Good, breathable headphones

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wabbitseason

[H]ard|Gawd
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Jun 16, 2010
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Hello folks,

I'm looking to purchase good headphones for around $250 to use in my quiet work environment, and was wondering if anybody here might be able to help me find them. I'm not an audiophile, but I'm young and I've taken good care of my ears. I also don't care about 'gaming sound' or flashy looks. I prefer deep, smooth, enveloping bass to 'boom,boom'.

What matters to me is:

Sound quality (mostly classical, blues, & classic rock)
Breathability/comfort/weight (really hate the 'sweaty ears' phenomenon)
Cost (<$250 hopefully)
Some mechanism preventing excessive sound leakage


I remember reading a post on this forum recommending a Sennheiser HD580(?) for this sort of listener, but I can't recall the exact model. Are there any better options out there in this price range?

Thanks a lot,
Wabbit
 
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By work environment do you mean you alone, or are others around? Reason I ask is if you are alone, open back headphones are a real option. If you work with others, those may well annoy your coworkers.
 
I strongly suggest the HD598.

They're not the "best under $250" but of all the headphones I own I think they're the most comfortable... even more than the more expensive Senns
 
Breathable open and low sound leakage is somewhat of an oxymoron in headphones.

In that range I'd look at the Phillips Fidelio X2s and Beyerdynamic DT990 for open, DT770 for closed.

The closed are going to have more bass and no leakage, but will be less breathable.
 
Phillips Fidelio X2 or Senn 598 or 558 if you want to save some $$. All would sound and feel great.
 
any of the open headphones mentioned are going to let noise in and out ... your coworkers may be less than amused if you come to work with the open headphones.

too bad the massdrop deal for the AKG 553's just ended.. they might be a good choice.

very comfortable headphones with good isolation (but pretty bassy honestly) DT770 Pro 80's I own these I like them a lot.


other closed headphone options (i own these as well) ATH-M50X's ... the stock ear pads are a bit hot, I put Brainwavz HPM-5 earpads on mine.. super comfortable..did lose a bit of isolation however.

some others
Sony MDR-7506's long time studio headphones ... worth considering
Takstar Pro80's
Shure 840's
 
Thank you everyone for the many suggestions. I guess I didn't realize just how leaky open headphones are. I've got people <10 feet away from me without walls in between, so based on these responses it sounds like open cans are out (even though they're the only ones which are actually breathable =/).

I looked up the Senn HD598 and Philips X2s, they both seem great.

I've heard of "semi-open" headphones, do you guys think any of those might be quiet enough for office use?
 
I instructed my girlfriend to purchase HD598's for her work as well, nobody in her office can hear them or at least they can't be bothered to say anything. It's a computer/email call center type place and almost everyone has headphones they're using.
 
Senn 558 or 598, very comfortable and are open headphones.Both use the same driver so I opt for 558 for less money.

For semi-open, beyerdynamic DT990pro.
 
My ears are pretty sensitive to pressure so I generally need open or semi open headphones. Lately I just purchased Audio Technica ATH-AD700X and find them to be pretty good for general use and very affordable. If you are looking to spend more, I would generally suggest the Sennheiser, like the HD598 or the HD600/650 if you can find a good deal on them.
 
HD598s meets all your check marks. Just like other people said though, Open Back headphones do leak sounds, so you may have to listen on lower volume.

I just upgraded to HD650's but the 598s served me well for years and were extraordinarily comfortable (and still work super well).
 
Beyerdynamic DT770, Denon AHD2000 are a couple options.

Id don't think I'd recommend open cans for work, though I do love my DT990s (which I don't use at work).

I personally use earphones at work - I don't prefer them overall but it's easy to wear only one of them so I can listen to music while still hearing stuff going on around me.
 
Sennheiser 650's were on sale for under $300 just a couple of days ago. I really like their sound, but you also have an amp/dac investment to make when you use those headphones.
 
I went from a FiiO e7 + HD598 to a Schiit Magni/Modi 2 Uber + HD650 setup. Definitely some nice improvements, but overall you'll go pretty far with the 598's especially if you don't want to dump money into Amp/DAC
 
A lot of the cans recommended already are open back headphones. If you are in a quiet work environment, I don't think you want people to hear the annoying treble coming from your cans. You may want to invest in a pair of quality IEMs (in-ear monitors) and a portable headphone amp.
 
DT770 are some of the most comfortable headphones I own however they do make your ears sweat after a good, long duration of using them. In your case I think the Sennheiser HD 598 are your best option.
 
I second the IEM option. Once you get used to them, you can wear them all day. I use a pair of Yuin Pk2s paired with an Audioengine D3 at work. Both are very inconspicuous. No one would bother stealing either one if you left them lying on your desk all the time. Like I do.
 
The Sennheiser HD 598 are great headphones but if you plan on use them in environment with others around you they might not be a good choice as others will hear them.
 
I think the Beyerdynamic DT880 is a better choice than the Philips X1 mentioned a few times already. It feels lighter and matches the OP's musical preferences better.
 
I know that at this point you would already have bought yourself a pair wabbitseason, but I would also consider Superlux 668B even though they don't exactly fit the "breathable" category. They are only about ~$32 where I live (Europe) and they are simply the best for the price. Some even compare them with the Sennheisers 650 and the Beyerdynamics DT880.

Even cheaper, the Superlux 681 are very close to the 668B at around $22. People say the 668B are better quality wise and offer a crispier sound, but I compared both side by side and found almost no difference sound wise, other than the fact that the 668B were only a bit louder.

I'm not suggesting they are your best option for $250, but at this price you simply can't go wrong and they can be your trusty backup. It's a pair that I strongly feel everyone with a spare $30 should have.

Good luck!
 
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