What's the deal with mid-tier closed headphones?

[eriksson]

Bose Quiet Comfort 35?
Wireless, closed back, good noise cancelling, and decent sound with some minor eq. Tested here and recommended.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...5-ii-review-noise-cancelling-headphone.20584/

Have them and like them. Use them when operating machinery, amazing noise cancelling.

 

[zepplock]

I'm wearing AKG 240s now, I forgot I had them. A real workhorse. Had them for ~15 years.
Ordered Elegia from Adorama, we will see

 

[phrwn]

I'm wearing AKG 240s now, I forgot I had them. A real workhorse. Had them for ~15 years.
Ordered Elegia from Adorama, we will see

How are you finding the Elegias? I had them for a bit. I liked the style and the build but found the sound kind of boring. The head-bobs-per-minute quotient was very low for me.

I have E-Mu Teaks now and they sound great, but I could use more isolation. Comfort is pretty good, although I can see them being too hot through the summer. I was thinking about giving the Shure SRH1540's a go, but just can't imagine they'll sound as good as these Teaks.

I also have Cooler Master MH751's which isolate much better than the Teaks and are more comfortable, but don't sound as good.

It's an endless quest I kind of wish I'd never started.

 

[Benaudio]

Finding good sounding closed headphones is a daunting task.
Ones that worked for me (and kept) were DT1770 (modified) and Audeze Sine with large pads (both second hand, for nice prices).
Also kept the DT1350 (with other pads and EQ) but would not recommend this on-ear. It is not liked universally so to speak.
T51P also is quite decent in some aspects that are important to me. Did not buy one though.
Quite liked the DCA AEON closed but found it too expensive.
SRH1540 was not bad, needed EQ, way too bassy/fat and not great at louder levels.

In studios the DT250-250 (needs mods to balance L and R) is good (as in tonally balanced) but treble is not 'refined'.
DT150 with DT100 pads also is quite good, funky looking and no silky smooth treble either but excellent for studio usage.
High clamping force.

Was gonna Say Audeze Sine. Best closed back I’ve owned, but not comfortable in stock form. I got some sheepskin over ear earpads on AliExpress, very happy!

 

[MrOtto]

Bose Quietcomfort 35 II https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...5-ii-review-noise-cancelling-headphone.20584/

 

[KR500]

Thanks for starting this thread as I am in the same situation.
I bought the Beyerdynamic 770 Pro to replace my old Audio-Technica M50 ( non X ) as my closed HP.
The 770 is more comfortable with slightly improved soundstage than the M50; but that coiled cable is a problem for unless you are sitting at a mixing desk. I use EQ on them.
Wished I would have bought the 80 Ohm version of the 770 Pro as it has a straight cable.
Now I am looking at the Audio Technica MSR7, but it might have been discontinued by AT ?

 

[tgray]

I recently bought the DT770 Pro 80 ohm headphones. While the cord is straight and long, it's not detachable and is not a nice cord. It's weirdly inflexible and does not seem robust at all. My old AKG K702 has a much nicer cord, as does my Sennheiser H6XX.

 

[KR500]

Audio-Technica ATH990Z ?
Or the new "wing-less" ATHMSR7 that is coming out next week ?

 

[cheapmessiah]

Talking about quality issues, have a look at the Focal Elegia. If you can find them on sale (don't pay too much, they're probably not gonna last forever) with full warranty, they are a very pleasent sounding option.

Whats the deal with the Elegias? Those arent cheap by any standards.

 

[Transmaniacon]

I am basically in the same boat as you, currently have some HD6XX at home and I love them. Amazing comfort, great sound quality for my tastes, but finding their closed counterpart has been a chore.

I have had the AKG K553 Pro, liked the sound, but comfort wasn't great on the headband.

AKG K371 sound great, but the ear cups are small and it's hard to get a good fit on my head, and the connector constantly hit my shirt collar.

I have a pair of Sennheiser HD569 on the way right now, they might not be in the same class as the others, but I am pretty confident the comfort will be great, and if they are close to the Sennheiser sound I should be happy enough.

The Meze 99 Noir from Massdrop does interest me, warm sound, comfy and durable design. They don't ship until August, but could be something to keep an eye on. Same as the 99 Classics for $100 less.

 

[KR500]

I bought the Audio-Tecnica 990Z closed backs from the monolithic on line company named after a rain forest for $219 USD
Unfortunately I sent them back after 2 days of listening.
They are well made,have excellent soundstage with decent mids and treble,but the low bass was just too loose in the 63,80, and 100 Hz regions to continue with.
Returned to using my Beyerdynamic 770 Pro's

 

[markanini]

BTW keep an eye for the new JBL Tune 710. If the measurements are anything to go by it could dethrone the AKG K371.

 

[Transmaniacon]

I bought the Audio-Tecnica 990Z closed backs from the monolithic on line company named after a rain forest for $219 USD
Unfortunately I sent them back after 2 days of listening.
They are well made,have excellent soundstage with decent mids and treble,but the low bass was just too loose in the 63,80, and 100 Hz regions to continue with.
Returned to using my Beyerdynamic 770 Pro's

How was the comfort on these? Was it easy to get a good fit?

 

[KR500]

The fit and comfort on the Audio-Technica 990Z headphones is excellent.
The braided cable is well made and AT's jacks are better than many of their competitor's.
The 990Z's improve on both the M50's and 990X's

 

[HorizonsEdge]

A few months back I asked for help and after a lot of feedback I bought Brainwavz HM5. I use them with my phone using wavelet (eq app with lots of profiles). Super comfortable and sound good to me BUT I have very little to compare it to.

 

[Transmaniacon]

The fit and comfort on the Audio-Technica 990Z headphones is excellent.
The braided cable is well made and AT's jacks are better than many of their competitor's.
The 990Z's improve on both the M50's and 990X's

Thanks! If I don't like the Sennheiser HD569, I will give these a try. Would you say they are fairly neutral?

 

[Joaquin Dinero]

I really like my Monoprice M1060C. They seem to check most of your boxes, but perhaps a little heavy to wear for a long time.

 

[mysiak]

BTW keep an eye for the new JBL Tune 710. If the measurements are anything to go by it could dethrone the AKG K371.

Do you happen to have some additional info? Google search doesn't bring much results for this model.

 

[markb]

Shure AONIC 50. Wired and wireless, not only bluetooth with just about all common codecs and ANC for convenience, but also high-res digital over usb-c (also when charging) AND passive analog with a trs jack - so even when the battery is flat. It sounds great that way with my RME ADI-2.

I’d love to see it measured by Amir, but a little too far out to send it in.

 

[AVKS]

A used Audio-Technica ATH-A900X, the precursor to the 990s, would be a good option for many looking in this price range. Good isolation and without the bass bloat that has crept into the newer models, but still satisfactory low end.