[donunus]

Can anything beat it in sound quality when hooked up to a zen micro or any other portable for that matter? Anything less than $300

 

[Andrea]

Super-quick response

-- I'd personally prefer to get one among the HD595, DT860 and DT440 if I were only interested in sheer sound quality. Haven't heard the HD25-1 btw.

 

[Cris]

Hy

After many recommendations for the HD25-1 I went to the shop and was impressed. But that doesn't mean anything, because until now I only owned cheap headphones.

The conclusion I would draw from the statements in this forum are:
It is not the best you can get but it is one of the best closed phones for portable use.

 

[donunus]

I mean sheer sound quality without using an amp. Will the HD595 or the 860 have good drive and snap from the zen micro's output?

 

[Natsuiro]

I perfer the er4/p's to the hd25-1s, but with ety's I guess it's a personal taste thing. So you may or may not like the er4p's

 

[Cris]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus I mean sheer sound quality without using an amp.

Ok, that makes things clearer.

Are there any other restrictions like "must be closed (isolation)", "no in-ear phones", "upper price limit", "..."?

 

[PDream]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cris Ok, that makes things clearer. Are there any other restrictions like "must be closed (isolation)", "no in-ear phones", "upper price limit", "..."?

I believe he mentioned "up to 300", and I don't think he's looking for Ety's/Shures.

 

[saint.panda]

The A900 sounds much better than the HD 25 straight from the ipod but it's not very portable. The same could be claimed to a lesser degree about the Beyerdynamic DT 660, DT 250-250 or even the Sennheiser HD 280 but again, these aren't as portable as the HD 25. If open headphones are ok, you could also run the HD 595 directly from your portable player and better results than with the Hd 25.

The Etymotics ER-4S, or simply canalphones in general, is a tricky issue because if used in conjunction with foam plugs (a bit uncomfortable) or Shure's soft flex-sleeves (best) and something that has lots of bass boost (which also raises the lower midrange a bit), I would even say that it sounds better than the HD 25. However, just with the normal triple flanges and no EQ, the Etys sound thin, bassless and lifeless to my ears - especially in a portable situation. Moreover, canalphones offer a completely different sound representation than full size headphones and you could say it's very much a matter of taste. Further, don't forget the excellent isolation you get with canalphones which adds to better overall sound quality in a noisy environment.

The HD 25 doesn't sound the best (especially if you budget is 300) but if you consider the usual purpose of closed headphones, that is to provide a fairly amount of portability, there's hardly any other headphone that fulfills the 'mission requirements' (sound quality + portablilty) in a more satiffactory manner - other than canalphones, which as mentioned is a different issue altogether.

Again, for best unamped (and even amped) sound I'd go for the Audio Technica A900 if closeness is mandatory. The AKG 271 also sounds very good if paired with a decent amp but I find more difficult to speak out general recommendations for this headphone, mainly due to the bass, which can be too anemic at times making the music lack a solid bass foundation. Again, whatever suits your preferences but I personally prefer the A900 even if driven from a highend source and various expensive amps (tube or solid state). The Beyerdynamic DT 770-80 is also very nice, the bass in particular, but if you consider that the A900 sounds good out of anything (even the ipod), the Audio Technica headphone is the more complete one. When driven by an amp, it's more like a matter of taste between these two. While the A900 has a more woolen feel to the sound in general coupled with a fairly envelopping 3D soundstage (at least the amount of 3D you can get with headphones...), a very nice lower midrange and bass - making for a solid body - whereas the Beyer DT 770-80 has a more pronounced mid/upper midrange followed by a slightly recessed treble with also less extension than the A900, a very, very nice bass (strong and tight!) and a slightly smaller soundstage (width). The AKG 271 has that colored but also quite nice sounding midrange (probably the best among these three), well-extended and articulate highs, ok soundstage (less than A900), but lacking overall bass impact (although tight and detailed). There have been notions about a recessed midrange on the A900 and I sometimes hear it and sometimes don't; something to look into. In any case, they are all good and it's more a matter of preference and music used.

On a final note, considering that my opinion about closed headphones has been ever changing a bit during the last couple of weeks (although I believe it has come to a halt now), especially in terms of A900 and AKG K271, you might better consult with somebody who has a fixed opinion on these matters.

 

[EyeAmEye]

Andrea was spot on with the HD595 and DT440 (never heard the DT860, so I won't comment on it).

Other recommendations:
AKG K240S (yes, it benefits from an amp, even unamped it beats the HD25)
Philips HP1000
Grado SR325i (at $300) and SR225 ($200)

 

[arspy87]

SR325i or SR225? They're both open, though.

 

[Cris]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda The HD 25 doesn't sound the best (especially if you budget is 300) but if you consider the usual purpose of closed headphones, that is to provide a fairly amount of portability, there's hardly any other headphone that fulfills the 'mission requirements' (sound quality + portablilty) in a more satiffactory manner - other than canalphones, which as mentioned is a different issue altogether.

I think thats the point.

If you want portability (not in the sense of the space they take, but the durability -> just throw them in your bag), and an appropriate isolation (these are closed phones) and you don't want canalphones -> then go for the HD25.
Otherwise there are many recommendations around here you should consider.

2 special points about the HD25:
pro: they are very efficient; even though there impedance is 70 ohm, they sound louder than any of my 32 ohm phones; so they are easily driven by a portable.
con: you should wear them for more than 15 minutes; some find them uncomfortable

 

[eeerie1]

that they need to be broken in... initially they are very tight, but that passes with time & use.

 

[nierika]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda While the A900 has a more woolen feel to the sound in general coupled with a fairly envelopping 3D soundstage (at least the amount of 3D you can get with headphones...), a very nice lower midrange and bass - making for a solid body

I'm going to disagree because I thought the lower midrange was the weakest aspect of the A900s presentation.

 

[Cris]

have you read this excellent review?:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=72883

 

[some1x]

How well does HD25 isolate? Good enough for a busy cafe? in the subway?