Headphones - Open back vs. Closed back

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Zero2Oblivion

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Hello!

I'm having a bit of an internal debate and getting no-where with myself fast, so thought I'd post a topic to see if anyone here has an opinion on my current conundrum - open back or closed back headphones!

Currently I have a pair of Hifiman HE400i planar magnetic headphones. As I chiefly use my phone as the music source, I had to pair the headphones with a portable amp, as very few phones can supply the power needed for the HE400i's 35ohms. A Fiio Q3 is the amp/DAC of choice.

While I sincerely love listening to music on the HE400i's, there is one issue - they're open back headphones. I live in a house with my wife, kid and in-laws. There really isn't any quiet spaces or spaces where I can listen without the sound distracting someone else, so I'm pondering switching to closed back. Begrudgingly.

I've been perusing my way through comparably priced headphones, around the $300CAD mark and I'd like to keep it planar magnetic. With that in mind, anyone here have experience with Monolith M565c headphones? Or, if you've also listened to the Hifiman HE400i cans, do you have a suggestion for comparable closed back cans?
 
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45 day money back guarantee means you have nothing to lose to try them out.

@Terronium-12 - are you still up on your headphones?
Relatively speaking.

@Zero2Oblivion Uh...for that budget maybe try the M60x, or you can save quite a bit of money and go with the FiiO FT1 which honestly look amazing.

I haven't indulged in quite a while and I'm very close to buying either a pair of closed or open back FT1's. :lol:
 
Relatively speaking.

@Zero2Oblivion Uh...for that budget maybe try the M60x, or you can save quite a bit of money and go with the FiiO FT1 which honestly look amazing.

I haven't indulged in quite a while and I'm very close to buying either a pair of closed or open back FT1's. :lol:
The FT1's both look amazing and review quite strong BUT they're dynamic drivers (closed back). The planars appear to only be available in open back, which runs in to my same current issue of not having anywhere quiet to listen.

The M60x, from reviews I can find, fall short of where I'm currently at with the HE400i's.

The drive to stay with planars is because dynamic drivers, being a voice coil and cone, push the sound towards a central point due to the cone being a cone. That creates a sweet spot which makes creating separation and a wider soundstage more difficult, hence the better tuned the headphone, the better the separation and soundstage you get, and the more expensive the headphones usually are.

Planars are different, as they utilize flat membranes they don't push the sound wave to one point and create a sweet spot. This allows for easier tuning, resulting in better separation and staging, clearer vocals, a more neutral reproduction. The downside is that planars tend to not be as strong on the low end (bass) and they usually have higher impedance.

I may grab a pair of the FT1's (and later the M565c's) to see if returning to dynamic drivers is an option, or if I've cursed myself and forever will be stuck with planars.

**although my wife may have already killed this whole endeavor - when I mentioned that I may sell the HE400i's as I don't use them due to being open-back, she replied with suspicion and a discouraging tone "and you're planning to get another pair?".
 
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Oh right! That's entirely my fault for being a lemon and forgetting you want to stick with planar magnetics.

Off the top of my head, there's the following:

HE-R7DX (Drop exclusive, in the $150 range if I recall)
Meze 99 Neo (Fantastic)
Sundara (Just checked and they're on clearance on Hifiman's website for $99 but they're refurbed)
ATH-A990Z (I remember these being pretty good as well)
 
Oh right! That's entirely my fault for being a lemon and forgetting you want to stick with planar magnetics.

Off the top of my head, there's the following:

HE-R7DX (Drop exclusive, in the $150 range if I recall)
Meze 99 Neo (Fantastic)
Sundara (Just checked and they're on clearance on Hifiman's website for $99 but they're refurbed)
ATH-A990Z (I remember these being pretty good as well)
Doubling back on this - I ended up picking up a pair of FT1s a couple of weeks ago after reading and watching a bunch of reviews, and I couldn't be more impressed with the sound for the price-point.

I've been listening to the Hifiman HE400i for years at this point and had grown used to their lack of bass, I considered it as something inconsequential when compared to the detail, separation and staging they have. They were simply the best at detail that I'd heard, and still are, but that lack of bass was thrown in my face seconds into listening to the FT1s.

I unintentionally went with Spitfire by Prodigy as the opening track, and it is bass heavy, giving the FT1s plenty of chance to show why reviewers mention the beautiful bass response and extension.

I've now been listening for a few weeks, and while they don't have as much detail, seperation and staging as the planars, the music feels more alive, more rhythmic, because of that bass.

I've come away thinking that the HE400i have their place when your music doesn't need much in the lower frequencies, but for anything else the FT1s are my cans of choice.
 
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Doubling back on this - I ended up picking up a pair of FT1s a couple of weeks ago after reading and watching a bunch of reviews, and I couldn't be more impressed with the sound for the price-point.

I've been listening to the Hifiman HE400i for years at this point and had grown used to their lack of bass, I considered it as something inconsequential when compared to the detail, separation and staging they have. They were simply the best at detail that I'd heard, and still are, but that lack of bass was thrown in my face seconds into listening to the FT1s.

I unintentionally want with Spitfire by Prodigy as the opening track, and it is bass heavy, giving the FT1s plenty of chance to show why reviewers mention the beautiful bass response and extension.

I've now been listening for a few weeks, and while they don't have as much detail, seperation and staging as the planars, the music feels more alive, more rhythmic, because of that bass.

I've come away thinking that the HE400i have their place when your music doesn't need much in the lower frequencies, but for anything else the FT1s are my cans of choice.
I’m rocking a pair of FT1’s also and I’m impressed by them. Granted my equipment and source are not currently top notch but they still sound fantastic.
 
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