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Author Topic: Are there GOOD full-size closed headphones under 1K$ that....  (Read 9085 times)

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wnmnkh

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Are there GOOD full-size closed headphones under 1K$ that....
« on: October 21, 2014, 03:52:16 AM »
are at least better than my NAD VISO HP50? Am I looking at wrong places?

It is almost frustrating that nearly none of the current offerings of closed headphones are not as good as open-ended ones.

NAD VISO HP50 is quite good, but I still long for better clarity, resolution and a bit more soundstage (no, I am not a basshead).

So far, only option seems to be Mr.Speakers Alpha Dog (and Prime), maybe Sony Z7 after several mods?

I am so desperate enough to looking at recent Ultrasone and Audio-Technica offerings, in which I swore myself that I would never even bother thinking about.  walk the plank

Are Paradox headphones still semi-open as original T50RP?
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gelocks

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Re: Are there GOOD full-size closed headphones under 1K$ that....
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2014, 05:58:12 AM »
Well, I haven't tested the NAD HP50s but my faves as of now:

Ultrasone Signature DJ (strong bass of course, but overall very good to my ears. For less bass, the Ultrasone Signature Pro's are excellent , heck, even Tyll kind of liked them LOL. Both of these can be found used for less than $1000)
MrSpeakers Alpha Dogs (or maybe the Alpha Dogs Prime if you are feeling adventurous). I would have sold you my ADs... (did so like 3 hours ago...)
LFF Enigma's (very good as well... and yes, I'm selling these as well... actually I'm selling most of my gear... I know... this hobby is some crazy sheit).
Master and Dynamics MH40 (like this one as well, check plots right here for this unit. Ultrabike measured these as well as my Enigmas. These are more "portable" than the ones listed before but their clarity is good, good bass and just an enjoyable sound signature).

I also liked the ZMFxVibro I tested thanks to hans's tour! Fun sound as well and quite detailed.

For less $ you could look into Sony MDR7520, Yamaha MT220s, and BeoPlay H6.

Good luck on your quest!
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OJneg

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Re: Are there GOOD full-size closed headphones under 1K$ that....
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2014, 06:15:19 AM »
Paradox
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Hroðulf

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Re: Are there GOOD full-size closed headphones under 1K$ that....
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2014, 06:41:57 AM »
Paradox is more than adequate for indoor listening.
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Armaegis

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Re: Are there GOOD full-size closed headphones under 1K$ that....
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2014, 06:46:29 AM »
I like the Sennheiser Momentum. Soundwise I'd say it's a sidestep or even a smidge down, but it's so gorram comfortable I don't really care. Not suitable if you have big ears though.
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kothganesh

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Re: Are there GOOD full-size closed headphones under 1K$ that....
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2014, 07:12:01 AM »
I recently bought the Beyerdynamic T-51p for on the go use. I like the SQ and found it a little better than the Senn Momentums and a smidgen better than the V-Moda XS.
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Claritas

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Re: Are there GOOD full-size closed headphones under 1K$ that....
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2014, 07:25:42 AM »
I also like the Vibro. I had a loaner recently and should post some impressions, but I will say that ZMF has ironed out the rough spots that were bothering me back in April.
« Last Edit: November 17, 2014, 05:55:29 PM by Claritas »
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Hands

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Re: Are there GOOD full-size closed headphones under 1K$ that....
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2014, 07:29:16 AM »
Paradox - Hard to go wrong here.  They're more closed than stock T50RP for sure. Probably one of the best balanced, closed headphones around under $1K.
Alpha Dog - Great presentation, OK sound but can be a bit hard or glaring. Damping dots and felt disks help but aren't a perfect solution. I had good luck swapping to a custom front damping config. Sounded pretty good that way.
Mad Dog - Also worth considering, in regular or Pro variant. Can benefit from different front damping mods.
ZMFxVibro - Good tone, speed, and detail, BUT soundstage is on the intimate side and they have that hand-built feel to them. More lush and laid-back than AD, may or may not be more bassy depending on tuning methods and potential product variation across both brands and headphones. I hesitate to recommend this since you mentioned soundstage.
Shure 1540 - Haven't heard...Maybe? Tyll had good things to say about it.
Logitech UE6000 - Probably not an upgrade, but is a bassy (but fairly clean) headphone with fairly neutral mids and treble. Probably semi-similar sound sig to HP50. Doesn't sound super expansive, though.
Modded Tascam TH-02? Slap some damping in there and different pads, and they can sound pretty damn good.
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DaveBSC

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Re: Are there GOOD full-size closed headphones under 1K$ that....
« Reply #8 on: October 21, 2014, 09:36:33 AM »
The Paradox has a moderate and slightly wonky soundstage, and is not the last word in upper end detail and transparency. It's an incredibly well balanced headphone though in terms of FR, and has good isolation and is reasonably comfortable. Not really what I would call a "fun" headphone though, it's more of studio monitor.

As I understand it, the slant is a twist on the Pdox formula to give it a little more oomph down low, which is one area that I found the stock Pdox to be slightly lacking, though I like headphones with a slight to moderate bass emphasis.

The Enigmas sounded great, but I couldn't live with the clamp. Perhaps the band can be bent to deal with that, but that wasn't an option for me as they weren't mine.

The UE6000 wouldn't be an upgrade. It's a great budget headphone at the current prices, but detail and resolution are moderate at best.

The SRH1540 is probably worth checking out. Shure's open cans are god awful, but they seemed to have not completely blown it with the 1540, provided the listening volume isn't too high anyway. The distortion climbs considerably at higher levels.
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wnmnkh

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Re: Are there GOOD full-size closed headphones under 1K$ that....
« Reply #9 on: October 21, 2014, 11:19:27 AM »
Looking forward to Slant. But sound leakage is a real concern since I will be using them on very quiet places as well. Are they safe for libraries?
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