Please recommend foldable on-ear closed headphones

richardyot

@lnikj said:
The PX-100s I had for 15 years as my walkaround headphones. So, I am used to that Sennheiser sound.

Yes I replaced those ER4s with a pair of HD25-1s, that was back in 2003. Couldn't be happier, they're still going strong although I've had to replace the cable twice.

Daveypoo

@lnikj said:
It's not the lack of bass that bothers me. Banging around with the Model 15 just now the bass sounded pretty good I thought. It is when I listen to some of my standard test tracks, for example Madonna's 'Frozen' or Goldfrapp's 'You never know'. My ears immediately feel fatigued; the higher frequencies seem harsh.

The low end might be more honest but I am not sure the high end is.

I will get to listen to a lot more this evening as the long haired general is away visiting her son.

Gotcha. My test track for headphones and monitors is always "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson. The punchiness of the track combined with all the percussion in the high end is what I listen for - been using that one for ages. The CB-1's performed admirably for both. Then I'll usually switch over to something ultra-modern - in this case it was Jamiroquai's newest album Automaton.

To be fair, I'm sure that my live gigging over the years has contributed to my tinnitus and therefore my perception of less high end. It sucks to admit that... grumble grumble get off my lawn grumble grumble.

lnikj

@dvlmusic said:

@lnikj said:
It's not the lack of bass that bothers me. Banging around with the Model 15 just now the bass sounded pretty good I thought. It is when I listen to some of my standard test tracks, for example Madonna's 'Frozen' or Goldfrapp's 'You never know'. My ears immediately feel fatigued; the higher frequencies seem harsh.

The low end might be more honest but I am not sure the high end is.

I will get to listen to a lot more this evening as the long haired general is away visiting her son.

Gotcha. My test track for headphones and monitors is always "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson. The punchiness of the track combined with all the percussion in the high end is what I listen for - been using that one for ages. The CB-1's performed admirably for both. Then I'll usually switch over to something ultra-modern - in this case it was Jamiroquai's newest album Automaton.

To be fair, I'm sure that my live gigging over the years has contributed to my tinnitus and therefore my perception of less high end. It sucks to admit that... grumble grumble get off my lawn grumble grumble.

I have an audiophile friend. A serious nutter. Living Voice speakers, SME turntable, custom built amps and power supplies, cables that cost £100s a metre, house alterations. It sounds good, it really does, but whether I can tell the difference between £60k and £6k's worth is another matter. Anyway, he convinced me long ago that the ultimate test tracks are female vocals.

I've not given up yet on the headphones.

An aside: as they are larger than I set out to buy, over ear on me rather than on ear, I find myself more aware than usual of my tinnitus. I have never had over ear closed backs before, or not since some hideous things I had as a kid anyway. Mine doesn't seem to cut out the high end though. Don't know whether that is a good thing or not!

asnor

@richardyot said:

@asnor said:
...> @richardyot said:

On a plane with the rumble of the jet I literally couldn't hear any bass with Etys... In a quiet room you can hear some bass, but as soon as you take them outside and there is wind etc I found that it was drowned out.

That’s interesting as my experience is the exact opposite. Once I get them seated they seal out most of the outside noise and I'm able to listen at much, much lower volumes than with my over-the-ear and other ear-buds.

Anyway, all that matters is you have something that works for you now.

richardyot

@lnikj said:
SME turntable

crackle, crackle, pop...

lnikj

@richardyot said:

@lnikj said:
SME turntable

crackle, crackle, pop...

But you have never heard such detail in crackles and pops. You can discuss them for hours ...

wigglelights

@lnikj said:
I have Sennheiser 580s for general listening (stereo system & computer), and AKG 240s for when I'm making music (computer & iPad Pro), and until yesterday I had AKG 451s for my iPad Mini, which I use in bed and when travelling.

The 451s died yesterday and I need a replacement. The 451s are now obsolete. I used to have (now obsolete) Sennheiser PX-100s, which lasted for years, but the PX-100-II replacements are more than 3 times what I paid for their predecessor so I'm not going there.

What I am looking for is some foldable on-ear closed back headphones similar in size to the AKG451 or Sennheiser PX-100-II, with a price up to, say £60, that are happily driven by an iPad mini's headphone port.

Needless to say, I am not looking for bluetooth here.

There are a few out there but nothing is jumping out at me. Can anybody recommend anything they are using and love?

Sony 7506

mrufino1

@richardyot said:

@asnor said:

@richardyot said:
I remember persevering with some Etymotics Er4s for about 6 months, and eventually giving up once they had given me tinnitus...

How'd they give you tinnitus?

