New closed back heaphones

Soldato
Joined
21 Mar 2005
Posts
12,999
Hi.

I'm loving my HD 650's but the wife not so much... :p

Looking to get some closed back headphones for the odd late night on the weekend.

Sound leakage has to be minimal...!

I have been looking at the AKG 550's and also the AKG 92's as a budget option as these can be got for less than £40 it would seem.

Anyone have any experience of the AKG 92's? Or have any recommendations here please?

Max budget is £100?

I would say gaming is the most important role for these.

Cheers :)
 
Beyerdynamic DT770 would be decent for gaming and the lively highs won't be as annoying as they are for music.

Audio Technica M40x with Brainwavz pads would come in around the ton mark and should provide what you need.

Personally, I like my Sony MDR-1A and MDR-100AAP for closed back but don't bother if you have big ears, as ear room is not that expansive. The 1A tend to be semi-on ear but the (p)leather pads are so soft they are stupidly comfortable anyway. The 100AAP look smaller but due to the shape, my ears fit perfectly inside and I can wear them for hours without discomfort.
 
Beyerdynamic DT770 would be decent for gaming and the lively highs won't be as annoying as they are for music.

Audio Technica M40x with Brainwavz pads would come in around the ton mark and should provide what you need.

Personally, I like my Sony MDR-1A and MDR-100AAP for closed back but don't bother if you have big ears, as ear room is not that expansive. The 1A tend to be semi-on ear but the (p)leather pads are so soft they are stupidly comfortable anyway. The 100AAP look smaller but due to the shape, my ears fit perfectly inside and I can wear them for hours without discomfort.

Thanks, I'll take a look into these.
 
Oh, I forgot to say, I got both the Sonys as used (returns) from the rain forest which is how the price was sub £100.
 
I think the Studiospared M1000 will provide what you require, and for only £65.

I've got the akg550 mk1. They're pretty good as long as you get a good seal. Easy to drive to silly volumes if that's your thing.

MK2 should be even better, from what I've read they're pretty good for the money.
 
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MK2 should be even better, from what I've read they're pretty good for the money.

Yeah the reviews say they're better. Can't see me replacing the MK1 with the MK2 though. I'd just buy better headphones if I wanted to replace them, rather then make a slight sideways upgrade.
 
The mk2 are the same as the 553 which is only sold in America and are reportedly better by some margin.
 
Just seen the posts - thanks for the info.

Really torn now currently between those AKG mk 2 and the Studiospared M1000 (will give the others some more thought though later).

Never heard of those Studiospared M1000 but if they are decent at that price then I will maybe go with these. Especially as I got the HD650's for the majority of the time... they look super comfy as well.

Cheers.
 
Looks like the Studiospares M1000 is actually the Brainwavz HM5, same spare pads, same cable, etc.

That's correct but they are the cheapest seller :)

I should be getting my pair soon (Lindy HF100) so can report back if necessary.

Either way neither them or AKG would be a bad choice, just go with whatever tickles your belly ;)
 
I owned the Lindy HF100 for about 2 years before upgrading to the X1's and HD650's. While they sound good for their price point I am unable to recommend them as my pair broke with minimal use. And by broke I mean that the hinge which connects the cups snapped in two.
I've owned many headphones over the years and this has never happened to any other pair so be weary.
I've since bought Beyerdynamic dt150s and can say they are huge improvement over the HF100s. I'd recommend them or the Sony Mdr-1a's if you can find them for under £100.
 
Used Denon D2000 or D600 are available around the £100 mark, with the D2000s being slightly better sounding, if slightly less well built. D600s are somehow bassier than the D2000s.
 
Zeos' M40X review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6wBv03B1nk

I couldn't embed it due to swearies in the title.

He recommends the ZMF pads which go for $50 but also the Brainwavz HM5 Angled or Sheepskin as an alternative.

In his (and many others) opinion, the pads hugely improve comfort, increase sound stage and tune the bass.

I don't own the M40X myself but am very tempted to remedy that situation. :D
 
Zeos' M40X review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6wBv03B1nk

I couldn't embed it due to swearies in the title.

He recommends the ZMF pads which go for $50 but also the Brainwavz HM5 Angled or Sheepskin as an alternative.

In his (and many others) opinion, the pads hugely improve comfort, increase sound stage and tune the bass.

I don't own the M40X myself but am very tempted to remedy that situation. :D


Not recommended for M50x then ?
 
The M50X are not recommended full stop (or period if you're a yank).

The M50X have a pronounced V shaped signature with heavily boosted bass and highs, while the M40X is a lot more neutral, closer to the MSR7.

Putting large leather pads on the M50X would just make the bass even more boomy than it already is.
 
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