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arrocks
06-28-2009, 05:15 PM
Hi All,

I currently own a pair of sound isolating earphones but I am experiencing pain in my ears. May be because they don't fit properly and keep falling all the time.

I am now looking for headphones that I can use when working in office at my desk. I don't want the sound to leak and disturb others. I was looking for a decent pair in a decent price and I have narrowed down my choices to Sennheiser PX 100 or Koss PortaPro.

The question I have is that should I go ahead and buy one of these or should I look for closed headphones. I don't keep the volume too high when listening to music in the office. Also, I generally listen to House music and electronica, if that helps.

Any suggestions/comments?

-Sushant.

Mr Peabody
06-28-2009, 07:00 PM
I have the Sennheiser either the Px-100 or 200, mine are the black ones. They are what you ordered, i can have people sit beside me on the bus or train and not hear me jamming them. They also do a good job of isolating outside noise with the snug fit. Although they are snug they are comfortable as well. The sound quality is very good but they don't seem as open in sound stage as some of the other Senn's I own. One other thing, they will require a break in period to sound the way they should. I hooked mine up to a home stereo and let them play over night a couple times I think these will make you happy.

Auricauricle
06-29-2009, 05:55 AM
If you are ordering these, I would check with the vendor to see if he has a return policy so that you have the opportunity to exchange them or get some sort of compensation if your choice does not suit you. There is an abundant number of headphone sites on the internet and finding someone with amenable terms should not be difficult.

Sennheiser makes excellent headphones, and I have little doubt that the PX-100 are quite nice. They are not of the same calibre as some of their higher-priced "audiophile" line, but for enjoying your music without disturbing others and if Mr. P is to be trusted (he is), they might satisfy your need well.

The Koss model resembles a set Koss had in the early 80's or thereabouts. I owned a pair. These phones were fairly robust in their construction and prsented a prodigious sound that was pretty impressive. They were capable of taking robust volume with little or no distortion, but at this point they would leak; yet that was at high levels, where nearly all light-weight headphones falter. Aesthetically, they're unusually styled, so if the "cool factor" is important, you might lose a point or two. Still, a good performer.

Remember, head phones are very idiosyncratic. Design disparities not only are important for aesthetic and comfort-related reasons, but because of differences in the way sound is reproduced and perceived. For the office environment, where you will have occasional interaction with others, portables will give you the ability to attend to others without becoming completely isolated. Likewise, the phones you buy will be affected by the music you listen to. For chamber ensembles and jazz numbers, one design my suit you better than another. Since you listen to electronic music--as I do--you may find that the Sennheisers or the Kosses are more than satisfactory. Lastly, comfort is very important if you plan to be plugged in for long periods of time. Some phones can chafe your ears and become unbearable. Pay close attention when they are applied to every sensation you experience: sound, isolation, portability (do you need an extension cord?), comfort, aesthetics, etc.

Send us your report when you make your decision.

Now, go forth, young man!

arrocks
06-29-2009, 05:57 AM
Thanks so much for the info.

Do you mean that I should connect the headphones to my laptop (I don't have a home theater) and let it play for a couple of nights before I can start using it?

I am sorry as I am not much well informed when it comes to audio equipment.

-Sushant.

arrocks
06-29-2009, 06:05 AM
Thank you very much. This sure enlightens me about the fact that sound quality is not the only thing to look out for when buying headphones. I think Px 100 is more portable as compared to the Koss and I also read somewhere that they are more comfortable. I am going ahead and buying the PX100. I will also make sure that the seller has a good return policy.

Thanks again.

Auricauricle
06-29-2009, 07:00 AM
If you can wear them to work, try them out and see if your mates are disturbed. Make sure you play a variety of material and at the volume that you would ordinarily play them when going through the trial, for your benefit as well as theirs.

No need to comment about inexperience here. We're all learning here, and willing to pitch in if we can.

Good luck and have fun!

Mr Peabody
06-29-2009, 06:30 PM
You don't have to plug them into a home theater, any stereo would do but if your laptop is all you have then use that. You can use them right out of the package but don't be disappointed with the sound, I guarantee they will eventually sound better after 30 or so hours of being played. If you need them right when you get them go ahead and use them but maybe let them play overnight and the next day you will hear a nice improvement.

Isolation, unless your friends talk really loud you'll have to remove them for conversation.

winston
06-29-2009, 08:22 PM
AURICAURICLE" this is the kind of talk you talk just like in post #3
why i held on to my ATH-AD700 ! boy am i happy i did that ; it's a just a pity i cannot recommend it to arrocks as he needs isolation and portability.

that said i an kinda sorta falling in love with headphones these days and looking to go to another level my eyes are SENN HD-600 OR HD-650 yes i know they need lots of POWA" to drive them.
the prices are super nice on them at this time, and also i think they are two great headphones, and i am looking to buy one of them..... BTW 600 owners a penny' for your thoughts..as you all have good things to say about the 600... and so are the 650 owners
which is the new #2 senn. I AM LEANING TOWARDS 600 ?.
Win

