstage on my Fiio X5/E12 ans Focusrite interface.

Hope it helps some people searching.

 

[thewatcher101]

I found for low volume listening the most important thing is the amp. I get really rich full sound with tube amps and specifically OTL designs. I like my sound warm and I use the HD650 at night before going to bed and I use the LCD 2.1 in the morning or at work.

 

[Russian1]

  I found for low volume listening the most important thing is the amp. I get really rich full sound with tube amps and specifically OTL designs. I like my sound warm and I use the HD650 at night before going to bed and I use the LCD 2.1 in the morning or at work.

As a fresh owner I can confirm that LCD 2.1 are good for low listening. 
I haven't got the reason for that, but that's a fact... 

 

[TheEldestBoy]

Are the HD600s good for low volume listening too?

 

[TheEldestBoy]

Would you guys say that the HD650 is better than the HD600 at lower volumes?
 
From what I've seen on the forums, it looks like the HD650 actually needs to be listened to louder than the HD600 to reach the same level of "engagement" (in other words, the HD600 starts to become "engaging' to the listener at a lower volume than the HD650).  I guess this would make the HD600 a better headphone for low volume listening.
 
However, I've also read that the HD650 has a smoother, more laid-back treble than the HD600, which would make it a better listen for those of us who are sensitive to higher frequencies.
 
Any insight?

 

[Silvian]

Hi everyone,
I also looked for such a thing: speakers and headphones that sound good at low volume levels. In all honesty, I actually gave up looking a while ago since everything I listened to had to be pushed up so that I understood the bass line, the lyrics, and all the rest - I thought it is what it is.
I own the Grado325e (now significantly improved), Sony SA5000 (many compared them with HD800) and I listened quite extensively to a host of others, from Audio Technicas, to the Oppo range, Sennheisers, Beyerdynamics, B&W, etc, in all price ranges, and the best at low volumes, for me, and I fully realize that they will be dis-considered by many because of the name, are the Panasonic RP-HD10. That was an absolute revelation, especially at low levels. Of course, and I say this because lately I compiled a lot of info and I ran a lot of tests on EQ, so of course, adjust the sound to your hearing/taste.
Cheers

 

[Policar]

a vote for Grado SR325e.....sounds really excellent at low volumes with my iPhone 6s+!

also, let me add the Grado SR80e....also superb.


the king though is the GS1000i - reference sound, musicality,
weight, detail, coherence, etc. even at very low volumes (through a suitable,
fairly low cost Dac or Dap)!

Very interesting. Just read this article that argues that Grado's frequency response (and I would add notoriously horrendously-measuring fast attack envelope) is very conducive to low level listening:

https://www.headphone.com/blogs/new...-headphone-review-the-grado-gs1000-and-ps1000

There seems to be consensus on this!

I favor electrostatic headphones at very high volume levels and find most v-shaped dynamic headphones really recessed in the mids by comparison (yes, I listen loud). But it seems that Grado's approach (more aggressive, potentially more fatiguing, but super fast and frankly horribly measuring attack/sustain/decay/release envelope) favors great sound at quiet levels.

Fwiw, I remember liking the Grado I heard. They sound just fine. It was more "exciting" than better-measuring headphones in the price range.

But I think this is quite interesting that there's such a consensus that they do well at low listening levels. And also such a consensus that they measure as performing atrociously despite that fact.

This isn't criticism; they measure horribly by objective standards. But I guess you can think of it as "unsharp mask" sharpening in photography.... looks a bit tacky when you make a huge print and stare up close, but under normal circumstances it is consistently desirable.

 

[whirlwind]

Hard to beat a Grado for low volume listening.

 

[headfry]

Very interesting. Just read this article that argues that Grado's frequency response (and I would add notoriously horrendously-measuring fast attack envelope) is very conducive to low level listening:

https://www.headphone.com/blogs/new...-headphone-review-the-grado-gs1000-and-ps1000

There seems to be consensus on this!

I favor electrostatic headphones at very high volume levels and find most v-shaped dynamic headphones really recessed in the mids by comparison (yes, I listen loud). But it seems that Grado's approach (more aggressive, potentially more fatiguing, but super fast and frankly horribly measuring attack/sustain/decay/release envelope) favors great sound at quiet levels.

Fwiw, I remember liking the Grado I heard. They sound just fine. It was more "exciting" than better-measuring headphones in the price range.

But I think this is quite interesting that there's such a consensus that they do well at low listening levels. And also such a consensus that they measure as performing atrociously despite that fact.

This isn't criticism; they measure horribly by objective standards. But I guess you can think of it as "unsharp mask" sharpening in photography.... looks a bit tacky when you make a huge print and stare up close, but under normal circumstances it is consistently desirable.

=======================================


For me the GS1000i are summit-fi, they are that good.

I'm also of the opinion that Grado's are generally voiced for lower volume listening, which is why many complain
how bright and harsh they are - because they're listening at normal volumes for some phones but much too high for Grado's.

The closest analogy for how good they sound - like the Quad Reference Electrostatics speakers
which cost many thousands of dollars (£6,500). Of course driven by a suitable system.

For all of the mentioned Grado's I hear fantastic musicality.

Also, I'm not alone in my love for Grado's like the GS1000i, they are a cult favourite.