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

Showing 3 responses by cwlondon


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,

For some reason B&H in NYC does not sell the ATH A700s but has the ATH M50's which are also closed back and seem to be well reviewed.

Can anyone add to the debate regarding the ATH M50's?

Further to closed headphones, has anyone tried the Phiaton MS 400's?

They were well reviewed in the recent Stereophile summary of recommended components, so I thought I would give them a try.

An interesting style, the headphones have a Ferrari like carbon fiber and red leather finish.

I find them a bit small and more on the ear than around the ear. Also, my wife told me she could hear them, so apparently not 100% closed.

Still, very detailed and revealing, a bit bright at louder volumes to my ear, but makes them nice for low level listening.

Is anyone else familiar with Phiaton?