Headphone recommendation

[pfink]

I'm looking for a set of relatively inexpensive (under $150) closed headphones for work. I've got a pair of Grado SR60i's that I like a lot but they're open and too loud for the office.

I've got the following on my short list:

Audio-Technica ATH-M50
Sennheiser HD448
Sony MDR-V6

Anybody got any opinions on these? Any other recommendations?

Thanks.

[phillip]

the m50s!

Or if you wanna spend a lot less, the jvc ha-rx700 or rx900.  I have the 700s at work.  One complaint though - they clamp down pretty hard, so you might want to stretch em out a bit or just not wear them for extended periods of time.

[isp]

I'm still happy with my MDR-V6...they've stood up to some abuse and are a really good value.  The earpads will eventually wear out though and you'll need to replace them, check out replacement velour pads from Beyerdynamic (same pads on dt250) BEEDT250V.  Good luck!

[pfink]

Although I tend to go Sennheiser that Sony looks a fair amount cheaper and it sounds like you are mainly concerned about noise leaking OUT than IN. The Pleather goes flaky in 3 years if used daily so don't spend the big bucks is the only advice I have.

The Sennheiser's only $30 more than the Sony on Amazon, so price isn't going to be the deciding factor. The Audio-Technica is the most expensive of the three at around $130.

I'm assuming any of the closed cans are going to be OK as far as leakage at moderate volume levels, so I'm mainly concerned with sound quality. I mostly listen to guitar-heavy rock music.

[phillip]

other possibilities

denon ahd1001
shure srh440

[gr1m]

Sony MDR-XB700. Wildly underrated, you can ask on Head-fi about them. I don't think they're officially closed but the cups are so enormous and cushy that sound doesn't leak out, they basically cancel noise and they're comfortable as **** to top it off.

[colbabe]

So are these work headphones for transcription purposes or what?

I'm in the market for transcription phones (for listening from the PC speaker) and been lookin' around.

Any transcriptionists out there ....if so, any opinions on a good pair of phones for listiening to transcription from PC speakers?

Much APPRECIATED!

[pfink]

So are these work headphones for transcription purposes or what?

In my case they're for listening to music at the office without bothering other people.

[kishy]

You must listen to your music fairly loudly if other headphones allow nearby people to hear your music...

[phillip]

open headphones just leak a lot of sound

[pfink]

You must listen to your music fairly loudly if other headphones allow nearby people to hear your music...

Even at moderate levels open headphones like the Grados can easily be heard 10 feet away, which ain't gonna cut it in an office with cubicles.

[kishy]

If the relative percentage of your audio that is leaked (I don't argue about the existence of it) is audible to nearby people, your music is too loud (or your headphones are abnormally bad, Apple earbuds being an example)

^ coming from the guy who was criticized for abusing his hearing at a ZZ Top concert

[pfink]

If the relative percentage of your audio that is leaked (I don't argue about the existence of it) is audible to nearby people, your music is too loud (or your headphones are abnormally bad, Apple earbuds being an example)

^ coming from the guy who was criticized for abusing his hearing at a ZZ Top concert

You obviously don't understand the difference between open and closed headphones. And we're talking about real cans here, not earbuds.

[gr1m]

Kishy, have you ever been with a person that was listening to music on Sennheiser HD555s? They're open enough for your ears to feel like they're naked, and they're more audible to people not currently wearing them than most laptop speakers.

[ironman31]

Like he was saying, even a quite low levels (not loud to anyones standards) the grados and other headphones leak enough sound to be heard within the same room.

[kishy]

You obviously don't understand the difference between open and closed headphones. And we're talking about real cans here, not earbuds.

Enlighten me?

It's a crappy design if the design itself permits a large amount of the audio to be heard by others even at low volumes.

Kishy, have you ever been with a person that was listening to music on Sennheiser HD555s? They're open enough for your ears to feel like they're naked, and they're more audible to people not currently wearing them than most laptop speakers.

Hmmm...sounds crappy.

[ironman31]

Lol, I feel like we are on head fi trying to speak mechanical keyboard to the audiophiles over there

[phillip]

Enlighten me?

It's a crappy design if the design itself permits a large amount of the audio to be heard by others even at low volumes.



Hmmm...sounds crappy.

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/420809/open-vs-closed

[pfink]

Lol, I feel like we are on head fi trying to speak mechanical keyboard to the audiophiles over there

I was thinking the same thing.

[ironman31]

Kishy, I'm not really blaming you, you just have to listen to some nice open headphones first, then you'll understand where everyone is coming from. The people who listen to open headphones usually r at home sitting in front of their amp and turntable with no one else around to listen to their sound bleed.

