Recommend a pair of headphones for me

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.