I know that Naim don’t make headphones, but there must be some (many) Naim users who listen to music via headphones. A question for such folk. Do you tend to listen on (A) dynamic open back phones (eg Sennheiser H800S), (B) dynamic closed back phones (eg Sennheiser HD820), (C) electrostatic phones (eg Stax Lambda)?
When listening on phones I typically go for (A) open backed. That’s because (B) closed backed makes the music seem too much ‘inside your head’, and (C) electrostatic is remarkable on detail but seems to lack body/bass. Love to all, Stevie xx
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Just me maybe, but I am using Focal Celeste phones which are a closed back design, but with a small bass port, my wife who is normally sat next to me and can’t hear anything which is what you’d expect, anyway I think the sound is very natural sounding, but we all hear things differently!
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I’m using Meze Classics which are closed back. One of the reasons to have closed back is the ability to more or less isolate myself of my environment.
I’m fortunate to have reached a situation that my normal loudspeakers sound so good that I don’t need an open back to listen to high quality replay.
Thank you. I use closed back Sennheisers if I’m recording (if you’re recording a vocal over a previously recorded backing the last thing you want is leakage from the headphones). But for hi-fi listening I find the closed audio stage a bit compressed - the spread of the musicians seems completely enclosed between one’s ears, whereas I find a more natural sound stage with open backed (I seem to hear the music ‘outside’ my head, and hence more natural, as opposed to completely ‘within’ my head) love Stevie xx
Thank you. This just repeats my comment to Nickd (I couldn’t work out how to send a comment to you both at once!) Anyway I use closed back Sennheisers if I’m recording (if you’re recording a vocal over a previously recorded backing the last thing you want is leakage from the headphones). But for hi-fi listening I find the closed audio stage a bit compressed - the spread of the musicians seems completely enclosed between one’s ears, whereas I find a more natural sound stage with open backed (I seem to hear the music ‘outside’ my head, and hence more natural, as opposed to completely ‘within’ my head) love Stevie xx
I use the Grade GS1000e open back/over the ear.
Main reason is the comfort along with excellent sound. With closed back/on the ear models I have usually had discomfort after a period of time
In all honesty they do not get much play time except when wife has friends over the house or late night listening if I want to turn up the volume. They also come with an adaptor that allows them to be plugged into my MacBook Air that I take with me when I travel on vacation and can listen to music while on the road.
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Also have Focal Celestee for closed back listening. And a set of Focal Clear MG for when I am alone in the room and want to enjoy the sound stage properly. They work really well with Naim equipment.
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As with speakers, headphone are clearly a personal choice. Over the years I have used closed, open and electrostatics, all having advantages / disadvantages. My current choice are open backed Meze Empyreans driven by a Violectric 280 HP amp. Perfect for my cloth ears 
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im one of these users like im saving for speakers i hear my nait 5si with some sonus faber pryma headphones and sometimes a friend brings his bang and olufsen beo sound the sound is great but i get noise and plug into naim headphone plug loses contact easy i hope these noise goes away with speakers because the headphone made no problems of noise or lossing contact with a marantz cd player,a denon cd player,a sony reciever and a accuphase integrated.
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I’m a bit of an outlier here as I use closed back Bluetooth Beoplay HX. I know they won’t be as good as some of the illustrious names above, but the convenience can’t be overlooked. Vinyl comes via an Aptx HD transmitter connected to my NAC72, digital comes direct from Node 2i.
Absolutely, in the past I’ve listened to some well reviewed models and walked out empty handed. Thank goodness I didn’t buy blind.
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Also keep in mind that with headphones, the amp you are using can have major effect. The Dan Clark Audio ‘phones you mention are low impedance and quite hard to drive. I have the Stealth model which sounds anemic on my Atom, but excellent on my Atom HE, (and indeed on my Topping A90 Discrete). Other ‘phones are fine on both Atoms and the Topping.
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i’m a jazz drummer and use headphones as a practice tool and also for night listening when my wife is sleeping. For both uses I prefer closed back headphones. I use a cheap and comfortable Sennheiser 280 for a Dan Clark Audio Aeon Noire for listening at night. The DCA phones are also very comfortable, something that is important for me.
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Focal Elear open-backed headphones for me.
DG…
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Have used Stax for years, now the new SR-X9000 which is the best yet and the best bass. It is not a big bass but certainly adequate, while the detail is exceptional and I found bass slightly better with the Trilogy energiser rather than the Stax ones. The Trilogy unit is black which matches the Naim better than Stax silver as a corollary benefit! I got a good deal on a Chord Music interconnect and Signature X power cable for it which also certainly helps…
Neil
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I currently run 4 pairs
Grado sr80x with a pad modification that makes them over ear instead of on ear open back
Sennheiser HD600 open back
Sennheiser Pxc450 closed back
Stax L700 with the blue tack modification and 006ts kimmik 2 energiser
The others are run through a ppa v2 headphone amp which drives them effortlessly all connected to my Supernait2 hicap dr
I find one size doesn’t fit all each have their own strengths and weaknesses depending on how the mood takes you
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I need to use closed back headphones in my two home listening rooms.
I originally had B&W PX7 and then upgraded to Beyerdynamic T5 Gen 3 either connected to my SN3 or SN2 both running with HiCap DR’s.
Im now upgrading my main system SN3 + HiCap DR using my Lumin P1 now in pre-amp mode connected to my new Lumin Power Amp, so also ordered a Violectric V550 Headphone Amp and a Balanced cable for the T5 Gen 3 headphones, to improve their sound quality performance.
Next upgrade when the bank balance recovers a bit is to get some Focal Stellia’s to get the best out of the new amplifier set ups, Ive demoed the Stellia’s and they are excellent, but maybe with the Focal Utopia’s being upgraded last year some new upgraded Stellia’s will be released.
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My go to headphones at home are magnetic planar (not dynamic or electrostatic) open backed headphones. I find they tend to have weighty rich audio with out being bloated or that ponderous under damped sound, and rather nice response to the Harman curve giving natural detail as opposed to exaggerated detailin the higher octaves.
For travelling around and some studio use I use close backed dynamic headphones … the close back for obvious reasons.
I don’t find closed back is any more in your head than open back… it’s more about performance and being able to convey detail and feel with open backs typically excelling here in my experience… at the cost of audio bleed which may or may not be appropriate in certain environments.
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Good question! was a long time Focal user most of the flavours excepting for the grossly overpriced Utopias(!) auuditioned a pair of Audeze LCD 2s which are Planar Magnetic find them like night and day to the Focals good as they are
Of course the elephant in the room is and always will be your ears.Mine ae 70+ so wont pick up the same sounds as younger ones
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