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Headphones: a great overview from Marco Arment



Today we decided to present to our readers a translation of a large review of portable headphones that was prepared by Marco Arment - the man who created Tumblr and Instapaper, and who is currently active in the podcast theme - both as a co-host (Marco leads the Accidential Tech Podcast ) and as the creator mobile application for listening to Overcast podcasts. Marco, as a music lover, IT geek and a person professionally associated with sound recordings, tried to carefully understand the quality of all the headphones that came into his review - his opinion is, of course, subjective, but no less interesting.

The situation on the market of mass production of headphones has changed significantly in recent years due to two important factors:

For years, geeks like me recommended that people buy inexpensive studio monitor headphones like the Sennheiser HD-280 PRO, ATH-M50 and Sony MDR7506 to listen to music on a computer. They provide good insulation, acceptable sound and comfort for a long time and cost no more than $ 100, but are not practical for portable use: they are large, barely fold and usually have long twisted cords that are difficult to control at best. computer.
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Fortunately, the category of portable headphones that cost about $ 200 and above has grown over the past few years with astounding improvements in comfort and sound quality, significantly surpassing old studio monitors. The recommendations described above could be considered excellent for many years, and they still deserve attention, but can no longer be considered perfectly suitable for everyone.

In compiling the review, I was guided by the consideration that those who are looking for good headphones today probably want to get:

The maximum price is $ 400, but ideally it should be less than $ 300.

Headphones that are not included in the review



Testing


I bought or borrowed most of the headphones in this review and spent considerable time with them at home. I tried several other headphones in Apple stores, connecting every pair to my iPhone, lost the same test tracks that I used at home, spending at least 10 minutes on each copy, recording and drawing the approximate frequency response and comparing them in order with the closest models and my AKG K545, with whom I came to every store.

I tested every headphone with my iPhone as a source. I also tested the models tested at home using a large desktop setup: three headphone amplifiers (Asgard 2, UCA202, Icon-2) simultaneously connected to a Gungnir DAC DAC. I did not find any noticeable differences between the amplifiers and the DAC for headphones in this review, but they made it possible to easily connect three headphones at the same time to compare the headphones in pairs [3].

I listened to what you would probably call terrible music , but it is qualitatively recorded, covers a wide range of tones and types of recordings, and I know its details incredibly well. After I gave the same headphones to my wife, without telling her my opinion, and she came to almost the same conclusions as me, so I know - either I am adequate, or both of us are psychos.

So, without further ado, let's move on to my classification, followed by condensed reviews for each model:

Classification by sound quality


Many people prefer a warm, quiet tone, which lacks mid-range frequencies, most high frequencies and high-quality details, which are provided by good high frequencies. Such preferences allow you to avoid the vibrations that the reproduction of unfiltered mids and highs on inexpensive headphones can bring to music, so the “warm and calm” sound is less tiring for a long time listening. But this is the same as adding milk to coffee: the loss of strong vocals and frequency detail makes good recordings more scarce and less memorable.

In contrast to the first group, there are those who are interested in good hearing of all the details, “clarity of sound” and a sense of lightness, which provides high-quality sound in the upper register, as well as more powerful reproduction of vocal parts, which is provided by the middle register. I like the high-quality sound in the upper register - this is what makes people say, “Wow! The sound is so clear! ”The disadvantage of such musical preferences is that such a sound is difficult to achieve without vibrations and rattling.

If you prefer a calm sound, you probably need NAD VISO HP50 or PSB M4U 1, as these are the best examples for this kind of preference. If you like enhanced detailing, perhaps you should pay attention to the AKG K551.

My rating from the best headphones to the worst:

AKG K551: A little echoing bass, a little “fall” mids, on the other hand: rich high frequencies, pure detailed sound without bounce or vibrations. Almost as good as open-type headphones with a good mid-frequency range - I never thought that this was possible in the class of closed-type headphones at prices up to $ 1,000, not to mention the real value of this model.

NAD VISO HP50: Slightly booming bass, even midrange, in some places weak tops and ordinary detailing. This is the best implementation of smooth, quiet sound that I heard, providing ease of listening without much loss in detail, which many other models cannot boast. This is a very acceptable sound, as if the creators of headphones wanted to find the perfect compromise: this sound does not annoy anyone, but you will not get amazing impressions.

AKG K545: Very similar to the K551 with more controlled bass, but with occasional light vibrations in the upper part of the middle range and slightly less clear upper tones.

