Recommend a pair of headphones for me

see also http;//www.headphonereviews.org

i know this is more than you wanted to spend... but grado sr-60's frequently out-perform headphones 3 and 4 times it's price.

m.

i yanked the cord on mine on a door and now they don't work. anyone have any experience with their full guarantee thing?

To Osco I will go!

I'd like to think the Etymotic earplugs are like ear diaphragms, Kenan. Lube 'em up and you're good to go for hours, mang.

I want some for home listening but I can't find anywhere to ship them to me

: /

I bought a pair of koss porta-pros which are great but I want a pair of those big bulky ones for lounging about at home; the porta-pros are spindly, and dig into my neck when I'm lying down

anyone have any experience?

I think she bought them from amazon

I picked up the HD20s first, because they were huge earmuffs and because they said on the package, "Perfect for DJs." Well, if they're good enough for DJs... actually, that didn't work. DJs have different needs than I do, apparently. The highs are tinny, the mid-range is muddy, and the bass is ri-freakin-diculous. It's boomy and with wayyyy too much sustain. Real crap for everyday listening. Avoid.

So I brought those back to the store and ended up with the PXC150s, and they sound BEAUTIFUL. Balanced, crisp, and the noise cancelling works wonders. (I'm afraid I'm setting myself up for being hit by a car.) Of course this means that I have an extra piece to my portable audio setup now -- the battery pack -- but I spend so much time with headphones on and they sound so great it's totally worth it to look like a bit of a dork wearing a belt clip.

Just ordered some CX300s for that.

Plane Quiet NC6
Has anybody had any experience with Plane Quiet headphones? Recommendations yea or nay?

Might nbe better to get in ear ones that will block out the noise physically.

I just bought some Shure E2Cs and on the short run out they've had so far they're absolutely fantastic and a mile better than the sonys I've just replaced which I thought were pretty good in the first place but kept losing the sleeve (including once in my ear canal - resluting in some worried rummaging while walking along a tube corridor)

Just ordered some CX300s for that.

-- Alba (Alba),

How are they working out for you? Just ordered a pair

Looking for some recommendations as well. I've heard great things about sennheiser's HD25 and Grado's SR60 (though the later don't seem particulary aesthetic or comfortable but based on reviews it seems they have a great sound for the money)

ugh still waiting for my portapros to come back to me. i tried using the apple earbuds today but they are such shit and they wont stay in my earholes for even a second.

i bought some jvc replacement buds for my broek apple ones and they SUUUUUUCK

but spending real $$$ on headphones to wear on the bus/bike is stupid because i lose things like that professionally.

i will swear to the death on my sr60's. They only get uncomfortable if you have them on for like 3 hours.

I've got three headphones right now:

Sennheiser PX100 (good for work cuz I can hear the phone, bad because I can also hear my co-workers)

Shure E2C earbuds (my wife wears these and she loves them, good isolation and once you find the right earbuds they fit snugly and comfortably)

Creative Labs EP-630 earbuds (I use the harder plastic Shure earbud pieces--I find these suit me fine when I am running/on the bus/etc and they are cheap.)

i will swear to the death on my sr60's. They only get uncomfortable if you have them on for like 3 hours.

― the bourgeoisie and the rebel (Stevie D), martes 21 de octubre de 2008 19:57 (7 minutes ago)

So would you recommend them over every other headphone you've tried?

The Shure headphones are a tad overpriced for me :P I'm looking for something below the $90 mark

They are $60 on Amazon.

PX100's were also fantastic but mine were stolen within a month. I was v v sad.

Moka I haven't tried many other headphones but when I did hardcore research before I bought them, all signs pointed to them being THE quintessential sub-$100 headphone, hands down.

anybody try the "iGrado" model?

I didn't go with sr60s cuz they looked so clunky for everyday use. If I wanted a pair of headphones for computer/movies/home that's what I would have gone with.

Did you make a decision then, Moka?

I've been using a pair of Sony earbuds -- I have the model number written down somewhere, but I've no idea where -- for a couple of years, which are reasonable-ish *but* need an adaptor to fit my first-gen iPhone. So far I've been through two adaptors (a Griffin thing, which lasted about six months, and the HEAP OF SHIT that is the Monster iCable, which lasted less than a month: seriously, kids, fuck a Monster) and I'm getting kind of pissed off with that.

I was in the Apple Store today and tried a pair of Bose On-Ear headphones. Fuck me, they were lovely. But they were also substantially more than £100 worth of loveliness, which strikes me as a total waste of time because a) like gbx says, if I'm using them out and about then there's the chance of them getting knackered or lost; b) more importantly, I'm loath to spend that many £££ to listen to MP3/AAC/otherwise compressed sound.

The Sennheiser PX100s are awesomely cheap, and I liked the pair I tried. Not nearly as much as the Boses, but ... yeh, let's forget about that. MASSIVE PLUS POINT: they fold. That's going to be damn useful.

The Koss PortaPros look like they'd be worth checking out if I wasn't 99% sure they'd also need an adaptor to work with the stupid fucking recessed iPhone socket (or I'd have to trim the plastic round the jack, which I really don't like doing). If that's the case: I'm ruling them straight out.

The iGrados, again, look like they've got one major flaw: they don't fold. So how the hell I'm meant to stop them from getting bent/buckled/broken in my bag, I've no idea.

Hmm. This is really just thinking out loud, isn't it?

Koss Koss Koss

There's 3mm between the base of the actual plug and where the chunky bit begins - could be enough?

I highly recommend the Sennheiser PX100's. I did away with the ipod buds about a year ago b/c they irritated my ears, and I've been happy as clam with them ever since. The folding is handy. Biggest plus is that the sound is lovely and rich...even though they're over ear and there's some leak, it's SO easy to lose yourself in the music with these headphones. Other people are always surprised by the quality when they try them out. The low price is definitely a selling point, but honestly I'd have happily paid more for them given how great the sound quality is.

But wait! There's more! If you order now, you get 2 extra sets of foam covers and this ginsu knife normally valued at $50!

porta pros work with ipods fine

I can't recommend the PX100's enough. I've moved on from the pair I bought a few years ago, but every now and then I dig them out and am very surprised at how satisfying they sound. Sure, you can do better, but at the price they're hard to beat, and incredibly well-built considering how flimsy they look.

porta pros work with ipods fine

It's not an iPod. It's a first-gen iPhone with a recessed headphone sockets. So a lot of standard-issue headphone sockets won't fit.

There's 3mm between the base of the actual plug and where the chunky bit begins - could be enough?

Gah, that sounds like it'll be just not enough. It's got an L-shaped connector, hasn't it? Those are usually a no-no.

Basically, I just need to get my hands on a pair and try 'em ;)

It's a first-gen iPhone with a recessed headphone sockets. So a lot of standard-issue headphone sockets won't fit

OK, Simon, try not to write ILX posts while doing something else at the same time. Recessed headphone socket (singular); a lot of standard-issue headphone jacks won't fit. Sorry.

I have a pair of the i-Grados and they sound absolutely great, unfortunately they are as leaky as all hell, on the tube outside noise pretty much drowns out the sound, even with the sound on full. Of course that leakiness works both ways and so they're not exactly fellow commuter friendly.

Am using some cheap-assed skullcandy in-ear phones at the moment and they're just right for what I need on my commute - not much tube noise leakage, decent sound and nicely compact.

yep grimly, it's l-shaped on the portapros :(

You can always perform surgery on the minijack with an x-acto knife and whittle away plastic until it fits...

(on the headphones, not the iPhone, of course)

Yeah, as far as cheap and durable portable 'phones go... I think those Skullcandy ones are pretty decent.

I have a pair of the i-Grados and they sound absolutely great, unfortunately they are as leaky as all hell, on the tube outside noise pretty much drowns out the sound, even with the sound on full

OK, that's sucky. Glasgow buses are noisy as all hell.

yep grimly, it's l-shaped on the portapros :(

That's what I thought. Wank. PX100s it pretty much is, then!

You can always perform surgery on the minijack with an x-acto knife and whittle away plastic until it fits...

I'm fine doing this with old gear or cables I've cobbled together myself; fuck doing it on an aesthetically appealing pair of new 'phones ;)

I just got the PX100s on this threads recommendation - £15 from Amazon - and would say they are unbeatable at that price - or even treble that price. Really surprisingly good.

OK, I'm pretty much sold. I was going to ask for a pair for Christmas ... fuck me, Mrs Fiendish is getting a good deal here ;)

I've been loyal to my Grado SR60s for 8 years

I actually pulled my PX100s out today, since an extension cable on my sound-isolating earbuds decided to short out and I hate having one channel cut in and out while I'm walking around town. I forgot how immersive the PX100s are.

Still haven't bought any, my bf is cashing out so I'm waiting for my b-day in 16 days to order. I suppose I'll end up inclining towards the PX100 but I'm becoming heavily attracted to the Sennheiser's HD-555 which cost three times more than the px100 but they're below the $100 mark so it's good by me.

Anybody in here has both Grado and Sennheiser headphones that might enlighten me on which one is better?

Btw: Grado's RS1 valued at $700!? (http://www.amazon.com/Grado-RS1-Reference-Series-Headphones/dp/B00076VEG6/ref=cm_lmf_tit_7_rdssss0) And here I was thinking all those shure and bose headphones were overpriced.

^ Grado's R60s and Sennheiser's px100 or hd-555 that is.

xpost

Ah, I actually have a pair of HD 555s! Very nice, if you want great headphones but aren't willing to shell out big $$$. I'd never wear them outside, though—too bulky. They're extremely comfortable at my desk, and quite light.

I wasn't aware that they'd come down so far in price over the past year.

Unless you're willing to invest in a headphone amp and are really serious about audio quality, I'd even rep for the HD 555s over Sennheiser's far more expensive HD 650.

Grado SR60s I found a little too harsh a trebly overtime, so I got rid of them and got some Alessandro MS1s, which are made by the same people and have a warmer, less bright sound (with better soundstaging too). They're pretty much useless outside though, due to being very, very open.

PX100s are technically open-backed too, but leak a lot less than the Grados / Alessandros; they don't give you any insulation from external noise, though. I had a pair a few years ago and loved thme to bits; I gather the frequency response is a little different these days, less bassy, bit brighter. I may not like that so much. PX200s are closed-back, and thus offer some isolation from external noise; however, I didn't like them at all, and got rid of mine after about a month.

Koss Portapros are very similar to (old) PX100s, but, in my opinion, look a hell of a lot better. They were probably my favourite iPod headphones when I still used the iPod.

I have some Shure E2Cs too, which offer excellent isolation, good clarity, etc etc, but just... left me wanting a bit more. They were great for a noise train commute. Not so much for a quiet riverside walk.

My other headphones are a set of AKG K601s, but they don't leave the house; I have a dedicated Meier Audio headphone amp for them.

PX200s are closed-back, and thus offer some isolation from external noise; however, I didn't like them at all, and got rid of mine after about a month

Why not, if you don't mind me asking? The feel of them, or a qualitative difference in sound?

They didn't feel like they had any bottom-end to me, it was all treble - partially this is probably because they were closed-backed, and therefore can't physically move as much air as open-backed cans (which you need for bass), and also, because they cut out external noise more, you don't lose as much treble. As a result I found them both lightweight and claustrophobic, and couldn't deal with them.

Thanks: that's very helpful. PX100s still way out in front.

I'd seriously recommend Portapros over PX100s.

I refer you to my recessed headphone jack, above :(

Ah, yes.

I"ve read reviews that say the PX100s are better then the 200s. I love my 100s. They sound good and fold up and into my pocket.

For djing and at home use I have Sennheiser HD-280 headphones, which isolate super well and are sturdy as can be. They've taken lots of abuse.

