Best Over-the-ear Closed-back Headphones?

[djsavta]

Hi all,

 

My current headset is going to break sooner or later (did you know plastic is really fragile?).

So I wanted to get a new headset, and this time I don't want to cheap out.

 

I really like massive ear-cups that go over the ears, my ears are sensitive and pressure on them for more than 10 minutes with regular-sized headphones is a painful nightmare.

 

 

EDIT: 

I kinda got driven away from wireless when I heard many people having issues with both RF and Bluetooth.

Seems like it's just not worth the issues.

 

So, closed-back, comfortable big ear-cups, with great sound quality and durable?

Is there any headphone that meets all of those with a reasonable price?

 

 

My current headset is the Turtle Beach Spectre (Call of Duty: Ghosts Edition), which I really like a lot (I know it's old and designed for XBox).

The ear-cups size is PERFECT, the material used on them is soft and comfortable, the sound quality is decent and I actually like the little controller.

The issues with those is the chord that bugs me all the time and I guess durability is also a bit questionable...

 

So, here are a few of things I'm not willing to compromise on:

1. Ear-cups size - Must be the same size or a little bigger than my current headset.

2. Comfort - If it ain't comfortable, why would anyone wear it?

3. Sound Quality - I'm paying some good money, so they better sound good!

4. Durability - That one is kind of a bonus, but I've had some bad experiences with breaking plastic headsets in the past.

 

Hopefully someone here can find the perfect headset for me.

 

Thanks in advance, and hope you all have a nice day!

[musama18117]

Sound Quality: Bassy, Warm, Bright, Beats?

 

I've only seen the Sennheiser Momentum Over-Ears (Wireless), emphasis on seen, I don't know anything more.

[djsavta]

First of all, thanks for the reply!

 

I never quite got to understand the difference between sound profiles, though I do like some bass.

 

The Momentum look good, not the cheapest (but that's OK), though I'm not sure the headband is comfortable.

Looks pretty slim and rough, and I'm afraid it'll hurt my head after wearing it for a while.

[kaisei]

You're planning to use this with a console? What's your expected budget?

[djsavta]

Planning to use with my PC.
My budget is around 400 Euros.

 

I've found this deal for the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless on Amazon.es (not from Spain but the price looks good):

https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B00SUZVLAA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1AT7YVPFBWXBL

 

Opinions?

[kaisei]

18 minutes ago, djsavta said:

Planning to use with my PC.
My budget is around 400 Euros.

 

I've found this deal for the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless on Amazon.es (not from Spain but the price looks good):

https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B00SUZVLAA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1AT7YVPFBWXBL

 

Opinions?

If it's within your budget then the Momentum 2.0 Wireless is definitely very nice. For me, the ear cups are not big enough to fit around my ears, so you might want to look into that.

[djsavta]

2 minutes ago, kaisei said:

If it's within your budget then the Momentum 2.0 Wireless is definitely very nice. For me, the ear cups are not big enough to fit around my ears, so you might want to look into that.

Do you own a pair?

 

It'll be really nice if you could measure the inside of the ear-cup (top-to-bottom and side-to-side).

Then I could put it beside my current ones and know if they'll fit.

[Dackzy]

2 hours ago, djsavta said:

(did you know plastic is really fragile?).

 

 

Some plastic, far from all.

 

1 hour ago, musama18117 said:

Sound Quality: Bassy, Warm, Bright, Beats?

 

I hope you mean sound signature and not sound quality.

 

58 minutes ago, djsavta said:

SNIP

 

Nah only think about Bluetooth if you want them to be used on the go. The RS series from Sennheiser has the best audio quality when it comes to wireless, I would personally get the RS 185, because they are open and doesn't have as much bass as the other headphones in the series, which I find to be a good thing.

[djsavta]

5 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

Some plastic, far from all.

 

I hope you mean sound signature and not sound quality.

 

Nah only think about Bluetooth if you want them to be used on the go. The RS series from Sennheiser has the best audio quality when it comes to wireless, I would personally get the RS 185, because they are open and doesn't have as much bass as the other headphones in the series, which I find to be a good thing.

I never said all plastic is fragile, just on my headphones experiences.

 

I get really irritated by the headphones' wire when using my pc, so I thought it'll be nice to go wireless.

 

I actually prefer closed headphones, those isolate me from outside noises and also isolate others from getting irritated by what I'm listening to.

[Dackzy]

2 minutes ago, djsavta said:

I never said all plastic is fragile, just on my headphones experiences.

 

I get really irritated by the headphones' wire when using my pc, so I thought it'll be nice to go wireless.

 

I actually prefer closed headphones..

 

 

 

well you make it sound like you say all plastic is fragile, but eh.

 

The RS are wireless, but not Bluetooth.

Well if you prefer closed then look at the RS195.

[musama18117]

23 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

I hope you mean sound signature and not sound quality.

Honest mistake.

