Hi everyone, thanks for letting me in!
OK, so I'm after some recommendations for a new pair of closed back headphones, potentially IEMs. However, I have some really narrow, you might say niche, requirements and I will try to explain them all:
- Price can be up to £700 I think, but I'd prefer to keep it lower than £400
- These need to last for a decent amount of time, see my experience with Oppo PM-3 below for my reasons here
- They need to be quick to take on and off as I regularly use them in the office and at home where I need to often dip in an out of conversations, see my experience with Etymotics below
- They need to be super comfortable
- They need to isolate well
- They need to barely leak sound outside as a lot of time I'm using them for gaming while sat next to my wife
- Sound quality, obviously I want to be impressed but I listen to all kinds of EDM, mostly trance, and a lot of Classical and Jazz so something that doesn't fatigue me with really in your face highs and something that's smooth while still really resolving when it comes to detail would be ideal I think but I am happy to hear otherwise
- Soundstage is important, I know closed back is going to hinder this, but because I spend a good amount of time gaming it's really important to be able to get a hold on positional audio
- Finally, I wear glasses so the fit might be fiddly, I haven't been able to get on with DT770s that a lot of people use in the office, they feel so anaemic to me until I wear them without my glasses
To help you understand what I like here is my current equipment and thoughts about it:
- JDS Labs Atom Amp - this just works, I like how it doesn't colour my headphones and it's great for everything I throw at it
- Topping D30 DAC - can't really say anything about the quality here, other than it's not bad
- Oppo PM-3 - I really like these, they really meet a lot of the requirements above apart from durability. They're about 3.5/4 years old and the pleather is really coming off both the pads and the earcups. While I do like the sound they're not great, the soundstage is a little narrow and they don't particularly wow me when I listen to them
- Etymotic ER3XS - these are GREAT for commuting and when you need to block the world out, the sound quality is excellent and I really like them. They are however a little too analytical at times, and they're not the most relaxing listen, even though I find them super comfortable. The problem is taking them out, you have to do it s-l-o-w-l-y which is really annoying when you're in and out of conversations a lot
- HD25-II - so, I understand these aren't the most impressive headphones around but there is something about their presentation that really suits my love of EDM. They're also super durable, I don't think I could every break these under normal use. However, they're really uncomfortable with glasses on to the point that I cannot wear them for more than about 30mins.
- Orivetti OH500 - I bought these, used them for a few days and just could get into them. The IEM shape felt fiddly when it comes to putting them in and out frequently and quickly and I was SUPER underwhelmed with the quality of them considering the cost. I also hated how little they isolated the outside noise, the ER3XRs are much better for me!
So, finally, headphones I am considering:
- Shure 1540 - I have heard good things, comfortable, decent isolation and a relaxing sound that works across many genres. I don't know how much the leak sound, so that's tough to tell and I don't know how they work against my other requirements but they look promising.
- Sony MDR-Z72 - These have a reputation for being really well built, but they're hard to get hold of, right at the top of my budget and I have heard mixed reviews.
- Final Audio e5000 - I really like the look of these, they sound bass heavy which suits the music I like, and gaming. They also look like you can take them in and out really quickly. However, I hear they leak a lot, so I think it's a no?
So, I am looking for help to tell me what I am missing and what I should consider.
Apologies for the long initial post, thanks for reading it!
Long initial posts are appreciated! Welcome!
I was actually going to suggest checking out the Sony Z7M2s. I've been keeping an eye on them myself, but haven't pulled the trigger for the same reasons you've suggested. Regardless, while there are some mixed reviews in terms of sound quality, everybody agrees that the build quality and comfort is superb. Even then, I think the sound signature might be fairly inline with your taste.