A combination of those insistent highs and the fact I kept turning the volume up just to hear some low-end.

As I said, the world is evenly divided. Some people find Sennheisers muddy, I love them because they're naturally (to my ears) warm and sound like a good pair of speakers. Some people like analytical phones without too much bass, and everyone disagrees on what natural bass should sound like

Is it possible that you weren't getting a good fit? I can't use any generic in ear type headphones, but my custom molded acs in ears have plenty of bass (single driver, I think the fit is most important).

Telstar5

I have QC 25’s . Love them.
I would also check out the new NURA headphones that adapt themselves to your hearing .

JohnnyGoodyear

@lnikj said:

@richardyot said:

@lnikj said:
SME turntable

crackle, crackle, pop...

But you have never heard such detail in crackles and pops. You can discuss them for hours ...

+1

lnikj

@lnikj said:
I have Sennheiser 580s for general listening (stereo system & computer), and AKG 240s for when I'm making music (computer & iPad Pro), and until yesterday I had AKG 451s for my iPad Mini, which I use in bed and when travelling.

The 451s died yesterday and I need a replacement. The 451s are now obsolete. I used to have (now obsolete) Sennheiser PX-100s, which lasted for years, but the PX-100-II replacements are more than 3 times what I paid for their predecessor so I'm not going there.

What I am looking for is some foldable on-ear closed back headphones similar in size to the AKG451 or Sennheiser PX-100-II, with a price up to, say £60, that are happily driven by an iPad mini's headphone port.

Needless to say, I am not looking for bluetooth here.

There are a few out there but nothing is jumping out at me. Can anybody recommend anything they are using and love?

Sony 7506

I don't think these have a replaceable cable? I don't need a 3m cable in bed or when travelling. Pity as otherwise they look very good.

wigglelights

You are correct on the cable, but these sound really really good once they're broken in.

Daveypoo

@lnikj said:

@lnikj said:
I have Sennheiser 580s for general listening (stereo system & computer), and AKG 240s for when I'm making music (computer & iPad Pro), and until yesterday I had AKG 451s for my iPad Mini, which I use in bed and when travelling.

The 451s died yesterday and I need a replacement. The 451s are now obsolete. I used to have (now obsolete) Sennheiser PX-100s, which lasted for years, but the PX-100-II replacements are more than 3 times what I paid for their predecessor so I'm not going there.

What I am looking for is some foldable on-ear closed back headphones similar in size to the AKG451 or Sennheiser PX-100-II, with a price up to, say £60, that are happily driven by an iPad mini's headphone port.

Needless to say, I am not looking for bluetooth here.

There are a few out there but nothing is jumping out at me. Can anybody recommend anything they are using and love?

Sony 7506

I don't think these have a replaceable cable? I don't need a 3m cable in bed or when travelling. Pity as otherwise they look very good.

No replaceable cable on these but they are a studio standard. I've always had a pair of these knocking about since the '90's. Some people love them, others hate them.

lnikj

The CB-1s are packed up ready to be shipped back to Amazon.

After concentrated listening I can only conclude that I am never going to like them.

Everybody on Amazon seems to love them, so it must be a peculiar artifact of my hearing, but I find percussion hits actually painful at anything over minimal volume.

I really wanted on ears rather than over ears anyway.

Current eyeing the Philips recommended by richardyot, Sennheiser HD 2.30 and AKG Y50.

lnikj

Just to close this, after 24 hours of listening I am absolutely delighted with the AKG Y50s. Cheers.

receder

@lnikj Glad you found a good replacement.

Strange about the price hike for the Sennheiser PX100 ii though. I bought some in May from Amazon for £37. Maybe they are getting ready to "discount" them for the Christmas sales?

I still prefer these to any other headphones I have tried and my mark i PX100s are also still going strong after replacing the ear and head pads.

lnikj

@receder said:
@lnikj Glad you found a good replacement.

Strange about the price hike for the Sennheiser PX100 ii though. I bought some in May from Amazon for £37. Maybe they are getting ready to "discount" them for the Christmas sales?

I still prefer these to any other headphones I have tried and my mark i PX100s are also still going strong after replacing the ear and head pads.

Strangely, it seems that it is the black one that has this hike, you can still get the white one cheaper.

teleb

Bowers & Wilkins P7
I had a listen to them some time ago, when they were in local Apple Store, connected to iPhones and ready to listen. I was impressed with the reproduction of the stereo field.
And they don't have the compressed bass boot type of sound.
And the leather looks durable, not like the last one I bought for €210, which started dissolving after little more than 2 years.

Ribbon

@Telstar5 said:
I have QC 25’s . Love them.

+1