[phil2yoo]

Hi guys, I'm looking to buy a portable headphone.
Currently I'm using the Sony retractable clip-ons for my iphone. They aren't keeping the outside noises out and the left one is crumpling up my ear a little bit. I do have a Beyerdynamic DT770, Sony MDR-v6, and two headphone amps, a fournier HTA-2 and a cMoy. However, while the DT770's are pretty good at blocking out noise, they're too bulky, as are the MDR's, with its coiled wire. I am a college student and I spend A LOT of time in the library, and it CAN get rather noisy in there, especially during testing times, when groups get together. SO. The MAIN things I am looking at are, in no particular order:

• Sound
• Noise cancellation/isolation (which is better? the beats seem to suck at this)
• Comfort

 
I am looking into buying one of the following:

• Beyerdynamic DT1350
• Sennheiser HD25 Adidas (cuz I'm a big fan of adidas)
• Bowers and Wilkins P5
• Any noise canceling headphones (looking specifically at the WeSC x RZA Chambers, coming out soon. But aren't all mainstream noise cancelers pretty much the same anyways?)

 
I listen to primarily hip hop, r&b, soul, and alternative, with a sprinkling of jazz and acoustic guitar. 
 
Which would be the best fit for my needs? I'm also going to buy the Fiio e5. While it's not great, I found that it's pretty darn similar to the cMoy and the cMoy is too darn bulky to carry around. Plus... when I'm listening to some nice good old Wu-Tang or Nas joints, the bass boost does wonders. So... what do you guys think?

 

[wilzc]

Have tried all of these.
 
Comfort  P5 > HD 25 1 II > DT1350 (but the 1350 headband can be bent)
I didn't like the shape of the pads on the DT1350 and how it made contact with my ears. The p5 by far is the most comfortable but even then, they're not thaaat comfy. They do get more comfy in time or with bending. HD25-I-IIs were the lightest of the 3 but they might hurt the ears because plastic doesnt bend as well. so if your head's not the right size things might be painful for awhile.
 
Isolation. All the same, the DT1350 maybe just ahead of the group. just. And the p5 coming in last place, but the three do well here.
 
Build quality and looks. P5 > DT1350 > Hd25 i-ii
P5 looks stunning by far, on or off the head, the DT1350 comes close with great build but the cups are rather thick and when worn, looks a little teletubby-ish. The hd25-i-ii might look better with adidas colours but these are plastic and pleather versus metal/chrome and quality leather on the other two.
 
Sound DT1350 > P5 = HD25-i-ii
DT1350 is quite frankly leaps and bounds ahead, they sound amazing!! well balanced too!!! The p5 takes awhile to enjoy but once you get used to their easygoing and seductive sound they'll shine. The HD25-i-ii's are so inoffensive and neutral that they don't excite me at all. They're GOOD! but meh.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[phil2yoo]

Quote:

Have tried all of these.
 
Comfort  P5 > HD 25 1 II > DT1350 (but the 1350 headband can be bent)
I didn't like the shape of the pads on the DT1350 and how it made contact with my ears. The p5 by far is the most comfortable but even then, they're not thaaat comfy. They do get more comfy in time or with bending. HD25-I-IIs were the lightest of the 3 but they might hurt the ears because plastic doesnt bend as well. so if your head's not the right size things might be painful for awhile.
 
Isolation. All the same, the DT1350 maybe just ahead of the group. just. And the p5 coming in last place, but the three do well here.
 

For the comfort issue, do you think that something like the Beats by Dre and Bose would be more comfortable?
Same thing for the isolation - Do you think that the DT1350's isolation is on par with the noise canceling larger circumaural headphones like the Bose?
 

 

[wilzc]

Bose's headphones for what they are, are extremely comfortable. But they break easy. The DT1350's isolation is better than the BOSE that I've tested in stores. You must know how NC works. In a busy street, restaurant or environment, the DT1350 will beat the noise cancelling easy. In a place where ambient noise is repetitive and constant, like trains and planes, the NC is great.
 
I find the solo's uncomfortable and the studios comfortable but i dont like the half-around ear design. The pro's are dreadfully painful. Overpriced stuff. 100 dollar sounding headphone drivers in 80dollar housing sold at 300...
 

 

[dlange]

Hey,
 
I'm facing the same decision whether to buy the HD-25, DT-1350 or P5. I'm only going to use them with my iPhone, not at home.
 
I mainly listen to rock, indie, alternative, acoustic music & some electro.
 
Which of the three above would you recommend for mobile use regarding sound quality?
Is the iPhone output even strong enough to drive the HD-25 or DT-1350? 
 
Unfortunately I do not have any possibility to try those before ordering them, but in the worst case I can return them within 14 days.
 
If any of you own Ultimate Ears SuperFi5-pro's I would be interested in a comparison with those as well. I really like the sound of my inears but would love to have onears with a similar sound.
 
