Need Decent Headphones (OT?)

Towards the end of last year I bought a pair of Koss's superb Portapro headphones. The sound quality is absolutely terrific for a <$100 product, and you needn't simply take my word for it. They look sort of geeky and flimsy, but they're actually very robust... and they sound so good that it more than makes up for it. I'll never be able to go back to the cheap sony/panasonic stuff.

I'm not sure if the code still works, but if you purchase direct from Koss, you may be able to use the coupon I did (617A) and get 50% off. With postage, they then come to $31 USD, which is a true steal.

Good luck!

If you can spend $70 and don't mind bulkier headphones, Grado 60s are very good.

more info here.

Danke.

As you were.

I needed closed phones for work and, after reading tons of posts on that board, ended up with the Audio-Technica A500's
http://www.audiocubes.com/product_info.php?products_id=319&osCsid=7d9dd9d0a0ae35ecbc1166de7e7016df

They have changed my life.

I called them about it when I thought I had blown out one side of my headphones (turned out I hadn't after all). The way it works is you just send the headphones in to them along with like $6 for shipping to send it back to you after they fix it. They don't need a receipt, and you don't need to have registered or anything like that. It's no questions asked, just send them in. It's very neat to think that, as long as I don't lose these things, I won't have to buy new headphones for a long-ass time.

These are still available as the MDR-V7506 - they're very good phones - according to head-fi, it's almost like they're preset with the classic eq settings (i.e. high bass and treble with reduced midrange) which some people like and some don't. These should not be confused with the MDR-V600 or MDR-V700DJ which are, according to them, crap.

Alba's sound great. Can a man have more than one pair of headphones? Actually, I need some good laptop speakers now that my headphones are putting my $10 Walgreens speakers to shame. :(

http://www.audio-technica.co.jp/products/hp/image/a900/a500.jpg

I'm buying a banana hanger for them this weekend.

ihttp://www.audio-technica.co.jp/products/hp/image/a900/a500.jpg

I'm buying a banana hanger for them this weekend.

and do they need to be portable?

Answer these questions and I, the amateur ILM headphone oracle will recommend the ideal closed cans.

I just spent $40 on the PortaPros!!!!

I probably don't want to spend more than $60, which is a shame as all the really GREAT ones are about $100.

for example:
http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/images/er6-top.jpg

For closed over the ear headphones, I'm going to recommend the Sony V6 which is identical to the Sony MDR-7506 (but do NOT confuse this with the supposedly very inferior MDR-V600 which looks similar). Other options: Sennheiser PX-200, Sennheiser HD-280

For in ear canal phones, I'm suggesting the Shure E2C
Other options: Sony EX-71, Sony EX-51

Now the problem is that both of my recommendations are more than $60 (Street price being between $70-$100). However, many people have apparently had success bargaining at Guitar Center, and have got them down to $55-$70 for either.

Again, this information is coming from having done alot of recent research at head-fi.org which is actually pretty addicting to read.

I had been in serious advice mode for this thread..

Bring back Jean Claude Van Damme, he never fucked about with music people might actually want to hear...

xpost: so you listen to your A500s on the road, then

FUCK Wes Anderson and his boring ear-canal phones playing interesting music from the last 30 years.

Bring back Jean Claude Van Damme, he never fucked about with music people might actually want to listen to.

But seriously, they're not portable *at all* - too big and they'd probably fall off since they don't clamp to your head like some other (uncomfortable) headphones.

I have just got some Shure E2Cs. They are great.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/IMG_5008.jpg

i like them. They are like earplugs and you can listen to stuff on the tube at a much lower volume then :)

Shure E2c Sound Isolating ipod Earphones £57.99

Bass is perhaps a little light, but that's largely down to my iPod I suspect, but isolation and clarity and sound-staging are all excellent, good enough to use them with my home hi-fi if I didn't have some Grados.

The RRP is more like £70+ I believe.

It barely drives my koss ksc35's at all (same drivers as yr portapros nick) pretty close to inadequate (i'm no loudness freak either).

