The Closed-Back Headphone Thread (Plus Comparisons & Reviews)

[Malevolent]

I had no idea that the GH40 existed. Could this be the closed can I've been looking for? Relatively warm and inoffensive? Would like to hear more about the sound.
Looks to be the same exact headphone as the Apos Audio Caspian. Only closed and horn loaded? Different drivers entirely? Four hundred dollar price difference.

Well, size-wise, the GH 40 is a good contender for an end-game portable headphone. In terms of looks, it definitely ranks at the very top; few (portable) headphones can match the GH 40 for class and style, IMO.

I am also interested in the sonic performance of the GH 40. Hopefully, @subguy812 will be able to provide a definitive assessment of its capabilities.

 

[Blackrao]

Well, size-wise, the GH 40 is a good contender for an end-game portable headphone. In terms of looks, it definitely ranks at the very top; few (portable) headphones can match the GH 40 for class and style, IMO.

I am also interested in the sonic performance of the GH 40. Hopefully, @subguy812 will be able to provide a definitive assessment of its capabilities.

it’s worth noting that the GH40 driver is different from Apos Caspian, and GH50 that uses the 50MM graphene coated ones

 

[Mhog55]

it’s worth noting that the GH40 driver is different from Apos Caspian, and GH50 that uses the 50MM graphene coated ones

I kinda figured as much. If the upper mids and lower treble are a little more restrained than that of the Magni, I'll definitely entertain this as an option.

 

[bizkid]

it’s worth noting that the GH40 driver is different from Apos Caspian, and GH50 that uses the 50MM graphene coated ones

Interesting. I have the JBL Club One (don't hit me!! ) which also has graphene coated drivers. It has a really unique thick, solid and hefty bass response (and i don't mean quantity) that i haven't heard yet in dynamic headphones sub 1000$ where i usually hang around. JBL went all out on the drivers but saved on the electronics. Through Bluetooth it's underamped, with the 3.5mm cable you can unleash the true perfomance of that headphone. However it's default tonality isn't very good but it's not the worst either. I wanted to send mine to Oratory to measure and them but i never got around to finding out how to contact him yet. The JBL can be had for very low money on the used market atleast in Europe. Comfort is great too. One of the best deals in closed headphones IF you are willing to EQ.

 

[Blackrao]

Interesting. I have the JBL Club One (don't hit me!! ) which also has graphene coated drivers. It has a really unique thick, solid and hefty bass response (and i don't mean quantity) that i haven't heard yet in dynamic headphones sub 1000$ where i usually hang around. JBL went all out on the drivers but saved on the electronics. Through Bluetooth it's underamped, with the 3.5mm cable you can unleash the true perfomance of that headphone. However it's default tonality isn't very good but it's not the worst either. I wanted to send mine to Oratory to measure and them but i never got around to finding out how to contact him yet. The JBL can be had for very low money on the used market atleast in Europe. Comfort is great too. One of the best deals in closed headphones IF you are willing to EQ.

thats cool didn't even know JBL used graphene coated drivers. Guess its the new cool thing on the block

 

[Malevolent]

it’s worth noting that the GH40 driver is different from Apos Caspian, and GH50 that uses the 50MM graphene coated ones

Good catch.

In any case, without having auditioned this headphone, my gut feeling is that the GH 40 was tuned to sound like a kindred twin to its bigger brother, the GH 50. There will be slight variances, I reckon, owing to the compositional differences - driver material & size, cup size & shape, et al. Still, if they could reproduce that stellar low-end presentation in a portable body that's several dollars shy of the $1,000 mark, I think the company has a winner on their hands.

 

[Malevolent]

Interesting. I have the JBL Club One (don't hit me!! ) which also has graphene coated drivers. It has a really unique thick, solid and hefty bass response (and i don't mean quantity) that i haven't heard yet in dynamic headphones sub 1000$ where i usually hang around. JBL went all out on the drivers but saved on the electronics. Through Bluetooth it's underamped, with the 3.5mm cable you can unleash the true perfomance of that headphone. However it's default tonality isn't very good but it's not the worst either. I wanted to send mine to Oratory to measure and them but i never got around to finding out how to contact him yet. The JBL can be had for very low money on the used market atleast in Europe. Comfort is great too. One of the best deals in closed headphones IF you are willing to EQ.

Hey, don't sweat it. A bunch of us have bass-heavy headphones, too.

Take a look at these classic beasts, for example.

 

[thomaslmusic55]

Interesting. I have the JBL Club One (don't hit me!! ) which also has graphene coated drivers. It has a really unique thick, solid and hefty bass response (and i don't mean quantity) that i haven't heard yet in dynamic headphones sub 1000$ where i usually hang around. JBL went all out on the drivers but saved on the electronics. Through Bluetooth it's underamped, with the 3.5mm cable you can unleash the true perfomance of that headphone. However it's default tonality isn't very good but it's not the worst either. I wanted to send mine to Oratory to measure and them but i never got around to finding out how to contact him yet. The JBL can be had for very low money on the used market atleast in Europe. Comfort is great too. One of the best deals in closed headphones IF you are willing to EQ.

