Sometimes it's not only sound that matters - in search of comfortable isolation

[///Parsimony\\\]

Hello. I'm young and inexperienced. The first adjective will hopefully stay with me long after fellow head-fiers find a solution to the following problem: which are the best-isolating and most comfortable among good-sounding full-sized cans?

Now, I'm not your typical n00b. I've done my googling, I've done the posts-trawling, I practically worship Headroom charts. Ages ago someone claimed that. HD 25-I was also the mentioned in a couple of posts recently when Skylab asked for headphones that deliver isolation. Numbers speak louder than words, however: (isolation x 4) DT 770 seem to mash the opponents (-15 dB from 300 Hz onwards?!).

But, first, many interesting models are not included in that database. I'm thinking of cans that (used to?) receive lots of luv here - ATH A900, Denon A1000; second, tempora mutantur and characteristics are, too - models tested by Headroom may not be identical to the ones that are available (Beyers were tested in their 2006 incarnation - is it more/less isolating than older ones?).

Therefore, I would ask everyone to post their ideas, tests, graphs related to passive isolation of not-too-expensive (I guess up to $300) mid-fi headphones - especially AudioTechnicas. Beg, borrow or buy a barking dog, a screaming toddler or a chatty aunt and please share the results.

As for comfort - I'm OK with clampiness but not clamminess: it may grip like hell but if it causes rash on my acne-prone skin, that's a no-go.

Also, is HD-25 comfortable? I'm not too sure about supraaural construction. And _which_ HD-25 is the best of the bunch? Frankly speaking I'm getting confused coming across HD-25, HD-25-I, HD-25-I-II, HD-25-SP...

Right, that was just some newbie's ranting. But now on to apple-polishing

. You guys are heroes! A lovely, incredibly addictive website, one of the few I browse for hours just for the heck of it. Greeting to everyone - and sorry about my wallet (sorry, I couldn't resist

).

 

[///Parsimony\\\]

Right... Obviously I forgot to mention that I'll be running them unamped and quiet (that's the reason for maximum possible isolation). And that IEMs are,m for various reasons, out of the question. So, it is all about supra- and circumaural headphones with passive isolation.

 

[MaloS]

Well the known king of closed circum-aural isolation is Sennheiser hd280. You would have to do more research with regards to comfort and sound though.

Ultrasone HFI700 provides decent isolation, but if listening for example on a bus - the noise of the engine leaks through.

There are some interesting noise-canceling cans made by Sennheiser and Audio-Technica you can take a look, but they can get fairly expensive due to what they do. They definitely are quality though.

And finally - I doubt you can get anything better as far as comfort goes as DT770, granted that Velour does not cause you any rashes.

 

[///Parsimony\\\]

Now that's what I call the strength of this forum! Six minutes of waiting and a response is just what you need: clear and to-the-point. Hats off.

_Actively_ noise-cancelling? I'm rather suspicious, considering the reviews such things get. As for Ultrasones... Not on par with Beyers, are they?

 

[thoriated_tiger]

I can only speak for the two cans own, the Sony 7506 and the AKG 271.

Both are circumaural, both are closed, both isolate.

Observations on both:

Sony 7506:

1. Seems to muffle less than the AKG.
2. Is heavy.
3. Can be uncomfortable. In 10 years I've maybe put 50 hours on these, because I can't wear them for long. Headband feels funny to me, ear pads are a touch too small for me. Adjusters slip out of adjustment with very little effort, won't hold it's "setup" well at all.
4. Sounds pretty acceptable, no matter what you plug it into. Not a picky can.

AKG 271: (these are my main cans now, have about 1 month on 'em, replaced the 7506 based on 7506 discomfort alone.)

1. Light, and very well made.
2. Comfortable -- I wear it for hours at a stretch at work. About 8 hours a day. Self-adjusting headband. Put 'em on and forget 'em.
3. Sound pretty righteous. They do need a good amp to really shine, but you can get away without an amp. EVen my little i-river aa-powered antique mp3 player can deal with 'em... just won't have the mad dynamic swings these cans can do when amped. You can taste the instruments with these.
4. Isolates very well. Mutes high frequencies quite a bit, lower freqs get through, though muted. You won't hear "normal" conversations, but if you have a loudmouth close by, you'll hear it. You will hear things like fire alarms and someone yelling at you. It'll have to be a good yell, tho.

And lastly, I'd suggest you stop with the charts. That's one entity's measurement, with their own equipment and methodology. If I measured, with my own gear and methodology, I'd come up with a different chart.

For example: Headroom charts shows the K271 as being down 20db at 20hz. Now that's really funny, because I used my K271 to take an online hearing test, and after calibrating twice (just to make sure I got it right) I started the test. The 20hz signal and how I heard it was within 5db of the "normal" hearing curve -- if these cans were really 20db down at 20hz, it would've shown up in that test. What I hear when listening to music simply doesn't match their graph at all. One day I'll grab a TP roll core and my ancient radioshack spl meter (and yes, I know about having to correct for a bass deficiency in that meter) and measure my k271 using a sine generator. I bet I'll come up with something completely different than they did.

Some items won't measure well, yet sound exemplar, some items will measure terrific, and sound like a telephone. I know charts are pretty, and impressive, but frankly, I don't even look at specs anymore (other than the basics to ensure what I have will work with what I want.)

Relying on what others think and say.. be careful with that. It makes one an easy mark for slick marketers. Trust your own experiences, your own experimentations. Your own ears.