Office, subway, school (HD-201? AKG-K24?)
Jul 6, 2007 at 5:27 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 30
raffir

raffir

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I've been looking for a nice pair of headphones using an iPod as a source.

What are they for? Subways, the office, and school, once I go back. I tend to like being able to hear what's going on, although I wouldn't mind some of the subway's dull roar being cut out. I don't want them to leak enough sound that they disturb people nearby when I'm studying. I just can't stand the thought of being one of *those* people...

Today I went down to Bay Bloor Radio in Toronto to have a look at the Wall'o'headphones.

Some notes:

SR-60s and SR-80s
The Grado SR-60s sounded pretty good, as did the SR-80s. I tried out a pair of SR-60s out a long time ago, and they were just great, much better than today's trial. I don't know what I'm missing. Interestingly, they didn't really seem to leak sound. They didn't cut any out, but still...

Sennheiser HD-202s and HD-457s
The HD-202s sounded nice, especially at the price point, but were like wearing a vise on my head. They didn't have a pair of HD-201s. I've heard they're more comfortable and sound better. Is that true?

The 457s were...not great. They sounded kinda muddy. Too bad, they're cheap and look cool.

The rest of the Sennheiser's weren't bad, but I'm not sure they were good enough to warrant wearing large cans all the time. I can wear these things for upwards of 10h/day...


AKG-414/K26 and K-24
The AKG-414s (apparently the new model number for the K-26s, or so I'm told) weren't bad. Great? I don't think so. They weren't particularly comfortable (the plastic clips), and, far more damning, the headphones didn't sit too well in my ears. Was I missing something?

These were *definitely* closed. They cut out quite a bit of noise: I couldn't really hear anything else going on. I'd consider them, but I didn't like that fit... The K-27s improved somewhat, but not too much. They also looked pretty closed.

The K-24s fit perfectly. They didn't leak sound, and I could hear what was going on around me. Unfortunately, they just didn't sound that great. In fact, they didn't really sound that much better than my $10 headphones. Too bad...if these sounded better, they'd be just perfect. I could see wearing these all day.

Overall, I'm not sure. I'd love to own a pair of Grados, but it looks like I'll have to get across the border to snag a pair. Meantime, I suppose it's worth getting another pair, preferably that meet the criteria above. I want a pair that doesn't leak, since, as much as I love my music, I don't really want to inflict it on hapless library-goers. I would have liked to try a pair of HD-201s.

The big cans were nice, but I liked the lightness of the small ones. I'm going to be wearing these things *all day.* A balance would be nice.


Thoughts?
 
Jul 6, 2007 at 8:11 AM Post #2 of 30
Go ahead and spend a bit more for the MDR-V6... it's worth all $75.

Great sound all the way across, comfy, portable/folds, durable, isolation/no sound leakage.
 
Jul 6, 2007 at 9:01 AM Post #3 of 30
Closed HD555s or HD595s? Not that hard to do...

also, a more difinative budget would be helpful.
 
Jul 6, 2007 at 9:06 AM Post #4 of 30
If you can stretch to the HD-280 Pro they're a very good all-purpose 'phone with great isolation. Comfortable and sounds good as well.
 
Jul 6, 2007 at 1:33 PM Post #5 of 30
I tried out a pair of V6's and didn't like the sound at all. Also, they were pretty heavy and uncomfortable.

I'm looking to spend under $70...the SR-60s are kind of my limit.
 
Jul 6, 2007 at 1:38 PM Post #6 of 30
Quote:

Originally Posted by raffir /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I tried out a pair of V6's and didn't like the sound at all. Also, they were pretty heavy and uncomfortable.

I'm looking to spend under $70...the SR-60s are kind of my limit.


Did you like HD555s?
 
Jul 6, 2007 at 1:49 PM Post #7 of 30
X2 on the Sony MDR-V6 and Senn HD-280 Pro suggestions. I think you'd be satisfied with either.

EDIT--
I guess the V6's didn't cut it...
 
Jul 6, 2007 at 2:47 PM Post #8 of 30
I seem to recall liking the HD-555s, but they seemed pretty expensive. Also, they were huge. I don't mind large headphones, but I *will* be wearing these for up to 10 hours a day, so I'd prefer something that's not too big.

That's a large part of why I liked the K-24s. They fit just perfectly, sat comfortably, and were quite light. That said, I don't know if the sound was significantly better than my $10 headphones...
 
Jul 6, 2007 at 3:12 PM Post #10 of 30
I can afford to go higher than the KSC75s, unless they really are that outstanding. I also wouldn't mind a closed pair; a pair that blocks out a *little* of the subway wouldn't be bad, although I do like to know what's going on the rest of the time. I also want to have a pair that won't leak sound. I'm thinking that I'd like a pair of Grados someday, so I figure I should have a pair that won't annoy people, either.

I have been looking at the PX-100s, too. I'm just not sure whether they'll fit in with the constraints about (hear they leak sound in and out. A little isn't bad, but see above paragraph).
 
Jul 6, 2007 at 4:06 PM Post #11 of 30
RP -15 is a good closed phone- but it will block outside noise. I also like the AKG K26P and that has some isolation. The K26P is the only phone in my collection that is somewhere in between the rest of my recommendations would either be open or closed specifically.
 
Jul 6, 2007 at 5:24 PM Post #14 of 30
Do the PX-100s isolate at all? More importantly, how bad is sound leakage?

I think I'd eventually like to buy a pair of Grados someday (probably when I'm in the US, since they're ridiculously expensive here and won't ship). As a result, I'm thinking I'd like to buy a cheaper pair for the rest of the time; I think I could stand to walk around with Grados, but I'm not sure that's always reasonable.

Some headphones I'm thinking about:

Koss KSC-75s: Do these cut out *any* sound? Do they leak? Do they really sound all that great? Can I get ones that don't clip onto my ears anywhere in Canada?

AKG-K24 - Does the sound maybe get better? I liked everything, I'm just not sure they were worth the price...

AKG-K26 - I found they didn't fit well on my ears. I have no problem with the Grado cups, for example, but found these to not fit too well. Could I replace them with pads or something? Would that result in blocking less noise? I don't want to block out too much noise, most of the time: more important to me is making sure I don't bother others.

AKG-K27 - These are pretty expensive for a backup pair, and pushing it IMO. They'd have to be outstanding, since they're already in Grado territory.

PMX-200s - Are they just the PX-200s by another name? I've heard bad things, but I can get them quite cheaply, I think, and they do fit the bill in terms of size and being just slightly closed off while not blocking out sound...

PX-100s - Haven't heard them, but heard *of* them. Is the sound leakage that bad? Has anyone tried them on the subway? I *do* like that I'd be able to hear what's going on around me, though.

Sennheiser HD-201s - The HD202s did sound nice, although I think they cut out just a little more noise than I'd like. They also fit like a vise grip on my head. How are the 201s?
 
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