[YGingras]

Greetings,

I work as a programmer in a noisy cube farm and I'm looking for a source of portable tranquillity. I own a pair of Sennheiser HD 435s and I really like them. I can wear then for hours without discomfort and their big red discs serve as a warning to my coworkers: if you kick me out of the zone for a stupid question, I will spank your sorry ass. However, there are times when it gets really noisy and it tires me too think while music is blasting at eleven.

I'm looking for a set of hearphones to complement my HD 435s, something that can filter out office noise, especially conversations. Ideally, the headphones would be comfortable enough to wear for several hours but I guess I can switch back to the HD 435s from time to time. From what I read, noise cancellation is great for jet engines but performs poorly with human voice. We have a lot of computer fans and other source of withe noise but what really ruins my concentration is the girls in accounting having a heated argument on whether PO 5446 was COD and wether the RA was in PY, whatever what that means.

My price range is 50 to 300 USD. What would you recommend?

 

[smallmouth]

I wear my DT770 at the office because they isolate so well. I upgraded the velour ear pads to leather, which helps even more. They're super-comfortable too. I'm really happy with them.

In fact, I brought my HD595 to work this last Friday. I had a hard time enjoying the music because of the ambient noise of all my coworkers.

 

[EugeneK]

try any of the iems. shures/Ultimate Ears. they act like little earplugs.

 

[nickchen]

As far as I am informed, it's only AKG K271, Beyer DT660 and Beyer DT770 which provide real good isolation. The DT770 is by far the most comfortable out of that bunch, however, you got to like strong bass and highs and slightly recessed mids.

Acoustically, I personally prefer the neutral but highly musical AKG by far, but they clamp hard and the stock pads are quite narrow for the ears.

If you don't need killer isolation (telephone ring and the boss should be heared), the Beyer DT250 has a very good reputation.

I wouldn't use active noise cancelling, your infos about that are correct.

 

[pataburd]

With the ER-4S you'll enjoy isolated serenity, but your cube mates--and possibly your boss (like mine did) will be waving their arms and jumping up and down to get your attention.

The UE Super.fi 5Pro worked well, too. They were easier to get in and out of the ear, isolated reasonably well (especially with the Flip Side mod) and were a funner listen [i.e. than the ER-4S]. I ran my UESf5Pro with the Meier Headfive and the synergy was remarkable. : )

 

[moonboy403]

I see iems fitting your needs. Generally, iem isolates much better than full sized headphones. Maybe something like the UM2 for extreme comfort?

 

[YGingras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonboy403 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I see iems fitting your needs. Generally, iem isolates much better than full sized headphones.

I read on this forum that the iems with the best isolation must be inserted quite far in the ear canal which might make it challenging to pull them out before the phone stops ringing (yet, we have ring leds). How is your experience with that regard?

 

[FallenAngel]

D2000 works great for me.

 

[moonboy403]

You shouldn't be concerned with the depth of insertion since it can be easily pull out anyhow. What I think would be a problem for you is the over the ear design of the UM2.

In that case, I think the RE2 would be a better choice. It doesn't insert very deeply and comfort is top notch with the bi flanges, but not as comfortable as the UM1/2.

 

[moonboy403]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FallenAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif D2000 works great for me.

The D2000 isn't isolating at all. It leaks noise in AND out.

Comfort is very good though.

 

[FallenAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonboy403 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The D2000 isn't isolating at all. It leaks noise in AND out. Comfort is very good though.

Uhm... complete difference of opinion here. I never noticed that, like at all except for really loud volumes.

 

[paul_lindemann]

The DT770!

 

[moonboy403]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FallenAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif Uhm... complete difference of opinion here. I never noticed that, like at all except for really loud volumes.

Hmm...this is interesting.

I say that it leaks noise in and out because:

1) My roommate keeps telling me how loud I listen to my music and that he can hear it. I'll always let him listen to my headphone with the same volume and he agrees that it's not loud at all.

2) I can clearly hear conversations between my friends when I'm listening to music with my d2000.

 

[Oya?]

Something to think about regarding IEMs; it's not so much that they're difficult to stick in and out, but if you're going to do that repeatedly when you need to pick up the phone, talk to co-workers etc. you're going to find your ears getting quite sore very quickly.

 

[moonboy403]

I think it depends on how soft the tips are.