Closed Back Headphones

Holden · November 24, 2010, 07:47:52 PM

My old (15+ years) but beautiful sounding Sony closed back phones are on their last legs I suspect. I use them at work when I need some space to think and write. So I'm on the lookout for a quality set of phones I can use at work. I have the HD280s at home but they are possibly a bit bulky for my work space.

In this regard I've been looking at their cousin the HD25 Mk IIs. I've heard some excellent reports but also some that say that they are quite bright and therefore fatiguing after a while. So what I am after is your recommendations (forget price for the moment). If you've auditioned or own the HD25s I'd be particularly interested. However, if you have yourr own favourite then please tell me about it.

I want a warm but clean (sound (clarity). I listen to a lot of piano music.

Many thanks

Coopmv · November 24, 2010, 08:19:31 PM

Quote from: Holden on November 24, 2010, 07:47:52 PM
My old (15+ years) but beautiful sounding Sony closed back phones are on their last legs I suspect. I use them at work when I need some space to think and write. So I'm on the lookout for a quality set of phones I can use at work. I have the HD280s at home but they are possibly a bit bulky for my work space.

In this regard I've been looking at their cousin the HD25 Mk IIs. I've heard some excellent reports but also some that say that they are quite bright and therefore fatiguing after a while. So what I am after is your recommendations (forget price for the moment). If you've auditioned or own the HD25s I'd be particularly interested. However, if you have yourr own favourite then please tell me about it.

I want a warm but clean (sound (clarity). I listen to a lot of piano music.

Many thanks

I have the Sennheiser HD600, AKG 701 and Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro and they are all great headphones IMO even if none of them are closed back headphones. I also listen to a lot of piano music ...

DavidW · November 25, 2010, 07:04:30 AM

Those are good headphones Stewie, but I think Holden wants something more portable if even the 280s won't do.

Curiously enough Holden, I'm after the same thing for the same reason-- warm yet detailed headphones that are portable. Portable for me though is swivel flat to fit in my laptop case.

Here is the link to the thread I made on head-fi to get recs--

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/524425/looking-for-headphones-that-swivel-flat

If you have alot of time to spare, you'll see ljokerl on that thread, click on his portable hd shootout link on his sig.

Scarpia · November 25, 2010, 09:33:05 AM

Quote from: Holden on November 24, 2010, 07:47:52 PM
My old (15+ years) but beautiful sounding Sony closed back phones are on their last legs I suspect. I use them at work when I need some space to think and write. So I'm on the lookout for a quality set of phones I can use at work. I have the HD280s at home but they are possibly a bit bulky for my work space.

In this regard I've been looking at their cousin the HD25 Mk IIs. I've heard some excellent reports but also some that say that they are quite bright and therefore fatiguing after a while. So what I am after is your recommendations (forget price for the moment). If you've auditioned or own the HD25s I'd be particularly interested. However, if you have yourr own favourite then please tell me about it.

I want a warm but clean (sound (clarity). I listen to a lot of piano music.

Many thanks

It is hard to get closed back headphones with good sound, it seems that almost all of the good ones are open. The exception are Denon. I have the AH-D2000, which are rather bulky, but have a beautiful silky sound. They make somewhat smaller ones that are closed back, such as the AH-D1100. I also have the Sennheiser HD280, but I consider the Denon much better. One thing that really annoys me about the HD-280 is that any jiggling of the cord is heard distinctly in the headphones due to acoustical coupling. The sound of the HD-280 is also less refined. The Denons are also relatively easy to drive.

If you don't know about it already, this is a good site for browsing headphones.

www.headphone.com

DavidW · November 25, 2010, 10:53:05 AM

I really don't like the 280s. The headband is like a vice, but easily breakable (i.e. poor build quality) and the sound quality isn't that impressive. They only thing they really offer is decent isolation. $:-\$

drogulus · November 27, 2010, 08:14:52 AM

I checked out ljokerl....very interesting reviews.

DavidW · November 27, 2010, 08:31:49 AM

Yeah he is thorough, and a true audiophile in the sense that he value neutrality and knows it when he hears it. Since there are so many dipshits on that forum that rec gear they haven't personally heard, his shootout is valuable. I just wish he would start a shootout on full sized headphones.

drogulus · November 27, 2010, 01:47:01 PM

Quote from: DavidW on November 27, 2010, 08:31:49 AM
Yeah he is thorough, and a true audiophile in the sense that he value neutrality and knows it when he hears it. Since there are so many dipshits on that forum that rec gear they haven't personally heard, his shootout is valuable. I just wish he would start a shootout on full sized headphones.

I'm looking at the AT and Denon 'phones for the Pod, sometime in the future. The 280s may not be refined but they do have real bass, and a favorable match with portables. Still, I'm always looking for something better.

