[Zuerst]

What's some good portable headphones for around $300 (max) that does NOT leak much of sound (ie closed) and NOT huge (ie not A900 and such) and works well without amp and not earbud/clipons/canalphones?

Is there such a thing?

 

[kyrie]

DT250-250 probably has the best SQ for a low-profile closed circumaural headphone, and reputedly works decently even without an amp. DT250-80 is an ampless option, but its SQ is not as good as the -250, so YMMV...

 

[bangraman]

Bose Triport?


I've not owned one, and I've read enough on Head-Fi to say that the vast majority of negative comments about them come from members whose opinions I take with several pinches of salt. Assuming they don't sound like complete crap, they do seem to fit the modus operandi.

 

[terrymx]

my pioneer se-moniteor10r just 'ownz' for this catergory. it is slightly bigger than the sony v6, very comfortable, big soundstage, clear andc balanced sound, and the bass doesnt lose its impact from outside noises. the only problem is that i dont see how circumaural headphones are portable at all, and that it have a very long coiled cable, which get stuck to things easy if you dont hold it or tie it up. also if you can put up with the weak isolation, since its nowhere near as good as canalphones are.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

How about Sony V6/7506 with Beyer pads? The stock V6 pads aren't circumaural unless you're The Guy With Ears Like Little Raisins (spot that reference!), but I understand that the Beyer pads make them tolerably circumaural.

 

[slchang]

I think the Beyer DT250-80 is a very decent choice in this category. DT250-250 is also probably a good choice; sadly I haven't heard it but it has the same physical profile, and can allegedly be driven unamped if you aren't so picky. They're black and quite low-profile as full-sized circumaural cans go. The cable is single-sided, about 4 ft total, and coiled. I find the coiled part to be very convenient at my desk, since it has some "give" that prevents me from accidentally tugging gear off my desk if the cord gets caught somehow. However, it might be more of a pain walking around, since the coiling basically makes the cord bulkier.

Also, Beyers are relatively portable and low profile when they're on your head, but they don't fold up like some of the Sony and Senn closed headphones, or even fold flat like Grados.... so if when you say "portable" you mean "easily packed", V6 or HD280 are probably worth looking at.

Oh, also Ultrasone HFI-650 or 700 are probably also worth considering. They're reputed as more detailed (some might say bright?), are pretty low-profile, and foldable. There have been some concerns recently about the durability of the headband, though.

 

[commando]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slchang I think the Beyer DT250-80 is a very decent choice in this category. DT250-250 is also probably a good choice; sadly I haven't heard it but it has the same physical profile, and can allegedly be driven unamped if you aren't so picky.

It needs to be amped, IMHO. The 250-80 is better unamped.

 

[ReDVsion]

I think the Ultrasone HFI650/700 and the DT250_80 (and possibly the _250) are your best options here. DT250s are probably going to be more comfortable, although I'm sure you could modify the pads on the Ultrasones.

Which one you want will, of course, depend on your music preferences and your preferences towards sound presentation (ultrasones being quite forward & more grado-like).

BTW, where in Texas are you located? Too bad you sold the A900s, I would've been interested in listening to them if you were somewhat nearby...

 

[ReDVsion]

Another thing to take into consideration: the Ultrasone headband will probably begin cracking eventually, so you'll have to port over $30 to ultrasone for a new headband if it gets too bad. The beyers don't have this problem, AFAIK.

 

[bangraman]

What the? Double Post.

 

[bangraman]

My goals for a portable closed headphone were probably very similar to that of yours: Circumaural, highly portable, lightweight, easy to drive from the huge variety of portables I usally have.


The HFI-650 failed on two points: Portability (they're enormous even when folded), the fact that they didn't stay on my head / debatable comfort.
It succeeded on three points: Sound... punchy and lively, the ability to be used (to an OK level) with low-powered portables, and also decent isolation.


The DT250-80 failed on four points: Sound (indeterminate tonality, detail, staging and impact... bland is a reasonably accurate way to put it, yet it has a midrange hiding a surprisingly nasty bite), isolation (barely better than a PX200), portability (despite being quite low profile on the head, the fact that they feature fairly large earcups and don't fold means that they aren't the most stowable phones) and unamped use with some of the lower-powered portables.
It succeeded on one point: Comfort, although the cable kept jabbing me in the shoulder when I moved around.


The HD25-1 is despite the potential sweatiness of the supraaural fitting something to be considered IMO.
The HD25-1 failed on one point: Comfort (supraaural clamping feel means that you sweat a lot. In terms of actual pressure put on the head it's not as bad as I expected after a while).
It succeded on four points: Sound (Slightly claustrophobic souldstaging notwithstanding it's very entertainingly punchy and more importantly clear), portability (durable and compact), superior isolation and the ability to be used unamped from portables with even 0.5mw of output.


The SE-Monitor10R is something I haven't tried.

 

[terrymx]

the 10r is not highly portable at all and is not light weighted, but the weight is balances and it is extremely comfortable.

all requirements point to the eggo.

 

[plainsong]

Ok, so what about the good ole standby - the Sony d66sl Eggo

 

[Mike Scarpitti]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zuerst What's some good portable headphones for around $300 (max) that does NOT leak much of sound (ie closed) and NOT huge (ie not A900 and such) and works well without amp and not earbud/clipons/canalphones? Is there such a thing?

Sony MDR-D77 eggos. No longer made. Keep checking e-bay.


http://www.sony.jp/ProductsPark/Models/Old/MDR-D77_J_1/

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

I heard the Triports for the first time today, and while they couldn't stack up to the Ultrasones sound-wise, I could see them being a good buy for this intended purchase if you can get them for $50-80, anything more is too much. They are extremely light and comfy, moreso that the Ultrasones, but have hardly any isolation, and don't fold AFAIK. The bass is very punchy and fast, not nearly as bloated as the Sony Vx00 line, but doesn't have very good extension (of course the Ultrasone is king of that department), overall the Ultrasone has much more powerful bass without overwhelming the mids. The midrange of the Triport is decent tonally, but not that detailed and gets overshadowed by the bass a bit too much for my taste. Highs are pretty detailed, a little sharp but nothing too bad (like the V6), with average extension.

If you don't mind sacrificing a bit of sound quality from the $150-200 quality cans, and can get the Triport cheaply it is a good option for you, very comfy and portable. If you want the better SQ the Ultrasone (DVD edition for more bass, Trackmaster for more mids) is the most portable high-quality can I've used. I have not had it slip off my head the way it did for Bangraman, but I've got a small-average sized head, as opposed to his talking watermelon