[Al Paccioli]

HD25-1s, V6, HD280s, or some closed in-ear-phones, depending on budget.

 

[WiseOx]

Another vote of the ES7's....great sounding can I use at work, mates well with my total bithead.

 

[Akui]

I recently got the 25-1's during the Buy.com deal. I don't have anything near a full review of them for you (plus there are many others who have reviewed them). I will say that my biggest complaint about them is definitely the soundstage issue. I've replaced the cables with the stock 650 cable and I've run them out of my Heed Canamp. Running them from the amp had the most significant gain in soundstage, but I still find them lacking.

Keep in mind that I am comparing them to my 650's. Although the 650's don't have exceptional soundstage, they're still leaps and bounds better than the 25-1.

My impression of the 25-1 is this:

I think I would be hard pressed to find a better all around portable set of cans (IEMs withstanding). The reason is that they really do have some of the best isolation out there. They're also fairly light and don't need a whole lot of amplification (if any) for them to realize their potential. I mentioned that I tried them with my Heed and I did notice a difference, but I'm not sure the difference is worth the extra cost of the amp. The 25-1s are also built to last and aren't gaudy, so they don't stand out much when they're on your head.

I also found that the splitting headband is a welcome feature. With the bands split fairly wide they sit quite firmly on the head. I wouldn't be worried about taking a quick jog/run around the corner with them on my head.

As for SQ I'm definitely not blown away. If I were sitting in an office or at home I would never pick them up over the 650s. Again, the 650's are in a different class so that statement might be a moot point. Yet, even though they don't blow me away, when I'm on the go I'm not doing much critical listening. As such they suit my portable needs quite well.

 

[smarrad]

At this stage, I'm looking at either the HD-25-1's or the ATH-ESW9 - the new AT "woodie" portables. Just waiting to hear what everyone has to say about them. I was down to the HD-25-1's and the ES7's however I was concered about the ES7's SQ and figured they wouldnt be the best option (If only there was a portable version of the A900). According to others opinions (and some nice photos) ESW9's seem to be a nice step up in sound quality from the ES7's, like a deluxe version - although i'm not suggesting they are anything like the A900s. There is, of course, the issue of isolation. And it may just be the deciding factor.

 

[kpeezy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by smarrad /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've read a few posts that suggest that the HD-25-1's have no soundstage and tend to be quite analytical - which, as these seem like studio headphones, would make sense. Will this effect the general appreciation of the music? Don't get me wrong - I dont take listening to music lightly. I want some cans that will give me the best possible listening experience while I'm on the move. I assumed this would mean cans with a decent soundstage. Or am I looking too much into this?

Well, I haven't heard them, but I'll say this. There are definitely analytical headphones and headphones that are more musical. You'll never really know which you like until you try them out. You might like both for different reasons (like me).