Sickly: Well the headphones I'm looking for are intended most of all for indoors use, will investigate on those Alessandro and AKG you mention.

If you are listening outdoors I would seriously consider earbuds.

I totally misread your post and realize that you are listening INDOORS, ahem.

For indoor use, another "aye" for the Alessandros from here; they look like something from The Dambusters and build quality is v. plasticky but they sound *wonderful* and are very good vfm. I've nothing as swish as Sickly's Meier amp (just a little Headphonia portable amp) but they sound terrific through this and they even sound great from my unamped Sony mp3 player. I often find that I'll stick them on late at night when stereo listening would be too loud for neighbours etc and they really provide that "just one more tune" compulsion.

I'd also put a vote in for the Shure range, I had some E2Cs for a long while and the isolation made them great for commuting (as noted). Have Shure SE530s for travel now, and they are very much better than any other in-ear phones I've ever owned, but with price tag to match (just over £200 when I got them, although a bit of online searching can drive this down).

Personally I don't find Porta Pros terribly comfortable (I've also always thought they looked/felt flimsy, but for indoor use this isn't terribly important.)

x-post : bugger - meant, of course, Mr Mouthy's Meier amp...

Hi. Just for future reference wanted to let you guys know I ended buying the AD700 from Audio Technica after posing the question on the head-fi forum and getting many recommendations for them. They still haven't arrived but if any of you are curious about my opinion of them after I've done an 80+ hour listen, dont hesitate asking.

Here's the thread at head-fi:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/one-best-choice-100-mark-headphones-379879/

http://vaiopocket.up.seesaa.net/image/atrio1.jpg

I like my Atrio M5's sound wise but I have to say, build wise, they are not the greatest. I've already had to send one pair back to the US after a rattling sound developed in the left ear piece. Luckily it was still inside the 1 year warranty.

I recntly got some Sennheisser CX500 in-ear phones - not bad considering how small they are - but not a patch on their cheaper over-the-ear phones.

I tried a pair of the Sennheiser CX300 in-ear phones and thought they were kinda terrible... I just wanted a cheapish pair for my daily commute, but I ended up taking them back and bought some RAM on store credit instead.

I'm looking for an over-the-ear model that won't get in the way when I'm working out and which will also serve as all-purpose headphones. (I'd rather avoid earbuds because I don't want to damage my hearing any further.) Just doing some browsing, would Koss KSC24 fit the bill?

http://www.amazon.com/Koss-KSC24-Portable-Behind-the-neck-Stereophones/product-reviews/B000G0LL8E/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_helpful?ie=UTF8&coliid=&showViewpoints=1&colid=&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

I've had a few pairs of Koss. Good quality for the money, to be sure.

I currently have a pair of these Sonys, and they're pretty nice. Comfortable, pretty good bass, and good battery life on the noise cancelling. Decent sound with it turned off, too.

Pondering Denon AHD301s (£40) or Grado SR60i (£90).

Any arguments for or against?

Pondering Denon AHD301s (£40) or Grado SR60i (£90).

Any arguments for or against?

Alessandro MS1s, $100 incl shipping. Better than either. Made by Grado.

Aren't you UK-based?

It's a dilemma $99 dollars (63 quid-ish plus possible taxes) for the MS1s (but presumably can't do anything with them if there's a fault) versus the Grados (£90).

Thanks, by the way.

BLARG, where were you a week ago :/

>Alessandro MS1s, $100 incl shipping. Better than either. Made by Grado.

SM speaks the truth - I've had the MS1s for a couple of years (shipped to the UK, managed to avoid import duty but yeah, you roll the dice on that) and love them. They're so simply put together that (barring total driver failure) I reckon I could fix any problems with the cabling, not that I've ever had any. For the price nothing else really comes close to them in terms of sound quality.

after a lil reassuring googling i heard they're more for home use, too quiet for portable -- is that accurate?

the only difference is that ms1s have a more neutral response

Not too quiet for portable, too open; sound leaks. For portable I use Portapros. MS1s & Portapros together = less than SR60s.

portapros are pretty open too!

Not like Grados are!

true! gradosa re the equivalent of having a boombox on your shoulder. still wouldn't wear either in the subway though!

i think my biggest stumbling block is that if i get grados from, say, richer sounds, when they stop working i can walk to the shop and they'll exchange them (even though, rationally, i know that headphones are unlikely to stop working in 12 months).

I wouldn't worry too much about the Grados... I have a pair of SR60s I was given for christmas in 1995 and they still work perfectly. They've been all over the world and the only thing I've ever done was replace the foam earpads a couple times. The pair my brother got that christmas had one driver die a year or two ago.

I've worked with grados before; they're incredibly easy to fix, if you have any experience at all with a soldering iron

Thanks for all this info.
D.

I spent a half hour over the weekend trying to repair the headband on my mdr-d66sl sonys again. I think it's doable, since it's just the structural wire that I need to replace. I miss the hell out of using them regularly, even though they're not the best headphones.

Has sony made any eggo-style one that's still available that's not horrible? Or is there some place on the web where someone has a hidden stock of the originals? I missed someone on head-fi selling some earlier this month :(

Would you say it's worth getting the Grado SR60is or Alessandro MS1s if they're primarily going to be used for listening to high bitrate MP3s on an iPod Touch? This is for bedroom listening while abroad, not wandering around on the streets. I've got earbuds for that.

Oh god yes.

Just replaced my not very old AKG in-ears with Sennheisers, after the rubber surround went. OMG the Sennheisers sound so much better. Fuller, rounder, bassier.

I have some Sennheiser CX300 in-ears which sound OK but distinctly not full or bassy, which I wouldn't mind except everyone else says they are. There's an Amazon review saying if they sound tinny you're wearing the wrong ear fitting, but only the small ones fit at all, so I don't have any choice. sadface.jpg

(I had some Goldring in-ears before this and at first I thought they sounded terrible, tinny and weird stereo image, but after I got the knack of pushing them in just right they sounded great! Unfortunately I then lost one of the ear fittings and couldn't buy a spare. So I would really like a sudden breakthrough with my Sennheisers too. The Goldrings went in pretty deep, formed a seal and blocked out most outside sound, whereas the Sennheisers don't go in far, but I was thinking that was by design rather than poor fitting.)

mine are mx660, standard earbuds not actual in-ear or ear-canal or whatever the hell the terminology is. seems they have a higher impedance than the cx300, whatever that means.

Tried to order some Alessandro M1s, and they sent me a plaintext email a couple days later asking for more credit card details. Not inspiring. If they can't even manage a credit card transaction, how could they possibly make good headphones?

The Alessandro people don't make them; Grado do. Alessandro are very net naive; persevere!

What do the Alessandro people do to them after Grado makes them?

I had to buy some Grados from Amazon... not knowing how long Alessandro would take to ship, I couldn't risk have to leave without some good headphones.

Alessandro do nowt to them; they're tuned for them by Grado.

Headphones are a black art.

All audio is.

grados: hearing things on a johann johannsson album that i didn't know were there. marvellous stuff.

I feel I should point out that my credit card problems with Alessandro turned out to be MY FAULT and they are blameless. Go buy some headphones from them.

Is there actually anything to the idea of "burning in" headphones or is that just more audiophile snakeoil?

I think there is - but the great thing about it is that it's free to try. there's a very lightweight and good program here:

http://www.burninwave.com/

I splurged and bought a pair of Grado SR125s today. Cranked up A Storm In Heaven and OMG.

So yeah, they're dorky looking but there is nothing better.

anyone got any recommendations for the gen3 shuffle?

Obviously I ditched the apple phones asap as they are crap, now have my in-ear Sennheisers plugged in through a belkin adapter which lets you have the in-line controls the only way to control the thing). The sound is ok, but the controller is crap, way too easy to switch off the shuffle and not greatly made it's rattling already.

Koss Portapros.

Argh, 3gen, maybe not.

nope, they'd still have to go through he adapter, plus, don't they have sponges? Not too good at the gym...

I have some Sennheiser CX300 in-ears which sound OK but distinctly not full or bassy, which I wouldn't mind except everyone else says they are.

i've been meaning to get a pair of these for a month or two now but i keep getting spooked by stories about really well-made counterfeits everywhere. (official retailer rrp is like £30-40 and then there's dodgy looking ebay/amazon dudes selling for £11.) anyone have an idea where might be cheapest and most trustworthy?

I actually bought a pair of legit CX300 IIs from Amazon for about £12 last week. For the price they are not bad, although don't offer much isolation. Plenty of bass (if a bit indistinct).

Got them because my Shure SE530s have crapped out again. That's my 4th pair of them, all previous ones having a fault which manifests in the cable stiffening and cracking after a period of time. Am now in heated discussion with Shure about getting a (free) replacement as I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a £250 pair of headphones to last longer than 2.5 years. They sound *superb* but this problem with the cable now prevents me from recommending them at all.

In fact, there I am upthread stanning the Shures back in the good old days of November 2008. It's very frustrating because they are so wonderful in terms of sound and so lousy in terms of build quality.

Same thing happened to two pairs of Shures I've owned. Wonderful in-ears, but can't something be done about those cracking cables? It's inexcusable.

I'd only buy Grado again if they came up with a better design for the junction where the L and R cables join the main cables. Just stupid.

i had that thing with the Shure cables cracking/fraying. it's a real shame if it's the case with all their headphones because they really do sound great. i was even tempted to buy them again, despite the problem, as most of the comments i've seen online suggest that Shure are quite reasonable with repairing them. after Bill's comments though, i'm tempted to look elsewhere.

I should clarify that during the 2-year warranty period they replaced the three pairs that failed without a quibble. But I'm now outside that and Shure UK's only offer is a replacement pair at 40% off the RRP, but as the RRP is £400 that's still more than I paid for them new. My current argument is that from day one they have known there was a problem with the initial cable compound (and this has been well documented on head-fi.org etc), and my first three pairs were all from this affected batch so the were guaranteed to fail. The latest pair have lasted longer (well over a year), but have still failed in the same way, and as the warranty runs from the initial purchase date then I am out of luck.

I'm hoping that sense will eventually prevail. Otherwise I'm perfectly happy to take it to the UK Trading Standards body and see what they think.

It's good to hear about your experience with these. I still have a pair that work, though I've been reluctant to use them heavily lest they fray like the last pair. It's compounded by the fact that I purchased them while I was working in Korea, and I'm not sure what sorts of hoops I'd need to jump through to have them repaired.

If Shure has known about problem this long, that's fairly damning.

huh

I've had a pair of Shure e4c since the day they came out (early 2005?). no issues.

Under uk consumer law the retailer is responsible to you for seven years, I think, for home electrical goods - I've used this law to include a DSLR camera so I'm sure £400rrp headphones would count too. They're clearly not fit for purpose so you're entitled to replacement. Warranty should also, I'm pretty sure, renew with each replacement product. Google uk consumer law; it's actually very favourably balanced towards the consumer.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3663/3347193842_3de692168d.jpg

I love my Klipsch S4's (with Shure buds). Coupled with my 16gb Sony NWZ walkman > > > > aural perfection.

xpost

From everything I've read (at tedious length it must be said), there were issues with the initial batches of E500/SE530 earphones pretty much from the outset. The cable compound was, at some stage, changed to one less susceptible to this cracking problem, but as I said earlier all this has done in my case is last a bit longer. I've owned Shure e2c and e4g earphones before and neither model was affected by this, so the situation is pretty clear cut, in my mind at least and from the numbers of people who have been affected (there's a poll on head-fi covering this, figures up to about 50% iirc) I'm disappointed that Shure did not carry out a product recall or at least publicise this.

