Suggestions for office headphones

[DobsOnly]

Looking for some suggestions on headphones for office use. Here is my normal setup.

Source - Laptop.
Amp - Cmoy and soon to finish pimeta
Current phones - ~$9 Sony Earbuds, Ety ER6's

Music - A mix of styles but mainly Acoustic, Blues, Brit Rock, Celtic.

The ER6's - very nice when amped but much to isolating for the office. I need to be able to here the phone and be aware that someone has walked in. I have both missed calls and had people right behind me and not known it when using the Ety's.

The Sony Earbuds - Not so great sounding, but I can here the phone, they are small, I can quickly remove them when I need to and I can here someone ask for me from a distance. They offer the right level of isolation or non-isolation for my work environment.

Price: sub $100

One of the phones I am considering are the Senn PCX100's. I have never used or been around anyone using open phones. Since I'm in an office by myself a little leaking would be Ok. I'm guessing to someone standing near open cans they sounds something like a set of headphones laying on the table playing?

I'm really looking to:
#1. Improve the sound when compared to the earbuds.
#2. Still be able to hear some of what's going on around me.

What are you using in the office and why did you select them??

Thanks,

DobsOnly

 

[Acidice]

I don't have them but fromwhat I read Beyer dt231 sound good, are comfortable, and are closed but dont isolate too well. These sound like they would fit your needs.

 

[episiarch]

I mostly used closed cans in the office, but on those occasions when I've used open cans under $100, I've used and liked both SR-60's and KSC-35's. Both are perfectly good unamped, but I've found that KSC-35's improve quite a lot with an amp, to the point where it's hard to get me to take them off. Since you'll be amping, you should definitely consider them. The SR-60's are a pleasure as well, and you wouldn't go wrong with them.

Personally I do not like amped PX100's: they get unpleasantly bassy, at least to my ears. Unamped, they're very nice, and are so light in weight that they truly are all-day comfortable, probably the most comfortable things I own.

I have DT231's and get very little use out of them. Though they don't isolate a lot, they have closed-headphone disadvantages: they have to fit a certain way around or (in extreme cases) on your ears, and your ears can get kind of hot. On the plus side, they have a lot of definition, and pretty low bass, so you can turn them waaay down without the sound either turning into mush or becoming tinny. So they're really good as a background-music headphone. For "foreground music" they don't do it for me, though there's no particular thing I can point to that makes them that way.

 

[PrototypeX2]

HD 280?

 

[episiarch]

Pretty isolating, that one; hard (for me, at least) to recommend if you want to hear what's going on around you.

My buddy down the hall with an SR60 borrows my HD280 when there's a conference call happening in the cubicle next to his. When he doesn't have that constraint, he'd rather listen to the SR60.

 

[tcristy]

Quote:

had people right behind me and not known it

I installed a rearview mirror on my monitor, which goes a long way torward eliminating that problem. Thankfully, my phone has a red light that blinks when it rings. Canal phones go a long way torward making life in a cubical farm bearable.

Tim

 

[DobsOnly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by episiarch I mostly used closed cans in the office, but on those occasions when I've used open cans under $100, I've used and liked both SR-60's and KSC-35's. Both are perfectly good unamped, but I've found that KSC-35's improve quite a lot with an amp, to the point where it's hard to get me to take them off. Since you'll be amping, you should definitely consider them. The SR-60's are a pleasure as well, and you wouldn't go wrong with them.

A little late getting back. Spent the last couple days reloading Windoze after a crash.
I have not heard much about the KSC 35's but I will definitely give them a look.


Thanks
DobsOnly

 

[fureshi]

i've tried sr60 and ms2 in the office and they leak way too much at even low volumes that i'm afraid the sound is bothering my coworkers. at the moment i'm using ES5 but i think something semi-closed such as these or the eggo, px200 would be good office cans. my desk faces the front of my cube so i can easily see people come by and that also lets me use canalphones.

 

[overlunge]

Hi DobsOnly,

I would recommend you SR60 as well, because the type of music you enjoy, and the openess of the SR60. However, they do leak sound out abit, but since you are in an office of your own, shouldn't be too much of a worry.

I'd say, what are you waiting for, get a SR60

Best of luck,
Overlunge

 

[DobsOnly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by overlunge Hi DobsOnly, I would recommend you SR60 as well

I appreciate everyones suggestions. I just found a set of the KSC-35's for $19.00

in the creative labs store on e-bay. I think I'll start with these and see how I like the open type headphone. It also sounds like they should be a nice step up from the old stock Sony earbuds I've been using at work. If they work out I'm sure the SR60 will be a logical next step.

One thing that I have noticed on these forums is that many seem to like/love the Grado SR60 at the $70 price point. That consistancy says a lot for its value. I'm looking forward to hearing a set of them at some point because I have read they have a very different sound signature when compare to my Ety ER6's which I really enjoy.

Thanks
DobsOnly

 

[arspy87]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acidice I don't have them but fromwhat I read Beyer dt231 sound good, are comfortable, and are closed but dont isolate too well. These sound like they would fit your needs.

I agree. I love my DT231s.

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DobsOnly One thing that I have noticed on these forums is that many seem to like/love the Grado SR60 at the $70 price point. That consistancy says a lot for its value.

Watch out for comfort issues... they're better than some supra-aurals, but far from perfect. The cord can be a major PITA also, twisting/tangling and (if you trip) strangling you!

 

[jpr703]

I use my RS-1s at the office. They don't leak sound badly enough to disturb other people (though I'm not in a cube and I don't listen really loud) and when people walk in and start talking I can hear them even before I turn off the music.

 

[steevc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fureshi i've tried sr60 and ms2 in the office and they leak way too much at even low volumes that i'm afraid the sound is bothering my coworkers. at the moment i'm using ES5 but i think something semi-closed such as these or the eggo, px200 would be good office cans. my desk faces the front of my cube so i can easily see people come by and that also lets me use canalphones.

I tried using my PX200, but missed a couple of phone calls because I couldn't hear it. I don't notice the red light.

I use some old JVCs (HA-CD58) that I bought before I heard of Head-fi. Those are getting tatty so I've finally ordered my SR60 that I will pick up when I am the US next month

Steve