Closed PX100 alternatives

[xnor]

Hey guys,

I'm looking for PX100 alternatives that are closed, supra-aural and priced similarly for rock, metal and also some electronica.

They should have slightly pronounced and extended bass and no harsh highs.

Some of the headphones that I think could do the job:
- AH-P372 (may need some EQing to cut upper mids?)
- HD218 (may need some EQing to cut boosted upper bass?)
- K81dj / K518le (uncomfortable, too bassy?)

I would be interested in comments on the headphones listed above (especially P372). Other suggestions are welcome as well, thanks.

[CrowdAds]

[IDvsEGO]

too bassy? does not compute...

you can EQ bass out easier than in in my experience. The fit is iffy but you can stretch them. I liked the way the 81dj sounded and wish I would have kept them and tried stretching.

[xnor]

I haven't tried the k81dj yet but read everywhere that they clamp hard and are uncomfortable. Since I'm spoiled by the px100 in terms of comfort I don't think I could stand that. Maybe stretching them does help but I guess it would also roll-off the bass and maybe change some other characteristics too?

Sure, if the bass response isn't all too bumpy EQing is fairly easy. But boosting bass also isn't a problem if the headphones don't distort too much.

[JK98]

The JVC HAS600 at around $30 is very interesting. The much more compact JVC HAS160(closer in size to the PX100) at under $15 is a great value for the price. It has bass, but not the strong impactful bass of the HAS600. For around $25 there is the JVC HAS360B. The HAS360B and HAS160 have only 30mm drivers vs the 40mm drivers on the HAS600. The HAS360B folds to a much smaller size than the HAS600. If you don't mind a much larger headphone, then for $50 get the Sony MDR-XB500. I haven't heard the XB500 or HAS360B(I would very much like to hear these), so I can't comment personally how they sound. i read reviews on them though. Imo for the price, strong bass, nice overall sound, and still quite portable size, the HAS600 is very nice.

[xnor]

It doesn't have to be small like the PX100 but should be supra-aural aka on-ear. It's a shame the HA-S600 is circumaural, or is it?
Don't think the HA-S160 have the bass I'm looking for.

Amazon reviewers say HA-S160 lacks bass, but who knows what that means. It may be right for me. Too bad I couldn't find any measurements.

The XB500 is quite the bass monster I've heard and might need a lot of EQing.

[JK98]

The HAS600 isn't circumaural unless you have very small ears. The HAS160 has bass, but not the impactful bass of the HAS600. Since these are so cheap, you can buy both the HAS600 and HAS160 for under $50. I like both, but clearly the HAS600 is much better. For the price($10-15) and small size, the HAS160 is a good value.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/533837/jvc-...eview-and-pics

[xnor]

Originally Posted by JK98

The HAS600 isn't circumaural unless you have very small ears.

From the linked review:

These are some of the only (if not THE only) full-size over-the-ear/portable cans that I've used that actually go over your ears, are truly portable, and still maintain comfort.

I'm confused.

[JK98]

Do a Google search HAS600 supraaural. You will see several sites describing it as being supraaural. I disagree with that review I linked to about two things. I do believe the HAS600 is supraaural for most people, and at reasonable volumes(non ear damaging ones) the HAS600 has no significant distortion. I linked to the review since it does give plenty of useful information(including the opinions of the others) as well as nice photos.

[xnor]

Any more suggestions on supra-aural, similarly priced, closed headphones?

[Limp]

An obvious option would be the PX200. Have you cosidered those?

[xnor]

Yeah but that one lacks bass.

[JK98]

Get the JVC HAS160 for around $10-15. You may be satisfied with it. I found a frequency response chart for the HAS150 which is very similar. Don't get fooled by the low price. It is a quality headphone.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/425759/jvc-...o-im-not-crazy



The JVC HAS650 also looks interesting for around $35 on Amazon.

[The DarkSide]

JVC HA-M750, on sale for $39.34 via Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Jvc-Monitor-St.../dp/B002GQM2MA

I own them, and the SQ is excellent at that price point. Plus, they fully cover the ears and are comfy as all heck.