SM, that is very helpful advice - I've never really investigated uk consumer law before but your comments give me some hope that I might be able to get a replacement set, which is all I want. I've seen another headphone maker which sells little clear latex doohickies that can be fitted to the cable where it meets the earpiece and suspect this would at least offer some additional protection in future.

yeah sam500, I hear good things about the Klipsch range. If I cannot get satisfaction from Shure then I'm sorely tempted to go for one of theirs, or possibly Westone 3s or Sennheiser IE8s. For my commute the noise isolation is essential and the Shure buds are really excellent for this.

http://store.apple.com/uk/product/TX584ZM/A/Bowers-&-Wilkins-P5-Mobile-Headphones?fnode=MTY1NDA0Ng&mco=MTcwOTA2Njk

At £100, even £150, I might've took a pop on these.

Seems that in the 5 years since I first encountered Apple earbuds, they've stepped up their game considerably. They overcompensated on the bass a bit, but most people like their earphones a bit bassy, so I understand why that happened. These are my work earphones now, though, since my Shures block out a little too much sound for the office. Anyway, yeah... these don't suck.

So what are the best in-ear picks? I have some aging Shure e2c earbuds on which I have somehow screwed up the right channel. Minimal profile and sound quality are the goal here, although the ability to have a shorter cable or iPhone control would be great.

I still am trying to figure out if my right ear is less sensitive now, or I screwed up my right earbud. Likely the latter.

depends on what you want - several big name manufacturers have iphone-compatible inears out, and all are reviewed favorably depending on who you ask. for example, if you like a clean and analytic sound signature, you might consider the etymotic hf2.

Ultimate Ears (UE), Shure, altec lansing all make iphone-compatible in-ears and they all get reviewed highly. depends on what kind of sound you like.

i really want the Dr. Dre headphones but I'm afraid someone will punch me in the back of the head and take them if i wear them outside

...

The Dr Dre headphones are, from what I've heard and read, passable but overpriced. Don't buy products from Monster, Whiney.

anyone here from the uk ever redeemed their koss lifetime warranty, and if so do they recall which retailer did it for them? (the left can has gone in my portapros.) one of those listed is quoting me £10 "handling fee", one hasn't replied to email, and the other one is giving me the runaround wrt getting a order reference # before i can send anything. >:[

heres the list: http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/dist?openform&United%20Kingdom

http://www.ballerstatus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/2009-09-07-gaga1.jpg

^^ secretly what whiney wants

I have been happily using Koss Portapros for gym/home listening for a few years and using the guarantee a couple of times a year to get a new pair when they inevitably crap out but now I'm looking at spending a little more (but not that much more, I'm a broke grad student) to get something sturdier, particularly as I do some amateurish sound recording for my films and need a better pair of monitor cans. So, any up to date suggestions in the $50-$75 range that would be a noticeable improvement on the (quite decent) portapros?

I also need something excellent-sounding and portable and under $50. Can anyone weigh in on:

Sony MDR-EX56LP
Maximo iMetal iM-590
Denon AH-C360

Or should I spring for something else? They're for riding the train/walking around with my Zune.

r/t/c I had my pps serviced by hama PVAC ltd back in sept. 06

don't know if they still do it; the contact e-mail I have for them is jlunn at hama dot co dot uk

Been using my Alessandro M1s as my primary listening, uh, thing, for months now here in Argentina. They sound great (part of this can be chalked up to re-listening to stuff like Talk Talk on headphones instead of speakers and being amazed, but still) and are comfortable as hell... I frequently fall asleep with them on.

I was surprised how big they actually are when I picked up a pair

I bought some Grado SR60's two years ago, in large part because of the praise they received from posters, especially sick mouthy, but I'm thinking of getting something else soon.

Ideally the next pair should be under $100, able to fit inside my laptop bag without my constant fear of them breaking, and preferably canned -- or at least not as open as the Grado's, which tends to put what I'm listening to on a sort of display for people nearby.

Ideas? Recommendations?

I prefer open designs, but the Denon AH-D1001s I picked up last year have held up well. They're light and comfy, though not collapsable. Very little sound leakage. I'm not sure if you can get a pair for less than $100 yet.

I'll look into them. Thanks.

Any recommendations for good-sounding headphones with replaceable parts? It's always the lead that breaks.

Do such things exist?

I think sennheiser hd25s are studio quality headphones with fully replaceable parts

Think all $100+ Sennheisers and possibly some of the cheaper ones have replaceable leads (with varying definitions of "replaceable" - my HD590s have a lead which just plugs in on the outside of the left headphone, but my new 595s require the plastic casing to be taken apart and things to be unscrewed - haven't had to do that yet so I'm hoping it's less complicated than the diagram looks).

The 590s were pretty expensive but after a succession of $30 headphones where the lead broke within a year or two (and in some cases only a few months) they paid for themselves. The leads tend to be a proprietary fitting and cost $20, but I guess I got 4 years out of each lead so far.

It's on the move headphones that I'm most interested in, I guess having them not ruined in my bag is the biggest hurdle.

Bose Quite Comfort 15s have a replaceable leads--they sound good and are super comfy.

(also nice case to protect them in a bag)

Is there such thing as an affordable pair with easily replaceable parts?

Need to replace my lost HD25-Is. List is Sennheiser HD25-IIs, B&W P5 and Beyer Dynamic T50p . Look for good sound but more importantly isolation. Did my first overnight flight without my HD25s last week and it was hell without my cocoon of solitude.

Damn, I think I lost my AKGs.

My Grado SR60's are starting to lose connectivity in their right ear and the warranty has passed. Can anyone recommend some under $20 headphones to pix up at Best Buy or whatever until I can afford to either get these fixed or get something more expensive and good online?

if you have a soldering iron Grados are very easy to fix, sounds like the lead might be coming off at the right driver Cunga. Ed have you considered IEMs? I think you probably can't go wrong with another pair of HD25's.

I had some etymotics for a while and although I liked the sound but I found them uncomfortable. IEMs aren't really for me I think.

Thanks for the advice, dyao. This happened before to them last year and I just sent it back for repair free of charge.

I'd recommend calling Grado's customer service. They repaired the left channel on my SR-60s for $15 (including shipping) even though the SR-60s had been out of warranty for years.

In fact, I've found Grado's customer service to be some of the most accommodating I've ever dealt with. It seems like they take pride in their product.

http://gilmore2.chem.northwestern.edu/projects/showfile.php?file=grado_prj.htm

advice for how to open up the cups

if the break is in the wire itself however it may be more complicated.

are grados still made in the US?

I was looking for good cheapo headphones and I found a link to Avlex HD668B Enhanced Bass Headphones (the write up is here) and for $40 you get semi-open phones with pretty great sound quality and a range from 10 to 30,000 Hz.

What's the best set of canalphones I can pick up for around/under $30 that can withstand a beating? These Sennheiser CX300's didn't even last a year (though I stored them wrapped around my Zune in my bag...)

@docfunk: Oh, good. My Dr. Dre headphones are malfunctioning. That was my worst buy of 2009 even before this. #TheySuckEvenWhenTheyWork

are grados still made in the US?

pretty sure they're still made in Brooklyn

@Stevie D: Here's some good cheap canalphones - Creative Creative Labs EP 630 (site recommended + good reviews on amazon + under $30)

I got the HD668Bs in the mail and they're doing me good.. the sound is excellent

just broke my 3rd pair of sony md-180's. done with them. and then i tried out my high-school age sister's JBL "Roxy" headphones (in neon green and pink) and was blown the fuck away. Bass is a little much but I couldn't believe that impulsive tweens all over the nation weren't even realizing the level of quality sound they were getting to listen to tay swift with.

Anyone ever send back portapros for warranty repair? original packaging,no receipt,never registered.

Yeah, I've done it two or three times, it's never been a problem. They send them back within like 2 weeks.

yeah. they're THE BEST, they will reinstill your faith in corporations. a couple of times they sent me a new pair. i am okay with this as my enthusiasm has probably made a bunch of other people buy some = good business model

Anyone tried those extremely cool looking TMA-1 hp's by AIAIAI?

http://www.itechnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Aiaiai-TMA-1-Headphones.jpg

those are cool looking

portapros are like $30 on amazon right now vs $200 for tma-1s. hard to beat that.

those tma-1s are waaaaaay too expensive. $100 sounds about right, form factor excepted.

I got the impression they're gunning for the Sennheiser HD-25 market.

I think they sell for 200? The TMAs actually look way better in the, err, flesh - that matte black finish is quite something. I fear tho that sound quality was an afterthought

I've just dropped 90 quid on a pair of Gradio SR80s - awesome, just awesome.

i agree, but i got my sennheisers for $120 and i think they're better than the tma-1s.

$200 seems awfully steep, cool looking or no.

personally think design-wise aiaiai did a better job w/ these

http://www.turntablelab.com/images/content/1/0/100735.jpg

mh otm, if you're thinking about the tma-1's why not just go w/ the original

http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/public/product_images/altimage/06%2007%202006sennheiser_hd-25.jpg

Pulled out my cheap-o Skullcandys on the train this morning and they were done for, so I had to swing by Walgreens to buy a cheap pair for the day. God these JVC Gummys are awful, no low end and they fit in the ear in a way that lets every sound in the world in around them.

so. for wearing about the place, usually wandering around, seems like it's between koss portapros or sennheiser HD202s? if I am concerned abt noise leaks bothering others it seems like the 202s are more the way to go...?

i have only used earbuds up until now, this is a new and magical world.

Depends what kind of "noise leaks" you mean. When it comes to "leaks", Portapros aren't anything extreme (compared to the super-open Grados, say). Just regular headphone-ness.

i love my portapros and use them in public often, and noise leak irritations are something i'm probably excessively concerned about. so unless you enjoy blasting your eardrums out they should be okay on that front. that said, i had a go on a friend's expensive sennheisers today and felt a little pathetic returning to the portapros after that sumptuous experience.

yeah you'd have to play music at a 'really not good for your ears' level for portapros leak to be a problem

anyone got anything good/bad to say about the klipsch s4s?

i got some sennheiser CX200s (£20) about a year back, and i've noticed a lot more definition in the music i listen to, more than any other pair of headphones, they give very true playback aside a gentle cut in the mids. they look smart as well. for this pair being the starters in the range too, i'm pretty impressed. i play them with my ipod and i find them just about good enough to mix my recordings on, too.

i got some sennheiser CX200s (£20) about a year back, and i've noticed a lot more definition in the music i listen to, more than any other pair of headphones, they give very true playback aside a gentle cut in the mids. they look smart as well. for this pair being the starters in the range too, i'm pretty impressed. i play them with my ipod and i find them just about good enough to mix my recordings on, too.

sorry, fucking internet.

they also block out external noise so well that i nearly crashed my pushbike the other day, too

anyone got anything good/bad to say about the klipsch s4s?

― cherry blossom, Tuesday, November 23, 2010 5:37 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

I had the s4i (iphone version), this is the earbud IEM you're talking about yeah?

good sound, a little neutral but shoddily constructed, mine broke after a few months and I'm outside the country so can't take advantage of their 2 year warranty just yet

I picked up some denon IEMs, ah-c560r iirc, which are at the same price point and I like them a lot better. (I already have denon big headphones, so maybe I just like the house Denon sound). great bass but mids and highs are present. and the construction is much better - thicker wire, and the plug is right angle so it won't give out (where my S4is failed iirc).

seems like they make a mid-level version too called the c-260r, dunno how that is.

hallo, a friend is looking for some closed-back headphones - enough to block out the noisy subway but also not leak in quieter situations - for around £40. she can't do the in-ear thing, which appears to be a bit of an inconvenience given her specifications. any suggestions?

sennheiser hd-280

lol

(don't get those, actually)

Still rocking the Denon AH-D1001s that I picked up about 14 months ago. They should be even cheaper now that a slightly beefier D1100 model is replacing them. Highly recommended.

