[andrewcherry]

Hi there, first post!

While I've loved my Sony MDR-7520 for home listening and occasional walks, I've recently relocated to San Francisco where the relentless creaking and especially the insane wind loudly blowing into the ports has me, sadly, considering other options, because I'm not sure exactly how to fix these issues. For me, these headphones are 90% impeccable (while sometimes being a little too "narrow" sounding and analytical) but the lack of portability is just ruining them for me. Massdrop is now offering (or will be in September) a portable (and easily drivable) version of the Beyerdynamic 1770 Pro which sounds like a decent replacement for my MDR-7520's on paper, but does anyone have experience or a comparison between these two headphones? I know the 177x are supposed to be tuned slightly differently than the 1770 but any insight would be appreciated. Also, if you have any fixes for the creaking and wind/port issues with the 7520s, I would love to hear about them!

THANKS IN ADVANCE

 

[PurpleAngel]

Looks like the Massdrop/Sennheiser 177X Go is a 32-Ohm headphone, so easier for portable audio devices to drive them, over the 250-Ohm 1770.
So your already using closed headphones and still have a noise issue.
Not sure the 177X will be any better at blocking outside noise.
Maybe you could switch to IEMs and wear a motorcycle helmet?

 

[andrewcherry]

Looks like the Massdrop/Sennheiser 177X Go is a 32-Ohm headphone, so easier for portable audio devices to drive them, over the 250-Ohm 1770.
So your already using closed headphones and still have a noise issue.
Not sure the 177X will be any better at blocking outside noise.
Maybe you could switch to IEMs and wear a motorcycle helmet?

the noise issues have to do less with isolation and more with known mechanical defects in the mdr-7520 (the creaking) and the bass ports that allow huge amounts of wind noise in. as far as i know these aren’t an issue with the 1770 or 177x. my question was more asking for any advice about those mechanical issues with the mdr-7520, OR if anyone could offer a comparison between the 1770 and mdr-7520.

 

[starfly]

the noise issues have to do less with isolation and more with known mechanical defects in the mdr-7520 (the creaking) and the bass ports that allow huge amounts of wind noise in. as far as i know these aren’t an issue with the 1770 or 177x. my question was more asking for any advice about those mechanical issues with the mdr-7520, OR if anyone could offer a comparison between the 1770 and mdr-7520.

Nothing you can do about the wind noise on the 7520 other than sealing the port (which will negatively affect the sound). The creaking can be fixed though. I own these as well (still do) and fixed the creaking by taking some twine and tying it tightly around the hinges.

 

[asanjuan2003]

I fixed the creaking on my 7520 with wd40. I had to reapply several times but the all the creaking went away..as well as the smell of the wd40.

 

[andrewcherry]

I fixed the creaking on my 7520 with wd40. I had to reapply several times but the all the creaking went away..as well as the smell of the wd40.

did you have to open them up? i’m willing to soak them in grease but not comfortable with opening them up

 

[asanjuan2003]

did you have to open them up? i’m willing to soak them in grease but not comfortable with opening them up

No. I did not open them up. But I did have to do it several times. I applied wd40 in all the hinges.

 

[asanjuan2003]

@andrewcherry
just curious. what is ur setup with the 7520?

 

[andrewcherry]

my setup? none - which is one of the reasons i got them. easy to drive on anything, crystal clarity, excellent mids, treble and bass. i never felt the need for an amp/dac or even eq. the issues with the creaking and lack of portability due to the bass ports were the issues - and i needed something portable. ironically, the the 177x is much larger, the cord is way too long, and harder to drive so i decided to get a dragonfly red (which needs a usb adapter) - so i’ve still got portability problems haha!

 

[asanjuan2003]

my setup? none - which is one of the reasons i got them. easy to drive on anything, crystal clarity, excellent mids, treble and bass. i never felt the need for an amp/dac or even eq. the issues with the creaking and lack of portability due to the bass ports were the issues - and i needed something portable. ironically, the the 177x is much larger, the cord is way too long, and harder to drive so i decided to get a dragonfly red (which needs a usb adapter) - so i’ve still got portability problems haha!

Did you consider the Sony WH1000xm3? It uses the same type of material for the diaphragm but different tuning. I haven't tried it but I'm guessing it's the portable solution for you- it has many positive reviews for SQ and it has the best noise cancelling right now which makes it your best bet against the wind noise. It's also cheaper than the 177x.