1) They completely fill your ear canal like earplugs, obstructing all other sound and rendering them impossible to speak to anyone while wearing them.

2) Even when you "get a good seal" (that is, sealing the plug into your ear so that no sound leaks out), the bass is pretty tame, though...

3) ...b/c the plugs fill your entire ear canal, every step you take while walking makes the thing go, "BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" from the low end, totally obstructing the sound.

4) You have to crank the shit out your iPod/mp3 player to get even average volume.

I'm gonna give them another shot or two before returning them, but by and large, these things are just totally disappointing to me and not appropriate for anything other than a commute during which you sit in one place for an hour-plus not talking to anyone.

This is pretty much the whole point of headphones, as far as I'm concerned, and one of the principle reasons I revere my Koss plugs as much as I do. They also don't have the other problems you mention, which I really would see as problems.

HOLY FUCK, $2.99??!??

I'm not talking about carrying on conversations while you're listening to music. I mean (as was mentioned upthread) it blocks at any and all sound, while also taking 10 seconds to dig the thing out of your ear. Meaning, if you use these things for a commute, where someone might have the gall to say, "Excuse me" or "Can I sit there?" you have a bit of a problem.

Actually, after posting that yesterday, I put these on for the last 20 min. of work at my desk. And they sounded pretty good -- but that's not exactly ideal listening. Call me crazy but I like to do things while I listen to music other than sit in one place where no one has to talk to me for hours on end.

just get a set of PortaPros, dude.

Ha! Yes, well, I suspect I should have picked up on that. The irony here is that I like earbuds fine (that is, not the plugs that press against your eardrum and seal any air whatsoever from entering the ear canal).

As for the PortaPros, those look great, but wraparounds aren't as portable (ie, you can't stick the whole iPod in your pocket and just go). Plus, wraparounds look a little dumb in a professional setting.

Any thoughts on the Sennheiser MX-400s?

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-MX400-MX-400-In-Ear-Headphones/dp/B00004Z0BN/sr=8-1/qid=1158254089/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-2575783-5497434?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

Shure E2C headphones have been my first paddle in the waters of in-ear-monitor headphones, and I have enjoyed using them greatly over the last few months. They're not perfect though.

I'd recommend spending quite a bit of time trying the different tips - they're "isolator" headphones, meaning they go literally INSIDE your ear canal and cut out external noise so you only get music, and there are three kinds of tips - soft plastic, rubber, and foam. I used foam ones for the first few months but have been using the rubber and plastic ones for a bit recently, just trying. Each pair fits differently and sounds slightly different too - it's difficult to get good bass response with the rubber ones, for instance, because while comfy and easy to fit, they don't seal / plug very well, and you need them in tight for bass. The soft plastic tips feel very uncomfortable to begin with but this soon passes. Practice and preference with different tips is essential.

The sound is excellent, very clear and open with good bass (when they're sealed well), but if you're using them with an MP3 player they'll show up things encoded at less than good-to-excellent quality (i.e. encode your MP3s at 192kbps).

The sound is also slightly odd in some ways - as other reviewers have mentioned you can hear your own footfalls vibrating through your body, which can be strange and can also "eat away" bass frequencies as your body's rhythms and workings compete with the lower end of the music coming through the headphones. It is a very open sound though - less overwhelming than something like Grado SR60s and more refined than the (excellent, when found cheap) Koss Portapros, both of which I also own and use in certain conditions (Grados for home listening through my hi-fi amp, for instance).

Are they worth £50? RRP is nearer to £70, so yes they are in that sense. I use headphones for several hours a day and have found the Shure's to be comfortable and provide an unfatiguing listen, and have run them comfortably off an iPod, MacBook computer, Denon minisystem and hi-fi separates amplifier. They are perfect for listening to music on the train, for instance, as they do isolate external sound very well. If I had the spare cash right now I'd get some Etymotic ER6is, the E2Cs closest rival product, but not because the Shure's aren't very good - because I'm greedy with headphones!

