[airrob]

Hello guys. I'm both a newbie to this site and a newbie to headphones. I'm currently looking into purchasing a nice set of headphones this winter, and I've found my way here for some help. Well, let's get on with it.

My price range is $0-$100. Basically, these headphones are going to need to perform two functions.

1. I will be using these at my computer. They will be plugged into a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz sound card. My computer is also in close proximity to others, and I don't want my sound leaking out to them. I think this means I need closed headphones, but if there is an open pair out there with not a lot of leakage, those are good too.

2. Portable use. I will be using these with my Panasonic CD Player, and hopefully an iPod soon. Therefore, they will need to be reasonably durable and portable. Folding would be rather nice.

I listen to all kinds of music, from rock to hip-hop to techno to classical.

I've done some research of my own, using audioreview, headphone.com, epinions, the boards here, and the reviews at amazon.com. I've come up with three different choices.

1. Sennheiser 497 - Great reviews all over, but open. Do they leak a lot of sound? Around $50 at Amazon.com and available for previewing at a nearby GoodGuys.
2. Sennheiser 212 - Basically, I included these because they are Sennheiser's, a company with a good reputation, top-of-the-line closed headphones, as far as I can tell. $45 at Amazon, and available for previewing at a nearby GoodGuys.
3. Sony MDR-V6 - A lot of good things said about these on this board. Good reviews. Closed - good. Only problem is that I can't seem to find where to buy them, or a local store to preview them at, which is important.

So my question is, what do you guys think of these headphones, and based on my needs, do you have any other recommendations? Please respond with any opinions or questions.

To sum up my needs - closed or open with minimal leakage, portable, up to $100, available for previewing at a local store and purchase at a REPUTABLE AND LARGE company

 

[Gergor]

Quote:

Originally posted by airrob 3. Sony MDR-V6 - A lot of good things said about these on this board. Good reviews. Closed - good. Only problem is that I can't seem to find where to buy them, or a local store to preview them at, which is important.

You did not put down your location, so I cannot help you with finding a local store with V6. However, you should have better luck with 7506, which apparently, is the same as V6. 7506 should be easily found in any guitar store.

 

[airrob]

Los Angeles.

And I assume those are the headphones you are recommending?

 

[wallijonn]

you could do a search for 'computer' and come up with a lot of threads.

how portable? bus/plane/train or biking/hiking/running?

you may want to look at the dt770 threads.

 

[LobsterSan]

Fry's Electronics (I think a west coast thing) has tons of MDR-v6's at 79.99. I was really, really tempted to pick a few up yesterday... but my wallet started whimpering at me and i can't stand it when it does that.

 

[elrod-tom]

GRADO R60's...excellent for portable use, and reasonably priced.

If not for the portable issue, the AKG K240M's...maybe the "S" version? But they are pretty big.

Good luck...

 

[Gergor]

Quote:

Originally posted by airrob Los Angeles. And I assume those are the headphones you are recommending?

Among the headphones you mentioned, I only have 7506 (V6), and it's indeed a very good headphone in its price range. However I agree with you that you should listen to them for yourself.

Some of the Fry's store carries V6 (not all of them as far as I know), so you can check them out there. However, I'm not sure if they let poeple listen to them. I don't remember seeing listening booth at Fry's....

Good luck.

 

[DarkWolf]

If you live in the city you should be able to locate a local dealer. Crack open the phone book, use an online phone directory, ask people... There must be something around.

To start answering questions, pretty much any open phone will be easily audible to people around you if you are in a quiet environment and listining at a reasomable level. I think the V6 would probably be a good choice for you. I've tried them my self and I think they sound good. No problem at all for portables. My only reservatins about them is that they have a pretty small "in your head" sound stage and they are a little stuffy since the pads don't really lift the drivers off your ears like other phones I've used. (sennheiser) But you may not mind at all, I don't hear many people complaining and the ones that do usually just get beyer pads for them. I haven't tried them with different pads. As for isolation they muffle utside sound a bit, but not so much as to make it particularly anti-social whent here is no music playing, and I belive others will not hear your music unless it's way too loud.
You may also look into the senn HD 280s. They are closed, and foldable. In many ways they were very similar to the V6. I would love to try them some time, but I haven't. I hear they are similar in sound the V6 too, perhaps a bit more refined, what ever that is meant to mean.. They isolate more sound too. I think you would have to take them off to talk to people comfortably. Particularly if you're prone to showting when you can't hear your self as well. (I hate it when people shout at me with heapdhones on...)

 

[Rizumu]

Quote:

Originally posted by elrod-tom GRADO R60's...excellent for portable use, and reasonably priced

The Grado line I've heard is not particularly suited for portable use, because it is a very open phone, meaning it leaks a lot of sound as well as letting it in, both things that airrob does not want.

 

[tktran]

The 497 and 212 are both silver.

Some like the look of em, but to me they look cheap and plasticky. (I wouldn't be caught dead walking around with big silver cups to my ears.)

Perhaps try the 202 (black); much more conspicious and not so large. Sound good too.

 

[wallijonn]

your search stops here: Koss Porta Pros

 

[JGene]

I've heard good things about the Koss Porta Pros, same with the Grado SR-60/80s. I went with the Sennheiser HD-280s, which I bought for $79 from Amazon. They provide some VERY good sound quality and clarity. I can't get over how much of a difference the headphones sound after about 40 hours of burn in...

Also might be a good idea to check for the Sennheiser coupon. They have a good rebate on their headphones--I think I found it somewhere in this forum in the last week.

 

[wallijonn]

airrob (you should reconsider your user name), if the can is for hiking/jogging/biking it should be an OPEN design so that you can hear horn blows, bells, shouts. if it's for the bus/plane/train, then it should be a CLOSED design so you don't upset your neighbours.

i wanted to kill a guy who was using open cans (on a train) and i was trying to get some shuteye. i couldn't move from my seat as it was SRO (standing room only). if looks could kill he'd have had a heart attack on the spot. i almost punched him out.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
listening to Garth Brooks, No Fences album. nice. real nice.

 

[kin3tix]

Quote:

Originally posted by elrod-tom If not for the portable issue, the AKG K240M's...maybe the "S" version? But they are pretty big.

the 240m version has an impendance of 600 ohms and is very hard to drive. the newer studio "s" version is much, much, much more efficient at 55 ohms. yes, they are also big. the sony pcdp that i use can drive them to loud volumes just fine. its rated at 15mW, but i belive any portable should drive them just fine. your only issue with portability is if you're willing to look like a dork with them on

.

 

[dscans]

Just bought the 497's today....and from a preliminary listening, they sound pretty darned good straight from a PCDP. Bass was pretty tight but the highs were a little muted compared to my Grado SR80. It also is a lot more comfortable to wear than the SR80

As for sound leakage, i can safely say the Grado leaks more sound than the Senn 497's at the same volume. Unless you're listening at an insanely loud volume, it really shouldn't be too much an issue.

All in all pretty good performance for the price!