Recommend a pair of headphones for me

I ended up ordering them on the web like everyone else. But B&H, while not selling monoprice buds, does sell the foam tips that are pretty much necessary to get great sound out of the monoprice.

My rec is the Denon D2000, which has been discontinued, but you can maybe grab them for under $300 on eBay

They're not the sturdiest headphone but they are by far the best headphones I've ever had that sounded great unamped

:(

i bought a pair of in-ear denons bases on recs from this thread last year, and it was the worst mistake - i don't know ANYTHING about this kind of stuff, i just wanted a great sound, and didn't realize that they were a more audiophile kind of earphone, so they were just totally flat-sounding to me and i hated them. my dad's the same - he's not gonna be fucking with the equalizer or whatever on his cheap stereo and for the most part will just be plugging them into an ipod, while he listens to Uriah Heep and tries to block the boring shit my mum is watching on tv.

those first ones rogermexico mentioned sound like they might be more like studio-reference sort of headphones? so not sure if they're the right fit.

the beyerdynamics might be better - but reading reviews is like reading a medical textbook, since i know nothing about this subject. they seem to have lots of sound adjustability but is that something a pretty simple dude like my dad is gonna be able to figure out and get the best use of?

i was just gonna get him some nice bose headphones but i'm still mad at them - i love the in-ears i have, but i'm on something like my 3rd pair because the cable is the most fragile piece of shit of all time and it seems like that's deliberate (the plastic coating is so thin and weak, it's laughable).

Aw man that was probably my rec - sorry!

Sounds like what you really need to do is to have place to go try 'em out, or a place with a good return policy so you can buy a bunch and figure out which ones you like

There's pretty much no way to figure out what a headphone is gonna sound like from just reading reviews

yeah - each headphone just kind of has its own voice (and measure of physical comfort) and what works depends on the listener's preferences, what they listen to, and the shape and size of their ears and head. we recently tested a bunch at my work, which is how i settled on the two i recommend.

the beyer tuning system actually helps to compensate for this a bit -- it's dead simple and gives the headphones a couple of different voices.

akg def not too sterile or "studio" -- just won't wallop you with the bass like e.g. Beats or ATH-M50. protip: the AKGs are also super-comfy.

another hot choice in your category (closed-back, over-ear, plays well with portables, sub-300) is the Sennheiser Momentum. Stylish as hell and great-sounding, just wasn't very comfortable for me. (note: if you go with these be careful to get the over-ear model -- there's a cheaper on-ear that's nearly identical in product pix)

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-505994-Momentum-Headphone-Ivory/dp/B00HHTD1Q2

my hdj-2000s have seen better days ... what's the final verdict on tma-1s?

TBH though if the Denon sound is already too flat then I think the AKGs will def sound 'sterile' or too 'studio' (as someone who prefers Denon / AKG to all others)

if beyer tuning system is pretty simple they might be the ones - thing is, my dad is in nz, i'm going back in 3 weeks, thought i'd try to get a pair here for him before i go. if i get them on amazon i think i can probs return them, so maybe i'll give them a try. if i like them, he'll def like them.

also: no worries, D, i just had no idea that sterile headphones were a thing! like i said, i'm clueless here.

i tried out the Bose AE2i Audio headphones (over ear), against my better judgment, and they sounded really flat and also really screechy. do not recommend.

The never-advertised, always coveted headphones built and sold in Brooklyn

the conventional wisdom on monoprice 8320s is otm: sound like $40-50 budz but the tips MUST be replaced which makes the whole endeavor maybe not worth it. plus they UGLY.

Yeah they are impossible without foam tips. Which cost 15 bucks for a set, so they are really like 25 buck earbuds. Still well worth it IMO.

gotta ask again ... any reviews on tma-1s?

I like mine. Other than a sonic profile that caters to bassier music, I would say they are defined by their simplicity.

$12.99 Audio Technica ATH-CLR100 are so awesome for the price. So light, such a great fit, such fantastic sound.

what kind of sound? And they stay in your ears well with the stock tips?

Yesterday, same day I found out the ipod classic was discontinued, I found out my favorite portable headphones (the iGrado) are also discontinued. Blehg.

have I admitted to ilx yet that I bought those earphones that are 3d printed based on the shape of your ear

I'm no audiophile but I'd call the sound flat and natural with nothing objectionable at the high or low end, surprisingly capable at the low end, not a sparkling high end but not muted or sibilant either. Excellent sensitivity. xp

Xpost I want to try that!

oh yeah the fit is great (for me), so much better than monoprice and i'm sure that's partly a function of how light the AT's are

rip that is rad, i am looking for cheap earbuds that are decent. my headphones take such a beating that i don't want to shell out for something expensive. i have standard issue apple earbuds that came with my ipod and as usual they are starting to tear at the base of the cord

was thinking of ditching earbuds this time, but for 6 months of the year i am wearing a winter hat outdoors and i don't know how regular headphones work with a winter hat

B&H didn't have those Audio Technicas strangely.

