[thesouthazn]

Hi,

Right now I'm on a pair of PX100's, but need to return them due to my need for a closed pair of cans.

So which headphone should I get of those three, if I care about comfort, sound quality, durability, and price all equally? Also would prefer a nice large soundstage for watching movies.

Here's what I can compare:

HD205: +Sound Quality, -Price, -comfort (bulkier than the other 2)
HD202: +Comfort (lightweight), +Price, so cheap that durability wouldn't matter
HTX7: +Comfort (lightweight), -Comfort (sweaty pads), +soundstage

I'm just going to be using these cans on my laptop to watch movies and listen to music, all unamped, and want to be able to have them on for extended periods of time comfortably, and am not looking for any headphones that cost more than the HD205, that's my limit. It would be nice if I could get my hands on a v6 though...

Thanks.

 

[Nocturnal310]

For Comfort i wont recommened HD205 but for Sound quality they are best among the other HD201, HD202 or HD212.



Although if u can replace their Earpads with those of HD415..they become highly comfortable but u lose some sound isolation.

 

[thesouthazn]

Yeah, that's what I thought when it came to the HD205, but how much do those earpads cost, and where can I get them? And how much isolation do I lose, is it a lot or just a bit -- e.g. could a roommate still hear my music when played at a normal volume, and could I still hear his obnoxious snoring at night?

Also, can anyone tell me if the Sennheiser pleather pads on the HD202 and HD205 get too warm and sweaty? It's a thing I just detest...

And what about the HD415 itself? It's in my price range, how does it compare to the HD205 and HD202?

and what about the Panasonic RP-HTX7?

Thanks, and sorry for the plethora of questions, I'm just very excited to finally get my first pair of full sized headphones, and I don't want it to be a disappointment

 

[chews89]

Out of all your headphones you stated, i only own the panny.

The rp-htx7s main advantage is its looks - very retro indeed. I've had a couple of people comment on them looking good so if your looking for a visual pleasing headphone, the rp-htx7 is definitely the way to go. Sound however ain't that great. It provides pretty decent isolation. It blocks out ambient noises and with music on, you can't really hear people talk at all. Ohyea, it doesn't leak at all.

Comfort levels are quite good providing they've been used for a while and the clamping force has decreased. But they are pleather, so maybe after a while, it'll tend to get a bit sweaty and hot. But hey, that tends to happen with all closed pleather headphones right?

I've compared them to my es7s and AD500s and the rp-htx7s are very shy in the mid to high range. Bass is definitely not lacking though, most of the time its too much, but EQing can somewhat solve this.
There is also a mod where you can place some foam in the earcups which is meant to help the SQ but i haven't tried this, go search it up if you want more info. But for the price of $50AUD that i payed for it, i reckon its pretty decent

Hope this helps, good luck

 

[thesouthazn]

Thanks, I really appreciate your insight, and I've read a lot about the HTX7, so I know about it but I just wanted more of a comparison between the HD202, 205, 415, and the HTX7 if anyone owns any 2 of the 4.

"it'll tend to get a bit sweaty and hot. But hey, that tends to happen with all closed pleather headphones right?" - really? because I'm checking amazon's reviews and every other review for the HTX7 says it gets hot and sweaty but very few from the Sennheiser reviews say that they get sweaty. I'm sure there are loads out there that use Sennheiser headphones - can anyone tell me if they get really hot and sweaty and uncomfortable after a few hours?

Also, I'm really considering the HD415 above my other choices at the moment, and all I need to know is how well it isolates. I've seen many recommend the HD415 pads so I'm sure there are many that know the answer to this question. I don't need perfect isolation, I just need enough so that at normal volume my roommate cannot hear me too much and I cannot hear him too much. I'm sure my other choices will isolate better, but I'm willing to sacrifice a little isolation for some comfort, but I'm just not sure how much isolation I'll be sacrificing.

___________________
Edit:

Ok, I'm knocking off the RP-HTX7 from my lineup because I don't think the sound will be that great, as chews89 said, and there are reviews of it saying that the highs are too shrill. Also there's the sweaty pads, but I'm probably going to miss that nice soundstage.

 

[thesouthazn]

Nevermind guys, I've made my decision.

I read a pretty long review of the HD415 and it stressed how the 415 doesn't isolate at all with its open back, so I can't get that.

And as for the HD205, yes, I'm sure the HD205 sounds a lot better than the HD202, but I'm just not ready for a bulky headphone -- as I said, I don't want any disappointment with my first pair of full-size headphones and discomfort from the HD205's vice grip and bulkiness kinda turns me off. I've read of a user on headfi describing how they've had the HD205 for 7 months, and they keep trying to widen its grip by leaving it on something larger than his head, but the headband just tightens back up within a week. Above, Nocturnal310 recommends the HD415 pad mod, but that'll be even more money with shipping on top of the already expensive $50 I'll be paying for the HD205, whereas I can get the HD202 hassle-free for $20

So I'm going with the HD202, based on the highly numerous 5-star ratings on newegg and amazon.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

You might want to reconsider. In fact, size and weight has little (if any) bearing to comfort. I have used small, lightweight headphones that are terribly and painfully uncomfortable to wear for even a few seconds. And some of my most comfortable headphones are also among the very bulkiest and heaviest in my inventory.

As for the HD 202, I have its pricier sibling, the HD 212 Pro. The design isn't the most comfy: The part-supraural, part-circumaural pads can press firmly against some people's ears, and the headphones' all-plastic headband doesn't take kindly to bending.

 

[1Time]

Just get the HD202. Low cost, low risk. If you end up not liking it, you can sell and come back for something better.