[raffy]

Hi All,

I am looking to purchase my first closed can in the next month or so and I wanted to see what y'all can suggest. I am looking at closed cans because I will be using it for some travel and home use too. My budget is around $250-$350. Here is what I'm looking for: laid back sound (smoth treble, not harsh or edgy) and good isolation for my weekly plane rides. Thanks in advance!

 

[Tiemen]

AKG K 271S. The sound is smooth, and the isolation perfect.

 

[nolla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tiemen /img/forum/go_quote.gif AKG K 271S. The sound is smooth, and the isolation perfect.

I have to say that I haven't owned or even listened to these cans, only tried the K240 once, but aren't these pretty uncomfortable in longer sessions? I've understood that they aren't even meant to be worn for long periods at a time. Well, at least the auto-mute points that way.. Please do correct me if I'm wrong.

Personally I would have recommended something like the Beyer DT 770 or Ultrasone Proline 750. Haven't actually heard these either

just familiar with their reputation.

Just my 0.02€.

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nolla /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have to say that I haven't owned or even listened to these cans, only tried the K240 once, but aren't these pretty uncomfortable in longer sessions? I've understood that they aren't even meant to be worn for long periods at a time. Well, at least the auto-mute points that way.. Please do correct me if I'm wrong.

Depends on the size of your ears. If they are too big, like mine, than the K271 can be pretty uncomfortable. But others gives them high praises for their comfort.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nolla /img/forum/go_quote.gif Personally I would have recommended something like the Beyer DT 770/990 or Ultrasone Proline 750. Haven't actually heard these either just familiar with their reputation. Just my 0.02€.

I owned both the DT 990 and 770. The 990 doens't isolate. The DT 770 does a great job at isolation. But both aren't smooth.

 

[Rotti]

Pro 750 is a great headphone but the isolation is not the best..

 

[Tiemen]

There are at the moment a lot of threads about the Denons.
Maybe you can check them out?

 

[raffy]

Tiemen, I will check out the denon threads, thanks for letting me know.

Rotti, I was considering the ultrasone since they seem to be low-profile and portable which would be perfect for my needs. However, I heard they have mediocre isolation and can be a little edgy too.

 

[scompton]

I searched for 2 years for isolating full sized headphones for my mass transit commute and finally gave up. Your better off with IEMs. Here's a graph of headphones mentioned in this thread, plus the HD25 which according to reviews here isolate pretty well, compared to the Ety ER-6. It's no contest. Even my UM1 which doesn't go far in my ear, and is as comfortable as any headphone, isolates better than any full sized can.

As you can see, the Ety isolates at least 20dB more than the full sized cans. That translates to a much lower listening volume in a noisy environment like a plane.

 

[Rotti]

@raffy

what do you mean with edgy

?

i own the pro 750, and you will get a headphone which is not the most neutral and not the best isolation but you will enjoy the music every day if you like a powerful, pronounced lowbass and in my opinion the right dose of highs and mids ! for me its the perfect headphone, because the US are not so boring as some extreme neutral phones...furthermore you can increase the hole quality if you use a small amp seperatly for example corda 2move.
Additional, you have the opportunity to customize the sound if you use a mp3player with EQ.

 

[raffy]

Sorry Rotti, I was actually referring to something I read about the HFI-780 (not the PRO 750) as being a little intense treble-wise. Don't get me wrong, I REALLY like good treble, but once it crosses that line, I find it fatiguing. Maybe I'm wrong about US phones coz they seem to be nice and portable which is a big + for me.

 

[raffy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scompton /img/forum/go_quote.gif I searched for 2 years for isolating full sized headphones for my mass transit commute and finally gave up. Your better off with IEMs. Here's a graph of headphones mentioned in this thread, plus the HD25 which according to reviews here isolate pretty well, compared to the Ety ER-6. It's no contest. Even my UM1 which doesn't go far in my ear, and is as comfortable as any headphone, isolates better than any full sized can. As you can see, the Ety isolates at least 20dB more than the full sized cans. That translates to a much lower listening volume in a noisy environment like a plane.

thanks for the chart....I am getting my custom IEMs later this week but I want to get closed cans too for home and as an alternate to IEMs while travelling. However, come to think about it, IEMs are unbeatable on noisy environments like airplanes.

 

[penger]

How about ATH-900's? I have the Ti's and the iso is pretty good on those.

 

[eeerie1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by raffy /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks for the chart....I am getting my custom IEMs later this week but I want to get closed cans too for home and as an alternate to IEMs while travelling. However, come to think about it, IEMs are unbeatable on noisy environments like airplanes.

You may want to try a cheap pair of IEMs before you buy. I can't stand having them in my ears... too bad, because they seem like a great option.

Also, I don't know how safe I'd feel wearing them on a plane, due to the pressure build up... don't want to cause any damage! Anybody have any experience with this?

 

[MoNelly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by eeerie1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif You may want to try a cheap pair of IEMs before you buy. I can't stand having them in my ears... too bad, because they seem like a great option.

Good suggestion. I've never been able to get used to IEMs, either. I've used several flavors of Shures, and they sound pretty good--but they drive me nuts. I tried every type of sleeve available, and in the end I couldn't live with 'em.

 

[Philco]

The DT250 fits your description perfectly. It is really smooth.