[Jman999]

Has anyone who has glasses used these? Do they clamp too tightly? Also, my source is currently a Chaintech AV-710. How does the HD-25 sound directly out of the Chaintech? However, most of my music currently is low quality mp3s. Are the HD-25-1 at ALL forgiving? I'm going to start amassing a collection of higher quality music, but I won't get rid of my mp3s.
Also, is the lack of soundstage a problem with regard to movies? I don't really play any games.

Thanks,
-Jonathan.

 

[BluesDaddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jman999 Has anyone who has glasses used these? Do they clamp too tightly? Also, my source is currently a Chaintech AV-710. How does the HD-25 sound directly out of the Chaintech? However, most of my music currently is low quality mp3s. Are the HD-25-1 at ALL forgiving? I'm going to start amassing a collection of higher quality music, but I won't get rid of my mp3s. Also, is the lack of soundstage a problem with regard to movies? I don't really play any games. Thanks, -Jonathan.

I wear glasses and will say that at first the 25s pressed a little tight on one side. However, after a couple weeks this doesn't seem an issue.

They would NOT be what I would call "forgiving", which really, istm, would mean inaccurate. Why would you want headphones that make something sound different then what they really should sound? The 25s are accurate, they reveal what is recorded and, I would imagine, you'll hear the faults of low quality mp3s.

I cannot speak to how they'll sound with your particular soundcard as I do not own it.

As for soundstage, well I'm convinced if it's in the recording you'll hear it on these. If you're looking for phones that will present a soundstage not otherwise in the recording or exagerated from what is in the recording, these are not the phones for you.

 

[rnd]

I've been reading a lot about these and they sound just like what I've been looking for - for the past year and a half. That is a closed set of Grados. The only thing I don't hear mentioned is how "closed" do they sound. Of course I'm asking this without totally knowing what closed sounding mean's. To me it means a lack of "air" in the sound. Most noticable to me with acoustic guitars or violins for instance. Some closed headphones sound sort of like the sound is coming out of a can as well. To me the DT250-80's were like this (it's just my opinion is all). Can you or anyone else talk to the sound of the HD25's as far as a closed sound is concerned?

 

[saint.panda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jman999 Has anyone who has glasses used these? Do they clamp too tightly? Also, my source is currently a Chaintech AV-710. How does the HD-25 sound directly out of the Chaintech? However, most of my music currently is low quality mp3s. Are the HD-25-1 at ALL forgiving? I'm going to start amassing a collection of higher quality music, but I won't get rid of my mp3s. Also, is the lack of soundstage a problem with regard to movies? I don't really play any games. Thanks, -Jonathan.

Jonathan,
I found using headphone with glasses generally to be a bit troublesome and with that being said, the HD 25-1 is no exception. However, you might be able to put the glasses over the cups because these are rather small (take a look at some pics of the HD 25-1). Nevertheless, putting the glasses between your ears and the cups proved to be rather painful for me becaus of the rather strong clamping force, which you (almost) always get with closed headphones (except for the Sony cD3000 and AT A900 maybe).

The HD25 are not forgiving but they don't punish you either (the Beyer 880 were punishers, i.e. ff there was only a little bit of sibiliance on the recording, I would have definately heard it). I think the HD25 works just fine with mp3s.

However, I wouldn't really recommend the HD 25-1 for movies due to the lack of soundstage. Here I'll have to slightly disagree with BluesDaddy. I don't think that headphones which have a larger soundstage than the HD 25-1 produce this soundstage by exagerrating the record's originally intended soundstage. "Exagerrating" does not seem to be correct choice of words but I'll talk about that later.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rnd I've been reading a lot about these and they sound just like what I've been looking for - for the past year and a half. That is a closed set of Grados. The only thing I don't hear mentioned is how "closed" do they sound. Of course I'm asking this without totally knowing what closed sounding mean's. To me it means a lack of "air" in the sound. Most noticable to me with acoustic guitars or violins for instance. Some closed headphones sound sort of like the sound is coming out of a can as well. To me the DT250-80's were like this (it's just my opinion is all). Can you or anyone else talk to the sound of the HD25's as far as a closed sound is concerned?

The HD25-1 is the closest to a closed Grado you can get. Yet, I wouldn't recommend Grados for movie watching either due to the same reason.

Yes, the HD 25-1 sounds closed, but not the sort of closed you might associate the closed sound with. Listening to my old Sony CD750 it was as if there was always a wall to the music. A wall where the music just couldn't extend beyond any further. Further, there were always reverberation effects as you get with low quality closed headphones. With the HD 25-1 you won't have these reverb effects. About this wall (I just use the CD750 as an example for a bad closed headphone): imagine the soundstage of the CD750 to have radius of, let's say 10 SU (soundstage units

