[beers4years]

For the last 7 or so years I've used custom IEM by westone (es2) but want to find an over the ear headphone either passive or active that will isolate as good or better than the custom IEM.  is this a pipe dream?  
 
I bought sennheiser hd 25 II after reading feedback here and reviews and have to say i'm pretty disappointed.  Many reviewers gushed about how the world disappears once they are on with music but this is not my experience.  
 
they do block some sound but nothing like my custom IEM.  
 
i dont care how much they cost but it would be nice if they are not HUGE. 
 
i cringe thinking I may buy some bose qc15 today to try out...please help me find something else!

 

[Redrider469]

Sorry to say but nothing is going to isolate like than an IEM. Having something that fits into your ear canal is going to offer much more isolation than something that sits around or on your ear. I find that my HFi-780s block a good deal of outside noise but they do have a good amount of clamp force.

 

[beers4years]

That is the conclusion I am coming to as well.
 
I'm growing concerned about sticking something deep into my ears as I'm pretty confident this is not good for long term hearing and have gradually been developing a ringing in my ears that i notice in very quiet areas.
 
there about a million other things that could have led to this but the one thing I do know that changed was using a custom IEM.  due to the isolation i was able to play volumes extremely low, so I hope it's just wax buildup from the IEM pushing it down.

 

[Redrider469]

Quote:

That is the conclusion I am coming to as well.
 
I'm growing concerned about sticking something deep into my ears as I'm pretty confident this is not good for long term hearing and have gradually been developing a ringing in my ears that i notice in very quiet areas.
 
there about a million other things that could have led to this but the one thing I do know that changed was using a custom IEM.  due to the isolation i was able to play volumes extremely low, so I hope it's just wax buildup from the IEM pushing it down.

It could be wax build up. I have dry waxy ears and it can mess with my hearing on occasion If you are looking for an over the ear HP with good isolation, look into Ultrasone. Their isolation is very good and they do have a decentralized driver ("S-Logic Technology") which delivers the same perceived volume but at lower SPL so it's safer to listen to.

 

[kfarndog]

My suggestion would be the HD25-II, but you have tried them already.  I have a similar problem with IEMs causing temporary ringing in my ears - not because of excessive volume but simply the act of having something in my ears.  It ended up being a compromise of isolation v. sticking something in your ear for me.
 
You may like the Ultrasones, but they aren't going to isolate significantly more than the HD25s.  Best of luck.

 

[sofastreamer]

best isolator: dt1350

 

[beers4years]

So for now it seems there will have to be a compromise while I try cleaning the ol' ears.  
 
I like the size of the hd25 II, and they sound pretty good too.  Even great, maybe.  Better than my ES2, I think.
 
They isolate pretty good with music on in relatively buzzing environments but can not compete with the mighty NYC subway train noise.  For me only deep seated IEMs have been successful at that.  The etymotics were probably the best with my custom IEM a close 2nd.
 
I'm having troubles understanding why anyone would want active noise cancelling headphones after my little exploration on the web for a solution to my needs.
 
From what I read, they sound like crap (simplified) and are overpriced while not performing any better than an IEM or sealed can like the hd25.

 

[beers4years]

Quote:

best isolator: dt1350

those look a lot like the hd25 II I just received yesterday... 

 

[bbophead]

I think my DT660 isolates pretty well but they're kinda' big.

 

[SmOgER]

In this case, Bose is not a bad idea at all.. 
 
But first look at these: 
 ATH-ANC7B http://www.headphone.com/headphones/audio-technica-ath-anc7b.php

 

[beers4years]

Just a little update for those that care...
 
I bought Sennheiser Amperior after being fairly happy with the hd25 II.  They were $30 more than the hd25, but had a mic which I really wanted plus supposedly had slightly better sound.
 
They look a tiny bit nicer, but thats where the +'s end.  The sound was pretty much the same for my environment which is walking the streets of NYC and/or eating lunch in a pretty loud market or outdoors.
 
The ear pads with the amperior do not seal nearly as well, and my ears hurt terribly after about 30 minutes.  Oddly they seemed to have less clamping force.  The mic is like an anchor so it swings all over while walking and the clip to hold it to to clothing, etc is not the easiest to use so is not ideal for clipping/unclipping often.