I happened to notice that all the CVS stores have Philips earbuds on clearance now (philips discontinuing the line? Idk) including the SH 3590 which have a reputation similar to the monoprice as great all round performers. I bought them and I'm really digging them so far. Bass is present but unexaggerated, same w/treble. These don't have the distinctive super wide stereo image of the monoprice but they also sound more natural to me. Worth grabbing when you're picking up your meds.

i have standard issue apple earbuds that came with my ipod and as usual they are starting to tear at the base of the cord

Get rid of the rubber bit that's tearing and mould some Sugru round them.

Definitely super feeling these 3590s. Went through a gamut of different stuff tonight on them (meat puppets, current 93, john barry, sibelius)

NB I had a pair of comply foam tips in my bag and put those on there instead of struggling with the silicone thingies.

i have standard issue apple earbuds that came with my ipod and as usual they are starting to tear at the base of the cord

Get rid of the rubber bit that's tearing and mould some Sugru round them.

― Alba, Sunday, September 14, 2014 9:16 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

afraid it's too late, the wires have already been torn and the sound quality is compromised when the cord is bent a certain way

Alright everyone: Koss PortaPro KTC, Sennheiser PX 100-IIi, or iGrado?

Anyone used at least two of those and can compare them? I'm leaning toward one of the first two because they're available with iPod/iPhone controls and mic, and because they fold. But good sound is first. That and comfort.

I'll throw open the Sennheiser PX 200-IIi for consideration too. Similar to the PX 100 but with a small closed-ear design and a doughnut vinyl earcup rather than a flat piece of foam. Only a bit heavier and more expensive.

Do you mean one of the regular grado? iGrado got discontinued, sadly.

Fuck yeah my new headphone listening setup:

Laptop -> Dragonfly DAC -> Little Dot I+ headphone amp -> AKG K550s -> my ears, in my head, on my torso, on my massive beanbag.

iGrado is discontinued but I think you can still but them directly from the company.

i bought the last 2 pair on clearance at TekServe for 9 bucks each to squirrel them away against future cord death of my current pair...

seems like there are some on amazon sold by grado?

there are probably a ton still lying around in warehouses after production stopped

maybe they stopped making them because they can't fit any more in their warehouse

again, I do love them bc it is a bit awk to run around town with legit grados on (esp that burly cord) and the iG is really close to the same sound but w/o the physical burden

I don't see any sign the iGrado has been discontinued - it's available for order on both their US and UK sites as well as from Amazon, with all of those showing them in stock. I think they did briefly stop production awhile back to strengthen the cord. My main beef with these is the inflexible headband that doesn't adjust, much less fold, as well as inavailability of iPhone remote controls. I'm sure they sound good.

http://www.gradolabs.com/headphones/prestige-series/item/39-igrado
http://www.grado.co.uk/grado-earphones/grado-igrado-sport-headphones.htm

And yes, I strongly considered using the SR60e or SR80e as my mobile headphones until I saw pictures of people wearing them. They look deceptively small in photos where they're shown by themselves rather than on someone's head. Whoa, those things are huge. OTOH, one thing I'll credit the likes of Beats and Skullcandy for is making it socially acceptable and even fashionable to walk around in public wearing big headphones, so maybe I'll go that way. The SR80e gets glowing reviews from everyone from high-end audiophile sites to Consumer Reports, and they're affordable too. I'll just have to squash the long cord in my pocket or something.

The long cord is incredibly thick and inconvenient

yeah it's the thickness more than anything, and the attendant heaviness/inflexibility of the cord.

I have an ancient pair of Koss PRO/4AAA 'phones (not to be confused with several similarly-named cans) I've had since I was a teenager, and these have a very effective all-purpose cord solution, a single coiled cable that's about 1m long and not too thick, but stretches easily to become five times that length. These remain the best-sounding headphones I've ever heard and I still use them for home listening. They're also incredibly comfortable, with air-filled vinyl earcups and headband that are perfectly shaped. Unfortunately they no longer make replacement pneumatic earcups and they've become hard and inflexible. Also, it has a large home-stereo plug rather than a 3.5mm.

http://www.wikizic.org/1-018-018781_1-Koss-Pro-4-AAA.jpg

Oh why do websites muck with their photos like that? This is what they look like

Koss Pro4/AAA

Looking for something in the price range of those Grado SR80s, but closed style (I hate having the sound leak out of the cups), any suggestions?

closed style is harder on your ears wrt tinnitus, fyi. I can't wear closed phones for the most part.

I'm pretty cheap, so always looking for decent quality low-end merch. Right now looking for:
a) something to replace my trusty Sennheiser 201s, the cushions have been tearing up after about six years of loyal service. As mentioned above, preferred closed style. I don't mind going up a rung to the $50-100 tier of phones, feel boring just getting the 202 HDs
b) sweat-resistant Bluetooth headphones - cups or behind-the-neck preferred - for exercise. Earbuds never stay on. Don't care about closed or open for this since it'll be half-drowned out by the radio at the gym anyway, ~$50? (Or am I better off getting the cheapest possible garbage since they're not gonna last anyway?)

What's the word on wireless headphones?

great for listening to music without wires
lousy for anything where lag would be an issue (gaming, tracking instruments, etc)

bump...

are there any over-ear headphones out there that have both wireless and wire connections? im after something i can use when djing in clubs (with wire, so no lag) and for out mooching about walking the dog (wireless, lag away)

You probably just want to get a bluetooth receiver thing and stick it to the side of your headphones