), and the soundstage of an open headphone (e.g. Senn HD650) to have 20 SU. On the CD750 you can clearly hear where the soundstage stops (SU=10). Even though the HD 25 might only 5 SU, these 5 SU rather represent the general impression of the soundstage, and not its distinct end (same thing with open headphones). It's as if the Hd25's soundstage is just a lot more compressed in comparison to the HD650, like putting a diminishing factor in front of the SU calculation. In this context, BluesDaddy is right about saying "As for soundstage, well I'm convinced if it's in the recording you'll hear it on these". Let me try to illustrate it in this way. Imagine the function "Perceived soundstage (y)" = "soundstage on the recording (x)" times "soundstage factor of the headphone (constant factor for each headphone)". The Hd650 might have a factor of 10 whereas the HD25 only has a factor of 2. The CD750 has a factor 5 but with a cutoff at 10 SU on the y-axis. (Note that 10, 5 or 2 are just random numbers that are to represent the reflective differences between the different soundstage sizes).
Quote:

Originally Posted by BluesDaddy If you're looking for phones that will present a soundstage not otherwise in the recording or exagerated from what is in the recording, these are not the phones for you.

The word "exagerrating" can only be used if the soundstage of the HD25-1 is used as reference point for all headphones and this is not the case.


Sorry, if I couldn't express myself more feasible but I just got up from bed....

The HD25 won't have the same level of air as open headphones. The HD 25-1's sound is one of a very intimate and immediate nature.

 

[rnd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda The HD25 won't have the same level of air as open headphones. The HD 25-1's sound is one of a very intimate and immediate nature.

Thanks saint.panda That intamacy is part of what I seem to like about the Grados so I'm a little less concerned about the soundstage as long as it's not just all muddled in the middle of my head. The airy sound I'm mentioning - and probably using the wrong term - is when you hear an acoustic instrument and it just sounds natural, organic and light. It's like you can hear the weight of the strings and the subtle tone of the wood vibrating. For me it's what makes it all more believable and makes it seem like I'm sitting next to the musician. Other closed phones I've listened to are very detailed, but there is just something missing that makes it sound more like a recording than the real thing. At first I think I really like the sound, but after a while realize I'm just not as involved. Sorry for being so vauge (sp?). I'm not really trained as an audiophile and don't quite know how to describe it. Also thanks for all your info and the review on the HD-25. I've found it very helpful. I just wish I'd been able to read it all before I bought 4 other closed cans!

 

[saint.panda]

What purpose will the headphones be serving? Do you need portability or isolation or no sound leakage, etc.?

 

[rnd]

Yes, most of the time I need the isolation. I do most of my listening at work (cube land) while I design or program. If it's quiet and someone is out I can put on the Grados, but most of the time I need both isolation and little sound leakage. Otherwise I'd just upgrade to the SR-225 and be happy as a clam. The problem with the SR-225 is that it should leak even more sound than my SR-80's so I'm not going that path for work. I don't really listen to headphones at home much.

 

[3lusiv3]

If you don't need the portablility of the HD 25 you may better off with circum-aural headphones because I find this type more comfy wearing glasses. Some like the Beyer DT660 or similar may be what you need.

 

[Jman999]

I'm also interested in the Beyer. DT 770 Pro/80 and the AT A500. Would those headphones be more comfortable because of their circumaural design? I definitely can't wear my glasses over the headphones.

 

[3lusiv3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jman999 I'm also interested in the Beyer. DT 770 Pro/80 and the AT A500. Would those headphones be more comfortable because of their circumaural design? I definitely can't wear my glasses over the headphones.

They are more comfortable to me because they don't press the ears onto the frames.

 

[BluesDaddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rnd Thanks saint.panda That intamacy is part of what I seem to like about the Grados so I'm a little less concerned about the soundstage as long as it's not just all muddled in the middle of my head. The airy sound I'm mentioning - and probably using the wrong term - is when you hear an acoustic instrument and it just sounds natural, organic and light. It's like you can hear the weight of the strings and the subtle tone of the wood vibrating. For me it's what makes it all more believable and makes it seem like I'm sitting next to the musician. Other closed phones I've listened to are very detailed, but there is just something missing that makes it sound more like a recording than the real thing. At first I think I really like the sound, but after a while realize I'm just not as involved. Sorry for being so vauge (sp?). I'm not really trained as an audiophile and don't quite know how to describe it. Also thanks for all your info and the review on the HD-25. I've found it very helpful. I just wish I'd been able to read it all before I bought 4 other closed cans!

I would say what you're looking for is certainly not "soundstage", which is the ability to place or locate specific instruments or sounds across the perceived "stage" of a performance.

ISTM what you're looking for is clarity, which the HD 25s have in abundance.

 

[BluesDaddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jman999 I'm also interested in the Beyer. DT 770 Pro/80 and the AT A500. Would those headphones be more comfortable because of their circumaural design? I definitely can't wear my glasses over the headphones.

I would think the circumaural design would be worse with glasses. Of course, I guess that depends on where yours fit on your temples and near the ears. The HD 25s actually don't bother me with my glasses at all anymore, most of the preasure being exerted directly on the outer ear rather than the area around the ear.

 

[Jonathan Griffin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BluesDaddy I would think the circumaural design would be worse with glasses.

Depends on the phones. At least with HD600s it's not a problem for me. The pads are soft enough not to press hard on the glasses. Grados I find less comfortable with glasses on.

Jonathan.