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Personally i liked the AKG q701 on movies. It's not gonna give you massive bass, but it has a pretty neutral timbre which i felt suited movies best. I never have liked watching movies with headphones, but these i could enjoy.
Interestingly, movies can also fall into many categories just like music, but unlike music, movies can be extremely dynamic and are often more than 1.5 hours in duration. That said, a comfortable phone is just as important as the seat you're sitting on
. Movies are also engaging in many ways beyond than just a/v.. it's its own art form. I enjoy all genres, the headphones that may sound the best aren't necessarily the ones I use the most because of discomfort over time. (That's not to say I can watch a movie using one HP, then switching to another later.. we can take breaks whenever we want in our homes
. I feel like I'm tippy toeing on this topic because there are vast number of movies, tastes, and other factors to get the right gear to sound the way the directors wanted you to hear hehe.
Like many of you mentioned, comfort, sound stage, and ability to induce dramatic lows while ensuring that dialogue stays up front is a pretty broad requirement - but it allows us to focus on the shorter list of HPs.
I've resorted to HP for movies simply because we are in an apartment and we do not want to disturb the neighbors nor wake the sleeping baby in the evenings. Interestingly, we favor the open cans because we can at least communicate and hear the baby just in case.
+1 for Open/Semi open cans
Movies are mixed differently and the sound often puts the vocal/dialogue in the back seat compared to the other frequencies. The next suggestion is purely personal taste, but audio leveling can significantly improve movie immersion by getting the voices/mids up front. This method puts the dialogue on equal footing with all of the other environmental sounds. However, leveling may also subdue some of the spectacular effects and explosions , but it's hard to get that kind of sound unless you are using traditional speakers.
There the ranked headphones and their pros/cons
- Denon D2000 - Very good for movies. Mids can boosted with EQ. Nice, dramatic sub bass when needed. Responds very well to virtual surround settings.
- Grado SR325is - I thought these were also good for movies. Definitely has more bass than I expected and plenty of detail. I'm thinking of ways to mod the pads for extended wear. These didn't respond that well to virtual surround settings, but it's really not necessary either. 325is is definitely a fun can. When evaluating these, I tend to focus on the great sound they produce (that's because I just got them . The bass on these things can rumble - almost like an open version of the D2k. For some movies, this sonic performance can be fatiguing or engaging.
- AKG Q701 - When I got the settings similar for these three (d2k,325is,q701), the Q701 were mellow, but lured me into the movie. The lows are there, just not the same intensity, but because the sonic ambiance wasn't being over-emphasized, focus is on elements of the story. In other words, I kept forgetting I was comparing headphones and finding myself becoming immersed in the movie - forgetting all about critical listening. They are spacious and inviting in that way. For some folks, could be negative trait for music. Q701s are also comfortable for long sessions and never work up a sweat.
- AKG K550 - I had to fiddle least with EQ with these phones (good thing). They were cozy and they hugged my ears, but they do get warm! The heat would be the only reason why I couldn't wear them for extended periods of time. They isolate very well.
Well, all very different animals, which is why it's hard to recommend any one for dedicated movies, but I'm sure you can find a good match with any of them.
I currently use the Lenovo T430s with Dolby Theater v4 software for EQ and other custom settings, VLC media player for movies, amped by E17.
For music, I use the E17 as a USB DAC