PSB M4U 1: Almost identical to the HP50 with the same weak tops and mediocre detailing and, at the same time, with less pure average tones and a bit more booming and muddy bass. Nevertheless, they are very good for listening to undemanding calm music, although they are slightly inferior to HP50.

B & O H6: Weak bass, uneven sound in the mid-frequency range, but very good sound for lovers of high frequencies. At the same time, an amplifier is practically necessary - without it, at high volume, the bass becomes even weaker.

B & W P7 : A bit echoing bass, coarse mids, lacking high tones and detail. They produce a fairly quiet sound, but not as good as the HP50 and M4U 1.

Beats Studio: The bass in the mid-frequency range is a bit overpriced, but the sound and detail are surprisingly good. However, the active noise cancellation circuit creates a constant, annoying low whistle, and the noise cancellation cannot be turned off, and the headphones do not work passively. Worse, active noise cancellation does not differ in quality and does not make any noticeable differences compared to passive sound insulation in my test. A version without active noise cancellation would hit the rating a couple of positions higher and would probably be worth its money.

V-Moda XS: Too strong bass and weak "tops" - such qualities are good for overhead headphones, but will not be able to compete with the full-size.

B & W P5 : Slightly booming bass, uneven sound in the mid-frequency range, the sound in the upper range is boring, the detail is weak - normal for open headphones, but not a competitor for full-size ones.

Sennheiser Momentum : Too strong, slightly booming bass and not enough nuances and detail in the high-frequency range. Attempt to create a moderate sound that completely loses the HP50 and M4U 1.

Sennheiser HD 380 Pro : Slightly uneven mids, noticeably lacking nuances in the high-frequency range, sound detailing is inferior to more modern devices. These inexpensive studio monitor headphones were not included in the review (do not meet the requirements) and are included in the rating for comparison. According to the test results, 280 Pro turned out to be slightly worse.

Blue Mo-Fi: Good bass and midrange, but the details in the high-frequency range and the detail is so lacking that the headphones sound muffled and incomplete. This is another attempt to create a moderate sound, which bypassed not only the HP50 and M4U 1, but also the Momentum (for the quality of detail). I found in them a built-in amplifier that does not affect the sound quality in any way - only the volume.

Bose QC25: Unlike most headphones with active noise cancellation, the QC25 can work in passive mode. With the active suppression turned off, the booming bass dominates, as in the old Beats, the mid frequencies are severely trimmed and there is a very lack of detail in the high-frequency range, as if you were listening through a pillow. When the noise cancellation is on, the equalizer works, which noticeably boosts the mid frequencies and tops, but makes it too active - the mid frequencies, for example, sound very rough. Although in itself active noise reduction is excellent.

Beyerdynamic T51i : Only one bass is heard with the lack of detail in the upper range - these Beyerdynamic are well known. These are just overhead headphones, but they do not stand up to competition, even among other overhead headphones.

Apple EarPods : Bass and treble are not heard, uneven sound in the mid-range, no detail. Included for comparison.

Beats Pro: An incredibly echoing, fuzzy bass, so powerful that you can barely hear uneven mids or quite decent detail in the high-frequency range.

Sony MDR-1R: “Raw”, weak bass, coarse mids - like a phone, there is a great lack of high frequencies, there is practically no detailing of these sounds. Headphones are more expensive than $ 50, with no obvious defects, this is the worst sound I've ever heard.


Convenience classification


From best to worst:

AKG K551: Incredibly comfortable, with light pressure distributed over the broad surface of the cushions. Only one "but": these big ear cushions become wet from sweat faster than other headphones, because they cover a large area.

Sony MDR-1R: Very comfortable, mainly due to their extremely low weight and very soft ear cushions.

B & O H6: Very light with great ear cushions.

PSB M4U 1: Medium size and weight, but well regulated thanks to the excellent ear cushions.

AKG K545: Lightweight, but the ear cushions could be a little bigger and softer. Something between the ear cushions of the K545 and the K551 would be the perfect compromise between convenience and moisture due to fogging.

Bose QC25: Ordinary, light and soft ear pads from Bose, but a little harder than the previous options from the list. The ear cushions could be slightly wider to distribute the pressure over a larger area.

NAD VISO HP50: Similar to the M4U 1, but the pressure is noticeably stronger, slightly stiffer ear cushions and the most uncomfortable headband.