Hi,

Here, they were measured powered on, via Bluetooth. They look to have a slight V shape signature but the bass boost is not overwhelming, and they are supported by the JBL app which does offer a parametric EQ. A hint that they did skimp a bit on electronics is that they only measured 102 feet line of sight for the bluetooth connection - most of the recent JBLs measure closer to 300 feet.

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/jbl/club-one-wireless

cheers,

--tom

 

[plakat]

Interesting. I have the JBL Club One (don't hit me!! ) which also has graphene coated drivers. It has a really unique thick, solid and hefty bass response (and i don't mean quantity) that i haven't heard yet in dynamic headphones sub 1000$ where i usually hang around. JBL went all out on the drivers but saved on the electronics. Through Bluetooth it's underamped, with the 3.5mm cable you can unleash the true perfomance of that headphone. However it's default tonality isn't very good but it's not the worst either. I wanted to send mine to Oratory to measure and them but i never got around to finding out how to contact him yet. The JBL can be had for very low money on the used market atleast in Europe. Comfort is great too. One of the best deals in closed headphones IF you are willing to EQ.

I used to own the Club One as well. It's bass is quite impressive, powerful yet detailed and not overwhelming -- fun without regret so to say. Comfort was good as well, with quite deep cups (although not that large) and folding down to a very compact format just like the V-Moda M-100 variants, nice. I sold them during a cleanup, mostly because they had a slight sharpness to their lower treble that made longer listening a bit stressful to me. And I disliked the fact that ANC was reactivated each and every time on power on. Yet I was actually considering to get another pair... but I probably won't, still have too many headphones.

 

[plakat]

Hey, don't sweat it. A bunch of us have bass-heavy headphones, too.

Take a look at these classic beasts, for example.

The original ear-pillows

 

[HipHopScribe]

Hi,

Here, they were measured powered on, via Bluetooth. They look to have a slight V shape signature but the bass boost is not overwhelming, and they are supported by the JBL app which does offer a parametric EQ. A hint that they did skimp a bit on electronics is that they only measured 102 feet line of sight for the bluetooth connection - most of the recent JBLs measure closer to 300 feet.

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/jbl/club-one-wireless

cheers,

--tom

Don't know about the Club One in particular, but the couple recent JBL headphones I've heard tend to have decent tonality, even if they don't have great technical chops, because they tend to tune to the Harman target.

 

[bizkid]

Hi,

Here, they were measured powered on, via Bluetooth. They look to have a slight V shape signature but the bass boost is not overwhelming, and they are supported by the JBL app which does offer a parametric EQ. A hint that they did skimp a bit on electronics is that they only measured 102 feet line of sight for the bluetooth connection - most of the recent JBLs measure closer to 300 feet.

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/jbl/club-one-wireless

cheers,

--tom

Thanks that helps to atleast dial the treble peaks down. My guess on those peaks was already very close. However i trust Oratorys measurements more plus he supplies great EQ adjustments if you are into the Harman Target (i am very much and i'm not ashamed of it ). For the Club One, i need a passive measurement using the cable. Tonality is very different wired.

Don't know about the Club One in particular, but the couple recent JBL headphones I've heard tend to have decent tonality, even if they don't have great technical chops, because they tend to tune to the Harman target.

Technicalities and Harman Target don't need to contradict each other. See DCA Stealth. It just makes sense for JBL to follow up on their parent's company research and use it in their products. Being mass market products for the average consumer i would never expect more than average technical chops. This goes for Bluetooth headphones from all companies.

By the way, this is a question to everyone participating in this thread. Would it make sense to open a seperate thread just for Over-Ear/Full-Size Bluetooth Headphones? Or is it ok to discuss here? Most people seem to be interested in the higher-end spectrum of closed headphones. There are some threads on specific models but i think it would be great to have a thread covering all kinds of talk about maybe lesser known headphones and general comparisons.

 

[HipHopScribe]

Technicalities and Harman Target don't need to contradict each other. See DCA Stealth. It just makes sense for JBL to follow up on their parent's company research and use it in their products. Being mass market products for the average consumer i would never expect more than average technical chops. This goes for Bluetooth headphones from all companies.

Oh yeah definitely possible to have both good technical chops and tune to Harman, didn't mean to suggest they were mutually exclusive.

 

[plakat]

By the way, this is a question to everyone participating in this thread. Would it make sense to open a seperate thread just for Over-Ear/Full-Size Bluetooth Headphones? Or is it ok to discuss here? Most people seem to be interested in the higher-end spectrum of closed headphones. There are some threads on specific models but i think it would be great to have a thread covering all kinds of talk about maybe lesser known headphones and general comparisons.

For me it’s fine to include the better Bluetooth over-ears here. I, for one, have tasted the high end enough and I’m much happier by seeking out well-performing midrange models and Bluetooth headphones. I think both fit in here just right

 

[tonedeafmelomaniac]

Hello @subguy812! Sorry for asking the same question again. Could you tell which one of the 3 wooden beauties you've mentioned above has the fastest bass?