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Best Private Retreat Using Closed Headphones


To avoid competing with other distractions around the house, I am reconsidering the use of headphones.

For years, I have had a few pairs and headphone amps around: Etymotics, Grados, and Sennheiser 580's to name a few, but rarely used any of them.

I don't like the claustrophic, inside my head feel of the in ear designs, other than maybe on airplanes or my motorbike where I sometimes listen to books on tape.

And I notice that with open phones, they get much louder from the outside than I would like. I don't want to distract anyone, or broadcast whatever I am listening to.

Are there any audiophile, closed headphones that you have tried? Would these permit a bit of escape without bothering or waking anyone else?

Thanks for thoughts.
cwlondon
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shadorne
7,333 posts
 
There are a few but they all suffer from the effect of cups. I find the pro Sennheiser HD 25-I-II to be extremely dynamic and very good sounding - perhaps because of the small volume of these cans? They offer 17 db background noise reduction and no noise outside the cans to disturb others - they are popular with pro sports commentators as well as studios and live production. Are they better than open cans - NO - I think you will not find any closed cans that can make that claim - however they are very good.
peter_s
1,088 posts
 
I've got a pair of Ultrasone cans that I like quite well for closed phones. Check out their line.
tom_hankins
850 posts
 
http://www.headphone.com/headphones/closed.php

Lots of options here from $20-$1500 a pair.
fightingwords
86 posts
 
I use a pair of Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro headphones. Have had them for about five years. Originally bought them as a pair of phones for detailed mixing back when I was recording a lot.

They struck me as extremely musical and unexhausting for a closed ear. I highly recommend them, against the senheisers and grados of similar price. I know they aren't an audiophile brand but worth a look.
cwlondon OP
1,198 posts
 

Has anyone tried the Audio Technica ATH-AD 700 as raved about in Stereophile?

"I borrowed a pair of the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700 headphones Sam Tellig raved about in his June 2008 column. Their list price is $249, but the street price is $149 and under. Yup, a stellar bargain. The AD700s have a remarkably neutral and unfussy midrange."

The reason I asked is that they came up on my "closed" headphone search, but as far as I can tell this is an "open" headphone.

Or, there are two AT versions - one open and one closed - which differ only by a letter or two in the model number.

Would love to know if anyone has tried them or if this could be the holy grail for bargain basement closed 'phones.

Thank you,
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