B & W P7 : Not bad, but a bit heavy and heavy.

Sennheiser HD 380 Pro : Tight, too much pressure on the head.

Beats Studio: Too tight and the ear cushions are too small.

B & W P5 : Overhead headphones - this limits their durability, they are a bit heavier than most overhead headphones and stick to my ears.

V-Moda XS: Headphones, though overhead, but very heavy, with all the weight concentrated on the thin rims of the ear cushions.

Blue Mo-Fi: They put a lot of pressure on the head, mainly due to the fact that the headphones are very heavy - their weight is 482g. - almost as much isodynamic headphones weigh [4]. True, this model does not have a weight distribution technology like the one used by Audeze and HiFiMAN to make your headphones more or less comfortable. Significant pressure falls on the middle of the top lining of the headband. Complicated headband is well adjustable, includes compression adjustment knobs, but I could not find the settings that would be comfortable for me.

Beats Pro: Tight and small ear cushions in the style of Beats Studio, but much heavier than the Beats (400g.).

Beyerdynamic T51i: Headphones are superimposed, but incredibly heavy and tight. Nothing to do with larger models of Beyerdynamic.

Apple EarPods : Maybe it's in my ears? But note, judging by the position in the ranking, these headphones are not the worst ...

Sennheiser Momentum: Too tight and with very small earbuds for full-size headphones. The cups fit with uneven pressure, almost crashing into my head at some points. Extremely uncomfortable headphones - this feeling is even worse than the sound of the MDR-1R.


Finally, my favorites


From best to worst. Prices are taken from the pages of the official suppliers of Amazon and are relevant at the time of writing:

AKG K551 ($ 200): Amazing comfort and sound, very similar to open-type headphones, although it is an inexpensive portable copy. They are quite large, and there is nothing special in their appearance, but I have not heard anything so good for such money. I spent a lot of time choosing between them and the K545, leaning towards one or the other - it’s a pity that their ear cushions are wet from sweat faster than using other headphones, and they don’t have a removable cable, but the high level of convenience became defining for me.

AKG K545 ($ 250): Headphones, excellent in all respects, successors to the K551. They do not have the big disadvantages of the K551: they are smaller and more attractive in appearance, with interchangeable cables, with a more moderate bass and much less susceptible to the effects of sweat. They do not cause inconvenience, in any case, but for convenience they are incomparable with K551, and it is a pity, otherwise they would be almost perfect.

PSB M4U 1 ($ 300): The Wirecutter’s choice was known to be, but they are far from universal: this is a great option for lovers of moderate sound, but if you like clear and detailed sound, the sound will seem “flat” and boring. In addition, they hardly went through this review, because they have a terrible controller with just one button, but at least their cable can be replaced.

NAD VISO HP50 ($ 300): Paul Barton developed the PSB-M4U 1, after which he made the NAD HP50, a kind of heir to the PSB-M4U 1 in spirit, but it turned out to be version 1.1 rather than 2.0. They are much better both in theory and in practice, with interchangeable cables and a jack on each side, but just a terrible 3-button remote control was added to the cable. Compared to the M4U, these headphones have clearer graphics and sound, the NAD HP50 delivers the highest quality, moderate sound I've ever heard. But in terms of convenience, they are still inferior to the M4U, so I think that the M4U is better, though not by much.

B & O H6 ($ 400): Very comfortable, incredibly stylish and practical headphones, but the somewhat unusual sound doesn’t match their price, so they have been surpassed by more balanced alternatives.

Bose QC25 ($ 300): The new Bose flagship headphones from Bose don't sound very good, but their active noise cancellation is the best I've ever heard - better than noise cancellation in QC15, Parrot Zik and Beats Studio. They retain the inherent Bose excellent comfort, low weight and look less old-fashioned than most other Bose products — their design was cutting-edge in 1989–1999. If your main goal is to significantly reduce the level of external noise in an airplane or in a noisy office, I can recommend them, but the sound quality does not match their price.

B & W P7 ($ 400): Like all other headphones for $ 400 from Apple stores, these are generally good, but not worth the money. Even if you like moderate sound, the M4U 1 will reproduce it better, with greater comfort and for less than $ 100. (Of course, the P7 is more attractive, but if I wanted to buy exactly attractive headphones for $ 400, I would choose H6 - they sound better and sit much more comfortably). These headphones were tested only in Apple stores.

