[Hauser]

EDIT: In retrospect, I probably should have put this in the recommendations forum, but I'd originally intended the post to be about noise leakage and a comparison between the sound of IEMs and head phones, which I thought was appropriate here. If I could delete and move the thread, I would. Sorry
 
 
Hey all -
 
I'm a relative newbie who is looking for some headphones for office use. I need something with at least token noise isolation and that do not make much noise that others in my office can hear. For years, I've listened through Audeo's PFE-232s, and before that, the Etymotic ER-4P. I've been very happy with both. I love the Audeo's bass extension and amazing treble, though the distinct v-shape is a little distracting (so I EQ around it). The ER-4Ps are fantastic, but lack the bass extension and punch I prefer.
 
This may seem like a small thing, but I'm getting really tired of constantly taking out and putting in my IEMs. I get interrupted numerous times throughout the day and I find myself not listening for large stretches, mostly because of the hassle of dealing with inserting/removing IEMs. Therefore, I'm looking at headphones, which I'm assuming are much quicker to take off and put back on again. I want to listen to more music.
 
Comfort is a must. I also can't have a ton of sound leakage that would distract the people sitting 6 feet away from me. And also, unfortunately, there isn't a single store in Tulsa that sells anything except Beats, else I'd just go play with them all and make a decision. I'll have to buy online unless the Apple store has them.
 
I'd like to spend less than $1,000 total. I don't have an amplifier (I listen direct from an ASUS Xonar today), but am willing to get one to pair with the headphones. I don't have a preference for on ear or over the ear since I'm new to full size headphones, but given that I'd like for them to help isolate from my work environment, I'm assuming over the ear is a better plan (I do wear glasses full time, if that makes a difference).
 
If someone were to tell me that the Sennheiser HD650's wouldn't bother people sitting 6 feet from me, I'd probably just buy a pair of those along with a recommended amp and call it a day. But because of their open design, I'm guessing they'd bother people. Is this accurate?
 
I looked around the forums, but couldn't find where anyone had compared "IEM sound" to "full-size headphone sound." I don't know how much I need to spend to get something that is comparable to my IEMs.
 
Does anyone have any advice to get me going? I'm assuming the questions are:
 
- Do I need a closed design so as not to bother my neighbors, or are open designs quiet enough to be ok, too?
- Is $1,000 enough to get good quality sound in a headphone comparable to what I'm used to with an IEM?
- Which headphones might fit the bill?
 
On that last one, once I have basic guidance, I'm probably good reading reviews and making a decision. Meaning, once I know I need an over the ear, closed design (as an example - I don't know this is true), I'll pick a headphone/amp combo and give it a whirl. That said, if you have a particular set(s) of headphones that you think would be perfect for me, I'm all ears.
 
Thanks ahead of time!

 

[lethe27]

What you're looking for is Ultrasone Signature Pro or Ultrasone Edition 8. Both can be had for an amount significantly less than $1000 and provide close to zero sound leakage. Both the headphones are easy to drive (although scale very well with a DAC/Amp) and sound great even directly from your smartphone. 
 
I may be fanboying, but honestly, these headphones are perfect for office/home use. I personally have both of them with a TH900 for home use.

 

[Sefelt103]

Closed headphones are what you require although they lose a little sound quality compared to open headphones. However there are benefits over IEMs in terms of bass even though bass extension might be less the bass tends to feel more natural and deeper with full size headphones compared to IEMs. Beyerdynamics DT660 or Sony's MDR-V6 are both closed back types. Beyerynamics classic DT880 is semi-open so whether that would leak too much depends on your environment and how loud you listen.

 

[buke9]

I'm a big fan of my Mr. Speakers Alpha Dogs. They are great closed phones for $599. The Alpha Primes are even better but at $999. Both need an amp but it is worth it. I went to a meet last weekend and listen to a lot of cans and for closed backs the Alpha Primes sounded the best to me (granted heard thru very good amps and dac's) . I listened to my Alpha Dogs thru the same equipment and the Primes sounded measurable better and my Dogs sound really good. I would put the Primes up with the Audeze EL-8's I heard. I am by no means an expert just giving my impressions of the cans I listened to. I had to leave the meet before I could listen to the IEM's there so I can't comment on the sound difference between them . My Alpha Dogs sound very good thru my Fiio X1 with a Fiio E12 amp. I didn't hear anything that sounded like crap at the meet but I just think these sounded better. From what I have gleaned from my foray in this hobby for can spend oodles of cash. There are as many opinions as there are cans. If I had it to do over I would spend the money for the Primes (not that the Dogs are bad just the Primes sound better). For closed phones both are pretty damn good. As always you will be the judge. If you buy a pair of any cans you want to think there the best. For a Grand you can find many good choices (most i never listened to). I think a amp will benefit most cans. That is a whole other can of worms but if you are not listening to high res music then any portable amp should do. The Fiio E-12 does a good job for me.

 

[Hauser]

Thank you everyone for the replies. It sounds like I definitely need closed headphones, out of respect to my office mates.
 
I'll look into all your suggestions. Also, it turns out the local Apple store sells the B&W P7 and I found another seller who had some Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Around the Ear. I bought both and am now comparing them head to head (I'll return one or both, but they're a good introduction to closed cans).
 
Both are pretty impressive and do a lot of things very well. I prefer the more neutral sound of the M2s over the P7, and surprisingly given what I've read, I find the M2s to be more comfortable on my ears. Some of this is that I wear glasses and the P7s have quite a bit of clamping pressure. The M2s are more relaxed and their memory foam certainly helps.
 
Thanks.