[bwr827]

  i like my senn momentum on-ear the most for movies. the way it delivers the bass is impressive. very close to a true sub-woofer. i even prefer it over my denon d7100 (definitely more so than my grado and AKG) 

I had some momentums that I never opened (flipped them to fund my HD600 purchase). I considered trying them out, but was unsure due to the published frequency range, which falls well short of even the HD598. I also personally am not interested in a closed headphone, as I often need to hear the baby monitor while I'm watching a movie.
 
Bass is clearly a need for movies. You mentioned needing more detail, too. I'm soon going to try the Beyerdynamic 990, which I've read has both of these features. I've also read warnings about it's overly bright treble; I wonder how that will sound on a sequence like the lobby scene in the Matrix. Can't wait to try!

 

[bwr827]

  There's no  such thing as great headphones for movies (well, not entirely true). Movies always have audio either in 2.0 stereo or multi-channel surround...none of which work properly with headphones. The only way to have a truly great movie experience with headphones is by using DSP's and soundcards that support multi-channel audio.  That way, you can turn even the cheapest headphones into amazing surround sound experience.  So...they key are not  headphones, they key is the source of the sound you're using has to be capable of turning 7.1 surround into something that will sound great on headphones.  To give you an example, I prefer my Sennheiser HD202's plugged into Logitech's little USB dolby headphone soundcard that  I received with a 70€ Logitech G430 headset over my Beyerdynamic T1's plugged into 2 grand worth of equipment when it comes to watching movies.

Interesting. Wouldn't your T1s sound better than the HD202 if you plugged them into the dolby headphone soundcard?

 

[Zoop]

  I had some momentums that I never opened (flipped them to fund my HD600 purchase). I considered trying them out, but was unsure due to the published frequency range, which falls well short of even the HD598. I also personally am not interested in a closed headphone, as I often need to hear the baby monitor while I'm watching a movie.
 
Bass is clearly a need for movies. You mentioned needing more detail, too. I'm soon going to try the Beyerdynamic 990, which I've read has both of these features. I've also read warnings about it's overly bright treble; I wonder how that will sound on a sequence like the lobby scene in the Matrix. Can't wait to try!

please do report back on the 990.
 
currently, im quite excited about the new wireless momentum, especially using it with my projector at home.
 
i found the wired over-ear momentum bass doesnt attack quite the same way as on-ear version. the on-ear version seems to create the illusion of an subwoofer (not much of chest punching, but definitely give your head a good punch), something i have yet to experience on other headphones. so im hoping the new wireless version will improve on that. 

 

[Armok]

What do you guys think about the Philips Fidelio X1 for movies? Currently I'm using the old Philips SBC HD 1502 for movies which sounds pretty good thanks to the dolby headphone.
Now I'm looking for a good headphone which i can use with the Dolby Headphone Amp (instead of the Wireless Headphone from Philips).
Another option would be the Denon d600 (my limit is around $200).

 

[ubs28]

I want awesome headphones 95% for movies. I've spent the past month reading countless posts on head-fi, and have found that music reproduction dominates the conversation. When movie audio comes up, there are often responses pointing users to budget-fi or low mid-fi models in the midst of discussion of more serious headphones. Obviously the majority cares most for music.

Fair enough! But I'd like to carve out a little space here to talk about the best headphones for movies. Movie audio is pretty demanding, and it deserves some attention.

I'm new here, so it's probably highly presumptuous to put "the" and "thread" in this title, but I'd love to see this become the go-to for those of us more concerned with movie audio than music.

So, which headphones do you think perform best for movies?

In my opinion, the Sennheiser HD800 without doubt the best headphone for movies. 

 

[bwr827]

What do you guys think about the Philips Fidelio X1 for movies? 

I've just been reading about these and the X2. From what I've read, I would only want to buy the X2, but they do sound like great movie headphones (uber comfort, great bass, wide/tall/deep soundstage).

 

[bwr827]

 
In my opinion, the Sennheiser HD800 without doubt the best headphone for movies. 

What is about the HD800 that you feel makes it the best movie headphone?

