Jeff Harris <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>How are the open air Sennheiser's with blocking outside sound when
>playing music?  I'm considering their 500 series, but would like
>something to block outside sound for my office.  They don't need to
>be the noise-canceling type, but something to muffle the others talking
>around me would be ideal.  Also, do the the open air models "leak" sound
>such that others can hear the music too?

They are not very good either at blocking out sounds or preventing
leaking.  I wear the 600s alone in my study to stop Wagner echoing
round the rest of the house, but I wouldn't wear them in the office -
they would irritate people.  This is even more true of the Grados.

What I suspect you need are closed-back phones.  Sennheiser do make some
but I have not listened to them.  I don't much like the sound that I
have heard from closed-back phones, but I haven't tried all that many
and, in any case, this may just reflect personal taste.  However, I am
writing this wearing Beyer DT231 closed-back phones, and they are not
bad at all.  They are relatively inexpensive (about $35 if I remember
correctly).  I can certainly recommend them. They lower the level of
surrounding sounds a bit and they wont be heard by the people around
you.  Presumably some of the more expensive Beyers are even better.

I've just been told by my partner that she read somewhere that using
headphones, even at low levels, spoils your hearing because parts of
your hearing system become, in effect, redundant.  Tell me this isn't
true, somebody please.

George Marshall
Cheshire UK
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