question about open back headphones

[koushikp]

Hi,

First up, I have zero usage experience with open backed headphones. Have owned decent budget sealed headphone like sennheiser HD 201, haver listened to the 280 Pro at a friend's place etc..and now I want to get a decent open backed headphone within 10k. As fast as choices go, have zeroed in on the HD518, will use the rest of the budget to get a budget/preowned headphone DAC..

Have heard a lot about how open backed cans sound better from many fms also, so have no doubt that it will be an worthy investment. They will also solve another problem that has prevented me from using headphones at home, remaining aware of the surroundings when somebody is calling, phone ringing etc etc. however I have one niggling doubt which I will need help clarifying since I have no way to audition them..

A major part of the usage of the headphone will be in our bedroom when my partner is sleeping, I know that open backed headphones leak out sound, but can anyone give me an idea how much? like is it enough to wake up a sleeping person from deep sleep?

Also would appreciate about the choice of senn HD518 as the choice of headphone. They are available between 7-7.5k. I prefer sennheiser due to their decent presence in India, where any service issues later can be addressed...If any member has a different opinion/suggestion, they will be most welcome..

 

[theironhorse]

Open back certainly leak considerable amount of sound but again considering bedroom environment which is supposed to be silent i believe that a light sleep will for sure get disturbed.

besides senn check for grado sr60i , sr80i also audio technica ad-700.


open cans will give you more soundstage however will be feeble on bass due to open enclosure.

grado's have got presentation over the face so better for rock.

ad-700 is more relaxed and better bass than ad-500.

 

[tirthankar]

Yes they leak sound, and will depend on how loud you are listening and how deep the person sleeps.

I listen to mine at around -(17-16) db levels in foobar, with the windows volume control in full. It is audible when standing near, but I dont think it is enough to wake some one from a sound sleep.

For the budget you have in mind, I had bought an Audio Technica AD700, and I like it a lot.
I listening both to it and the Senn HD555 and I picked it over the Sennheiser because I felt it was much more detailed, bordering to excellent, in mids and highs, and with a fantastic soundstage if given a good source. The senns on the other hand had a better and more punchy bass, and an overall darker sound. Though the AT bass not lacking, it is well defined and tight, but may not be deep and punchy enough for some.

When you go higher, over 15000 Rs, thats when Senns begin to really shine.

 

[koushikp]

are audio technica headphones available in india?

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[Thad E Ginathom]

I would definitely not be able to use my AT open-back headphones in bedroom with wife sleeping. Where not disturbing others is a necessity, either at home or when commuting, closed-back is probably the only answer.

Although I used earbuds for commuting, I never owned closed-back headphones, having decided early in life that I do not like that feeling of isolation. Therefore, my current open-backs are the first 'phones I've used regularly at home. I can't comment on the difference between open/closed. Remember that open-back allows all the sound in, including ACs, fans, computer noises etc. This ambient noise is the limiting factor to the dynamic range you can actually hear (try the dynamic-range tests on blind tests)

are audio technica headphones available in india?

Yes. I saw them, for instance, only a few days ago on one of the dealer sites regularly mentioned on HFV....

Limited range: Pristine Note.
Recent HFV thread on the company: here

 

[tirthankar]

AT should be available with pristine note. I had also seen it in flipkart

 

[koushikp]

Found them! Available in Flipkart...thanks tirthankar


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[koushikp]

Getting confused now...maybe blowing 6-7 k on a headphone is not a great idea unless I actually test it out in an actual life scenario..let's see if I can find someone who owns a pair..


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[Thad E Ginathom]

Oh! I use Flipkart regularly and hadn't thought to look there!

Every day, Flipkart brings more and more stuff on board that we used to have to travel or order from abroad.

maybe blowing 6-7 k on a headphone is not a great idea unless I actually test it out in an actual life scenario..let's see if I can find someone who owns a pair..

It's true! Even the physical comfort is something that you need to find out about first hand. The AT AD range, for instance, have huge around-the-ear pads that might come as a bit of a shock. When I bought, I could have got much better deals from Amazon, but chose to audition and try out in Singapore. Of course, I could have then ordered from USA, but hey, want-it-now

Different headphones have very different fit, weight, tension and overall feel. It would be shame to end up saying, "I love the sound, but can't stand them on my head."

 

[theironhorse]

are audio technica headphones available in india?

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prinstine note is the way to go. he have got more of the headphone models from audio technica.

nice guy to deal with.

dd/acc transfer is the way.. check the website

Audio Technica : Pristine Note, Shop audio, headphones, amplifier, DAC, hifi, mp3, audiophile products online store India

 

[theironhorse]

Getting confused now...maybe blowing 6-7 k on a headphone is not a great idea unless I actually test it out in an actual life scenario..let's see if I can find someone who owns a pair..


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if you have not been into headphones before . its a good budget to start with and gradually move on ( i mean gradually. dont wanna look like i wanna burn your pocket)

for you directly jump to a open back of 15k you would never be able to appreciate its potential and its quality.


pristine note is the authorized dealer for AT's as he told me and also got grado and other audio gear. .have a look.
the owner is also a knowledgeable audiophile however his phone is sometimes not reachable and the guys at his shop are
not well versed with audio gear so it gets irritating but after talking to him it was diffrent and the delivery was never delayed and he
knows what he is talking about.

 

[koushikp]

Yeah I haven't really been into headphones before...headphones were strictly a also had item for me...was always a speaker person, this need has recently cropped up with my 2.5 year old son hogging the living room setup and my wife the bedroom...I have no way but to use headphones at late night when I get a craving to listen to some music..precisely the reason why I don't want to put in a lot of money...10k seemed like a decent enough budget to start, if I fully get into using headphones..why not...I may even get into the hd650 league also one day..but I am not someone who will tolerate a sub standard piece of can with a lot of coloration...so want to start at the midrange rather than at the entry level..