B & W P5 ($ 270): If you are looking for attractive overhead headphones that sound perfectly acceptable, then this is your ideal option. But at this price and at such sizes they are seriously inferior to compact full-sized headphones, which are more comfortable and sound much better.

Beats Studio 2 (2013) ($ 250): The balance is much better and the sound is more detailed than I expected, but the hissing of active noise cancellation schemes and the uncomfortable shape do not suit me at all.

V-Moda XS ($ 200): Great sound for full-size headphones, but the headphones themselves are extremely uncomfortable. The most pleasant memory associated with them is a picture of my shaggy dog, taken along with the headphones to show their real size.


Photos, however, will be useful for sizing only if you also have such a dog

Blue Mo-Fi ($ 350): A strange and complex rim holds strange and complex headphones: they can work in the passive mode, but at the same time contain a built-in amplifier with two modes (normal and reinforced bass), which greatly enhances the volume and runs on battery, rechargeable via USB.

This is an interesting but absolutely useless addition: Mo-Fi and in the passive mode are sensitive enough to reproduce sound much louder than the iPhone’s maximum volume, comfortable for me, and the amplifier does not provide noticeable improvements in sound quality. It just adds complexity and weight, and these are not at all those things that headphones need, since the extra weight and complexity of the rim make them incredibly uncomfortable and strange looking.

Compared to other headphones from this category, the sound quality of the Mo-Fi also leaves much to be desired, regardless of the mode in which the amplifier is located. Created for moderate sound, they simply produce an incredibly muffled sound. These first headphones from Blue are a rather interesting experiment, although, apparently, the company tried too hard to create something original, instead of focusing on the quality of the product. Blue lent me Mo-Fi for review.

Beats Pro ($ 360): They are good if you are not interested in convenience, and you just want to hear the bass and spend a few hundred dollars. Tested only in stores.

Sony MDR-1R ($ 175): When you put them on, they sit surprisingly well, but unfortunately, this is followed by a surprisingly bad sound. Perhaps they are my biggest disappointment in this review.

Beyerdynamic T51i ($ 270): I’m a big fan of great sound and convenience from Beyerdynamic, and Beyerdynamic Tesla was a terrific discovery in the Hi-End headphone class. The T51i is the first Beyerdynamic headset with a 3-button remote (the company got involved in this game too late), so I had high hopes for them. Unfortunately, they sound awful, and very uncomfortable. I would never have believed that these are Beyerdynamic headphones if the company logo would not have been on the side of the gadget. I still hope for the updated T70p, equipped with a remote control, which will probably be much better, although much less portable.

Sennheiser Momentum ($ 250): They look great, but they sit and sound disgusting. For moderate sound, the M4U 1 and HP50 are much better suited, and the style doesn’t matter much if you can’t wear headphones for more than five minutes.


[1] If you want to get great sound quality for little money, take a look at open-type headphones (or, in other words, just open headphones). The open (but inconvenient) Grado Prestige Series SR60 is perhaps the best in its class, followed by the stunning Beyerdynamic DT 880 , which surpasses all of the representatives of this review in terms of convenience and sound quality. But open headphones are like grids: they allow external sounds to penetrate inward, and more importantly, they release music outside. It will annoy others, so you should not recklessly use open headphones in buses, trams, airplanes, crowded offices, that is, everywhere where there is someone else besides you. It is absolutely irresponsible to recommend such headphones without making such a warning.

[2] No, I have not tried custom-made membranes made in the shape of my ear with the help of an audiologist. The exceptionally high cost of such devices does not justify the risk that, relying on the experience of using all other in-ear headphones, I would find such devices painful (I would not take up the review of such headphones, even if they were made for me for free for promotional purposes). same reason). My ears are simply not compatible with in-ear headphones.

[3] Amplifiers definitely change the feeling of listening to music in powerful headphones, such as huge open models or isodynamic headphones, but the difference is noticeable only when they are properly powered. You hardly need anything more sophisticated than Magni, unless you're crazy, like me, in love with HiFiMan HE-6.

I'm not sure that I can identify differences in the work of different DACs, except, perhaps, the difference in the minimum noise level. It seems to me that I can hear small changes in the sound, switching between the external DAC and the DAC built into my Mac, but I'm not sure.

[4] HiFiMan HE-560 is actually lighter than Mo-Fi.

Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/242763/

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