[HarpWithAFeelin]

Hello there!
 
I'm completely new to this site and to hifi headphones, so I'm here to introduce myself, and to try and get some help at picking the right headphones. Previously my earphones were the Jamz from monster. I know these are utter **** compared to the likes of Sennheiser, or any other good brand, so I'm looking for an upgrade. I'm looking for something really great sounding, but not too bulky. I thought the HD-25-1 II were a good pick, and listened to the HD598, which I thought sounded amazing. The hd598 do leak sound, and their pretty ugly in my opinion, so I won't be getting these. So if anyone could tell me if the HD-25-1 II are anywhere near as good, I'd greatly appreciate it. And if not so, which pair would you recommend me? I've got a budget of 200 euro's I should add.
 
Thanks alot guys
 
-Jari

 

[HideousPride]

Hi Harp,
 
Welcome to the forums. It would help if you had more information regarding what you were looking for out of a headphone. All you've mentioned so far is that you hope the headphones aren't too bulky, which doesn't narrow it down too much. Open or closed? On ear/over ear? Do you need them to be portable? What genres of music do you listen to? Etc.
 
The HD 25-1 IIs may be "good" headphones, but good to your tastes may be a different story. 

 

[HarpWithAFeelin]

Thanks for your reply!
 
Alright I'd rather have closed, for minimal sound leakage, and also blocking out most of the sounds outside. I will largely use them on the go with my phone, so portable, yes. Though I will use them at home aswell so if it isn't too bulky that'll be good too. But they shouldn't have a coiled cable or anything like that, might get in the way while using them walking around and whatnot. music I listen to are these genres: Minimal, Techno, House, Dance, Trance, Rock, Blues, most types of Metal. 
 
So I hope that sums it up, again thanks for your help
 
-Jari

 

[HideousPride]

Quote:

Thanks for your reply!
 
Alright I'd rather have closed, for minimal sound leakage, and also blocking out most of the sounds outside. I will largely use them on the go with my phone, so portable, yes. Though I will use them at home aswell so if it isn't too bulky that'll be good too. But they shouldn't have a coiled cable or anything like that, might get in the way while using them walking around and whatnot. music I listen to are these genres: Minimal, Techno, House, Dance, Trance, Rock, Blues, most types of Metal. 
 
So I hope that sums it up, again thanks for your help
 
-Jari

For closed, portable headphones that fit my tastes:
V-Moda M-80
Phillips Uptown
ATH ESW9
 
I also am a fan of the B&W P5, but it seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it headphone.
 
Have not tried the Sennheiser line, which along with the HD 25 included the Amperior and Momentum, but have heard good things.
 
Just some to consider. Would recommend doing your own research and reading up before you make a decision.

 

[Peculier]

Hi, since you're looking for portable headphones, I think this topic would be better suited to that section of the forums, as this section is generally for full-size headphones that are used at home.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/433318/shootout-104-portable-headphones-reviewed-klipsch-image-one-added-10-02-12
 
Anyhow, this is a rather comprehensive list of portable, on-ear headphones that you can read. Take these reviews with a grain of salt, as your experience may not be identical to the reviewer's.
 
Off the top of my head, the 2 on-ear headphones that I recall liking were the Sennheiser HD25s and the Beyerdynamic DT1350s, though the latter of the two is a fair bit pricier. If for strictly portable use, you may also want to look at getting some IEMs, as they tend to be better at blocking outside noise and having very little sound leakage.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[HarpWithAFeelin]

Ah thanks alot for the input.
 
Well the reason why I posted in this forum is because I want to know what the big difference is between bigger headphones and smaller ones. 
I can understand that with bigger ones you have a richer, wider sound but does that mean that no on-ear phone can accomplish the same effect?
Ofcourse I should really just try out different headphones and see for myself but I don't know anyone who for instance own a hd25.
 
Thanks guys

 

[HarpWithAFeelin]

Oh and btw I'll check out those reviews too

 

[Freerider]

I've owned both the HD595 and the HD-25-1 II.  I preferred the 25s over the 595s for MOST things, though the 595s were more comfortable, with a much more spacious sound from the open design.  The soundstage on the 25s is definitely smaller, but the low end impact was much better, and overall I thought they were much more fun to listen to.  
 
YMMV

 

[Peculier]

Quote:

Ah thanks alot for the input.
 
Well the reason why I posted in this forum is because I want to know what the big difference is between bigger headphones and smaller ones. 
I can understand that with bigger ones you have a richer, wider sound but does that mean that no on-ear phone can accomplish the same effect?
Ofcourse I should really just try out different headphones and see for myself but I don't know anyone who for instance own a hd25.
 
Thanks guys

 


If you can, I would highly recommend finding an audio shop that sells headphones and earphones and lets you demo the products. Combine this with some reading, and you'll be able to identify certain parts of headphone sound that you like or dislike, and you'll be able to decide for yourself what headphones you want with more confidence in the future. To be honest, you can't really go wrong with the HD25s, but do look around a bit more and see if anything catches your eye.

 

[HideousPride]

Quote:

Ah thanks alot for the input.
 
Well the reason why I posted in this forum is because I want to know what the big difference is between bigger headphones and smaller ones. 
I can understand that with bigger ones you have a richer, wider sound but does that mean that no on-ear phone can accomplish the same effect?
Ofcourse I should really just try out different headphones and see for myself but I don't know anyone who for instance own a hd25.
 
Thanks guys

I dislike on-ear headphones more due to comfort issues than anything else. But my noggin is on the large side, so I'm probably part of the minority.
 
Over ear headphones don't always outperform on ear headphones. One of my first budget headphones was the on ear Audio-Technica ATH-FC700 - I still think very highly of them to this day. The next purchase I made, the ATH-M50, which was over ear and more expensive, was not nearly as satisfying to me in regards to what I paid and the experience I had expected.
 
I bought a pair of DIY on-ear Ortho headphones for ~$50, and they are absolutely crazy in terms of soundstage and clarity for its price tag.
 
It's very hard to generalize statements regarding different types of headphones because there will always be exceptions. 

 

[HarpWithAFeelin]

Alright thanks guys, for now I'll be going with the HD25s. I'll be looking around the side for some articles on the differences between headphones. If you guys could point me in the right diectian that'd be great, and thanks again for helping me!
 
-Jari

 

[MattTCG]

The hd25's are great!! Hopefully you'll find what you're looking for with them. If not another to consider would be the beyer dt770.
 
gL!!

 

[HarpWithAFeelin]

Thanks! Just one other question for you guys; what does an amp do (not sure if that's what it's called) and are their significant changes to the sound quality of the phones? 

 

[MattTCG]

Most of these are efficient hp's and won't need much of an amp to reach their potential. If you are considering an amp, particularly a portable, look at:
 
fiio e11
fii e17
 
gL!!

 

[punks15]

HD25 or M80 will be a good choice