[beachbum1212]

I know alot of you are prefectionists, so you tend to make things sound worse than they are to me. I know they're open headphones, but just how extreme is the leaking? At the moment, this is the only think keeping me from buying these headphones.
Thanks-James

 

[fenixdown110]

Let's just say someone sitting next to you would be sharing your music. If you're worried about sound leakage, you should look into closed phones. The AT M50's are good.

 

[Redo]

Here is a graph between four headphones for isolation (part of it gets cut off due to the graphic, but it is still telling).

It's between SR225's (nearly no isolation), HD595's (nearly as much leakage as SR225's), DT770's (standard "closed" headphone), and an IEM (almost perfect isolation)

Note the Grado's are considered the least isolating headphones out there. The mid-range to upper mid-range frequencies are the easiest to hear when leaking, so don't pay much attention to the deep bass leakage.

And for my personal opinion, nothing is quite as bad as Grado's when it comes to isolation, but the HD595's are still very audible to those around you. DT770's and IEM's are virtually non-existent to nearby ears.

 

[moogman]

My wife can hear mine 20 feet away in another room with a glass door in between. This at moderate listening levels. I now use IEMs when she's around.

 

[Raez]

I could easily listen to my music from the outside of my phones if I so chose to.

 

[Drubbing]

All open phones leak about the same. Headroom graphs mean nothing as far as leakage goes; isolation and leakage are not the same thing.

Some open phones can offer a bit more isolation from outside noise, due to their construction and padding - the amount they leak outside to others, being all open backed phones, is negligible.

 

[Gilly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moogman /img/forum/go_quote.gif My wife can hear mine 20 feet away in another room with a glass door in between. This at moderate listening levels. I now use IEMs when she's around.

I can second this. As a result, I want some great closed metal headphones (once Gamma1 and Gamma2 + undecided amp is built).

They are VERY leaky!

 

[Menisk]

They leak a reasonable amount, but if you're just planning on using them around home it's not too much of an issue. If you're able to go have a listen at a store just get the shop attendant to put them on so you get a decent idea about how much sound does leak.