a headphones recommendation thread

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Order Date: May 11, 2009
Order #: 103-0537289-9747458
Recipient: J0rd4n S4rg3nt

Items not yet shipped:
Delivery estimate: May 14, 2009
1 of: AKG K240 Semi Open Studio Headphones
Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC

Awesome - you're gonna love them!
I remember when I first bought mine — jeez, must have been at least 25 years ago — and reading how they have more naturalistic stereo sound because they're supposed to replicate the feel of a live concert. Something about the music sounding like it's slightly in front of you, rather than just at the sides of your head. That may be overstated a bit, but they sure sound true-to-life to me.

Well, my Grado SR-125s have bitten the dust after 11 years (loose cable on the right), so I guess I'm in the market for headphones too.

― Michael Jones, Friday, May 15, 2009 4:11 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

You can probably fix this pretty easily with a cheap soldering iron, especially if the break occurred at the wire-pad contact instead of internally. But if you did that then you wouldn't have an excuse to buy something new!

i call them "tins"

Any recommendations on something biased a bit toward the low-end? I listen to about 70% electronic and shitty rap. Looked through the thread but didn't find too many bass-biased recommendations. Closed design preferable for subway, either earbud or headphone design is fine. I listen to about half and half CDs and shitty 192kbit MP3s. Around $100 or less is good, but I'm open to persuasion.

i call them "ear hats"

for example, are these Beyerdynamics DT 231s bassy? the description seems to fit on the musicianschoice.com website...

You can probably fix this pretty easily with a cheap soldering iron

Hell, no - I'll be using an audiophile soldering iron. But, yeah, I should really try and rescue these.

Any recommendations on something biased a bit toward the low-end? I listen to about 70% electronic and shitty rap. Looked through the thread but didn't find too many bass-biased recommendations. Closed design preferable for subway, either earbud or headphone design is fine. I listen to about half and half CDs and shitty 192kbit MP3s. Around $100 or less is good, but I'm open to persuasion.

― throwbookatface (skygreenleopard), Friday, May 15, 2009 6:47 AM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark

Beyer DT770s are legendary for being good, bass-heavy closed cans. However the midrange is a bit recessed which is not that good for rap. You can get them for about $150 at any Guitar Center. And they look awesome:

http://www.mediamusique.com/edit/vente/pict/Beyer_Dynamic/DT%20770%20PRO.jpg

(make sure to get the old edition that is all black like shown above)

However for subway use I think IEMs beat all in terms of noise isolation - you can probably pick up a pair of Shure's for under $100 that would do well, but the bass might not be as head-splitting as the DT770s.

these things are dope as hell

good lookin out john

it's taking me a little to get used to the sound not being all in my ear canal but it's such a full sound

Michael Jones as to your broken Grado's, you should contact the company and see if they would fix them for you. My 60s fell about that way and when my wife purchased me my 125's, the company was disappointed that we didn't give them a chance to make the old ones right. No idea how it would go, but couldn't hurt. Refer them to this thread for grins.

Nother vote for the SR 80s here. Leaky, uncomfortable and I still love em

so...flat broke...want bass/portability, nothing high end as I will buy good dj headphones when I start my job. what you guys reckon? something cheap that really has a good bang....

what is uncomfortable -- its just a pad

it squeezes the ear man

interesting thread - i wasn't thinking about buying new headphones, but now i am! here's my deal - i mostly use headphones to listen to my ipod while biking around in the tropical sun. also, i'm superpicky about comfort in my earphones (which is why i don't wear my nice, high quality earbuds too often) so which of these earphones would be comfortable and usable for high heat, mp3 player situations? the portapros and px100s look promising, but i don't mind spending some money and wearing big ol cans either if they're comfortable - for instance it looks like the BEYER DYNAMIC DT770's have nice, soft, felty ear donut thingys that might be comfortable to wear for an hour or two even in the heat...

http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv185/jimmythek_bucket/thetruthaboutgradoheadphones.jpg

http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv185/jimmythek_bucket/thetruthaboutgradoheadphones.jpg

You can very easily avoid twistiness on Grados by being careful with the cable. I hang my headphones on a Koss holdaphone hanger when not in use, and the cables stay in great shape.