[djsavta]

24 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

well you make it sound like you say all plastic is fragile, but eh.

 

The RS are wireless, but not Bluetooth.

Well if you prefer closed then look at the RS195.

So do you mean Bluetooth is preferred for wireless headphones?

As far as I'm aware, it is.

 

So as far as Bluetooth goes, do you have a recommendation?

[Dackzy]

9 hours ago, djsavta said:

So do you mean Bluetooth is preferred for wireless headphones?

As far as I'm aware, it is.

 

So as far as Bluetooth goes, do you have a recommendation?

 

I mean bluetooth is shit and you should stay away from it, unless you need to use the headphones with your phone, if you don't need to use bluetooth then get some RS headphones. They don't compress the audio like bluetooth does.

[djsavta]

OK, what about non-wireless?

 

I kinda got driven away from it when I heard many people having issues with both RF and Bluetooth.

Seems like it's just not worth the issues.

 

So, closed-back, comfortable big ear-cups, with great sound quality and durable?

Is there any headphone that meets all of those with a reasonable price?

[Dackzy]

1 hour ago, djsavta said:

OK, what about non-wireless?

 

I kinda got driven away from it when I heard many people having issues with both RF and Bluetooth.

Seems like it's just not worth the issues.

 

So, closed-back, comfortable big ear-cups, with great sound quality and durable?

Is there any headphone that meets all of those with a reasonable price?

 

there are plenty if you want to keep it under 150€ then there is the DT 770, the K553/K550 or the Fostex T40RP MK3 (or Fostex T50RP MK3 if semi open is fine) if you want to move up to 200€ then maybe some ATH MSR7. If you want something fancy, then the B&W P7 (not sure how durable they are)

[djsavta]

Thanks Dackzy,

 

From the few you've mentioned, I do have my eyes on the ATH MSR7, though the build and materials look really similar to my current headset (other than the metal that holds the headphones together).

I am afraid about the thin plastic above the ear-cups (which is about to break on my current headset).

 

What are your thoughts about the V-Moda M-100 w/ the XL ear-cushions?

They look really good and have really good reviews... plus the ear-cups holders are made out of metal.

 

Btw, I don't have an amp or DAC, so I think that should also be taken into the consideration.

[Dackzy]

21 minutes ago, djsavta said:

Thanks Dackzy,

 

From the few you've mentioned, I do have my eyes on the ATH MSR7, though the build and materials look really similar to my current headset (other than the metal that holds the headphones together).

I am afraid about the thin plastic above the ear-cups (which is about to break on my current headset).

 

What are your thoughts about the V-Moda M-100 w/ the XL ear-cushions?

They look really good and have really good reviews... plus the ear-cups holders are made out of metal.

 

Btw, I don't have an amp or DAC, so I think that should also be taken into the consideration.

 

There are different qualities of plastic, high-quality plastic can beat aluminum in durability.

The M-100's are good, but only get them if you like a lot of bass, because they are very much a bass head headphone.

[Kenna]

I have some experience with the ATH-MSR7's, I don't personally own these but a friend does, I found them to be quite detailed and articulate but some what bright with its treble, I don't recall much about the mids, but from memory they are fine. Even though its plastic build quality is decent however not exceptional, I did find them to clamp pretty hard however, which may make them uncomfortable to some people. On the upside however there isolation is above average.

 

The B&W (bowers and Wilkins), P7 are another good pair that should slot into your 400 Euro Price range, From memory they aren't as articulate as the MSR7, they are a mildly V shaped headphone meaning that the Bass and Treble have been boosted some what with a with drawn mid range. These have the strongest bass slam, but its bass isn't as articulated. Treble is pretty good from memory having good detail. From memory isolation is average, They are also somewhat heavy headphones but they do have exceptional build quality with a lot of leather and metal. 

 

Oppo PM3 is another headphone that might fit into your budget. Of all the headphones I listed here, I personally like these the most.

Sound is good with IMHO the best mids and bass, beating the other 2 headphones, however the top end treble is slightly rolled off and the soundstage is probably the poorest off the bunch. Build quality is between the MSR7 and the P7 with a combination of fake leather, plastic and metal. I do find these the most comfortable though as its earpads and softer than the P7 which are quite hard in comparison and it has less clamping force than the MSR7's. 

 

Either Way I think it comes down to personal preference as there sound Signatures  are all different.

 

[kokakolia]

The Sony MDR 1A can be found around a 100 euros. So can the Sony MDR 100AAP. 

 

Both of these headphones are good, and durable enough to be abused in a book bag. 

 

I used to own the MDR 1R. They're smooth & mellow. The treble is a tad recessed compared to most headphones. But the vocals are forward. The comfort is awesome with soft pads and almost no clamp. You can wear them all day long. Note that they're actually meant for portable use, so the included cable will be way too short. So you'll have to buy an extension. 

 

If you want comfy headphones you can wear all day long without fatiguing treble, the SONYs are good.