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Closed back headphone recommendation

Hello all.

I've got a quandary, and I could use some advice.

Got a very high end, very revealing system ended by headphones right now. Got AKG 701, Sennheiser HD650 w/ Cardas Cable, AKG 702 w/ Cardas cable, and Stax SR007Tll amp feeding either SR Omega cans or SR007 cans.

Most of the time, my wife watches her TV shows in one room, and I set up the Stax combo via a couple of extension cords in another room so as to not interfere with her, and all is good. However, lately we have ended up in the same room a few nights of the week, and the sound leaking out the back of my cans does not make her happy. And, as we all know, if she's not happy, no one is.

So, I need a world class set of closed back cans.

As we all know, you can learn only so much by reading, and while I have done a lot of it, the experiences of members here is of far more importance, and highly coveted.

So, help please. I've read a bit about most of the best closed back cans. But, before I make a decision, as I will be buying w/ no audition, please, those of who who use closed back phones, please advise as to your opinions as to how I should look to purchase.

I am especially interested in those of you who have had the opportunity to compare world class closed back phones w/ world class open back phones.

While I don't really expect the closed back versions to equal the open back cans, very, very close is good enough.

As always, thanks in advance,

Crazy Bill The Eel Killer
wrm0325
sbank's avatar
sbank
3,379 posts
 
I auditioned a bunch of higher end closed backed phones and ended up happy using the PSB M4U1. A real bargain for the price, plus very comfortable during long sessions. (Not so with the NADs also designed by Paul Barton.
 The Oppo 3 came out later, or that might have been bought without audition based on high level of confidence in Oppo and auditions of their open back models. No experience w/the LCD--XC. Cheers,
Spencer
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shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
The Shure SE846 are the most impressive in ears that I have heard - the bass is realistic to the point you "feel" the kick drum (if you have good speakers or go to live music then you will know what I mean - a sort of compression of air at below audible frequency). They will be even better than closed back headphones for noise leakage and offer an incredible isolation (probably another 10 to 15 db on top of closed back) so that you won’t be disturbed by background noise (wife TV). The isolation is so good you can listen at lower than normal volumes and you won’t get any of the negative effects from a closed over ear can (tends to lose clarity at higher volumes due to echoes or resonances within the closed space).

If you must have closed can then I like the Shure HD Pro 25 as they sit on but not over the ear - this seems to help with both sound isolation (smaller cans pick up less ambient noise) as well as clarity at higher volumes (smaller headphone). Don’t be fooled by their flimsy light weight appearance - they have been THE go to headphone for pros for at least 25 years.

Shure is more of a pro product so if you prefer sugar coated syrupy audiophile sound over ruthless dynamic clarity and accuracy that pros seek then you should look elsewhere.

I have the AKG 240 original 600 ohm - great headphones but the leak a lot! You can hear bleed from these popular headphones on many albums from the 80's - singers used to put their hands over the ear pieces to help isolate - definitely NOT what your are looking for - legendary sound though.
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
Correction I meant Sennheiser HD25 pro not Shure in the 2nd paragraph.
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