Matt, you want some Koss Portapros, at a guess. I use Grado SR60s at home, Shures on the train, and Portapros... occasionally elsewhere when I fancy them.

www.headphoenworld.com is a good UK site for sales, and also gives lots of info. Other than that, www.head-fi.org

x-post GOD NO NOT PX200S - the PX100s are FAR superior, the PX200s have no bass.

Grados are all open, aye, and way larger than the PXs or the Portapros. They're meant to be doing some "streetstyle" ones at some point, but they've been talking about them for two years and they've not emerged. I love my Grados to bits, but only indoors.

http://www.pjbox.co.uk/pics/er4-all.jpg

You must have a pretty quiet town centre, buses & trains to cope with open-backed phones for two years!

When I find (buy, soonish) a better (small-cup, I wear glasses) trad headphone than the PX200 I'll post it up.

They're big, seriously indestructible, and they sound great. Not quite as compact as the in-ear type, though ;)

http://cache.gizmodo.com/gadgets/upload/2006/07/igrado.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Koss-KSC75-Portable-Stereophone-Headphones/dp/B0006B486K/sr=8-1/qid=1158337531/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-8659426-8116825?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

they sounded on par with if not better than my SR60s when I had them

those ER-4P are very good, a bit dry and analytical and sterile though.

Also Best sounding headphones?

I've also got some large, cheapo over-the-head phones I bought from HMV for about 14 pounds. They do the trick perfectly, although have a slight bias towards the bass end.

ive got a pair of these. theyre the peach.

Actually that is not a very good deal. I'll throw in William Gallas.

they cost 35 bucks but have a lifetime warrenty where if they break you pay 6 bucks for brand new headphones.

the only competition is the Koss KSC75s and KSC35s, which use the same drivers but are clip-onto-ear (and i think only available in the USA). the KSC75s are the cheapest build but sell for about $14 in best buys!!!

not sure about buying the 35's now, might still be able to order direct from Koss? it's worth searching around that head-fi forum for answers as it seems the get reissued every now & then.

I haven't actually missed my senn's much since they broke oddly.

Any Sevenoaks Sound & Vision or little hi-fi shop ought to stock plenty of Grados and Sennhesisers, and maybe some AKGs and Beyers too, and let you try them if you ask nicely. I've got some Grado SR60s (for dancing on the landing), some Sennheiser HD595s (for laying on my bed) and some Shure E2Cs (for sitting on the train).

(FWIW, I bought my Grados from Oranges & Lemons in Battersea; they were very friendly and let me play with the equivalent Beyers and Sennheisers for about an hour before I plumped for the SR-125s. I was running them off Naim gear. This was about 8 years ago, I don't even know if the store is still there).

My experience of non-IEMs is zero, Portapros aside, as I said upthread, so perhaps I can ask a couple of questions here that I'd be embarassed to ask on head-fi: how do open headphones 'feel'? What are the advantages over closed-back ones? And how much do they leak/how much external sound comes in? It would be quite nice to be able to hear people knocking on my office door if I'm wearing them, which I'm guessing will be fine, but do they require a near-silent background?

EXACTLY - and I love my ER-6Is for this reason alone

Yeah, the redesigned Apple headphones that come with all the new iPod models (introduced last month, I think?) are much better overall in reproducing bass sounds - at least to these ears.

They look like this:
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/ma662_alt.jpg

I ask only b/c the earbuds that came with my iPod fit my ears perfectly, but the fatter earbuds I have now keep sliding out...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Unique-headphone-stand-suitable-for-Grado-Sennhesier_W0QQitemZ300039980790QQihZ020QQcategoryZ88433QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

KSC-75s are pretty much king of the performance/price ratio

they sounded on par with if not better than my SR60s when I had them

and this headfi thread where people put them on a par with the MS-1 etc:

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=168328

Are these people crazy?! Or is there no point bothering with anything else under $100?

The single best value-for-money headphone on the market is, I think, the KSC-75 - those $13 headphones sound better than most $150 Sony headphones. However, they are clip-on, with shitty build quality, etc etc etc.