Mr Peabody
06-30-2009, 05:04 AM
Hi Winston, I've got Senn HD600 & 580's. The 580's are even good, the 600's are a bit more extended in the high end and maybe a bit more open in the mid's. In general these phones offer a very nice tight bass response, a more open sound stage than I've heard from headphones before and a very balanced frequency response, meaning they will not be bright or overly bass heavy, they have an overall very good sound without coloring up the original signal. In response to needing power, I think that's exaggerated some. I used my 580's with an Onkyo receiver in the bedroom for a while and now I just have them hooked up to a HD radio and they do fine. I've also had each hooked to mp3 players just to see how they sound. My friends Ipod pushed the 580's pretty well but other mp3's sounded alright but the punch wasn't there like with a receiver. I do have a Musical Fidelity X-can headphone amp for use in my listening room. For the little difference when comparing it to just a headphone jack I think it's over priced and over rated. It is useful though when equipment doesn't offer a headphone outlet like my Krell or CJ gear. The X-can does sound good when directly fed from a CD player. It was also good enough to allow me to evaluate differences in RCA cables. An interesting thing when evaluating cables through headphones you really notice the size of soundstage, some keep it sort of between the phones while better ones expand the sound out beyond the phones. If buying brand new keep in mind Sennheisers do need a break in time. My 600's sounded very cold and the bass was tight to almost nonexistent but after several hours of playing them they came into their own and the sound was amazing. Depending on what you will be using for a source the 580, 600 or 650 would make you happy.

winston
08-08-2009, 09:40 AM
HI Mr Peabody,after an extensive search' base upon my question for help with the Sennheiser 600 line,....I have decided on the (HP-650) brand new due to fact that the price difference with the 600 v 650 is ups and down from a bunch of sellers...so i figures if one has the patience to search and wait" you can find decent prices..
i was on amazon for weeks'... until i decided to give BING a search and i got a link with a store through amazon that's selling the 650 for $330 shipped that price looks great IMO.so i Email them through amazon...(to see if its covered in snake oil" and they assured me that its brand new!! (but the seal on the boxes are broken) that been said i bought it together with Slum Dog and Taken through amazon for $359.99.

To make a long story short me being on old school er an all, i just wanted to touch bases with you to let you know that i appreciate your effort as you gave me tools for my QUEST...as all my searches came back in favour of the 600 and the 650... Akg , beyerdynamic, Gr ado, Audio Technica was also popular in my searches. but so many users of the HD 600 , 580's 650 cant be wrong. my HD-650 should be arriving on Monday 10Th..... I'll give you my impressions on it! thanks again for your post/reply Mr P.
Win.

Mr Peabody
08-08-2009, 10:12 AM
You are welcome. Keep in mind the 650's won't sound like they should right out of the box, they require break in time. So don't be discouraged. I know you will listen when you get them but maybe that night let them play hooked to your receiver over night a couple times. Or if no one home during the day let them continue until you get home from work. The radio is an alright source for this or put a disc on repeat. After that 20 or so hours you will hear them start to come into their own. If you decide to do this let me know your experience.

Pat D
08-12-2009, 03:57 PM
Well, the PX 100 is open air.

We like the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones, which are sealed and offer good sound isolation. I think they are more comfortable than on ear phones. They cost more ($100 plus shipping at Head Room, but they really are first class phones. Their basic balance is very similar to that of my main speakers. They are also very sensitive and a computer sound card will drive them easily.

http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-manufacturer/sennheiser/sennheiser-hd-280-pro.php

Mr Peabody
08-12-2009, 06:33 PM
I've had my PX-100's for a few years now, unless they redesigned them since, I wonder why they call them "open air". I can sit right beside some one and have the volume loud and they can't hear my PX-100's. Now my 600's & 580's you still have to be the only person in the room because they leak some serious sound.

winston
08-22-2009, 06:00 PM
:12: i had this unit 8/11 but i never had the time to check it out or break it in until Saturday 8/15... i started the break in process. i have this Sony disc explorer DVP-CX995V- that the kids gave me for Xmas!! THIS THING IS SOOOO BIG" (400 DISC) so i decided to start using it to store my Cd's in. well i had to find some use for it before they return this summer!!

well i hooked it up to my receiver with <> 150 Cd's inside the belly of the beast, then i plugged the HD 650 straight into receiver.....i had it breaking in from Saturday night until Thursday morning' as i have a long weekend of listening to do.... MY IMPRESSION'S ON THE 650 IS ALL GOOD...BALANCE & TRANSPARENT SOUNDING,MINIMUM
DISTORTION,SMOOTH,NATURAL,OPEN, THE ELEGANT TITANIUM-SILVER FINISH WOW!! IMHO' this is the best headphone i ever hear and own, it has to be amongst the best of best, and yes MR.Peabody the 650 wanting lots power is really exaggerated as you mention' because it sounded very good straight out of the receiver, on Thursday when i first put them on it was feeling some what tight but after 2 to 3 songs i forget i had them on' these cans are off the CHARTS.

Mr Peabody
08-22-2009, 09:57 PM
Glad the 650's are working out for you. I share your sentiment of Sennheiser. I'm a big fanboy of them.