[hello im sean]

is there an advantage sq wise to open headphones?  are closed headhones more isolated like iem's? do open's have a bigger soundstage?  or are they just for sharing the music? thanks in advance

 

[SoSpecial]

Quote:

is there an advantage sq wise to open headphones?
 
Depends on your definition of advantage, to me no to most head-fiers yes. Doesn't mean they or I are right about YOU!
 
are closed headhones more isolated like iem's?
 
They can, not all of them do though and it varies from headphone to headphone.
 
do open's have a bigger soundstage?
 
Generally speaking yes, some open's like grado's have small soundstages( unless you're using bowls) Some Closed headphones have large soundstages such as Denons higher end headphones( IE D2000, D5000, and D7000)
 
or are they just for sharing the music?
You're kidding right?

 

 

[FlyingDolphin]

Quote:

or are they just for sharing the music?

I told my friend I was getting some open headphones and told them a little about the disadvantages.  I quized him and asked for the advantages and he said the same thing.   I had a good laugh.  I don't think it would provide optimal soundstage or detail, and if they were the purpose, why not just get speakers?

 

[jasonb]

open is the way to go in my opinion. open is the way speakers are meant to be. with sealed headphones you have the sound waves bouncing off of the inside of the enclosure and hitting the back of the driver. with an open headphone the front wave and back wave is separated and that's all. the back of the driver is open and there will be no sound waves bouncing back at the backside of the driver.
 
open headphones sound open, airy, and spacious, and usually will have a smoother frequency response. a good pair of open headphones won't sound like headphones at all. you'll obviously hear sound, but it won't sound like a speaker is an inch from your eardrums. hearing my first pair of open headphones was a total game changer for me. trying out a pair of 30 dollar Koss UR-40's led me to purchase my HD650's and my HeadRoom amp/DAC.
 
i guess i must say that i have never heard a set of high end closed headphones though. i would imagine a closed headphone with a big enough cup could sound close to the way an open headphone sounds. the D5000, and D7000 for example seems to have pretty big cups.

 

[estreeter]

Man, I am really bummed that the OP has seen fit to ignore the semi-open designs from Beyerdynamic. Major omission, friend, and one that will cost you dearly in your journey.

 

[jasonb]

very true, there are also semi-open designs. should be a fair compromise.
 
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Man, I am really bummed that the OP has seen fit to ignore the semi-open designs from Beyerdynamic. Major omission, friend, and one that will cost you dearly in your journey.

 

[miceblue]

Sorry to bring this thread up again, but if I'm a college student and I listen to my music on the bus/walking between classes/in the library, would a closed headphone be more ideal for me? I was hoping to find headphones with a decent soundstage so I've been recommended Ultrasone headphones at the moment.

 

[eucariote]

 
Quote:

Sorry to bring this thread up again, but if I'm a college student and I listen to my music on the bus/walking between classes/in the library, would a closed headphone be more ideal for me?

Yes 

  That was easy. 
 
Ok, long answer- with open headphones, the ambient noise will pour in almost as much as if you didn't have anything on your years.  So somewhere like the bus, your ears will hear about ~1/2 music and ~1/2 noise.  In terms of sound quality, that is atrocious and something that can be beat by 2$ ibuds in a quiet room, defeating any sound quality advantage that may be had by buying a good headphone.  Trying to drown out noise with volume could damage your hearing, which would limit the advantages of good audio gear for the rest of your life.
 
Only heard Ultrasone Edition 8, which are freaking amazing, but can't comment on any other models..

 

[charli3]

Ultrasone's soundstage its not the best IMO, but they are great on different aspects. 

 

[miceblue]

Quote:

 

Yes 

  That was easy. 
 
Ok, long answer- with open headphones, the ambient noise will pour in almost as much as if you didn't have anything on your years.  So somewhere like the bus, your ears will hear about ~1/2 music and ~1/2 noise.  In terms of sound quality, that is atrocious and something that can be beat by 2$ ibuds in a quiet room, defeating any sound quality advantage that may be had by buying a good headphone.  Trying to drown out noise with volume could damage your hearing, which would limit the advantages of good audio gear for the rest of your life.
 
Only heard Ultrasone Edition 8, which are freaking amazing, but can't comment on any other models..

Ah I see, thanks for the info about the noise/music ratio. I didn't think the open design would be that non-isolating.
 
 


Quote:

Ultrasone's soundstage its not the best IMO, but they are great on different aspects. 

I've read through threads about the Ultrasone's soundstage and it sounds like a mixed bag in terms of the S-Logic feature. In general though I've read the PRO series for Ultrasone headphones have more soundstage than the HFI series.
 
 

 

[charli3]

Quote:

I've read through threads about the Ultrasone's soundstage and it sounds like a mixed bag in terms of the S-Logic feature. In general though I've read the PRO series for Ultrasone headphones have more soundstage than the HFI series.

I know, Ultrasone Pro 900. 
Some guys here have done the Kees mod, and it does improve sound