Headphone set up and closed back question

[crusaderlord]

Recent circumstances have required me to rethink my system a bit. I am cashing out on my vinyl and turntable and investing more in headphones to reduce clutter and late night listening noise. I have actually been blown away by how good headphone listening can be.

About 3 months ago i bought some Grado 325e after a demo with Sennheiser 650 and Beyerdynamic T90. I felt they offered an amazing sound v relative cost. Not the most comfortable admittedly but the sound is so clear and well balanced that i thought they were the best option at the time.

My very recent 50th birthday enabled me to get a good headphone amplifier to mark the occasion, i had demo's of the chord hugo, graham slee ultra linear diamond and the oppo amplifier. The chord was excellent on vocals and piano but did have a slight bass lift compared to the graham slee. I bought the slee ex demo for a good discount and am very happy with it in my main system.

The final step is that all my older headphones sound poor now that i have the grado. My old Senneiser 595 has a bass driver that has gone (which led me onto this path in the first place) and my train use headphones are some philips downtown phones but really lack now in comparison. I am after a good closed back headphone for use at home when my wife is in the same room and also on the trains.

My shortlist is probably B&O H6, AKG K550 and Beyerdynamic 770 - if anyone has any opinions of these or alternatives then i would be happy to hear them. Max price would be c£300 but £150 is preferred. The grados are very lively so i wouldnt mind something a little less so as an alternative.

 

[dalethorn]

The H6 is very nice - I enjoy mine. It has a strong bass, but it's not an overemphasized upper bass like so many, and so I find it OK in that regard. There's a fair amount of recess around 4 khz which may soften the presence a bit, and a strong upper treble around 9 khz, so if you were very sensitive to upper treble emphasis, that could be an issue.

The DT770 has a cavernous type of sound, but it varies with the earpads - mine were the pleather type on the 32-ohm version (88th anniversary), so if you got the velour earpads it might be completely different. Mine also had a strong peak around 8-9 khz. Since most of my headphones are recessed in the upper treble, the ~9 khz peaks in these 2 headphones were quite obvious by comparison.

I don't have the K550, just the newer K553, which is a very good headphone at a much lower price than the H6. The K553 bass is more neutral than the H6, which is better for more refined music I think. The only flaw I found worth noting is a ~6 db emphasis around 1.5 khz, which can make certain voices and instruments a little more forward.

 

[JoelSim]

I'd go for the Beyer DT880 over the 770 every time, I absolutely love them. They are the sort of headphones that you don't want to take off, just so smooth and detailed.

 

[crusaderlord]

Thanks for the useful information. My inclination is to go for the H6 at the moment due to its style and also it wouldnt be too over the top for train use. Also the price can be found for half the RRP at the moment.

I will take a look at the Beyer 880 though just to make sure but many reviews suggest they have a bright trebble which isnt something i would want too much of. I am not sure i can find anywhere to try these easy.

 

[dalethorn]

Thanks for the useful information. My inclination is to go for the H6 at the moment due to its style and also it wouldnt be too over the top for train use. Also the price can be found for half the RRP at the moment.

I will take a look at the Beyer 880 though just to make sure but many reviews suggest they have a bright trebble which isnt something i would want too much of. I am not sure i can find anywhere to try these easy.

I just bought my 3rd H6 - very recommended - my review will be posted here late today.

 

[Rimse]

I have grado ps1000, later bought sony mdr 7506 studio for listening in the evenings or late night or critical listening.These retrieve micro and macro details in music that many headphone and speakers only dream to achieve that

 

[crusaderlord]

After various demos i decided not to buy a closed back headphone just yet, my phillips ones will do for a once per month train journey to london and given they are rattling around in my rucksack i dont feel safe spending a big amount on phones just for travelling.

More important to me is home listening, and i have not so much to worry about now given i have two headphone amps in my new Graham Slee ULDE and a few years old Little Dot III which i can use in another room when i need to.

I have sold my turntable which has funded my headphone upgrades - i have ended up with some Grado 325e and Beyerdynamic T90s and feel very lucky indeed. I have to say in being family friendly its a revelation how good headphone listening can be even up against my main system (albeit a different experience). My wife is much happier now i have a music option i actually like using in the evenings.

Its amazing how different headphone can be. I thought the B&W P7 were the best closed back ones i tried and if i ever sell my Grados for a pair of closed backs these would be where i would spend the money. The Grados are amazingly rhymical but lack a little comfort and can be a bit tiring to listen to after a while. My Beyerdynamics are my favourite, a wider and smoother performance than the Grados but still very clear and detailed - i hear more details using these and they are really comfortable. These are now my number one phones, with the Grados on the keep list for now but may be switched for closed backs in due course.

 

[dalethorn]

After various demos i decided not to buy a closed back headphone just yet, my phillips ones will do for a once per month train journey to london and given they are rattling around in my rucksack i dont feel safe spending a big amount on phones just for travelling.

More important to me is home listening, and i have not so much to worry about now given i have two headphone amps in my new Graham Slee ULDE and a few years old Little Dot III which i can use in another room when i need to.

I have sold my turntable which has funded my headphone upgrades - i have ended up with some Grado 325e and Beyerdynamic T90s and feel very lucky indeed. I have to say in being family friendly its a revelation how good headphone listening can be even up against my main system (albeit a different experience). My wife is much happier now i have a music option i actually like using in the evenings.

Its amazing how different headphone can be. I thought the B&W P7 were the best closed back ones i tried and if i ever sell my Grados for a pair of closed backs these would be where i would spend the money. The Grados are amazingly rhymical but lack a little comfort and can be a bit tiring to listen to after a while. My Beyerdynamics are my favourite, a wider and smoother performance than the Grados but still very clear and detailed - i hear more details using these and they are really comfortable. These are now my number one phones, with the Grados on the keep list for now but may be switched for closed backs in due course.

I'm working on a review of the closed-back AKG K553. It's not expensive, but has many of the P7 qualities, with a much smoother sound and greater clarity by far. Great soundstage for closed.