Dave
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Post by Dave on Aug 17, 2013 10:45:07 GMT
I guess this is aimed at Frans but anyone else (Ian?) with an opinion feel free to educate me - great scope for that . I read recently that different sound patterns(?) between open and closed headphones is due largely to the fact that open ones leave the diaphragm free to move backwards (away from the ear drum) more readily whereas with the closed types the diaphragm is trying to move backwards against a 'sealed' air chamber. If so, I can understand the mechanics of this explanation but is it true? If it is true, how much of the difference does this fact account for? I know, probably an impossible question to answer but what is your best educated guess? TIA, Dave.
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Aug 17, 2013 12:45:25 GMT
Open and closed has more to do with outside noises being blocked or not. Sometimes open (or closed) is needed to get bass boost or slightly less bass, pads and driver size as well as used materials are also a factor.
With a lot of closed headphones the sound is 'cuppy' which they call the typical 'closed sound'. This doesn't mean closed headphones have t sound 'closed'(cuppy) at all and may have more to do with the driver/pads.
Perfect examples are Denon Dx000 series, T40RP (with filter), K550. K551, HD25, HD250-II, HD280 to name but a few. These do not sound 'closed' at all.
As soon as a good seal is achieved (so not with those foam pads) there is a 'sealed' chanber between the driver and ear anyway. An open headphone (open in the back) may experience slightly less extra damping compared to the damping a closed cup will provide. How much 'physical' damping a driver in a headphone experiences can be seen on the impedance plot.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Aug 17, 2013 13:29:07 GMT
IMO Dave, good closed headphones are more difficult in terms of sound but I can't do without them either. I use them to block out external sounds, which is important for any monitoring of live situations. It's the best way to hear my singing without external speaker sound getting in the way. It's easier to sing in tune when you hear yourself boosted in a closed iem or headphone.
Main use really is to stop sound going in or out. Some are better than others.
The sound thing can be problematic because in effect, your speakers are inside a sealed room or chamber. That chamber has its own set of frequencies that it will react to naturally so some frequencies can end up being emphasised as a result. In the better closed headphones, good sound engineering means that it can be minimalised, but it takes some doing.
I haven't hit a perfect closed headphone but their usefulness can outweigh the disadvantages. For instance, you can use an open headphone in a noisy environment, but you would need to play it too loud. That's quite damaging.
Producing good bass on an open headphone can be problematic and having too much is also problematic in many closed headphones due to dampening and reflections inside the cup, let alone different shaped ear canals.
There is a crafty design called 'semi closed' which kind of tries to use the best of both worlds in its design. That means you can get a nice punchy bass from being 'closed' combined with the openness of open headphones with reflections reduced.
That's the beauty of the Beyer DR990 series since they produced a raised bass (which many prefer) due to the closed aspect of the headphone but also retain an openness of a 'normal' headphone. So the semi closed aspect is used as a kind of driver damper. Gives a fast response. (So good imaging and crisp)
Your K550 is an unusual headphone in that it is closed and doesn't contain the typical fat bass of a closed headphone. It comes (IMO) with a trade off in the quality of the treble that some find problematic.
In general:
Closed = strong bass and cuppiness, and resonances. With most, not so good soundstage. However, way safer in noisy places.
Open = a more open sound with more space and wider sound stage, but (for me) many don't produce a good speaker like bass. Probably more accurate but I often feel the need for more in the bass.
There are exceptions though. K550 is one. It's quite unusual.
In open headphones, the Senn HD650 produces a strong bass.
DR990 has the strong bass of a closed headphone and the treble of an open headphone. It gets the balance quite nicely and is an improvement (again imo) on its closed relative the DT 770 which can be a bit too fat in the bass and the DT880 which sounds a bit thin to many. (As an open headphone)
For me, entertainment is paramount, even if a headphone is skewed. Having said that, I really like the relatively flat t40 which is closed but voiced as flat as dammit. However, with some recordings, I can still take a bit more bass for entertainment.
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