DavidW · November 27, 2010, 03:27:08 PM

Quote from: drogulus on November 27, 2010, 01:47:01 PM
I'm looking at the AT and Denon 'phones for the Pod, sometime in the future. The 280s may not be refined but they do have real bass, and a favorable match with portables. Still, I'm always looking for something better.

Headphones (all of them) don't have real bass man. If you can't feel it, it ain't real.

Bogey · November 27, 2010, 03:41:10 PM

Quote from: DavidW on November 27, 2010, 03:27:08 PM
Headphones (all of them) don't have real bass man. If you can't feel it, it ain't real.

My Bose came with this, David....so my bass is intact.

DavidW · November 27, 2010, 03:43:03 PM

Knowing Bose they might...

Scarpia · November 27, 2010, 04:59:15 PM

Quote from: drogulus on November 27, 2010, 01:47:01 PM
I'm looking at the AT and Denon 'phones for the Pod, sometime in the future. The 280s may not be refined but they do have real bass, and a favorable match with portables. Still, I'm always looking for something better.

Denon has a much better low end than those HD280s

Holden · November 28, 2010, 12:08:08 AM

OK, I've been reading these responses and also doing some research. From this I have (at this point in time) four contenders. In alphabetical order they are:

AKG 281DJ

Audio Technica MTH50

Denon AH-D1000 (or AH-D1001)

Sennheiser HD25s

Any thoughts?

DavidW · November 28, 2010, 06:30:42 AM

Yeah the m50s and the denons are not portable. They'll be the same size as your 280s (and both the m50s and 280s fold up but do not swivel flat), so why bother? I would take them off of the list.

Choose from the akg 181s or the hd25s.

drogulus · November 28, 2010, 07:33:32 AM

Quote from: DavidW on November 27, 2010, 03:27:08 PM
Headphones (all of them) don't have real bass man. If you can't feel it, it ain't real.

I can feel it, sort of. So.....it must be real.

Quote from: DavidW on November 28, 2010, 06:30:42 AM
Yeah the m50s and the denons are not portable. They'll be the same size as your 280s (and both the m50s and 280s fold up but do not swivel flat), so why bother? I would take them off of the list.

Choose from the akg 181s or the hd25s.

I don't care.

They stay on. What would kick them off is incompatibility with portables. If I can wear 280s on the bus I can live with anything so long as they work with the Pod and have the sound I'm looking for.

DavidW · November 28, 2010, 07:54:41 AM

Quote from: drogulus on November 28, 2010, 07:33:32 AM
I don't care. They stay on. What would kick them off is incompatibility with portables. If I can wear 280s on the bus I can live with anything so long as they work with the Pod and have the sound I'm looking for.

Well I was talking to Holden, he said the 280s were too bulky for work. But now that you mentioned it why not buy a portable amp?

Holden · November 29, 2010, 12:20:54 AM

I use the 280s at home but I also use them when I fly because the isolation is so good. In fact I'm flying overseas this Friday and the 280s are coming with me along both my Fiio E5 and my PA2V2 to make sure that they are powered up.

The above comments have made me rethink and maybe, bulky at work won't be that much of a problem (but time will tell on that one). With that in mind, I'd like a rethink. DavidW, I respect your opinion on phones so if you were to reinclude the Denons and the M50s, what would you choose out of the four?

Many thanks to all who have contributed so far.

DavidW · November 29, 2010, 05:00:28 AM

Holden, I'd go with Denons but then you might as might well make it an upgrade, what Scarpia has the 2000s that is what I would buy. Heck maybe I should buy those instead, with headphones at home and at work I wouldn't need to take them anywhere.

Scarpia · November 29, 2010, 06:24:33 AM

I have the the Sennheiser HD280 and the Denon AH-D2000. I don't have the Denon AH-D1100.

The HD280 has very good isolation, which is why they feel like a vice on your head. The ear-pads need to make a decent seal on your head to get acoustical isolation. They are fairly light and don't seem to have a super-sturdy construction, but that might be a problem only if you have to pack them for traveling. The Denon AH-D2000 has a much different feel. They are closed back, but don't really isolate to any great extent, but are very comfortable on your head, I can wear them for a long time without feeling uncomfortable. Probably they produce less external noise to annoy your co-workers than an open-back headphone, but you will still hear through them. The sound in the Denon is much nicer than the HD280. The now discontinued AH-D1001 was an ear-pad headphone, but I believe the replacement AH-D1100 is a full sized headphone. I suspect it is similar to the AH-D2000, but if the budget permits I don't see any advantage of having the D1100 instead of the D2000.

Finding a place to audition them would be ideal, but www.headphone.com has a 30-day return policy.

DavidW · November 29, 2010, 07:39:07 AM

Alright I found a shootout between the three Denons and a skanky Bose for good measure, and it looks like the D5000 and the D2000 sound very similar, while the D1100 are bass bloated instead of neutral like the better ones, but obviously still better than the crappy Bose.

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/519597/denon-d5000-vs-d2000-vs-d1100-vs-bose-on-ear-a-humble-review-enclosed