Need advice for good closed phones

[slwiser]

Maybe a lot of people go around with cleched jaws more than they realize.

[Agnostic]

Maybe a lot of people go around with cleched jaws more than they realize.

Which would explain why some people think the ATH-ES7 sound like crap.

I've noticed the same with other headphones but not nearly as bad as with the ES7

Important lesson: don't listen to headphones when you're pissed off.

[ronnielee54]

There's an avatar I recognize. Used to see Agnostic all the time on Head-fi

[Agnostic]

There's an avatar I recognize. Used to see Agnostic all the time on Head-fi

Yeah I got bored of waiting for Head-Fi to go back up, and I ran into a link to this place on another forum.

[ronnielee54]

Don't know about you. but this place is starting to grow on me. It has definitely enlightened me some.

[Agnostic]

I just found it today, so I have no idea what I'm getting into. I get the sligth impression I walked into the O.K. Corral of headphonedom though.

[slwiser]

I just found it today, so I have no idea what I'm getting into. I get the sligth impression I walked into the O.K. Corral of headphonedom though.

Fast learner aren't you...

[ronnielee54]

All you have to do is think before you ask and not have a thin skin. They definitley have no reservations about calling you out over here but that is okay by me. I'm a 54 year old ex-Marine. My skin is plenty thick.

[Agnostic]

Go on......make my day punk.

[elnero]

Jeremy,

I have a pair of Warrior05 recabled K81dj's with both velour and stock pads that I'll let go for a good price. The only problem with them is the heatshrink at the cup end of the cables let go when I was trying to swap pads. I've fixed it with black electrical tape which may be sufficient but it shouldn't be a hard fix for either Warrior05 or someone else who has a bit of experience with cables. Let me know if you're interested.

[jeremy6044]

@ elnero: unfortunately, even though i'm a pretty technical guy, i don't have experience with recabling. plus, i'm trying to go for an around the ear solution rather than on ear for more isolation. what do you think about the isolation of the k81dj?

regarding the ksc75s...they're not that bright or fatiguing. that's true. i guess it's mostly my etys and speakers that annoy me with their brightness.

regarding the es7's, are they on-ear or around ear? how is the sound isolation?

also, how do they compare to those new m50s i tried? what's the difference? will one isolate better? which will have a fuller or warmer sound? on amazon i can get the es7's for a hundred, and the m50s for one forty.

[Salt Peanuts]

Definitely.

Does anyone think the K271S is extremely "honky" sounding - borderline unbearable? I didn't think this was the case when I owned them a few years ago, but I recently got a chance to hear them again and was greatly displeased.

Nope.

[elnero]

@ elnero: unfortunately, even though i'm a pretty technical guy, i don't have experience with recabling. plus, i'm trying to go for an around the ear solution rather than on ear for more isolation. what do you think about the isolation of the k81dj?

I'm an IEM guy so the isolation wasn't what I'm used. To be honest I only played with them for a couple hours one evening right after I got them, they've been boxed up awaiting a new owner ever since. From what I remember isolation wouldn't be at the level of something like the Senn HD280's but still far better than an open phone.

If you do change your mind and think you'd be interested I have a friend that I could send them to first that should be able to fix the cable and then send it on.

[Nanoha]

Nope.

That guy's K271S must be broken. I sure don't remember them sounding that bad when I owned them.

regarding the es7's, are they on-ear or around ear? how is the sound isolation?

On ear.

[Salt Peanuts]

That guy's K271S must be broken. I sure don't remember them sounding that bad when I owned them.

Or maybe you have been corrupted by the evils of AT cans.

[Nanoha]

Or maybe you have been corrupted by the evils of AT cans.

Like how I think most A-T cans sound like crap?

Not quite sure how that would work.

[jeremy6044]

why do you think A-T cans sound like crap?

[jeremy6044]

the sennheiser hd-555 is what i tried way back when that i liked, i'm pretty sure. is there anything closed with something like that sound profile at all? i've read the hd 25-1 sounds pretty different from their open phones.

[The Monkey]

the sennheiser hd-555 is what i tried way back when that i liked, i'm pretty sure. is there anything closed with something like that sound profile at all? i've read the hd 25-1 sounds pretty different from their open phones.

Very generally speaking, I think the HD 25-1 is more Grado-like in its presentation than any other Senn I have heard.

[Agnostic]

regarding the es7's, are they on-ear or around ear? how is the sound isolation?

On ear. Sound isolation is ok. Maybe not quite enough for a noisy metro but I wear them in the train and I'm not bothered by the noise. They hardly leak any sound for anyone else to hear.

[Ben Gramain]

That guy's K271S must be broken. I sure don't remember them sounding that bad when I owned them.

On ear.

Not necessarily. I've said it before on Head-Fi but the K271S has a very shallow earcup, and it's possible for the listening experience to be radically different for sticky-out eared types because instead of the cushions supporting the phones, your ears are. This also lifts off the cups at the back of the ears. I'm sure very different sonic experiences are a result of this difference in fit.

My choices for closed phones are alternating between the Bose Triport AE (around ear) and the Sennheiser HD25-1. As much as the HD25-1 is notably superior to the Triport in practically all respects, it's not in one major area: comfort. The Senn is superior in sound, isolation, durability, spares availability and also portability. It is the best in terms of isolation among portable closed phones, it is the most incisive sounding, it is also among the most compact of the non-folders. If the comfort thing is not a factor, it is almost a no-brainer choice for the 'committed audiophile' on the move.

[Nanoha]

Not necessarily. I've said it before on Head-Fi but the K271S has a very shallow earcup, and it's possible for the listening experience to be radically different for sticky-out eared types because instead of the cushions supporting the phones, your ears are. This also lifts off the cups at the back of the ears. I'm sure very different sonic experiences are a result of this difference in fit.

That is a very interesting observation. Indeed, I remember during this last experience, the pads did not completely surround my ears and touch my head (therefore, no seal). I'm not sure whether a "honky" sound would result from a lack of seal though. For those of you who did not have a poor experience with the K271S, how was the fit for you?

[holland]

Hmm, now that it's mentioned, yes, I noticed the shallowness of the cups. My ear tips just touch and wiggling around a bit can sometimes annoy. Are there thicker pads available? Something of the depth of a typical Beyer would be great.

[jeremy6044]

do open or iem's sound warmer or fuller than closed cans? i'm worried about the ones i get being too bright and fatiguing.

what are your favorite phones for non-fatiguing sound?

[Dusty Chalk]

do open or iem's sound warmer or fuller than closed cans?

That is more a function of engineering than it is of a pair of cans being open or closed. The warmest cans I know (senn hd600's) are open, the brightest most fatiguing ones that I am still fond of (Sony MDR-7506/-V6) are semi-open (technically closed, but they sure sound open to me).

I'm surprised you put "open" and "IEM's" in the same breath as each other, to contrast with closed -- aren't most IEM's technically closed?