[shl821022]

I am going to buy some new headphones soon.. I am considering

Grado SR40 SR60
Koss PortaPro
Sony V6


But how do each of these headphones do in "noise shielding"

if someone in the room is listening to loud music on their stereo how good will each of these head phones be able to block it out?

I heard the Grados were not that good at this.. but is it like they _completely_ let the noise through, or do they still block it somewhat..?

Also how good are the portapros at blocking noise? Are they better than the Grados?

Are there any good sounding, cheap, noise blocking headphones that you recommend? Preferably sub $80, even more prefereably sub $50

 

[shl821022]

*Also is the noise blocking between the Sony v6 and Grado headphones like total night and day or are the v6's just slightly better ? and where do the portapros lie in this spectrum. Any other good head phones that should be considered?

*Also how do the two grado headphones compare with each other in terms of noise blocking?

*Where are some good reliable online dealers that sell these head phones?

 

[Atomicarnage]

Grados, Noise blocking (attenuation)? Grados do not have noise attenuation. Period the entire Grado line lets every sound through almost as if it would sound without any headphones on at all. In contrast, my sennheiser HD-280's (arguably the best headphones for blocking out external sound) which claim to have -32db of noise attenuation will not block the sound coming from my roomates stereo, and with music playing they still won't block out all the sound. With any headphone you buy there is going to be soem amount of sound coming in, some more so than others.

May I ask what purpose you are using your new headphones for?

If you are considering using these headphones outside while walking, forget the grado sr-60s. The sr-40's are probably better at blocking noise than the 60's, but the same as the ksc-35's, yet neither blocks external noise very well. They also keep noise from leaking out fairly well too. The v6's are by far your best bet for blocking out, and keeping sound in. They isolate fairly well depending on the seal they form with your head (if you have big ears, they may not seal properly). So the question is, what do you need them for, and how loud are you willing to turn up your music to correct for the amount of attenuation?

 

[Gluegun]

Closed means noise attenuation.... open means none....

How much do you need? Enough for a bus, train, plane?

 

[shl821022]

Actually, come to think of it, the most important part is blocking the noise from the headphones to the outside world..

So when I say noise blocking there is more emphasis on noise going from inside to outside..

Will the Grados atleast get the job done in this respect?

It would be nice if the headphones were good at doing the opposite also. The possible noise source is a room mate watching tv and stuff at moderate levels.

I won't be moving around with the headphones.

Also how do the Koss portapros compare with the Grado sr60s in noise blocking both inside out and outside in?

 

[edog]

Open headphones, like the Grados, let sounds in and out. Similarly, the PortaPros are open, and they will not have any kind of isolation.

At your price range, your best bet are the Sony MDR-V6's. They are closed, and they provide pretty good isolation.

 

[hokiefritz]

What edog said. You will not get any noise blocking with Grado headphones or the PortaPros. Period. What you are looking for is what other have said, a closed headphone like the Sony V6 or other phone that has a completely sealed enclosure.

Or, if you need the absolute last word in isolation the only game in town as far as I'm concerned are the Etymotic earphones. These are like earplugs but have extremely high sound quality and isolate more than any other closed headphone. Do a search on this forum for "Etys" or "Etymotic" and you'll find a bunch of information about them, or visit http://www.headphone.com/layout.php?...&subTopicID=26 and check out the Etymotics. I have a pair and nothing else I've tried even comes close for blocking out external sounds. They sound great too! They'll blow your budget though [of course].

Cheers!

 

[shl821022]

Are the headphones that come with discmans and walkmans closed or open?

In your personal opinion which sounds better Sony v6 or Koss portapro?

 

[hokiefritz]

Are the headphones that come with discmans and walkmans closed or open?

I only have two portables - one came with cheapy open phones and the other one had so-so earbuds.

Remeber when we're talking about closed phones that means there is an sealed off enclosure for the drivers and the pads either go all the way around your ears or most of the way. I haven't seen many portables come with closed headphones, but a few do.

My opinion on the V6 vs PortaPro is they both sound fine, especially for sub $70 headphones. Pick the V6 if you want to block out some sound and want full size headphones that you can use portablly if you're so inclined, or pick the PortaPro if you're not concerned with external noise and want light, easily portable and open 'phones. If you have a Radio Shack nearby, I believe the Optimus 45 pro is just a rebranded Portapro and they sell for less than $20 (these don't block out external noise). You can try the V6 out a Fry's or Guitar Center probably.

 

[shl821022]

If the average cheap bundled head phone is open, and the Grados are all open, does that mean that the Grados are not much worse at noise attenuation than your average cheap headphones that come with discman / walkmans?