My favourite headphones in the world are probably the Koss PortaPros. They cost about $50. The sound is similar to the KSC-75s (i've even heard they use the same drivers), but because of how they are built they are super comfortable, easy to use, and sound fucking great. It's a really fun sound, a little bass-heavy but awesome for walking around the city in, not tiring to listen to, etc etc. For "serious listening" it's not as good as more expensive Senns or Grados or AKGs or whatever, obviously, but it's my favourite

Good point - the exchange rate wasn't so £-favourable in 1998, but I still paid over the odds for the SR-125s. Bit suspicious of "EQing differently for musicians" (which musicians? Those that have lost their hearing above 10k?).

The fatiguing aspect of my Grados was never the sound but the uncomfortable standard pads - I replaced these with more doughnut-like pads about three years ago (from Needle Doctor) and it seemed like the sound improved too. Perhaps the Alessandros are more comfy as standard (I think new Grados have these larger pads).

From what I understand, the MS-1s are tweaks of the SR-60s. You should probably take that with a pinch of salt, though!

I'm wondering if I actually need something completely different to the Grados, actually. Am I right in getting the impression that they're best for rock music? Nick says upthread:

I've got some Grado SR60s (for dancing on the landing), some Sennheiser HD595s (for laying on my bed)

I mostly listen to music while working, these days, and I guess I mostly listen to minimal house, jazz and experimental drone stuff; are the Grados all wrong for that?

(multiple x-posts, was writing this on and off while working).

Ha, imagine how I felt when I saw your name appearing during my head-fi browsing.

Since starting that last post I've listened to the new LCD soundsystem on the PortaPros and it sounded great, so perhaps any lack of detail was just due to shoddy vinyl rips before.

I would hope, really, that the better the headphone, the more capable of doing justice to any sort of music. It's not as if they use different monitors at Air or Abbey Road depending on whether it's a jazz quartet, an orchestra or a rock band (well, they sort of do, but the big buggers built into the walls of the control room remain the reference). I know you have to make compromises in the realm of affordable domestic audio, but Grados seem to do everything pretty well.

I agree with Jonesy re; "good for rock" - good headphones ought to be good for every genre! It's the "analytical, good soundstage" vs "exciting, upfront" difference that makes me keep two pairs of cans, not the genres I listen to.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?TabID=1&ModuleNo=33144&doy=20m10

Lowers the tone a bit, I'm afraid (metaphorically speaking).

Correct. I own both just so if I'm walking to a gig or something and not taking a bag I can throw the KSC75s in my pocket whereas the PortaPros don't fit.

What does "best for rock music" actually mean?

Lots of things. But with regard to the Grados it's a very forward sound, like you're up there among the players, whereas the Sennheisers, say, are on the other end of the spectrum - a more laid back, glimmering kind of thing. Chamber music, piano, voice sound better to me on them.

I'm really curious about the 595s... Was looking for a pair of really comfortable cans about a year ago. Bought the Senn 590s but found the sound only so-so. The 595s were on my list as next to try but ultimately I spent a ton of money on some new Grados, and they've been fine really. I may spring for some supraaural pads I can wear with them, though.

I've found that Senns, especially, need a headphone amp to shine.

I am enjoying the 595s immensely, and got them super cheap via an Amazon seller too - only £80. Cheapest I've seen them otherwise is £110.

Having skimmed that interview with John Grado on Head-fi, I see that they're a company with just 17 employees and his tastes have driven the development of their range - and he's a bit of an old rocker, so there you go. I liked his comment about testing stuff from CD (even though Grado manufacture high-end cartridges) - "if it sounds this good off CD, you know it'll sound even better on vinyl". I'm no digiphobe but I sort of know what he means.