My Shure earplugs have crapped out on me for the second time, and are at the moment in transit back to the repair center... again. That's where a two-year warranty comes in handy, but it's still a serious pain. The trouble seems to be not the earplugs themselves, but the cord, which isn't designed for every-single-day, shove-em-in-your-pocket wear. Eventually you start to get crackle in one or both ears, and finally failure.

I needed a replacement in the meantime, though, since I spend a good deal of my time in transit or at work listening to music and podcasts. The great thing about the Shures is that they're not just sound isolating (as the terminology goes), they're basically earplugs, blocking out so much external noise that someone could be screaming at the top of their voice at you while you're listening to something at a normal comfortable volume, and you couldn't hear a word of it. Since much if not most of my listening time is spent on very very loud trains or walking down cavernous city streets, and since I have a touchy case of tinnitus, it's extremely important to me to not have to listen to loud things. Not ever, if at all possible.

So I've been through three pair of earphones in four days. The first ones I tried were some Sony noise canceling things, and I returned them the next day. These are complete bullshit. You need a battery to get any sound out of them that's not like a tin can, and even then, it ain't too great. And as for canceling noise, well. That's just a straight-up lie. No other way to put it. They don't cancel noise when they have a fully charged battery and are turned on (yes, you have to turn them on and off, which is ridiculous already), that merely makes them work. Pieces. Of. Shit.

The next try was the Bose IE2 earphones, which I have to admit have better than decent sound. Pretty excellent sound, maybe, if you're in a soundproof room. But wearing them while even walking outside in a suburban neighborhood with a barking dog would mean you'd miss half the music. The noise isolating effect of them is zero. Bose does not claim otherwise, but I did see a large ad for them on the train this morning, and wearing them on a train would be ridiculous, unless you want to run them at maximum volume at all times and go deaf before you're 40. I almost feel like it's irresponsible to market them to people who ride the train every day. They do sound great, though. In bed, with a ski mask on and two foam pillows wrapped around either ear.

So the compromise is a big ol' pair of cans, completely over the ears, with puffy foam rims. You know, the Old Fashioned. I went with the Sennheiser HD428 S, which sound good enough, though by no means great. What's important, though, is that they do a fair job of sealing off your ears from the outside world. Not as good as the Shures, but maybe about 70% of that. Of course optimally they would sound rich and natural even as a subway train roars by at full speed inside a tunnel, and you wouldn't even have to turn up the volume one notch. For less than $100, that's way too much to hope for. So mid-level sound it is, in exchange for not going deaf.

That post was kinda long, huh? Sorry about that. But THIS IS IMPORTANT, PPL!

Has anyone tried out the Beats ("by Dr. Dre") brand irl? They sound pretty freakin' fantastic in the store, but they also run in the $250-$350 range. I ain't forgot about you, Dre, I just have other expenses.

Honestly, you oughta spend more time learning about 'phones on Rock Grotto & Head-Fi forums then deliberating about store 'phones

Will check out. Thank you sincerely. I'd rather buy online and get good shit, but googling things like this is a messy business.

I love my Grado SR80s with all my heart and soul. I rue the fact that I didn't buy them years ago and saved all this messing around with headphones that weren't these ones.

Does Grado make cans that don't annoy people who are next to you on the train?

Honestly, you oughta spend more time learning about 'phones on Rock Grotto & Head-Fi forums then deliberating about store 'phones

Nothing personal or anything, but I take back my very special thanks for the recommendation. No one on any of these boards has anything to say that's more useful that what I said. It's trial and error, as always, and I have tried and I have errored, and while I have never tried a pair of Grado headphones, I gather from these boards that they're just about in line with any other brand. If you want to spend about $100 on headphones, I'm not wrong about a single thing I said. If you want to spend what I would consider to be a lot of money on headphones... well, I'm not there yet. Most people aren't.

I love my Grado SR80s with all my heart and soul.

misread this

My iPod earphones are completely shitting out.

You r wearing them wrong.

kenan, Grados are not "in line with any other brand" they're a step above. They're like five steps above. But they're totally open, so sound bleeds in and sound also bleeds out. Most of my headphone listening is on public transportation so this doesn't really work for me. But I love the sound, love the brand - independent, based in Brooklyn for decades, etc.

Ah, I see.

Yeah, wouldn't work for me, either, for exactly the same reason.

yeah i would be happy to pay good money for them if they made ones that didnt annoy everyone around me

the openness of grados is sort of key to their sound

kenan dunno if you read my post upthread but I am really happy with my denon in-ears. they isolate sound and have very durable construction.

the openness of grados is sort of key to their sound

Same with the Bose IE2 that I had. They work with ambient noise. That's nice, but city noise is usually more than just "ambient". It's usually deafening all by itself.

dunno if you read my post upthread but I am really happy with my denon in-ears

I skimmed before, but I see now. Definitely worth checking out once these Shures crap out on me a third time, which I have no doubt that they will do, as soon as the warranty runs out. It sounds like a lame and made-up complaint, but I've been 'round this track before. These earphones just don't last.

IMO the thing with the in-ear ones is that whether you get a really good deep fit like you describe with your Shures seems to be a really personal thing, down to the size and shape of your ear canal and maybe some other mysterious unknowable factors besides.

e.g. I got the seal you describe with some Goldring GX200 earbuds. Took me a few goes to find the sweet spot to put them in, and if you don't get that right they sound really trebly with weird stereo separation, but fine after that. But I wouldn't really recommend them as they were pretty expensive for the build quality and after I bought them I found they had mostly not great reviews.

Then I lost the rubbery bit and couldn't buy a replacement, so I bought some Sennheiser CX300s because I read good reviews about them having a rich, full sound. But for me they sit near the outside of my ear, sound tinny, don't drown out the bus engine, fall out every so often. But I guess some people find they fit just right and have no luck with the Goldrings.

So, I don't know, but good luck with yr quest, anyway.

I've never been completely satisfied with earbud style headphones either. have often had them die on me as well, I find many of the models uncomfortable, and I also hate how easily they can be knocked out if something tugs on the cord. my favorites were the koss "plug" headphones that fit like earplugs but they always died on me after a few months of use, so that got old after a while.

so, I just got a pair of foldable AKG K 430s and I like em a lot. for portability, they're great. they fold down to a nice and manageable size and come with a little carrying case that I just leave in my backpack at all times.

sound from your surrounding environment will bleed in if you don't crank em but it's really not too bad. also did a test and people shouldn't hear your music if you're listening at a reasonable level.

pretty happy with the sound as well. can't say I'm blown away but it does the job better than any earbuds I've tried. (various sennheiser, koss, and sony models.) could use a little more bass but that's about my only complaint in that dept.

I've got a pair of AKG 430s for listening at work, and yeh, they're great. I know what you mean on the bass, but I find everything else pretty clear. My old sennheiser PX100s were terrific but I went through 3 pairs in a year, all with the same problem, before giving up.

I'm not sure if the Grado's reputation for sound leaking out is entirely warranted. Sure, some sound does leak, but I've tried taking them off during a train journey and I couldn't hear any sound at all from further than about a foot. I guess if you've got it cranked any further than that then you're not doing your hearing much good.

On an added note, I'm not sure an ipod can drive the headphones too loud anyway. When I use them on my home rig I can get them waaaaay louder.

For comfort you cant beat beyerdynamics with the furry cups. Ive DT770s at work and DT880s at home, both great but the open 880s are nicer to listen to.

It's been mentioned, but the Koss Porta-Pro's are like WOAH. I looked at them online and assumed that for the design that they were great headphones, but great in comparison to other bigger, heftier, around the ear 'phones? - possibly, but more likely not. Couple months later I'm gifted them for xmas and was fucking blown away by the clarity, the loudness, and the extremely surprising amount of bass these had. THEY SHAKE from too much bass. They're tacky loooking but cheap and well worth it.

- Michael J. Koss, President and CEO of Koss Inc.

I'm gonna need a headphone amp for the DT770s huh

I got a pair of HD25s recently. pretty good

i miss my sr-60s :(

My old sennheiser PX100s were terrific but I went through 3 pairs in a year, all with the same problem, before giving up.
― 전승 Complete Victory (in Battle) (NotEnough), Tuesday, January 11, 2011 8:43 AM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Ugh, I just lost my PX-100s last week! They lasted a good year or so before one channel stopped working - I've read that's a very common problem, unfortunately. Not sure now if I should invest in another pair; that and they're sixty dollars. I'm too cheap/broke to be spending that much right now **sigh**

And like most people here, I can't use in-ear headphones. I find them terribly uncomfortable for more than 10 minutes use, and they always pop out.

I tried DT770s but I found the midrange lacking, tbh. my denons are much better in midrange, and have bass almost equal to the DT770s.

for a headphone amp, I can't recommend the iBasso D4 enough, if you listen from a computer. it solves two problems - it moves the DAC process from the crappy enclosures of your laptop offboard, using high-quality chips, and it also amps the signal. kind of pricey though. but really, if you're a music nerd, I don't see why you wouldn't invest in some quality sound equipment.

-this has been brought to you by friends and supports of the iBasso political campaign for president 2012

which denons?

Has anyone tried the new Bowers & Wilkins model?

denon ah-d2000s xp

IMO the thing with the in-ear ones is that whether you get a really good deep fit like you describe with your Shures seems to be a really personal thing, down to the size and shape of your ear canal and maybe some other mysterious unknowable factors besides.

The Shures put out all of their sound through a single short stem, and I discovered that the best way to fit them and get a perfect seal was to take a normal pair of earplugs, cut them in half, punch a hole in the middle, and put the stem through it. Then when you put them on, you roll them around between your fingers, just like earplugs. They'll get dirty and lose their foamy-springiness in about a week, at which point you throw that half of the earplug away and do it again. Works brilliantly.

Shure sells tips for their earphones that are pretty much exactly like that!

Ultimate Ears does too, if you look for the "comply"-style tips.

Shure sells tips for their earphones that are pretty much exactly like that!

Yeah, but for like $10 a pop.

It's like $20 for a pack of five pairs, for the more expensive ones.

It's still better to be able to just throw them away when they get the inevitable ear crap on them.

I just wanna discourage anyone here from getting these newish AKG iPhone earbuds. wasted 100 EUR on these and went back to the Apple in-ear ones.

Basically there is two camps of headphone audiophiles. The more rock/hip-hop/techno leaning listeners usually prefer the favorites over at RockGrotto forums. RockGrotto folk tend to prefer the "colored/brighter" sound. The folk at HeadFi tend to prefer the neutral sound which is recommended for classical, jazz and a bunch of softer bass stuff. On first listen regular joes will almost always prefer the 'phones suggestions from the RockGrotto camp. I prefer 'phones that try to recreate the original "neutral" sound and I even enjoy rock on many neutral 'phones. But if your price range is low it really doesn't matter what camp you join. IMO, if you are eventually going to get expensive 'phones then you are better off in the HeadFi camp. It can be harder to get into the neutral sound if you are used to the other way around. Colored 'phones are much more common and they too can get some real good sound. Grado's sound is unique - not all colored 'phones are the same.

What are good examples of each camp?

Excellent question. Thread bump.

I'll post some things I've read tomorrow

Sony MDR-V6. The SPL (Sound Pressure Level) is insanely high, and I think they're some kind of industry standard (I always see them in clips of people in recordings studios and radio stations).

I need a cheap headphones, $50-and-down thread.

If you're going for in-ears in that price category I'd recommend the Sennheiser CX300's.

Not the CX-300 II though, because they're shit.

Hm. Didn't know about the MkII replacing the old ones. What happened that makes them shit?