Ronan you may well like the Koss Portapros; about £25 off Amazon and plenty of low-end.

Yeah, I hung the Grados on various wall-hooks in the three previous places I lived but never seemed to get around to finding a proper home for them in this house, so they ended up stuffed into the gap between pre-amp and shelf, often coiled up with their 5m extension cable.

Grado are US-based, so I may be out of luck as far as keeping repairs cheap, simply due to the postage costs.

I bought my third pair of Sennheiser PX100s yesterday. They are so great and mega cheap. I have a long standing issue with headphones where the cable comes off (happens with every pair I've ever had) but these are cheap enough I can just buy a new pair.

interesting thread - i wasn't thinking about buying new headphones, but now i am! here's my deal - i mostly use headphones to listen to my ipod while biking around in the tropical sun. also, i'm superpicky about comfort in my earphones (which is why i don't wear my nice, high quality earbuds too often) so which of these earphones would be comfortable and usable for high heat, mp3 player situations? the portapros and px100s look promising, but i don't mind spending some money and wearing big ol cans either if they're comfortable - for instance it looks like the BEYER DYNAMIC DT770's have nice, soft, felty ear donut thingys that might be comfortable to wear for an hour or two even in the heat...

― messiahwannabe, Friday, May 15, 2009 11:24 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark

DT770s in the heat would be like holding two waffle irons next to your ears, I would imagine - they are a closed design so there would be little to no breathability. DT770s would be absolutely awesome in the winter, however, as are generally all full size cans.

Plus, being closed, they'll impair your ability to listen to ambient noise, for example, a speeding car. I would just go with a pair of cheap, open headphones/earbuds you wouldn't mind losing or breaking.

ep630s eg

Any recommendations on something biased a bit toward the low-end? I listen to about 70% electronic and shitty rap. Looked through the thread but didn't find too many bass-biased recommendations. Closed design preferable for subway, either earbud or headphone design is fine. I listen to about half and half CDs and shitty 192kbit MP3s. Around $100 or less is good, but I'm open to persuasion.
― throwbookatface (skygreenleopard)

Since everyone's ignoring me, take it from the goodcans.com page regarding the Denon AH-D1001: "And bass, boy does it have bass! More than virtually any headphone we've liked, (FYI, most of the headphones we've liked in the past have been "Open" headphones which typically have clean, but somewhat limited bass). These Cans will please those of you who like bass!"

I listen to ... shitty rap.\
OK, I'll bite: Why?

I guess I don't have a good answer for that. But I'll eventually have to hear the new Eminem album so I might as well get some decent headphones.

Thank you for the rec, fastnbulbous.

Jordan, are you using a headphone amp?

Stuck here with an iPod ... if i get an amp, it'll need to be battery powered.

treated myself to the alessandro ms1s I've been eyeing up, on the impetus of this thread

can't wait for them to show up

"I bought my third pair of Sennheiser PX100s yesterday. They are so great and mega cheap. I have a long standing issue with headphones where the cable comes off (happens with every pair I've ever had) but these are cheap enough I can just buy a new pair."

Believe Sennheisers have a two (?) year warranty, Just ship 'em back to them and they'll replace them no charge.

I don't know what to make of the ms1s really : /

maybe my ears aren't sensitive enough to appreciate them or maybe I shd listen to something other than shitty mp3s

Have they played for 100 hours? Some headphones need that kind of playing time before you can tell how good they are.

i mostly use headphones to listen to my ipod while biking around in the tropical sun. also, i'm superpicky about comfort in my earphones

Okay, how bout you come to Chicago where you can enjoy my AKG and Denon cans, cooled by the crisp cool wind off Lake Michigan, and I'll take your place in the tropics where I'll cruise around with my Osirus backpack with built-in amp and speakers (much safer for biking).

I don't know what to make of the ms1s really : /

maybe my ears aren't sensitive enough to appreciate them or maybe I shd listen to something other than shitty mp3s

― zinguist (cozwn), dimanche 24 mai 2009 13:35 (2 days ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Have they played for 100 hours? Some headphones need that kind of playing time before you can tell how good they are.

