Headphones that can facilitate a lot of loud.............

[mholliday]

I enjoy listening to music rather loudly and that holds especially true when I plug my headphones into my amplifier. I currently have Bowers and Wilkins P7 headphones. While absolutely spectacular, they distort when I push them to the volumes I'd like to listen at. I wonder if there are headphones that are particularly adept at blasting out rock and roll at volumes that will lead to hearing loss. Please advise based on the relevance of the headphone, disregard price. Thanks one and all.

[sandyk]

Deaf is so permanent !

[gmgraves]

Deaf is so permanent !

 

You said it, boy! I think this guy is having us on. I can't imagine anyone being serious about such a request. Headphones are especially dangerous when it comes to hearing damage. One gets wound-up in the performance and forgets to watch that volume level. "Clean and loud" is the mantra for many audiophiles (including yours, truly), but within the enclosed space of an ear-cup, the pressure can get pretty high, pretty easily, caution is the watch-word here.

 

But, if this guy wants to go deaf, I find that HiFiMan's Isoplanar headphones can cleanly attain volumes that cause actual physical pain due to the long excursion of it's planar diaphragm. So I recommend that our masochist friend here, look into the HE-560 (US$900) or the HE-1000 (US$3000 - Incidentally, the best sounding headphones on the market at this time.) Audese headphones are similar in their ability to crank out the dBs.

 

One further warning for mholliday in case he is serious. Hearing damage is not like lung disease and smoking where one can smoke three packs a day today, and worry about cancer, emphysema and heart failure in one's old age. Hearing loss will come on very quickly, often within months of the onset of the abuse, so don't think that one can listen to rock at 120 dB+, through headphones, for years, before becoming seriously hearing impaired. Just a word to the wise.

[blownsi]

I would ask around over at Headfi. I myself have had several nice headphones (HE400, DT990, 701, HD800) and I've never really noticed them having a problem delivering volume. Could it be your amplifier running out of steam? Something like a Schiit Lyr has lots of reserve.

[mholliday]

You said it, boy! I think this guy is having us on. I can't imagine anyone being serious about such a request. Headphones are especially dangerous when it comes to hearing damage. One gets wound-up in the performance and forgets to watch that volume level. "Clean and loud" is the mantra for many audiophiles (including yours, truly), but within the enclosed space of an ear-cup, the pressure can get pretty high, pretty easily, caution is the watch-word here.

 

But, if this guy wants to go deaf, I find that HiFiMan's Isoplanar headphones can cleanly attain volumes that cause actual physical pain due to the long excursion of it's planar diaphragm. So I recommend that our masochist friend here, look into the HE-560 (US$900) or the HE-1000 (US$3000 - Incidentally, the best sounding headphones on the market at this time.) Audese headphones are similar in their ability to crank out the dBs.

 

One further warning for mholliday in case he is serious. Hearing damage is not like lung disease and smoking where one can smoke three packs a day today, and worry about cancer, emphysema and heart failure in one's old age. Hearing loss will come on very quickly, often within months of the onset of the abuse, so don't think that one can listen to rock at 120 dB+, through headphones, for years, before becoming seriously hearing impaired. Just a word to the wise.

 

 

 

I am going to look into those headphones, thank you.

Also, I suppose, thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, at the moment, if the music is not loud enough it does not feel as all-encompassing. I've come to enjoy playing it loud, real loud, as I hear everything and am in the music. I am going to buy a dB meter and report back on what dBs I am speaking about.

Maybe I'll tone it down, a bit.

 

"That will lead to hearing loss" was said in jest. However, I do not doubt it is a possibility.

[firedog]

I am going to look into those headphones, thank you.

Also, I suppose, thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, at the moment, if the music is not loud enough it does not feel as all-encompassing. I've come to enjoy playing it loud, real loud, as I hear everything and am in the music. I am going to buy a dB meter and report back on what dBs I am speaking about.

Maybe I'll tone it down, a bit.

 

"That will lead to hearing loss" was said in jest. However, I do not doubt it is a possibility.

