New to Hi-fi headphones, need advice

[Spyre]

At the risk of flooding the forums with "help the newbie" requests, I was hoping to get some advice on a pair of headphones. I’ve finally gotten fed up with my stock discman headphones, and want to make the plunge into a nice set of audiophile headphones. The problem is that I don’t really know very much about headphones. I’ve lurked the forums for a while but I thought this would probably be the best way to get some suggestions.

I need them for my commute to and from work (train), as well as for the times in my office when I don’t want to be disturbed. I will be connecting them to either a discman or an ipod. I listen to a very large range of music. From modern rock, to electronic rock, to garage, motown, soul, funk, etc, etc.... I even listen to some jazz, blues and even classical. I like bass, but I would rather have a very well rounded headphone than something with deep bass. I can’t stand a muddy sound. I do not play my music very loudly. I generally like to be able to hear what is going on in my environment also. I need to be able to hear my phone, or a coworker who’s walked up behind me. I am also concerned with my hearing (I have mild tinnitus in one ear), so I will never really pump the volume up high.

The qualities I am looking for:

Sound: A clear crisp sound... with good lows for my funk and soul.
Low sound leakage: I can’t be disturb my co-workers with my music. I don’t play too loudly though.
Comfort: I’ll be wearing them a lot, so I want something that is comfortable. I find anything in-ear to be very uncomfortable, so I would rather have cans than earbuds.
Durable: I can’t have anything too fragile, they’ll be stuffed into a bag every once in a while.
Price: $150 is my ceiling... but nobody’s rich so lower is better right?

From my modest amount of knowledge I was thinking of the Grado SR line. But I am probably overlooking the vast majority of cans that fit my purposes. What do people here suggest for me to look in to?

Thanks for any replies!

 

[riceboy]

Because of the sound leakage issue with the Grado's they won't be good in your situation. Actually I would cross out any open cans and just focus on closed cans. I would recommend the ATH-ES7 or Denon D1000 (though I haven't heard them), but I did own the D2000 and had the D5000 for a while. The ATH-ES7 doesn't have good seal so you can hear the sounds around you. Actually I really liked the Audio Technica ANC7 noise canceling cans. They are great for isolating the sound around and they have a pretty good sound stage and are great for the price. They are $119 on Amazon now with free shipping. Also, when you put them now they really seal the sound around you very good and don't leak sound as well. Good luck

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

Grados IMHO wouldn't fit your purposes for two reasons: they don't isolate very well, so while riding the train you'd need to pump up the volume to avoid hearing the noise and the people's chat, and also your co-workers would hear your music. The second reason is that they're not very comfortable to wear for several hours continously, but YMMV.

It's a pity you find IEM uncomfy, they'd be your best bet for isolation. Some can be quite comfortable using soft tips like the Complys. But soundwise you need to spend rather more than your budget to get the kind of sound quality you're looking for.

At 150, if you don't mind buying used, perhaps a pair of Sennheiser HD-25-II would fit all your needs, but for comfort, it's yourself who must decide on that.
Other interesting option could be Audio Technica ATH A900 used too.

Denon has released some new models. The AH-D501 look fine and might be what you're looking for, but I don't have the slightest clue about their sound. Maybe other members know more about them.

Good luck and welcome to Head-fi. Rgrds

 

[Tiemen]

I used the Beyerdynamic DT 231 a lot in my office.
They don't leak much if not played at a loud volume.
You can hear what's going around you. They are not too big. And they have a very good sound for the money.

 

[intoflatlines]

The desire to use them on the train kind of conflicts with your desire to hear your surroundings.. If a headphone allows you to hear what's going on around you it will leak sound, and depending on how loud you run them (especially in loud places like the train), they will leak and annoy the hell out of others around you.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I'd say look for a used DT880. It covers all your requirements except for price. You might be able to find a used one for $150, though.

 

[Spyre]

I see what you are saying about conflicting goals. If I can hear my surroundings, then they'll be able to hear my music right? If that's the case I would rather not leak I guess.

However, how does noise canceling work? From what I read you need to put a battery in the headphones? I would rather not have to charge my headphones along with my ipod and discman and phone every night.

Is there any closed headphone that will isolate sound very well but without noise canceling technology?

 

[zhenya]

How about a pair of Sony MDR-7506's? I just picked up a pair, as my Ety 4p's I often find provide too much isolation, and my Grado's and Senn's don't provide any isolation at all. They are comfortable, durable, don't leak sound, but don't provide the total isolation of an IEM. They sound pretty darn good, can be driven by portable sources, and are well within your budget.

 

[batmanwcm]

For portability on the train, get the ATH-ES7.

 

[intoflatlines]

I would stay away from noise canceling. Some of the closed headphones really do a pretty good job. Not as good as IEMs, of course, but they might be good enough for you.

 

[grndslm]

Sony MDR-V6 can be had on eBay for around $70. It's super durable, neutral sound... very clear & detailed, fairly punchy bass, seals, folds, etc...

 

[Spyre]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd say look for a used DT880. It covers all your requirements except for price. You might be able to find a used one for $150, though.

Uncle Erik, would an iPod be able to power these things? I can't really use a headphone amp on the train.

I just spent 30 minutes reading up on them and they seem dreamy