― StanM, dimanche 24 mai 2009 14:53 (2 days ago) Bookmark

So last week, I listened to the whole Grado range up to the 225s and I have to say I was really disappointed. I couldn't believe how trebly they sounded. But you may be right, maybe they sounded like shit because I tried brand new pairs, straight out of the box.
In the end, I went for the AKG 240s

I got some MS1s a couple of years back and second the "burn in" time - they definitely got better after extended use. If all you're listening to is low bitrate mp3s then they will certainly reveal problems that cheap headphones might mask. Also, if you are using them with a portable player they really will benefit from even a cheap headphone amp to give them enough juice at reasonable volumes; I use a little Headphonia/Headstage amp with mine and it makes a world of difference.

This thread is firing AKG want too, plenty of love by the sound of it.

First of all, any suggestions would be really appreciated by me. i need help choosing good, relatively cheap earbuds. i own Sennheiser PXC 300s for my serious phones usage but when i'm working out or falling asleep i prefer buds & my cat destroyed the buds that came with my mp3 player. i don't want to spend a lot on secondary phones but i would like an upgrade, or at least, the best bang for my buck (thinking in the $20-$35 range). Comfort & sound quality are important obv. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks in advance.

I like my Sennheiser CX300s. The ear-canal thing really works for me. Love being able to lie with my ear on a pillow and them still be comfortable.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-CX300-B-Earbuds-Black/dp/B000E6G9RI

I swear by these things:

http://www.amazon.com/Koss-SPARKPLUG-Stereo-Ear-Plugs/dp/B00081A2DQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1245164620&sr=1-1

they're dirt cheap, sound pretty good (way better than more expensive earbuds headphones I've tried), and I love the earplug type design. they don't fall out of my ears (which I hate), I don't have to feel conscious of my music "bleeding" and annoying other people, and I don't have to blast them to hear the subtleties of what I'm listening to.

if you don't like the way earplugs feel, you probably won't like em. but I'm used to that after playing in bands for years. obviously, they don't sound as good a nice pair of over the ear headphones, but for what they are, they're great.

only thing is, they're definitely cheaply made. I've gone through two pairs but don't really care because they're so cheap. koss does offer some warranty but I've always been too lazy to file for it. probably should do that....

I love my Audio Technica in-ear buds but they're a bit above the price range you indicated (approx 70 USD if I remember)

Thanks for the recommendations. i wouldn't mind paying a lil more but i just don't use them often enough to justify sinking a bunch of cash on em.

I also love my Sennheiser CX300s for normal walking around, riding the bus listening. But I absolutely hate the uneven cord lengths for each earbud.

koss does offer some warranty but I've always been too lazy to file for it. probably should do that....

fyi: koss warranty is the greatest thing in the world. it would make me a LIFELONG CUSTOMER if it hadn't already made me a lifetime-requester-of-free-replacement-goods. they're awesome though.

i need better earbuds for the gym, but obvs i don't want anything expensive since they get all sweaty and shit. those koss ones look tight, thanks for that.

fyi: koss warranty is the greatest thing in the world. it would make me a LIFELONG CUSTOMER if it hadn't already made me a lifetime-requester-of-free-replacement-goods. they're awesome though.

ok, I have to do this now!

But I absolutely hate the uneven cord lengths for each earbud.

This really put me off them as well. I think I might have oddly-shaped ears, too, because I couldn't quite get them to fit very well. They were always on the cusp of falling out of my ears.

I'm using a Shure pair now, but they'd probably fail your price requirement by a few bucks.

Yeah uneven cord lengths are not cool. The sparkplugs don't have that problem do they?

But I absolutely hate the uneven cord lengths for each earbud.

Never thought of this as a problem before - you don't run one cord round the back of your neck and have the iPod/whatever on one side?

Ditto.

Yeah, it took me a while to realise that was how you dealt with them. It has two advantages:

- you can take one earbud out when you need to talk to someone without the other one taking extra weight (and potentially falling out too as a result)

- it stops the cord swinging about so much, which is especially important if you've got ear-canal ones where cord friction tends to be picked up and send to your ear