Another option that is significantly cheaper is the Meze 99 Noirs. They retail for $200 on Drop and are Drop's version of the 99 Classics which retail for $300 normally. From what I've read, the 99 Noirs sound very close to the 99 Classics so its not really worth paying that extra $100. I do actually own the 99 Noirs and I like them a lot. They aren't build like a tank like the Sennheiser HD 25 II, but I think the build quality, in terms of durability, is good enough. Plus, (at least when you order through Drop) they come with a hard carrying case. They're very comfortable with the leather suspension head band and extra thick ear-pads. I only wish that they had slightly more clamping force to create a better seal, but that's a very minor gripe. Using the stock 3.5mm balanced cable (at least, I think its balanced, it has three little bands on the jack), the 99 Noirs have a lot of bass and warmth. I don't get the impression that it bleeds or covers the mids. Nor is it always present. I can listen to a folk-rock tracks and enjoy the warmth and detail. Then I can listen to rap and actually feel some thump from the low end. It's very track dependent. Now, giving them a little more power with a 2.5mm balanced cable (I bought through Amazon), the bass does tighten up quite a bit and the mids and highs become much more noticeable. So, when I want to listen to some rap, I use 3.5mm. When I want to listen to other stuff (mostly jazz and acoustic-based genres), I use the 2.5mm cable. I also wear glasses with fairly thick plastic stems. The earpads on the 99s are a bit stiff out of the box but after massaging them a little bit they've soften and create a better seal around my glasses. I find that wearing my glasses only minimally lowers the bass (its barely noticeable), but has a greater effect on the highs.
Basically, both of the above fit into the more relaxed sound signature category. That's why there's a lot of mixed reviews, because the more aggressive listeners don't like how laid back they are. If you're like me, you'll get a couple pairs to sort of cover your bases. I'll use my 99 Noirs for about 70% of my listening because I just like the chill vibes. When I want that more aggressive presentation (like for my classic rock tastes), I just pick up a different pair; usually the HE4XXs (which are open-back unfortunately).
Now, I have actually had great luck with chi-fi IEMs. So much in fact that I rarely desire to go with more popular name-brands (like Shure or FiiO). I recently bought the KZ ZS10 Pros for $60 on Amazon. I didn't do my research beforehand, otherwise I would have found that you can get them closer to $40 elsewhere. Anyways, they've got one dynamic driver and four balanced armatures in each side which creates great detail and imaging. Plus, you can very easily EQ for a more bass heavy experience. Again, I didn't do my research or else I would have found as well that they actually released a newer model called the KZ ZSX "Terminator". That one has one dynamic driver again, but five balanced armatures. For about the same price ($60), its supposed to have noticeably better sound quality. Another option are the Tin T2s which have dual dynamic drivers, also about $50. They've got great reviews online. Finally, a cool option is the Tin P1s which are planar magnetic IEMs, significantly more expensive ($170) but a lot of people have said listening with those is a pretty cool experience. Though, with your sound tastes, you may not like them - the detailed mids and highs might feel a bit bright or aggressive. Zeos at ZReviews has reviews for (I think) all the ones mentioned here.
I am much more of an over-ear headphone kind of guy. I have the Meze 99 Noirs, AKG K371s and K553s (I'll probably end up returning the K553s), HIFIMAN HE4XXs, Sennheiser HD6XXs. I use my FiiO M11 DAP for 80% of my listening. I know there's better things out there and having a dedicated amp stack would be ideal, but I just prefer being mildly portable. Like you, I either use my stuff at home or at work and I just don't like being tied down to an amp stack. As far as IEMs go, I've got the AKG N40s (mildly "modded"), and the KZ ZS10 Pros mentioned above, the KZ ZSXs are in the mail as we speak! I
definitely prefer over-ears, but I've been so impressed with KZ IEMs that I actually use them more than I thought I would. I plan on beefing up my IEM game just a tad and get the Tin T2s, maybe the P1s, and maybe the Moondrop Starfields. Anyways, all of that to say, I
prefer over-ears, but I use IEMs to fill in the gap so to speak. Its just very difficult to get the desired sound stage and imaging from closed-backs, especially for gaming and stuff (but I'm not a huge gamer). Its difficult for IEMs as well, but I've noticed that with those multiple drivers packed into each IEM, you do get slightly better depth and detail.
In short, if I could live vicariously through you, I'd get the Sony MDR-Z7M2s. They've got excellent build quality and comfort and I actually enjoy Sony's higher-end house signature. They're cheaper products aren't great, they've got too much bass boost. But, the Z7M2s (from what I've read) are warm and laid-back but are still detailed. Basically, they're for chill & fun listening, not for analytics. If you decide against those, look into the 99 Noirs. Some would disagree with me, but I like them and you'd save a lot of money. With that saved money, I'd consider getting some chi-fi IEMs, ideally the KZ ZSX. Plus, all of the mentioned products are easy-to-drive so you more than likely wouldn't have to upgrade your existing setup.
