[Vosper]

I'm really keen to get some open cans for use at home and at work, probably an HD-580 or 595. I'm worried though that I might disturb my workmates, one of whom sits about 6-ft away from me. I don't listen to music very loud, currently I have PX-100's and I know he can't hear them.

How audible are your open cans to others when you're wearing them? Do they put as much sound out as they put into your ears?

 

[skudmunky]

Well, hd580 aren't to bad, my K240s are inaudable from outside, but Grados can be heard from miles away.

 

[jagorev]

HD 580 can be easily heard 6 ft. away. At loud volumes, they can be heard on the other side of a quiet house. K501 leaks quite a lot less than the Senns.

The PX-100 is exceptional in this respect - although an open headphones, it's typically inaudible even to someone standing right next to you.

 

[hawat]

At 2 meters from me i almost dont hear the hd650 anymore.Well off course it depends how loud you listen to them.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

K701...out the door, down the hall, and even to the downstairs couch

 

[P0iNT]

My MS-1's can be heard out to door around the corner and down the hall a bit. But I do listen to my music louder than normal people.

 

[F107plus5]

At my normal(generally quite low)listening volume, in a quiet room, you can almost make out the type of music that I'm listening to at about 1.5 ft.

At 6 ft: effectively zip.

Alessandro MS-1.

 

[luidge]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jagorev HD 580 can be easily heard 6 ft. away. At loud volumes, they can be heard on the other side of a quiet house. K501 leaks quite a lot less than the Senns. The PX-100 is exceptional in this respect - although an open headphones, it's typically inaudible even to someone standing right next to you.

That's not the impression i got when i got them.
My GF was always screaming at me that my music was to loud when she was like 4 foot away
...and i don't listen to my music loud at all...
Maybe that's just cause she think that it's realy loud since she can hear a bit...don't know

 

[facelvega]

open cans are just the wrong thing for public use, especially in an office setting. Sooner or later, you will bother somebody. A lot.

A rule of thumb: if there is enough ambient noise that someone isn't able to hear open headphones at six feet, then there is also enough to ruin the quality of the sound you're hearing. Nobody will hear open 'phones next to a highway, not even if they're wearing them.

Of course, different open 'phones leak different amounts of noise, like your little PX100's, say, so the distance can slide up or down a bit depending.

With all due respect to F107plus5, I once wore my Grados in a quiet office setting at a distance of roughly 18 FEET from the only other person there, and within ten minutes he was tapping on my shoulder with an angry look in his eye, begging me to turn my ******* music down. That was the last appearance my Grados ever made at the office.

So Vosper, I'll recommend that you take the time-honored head-fi route: you shouldn't have just one pair if you're going to use them in different places or for radically different kinds of music. That is, just keep the 580's at home, and you've got the PX100 to tide you over at work until you can get some nice sealed cans.

 

[lmilhan]

...depends on how loud you have the volume.

 

[facelvega]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lmilhan ...depends on how loud you have the volume.

Yes, but even if you mostly listen at low levels, why pick a set of headphones for the office where you will never be able to turn up the music a bit?

 

[-Ruin-]

MY parents say they can hear my ATs AD700s in the otherroom when they are watching TV, and I dont even have them that loud.

 

[gigit]

In a quiet setting open headphones can be heard well from a good distance away, but i found in most public places (with some exceptions) the noise level from other people talking, walking around ect.. cancels out most open headphones being played at reasonable volumes... but if you have a pair of grados and bump them at full volume thats another story

 

[Cyrilix]

I wouldn't use open headphones in a cubicle setting. I find it to be rude/distracting to others, although I don't mind too much myself (I'm worried that other people will mind).

 

[nikongod]

if you dont listen too loud, nobody can hear you.

you may prefer the use of closed headphones so that you dont hear other people. my office mates always seem to synchronise their loud movements with the quiet parts of my music.

if you use your grados as "head mounted speakers" more than headphones, then everyone can hear them. some people just like to feel the music i guess