I will give the pristine owner a call...thanks ironhorse


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[koushikp]

Also, any suggestions of a budget headphone amp? the Fiio range any good? they seem seem so criminally cheap difficult to believe the great reviews they are getting

 

[theironhorse]

Yeah I haven't really been into headphones before...headphones were strictly a also had item for me...was always a speaker person, this need has recently cropped up with my 2.5 year old son hogging the living room setup and my wife the bedroom...I have no way but to use headphones at late night when I get a craving to listen to some music..precisely the reason why I don't want to put in a lot of money...10k seemed like a decent enough budget to start, if I fully get into using headphones..why not...I may even get into the hd650 league also one day..but I am not someone who will tolerate a sub standard piece of can with a lot of coloration...so want to start at the midrange rather than at the entry level..

I will give the pristine owner a call...thanks ironhorse


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ad-700 is a good headphone and will be around 7ish.
its not coloured and had good ss and presentation.

but if possible try to grab an open back and test it in the bedroom else the open-back will be grabbing dust soon.

hd 650 is a league apart however it needs a lot of juice.

my personal opinion would be to go for ad-700 and add a amp later.
i would be able to guide you for an amp for i believe i am not upto the
mark in terms of experience with amps.

once you feel saturated with the sound of ad-700. sell it off and
upgrade for that bug keeps biting us every now and then.

another thing for open can is i would not suggest you to keep your
listening in a quiet place else the way sound goes out it will seep in as well and even a hd-650 wont be able to make you happy then.


try checking for an open can. test it for a day or two and if you dont get any angry looks pull the trigger.

 

[tirthankar]

AD700 is very low impedance, I don't think it will benefit much from an amp. But definitely from a good source.

 

[Cherian]

Try the Senn HD 558 if you can before deciding. It's the newer version of the popular 555 with slightly increased bass. Costs under 9k and is very detailed, comfortable for long play, and the sound leak should not wake up anyone if played at normal volumes. Works well for movies too, with effects seeming to come from outside the room.

 

[gryph0n]

I have the AD-700 along with Xonar STX as source. Its incredibly comfortable to wear. My assessment of its signature would agree with what tirthankar wrote: Wide soundstage, good mids & treble (not shrill), and a bit bass-shy. I guess almost all open backed headphones wouldn't be great on bass, given their 'open' design.

I doubt that the AD-700 would benefit from an Amp as they have low impedance and are easy to drive. In fact, with the Xonar control panel, I usually have to use them at volume levels of 3 or 4 (out of 100), otherwise they get too loud.

While they do leak some sound, it's not enough to wake someone from sleep. You can have them at very loud volumes (where they can sound like tiny speakers from a laptop), but practically it would be too loud to be on your ears.

Just on the comfort factor alone, you can't go wrong with the AD-700.

 

[koushikp]

AD700 is very low impedance, I don't think it will benefit much from an amp. But definitely from a good source.

Well I should have been more precise, want to get a DAC essentially which can also double up as a headphone amplifier for my worktable setup basically. My bedroom will have the PM6004 stereo amp so that wont be an issue...my HP laptop is another story, sound quality is quite poor, so will need a USB DAC, will be nice if its a headphone amplifier too..for longer term needs..even if it is not needed immediately..

Don't have any specific budget in mind...but something within 5k would be good...i am on the constant lookout for a decent piece on the for sale section in case something is on sale...missed one last week..:sad:

 

[gryph0n]

Well I should have been more precise, want to get a DAC essentially which can also double up as a headphone amplifier for my worktable setup basically. My bedroom will have the PM6004 stereo amp so that wont be an issue...my HP laptop is another story, sound quality is quite poor, so will need a USB DAC, will be nice if its a headphone amplifier too..for longer term needs..even if it is not needed immediately..

Don't have any specific budget in mind...but something within 5k would be good...i am on the constant lookout for a decent piece on the for sale section in case something is on sale...missed one last week..:sad:

Fiio has some decent products in the DAC & Headphone Amp segments. Not outright excellent, but for the budget, their products offer good bang for the buck.

Fiio E10 (DAC+Headphone Amp) should be in your budget. PristineNote has it for ~4.5k.
E10 USB DAC Headphone Amplifier (Black) [E10] - Rs.4,570.00 : Pristine Note, Shop audio, headphones, amplifier, DAC, hifi, mp3, audiophile products online store India

NwAvGuy has done a technical review of the E10, and overall, it seems decent. The only thing that stands out to me is that the E10 has some channel imbalance at low volumes. This problem seems endemic to many 'budget' DACs as they use cheap volume potentiometers.

NwAvGuy: FiiO E10 DAC

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Auditioning is good. But, on the other hand

I went to the shop with a pretty solid recommendation for the AT AD700s. I'd even been prepared to go blind for a good Amazon deal at the time. I tried several makes in the shop, and settling with AT, set out to persuade myself I couldn't hear the difference between the AD700s and the AD900s. Unfortunately, whatever I tried, I could.

If one has to buy blind, choosing something of a renowned make that comes with good reports, especially if those people listen to similar music, is unlikely to result in getting something really horrible.

Physical comfort is more subjective...

I have the AD-700 along with Xonar STX as source. Its incredibly comfortable to wear.

Actually I wondered if I would ever get used to them! But I did. Small changes of position on the head make a big difference, and also change the sound quite a lot. You still have to find the sweet spot!