Lots of things. But with regard to the Grados it's a very forward sound, like you're up there among the players, whereas the Sennheisers, say, are on the other end of the spectrum - a more laid back, glimmering kind of thing. Chamber music, piano, voice sound better to me on them

This is interesting because the thing that really put me off the Senns was a kind of artificial sheen to everything - a zinging brightness. I don't know what model they were now - whatever was retailing around £100-150 eight years ago. I was very sensitive to that at the time (I felt it was main failing of my Marantz/Audiolab set-up). But high-end Senns I've heard since didn't seem to suffer from this.

The supraaural replacement pads for the Grados are a godsend.

For me, they're my "laying on my bed, taking a piece of music apart" headphones - soundstage is certainly better than Grados, but I've only had them a wekk (they're in a corner of my office being burnt in with Sonic Youth all day today). Slightly reserved, detailed, relaxed, great control too. The melange of sound at the climax of Cop Shoot Cop by Spiritualized was awesome - I could pick out every instrumental thread with ease and follow them.

But if you're inflexible, I've heard ok things about The Plug, by Koss.

They're more detailed and crisp than the SR80s, much less blaring, with a wider soundstage. And they're made of wood blah blah blah. (I've not actually done much A/B testing.) They were being sold for $200.

I'm told they resemble the SR325s but I've never tried SR325s let alone SR225s - other than 5 mins with a pair of SR125s in a shop, the SR80s are the 'best' other Grados I've listened to.

To be honest I was disappointed with the relative difference between the SR80s (or my Senns) and the HF1s - there's such a massive jump between cheapo headphones, Portapros, and then the SR-80s, but above that the law of diminishing returns seems to be come in. They're definitely much better headphones, but I can't see myself becoming a big advocate for upgrading from SR-80s if you're watching your finances. (Whereas I encourage everyone with a walkman to spend the $50 for a pair of PortaPros.)

If you're looking for 'where to go' past SR-80s or the equivalent Alessandros, at this point I'd be more likely to suggest investing in Senn HD650s or something - i.e. a mid-range Sennheiser as an alternative to the Grado sound. Your 595s will be more than halfway there, mind.

As for me, I've decided that headphones for 'different uses' is more important than headphones for 'different sounds'. I'm likely to always use the same ones when I'm at home, not switch it up based on material or whatever. But it's great to have walking around headphones, home-listening headphones and isolating long-bus-trip headphones. In a year or two I'm thinking about IEMs to replace my Senn HD280s in the last category.

Man, this is such a nerdy conversation.

Scarily I was viewing it as a relaxing break from talking about maths.

Nick - I guess I'm wondering how the 595s compare to the Grados. I'll be interested to hear what you think of the MS-1s when they arrive, too.

But it's great to have walking around headphones, home-listening headphones and isolating long-bus-trip headphones.

Absolutely - and I feel like I just can't justify having two pairs for home-listening. Part of me does wonder about the whole diminishing-returns thing, and whether the differences between headphones are actually rather smaller than some head-fiers seem to think. But when I start thinking along those lines I start wondering whether it's even worth upgrading from the PortaPros (the rest of the time, of course, I'm thinking about getting custom earmolds etc etc).

For home listening I got the AKG K701 a few months back, and am very happy with them.

I am a bit sceptiocal because some of their offers seem to be achieved by exaggerating the RRP then lopping a bit off.

Oh yes. Pleased with these.

The Alessandros are now my favourite headphones, probably. Other people might talk about "rolled-off highs" or tighter or deeper bass or mid-bass humps and whatnot - all I can say is that they're great. They've gotthe exciting, upfront sound that Grado specialise in, but without the harsh treble that fatigued me from the SR60s, and with better soundstage.

But beyond that... the HD595s tend to make me dissect things, but the MS-1s just make me enjoy them. Vocals are great, brass is amazing, details is terrific. Considering that these were $100 including postage, which is only about £60, they're an absolute fucking steal, and I'd recommend them to anybody.

The 414s tamed the Portapro bass slightly, make them more comfy, and also, um, improve their looks? I tried them with holed pads but the treble seemed far too splashy to me.

I've heard ok things about The Plug, by Koss.

I bought these. Fantastic if a fiddly fucker to put in. I can't do it one handed. They also pop out really easily! Apart from those issues I love them.

