[pretzelb]

With my new entry level purchases (PA2V2 and Grado SR60) I'm having a lot of fun and decided to look into another purchase. I can justify a purchase by getting a closed set of cans for work and travel. But, along the way I did demo some Senn 555 and 600 and liked the sound and (after reading here) I was going to try and grab some Senn 580s before they run out. So, trying to stretch the budget I'm debating the following scenarios:

Senn 580 + Senn 280
I get two new toys to play with, but the closed 280s may not be all that great but functional. Advantage of the 280s is that I wouldn't worry about them as much at work as the others. But I'd be following Head-Fi tradition and getting more toys.

Beyer DT 250-250
I think my amp can help drive these and I'd get to try a new brand I've never tried before. I think the velvet would be more comfortable than the others.

AKG K 271 S
Another brand I've never tried but highly rated and it's closed.

Senn HD 25
I've tried Senn before so good chance they'd be good for me but I'd only get one toy but supposedly they're very portable.

My tastes in music are varied to all but heavy metal. I'm not a big base fan at all but I do listen to hip-hop and trance mixes from time to time. I prefer clean and neutral. I get a kick out of hearing details that I've not noticed before like when you can hear bow strings on violins with classical. I did enjoy the HD 600 that I heard in the store and kind of use that as my reference.

I'm kind of all over the map here but I've read quite a few posts and reviews and I think it's time to just hear some suggestions to push me over the edge.

 

[Asr]

Most of the cans on your list fall under being "transportable" but it seems like you'd want something smaller if you're going to use it for work and travel.

I'd suggest taking a look at the array of closed portables that Audio-Technica offers. Lots to check out, go to audiocubes.com to see what there is. The <$200 AT cans aren't very detailed, though they are relatively "clean" as you put it.

The K271S isn't "clean and neutral" nor is it very detailed, but it's fairly versatile regardless and is a nice can for pretty much most genres. But if you liked the HD600, you'll probably like this one too, it doesn't sound drastically different and shares a couple traits. There's a nice deal in the FS forum right now for one of these too.

 

[Malfunkt]

I've owned some of those cans on your list. I typed out a longer review but accidentally quit my browser.

Here's the short of it.

HD-280s on my head right now. 20 hours of break in... I'm not so certain about the claims that 300 hours wll lead to a better phone - if so then I'll be mighty happy.

Overall I prefer the sound quality more than the K271 I owned. I don't have the K271s in front of me to do an A/B but I did buy them because they had an excellent mid-range which was well-suited to vocals and classical. They are like Headphone.com says 'refined'. Despite this, I feel the HD-280 to be overall more balanced.

Tonight I listened to some quality works on the 280s through my RA-01. Rachmaninoff for classical and BT's 'This Binary Universe'. With Rachmaninoff, I would be far happier listening to this on some B&W Nautilus 802s - easy. But the detail and resolution is there to be heard on the 280s - it just sounds artificial because they are headphones, and they are not very exciting. I think the 271 may be less offensive here.

On BT's work that is a different story. He is a meticulous producer, perhaps one of the best in the electronic genre. His music is pretty good too. It's his engineering that makes him top IMO. I've listened to plenty of electronic and some hip-hop, drum'n'bass on the 280s and the 271. In short, the 271 has much less bass, though it may be a bit more detailed or seem that way. The 280 has fantastic low bass extension and for drum n bass or bass music it is the way to go - providing that its engineered well. I think the 280 can sound a bit bloaty on the bottom-end not because of the phone, but because of the many inexperienced engineers in the urban genres of electronic, hip-hop and trance.

That is why I used BT as a reference. I trust his ears and experience as well as the rig he engineers on. Listening to his new album on the 280s, I'd say its almost near perfect. Where I wouldn't crank the Rachmaninoff, I can now push the 280s with this artificial but perfectly dynamic music. For those not familiar with this work, I highly recommend it as a mixture of classical recording and some of the most state-of-the-art electronic (analog and digital) engineering.

In fact, it was only until writing this and listening now that I have an appreciation for what he is creating. I listened to this album on a fantastic audio rig, and will revisit. But right now, the 280 is forcing me to pay attention.

Other things to consider - the K271 is more comfortable. The HD280 puts some pressure on your noggin. So for extended listening the 271 may be better and it is also less fatiguing than the 280s. Oh, the 280s fold up easily into my old V6 bag, not so with the 271. They don't fold up at all. But they have that neat auto shut-off feature when you take them off your head, useful if you need to instantly break from music to answering a call or talk to someone. My old 271 are being enjoyed by a co-worker who has now found them indispensable for focus and isolation.


Oh yeah, the 555s are pretty good. Very comfy, easy on the ears, fairly neutral, more expansive than the 280s. I trust the 280s more for accuracy, which is what I need them for. But for the used price... HD555 is a good deal. 580s I've never heard, but would require an amp to be used (which you have). Another consideration is the HD595 which if you like the 555 it will put a bigger grin on your face - advantage here is that the 595 does not require a amp - so perhaps for work and travel providing you don't mind the sound leakage the 595 would be the ultimate choice here. Not only are they comfy, but they are not as large and ungainly as the 280 and 271.

Right now, I know I made the right choice on cans for my needs with the 280s. This review on the 280s may also inform:

http://www.proaudioreview.com/june02...er_HD280.shtml

ack.. I have to get to bed... but these phones are keeping me plugged in.

 

[commando]

For portable use i'd get in-ear headphones. I've tried all the closed headphones you list except the 25s, I kept my 280s, sold the 271s and 250s, got some A900s which I kept (too big to be used portably), and I use cheap Creative earbuds at work. There are reviews on my website, linked from my sig.

