[rebe]

I've recently started working in a cubicle, and can't stand to have canalphones in for that long, so I need to get some new headphones. It's not that noisy a place, so I don't care about isolation, but I don't want to annoy everyone else with my music. I don't listen to it very loudly, but my space is only divided on 3 sides with a partition about 4 1/2 feet high, and it's open to another person's space.I assume this means I need a closed type headphone. I listen to alternative rock, world music, news, etc., and plug my headphones into a MacBook Pro.

I'm willing to spend up to about $100 IF that gets me something comfortable, that won't put pressure on my head and make my ears sweat. Price is somewhat flexible, but not over $150 or so.

I was set on the Sennheiser HD-555, but then I learned about its open design. The HD-280 would seem to be the obvious pick, but I've read mixed reviews of the comfort level with these.

Any suggestions will be appreciated!

 

[Tacoboy]

Audio Technica ATH-A500s or A700s
JVC HA-RX700s or RX900s
Denon 1001S (Silver)

The Audio Technica & JVCs are very comfortable, but they are big headphones.

 

[jonathanjong]

I use my D1001s at work. Excellent.

 

[ph0rk]

Many/most closed headphones will be uncomfortable over time - I haven't tried anything sub $100 that would pass the comfort test (for me).

But then I generate heat like a fire.

 

[jernmo]

I use AKG K81DJ's and they are great for the office. Good sound, well sealed and isolating, and they're not huge. Biggest problem for most people is comfort.

 

[cetoole]

Vented orthos. Currently using recabled Yamaha HP-50A (recabled from mono), with some heavy felt damping, and they are quite good for my in the shared office. My Fostex T20 worked great there too, and both were much better, IMO, than the AKG K271 I had been using. Comfort could be an issue for some, as almost all orthos are supraaural. Due to the nature of my work (tech support) and my limited hours (student work), I havnt had any real listening marathons there, and havnt had any real problems. They are closed enough that I dont bother any of my co-workers, but open enough that I can hear my boss and the phone. My boss uses HD555 in the same room, and IMO, these are way too open to be appropriate unless you have a private office.

 

[Miskari]

D1001s and the JVC RX700s have been receiving a lot of praise lately

 

[mookowz13]

K81sDjs aren't the most comfortable in the world but they do isolate very well for a cubicle environment. I found I got better comfort after stretching the band over a bookshelf speaker for a week or so and some people have glued neoprene to the headband to relieve the pressure on their skull.

 

[elrod-tom]

Another vote for AKG K-81DJ. I use mine daily, and three people in my office have purchased them as well. They do the job, and unless you wear glasses they're reasonably comfortable.

 

[rebe]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I've been reading more, and I think that in my office an open model would be OK--the leakage shouldn't annoy people much as long as leakage isn't a huge problem with that model.

The AKGs and Denon 1001s look promising, but I'm worried about the pressure on my ears. Mine are very sensitive, so I think I should go circumaural.

So, my revised preferences are:

Circumaural
Closed and vented or Open with lowish leakage
Velour over pleather if possible
Budget $50-150
They can look crazy as hell, I don't care

Absolute sound quality is less important that comfort to me, but I don't want anything that would emphasize treble too much.

Some of the models I'm considering include:

Audio Technica ATH-AD700 (velour, circumaural, open, but what about leakage?)

JVC HARX900 (pleather, circumaural, closed but vented, cheap!, but what is the consensus on these? they certainly have their fans, but overall?)

Denon AH-D1001S (do these really fit around the ears? they look too small...)

AKG K81DJ (again, are they really circumaural?)

Senn HD280 and HD555 (worried about leakage with the 555, very mixed reviews over the quality of the Senns)

Again, thanks for your help!