 

[DanBa]

A gift for the next Christmas: Virtual Reality (VR) headset for music / movies / …
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/5940#post_11158898
 

 

 
multi-channel audio-video file > VR audio-video player with virtual surround sound engine running on Android smartphone with 4K display slotted into a VR headset > PCM stream > USB audio out >> portable USB DAC/amp >> headphones
 
multi-channel audio-video file > VR audio-video player running on Android smartphone with 4K display slotted into a VR headset > multi-channel PCM stream > USB audio out >> portable USB DAC/amp with virtual surround sound engine >> headphones
 
 
Nowadays, we can spend an intimate moment with a musician at work in his studio loft in a virtual reality way by using a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and a Samsung GearVR headset.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/6015#post_11185404
 

 
 
We can go to a giant screen movie theater at anytime, anywhere in a virtual reality way by downloading a movie file into the Galaxy Note 4 and launching  the Oculus Cinema app.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/6105#post_11216174
 

 

 

 
"It was better than sitting in a real theater, and immediately made me wonder why I'd ever go to a theater again if I could get my movies this way. When Carmack told me he watched the entire Matrix Trilogy and a full season of Max Headroom in there, I got a bit jealous. It feels like a true killer app for virtual reality."
http://gizmodo.com/inside-the-galaxy-note-4s-virtual-reality-ambitions-1646853596
 
 
The basic tools (virtual surround sound engines, Software Development Kits, ...) are available.
Developers should be encouraged to enter this new Next Big Market.
Everyone has a smartphone; everyone can go to a movie theater, the opera or a concert theater at anytime, anywhere in a virtual reality way by just adding an inexpensive phone accessory, a virtual reality headset.
 
Our consumer needs should be widely known.
 
A tweet to encourage developers to add Dolby Vision HDR (High Dynamic Range) in the Oculus Cinema app (the source code of this virtual reality app is freely available) in order to get a personal portable giant screen Dolby Cinema theater:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/sensory-assault-dolby-takes-imax-753479
https://twitter.com/DanielBa78/status/554760575088357377

 

[ubs28]

  What is about the HD800 that you feel makes it the best movie headphone?

Because it does everything right. It delivers deep bass, excellent soundstage, excellent imaging, great treble extension, great mids, great transparancy, very detailed, and so on. I can't fault the HD800 at anything for movies.

 

[monkeysixtysix]

My 2 cents fwiw...
 
My headphones have basically become a home theater replacement because I live in an apartment in NYC, and there is no way I could use a proper home theater setup without annoying the hell out of my neighbors. So I use my headphones to watch movies and play games as often I use them to listen to music.
 
You are probably thinking that soundstage width is the most important thing to look for, but in my experience soundstage depth and imaging are the most important traits. Width is obviously important too, but depth and imaging are crucial for movies.
 
I'd say the Hifiman HE-560's and Audeze LCD-2's (with Fazor) are the best headphones I have heard for movies. Of those two I think it comes down to your preferred sound signature. The 560's have a great soundstage (width, depth, and imaging all excellent) but they were a bit too neutral sounding for me. While the LCD-2's do have a narrower more intimate soundstage, there depth and imaging is phenomenal. Better than anything under $1000 imo. They also have a warmer sound signature that I love.
 
For less expensive options I would reccommend the Fidelio X1's (wide soundstage, warm sound signature) or the Hifiman HE-400i's (narrower soundstage but very good imaging).
 
Hope that helps!

 

[bwr827]

Monkeysixtysix, thanks for your input! I'd love to hear those high-end models, but they're out of my budget,at least for now.

Curious, do you recommend the X1 because you're unfamiliar with the X2, or is there something the X1 offers that has been lost with the new model?

 

[monkeysixtysix]

Monkeysixtysix, thanks for your input! I'd love to hear those high-end models, but they're out of my budget,at least for now.

Curious, do you recommend the X1 because you're unfamiliar with the X2, or is there something the X1 offers that has been lost with the new model?

That's exactly it. I haven't heard the X2's, only the X1's... 

 

[Zoop]

i do feel closed back design gives better "cinematic" feel, alternatively noise cancelling can also give the same "feel". 

 

[intlsubband]

My absolute favourite movie headphones are the Sony MDR-F1. It's pretty much as open back as you can go though... but that openness really gives a great sense of space, which is great for movies I find.

 

[bwr827]

DanBa, that VR setup sounds amazing. I have a Note 4, so I'm going to look into the headset. Certainly worth exploring!