Recommend closed back cans for travel (updated 1st impressions DT770pro)

[Aardvark]

Well yeah, I sneaked back in for a while, looks like my membership is still valied.

Wants

Cans
Closed back
Circumaural
Soundstage and separation number 1 priority
Lotsa air number 2
No sibilance number 3

Good bass but neutral, not dark or muffled

Today I had a listen to the following

Senn Px360
Bose AE2
Bose Triport aka AE1

Thoughts, bose more sibilant but good staging, senn are the least dark I have ever heard a senn, better isolation than either Bose design and the widest soundstage heard on a closed back senn

Bose fantastic stage, air, bass, but sibilant

Senn, just less stage, less air, better treble, better isolation

Bose Triport, a muddy mess

Anyone hear the Denon 1100 or its clone the Creative Zen Aurvana Live?

All ideas welcome...oh and, yep, deaf, yep big...huge ears...ect etc

Oh and at the moment mostly using 1st gen Hippo VB with phat bass port and medium comply tips out of my trusty Zen Vision M but starting to use my new (pre loved) HTC Wildfire

Goodness, where did 5 years go??

[CrowdAds]

[JK98]

Good soundstage tends to be associated with circumaural open headphones, not with closed ones. If you want sound isolation when travelling, imo iems make the most sense. If you want a nice sountage and plan to use the headphones at home, you should probably look at some Sennheiser circumaural open headphones.

Do you plan to listen to mostly classical music, or rock or jazz?

[Syndrome]

The sound stage isn't all that(at least not with my S9) but I use the ATH-M50's in the bed of a pick-up truck on the way to and from work each day. They isolate good enough that I can hear my music, psp, or audio books good enough. And for use in a quiet place they sound really good.

[WalkGood]

Syndrome, I can't recall did you like the SRH840s or the SRH940s? I enjoyed the 840s and found them fun to listen to for closed cans but didn't like the cable, although we both know that's an easy fix I found the 940s a bit expensive for what they are, hell I paid less for my 650s but I've notice a big price drop in them lately.

BTW Varkie, thanks for the b-day wishes

Edit: BTW I forgot to mention that I've yet to find closed phones that I enjoy as much as my open ones ... for travel I only use IEMs

[Confispect]

Welcome back Varkie state a budget.

[steinburger1109]

ATH-M50s sound pretty close to what he wants, maybe a bit bassy?

[Syndrome]

WalkGood: Honestly the SRH-840's were the biggest disappointment of the lot of headphones I received. Although I had the highest expectations for them they ranked nearly the lowest. All three of the other pairs sounded better, but the KRK's were the wrong sound signature, and the M-Audio's were very very uncomfortable but sounded really nice. The ATH-M50's were both comfortable and sounded good.

[WalkGood]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

WalkGood: Honestly the SRH-840's were the biggest disappointment of the lot ...

Strange, I wonder if the difference was that the ones I tried were extremely broken in with hundred and fifty plus hours of use. Regardless /me must seek out and try the ATH-M50, I've tried the ATH-ESW9A but wasn't impressed at all except for the looks.

Edit:

Originally Posted by Confispect

Welcome back Varkie state a budget.

hope you know that you're talking about a guy who has no budget

[JK98]

I wonder how the ATH-M50 compares with the Sony 7509HD(which I think may be the same as the V900HD?). The reviews on the ATH-M50 were silly. They compared it to the ATH-M30($39) and the Sony V6($65). Since the ATH-M50 is $159, it seems silly to compare it to headphones that are so much cheaper, even when the say the ATH-M50 is better(well duh, at such a higher price I would expect it to be. How about comparing it to other headphones around $160. The first that comes to mind is the Sony 7509HD. If a $159 headphone is just a bit better than a $39 or $65 headphone, is it worth spending so much more?

How about the M-Audio Q40?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...k_Dynamic.html

or the Sennheiser PX360?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...osed_Back.html

[Syndrome]

The Q40's were the M-Audio's I mentioned. They actually sounded very nice. But the pads were very shallow so unless your ears were small and pinned back to your head extremely tight, they will be uncomfortable. I could wear them for longer than 3 songs, normally I would have given up at song one.5 but they sounded good enough I endured the discomfort.

