[gameboy115]

Hey guys, I am a newbie for full size / portable headpone, I am pretty much IEM guys back then. Now I wanna to know more about full size headphone.

A fundamental question, what is main difference between open and closed headphone?

 

[nullstring]

Search button broken?
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/open-vs-closed-420809/

 

[RushNerd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nullstring /img/forum/go_quote.gif Search button broken? http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/open-vs-closed-420809/

No need to be mean, were all here to help.

As a rule of thumb, Closed style will be geared toward sound isolation (not letting noise bleed out the phones). And Open style is geared for an ideally more broad sound stage and for when sound isolation isn't key (there will be some bleeding with these kind.)

Also, generally the low-frequency spectrum seems to favor closed style can's more then open kind(resonance).

 

[Uncle Erik]

Closed headphones have a closed, or sealed, cup. Open headphones are open behind the driver.

Closed headphones will keep you from hearing outside sounds and also keep people around you from hearing your headphones - you'll see this referred to as "leaking."

It might sound like closed is best, but you have to remember that a driver produces sound from both sides, not just the one pointing at your ear. A sealed cup will have reflections, resonances and other shortcomings. Some closed headphones deal with those issues very well, but you're always going to have to compromise somewhere if you're going to be closed.

On the other hand, open headphones don't have these problems. Back waves just go out to the side - they don't reflect or cause problems. Because of that, you can get much better fidelity from an open headphone. At least I think so, but I'm sure someone will weigh in on the other side.

Hope that helps and welcome to Head-Fi!

 

[John Willett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gameboy115 /img/forum/go_quote.gif A fundamental question, what is main difference between open and closed headphone?

OPEN
Open headphones have the rear of the capsule open to the air (invented by Sennheiser in 1968 with the HD 414). This means that as much sound comes out of the back as goes into your ears.

Open headphones can give you an open and out of head soundstage.


CLOSED
Closed headphones have the rear of the capsule totally closed, like a miniature sealed loudspeaker. This design can give you good isolation from the environment; keeping your sound only for you and keeping outside noises out.

The design of the closed cup plays a very important part in the sound quality and this type can be more difficult to design than open headphones.

Closed headphones tend to give you a more "in head" soundstage.


IN USE
Open headphones are normally better for listening quietly at home -or - in professional circles, used with the DAW for music editing.

Closed headphones are normally better for use on the move where you want to keep the surrounding environment out. Also useful for people with a hearing difficulty so they can listen to the TV (for example) at a volume they like without disturbing others in the house - or - in professional circles, used in the studio while tracking to stop the cue track bleeding into the microphone and for location recording and ENG work.

I hope this helps.

 

[John Willett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RushNerd /img/forum/go_quote.gif Also, generally the low-frequency spectrum seems to favor closed style can's more then open kind (resonance).

Not necessarily true as some open cans go very low.

But if you want a real punchy bass, it does seem that this can be better with closed cans as it cas the sealed cup to push back on.

 

[John Willett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Closed headphones have a closed, or sealed, cup. Open headphones are open behind the driver. Closed headphones will keep you from hearing outside sounds and also keep people around you from hearing your headphones - you'll see this referred to as "leaking." It might sound like closed is best, but you have to remember that a driver produces sound from both sides, not just the one pointing at your ear. A sealed cup will have reflections, resonances and other shortcomings. Some closed headphones deal with those issues very well, but you're always going to have to compromise somewhere if you're going to be closed. On the other hand, open headphones don't have these problems. Back waves just go out to the side - they don't reflect or cause problems. Because of that, you can get much better fidelity from an open headphone. At least I think so, but I'm sure someone will weigh in on the other side.

Quite correct and very well put - and you *are* correct at the end about open hadphones.

 

[nc8000]

Also be aware the phones that appear to be closed might not actually be so and therefore still leak a fair bit. As an example take the Dennon D2000 (and probably also D5000 and D7000 but I have no experience with them).

 

[aristos_achaion]

There're also semi-closed headphones...Yamaha orthos leap to mind. Those are a bit less common, though.

 

[gameboy115]

Thanks for everyone. You give me a good lesson of introduction to headphone, especially John, uncle erik, and rushnerd. You guys are so thoughful. I prefer closed headphone even is far from perfect as I want to use it on the move.

I lay my eye on ultrastone hifi780 or pro 750 for now. Seems they are both bang for the buck

 

[901-Memphis]

My ATH-AD700s are open and my girlfriend can hear everything i hear sitting 5 feet away from me, so if the purpose of the headphones is to isolate sounds in any way then you will want a closed headphone.

 

[mbd2884]

Yeah some headphones are more open than others in terms of sound leakage and environment coming in.

Even though the HD650 back is completely open, the AD900 has much much more airy sound. And the AD900 leaks a ton more and can hear just about any external noise. I don't know why the HD650 sounds different and seems to isolate better, but it does.

Headphones like AD900 are just incredible for that air sound!

As John also said, don't let Open Air fool you. The HD650 has the best bass I've heard from any headphone so far, closed or open. While the AD900s female vocals are ethereal, just musical bliss. I don't like switching from AD900 to HD650 and back. I decide what I want to listen to and what headphone I want to listen to. Because listening to Beethoven on AD900s sound completely different from the HD650.

So good luck, you just have to hear for yourself. Don't let yourself be contained by the terms. Open Air does not mean the AD2000 will sound like the AD900.

Jaren - Let Me Breath for example sounds infinitely better on the AD900s IMO.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 sounds better on the HD650s though.

Also: Open Air headphones are good for conversations. I am probably the only person I know person to person that owns an Open Air. And when friends first heard me listening to music on them, they all were startled thinking music was too loud and I must be destroying my ears. Then they heard for themselves and realized Open Air, it's truly Open Air, sound goes in and out. And since listening to my AD900s about 3 years ago, well I don't listen to closed unless I absolutely have to!

The other part you will discover, COMFORT. The AD900s are more comfortable than any Closed Headphone I have tried yet. They are like wearing air. The HD650 had some clamp, but when it loosens up, also very comfortable. In general I think Open Air are more comfy and less sweaty ears, well I never have sweaty ears with either HD650 or AD900.

 

[901-Memphis]

The Open design of my ATH-AD700s is very comfortable. I haven't had any problems yet, except as mentioned with the massive amounts of sound leakage that others can hear around me.

 

[oqvist]

HD 650 has more filters which make it kind of semi closed in reality is probably one of the reasons?. Maybe why some removes it? And you get a good seal around your ears with it and it actually clamps on unlike the K701 for example. The closed A900 don´t isolate that well either due to bad seal mainly I suspect. HD 650 actually have some kick in the bass btw. Not sure it make my top three for bass overall in term of quality but it´s not due to lack of bass if anything

Uncle Erik sums it up well but remember it´s a generalisation. There is always exceptions. Take the fully closed Pro 900 is actually quite a bit airer then the HD 650. Especially if you apply cotton wool to it. I would say it´s as airy as the K701 while still having almost the same isolation as the DT 770 PRO. Probably a combination of the speed of them=shorter decays and the cotton wool and some felt getting rid of any ev resonances in the bass.

 

[901-Memphis]

Someone told me when i ordered my AD700s from Electronics Expo that i would receive the closed variants of these headphones, but i guess i was one of the only people to actually receive the open air AD700s. I thought that was cool, although if i was going to keep them, i think i would have preferred the closed design to be able to use them more late at night to keep everyone asleep.