 

[Malfunkt]

<deleted>

 

[DrizzitT]

I just got the Senn HD 25 a few days ago and I can say, they are REALLY portable.

I thought they were going to be heavy, but they are really light, and fit quite well around my neck (and I have a pretty thick neck). I'm a college student, so traveling with headphones can be a hassle but I think I've found a new daily headphone.

I will say this though, the sound quality is better than my Koss KSC 75's, but mainly because of the closed aspect. The headphone IS bass heavy; I can't imagine what the AKG K81DJ's are like...

My main gripe right now is the clamping force. It can be alleviated a bit using the split headbands, but its still tight (hurts after 2+ hours of listening).

I haven't heard any of the other headphones (and probably not good enough of an audiophile to determine that much of a difference between them), but if you want closed, portable headphones, the HD25 is pretty dang good, though expensive (I hate IEMs...).

 

[Daroid]

Well, for what it's worth, i don't think you should consider the HD25-1, when you liked the airy tonalty of HD580/HD600 that much. It's the only really portable phone you listed, and it's most likely the best for this too. But it has an emphasis on bass.
For noisy environments this can be a good thing, because a neutral headphone wouldn't have any bass in a noisy environment, even if the isolation was extreme.
Then again, you do like the SR-60 it seems, so imagine the HD25-1 being more detailed, and a little more bass punch, mainly. Along with isolation of course.

I use my HD650 for a main headphone, but it doesn't mean that i don't switch around and use the HD25 at times. Especially the midrange is very clean and uncolored on the HD25 versus the syrupy, slower HD650. My best advice would be: try going to a head-fi meeting

 

[HFat]

The 25-1's bass, while exagerated in terms of quantity, actually sounds cleaner and less bloated than the 580's bass to me. But yeah, you'd sacrifice airyness and many other qualities of the 580 by going with the 25-1 (or any portable losed headphone I imagine).

I bought my HD25-1s for less than 100$ (shipping included) used so you could score a nice deal if you're patient. This would allow you to get a nice home headphone as well.

 

[nickchen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pretzelb /img/forum/go_quote.gif My tastes in music are varied to all but heavy metal. I'm not a big base fan at all but I do listen to hip-hop and trance mixes from time to time. I prefer clean and neutral. I get a kick out of hearing details that I've not noticed before like when you can hear bow strings on violins with classical. I did enjoy the HD 600 that I heard in the store and kind of use that as my reference.

That sounds a bit like the DT250 would match best.

 

[pretzelb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by commando /img/forum/go_quote.gif For portable use i'd get in-ear headphones.

I thought about IEMs, or upgrading from my Shure E2Cs, but something is holding me back. I'm not sure what, or if it's logical, but I've steered away from researching them for the most part.

In reality, this goes against my wishes to find something that I can use while traveling (aka something portable) as others have mentioned. I agree that my list isn't the ultimate in portable but again I'm leaning away from IEMs for some reason which would obviously win in the portability department.

Thanks for the feedback thus far. Good stuff.

 

[RJW1138]

I was looking for the best closed headphones under $300 that I could find, portability and comfort being trumped by sound quality.

I auditioned the DT250/250, HD 25-1, and K271S at home for several days (had to pay for all 3 up front!). I broke each one in for approximately 24 hours.

Neither of them was a flat out winner in all regards, as at this price point, they all had tradeoffs. However, the one with the flattest tonal balance was the DT250/250, and this is the one I ended up with. Its only deviation is a bit of extra energy in the lower treble. Cymbals and other fundamental content in the 5-10k region are a bit too spotlit. This reduced with break in, but still stands. They never sound bright or sharp though, so the deviation is not terribly poor. Aside from this one area, it's tonally excellent.

Its weaknesses are: average resolution, slow attack, mediocre isolation, a coily cable, and limited comfort (can't wear much longer than 2 hours).

The K271S had the poorest tonal balance, with quite good resolution, excellent attack, good isolation, and excellent comfort.

The HD 25-1 had great tonal balance from most frequencies, except for the mid and upper bass, which were much too prominent as well as boomy. Resolution was average, attack was very good, comfort was OK, isolation was good, but the cable was incredibly microphonic (it was actually freakily bad).

As you can see, neither one's perfect, but if you want great sound, aside from the less than stellar attack, the DT250/250 was the best sounding.

I'd love to hear your opinions should you be able to audition them. I'd like to compare notes.

Ry-Fi

 

[Lord Chaos]

I've had HD25s for a couple of months now. They sound better now than they did at the start, losing a kind of "plastic" sound in the upper midrange.

The bass is interesting. On a recording with normal bass, the headphones seem normal. I'm comparing them to my speakers and to other headphones. On a recording whose bass is someone accentuated, such as Loreena McKennitt's ... hmmm... drawing a blank on the name. Has "Mummer's Dance" on it ... the bass is overpowering. On speakers, and on E500s, the bass is strong. On the HD25s it's just too much. Almost every other recording is fine. So, tradeoffs. I like the headphones.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

I went through quite a few closed headphones, check my signature. And the only two that excel K271S in my setup are D2000 (actually to me K271S sounded like having slightly better details resolution, might be also because of more forward presentation) and W5000

. Nothing else.
That is just amazing how such sound quality can be get for such a ridiculous price.

 

[qazwsx]

280's have a response of a lowercase n. Lacks bass and highs but good mids. The Beyer 250's are all around decent. I thought the K240S sounded better than the K271S. Can't comment on HD25.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

And also read this
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=221069
I agree on everything said by saint.panda regarding K271S spare his perception of the bass as weak. It is plentiful, almost HD650 level when cans are properly amped, velour pads and recabling are helping a lot too.