Thanks for your help!
Daniel

 

[AykDaddy]

Hey guys,

I had the same quest just a couple of weeks ago. I was looking for a portable set of cans that I could wear out and about when I don't feel like using my Monster Cooper IEM. The requirements were very similar to the OP's requirements:

- good looks (don't want to look like a total goof wearing huge cans on the streets
- easy to drive (gotta sound good without an amp straight out an iPod/iPhone)
- comfort
- noise isolation
- of course, great sound quality


So, a couple of weeks later and hundreds of dollars lighter the B&W P5 came out on top easily. I want to state my reasons for this decision, of course your mileage might vary according to the priorities you set.

Besides the P5 I tried Bose qc15s, beats by dre studios, hd25 ii and beats by dre solo hd's. All of these cans I tested for more than 2 weeks at home and on the go, meaning I didn't just listened to them at an apple store.

Both beats by dre cans could not in any way satisfy me in the sound department. The solo hd's are extremely dark with obnoxious amounts of bloaty bass and a sharp decline in the highs. SQ- wise a joke, looks, comfort and noise isolation were ok maybe even good. The Studios have much better sq, yet still overemphasized bass and highs, they have a very U-shaped frequency response I assume. They are fun headphones but not anywhere near their asking price. Their noise cancellation sucks a**, seriously. No where near to Bose. Plus they create a huge amount of hiss/white noise that is more than noticeable.

The Bose QC15 are the most comfy set I have tried in a long time. Their NC is superb and probably the best available. Ad I don't expect the same audio quality from my portable headphones as I do from my home rig I rate the boses SQ as good. Their bass is strong, very mellow mids and decent highs with no harshness. Again, very U-shaped but less colored than the beats. Why I sold them: their sq was not on par with the senns or the B&W while costing just as much. Plus (and this for me is a biggie) they are very big. I don't like wearing huge cans in public and this set simply failed in the design department.

Now to the second best pair, the Hd25 ii. SQ-wise I would say these are the best out of all the mentioned sets. Very neutral presentation, the lows go really deep while not hitting as hard as the P5. Very crisp highs. Actually the highs are so good that it's fatiguing after a while. If you prefer bright cans this is the set you wanna pick. They are not as laid back as the P5. They have comparable isolation with the P5 while they are extremely flimsy and plasticy. No real leather used on these ----> main reason why I went with the gorgeous P5.

I repeat myself: the P5 just look so good, have good isolation, great build quality and a very seductive sound signature. Very laid back and fun. If you need maximum accuracy in your portable set go for the Senns, if you want great sound with GQ-like looks go for the P5. Both won't disappoint.

Hope this kinda helps. Wrote this with a huge hangover so if you find typos and grammar mistakes...you can keep them

 

[wilzc]

The P5 is still young. 2 more weeks and you'll be seduced right in.... completely..

 

[AykDaddy]

The P5 is still young. 2 more weeks and you'll be seduced right in.... completely..

I agree, after burn-in the P5 really shines, especially the Mids open up a lot and gain lots of clarity. Loving them...

 

[Audio WannaBe]

Have you guys considered the V-MODA Crossfade M-80/V-80? They look slick and sound pretty sweet from the reviews so far. Not to mention that they have military standard durability!!!

 

[AykDaddy]

I think V-Moda Cans incredibly ugly. Sorry no offense to you at all, its just my opinion.
 
I assume the OP wants some cans he can wear on the street without feeling like a Sovjet Tank Driver 

 
Just joking. But for me personally aesthetics were very important in my purchasing decision. For my home equipment that doesn't count but for mobile use the P5 are gorgeous and very stylish. The Adidas HD25s are very nice too...since I use an iPod Classic or an iPhone for mobile use the Control talk thingy gave the edge to the P5 over the HD25. YMMV
 
 
 
 

 

[Audio WannaBe]

Have you seen the V-MODA Crossfade M-80? They are different from the LP you know? The M-80 is 53% smaller than the LP, and that means they're SMALL. Not the same size as the gargantuan LP. How's that comparable to that of a soviet tank driver? Anyway, to each his own right? Can't help it if you feel that the M-80 look like soviet tank drivers' mufflers/helmets.

 

[dyl1dyl]

You should consider the audio technica esw9, esw 10s too.

 

[AykDaddy]

Quote:

Have you seen the V-MODA Crossfade M-80? They are different from the LP you know? The M-80 is 53% smaller than the LP, and that means they're SMALL. Not the same size as the gargantuan LP. How's that comparable to that of a soviet tank driver?

Anyway, to each his own right? Can't help it if you feel that the M-80 look like soviet tank drivers' mufflers/helmets.

Man sorry, I really didn't mean to be offensive or something. I guess its just not my style. I did hear good things about the V-Moda Crossfade. Just not my style 

 

 

[Audio WannaBe]

Hey man, don't have to be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. Because the LP was huge, and the M-80 is way smaller. I just thought maybe you were referring to the LP instead of the M-80 since you said they were like what soviet tank drivers would wear.

 

[AykDaddy]

Hey man, don't have to be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. Because the LP was huge, and the M-80 is way smaller. I just thought maybe you were referring to the LP instead of the M-80 since you said they were like what soviet tank drivers would wear.

Actually I did refer to the LPs the M-80 I haven't checked out yet...