The cord is horribly curly and doesn't uncurl properly ever, and the plug is cheap shit that cracks open after a week. I've been through two pairs of these recently, never again. The original CX300s are fine if you can still find them.

was thinking of getting some px 200-ii's - anyone aware of a similar downgrade in quality with those, compared to the originals?

i notice the new version has a single cord with a volume control on, which i'm thinking could be annoying.

I had some CX-300 IIs recently, they lasted six months until the left channel started cutting out. Didn't notice any problems with the cord, but clearly mileage there varies. Per my various posts upthread, build quality on pretty much any level of IEMs varies wildly (£300 Shures had to be replaced 4 times in two years due to cable failure - I'd never buy Shure IEMs again now).

Best sub $50 headphone? Koss Portapros are cheap as chips and sound great, + they have a lifetime warranty. My experience with IEMs leads me to think that you may as well treat them as a consumable and look to replace them every year or so, if they last longer then that's a bonus.

I've heard the II version of the sennheisers are all rubbish. I've looking into getting a px150 for a friend, and the concensus among hi-fi types is that the II isn't quite up to snuff.

gonna be investing in a pair of sony mdr-v6 when i can, totally acceptable standard for monitoring and listening, frequency response is around 5-30khz like whoa- i listened through a friends recently and it just made my £20 sennheisers sound like shit.

although they have one of those stupid telephone cords which i'm gonna have to put up with

also i wouldn't walk around outside with them on my head, so i'll stick with my cx250s for in ear outdoor listening.

Any acceptable bluetooth headphones for the gym?

i bought a pair of CX300s on this thread's say so, will report back.

http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/products/accessories/overview/hbh-is800

these are working out p handily for me as convenient everyday bluetooth earbuds

AAAAAAARGH! The fucking jack on my fucking AKGs have fucking gone again. I thought it was just the sennheisers that I had a problem with, but no, it looks like its my aura or smell or something, cos I must have spent a fortune on replacing headphones that are absolutely fine except for the jack. I would just solder on a new one, but all new headphone have this crazy string wire instead of proper wires and it's impossible to solder.

Anyone have any suggestions for decent set of headphones with a jack that doesn't go to shit within 6 months?

cant you just return them under warranty?

Found these back (temp lost after moving house): http://www.ultrasone.com/index.php/en/products/zino.html
Soundwise they're so much better than the CX300s. Headband could be slightly more comfortable though.

I really should start keeping the receipt+box for these things. I tend to rip them apart like an excitable child. Lessons learned, I guess.

any suggestion for pretty high-end portable/lightweight headphones compatible with ipod/iphone controls? I'm thinking of the beats by Dre & Quincy's AKGs category (don't know anything about the quality of these specific pairs)

http://ultimateears.com/en-us/products/superfi-5vi

These are pretty inexpensive on amazon occasionally and are nice.

If you want headphones instead of earphones, I'm not sure!

after a lot of trial and error, I went back to the in-ear Apple earbuds for my everyday listening but I'd like some good headphones I could easily slip into a packed messenger back once in a while.

Koss Portapros.

are they compatible with ipod/iphone controls though?

how could any headphone not be? but yeah they work fine, my gf does ipod-portapro.

what are your thoughts on Klipsch earbuds?

So are you looking for actual controls on the cords, or a microphone, or what?

so somebody recommended these headphones to me, anybody heard em

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50S-Studio-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B000ULAP4U/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1296799138&sr=8-2-fkmr0

i'm looking for something with good sound isolation for office use. these bose sound-cancelling things need to die. i think they're giving me ear cancer.

i really need to get the expensive apple ones i guess; i like having the ipod controls on the cord so i ain't gotta go into my pocket on a crowded train.

xxxp - yeah sorry should have specified, I meant having volume controls, skipping and answering button on the cord

indeed pretty essential for iphone/ipod touch in public transport

does anyone but apple offer that where it works with the ipod?

well these new AKG buds claimed to but as I mentioned upthread, the controls didn't work half of the time and the fit was horrible so I had to return them

these controls work w any headphones

belkin control cable for £6 - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-Headphone-Adaptor-Control-Shuffle/dp/B002J1SCRQ

a bit short

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Griffin-Gc10034-Headphone-Control-Adaptor/dp/B003A5AXP4

longer, but maybe too long

The Koss PortaPros are a definite improvement over the OEM Ipod earbuds in boosting the bass/low end of music, but I don't feel like they don't bring out any other dynamics of the music that make music that I have heard hundreds or thousands of times seem revelatory. They also get uncomfortable as hell after wearing them for 15-20 minutes. My hair seems to get in them when I put them and take them off. However, the price is right. I paid $30-40 USD for mine last year.

what are your thoughts on Klipsch earbuds?

― juicebox, Thursday, February 10, 2011 4:50 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

had klipsch earbuds, the plug broke within 3 months

a lot of companies sell earphones and headphones with ipod/iphone volume and play controls.

at this point I sound like a broken record itt but I still recommend the denon ah-c560r

iphone/ipod controls, very durable construction (at least on my pair - thick wire, strain relief plug), and great sound signature.

I've got Sennheiser CX200's on the way from newegg, 12.99 shipped

are they compatible with ipod/iphone controls though?

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Wednesday, February 9, 2011 1:21 PM (7 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

how could any headphone not be?

Easily. The earphone wire itself has to have a built-in microphone that the Apple software will acknowledge as native, or else you have no microphone. This is an obvious problem while trying to have a phone conversation.

This is a special problem if you want to have a microphone into your iPod. I don't have an iPhone, just an iPod Touch, and it won't accept any audio input without the Apple earbuds with the built-in mic that comes with those.

HOWEVER don't bother with the Dr. Dre "Beats" $100 earbuds that are iPhone and iPod compatible. They are that, but they don't have the sound quality you should expect for that price. Dr. Dre wants you to spend $300 on a pair of big-ass cans. If you do, though, he will reward you.

i'm looking for something with good sound isolation for office use

I've got a pair of Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro headphones for the office and they work pretty well - great sound, block out 90% of the yammering of coworkers and can wear them for fairly extended periods (although velvety padding sometimes leads to "hot ear").

So the Dre, errr, cans are good then?I like the shape of them and how light they seem but i'm a bit suspicious they might just be too gimmicky

Right, bought another pair of AKGs but got the 5yr cover. When these break in 12 months time I'll fill you all in on the hoops I'll no doubt have to jump through to get a new set.

ive never had any trouble returning shure + sennheisers when theyve broken fwiw

Seriously, unless the in-cable remotes are essential, or sound-isolation is essential, Koss Portapros are the best headphones under about £60 that I've ever had. Awesome bass response, terrific soundstaging and detail, really dynamic, great midrange, very good treble, more lively and less veiled than Sennheisers, way more thumping than any IEMs I've used. I have to step up to Grados to get anything better, and they're totally not portable.

lukas, from what I understand the Audio-Technica ATH-M50S are a great choice. the mids might seem a tiny bit weaker than the highs and lows and the clamping might hurt at first but most clamping problems can be fixed with a little bit of stretching. but they look great and I read that the bass is punchy, present without being overemphasized and the music is smooth. plus they rank pretty high on head-fi and the isolation is quite good for over ear phones. I would go for it

any suggestion for pretty high-end portable/lightweight headphones compatible with ipod/iphone controls? I'm thinking of the beats by Dre & Quincy's AKGs category (don't know anything about the quality of these specific pairs)

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 9 February 2011 17:49 (Yesterday) Bookmark

bowers and wilkins p5s.

thanks - this looks indeed exactly like what I'm looking for.

xposts, thanks. birthday present to self decided.

has anyone tried the Audio-Technica ATH-ES7? It seems these could be combined with an Audio Tech iphone adapter

So the Dre, errr, cans are good then?I like the shape of them and how light they seem but i'm a bit suspicious they might just be too gimmicky

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Thursday, February 10, 2011 4:39 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

i think they are good quality but very overpriced

My wife has pair of Dr. Dre Solos. She loves them, but I don't see what they do for the music other than boost the bass.

The highs are just the right amount of sharp and the all-important mid-range is... um... extremely mid. They're beautifully engineered, sez me.

Just don't do something stupid like turn on the equalizer on your iPod.

I use MP3Gain on all my music, so I can equalise my ipod as much as I like.

Rong. That's about volume, not sound. And I don't use it specifically because its algorithm is imperfectable. You can't listen to something from 1983 and then something by Bjork and expect a volume analysis to rectify the discrepancies in peaks and troughs. But, handily enough, every portable music machine ever made has a volume control, usually on the side.

</ smart ass>

And if you got full gain on your mp3s and the sound wave looks like a brick (in audacity for instance) then you can't expect equalizer presets on your ipod to work properly. Bass boost for instance won't make bass get louder if the bass is already maxed out. This might be true for listening to music through itunes as well... I know I read this somewhere.

All the revives on this thread inspired me to buy some AKG earpads to switch out with the standard pads on my HD668bs. And I've been reading up a lot about modding these phones which supposedly makes them pretty awesome. And I'll probably buy a portable amp to help lift the recessed lower mids. If I had a portable mp3 player with a stable RockBox port I would download that firmware because it has a near perfect equalizer unlike ipod's EQ which doesn't support custom presets.

anyone have recommendations on especially comfortable earbud-type iPod headphones? i don't know if i'm just irritable or over-sensitive about my earlobes but i kind of hate how sore my ears get with even the fairly nice Bose earbuds i have so much that i don't listen to my iPod nearly as much as i would otherwise.

people have different shaped ears - there's no replacement for just trying earbuds out until you find a pair that you like

yeah but i can't really go into a store and try them on like shoes -- was thinking maybe other people had had the same problem i dunno

what are your thoughts on Klipsch earbuds?

― juicebox, Thursday, February 10, 2011 4:50 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

had klipsch earbuds, the plug broke within 3 months

― dayo

My Klipsch S4's sound great (with Shure buds). But I have to say, build quality is not great (as mentioned above). My last pair developed a loose connection in the plug within 12 months. Got a new pair with the warranty but I'm a bit suspect as to how long the new pair will last.

been researching a bit the B&W P5s and came across a lot of comparisons with the Beyerdynamic T50p. Has anyone tried these?
The B&Ws look fabulous but I'm a bit worried that they seem to have a rather dull neutral sound not really adapted to the kind of music I listen to (mostly electronic)

Well, my Bose died on me tonight for what sounds like a pretty common reason - the cheap ass jack plug came lose and exposed the wires. Not sure what to do now, can't really afford to spend $100+ on new cans. Very pissed.

hate it when that happens, pays to be good w/ a soldering iron

Just frustrating because I've been super careful with them because I'd read about that very issue. Is there any decent over the ear cans for less than triple digits? Just doesn't seem worth it to spend so much when they break anyway.

I've stanned for these before I think. Definitely worth considering.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0026P45EE/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/179-7624359-3573039

Koss Portapros.

http://www.globalnerdy.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/anime_headphone_guide.jpg

(bottom right)

^^^ ♥♥♥

i feel sort of creepy for posting that but fuck it, it's the internet

Fetishisation is the elephant in this room thread anyway, may as well express what everyone's thinking.

Koss Portapros.

Definitely leaning this way after researching and reading a few reviews last night. Are they comfortable for at home, relaxed listening? This is what the Bose were 100% used for.

Yeah, they're open and are pretty comfy for most head shapes, I think. Excellent sound for the price. The Sennheiser PX-100 model is probably the closest I've used that aren't the portapros, and they're still probably not as cool.