[JK98]

$39.34 sounds like a great deal on the HA-M750, however he wants something that is supraaural, and not circumaural. There are many closed circumaural headphones, but not that many closed supraaural headphones that sound good and have good bass.

I think he is right about the PX200-II not having such great bass. It is probably okay, however the sound quality of the PX200-II overall is lower than the PX100-II, and the PX200-II is probably no better than the HAS160, and may even be worse.

Is the Sony 7502 the same as the Sony V150?

It generally takes a larger driver to get good bass, and supraaural headphones usually have a driver around only around 30mm, although a few go up to 40mm.

As for whether the HAS600 is circumaural on you, I measured the opening
in the earpads. It is roughtly 1 7/16 inches wide(36.5mm) and 2 1/8 inches long(54mm) oval. It is supraaural on me, although if I fold my ears a bit they fit inside. It isn't comfortable that way, so I wear it on top of my ears.

[Marvin the Martian]

The Sony MDR-V150 sucks. It's a big muddy mid-bass mess.

[jupitreas]

Its hard to get good bass from such small headphones at a low price. If you are willing to go up to around 100$, there are some good options though.

For example: Xone XD-40

[xnor]

Originally Posted by JK98

As for whether the HAS600 is circumaural on you, I measured the opening
in the earpads. It is roughtly 1 7/16 inches wide(36.5mm) and 2 1/8 inches long(54mm) oval. It is supraaural on me, although if I fold my ears a bit they fit inside. It isn't comfortable that way, so I wear it on top of my ears.

Thanks. Guess it would be supraaural for me too then.

@JK98: I found mdr-7502 measurements on innerfidelity and only if the fit is "perfect" it seems to have a relatively flat bass extension, else it rolls off in a flat line (-10 dB at 60 Hz compared to 1 kHz). I guess in that case one would mostly hear the mid/upper bass but I don't think it'd be muddy but lacking oomph in the lower octaves.

[JK98]

I am afraid the sony 7502 might be the same as the V150, in which case it should be avoided like the plague. The Sony 75xx series is generally good, however I know that this series also tends to have headphones that are duplicates of Sony's consumer line, as the 7506 is the same as the V6, and the 7509HD is the same as the V900HD. Those are both great headphones though.

I think you will probably enjoy both the JVC HAS160 and HAS600, although you will probably like the HAS600 more. The highs are better on the HAS160 and it is better balanced than the HAS600, although I think the highs on the HAS600 are still better than on the PX100. The HAS600 has the strong bass that you are looking for, while the HAS160 has decent bass, it is more in balance with the rest of the frequencies. I still say you should buy both the HAS600 and HAS160, as the two together are less than $50, and less than the cost of the PX200-II. I see the PX200-II listed at B&H for $51 for preorders.

The Darkside's recommendation for the HAS750 is a good one for those who want a bassy circumaural headphone. I would like to see a frequency response chart for it.
The Sony XB500 has strong bass, however its chart shows the elevation of the lower midrange as well as the bass, while the XB700 avoids this. Elevation of the lower midrange can make vocals sound too warm. I wonder if this happens with the HAS750. In any event, all of these are circumaural and not supraaural, so they wouldn't be good for the op.

I was comparing my HAS600 with my Sony V6. The V6 is neutral reference headphone. The bass is definitely stronger on the HAS600, however the highs are stronger on the V6. The highs on the HAS600 sound somewhat recessed, but not as recessed as on the Sennheiser PX100(the PX100-II is said to have even more recessed highs than the PX100, and also less detail). When I listen to my PX100, I like the bass and the midrange, however when compared to the V6 i hear high frequencies that I don't hear on the PX100. I guess there is no perfect headphone, and those that come close can be very expensive.

[xnor]

Thanks for all that info. Has anyone heard the HA-S4X? The "XX" looks stupid but who cares if they sound fine..

[JK98]

After reading the detailed review I thought the HAS4x might have the same drivers as the HAS600, however I noticed that the HAS4x is 32 ohms and the HAS600 is 36 ohms. The review is encouraging. It is only $25 on Amazon(US site), so for around $55 you can buy the HAS4x and the HAS600.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-revi...DateDescending