Sennheiser HD-497 headphones, good at blocking out sound?

spiers69spiers69
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
hey everyone,

im thinking of getting some better headphones. My dad has a pair of Sennheiser HD-121 Pros that are a few years old and i really like. I've noticed that they're much louder than what im using and block out other sound pretty well (i've tested them while standing rihgt next to his stereo).



What i really want to know is how the HD-497s perform out in the open? So does anyone have a pair of these (or similar), and if so, how do they block out noise (especially on buses)?



I'm going away around X-mas and would love to have a decent pair of headphones to keep aeroplane noise out.



Thanks for your time all

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 3
    crazychestercrazychester Posts: 1,339member
    How well headphones block out noise will depend first and foremost on whether they are an open (don't block out all noise) or closed (block noise) design. The 497s are open headphones so you shouldn't expect them to block all outside noise (while that might not be your preference, open headphones give better sound quality).



    The 497s have a very good reputation (keeping in mind personal preference plays a big part). Here's a review of them and another link to more info about different brands and models of headphones.



    http://www.headphone.com/products/he...ser-hd-497.php

    http://www.headphone.com/products/he...ll-headphones/
  • Reply 2 of 3
    spiers69spiers69 Posts: 418member
    well i want headphones that sound good, and also have decent volume. The ones i currently use don't have that loud a volume.



    By open headphones you mean they sit on top of your ears instead of completely wrapping around you ears?



    If that's right, then what im currently using are closed headphones, and my dad's are open - and they do a far better job of blocking out sound (and so they should, they cost him atleast 3X as much as mine cost me).



    Thanks for that sight.

    I've read a couple of reviews of the 497s now, and everyone seems to like them.
  • Reply 3 of 3
    digitaldavedigitaldave Posts: 445member
    Headphones that sit on top of your ears are called supra-aural, those that surround the ear are called circum-aural. Open vs closed is a completely different issue - if a headphone is open, it does not have a solid outer, so sound can get in as well as out. Closed headphones have a solid back, so allow less sound in and out. However, being closed does not automatically mean it's a better headphone - generally, open headphones are considered to sound better than most closed ones.



    The headphones you are looking at, the Sennheiser HD-497 are supra-aural, open headphones. So they will sit on top of your ears (although you may find that you can poition them to surround your ears - I know I could whne I tried some), and they will let sound in and out.



    Sennheiser do make closed version of the HD-497 design, the HD-202 and HD-212. They will block out some sound. If you want more isolation form outside noise, then you could move up the range to the HD-280 (although these are starting to get quite big) or you could look at one of the many in-ear designs from companies like Shure, Etymotic, Super-Fi etc. However, some peoplpe don't like having something inside their ear, so this may not be for you.



    Have you looked at Head-Fi ? There's a huge amount of information there, but you'll probably find the info you need. Just be aware that the traditional greeting is "Welcome to Head-Fi, sorry about your wallte" .
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