Need Decent Headphones (OT?)

Any recs for replacements?

I've heard very good things about the Sennheiser HD-555s. They about double the price of the AKG's, but two years on maybe they're in your budget? Also, unlike other cans, the general consensus is you won't need to buy an amp to drive them.

I fucking love my AKG K601s and my Alessandro MS1s. And my Headfive amp. And my bucket chair. And Richard D James Album.

you poncey fux! I use the Boostaroo for headphone amplification.

http://www.pocketnow.com/html/portal/reviews/0000000820/review/DSCN0057sm.jpg

i just bought some Grado SR-60s and couldn't be happier with them.

Nor could I be happier with my Shure SE530's (formerly known as the E500's), at least not sonically.

http://www.shure.com/stellent/groups/public/@gms_gmi_web_us_pa/documents/web_resource/site_img_pa_se530_m.jpg

Construction-wise, however, I'm getting tired of sending them back for a repaired (i.e., actually brand-new) pair each (this is the third) time one or both of the wires fray where they curl around my outer ear. But they'll get a letter informing them of the same soon enough.

My headphones.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/Headphones%20and%20hi-fi/IMG_6751.jpg

My seat.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/IMG_9160.jpg

My 'rig'.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/DSC01163.jpg

i just lost an earpad (just the fuzzy bit) for my portapros and i feel another is going soon

any thoughts on replacement?

Beats by Dr. Dre --- MSRP $400
http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2008/01/Beats-by-Dr-Dre.jpg

Nice rig, Nick. Given the microscopic speakers in the Shures, I haven't yet felt it necessary to get a headphone amp (i.e., I feel pretty confident that my 5.5th generation iPod's up to the task). But I've been intrigued by the Meier-Audio products for years now; has it made all the difference?

I've had my Sennheiser PXC-250 for three years and they're still going strong. Great for trains and planes, cancels out noise nicely.

At home I have AKG K701, and am planning on getting a headphone amp for the computer.

I like this one because it I believe it bypasses the computer's DAC with it's own, but it's expensive - PS Audio G-Headphone (GCHA) headphone amp, $995 (http://www.musicdirect.com/product/74120/). Any other suggestions?

I've just moved over to the Atrio M5's ($200) having been using the same pair of Sony MDR-EX70's for the last 8 years (!!). The bass response and sound stage are excellent as well as the noise cancellation with the Shure buds I switched over to. They sound amazing with the great little Sony NWZ-A818 I picked up the other day.

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

But I've been intrigued by the Meier-Audio products for years now; has it made all the difference?

The AKG K601s would be pretty useless without it, although maybe the headphone loop on the DAC might be OK. The Headfive makes a definite, although not amazing, difference to the MS1s, too. I wouldn't be without it, that's for sure.

How about great headphones under $100? Work may be buying...

Alessandro MS1s are $100.

http://www.alessandro-products.com/headphones.html

Outstanding. Thanks Nick.

Anyone have any views on Skullcandy?

I just got some smokin' buds, which are IEMs, mostly 'cos I keep losing or breaking my headphones and they're cheap.

Erm, they're OK.

Their bigger headphones look cool, though! I imagine their Skullcrushers - The Skullcrusher's bass amplified subwoofer speakers will literally pump the music right into your head! - would be Nick's idea of audio hell.

Yeah, headphones called 'skullcrushers' haven';t tempted me into trying them, oddly enough.

Nick, I've read elsewhere that for better/best performance, the Alessandro MS1s need an amp for optimal performance - do you find that to be the case?

I ask because if fukasaku tollbooth's looking for <$100 portability, the additional/necessary purchase of a portable headphone amp could be a consideration.

They'll improve with an amp, yes, but not massively, and as they're essentially Grados and thus low resistance, they don't really need one. Ampless they'll blast away anything else at that price, I'd wager.

Saying that, I woudln't use them with an iPod, cos they're big, leaky, bulky things that totally wouldn't work outside.

Good to know. I need something that I can use in the office AND w/ my iPod.

I think that might be the key query for anyone looking for decent headphones: how will you use them?

If your applications will be mostly portable, I recommend looking into in-ear monitor (IEM) types because there are a few in the $100-range that will isolate you from the outside world while having small enough internal components that portable media players can drive them (i.e., with less loss of fidelity or necessity of a portable amp).

If that's something you're after (e.g., a good pair for isolating your musical world whilst working or commuting), have a look at HeadRoom's 80 to 150 range of headphones.

Although of the group, I've heard and read the best things about the Etymotic ER-6i (available in both iPod white or more covert black).

I'm not usually a fan of Sony but a friend has these and they sound excellent without an amp, and may be less leaky than the Alessandro. I read they're pretty popular with musicians for use in recording studios.

MDR-7506 Professional, $97.12

Does anyone own/use the Etymotics? Are they as uncomfortable as most in-ear buds?

