[Catus54]

Hi all.

I'm on the market for a pair of closed headphones. I'm mostly looking for comfort and ease of listening as I'll be wearing these at work for 6-8 hours a day, as well as on the metro. I'm less so picky about the sound signature aside from that. Not a bass-head, and already have a pair of Grado sr325e, so something to complement (do something different from) those would be a bonus.

What I'm currently looking at:
(Some prices may look a bit low, I have some best buy gift cards lying around. Stared ones are top choices.)

- Massdrop x E-MU Purpleheart: $75
- *Sennheiser HD 569: $80*
- *Beyer DT770 Pro (80): $118*
- One More Tripe Over Ear: $130

I'm of course open to other suggestions as well.

 

[PurpleAngel]

I would have no problem buying the HD569
and the Massdrop X E-MU Purpleheart looks temping.
I own the DT770 Pro 80-Ohm and never use them.

 

[Catus54]

Thanks for the reply!

Do you find yourself not using any of the Beyers, or is it just the 770 that collects dust?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Currently my preferred headphone is the (open) Beyerdynamic T90,
If i need to block noise, I use the (closed) Beyer T70.
Right now I'm cheating on my T90, by using a Massdrop/Sennheiser HD58X, (great open headphone, for $150).
My two DT770, and two DT880 and two DT990 are all gathering dust.
If you own a tube headphone amplifier and like a lot of bass, then the DT770 (80) is fine, otherwise there lots of other headphones that are more balanced and detailed.

 

[Catus54]

Ah, ok that makes sense. Thanks for the insight, I'll try out the HD 569 once Best Buy has them back in stock (if they ever do), but I already have a feeling that's what I'll be choosing.

 

[runner1]

I am super fussy with comfort and I may try the 569s, if I do I can report back with my opinion. I have checked around a lot and they are supposed to be the most comfortable out of all the 5xx sets.

I did a lot of searching and basically I think the Beyers and HD5xxs are comfortable in different ways, what I picked up on was that some liked the material in the pads of the Beyers better while others seemed to like the overall fit better of the Sennheisers.

Editf: I can also highly recommend the Sony MDR-1AM2 for their comfort alone if they ever drop that low (they go for I believe around 150-200$), they would also fit the bill for handy portable headphones which is their intended main use (and they had a strong seal and likely isolate well). I did not like the sound in them, but a lot of people do.
But if I had the money I would have kept them for their comfort and build quality alone for portable uses. Very nicely thought out headphones, extremely light and low clamp, and the synthetic pad material sits on the ears (so it does get warm and during summer can even be sweat inducing) but just seemed to work for me. And they are very easily adjusted over the ears so you get a good fit.

 

[Catus54]

After my AKG K550s died on me, I was considering the 569's for the same reason. I love my Grados, but I could never wear them for a whole work day (ouch), not to mention they're open back. I also have some decent IEMs, but they can get uncomfortable or need adjusting after a few hours.

I'll report back as well if a pick them up.

 

[PurpleAngel]

After my AKG K550s died on me, I was considering the 569's for the same reason. I love my Grados, but I could never wear them for a whole work day (ouch), not to mention they're open back. I also have some decent IEMs, but they can get uncomfortable or need adjusting after a few hours.

I'll report back as well if a pick them up.

Check out the Massdrop/AKG K553.
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/akg-k553-pro-studio-headphone

 

[Catus54]

Interesting, never heard about those. I'll keep an eye out for another drop.

 

[BattleBrat]

HD598cs once in a blue moon you'll find em for $100 I got mine for that much. Other than the velvet crap coming off the sides of cans they're awesome.

 

[Catus54]

Putting this here for posterity.

I ended up going with the HD 569 when they went on sale a few weeks back. Though I've only had them for a day so far, I am definitely happy with my purchase thus far. Comparing them to the AKG K550 (the only other closed cans I've owned in this segment), I personally prefer the HD 569 overall.

I preferred the largely metal construction of the AKGs to the all plastic Sennheisers, but the HD 569 still feels sturdy for what it is. I also liked the large cups on the K550s. I occasionally find the tips of my ears (maybe slightly above average sized ears, but by no means large) touching the edge of the cup with the HD 569. The K550 also had a somewhat larger sound stage from what I remember.

As far as sound goes, I prefer the HD 569. The K550s had a brighter, more sparkly treble that I really did appreciate, but I always found the bass lacking, and I am by no means a bass head. For lack of better words, the HD 569 has a more constant and relaxed sound, thanks to the slightly softer (but by no means muted) treble response. This of course makes long listening sessions easy and comfortable (so far). From my limited experience, this all goes along with the typical Sennheiser sound and reminds me of a friend's HD 598, albiet a somewhat smaller sound stage as expected. Perhaps it's because I'm used to brighter headphones, but these lighter highs make me want to turn the music up even louder in search of that sparkle that comes out in my other headphones. This isn't a bad thing, I think it's just something I'll get used to (and a nice change of pace).

They also isolate noise better than I thought they would, but don't expect any miracles.