I rediscovered my AKG 240s after buying a uDAC preamp two weeks ago. teh AKGs are comfy and rich - maybe a bit above your budget though

has anyone tried running with the koss portapros? if so, how does that work? my etymotic er-6i earbuds just gave out after a few years :/

works fine. they get a bit damp.

sennheiser makes special sports buds xp

oh cool i need to check those then

i was happy with the etymotics but i'm looking for something below $80 this time, yknow?

not sure how much the sennheisers are...

to take this thread full circle

I just bought a new cheap pair of earbuds to replace my Apple earbuds

so anyone who thinks those are bad (though I don't) should try these

I'm not sure whether they're worse or not

I suspect they are

oh cool i need to check those then

i was happy with the etymotics but i'm looking for something below $80 this time, yknow?

not sure how much the sennheisers are...

over time sweat will damage phones. sennheisers are water resistant, sq ain't great though. senns are also designed to stay in your ear through exercise although they may be a bit uncomfortable

ilxor, i use these when running and they are great

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-80-ECO-Rugged-Neckband-Headphones/dp/B001IKKDL2/ref=pd_ys_iyr_img

My skullcandy titan earbuds just broke. Looking to replace them with other earbuds sub-$40. Any recommendations?

What do you people make of this? I don't want to get scammed - is that even possible on Amazon?
A bunch of people are selling the Dr. Dre BEATS earbuds - which retail for £120+ and sell on Amazon for £98 - for about £24.99, brand new.
That seems nuts to me - and a lot of these sellers are listed as "Just Launched" without any profile or feedback.
Too good to be true?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B002GI2YXA/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

probably - maybe its a fake

Sounds like a fake version of an already mediocre product.

Are they bad? I thought the consensus was they were at least sturdy. I have gone through a pair of Bose earbuds and then a pair of Sennheiser CX300IIs (with that hideous one-headphone-is-longer-than-the-other thing they do), and both of them frayed at the jack. Very frustrating.
I use my iPod a lot, but not in any crazy circumstances - just general in-the-front-pocket commuting.

I need some STURDY earbuds!

(also, thanks - you've warned me off of them!)

Not to go all Stewart Lee on you, but keep the receipt. I ALWAYS go through my headphones (all makes, all models) within 18 months, but most manufacturers have a 2yr guarantee, so send them back and get a new pair. I've started doing it, will have to see if it actually works.

Actually there's only one thing that stood out at me about the Dr Dre phones based on my time working for an authorized dealer: they have the highest return/warranty claim rate of any brand I dealt with.

I'm curious about Club Beats because, when recently shopping for new headphones, I was shocked to see how expensive they were, especially for such a ubiquitous product (and when top notch stuff is available for $100 < less).

Granted, I've never heard them, so they may be better than mediocre.

Anyways, I wouldn't do it, sounds like a gyp.

just ordered a pair of Sennheiser CX-500 in ears on Amazon for $39.

dawning on me that they are probably fakes tho

You think? That price looks about right for genuine ones, but if they do seem dodgy when you get them then a full refund and report of the seller is in order - loads of fakes on ebay, but Amazon marketplace stores ought to know better.

I was reading comments about only getting them from authorized dealers. I cancelled the order and bought different headphones.

Fair enough - saves the hassle. I bought some (genuine) CX300s last year and they lasted less than six months before they failed, so no real love for them here.

My current pair of CX-270s have lasted a little over 2 years. They're finally going now though.

shakes, I'm really pleased with the build quality of my denons - thick wire and good jack. they've been yanked out of my ears I dunno how many times but still work.

but yeah it's best to think of portable earbuds as things that just will break over time, like anything else that gets subjected to repeated mechanical stresses constantly

i've also found denon buds to be long lasting

I had Sennheiser (cx400??) earbuds that worked fine for 18 months and one day the audio in the left ear muted to a whisper. Sent them away for repair/exchange about 6 wks ago. Received an email a few weeks ago from a Sennheiser CS lady regarding delivery; she said DPD would deliver 'a package' to my work the following day, which of course never happened. I've been trying to chase this with Sennheiser and it seems DPD may have just delivered my stuff to some random other person... so I'm kind of giving up hope of ever getting my headphones back. Pretty frustrated with this, it's put me off buying the same ones again even though they were good while they lasted.

A few people have mentioned it upthread, but to confirm - the Klipsch S4s sound amazing but seem to be crafted from eggshell. Mine lost sound to the right bud <6 months in. Very annoyingly Amazon UK told me they won't be getting them back in for a couple of months (not sure why... are they discontinued?) so in the meantime I'm tiding myself over with Soundmagic PL11s, which a couple of audiophiley forums have suggested are the best of the bargain basement in-ears. For 13 quid I've no complaints - they're a bit better to my ears than senn cx300s. Would recommend as an emergency/backup pair.

Anyone had a pair of Beyer buds? Not sure whether to try these or just get new S4s...

think i mentioned this on the other headphones thread but if one of yr headphones goes it's unlikely it'll be the driver itself it'll be the jack end, should cost more than £2 to fix.

Thanks for the recommendation on the Denon buds, I'm going to check those out. My Sennheiser CX-300 II's lasted a year and I was perfectly happy with the sound - they only broke when the plastic around the jack separated, exposing wires which eventually frayed.

That said, I can't buy another pair of Sennheisers because of that absolutely INFURIATING 'innovation' of theirs where one headphone cable is longer than the other. Does ANYONE like that?!

update: my denons broke! :( I had to order a new pair because I dont' think they offer international warranties.

otoh I am going to purchase a squaretrade warranty this time

I took the denons apart and it's actually only the rubber sheath that's thick, the actual cable is still thin copper.

That said, I can't buy another pair of Sennheisers because of that absolutely INFURIATING 'innovation' of theirs where one headphone cable is longer than the other. Does ANYONE like that?!

Well, if you wear them as designed ie. looped round back of neck, then it does mean you can pop the earphones out and they'll rest on yr shoulders which can be handy when out and about / getting served in shops / scrabbling for change on a bus etc. Quite useful, imo.

the one-cable-longer-than-other thing surely isn't a sennheiser 'innovation', is it? it used to be very common among the crappy £5 headphones of my teenhood. i got quite used to it tbh - keeping the mp3 player on the left side and running the right cable behind the back of my head always felt quite comfortable, plus useful if you regularly need to take your earbuds out for conversation purposes.

my sennheiser cx200s (which have a symmetrical cable) remain okay in terms of sound but for some reason they're fond of losing the replaceable rubber earbud part.

i think I'm ready to plunge back into my never-ending quest for great headphones.
I own the AKG 240 for home use - which I warmed up to ever since I coupled them to a nice little pre-amp.
For portable use, I've been using the B&W PS5 but they still haven't won me over, both sound wise and comfort wise
Now I'm debating whether to pick up the TMA-1, the HD-25 or the ATH-M50
Advice?

After much searching I have settled on a quartet of headphones which have seen me through the last four years - Koss Portapros for out and about; some Sennheiser sport ones for running / cycling; Alessandro MS1s for indoors feeling fruity; and some AKG K601s (through a Corda amp) for at home feeling dreamy.

Alessandro MS1s for indoors feeling fruity

lol

some Sennheiser sport ones for running

i've looked into a bunch of these... would love to know the specific model # of the ones you like

Finally made the plunge and got the TMA-1 - the design is now an afterthought for me, these sound fantastic - exactly the sound signature I've been looking for.

IlXor - I have the PMX80s - not amazing but do a job (i.e. Stay in my ears when I run!).

not a bad deal for britishers: http://www.richersounds.com/product/headphones/vivanco/aircoustic-premium/viva-aircoustic

I've been trying to not pick up the TMA-1s since I've been using money on home improvement tasks but the reviews I'm seeing keep tempting me!

yeah I relate - I had that feeling since seeing them in a store a year ago - the lack of mic and remote was what allowed me to resist til now - so when they solved that with the new edition, I had no choice but to submit.

I actually have no interest in the mic/remote ones! I can see that as a selling point, though.

I've actually been able to get a good deal on a few pairs of headphones lately due to the fact new versions with a mic/remote will come out and the older model will be put on sale.

I bought a pair of those aircoustic in ears as a spur-of-the-moment thing when I walked past richer sounds at the weekend. Not sure I'd be overly thrilled with them had I paid the £50 or whatever it is they rrp'ed at, but for a tenner they sound absolutely great. Definitely like them more than the soundmagic pl11s I previously had as my backup in-ears, and they're really comfortable.

The only thing about them is that wooden headphones with rope cables = feels a bit like you're robinson crusoe/a flintstone

hey ilm: looking for a decent pair of earbuds, or perhaps something with some kind of external support (head band, behind-the-ear thingies). I have some good cans for home & leisure use, but I need something to use w/ my ipod whilst jogging/biking/gym-going.

I used to have a pair of Shure SE425s & I loved them dearly. I think they were stolen or I lost them in a move or something, though, b/c I have looked for them everywhere & nope.. I'd love simply to buy another pair of those, but $$$ - not happening. I'm thinking something obtainable for less than a hundred bucks.

thoughts?

a cursory glance around & I'm intrigued by the idea of Klipsch S4s. Anyone have an opinion on those?

I had these until really recently and loved them - I think they might be my favourite in-ears ever. They were kind of the upward end of phones I've ever owned though (my previous favourites were senn cx550s and before that cx95s which I guess are both pretty midrange in the scheme of things?) I've never owned shures or etys so can't give much of a comparison, but the s4s felt to me like they had a pretty well-rounded sound (defined mids, clear highs, nice bass - none of which overshadowed the rest), and the soundstage felt really wide.

I would say though that the cables fray and snap very easily- I went through two pairs where one or other ear would lose its sound after six months' frequent but normal use. So I guess you'd maybe want to buy them from amazon or someone who are not going to cause a faff with replacing them..

hmm.. that sounds about right. thanks! I'm a bit concerned about cord ruggedness, tho, b/c I can be pretty rough on headphones I use for running about. cord shorts are the worst!

The Shures I had were pretty amazing (who knew earbuds could be capable of such well-defined bass!), though not something I would have budgeted for, save for that I got them for a good price from a friend. I mean, I'll drop some loot on some good cans, sure, but for this I just need phones which passably good, are not TOO delicate & not so expensive that I'll flip out if they get lost or stolen.

My klipsch s4's just broke, so i need some new headphones. Am thinking of just buying another pair off amazon, does anyone here have any other recommendations? eg sennheisers, etc. Dont really want to spend over £100.

Just get Klipsch S2s. Quite a bit cheaper than S4s but virtually identical sound-wise except for bass, which is better in the S4s. It's like getting MOST of the quality for not as much money.

i have a pair of fake hdj-2000s that i will sell you for $50

i had these before: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-MDR-EX500LP-Multi-Diaphragm-Resolution/dp/B001FWXELO/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1315139373&sr=8-15

they were maybe my favourite pair of in-ears i've ever had, stood on one by mistake and broke them but would buy them again. i got them at half price in sales, i consider 60 a bit steep but am in the market for a new pair at the moment.

Just cut through a pair of band new Sennheiser CX299 trying to open the ridiculous packaging.

Yes, idiotic and I blame myself - but in mitigation I was trying to open them one handed whilst tied up on an incredibly long phone call. And if they could make the packaging easier to open, I'd have used them as soon as I bought them 6 hours ago - but there was no way of opening them whilst I was out.

An extra thank you to everyone who led me to my Audio Technica ATH-M50s. Don't think these can be beat for value (among other things).

^^ agree re: ATH-M50, i got my pair earlier this year, totally sick headphone

My gf would like to buy decent headphones (regular ones, no earbuds or sports models) somewhere in the price range of 40-50 euros. Any suggestions?

I need some headphones for listening to music around the house (have neighbours and a girlfriend who is studying for a degree, but I'm tired of turning my music down). Would prefer over-ear type - maybe noise-cancelling? Any recommendations for wireless ones?

hey ilm: looking for a decent pair of earbuds, or perhaps something with some kind of external support (head band, behind-the-ear thingies). I have some good cans for home & leisure use, but I need something to use w/ my ipod whilst jogging/biking/gym-going.

