[bombboyer]

I'm looking for some comfy, closed, isolating cans for use in my college dorm next year (main sources: laptop headphone jack, MP3 player). I think I've narrowed it down to the above, but I really don't know much about headphones

Any advice or experiences would be much appreciated. Thanks all!

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bombboyer I'm looking for some comfy, closed, isolating cans for use in my college dorm next year (main sources: laptop headphone jack, MP3 player). I think I've narrowed it down to the above, but I really don't know much about headphones Any advice or experiences would be much appreciated. Thanks all!

Avoid the Sony MDR-V600. That headphone sounds like a way cheaper headphone than its price would indicate. Boxy, honky, muddy sound... BLEH! (In fact, I've listened to $20 closed headphones that sound practically as good/crappy as the $100 MDR-V600. All prices are at full retail price.)

For that matter, I do not recommend any of the Sony MDR-V### (the V-series with triple-digit model numbers, which I've been calling the MDR-VCRAP series, and more recently the MDR-VFLOP series).

The Senn HD555 is not closed - it's open-back. Thus, you get almost no isolation at all whatsoever.

 

[Aman]

If you have pretty average listening tastes (volume turned up half-way -- I know, bad example, but..) then the 555s should be fine. I have the HD595s and they are awesome cans. With those on, if I am listening to music I can almost never hear my 5500rpm computer fans sitting approximately one foot away from me.

Hope this helps.

 

[PYROTAK]

hmm this reminds me...

are any sony mdr headphones any good IE compareable to the ATH-a900

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PYROTAK hmm this reminds me... are any sony mdr headphones any good IE compareable to the ATH-a900

Only one such model - the MDR-CD3000. But it costs twice as much money as the ATH-A900.

 

[SunByrne]

Yes, many people here swear by the Sony MDR-CD3000.

http://www.audiocubes.com/product_in...67cb7b27e2c2de

Anyway, back to the original poster's question. The Senn 555 has been getting a lot of attention here as a very good general-purpose headphone. However, as mentioned, it is NOT a closed can. With the volume up a little, the music will mask some outside noise anyway (like Aman's fan). However, if you have a roommate, they'll be able to hear the music quite clearly.

The ATH-A900 are the current flavor of the month for closed cans around here, though some like the Beyer DT250-80. If that's too pricey, consider the ATH-A500 or the Senn 280 depending on your musical taste.

 

[commando]

I'd recommend the A500 over the 280, just because I don't like the 280s and have heard good things about the 500s. See my closed can review in my sig for why.

 

[lindrone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle Driver Only one such model - the MDR-CD3000. But it costs twice as much money as the ATH-A900.

And they're every bit worth the price over the A900... but just like all high-end headphone in that price range, unless you've got the equipment to back it up, you won't get the full benefit.


Quote:

Originally Posted by SunByrne The ATH-A900 are the current flavor of the month for closed cans around here, though some like the Beyer DT250-80. If that's too pricey, consider the ATH-A500 or the Senn 280 depending on your musical taste.

The A900 are way past flavor the month now... they're consistently recommended for anyone who wants the best unamped, closed headphone for under $200. For those specific criteriums, there's really only few headphones that's comparative.

A900's has been mentioned as "flavor of the month" for something like, 4 separate month cycles since I've joined headphone... I don't think we've got a "flavor of the past half year" around here, do we?

 

[SunByrne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lindrone A900's has been mentioned as "flavor of the month" for something like, 4 separate month cycles since I've joined headphone... I don't think we've got a "flavor of the past half year" around here, do we?

That's very true!

 

[kentamcolin]

I have a pair of HD280 Pro's and like them a lot. Very good isolation (I wear them when playing drums) and good sound. Great sound for the money actually.

 

[Jasper994]

Keep in mind here that the HD280 Pro can be had from Guitar Center for $60-70, making it an extreamly good value. This is especially true when you consider the isolation they provide and their well balanced sound. Beware, though, the headband is not as strong as it appears to be so overstretching it to try and loosen it up will likely cause it to crack. The 280's also require a lot of burn in. In the end, the 280's are not the end all be all of headphones and many other can's do everything better, but they do represent a very good value.

If you don't need the isolation, the 555's are very nice, I highly recommend them unless you can go straight to the 595 and don't mind spending approx. $100 more for a 20-25% improvement (IMHO).