[Morning Song]

I have a Sennheiser HD212, that I got six years ago, and have loved ever since. They're closed (perfect for a dorm room, i found. Nothing gets in or out), and the cable is detachable (and more importantly in my case, replaceable)

But i'm also not an audiophile by any stretch, so this is a layperson's opinion.

[kishy]

The reason for having headphones is to keep your music to yourself, be it with a portable media player or otherwise. According to this extremely basic concept, open headphones are a crappy design. They could be the best sounding headphones in the world and they'd be a crappy design because they impose on people around you.

Obviously not an audiophile, but I've disclosed that elsewhere so it should go without saying.

If your music is audible to people around you, you should be subject to a ticket/fine.

[phillip]

open headphones are not a crappy design, you just have crappy ears

[pfink]

The reason for having headphones is portable audio.

That's a ridiculous statement. Headphones existed decades before portable audio.

[ironman31]

k. Your opinion

[kishy]

open headphones are not a crappy design, you just have crappy ears

I have crappy ears for being considerate? Nice.

That's a ridiculous statement. Headphones existed decades before portable audio.

Yeah, you quoted me while I was making an edit.

[ironman31]

that las one was directed at kishy

[phillip]

well i guess you should throw away all your loud ass keyboards, and get rid of your speakers and cellphone as well

[ironman31]

well i guess you should throw away all your loud ass keyboards, and get rid of your speakers and cellphone as well

Lol. That's outrageous thinking there.

[pfink]

The reason for having headphones is to keep your music to yourself, be it with a portable media player or otherwise. According to this extremely basic concept, open headphones are a crappy design. They could be the best sounding headphones in the world and they'd be a crappy design because they impose on people around you.

Obviously not an audiophile, but I've disclosed that elsewhere so it should go without saying.

If your music is audible to people around you, you should be subject to a ticket/fine.

You're stuck in the headphones = portable mindset. A $200 pair of headphones can sound better than speakers costing $1000+, so if you want to listen to music at home on quality equipment and don't have the budget for expensive speakers you can get more bang for your buck buying a decent pair of headphones.

[kishy]

Keyboards, speakers and cell phones don't impose on others if you aren't disrespectful to people around you.

I'll be using a quiet keyboard (crappy or otherwise) if I end up in an office environment. Loud keyboards are a hobby, hobbies stay at home.

Cell phone...don't have one, but when I get one (more of an if actually, I don't want to be contacted if I'm out of the house) I won't be one of those pricks who makes/takes calls in situations where either my attention to the call would be rude to the people I'm with or the presence of my voice could be an irritation (on the bus, in line at a check out, etc)

You're stuck in the headphones = portable mindset. A $200 pair of headphones can sound better than speakers costing $1000+ dollars, so if you want to listen to music at home on quality equipment and don't have the budget for expensive speakers you can get more bang for your buck buying a decent pair of headphones.

Alright, if we're talking about exclusively for home use (or studio or similar) then you've completely got a point.

For portable use though, surely you agree open are unfit?

[kishy]

You're stuck in the headphones = portable mindset. A $200 pair of headphones can sound better than speakers costing $1000+ dollars, so if you want to listen to music at home on quality equipment and don't have the budget for expensive speakers you can get more bang for your buck buying a decent pair of headphones.

Alright, if we're talking about exclusively for home use (or studio or similar) then you've completely got a point and, in that context, I retract the crappy remark.

For portable use though, surely you agree open are very unfit?

[gr1m]

Yes, open for portable use is a bad idea. But, to add to the advantages of headphones over speakers for home use, size/power. You get equal quality in a much smaller package than speakers.

[pfink]

Alright, if we're talking about exclusively for home use (or studio or similar) then you've completely got a point and, in that context, I retract the crappy remark.

For portable use though, surely you agree open are very unfit?

I concur, open phones are not meant for portable audio. However, portable audio was never the topic of this thread.

[gr1m]

Earbuds never caught on for me because they feel uncomfortable in my ears. Good middle ground are those small headphones that you clip on to individual ears. But, ultimately, after nearly being hit by a blaring firetruck a few years ago because I couldn't hear it over my death-metal, I gave up on portable audio.

[kishy]

I concur, open phones are not meant for portable audio. However, portable audio was never the topic of this thread.

And for this, I apologize - I read the thread title and the most recent replies, and thought "lolwut? headphones are for portable audio trolololol".

Earbuds never caught on for me because they feel uncomfortable in my ears. Good middle ground are those small headphones that you clip on to individual ears. But, ultimately, after nearly being hit by a blaring firetruck a few years ago because I couldn't hear it over my death-metal, I gave up on portable audio.

Agreed, earbuds are uncomfortable (and they're generally recommended against by doctors because the skin in the ear isn't supposed to be in constant contact with anything - source: two walk in clinic doctors and family doctor)

My friends can never comprehend why I listen to my music at a lower volume than they do. I'll pass my PMP and they crank it...I like to be able to hear things around me and mentally "zone out" so I'm basically ignoring other sounds but if something requires my attention, it immediately has it. It seems this is a rare skill?