Still need to buy these. I recently came across what seems like a really good deal n some 'Beats By Dre' earbuds. Celebrity endorsements notwithstanding, I've heard mixed reviews of the brand in general, mainly that they are overpriced. But at 50-60% off retail, perhaps they would be a more reasonable option? If not, I think I'm going to go w/ Klipsch or Sennheiser at this point.

Audio Technica has some good and reasonably priced IEMs

I'd avoid the Beats buds.

What's your budget? I picked up some Shure SE 215s last week and have been very happy with them, but they sell for around $100. I was happy to see they have replaceable cables, and that they're reinforced where they wrap over your ears; they replaced an older pair that were fraying pretty badly after years of use.

really want some good in-ear buds, what do you all recommend? i like the sony pair i recommended upthread but curious what else is good. need to be a good fit for running too...

The Klipsch S4's are great sounding headphones that are let down by some seriously poor build quality. I've been through 2 pairs within 18 months. Wankers.

Local Garda -

i just bought a pair of these for running. come recommended by the world record holder in all-time 100 mile race victories (30+ to date... look him up!) as a very durable, and good sounding headphone for runners.

$36 on Amazon

http://www.sennheiserusa.com/sport-headphones-sport-earphones-sennheiser-adidas-sport_504046

The (now $25) Klipsch S2 ($35 for the S2m with microphone) seem to have been discontinued due to an incompatibility of the S2m jack and the iPhone 4, but these are easily the most comfortable of the half-dozen in-ear headphones I've purchased. Aside from the self-destructing Shures, the others have fallen prey to dog, door jam, or rolling car tire. Since I'm content with my iPhone 3gs, I purchased another pair of S2m just in case. I've worn the current pair for a couple hours every day for 6 months, with no apparent damage.

S2/S2m sound quality is comparable with the entry level Etymotic and Shure models, and infinitely better than the bassy Skullcandy and tuned for speech Apple branded in-ear buds. They seem to have been replaced by the $90 ($50 discounted) Klipsh X1s, which appear identical in every respect. The various Klipsch S4 models had better sound qualitiy, but I found them unusable, as I tend to lodge my buds at least a cm into my ear canal.

I'm getting some Sennheiser PXC 250 II headphones second-hand, £50 not bad.

Any ideas on cheap but sturdy earbuds - thinking probably $20, not completely isolating?

kinda thinking about buying these after trying on a pair and loving them
http://www.erwincomp.com/hd25-1-ii-closed-back-headphon-sennheiser-electronic-hd25-1ii.html
should probably cntrl+f but anyone have any experience

aaaaaand there's six positive mentions; guess i'll give em a try. Real noiseproof huh? that's not really a good thing when i'm on the street.

They're still the professional go-to and have been a favorite of many a music listener/dj. I've not purchased them, even though I had considered it heavily for a while. I think my TMA-1 headphones are somewhat in a similar space?

I got some really nice closed-ear cans from Sennheiser. Perfect for the train cos they block out all the carriage noise, however the wire's three metres long and really impractical outside of a DJ setting.

Rediscovering my TMA-1 - these are great

Aren't they? I'll go a couple weeks without using them, then get back into it and reappreciate them. They're kind of built in their own style, not really at all like any other headphones I own as far as the band tension, materials, or size

Can anyone recommend a pair of over-the-ear headphones that have noise cancellation, are fairly comfortable to wear, and cost somewhere in the $50 or less range?

xposts: How will you be using HD-25s?

Having done a lot of research for headphones of that ilk last summer, I can vouch for them sounding amazing, and being comfortable (at least momentarily) and light, too. Indeed, I came thiiis close to getting a pair, but didn't because: I found a pair of ATH-M50s that were crazy marked down (whereas HD25s lean toward the pricey, at least in Canada), and because bad experiences with open ear headphones have left me scared that HD25s will give me a lot of ear pain (this is obv only a problem if used for regular extended listening), and cause I think the ATH-M50s actually sound better, at least insofar as they have a rich, thick low end (which is what I was looking for).

Anyways, I'm presently living away from home, so everything I listen to is either through laptop speakers or my best beloved ATH-M50s, which I just cannot recommend enough.

I'm living away from home, so

hey, has anyone else noticed a heartbreaking decline in the quality of koss portapros? i don't mean the headphones, but the way they're put together. they changed the jack, so it's straight rather than right angled, i guess for ipod reasons, a while ago, & since then i've got through like three pairs or something. they break & i order a new one because i can't do without headphones & now i have several pairs ready to bag up and return.

I'm too poor to buy cheap stuff

ha. i know. they were £16 for a while, so i could always sorta justify recklessly buying another pair, or couldn't avoid caving. it really sucks because they're my fav & i don't even really feel like i want or need better sounding headphones. it's just they keep breaking.

enjoying the eskuche 'kassette' model.. (over-ear), super basic in appearance. can find em on the net for $39, but i hear they sell em at like urban outfitters and record shops (like skull candy, but not atrocious-looking)

i have moderate tinnitus, and used to rely on $10 sony in-ear throwaways, but in-ear phones generally exacerbate the problem. i've been told that noise-cancelling phones also potentially aggravate the ears.

Yeah I'm pretty much done with portapros because even with the replacement policy they're just too fragile. Have a pair of decent headphones for work. Thinking of going back to earbuds for "commuting" headphones. Need a recommendation for something durable whose cord is hard to get too tangled. Since I'm going to be listening in lots of noisy circumstances (trains, etc.), sound quality comes a distant second in concerns.

still sendin' back my portapros, i basically have broken over 1000000 headphones in my lifetime and the pps dont seem any more fragile than most

lately i have started using some nu force ne-700x earbuds. can't always quite get the fit perfect but even when i can't the sound is great. i don't know how durable they are, sterl, but the cord seems fine.

i had been using some cheap koss 'plug' earbuds, and before that some nicer ones, and before that some higher-end sorny earbuds, all variously satisfying (though breaking or wearing out easily), but these nu-force are the best-sounding, fidelity-wise, i've had in a long time.

i think once i get into a rhythm of owning two pairs of portapros, & sending back a pair when one breaks, i'll be fine, cyclically exchanging and refreshing my headphones. but yeah i just wish they'd use thicker wire covering at the jack? i don't want to have to become someone who's carrying their headphones around in the small leather pouch provided but i'll do it if i have to.

I have a pair of Klipsch S4i headphones that sounded good and had the inline iphone mic and controller thing that I love so much. One year into the two year warranty, the plug area started shorting out so I got them replaced. I kind of hoped that maybe they'd had to replace lots of these under warranty and would have redesigned the plug, but the new pair seems to have an even flimsier plug than the previous ones.

I get the feeling that these weren't really designed to actually carry around around with you and use on a daily basis.

iirc someone recommended some cheap no-name earbuds that you could get off ebay or amazon, and said they break pretty regularly but they sound great so they just order like 10 pairs at a time; anybody remember this? can't find the post

I have a pair of Klipsch S4i headphones that sounded good and had the inline iphone mic and controller thing that I love so much. One year into the two year warranty, the plug area started shorting out so I got them replaced. I kind of hoped that maybe they'd had to replace lots of these under warranty and would have redesigned the plug, but the new pair seems to have an even flimsier plug than the previous ones.

I get the feeling that these weren't really designed to actually carry around around with you and use on a daily basis.

mine just shorted out this morning (6 months into owning). ugh. i guess i'll buy a new pair and then send these back for warranty so i always have one around. it's already driving me crazy to only hear through one ear...when i had the jack that was l-shaped, it seemed to last longer, but these ones don't seem to come that way?

when i had the jack that was l-shaped, it seemed to last longer, but these ones don't seem to come that way?

^^ key problem of our era imo, & downfall of koss portapro

i just bought koss kdx300. evidently it comes with a lifetime warranty?

and is cheaper than klipsch

do not sleep on the industry standard

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-MDR7506/

every time i break one of these nice earphones, i pull out my old crappy earbuds and am reminded of the vast difference in sound and i sigh and shell out $$ for the fancy kind.

The Klipsch S4's are great sounding headphones that are let down by some seriously poor build quality. I've been through 2 pairs within 18 months. Wankers.

My experience as well. I'm about six months into my second pair, where my first pair lasted just a little more than a year. Juuuuust enough to get beyond the factory warranty.

But to be fair, I'm not easy on earphones. I use them every single day, and you may need to shell out a few extra bucks if they're going to get that kind of use.

lately i have started using some nu force ne-700x earbuds. can't always quite get the fit perfect but even when i can't the sound is great. i don't know how durable they are, sterl, but the cord seems fine.

sigh. the cord was shit.

I was slightly disappointed my first pair of Portapros only lasted 4 years, but the 2nd pair have started crackling in the left earphone after just 4 months.

i've had my Klipsch S4's for more than two years and they're going strong. Maybe the build quality has gone down?

I was sold a pair of AudioTechina ATH-ES7 by a mate who runs a headphones store in WA... dont know if it was as much "need to shift this stock" as it was a genuine recommend but I love them, they have a punchy, solid sound and the cans block out external noise well, if theyre a little too small (they dont completely encase the ears). My only gripe is the stupidly short, frail lead on them.

A friend told me that his replacement porta pros went after a couple of months...

also I noticed that my new ones have a straight headphone jack, rather than a l-shaped one.

maybe the new batch just aren't up to the old ones' standards.

mine are still fine though, had them for about 3 months.

yeah the era of portapros is over i think?, & uh huh it's since they changed the jack. i have burned through a bunch of pairs. out of inability to work out which headphones i should get instead, last time they broke i bought these, which are twice as expensive but have a nylon lead instead of the rubber kind. they're okay so far! but it has only been two months or something:

http://www.materiel.net/casque-compact/koss-porta-pro-bbc-the-plug-61512.html

i have pioneer HDJ-2000s

i would not really recommend them ... they are super lush headphones w/ excellent sound and a lot of nice features. for example the ear cushions rotate 180 degrees independently and on springs, so you can easily achieve all of the various pro-dj headphone positions, for example, canted sideways on your head with one ear cushion on one ear and the other one sitting over your eye like a pirate eyepatch. and they are made of really solid metal and have leather and memory foam ear cushions, etc etc etc

*but*

i have broken the 1/8 jack on the cables twice, and one of the springs on the ear cushion part has already broken. it cost me about 40 bucks each time to fix the 1/8 jack and it's going to cost, i dunno, probably 100 bucks to fix the spring.

so in essence i've had them two years, i paid about four bills for them and i've already put in two bills on repairs

fuckers

they are pretty sweet though and certainly "complete the look" if you really wanna be mr bedroom dj

if anybody is interested i have a pair of knockoff hdj-2000s, they are not built of the same materials and they lack some of the articulation but it looks like they're built with the same dies and molds and as far as i can tell the cones and drivers are of comparable quality if not actually the exact same thing

I have those TMA-1 headphones, and a million pairs of portable/backpack/small headphones because I am a nerd with a headphones buying issue.

do those sound any good? because they are damn good looking

that is insane. i've never had a pair of headphones for over a year - one ear usually going out tends to be the problem. plus, i don't treat them totally well: their either on my head or stuffed in a backpack, admidst whatever.

my porta-pros i only keep returning to b/c of the lifetime warranty. as for the jack being l-shaped, the ones i just got back from the refurb place are just that. that said, i wonder if these are refurbed ones i'm getting or entirely new pairs? i notice all my scratches are gone on them, leading me to think they're just trashing the ones i send in. i don't particularly care either way, just saying.

i meant to quote this:

I was slightly disappointed my first pair of Portapros only lasted 4 years, but the 2nd pair have started crackling in the left earphone after just 4 months.

