Headphones that don't bleed
May 3, 2019 6:30 AM
I love my Sony MDR-7506 headphones, because: great sound, super comfortable, high quality, 3.5mm w/ 1/4" adaptor, spring cable that doesn't turn into a big knotted ball. There's just one huge problem with it: Sound bleed. People in the next cubicle can hear my music. Is there a comparable headphone model with these features that keeps the sound between my ears for under $150?
As others have said, I'm surprised that the MDR-7506 is bleeding--they offer pretty good isolation. I also agree that IEMs, noise-cancelling headphones (with the goal of limiting the volume required for listening), or replacement earpads might be good options.
Headphone-wise, the Beyerdynamic DT-770 M 80 is made for drummers and sound engineers, and they offer about as much isolation as you'd get short of wearing ear protection.
posted by box at 7:04 AM on May 3, 2019
Headphone-wise, the Beyerdynamic DT-770 M 80 is made for drummers and sound engineers, and they offer about as much isolation as you'd get short of wearing ear protection.
posted by box at 7:04 AM on May 3, 2019
How long have you had the ear pads? New pads will make a difference in comfort and the quality of the seal.
But also I’m gonna second what kalessin said about how leakage is more commonly an issue with open backs. Even with semi-open backs on my favorite cans the only complaint I got was the day I was listening really loud. How loud is your music? If you’re getting a noticeable amount of leakage with closed cans, either your office is exceptionally quiet or your music is, in fact, too loud, even taking worn out pads into consideration.
posted by fedward at 7:04 AM on May 3, 2019
But also I’m gonna second what kalessin said about how leakage is more commonly an issue with open backs. Even with semi-open backs on my favorite cans the only complaint I got was the day I was listening really loud. How loud is your music? If you’re getting a noticeable amount of leakage with closed cans, either your office is exceptionally quiet or your music is, in fact, too loud, even taking worn out pads into consideration.
posted by fedward at 7:04 AM on May 3, 2019
If the volume is loud enough for sound bleed,you may be damaging your hearing. As a person who was born with poor hearing, it's really worth protecting.
posted by theora55 at 7:20 AM on May 3, 2019
posted by theora55 at 7:20 AM on May 3, 2019
Headphone nerd here. Closed-back headphones can absolutely bleed sound depending on factors such as the material the pads are made of and the clamping force. You could try replacing the pads first and see if that makes a difference. Otherwise you could look at the Beyerdynamic DT770 or the Brainwavz HM5 both of which are highly isolating.
posted by mattholomew at 8:55 AM on May 3, 2019
posted by mattholomew at 8:55 AM on May 3, 2019
A lot of good advice here. These are pretty commonly used in tracking applications (where bleed is a big concern), so if you're getting a lot of bleed it's likely that either you have them up really loud, which as theora55 states can have potential consequences for your hearing, or your pads aren't seated right, in which case it's worth trying some aftermarket pads, of which there are a lot of options for this particular phone.
The idea about adding more bass through eq is a good one. Lots of people are used to the hyped bass response of Bose or Beats - these have a much flatter bass response, so especially if you're listening to anything mixed to be played in a club you're probably going to hear a lot less bass than expected.
That said those Beyers are great phones.
posted by aspersioncast at 9:10 AM on May 3, 2019
The idea about adding more bass through eq is a good one. Lots of people are used to the hyped bass response of Bose or Beats - these have a much flatter bass response, so especially if you're listening to anything mixed to be played in a club you're probably going to hear a lot less bass than expected.
That said those Beyers are great phones.
posted by aspersioncast at 9:10 AM on May 3, 2019
I have been extremely happy with my Audio Technica m50s. The new m50x has a replaceable cable, so you can switch between straight, coiled, or bluetooth. I'll buy another pair once mine die, but it's been almost 10 years and they show no sign of giving out.
posted by TheCoug at 11:54 AM on May 4, 2019
posted by TheCoug at 11:54 AM on May 4, 2019
« Older Best practices for taking Doxycycline | Grandma Moses and the Gang - Looking for Books on... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
Could the issue be volume?
I ask because after years of being a serious partisan for in-ear monitors like Etymotics, I just picked up a set of Sennheiser HD 4.50s as a result of a make-nice store credit from Dell. They're bluetooth (but can also be used on a wire if you prefer), and feature active noise-cancellation. I've got a long plane ride coming up, so I thought "why not?"
They're pretty amazing. I'm taken aback, honestly. The ANC stuff is like magic, and results in needing to play music at a lower level because the background sound is drastically reduced. If part of your problem is the level at which you play music to drown out external sound, these might help a LOT.
Amazon has them for about $145. See here.
posted by uberchet at 6:48 AM on May 3, 2019