[ricercar]

I didn't realize they cancelled the SE500s.  I now have collector items.

NIB? Better clean off that skin oil ....

[microsoft windows]

I'd recommend you one of these headphones.

Which headphone would you like?

[EverythingIBM]

Try getting some creative headphones, those'll be good. I had some sony headphones, but they did that thing where one of the ear-cup things wouldn't get a signal due to the cheap wiring (it wasn't the gold-plated audio jack). So you had to tighten the wire between the two... I eventually ripped the wire.

And yeah, if other people can hear your music, it's WAY too loud. I cringe when I hear loud blaring music on the bus from others... they're going to be deaf so fast. The worst thing for your ears IS loud headphones, because the sound waves are funelled into your ears. At least in a concert hall the soundwaves are free to reverberate around.

[pfink]

Try getting some creative headphones, those'll be good. I had some sony headphones, but they did that thing where one of the ear-cup things wouldn't get a signal due to the cheap wiring (it wasn't the gold-plated audio jack). So you had to tighten the wire between the two... I eventually ripped the wire.

I think the only Creative headphones that seem to match up with what I'm looking for are the Aurvana Live!, however I think any of three I mentioned in the initial post are a better choice at close to the same price.

And yeah, if other people can hear your music, it's WAY too loud. I cringe when I hear loud blaring music on the bus from others... they're going to be deaf so fast. The worst thing for your ears IS loud headphones, because the sound waves are funelled into your ears. At least in a concert hall the soundwaves are free to reverberate around.

Sheesh, not again...

As stated previously I currently have a set of open can headphones (Grado SR-60i), which I can't use at work because they leak sound even at moderate listening levels. I'm therefore looking to buy a decent set of closed can headphones to use at work.

If you don't know what the difference is between open and closed headphones let me Google it for you.

[ricercar]

Creative is only as good as Cambridge Soundworks. In the speaker world, Henry Kloss was god.

[pfink]

Screw Creative.  I'd look at somebody that knows something about professional audio like those Shures.  Those sound like the ones to beat at that price point.

Show Image

Yeah, I'm considering that one (Shure SRH440.) Most of the reviews I've seen say they sound pretty good, plus they're currently only $76.95 at Amazon. I also like the fact that the cable is detachable.

[pfink]

Screw any make and model recommended here. Finding the perfect pair of headphones is a very subjective matter, go and try out as many as you can (preferably with the kind of music you're going to be listening to) in the desired price range and decide for yourself.

That's good advice, however the selection at most of the local outlets leaves something to be desired (much like keyboards) so I'm relying on whatever info I can get online to make a choice.

[bionicroach]

If you're a headphone enthusiast, you're probably already familiar with them, but just in case, I thought I'd mention I've had good luck buying headphone stuff from HeadRoom.  They offer a 30-day guarantee on most if not all the brands they sell, and there's a decent amount of product info on the site.

I'm usually a Sennheiser (open) guy, but for closed phones, Audio Technica and Denon are pretty decent in my experience.

[noctua]

Go to dealer's which have keyboards, synthesizers and PA systems etc. there you can test
extensive headphone's of your choice, personally i do so (don't read, use your ears)!

[gr1m]

What I find is that testing in store is nothing like using at home, so I don't bother testing items in stores now. I just read up on them obsessively to find even one post in one dingy forum that says "These headphones suck if you're wearing glasses!" to decide not to buy them.

[kishy]

The type of product that you're buying to test (and then likely return if not liked), it's best to buy in store. Returning stuff to a brick and mortar store (with a decent return policy of course) is a heck of a lot more convenient than some RMA process with online dealers, plus there's a good chance you'll be out shipping in at least one direction.

[EverythingIBM]

All these headphones suck if you wear glasses.

Well, good thing I don't wear glasses. Bad news for the n3rds though.

[pfink]

I once ended up buying an expensive pair of headphonesrelying solely on the reviews online. They sounded fantastic but were the most uncomfortable pair I've ever owned, at least, with my huge bulb of a head.

Do you have any specialist stores you could resort to? You could try out all the headphones you wanted and buy the ones you want cheaper somewhere else.

Most of the local specialty audio stores have gone out of business. And Best Buy, Target and the like don't stock much of a selection.

There is a Guitar Center close by. Maybe I'll swing by there this week and see what they've got.

[EverythingIBM]

Most of the local specialty audio stores have gone out of business. And Best Buy, Target and the like don't stock much of a selection.

There is a Guitar Center close by. Maybe I'll swing by there this week and see what they've got.

Just go order something online. You get what you want (if you know what you're doing), unlimited selection, and so forth.
Although ebay & google do disappoint me at times.