[Aardvark]

Hi all, thanksfor the help so far

To answer the questions

1 gotta be closed back for travelling and use in noisy envirnments ( or just Mrs Varkie barking at me lol)

2 Budget, I don't buy often and so up to £150 or more if they really sound that much better

3 I have open backed phones and regualry use DT990pro and Grado SR60, and I prefer the Grado signature but would want a bit more bass and a bit more air and bit less sibilance

Yep, I know about IEMs, is use my gen 1 Hippo VB but there are times when I just cant face putting em in my ears or after 4 hours on a flight I just want a nice comfy can. Those of you who know me, know that I have big ears which tend to wiggle (alright then....flap) and they get sweaty in the canals

so Headphones, closed back, great soundstage, better than DT770 if at all possible and comfortable to wear for extended perios....I wear spectacles as well.....and no I dont like the fell or the sound of Ultrasones, tried em and dint like em over the DT770s

Oh and thanks for the welcome back, I miss the old days when the off topic forum was THE place to kick back but i kinda found another place like this but more so, its over 18s only so PM me if you want the low down.

But Make sure if you PM me that there is room in your inbox for me reply...cough...not looking at anyone in particular..< Confispect> cough ahem.

Cheers for now

Varkie

[JK98]

Good luck with the hunt. Imo smaller circumaural closed headphones with pleather pads make your ears sweat the most. Larger circumaural closed headphones with velour pads might not cause as much ear overheating. There are some velour earpad replacements for some headphones that don't come with velour pads. Even the Sony V6 is very different as far as comfort after the supplied earpads are exchanged for velour ones. Aside from the comfort issue, travelling around with very large headphones might not be that practical. At least the ATH-M50 and Sony 7509HD fold.
Iwonder if there are inexpensive velour earpad replacemnts for these?

http://www.head-fi.org/t/414574/velo...ds-for-ath-m50

I found this on head-fi.

"Loving my new ATH-M50s, but finding the ear cup too small - it presses on the edges of my ears, and after an hour or so it becomes downright painful. Plus, they're not deep enough - I can feel my ears against the inner foam. I don't think stretching the headband will relieve this much. So I'm looking to mod these earphones with deeper and larger cups."

Try on the ATH-M50 and listen for a while before buying. See if your ears get hot, and how comfortable they are for you. If your ears are very large, you might need a larger headphone for it to be circumaural on you.

The fact that DT250 velour earpads fit on the ATH-M50 means that it is similar in size to the Sony V6, and that it may not be circumaural on you.

[Aardvark]

Thanks JK 98, my ears stick out rather than are large in surface area.

I can wear the Senn Px360 and the BD DT231 galaxy, both of which have smallish cans comfortably as I can aslo the Bose AE designs, again they dont seem to have huge cans.

We also have a coupla pairs of HD280pro which I fit easiliy but I am looking for less vice like grip on me noggin and a lot wider soundstage and less dark sound than the HD280pro which I find quite dark and flat, kinda 2D not 3D if you get my drift.

The ATH M50 are now on my list to check out if I can find a B&M store that will let me demo.

Anybody had a chance to audition the PX360 and Bose AE2 yet?

[Kerebron]

Originally Posted by Aardvark

I have open backed phones and regualry use DT990pro and Grado SR60, and I prefer the Grado signature but would want a bit more bass and a bit more air and bit less sibilance

You should look at what Audio Technica has to offer, but not necessarily M50. I'd say ATH-A700 would be a good choice.

[JK98]

"The ATH M50 are now on my list to check out if I can find a B&M store that will let me demo.'

For high quality headphones, look for a musical instrument or professional audio store.
I don't know about those in the UK. Very few electronics stores have a decent selection of high quality headphones. In the US, Sam Ash and Guitar Center are two of the larger chains with many locations. I think Guitar Center might even match internet prices.

[IDvsEGO]

Originally Posted by JK98

For high quality headphones, look for a musical instrument or professional audio store.
I don't know about those in the UK. Very few electronics stores have a decent selection of high quality headphones. In the US, Sam Ash and Guitar Center are two of the larger chains with many locations. I think Guitar Center might even match internet prices.

Guitar Center has them and usually will let you demo.

[Aardvark]

Originally Posted by IDvsEGO

Guitar Center has them and usually will let you demo.

Thanks, i will be coming to USA in 7 weeks and I know where it is on South Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando/Kissimmee. Its where I bought a pair of HD280 pro a few years back

[JK98]

If you plan to be in NYC, then check out B&H and J&R. NYC also has Guitar Center and Sam Ash.

[The DarkSide]

B&H has a HUGE testing area,...you won't be disappointed IMO.

[WalkGood]

Originally Posted by JK98

If you plan to be in NYC, then check out B&H and J&R. NYC also has Guitar Center and Sam Ash.

We have a Sam Ash down here; I had a blast in the percussion department and didn’t even see the headphones when last I was there. BTW there's one in Orlando where you stay Varkie (4644 East Colonial Drive, Orlando).