Does anyone own/use the Etymotics? Are they as uncomfortable as most in-ear buds?

I have a pair of ER6i's. They come with two in-ear attachments. One is made of the same material as foam ear plugs and is extremely comfortable, but not quite as good at noise cancelling. The rubber ones are... not terrible or anything, but I don't know if I can ever be comfortable when there's something shoved down my ear canal. They sound good, though!

I should add that Amazon has the ER6/ER6i's marked down to like $60 compared to the $200+ they were originally. They're pretty nice headphones for that price.

My ER6i's (with the smallest flange attachment) fit my ears perfectly, but I know people who can't keep them in for longer than an hour or so because they hurt them so much.

i went with the er6i's. i'll check in after i've used them for a week.

Good luck! (And don't forget to watch the "Etymotic Insertion Video to learn more about proper in-ear insertion techniques" when you get 'em... LOL!)

Maybe not entirely off-topic (in a keeping your or re-sensitizing your hearing way? No?), I'm on my second (fair wear & tear) pair of Etymotic ear plugs.

Best $12 I've ever spent (live shows have never sounded this good).

So I got those Etymotics, fell in love with them, even accidentally ran them through the washer/dryer [and they still work!], but now I have an iPhone [I know, I know] and I'm back with these stupid, painful Apple earbuds. Blurgh.

are there any headphones that will make my i pod sound louder? i got a small i pod for christmas and its too quiet. i can't listen to morton feldman on the train anymore. i have to listen to vitalic and lightning bolt.

ahhh

http://forums.ilounge.com/showthread.php?s=0ab7f69a8b1e3e50830e0d289465a278&threadid=5009

I have separate Altec Lansing speakers for my Mac G5. They are plugged into the headphone jack ("optical out"). Sounds fine. But when I plug my headphones into the headphone jack on the speakers themselves, the bass is waaaaay too high. Everything sounds so boomy that I have to crank the treble on practically every song.

Is this a headphone problem (they're VERY old, actually) or is there something wrong with plugging directly into the speakers?

I think lower end computer speakers tend to boost the bass to make up for lower quality.

I thought I'd check back in to say that, in the few months I've had the Etymotics ER6i's, they've broken twice. I sent them back for repair when the right cone blew after limited use and now the left one's gone dead. They sound great when they work, but I wouldn't recommend them to anyone who's not looking to piss away $75+. They're so delicate I think I'll just leave them at the office, which means I still need a decent pair for walking around with my iPod. Hit me with your suggestions!

This is timely. I got an iaudio7 this week and the earbuds that come with it really don't stay in my ears at all. I have portapros but was thinking about moving back to an in-ear answer.

Oof, I've been meaning to get some Etymotics for onstage monitoring, but I might look for something else. Maybe this is more of an IMM question.

...in the few months I've had the Etymotics ER6i's, they've broken twice.

Was that before or after you accidentally ran them through the washer/dryer?

If it's any consolation, my "sturdier" (and 425-dollars-more-expensive) Shure E500's gave way to wear and tear (i.e., frayed wires where they wrap over my ear; good warranty though) at least three times in my three-ish years of ownership.

I handle them differently now, and it seems to have solved the problem.

I ran into the same thing with ER6i's. They're great headphones but mine have shorted twice this year. I do have a bad habit of leaving them coiled up in my pocket all day, and have been a little more careful about putting them in their case when not in use. Seems to be working so far.

The good thing is that Etymotic's customer service is pretty great. The turn-around from sending them out to getting them back was about a week both times.

I recently bought the Creative Labs EP-630 Earphones for something like $25 (I had a coupon from Dell and needed to pad things out to over $100, so I added these). They're a little bass-heavy, but for the price they're pretty hot shit. I've given up on Etymotic after one too many broken pairs.

What about Bose, of any size/design? Worth the prices?

No.

another recommendation for portapros. they also have a ridiculously archaic LIFETIME WARRANTY. mine broke a while ago, more as a result of me carelessly schlepping them around forever, and for £3.50 postage they fixed them/sent me some new ones. they sound great, are great.

Anybody know if the SportaPro is of the same quality as the PortaPro?

i think i heard that they aren't. i spent a while digging around on geeky headphone sites to decide whether portapro were what i wanted, and i don't think they're of the same quality. but what do i know? i'm pretty enthusiastic about portapros, maybe to the extent of ignoring some of their failings, like the way they're reshaping my head with the little metal strap. so perhaps sportapro are worth a shot.

I am selling a headphone hanger - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300253748217

< / Shameless plug >

http://www.americanmusical.com/images/h/p17166h.jpg
Still love 'em, after all these years.

I've read in a few different places that the AKG 240s are the "reference standard" for studio monitoring. Don't know if that's true, but I see them a lot in films of recording sessions.

a headphone hanger.
a headphone hanger.

a gun rack.