Headphones for Commuting

Posted by: cgarden on 06 June 2016

Hi,

Premature failure of the captive cable entering an earcup on my Beyerdynamic T50p headphones has prompted me to look at new cans for mobile use (I have a fairly lengthy commute by public transport).  Quite liked them sonically, but disappointed that they only lasted 18 months of careful use.

I’m currently trying my wife’s Bose QC25s, but they’re not really there, at least for me.  You definitely hear more detail in noisy environments, but they seem slightly lifeless and, perhaps inevitably, a bit processed.

Reviews of Oppo’s PM-3s contain some “naimish” adjectives: pacey, rhythmic and natural crop up regularly.  Does anyone have a good word to say about them here?

Basic requirements are closed back, on/over ear and reasonably portable- folding flat enough to squeeze into a bag next to a laptop is good enough.  Not keen on ear buds for comfort, or their innate fragility and loseability.  Source is an AK Jr.

As a bit of a wildcard, has anyone tried replacing headphone cables with an “audiophile” alternative?

 

 

Chris

Posted on: 17 June 2016 by cgarden

Quick update, in case anyone is interested.

I went to a local shop last weekend to try out the B&W options.  I tried both the P5 S2 and P7, and they both sounded, well, pretty horrible.  The P5 sounded overweight, opaque and heavily rolled off at the top end - but the mids had promise.

The P7s were clearly better - better extension at the top, more space, and detail, but still pretty woolly.

The problem was that neither had been run in at all.  The P5s were actually taken out of the box in front of me.  I know from experience that a good burn-in and make a huge a difference, so I took a punt on the P5s with an option to return them.

The P7s were lovely, but not the most practical option for my needs: just a bit too big, too visible, made the side of my head hot in the overwarm shop (a reasonable facsimile of a rush hour Northern Line), and the over ear pads would be an issue with sunglasses.  On sonic grounds alone I would imagine the extra £80 is money well spent.

Anyway, left the P5s running in a moderate volume for 24 hours before listening again and they were a different experience altogether.  The bass had tightened right up (but still a little energetic and lumpy), the sound stage expanded, was much more detailed and the treble extended.  Quite different to my T51s, not as precise, but more fun I think.  The mid range is seems very slightly forward, or maybe they had been slightly recessed on the T51s, but I prefer that.  Vocals and semi-acoustic guitars have lots, oh I don't know, niceness.

Throughout the week the bass has evened up further so I'll be keeping them.

Headphones, and these ones in particular, do seem to need more burn-in than other audio products.  Shouldn't retailers take note, if only for the odd nutter who wants to hear them before buying?

 

Chris

(oops - sorry, wasn't that quick)