How loud are open-air headphones?
The headphones you’ve had before probably lay somewhere between open and closed/sealed: probably a “vented” arrangement. They’re open enough to get decent sound at a cheap price, but closed enough to not bother people that much. The open Sennheisers are very open. If anyone is around you at all, they will hear what you’re listening to. Real sealed headphones are practically inaudible to others more than a foot or two away from you. If you’re concerned about not annoying those around you, I’d recommend a pair of closed phones. If you’re going to be listening in private, open will probably get you better sound for the price. Very good sealed phones: Sony MDR-V6, Beyerdynamic DT-250, Sennheiser HD 280 Pro. Recent AskMe thread about headphones for work — note many recommendations in this thread are for open phones, like the Grados.