 

Bsically, very long exposure (say 8 hours) to anything over 80db can lead to some hearing loss. Over 85 db for about 2hrs and you are already talking about some small permanent loss. If you get up to the truly loud, like 90 db or more, then you are talking about exposures of 30 minutes or even just 2 minutes for permanent damage. And hearing loss isn't the only problem. You really don't want tinnitus - a mild case is bearable, but a moderate to severe case will have a negative effect on your whole life and may even drive you nuts.

 

Don't be stupid. You've gotten used to listening listening really loud. It's a kind of addiction for your auditory system and brain. You can learn to enjoy music at sustainable volumes like 75db - a level that many people would already say is "loud". Just force yourself to turn it down a bit. Get used to that and then get used to a slightly lower volume. After a while the lower than very loud volumes will sound fine to you, and you will think the volumes you used to listen at are way too loud.

[gmgraves]

I am going to look into those headphones, thank you.

Also, I suppose, thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, at the moment, if the music is not loud enough it does not feel as all-encompassing. I've come to enjoy playing it loud, real loud, as I hear everything and am in the music. I am going to buy a dB meter and report back on what dBs I am speaking about.

Maybe I'll tone it down, a bit.

 

"That will lead to hearing loss" was said in jest. However, I do not doubt it is a possibility.

 

 

A probability is more like it!

[hdo]

You probably need to check whether your amplifier matches with your headphones. You probably hear distorted amplifier sound!

[maelob]

a good amp will let him hear more things at lower volume and less distortion

[sandyk]

a good amp will let him hear more things at lower volume and less distortion

 

+1

[gmgraves]

a good amp will let him hear more things at lower volume and less distortion

 

 

Looks to me like he's merely addicted to loud rock. I doubt that "hearing more things at lower volume with less distortion" holds much interest for our OP.

[mholliday]

I purchased the HiFiMan 400i and while they sound generally spectacular the soundstage is not fantastic and the bass is lacking. In truth, I prefer my B&W P7s. I wonder if anyone might have a suggestion for sub $1000 headphones that can crank out DBs, have great soundstage, powerful bass (least important of the three).

[crenca]

I purchased the HiFiMan 400i and while they sound generally spectacular the soundstage is not fantastic and the bass is lacking. In truth, I prefer my B&W P7s. I wonder if anyone might have a suggestion for sub $1000 headphones that can crank out DBs, have great soundstage, powerful bass (least important of the three).

 

I wonder if your B&W P7's are not what you are looking for, but you need a more powerful amp to get them to the sound pressure/control you want. Perhaps I missed it, but what are you driving them with? I see that they have a 22 ohm rating, so they are relatively easy to drive - your not plugging them into a flip phone are you? Many of the newer smart phones have a modest volume limit - probably because the lawyers told them to cap it off low for liability reasons.

 

I have two headphones right now (32 and 38 ohm) and with both of my DAC/amps (JDS Labs C5 & Ifi Nano iDSD) I can drive them to hearing loss levels without turning the volume up past 40% or so. One of my children turned my C5 up all the way one day and I sat down and cued something up. In the space of less than 1 second (the time it took me to reach up and yank my HP off) I heard clean, undisturbed sound that nonetheless caused real pain and without a doubt some amount of permanent hearing loss...

[pdvm]

I purchased the HiFiMan 400i and while they sound generally spectacular the soundstage is not fantastic and the bass is lacking. In truth, I prefer my B&W P7s. I wonder if anyone might have a suggestion for sub $1000 headphones that can crank out DBs, have great soundstage, powerful bass (least important of the three).

 

I like to think my Sennheiser HD700 does those three things. Great soundstage, easy to drive, and clean strong bass.

[orgel]

I would ask around over at Headfi. I myself have had several nice headphones (HE400, DT990, 701, HD800) and I've never really noticed them having a problem delivering volume. Could it be your amplifier running out of steam? Something like a Schiit Lyr has lots of reserve.

 

The deafness warnings should be heeded, but assuming you're wanting to listen to something within the "reasonable" dB range, I'd look to the amp as the source of the distortion.

 

--David

[mholliday]

I'm using a six month old MA8000. I sure as hell hope it is not the amp causing the issue. Fortunately HiFi man says they'll take the headphones back for a refund, so I believe I'll try Sennheiser, AKG, or Audeze. I am trying to stay around $1,000.