[Ari]

Hi all

I have another "sub-starter" question...

Why open or closed headphones?

OK, closed reduce noise. Open don't.

Is there any quality or safety issue here? What are the parameters for this decision?

Thanks

Ari

 

[penvzila]

Open headphones won't sound very good outside, and closed can be downright dangerous. I think (not 100%) that it is easier to get too loud with closed headphones. Also, certain sounds have more chance of damaging your ears in closed headphones, where open would just let them pass out the back.

 

[a1leyez0nm3]

open have the tendancy to sound horny almost in some cases, and have the tendancy to have less soundstage, but usually have better bass then open. open have more soundstage usually and sound less honky usually. but some closed have good soundstage and dont sound honky. I always go closed. having isolation is not dangerous in most cases, because if you are wise you dont turn it up so loud that you cant hear anything around you if you need to.

 

[kenchi1983]

My newly bought Grado's just went through some maybe 15-20 hours of break in, and the sound really change abit. the drivers seem to have tighter sound now.....and are abit louder.


i have a quest, is it true that high frenquency sounds damage your hearing more?

 

[a1leyez0nm3]

yes its true.... grados might be bad for your hearing...

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by a1leyez0nm3 open have the tendancy to sound horny almost in some cases, and have the tendancy to have less soundstage, but usually have better bass then open. open have more soundstage usually and sound less honky usually.

Shouldn't that read "closed have the tendency to sound..." ?

 

[Snufkin]

Hm.. yes, seems to be the wrong way around to me

 

[Ari]

Quote:

Originally posted by MacDEF Shouldn't that read "closed have the tendency to sound..." ?

__________________________

Look like it's reversed but we understood...:

To close or not to close? That's the question...

HELP US CARLO !!!!!!!!!!!! and a1leyez0nm3 !!!

 

[Snufkin]

There is no complicated answer to this.

Closed headphones offer better isolation, but usually a more "inside your head" sound.

Open headphones don't offer great isolation and have a more airy and spacious sound.

What would suit you better - airy and spacious with little isolation, or inside your head and isolated?

The next thing to do is go forth and listen, find out which suits you better.

 

[Magicthyse]

With the addition that some closed headphones can do a very good approximation of an 'open' sound.

Listen and see. Always ask whether the headphone has been broken in - avoid evaluating brand new headphones if possible.

 

[Hirsch]

Closed headphones do not necessarily reduce noise (the R10 does not provide particularly good isolation). A higher quality headphone, open or closed, will usually sound better at lower volumes, so in terms of safety, IMO quality and keeping your volume reasonable are far more important than type of headphone.

The parameter I use is sound quality. Listen and see what sounds good. The designer of a closed headphone has a harder job, as sound reflected from the chamber becomes part of the sound of the headphone. Get it wrong, and the headphone will have reverberations that color the sound. Still, there are some very good closed designs as well as open. I think the Sony CD3000 matches well with the ZOTL. Others here really dislike the CD3000, so it's something you'd have to decide for yourself.

For what it's worth, my favorite headphones are the Sony R10 (closed) and the Grado HP-1 (open).

 

[a1leyez0nm3]

Quote:

Originally posted by MacDEF Shouldn't that read "closed have the tendency to sound..." ?

woops... It was really late...


closed have a tendancy to sound...