― useless chamber, Tuesday, 7 August 2012 13:32 (6 days ago) Permalink

weird enough, i was asked for the first time on the bus where i bought my headphones. i told the guy who bought them that they sounded great, but he didn't seem to care: he just liked the style.

I've settled for now on a-JAYS earbuds for travel. The flat no-tangle cable works out really well, and they seem very durable. Sound quality is pretty good, if not astonishing.

my porta-pros i only keep returning to b/c of the lifetime warranty. as for the jack being l-shaped, the ones i just got back from the refurb place are just that. that said, i wonder if these are refurbed ones i'm getting or entirely new pairs? i notice all my scratches are gone on them, leading me to think they're just trashing the ones i send in. i don't particularly care either way, just saying.

― kelpolaris, Monday, 13 August 2012 02:31 (11 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

oh yeah they are new pairs for sure i think. i've sent things to grado & got my headphones back but i figure they just reach into the portapro barrel & give you a new pair. that said it's awesome you got a pair with an l-shaped jack - i have a big pile of dead pairs upstairs that i'm waiting to send back (actually at the risk of overstepping can i ask which repair contact you sent them to?)

mh? tma-1s?

I like the sound. It's slightly bass-heavier than some other cans in the range, but in a good way, and not a "ultra bass-boost" way. The fit is interesting -- they don't really clamp to your head in any sort of firm way, but the rubberized inside of the band keeps them from slipping. The detachable cable is very nice. I bought mine before they swapped to the iPhone-style in-line controls, but I don't believe anything else has really changed. I'm curious how their newer studio ones differ other than the pads.

The other aiaiai headphone released recently, the capital, is quite nice, too, but really do not work correctly if you're wearing glasses with thicker/firmer arms. Makes my upper ears sore and also pushes the top of the headphone out enough that they don't quite seal to my ears.

Speaking of bass in headphones, a friend of a friend has these:
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&searchType=search&storeId=10151&catalogId=10551&productId=8198552921666310329

Yes, they really are that large and look like tractor tires on your head.

that's good to know about the capital, i have the same thick glasses problem and one of the things i like about the hdj-2000s is the amount of clearance around the different parts

those sonys look like they should be cross-branded w/ tonka or caterpillar

yup

btw, the TMA-1s with the default pads have none of that problem

it makes me sad because the sound of the capitols is quite good. I'm hoping they make alternative pads.

my porta-pros i only keep returning to b/c of the lifetime warranty. as for the jack being l-shaped, the ones i just got back from the refurb place are just that. that said, i wonder if these are refurbed ones i'm getting or entirely new pairs? i notice all my scratches are gone on them, leading me to think they're just trashing the ones i send in. i don't particularly care either way, just saying.

― kelpolaris, Monday, 13 August 2012 02:31 (11 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

oh yeah they are new pairs for sure i think. i've sent things to grado & got my headphones back but i figure they just reach into the portapro barrel & give you a new pair. that said it's awesome you got a pair with an l-shaped jack - i have a big pile of dead pairs upstairs that i'm waiting to send back (actually at the risk of overstepping can i ask which repair contact you sent them to?)

― , Blogger (schlump), Monday, 13 August 2012 12:37 (Yesterday) Permalink

I just sent them to Koss itself, located in...Milwaukee, I think? Whatever place they have outlined on their own website... the new $9 fee and everything.

I didn't know there were alternatives?

it might just be by country, i have used a couple of addresses in the past. ty so much for the info, though, i am super psyched if it's possible to get the right-angle-jack ones. i like them so much & their decline bums me out.

hey i'm looking for a new set, under £50 (will go like £75 at most), most be durable more than anything because i'll wear them everywhere (like on bike rides and stuff)... any recommendations?

did you not ever read the informative document included with every pair of sorny headphones ever about not doing that?

well i'd need to buy them first to get such a document, no?

basically it's said to be real bad news

ok well either way i need a new set of all purpose headphones.

budget? in-ears or hphones?

hphones, not in ear. up to £75 at most

Koss Portapros. You'll have £50 leftover.

aiaiai capitals?

sweeeet

Re: Koss Portapros, to rebalance the straight-vs-right-angled jack comments upthread, I've had a pair of straight-jack Portapros for 4+ years, without any problems at all. Best value headphones I've ever bought in terms of price vs sound quality, they are ace.

good, because i ordered them off amazon

Got sick of returning yet another pair of Klipsch S4s with a banjaxed cable, so have just swapped them for a pair of RHA buds. Haven't had good experience with fabric cables in the past, but they do seem really well made and at first blush sound every bit the equal of the S4s. Maybe even a bit better.

My second pair of S4is just shorted out in one year, less than a year after I had the first pair replaced. They're sending me a third pair. I asked the warranty person over email "so are you guys going to redesign the plug yet?" and never got a reply.

So now I'm going to have THREE pairs of $99 headphones, two of which only work out of one ear. Their willingness to just mail me new ones every couple of months means that it must cost them like five bucks to actually manufacture these.

I guess I should find some replacement plugs and fire up the soldering iron.

Such a shame, because they do sound great - they're just not built for everyday use.

That's what seems so crazy to me - what else are you supposed to do with earbuds? The whole point is to carry them around with you.

Absolutely!

plug them into your headphone amplifier at your desk in your study so you can't hear your family

just emailed my klipsch warranty claim. i guess they look at it and are supposed to send me back a return authorization number -- anyone know how long this process takes?

couple of weeks

arghh.

i kind of hate klipsch but my current headphones are just not as good (despite being similarly priced) and are already starting to fritz out. With my luck I'll have two headphones in a warranty return process. what i get for being lazy and not doing this months ago.

I emailed Klipsh via their website on the 21st, confirmed my shipping address on the 22nd, and received my third(!) pair of headphones yesterday, no questions asked. Plug design is the same so anticipate these dying out sometime next May.

that's comforting! the speed of your new headphones anyway.

Their willingness to just mail me new ones every couple of months means that it must cost them like five bucks to actually manufacture these.

yeah, they aren't even asking me to send them back! i could have gotten warranty on my other klipsch that i destroyed totally by my own carelessness.

i can expect them within 7-10 biz days. woo!

(i don't understand the plug design thing. my old klipsch shorted out within 10 days -- amazon replaced with ones that had the l-shape...so they do make them. does amazon just keep em in reserve for headphones that die quickly?)

does klipsch never ask for the defective ones back? if so, i might try to get the other one replaced too--the two years will be up in a few months.

audio technica m50s vs ad700 's?

basically: closed vs. open.

to be used primarily at home (porta-pros for bus, etc) so the open feature isn't so much an issue. intending on 75% music, 25% film/videogames. i really want to experience this whole "sound stage" phenom, especially having coming from a lineage from super-budget closed headphones (porta pros, whatever sony charges more than $30 for) but at the same time seem to continually find that m50 has an fairly decent soundstage for a closed headphone and has a vastly larger following.

budget: under $130 if anyone else has other recommendations. i'm new to the whole game, really. porta-pros are the best thing i've heard yet.

AKG are my home headphone. Will check model and price later.

AKG K601s, but price is probably nearer $250.

what do you guys think of beyerdynamics? builds (ultra-foamy earpads, etc) + included case (not just the standard bag) suggests a sort of market for luxury. i'm thinking the dt 990 pros... retailing about $168. open.

i'd like to go off the enthusiastic reviews off amazon for recommendations but, honestly, after hours of searching it really seems like the enthusiasm level for headphones is always unanimous with the purchase. seems like everything i'm looking up is supported by a fanbase which absolutely, absolutely loves everything about what they just bought.

Head-fi is where you want to research this stuff

Only if you've got a LOT of money. Hanging out on head-fi cost me about £500 a few years ago, and I was a light, hesitant user. VERY easy to get sucked down the wormhole.

i love my beyerdynamics...
though if you want to go open design....Grado's lower end stuff like the SR 60s/80s are just a ridiculous value

I've had a pair of DT 880s (the 200 ohm version) for about 2 months now, replacing some Denon cans that wore out after 3 years of heavy use.

They're super comfy and they sound marvellous to my taste, but I get the feeling that I should pick up a headphone amp sometime in the future to get the most out of them. My iPhone packs *just* enough juice to drive them acceptably loud if I'm wearing them on the couch or in bed.

Yeah, be careful around head-fi.

i just ordered audio technica m50's and then immediate regretted it, despite them being apparently great headphones. see, i'm in that state where the purchase is so costly that i just *need* to find a headphone i absolutely adore, or at least want to adore, before i even.... you know, use it. it's ridiculous, because now i'm torn between having these ship and using them - and being delighted by them - but missing out on that open-ended sound i've been craving and even prompted a headphone purchase in the first place.

god dammit amazon one-click

i'm seriously thinking about buying a pair of ad 700's and having 2 new pairs.

or returning this and going with the beyerdynamic dt 990's which some dude in head-fi champions above the M50's

like....really, really passionately. it's just one guy, really, but he has me convinced.

They're both good and if you haven't had headphones this good before you'll be blown away. The dt990s make my ears ache after a while. Wot are you going to be plugging them in to? These things really sing if you plug em into a decent amp.

rediscovered my AKG 240s last night - coupled with the nu-force DAC these deliver...!

Headphone amp u&k. I got a Fiio e6, they're dirt cheap (about £20) and sound amazing.

I'm so new to this idea of amping. 80 percent of my listening will be via Android spotify. The other 20 vinyl and movies. Can an amp be used for these things? I assume the investment isz mostly for hi fi systems.

sure, if there's a line-level out option or you find a good standard output for the headphone jack you can use it, or there appears to be a digital audio-over-usb standard some may support.

amping & DACs can be awesome with laptops. I hear they can also add to ipods and the like but then it just seems too much of a bother to carry that stuff around.

Fiio E6 not massive or a bother to carry around:
https://www.decrescent.com/admin/ebay/product_images/FIIO-E6-04.jpg

my klipsch replacements arrived! i'm surprised they don't require you to send the old ones back--how do they know you're not like, stockpiling klipsch headphones?

Looking into those Fiio amps but unsure whether my Audio Technica ATH-M50's can take full advantage of them? Again, majority of listening will be via phone + Spotify. I don't understand all the technicalities behind it, but I certainly know these aren't .FLAC files I'll be booting up. (Is there a noticeable difference at just 320k?)

Sure, it has a lot more to do with volume/power boosting or some audio massaging depending on the unit.

some recs from (yeah, i know) lifehacker: http://lifehacker.com/5949489/five-best-headphones

Loved my Koss PortaPros, much recd on this thread, but one of the channels went out permamently (had 'em for maybe four years). Seems like they're no longer being made, but Koss UR40 or UR 40 are real good. Big cans (look like flies' eyes) but light, comfortable even after several hours, good range--the bass might be less obtrusive than Porta Pros, but it's def there (I worked in Dirty South CD stores for many years---I must have my bass!) UR 40 is what they require: 40 bucks American, but worth it.

Good treble and midrange too.

I am gonna say this once. I am not a hi-fi guy. But I recommend my Panasonic RP HT225. These are the standard headphones at my work (a film production company). They sound very good, to me at least. I have been frustrated with my Sennheiser headphones that I bought for about £50. And my work headphones are genuinely comfortable to wear all day. I am not a hi-fi guy, but these headphones sound good enough and are comfortable enough that I googled them thinking I'd get my own pair for, I dunno, hopefully less than £50. Turn out they are around £15 (£12 in Argos even!). I recommend them very highly. I can't imagine you'd get better budget headphones. I only mention these things to contribute to eternity.

Not making Portapros anymore? Sadface.