Headphones require a different kind of amplification to speakers, and most integrated amplifiers have headphone loops added as an afterthought. That headphone amp wont actually live there with that kit - I have another CD player that I bought it to use with exclusively in another room, I'm just waiting on another component to be able to use it cos the CD player has a faulty line-out so I need to route it through an outboard DAC. Also it has a crossfeed, which is a very very nice thing and makes headphones less jarring if you like it - it allows some of the signal to seep from right-to-left and vice versa, so you don't get, say, the really obvious channel-separation that you normally do - particularly good for The Beatles and other 60s stuff where instruments are jammed very definitely in one channel alone.

Not as great as some of the stuff mentioned in this thread, but I'm super excited because I've never been able to afford a good stereo + receiver + speakers, and the best headphones I've ever had were $20 Koss headphones from Wal-Mart.

A friend of mine has the same Sennheiser's I ordered. I listened to some music on them for about 20 minutes a few weeks ago and was totally blown away.

I am excited to the max.

The MS-1s are my favourites. I adore them. The everything Sean said about the Portapros is true though, and I can't imagine a better headphone to use with an iPod.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/Headphones%20and%20hi-fi/IMG_6162.jpg

So if I was looking for suggestions for headphones for DJing, would this be a good thread to crash? Obviously bass response, swively bits, and a solid cord I could trip over are key.

I mostly use them on the underground, so closed back ones seem best. I did have Sony MDR-EX71 ones, which are IEMs (if I'm using that term correctly - they go right in your ear. They were great at blocking out outside noise, but reading here, I think I could get better for the same money. And they were TOO bassy. And I think I'd prefer something not right in yer ear.

Those AKG's get good reviews, and fold up nicely.

Anyway, £40 max. Wotcha reckon?

Or maybe get those AKGs for the tubes AND the Koss KSC-75 ones for home ...

If you get the Koss PortaPros (which are basically the KSC75s gussied up), I guarantee you will use them like crazy when out-and-about. (And even perhaps at home.)

The EX-71 bass response varies wildly with the seal they make in yr lugholes (with the first pair I had - about six years ago - I used the wrong-size covers for a couple of weeks because they seemed more comfortable but they gave no bass at all). I really like the warm, cosy sound I get with them attached to my Samsung MP3 player.

So I probably want new ones, I notice a lot of people rubbishing the quality of in ear headphones, any good recommendations in the sort of under 100 pounds price range? I like in-ear for the easy to put in your pocket nature of them, but I'm not dead set against other styles.

I truly don't know what the best earbud style headphone is... I hate them, personally. Koss' The Plug (and Sparkplug) were both mentioned upthread.

Also, what Sean said.

I'm fine indoors cos I have Sennheiser DJ headphones...

:-(

I'm sure it is something obvious and I will look like a plonker, but still.

(For the insurance purposes noted above, I had to spend EXACTLY £40, or I might have been tempted to pay more).

So far, they're great. Really comfy, they fold up small, good isolation (ie other people can't hear you) and reasonable blocking out of outside noise, AND they sound great. I'm sure nowhere near audiophile, but a lot better than anything I've had before. They were surprisingly detailed at home and solid enough to cut through the tube noise without being at deafening volume. I wish they didn't have a white lead, though.

I am selling some headphones (Sennheiser HD595s).

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sennheiser-HD-595-Consumer-Headphones-Audiophile-HD595_W0QQitemZ300073385683QQihZ020QQcategoryZ3274QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I'm contemplating getting one even though I've only got SR60's at the moment, but will upgrade eventually to either SR80's or MS-1's (I'm in the US).

I would like to buy them if I was rich, but sadly I am broke.

(I also preferred Grados to these headphones [or whatever their equivalent model was in 1998]).

I am one of the watchers, which might be slightly disappointing news :-(

^^^^^^standard issue; not gay

?

Here's the evidence...

The mags not that bad...only buy it to hide a copy of Readers Wives inside
it .....seriously tho..not a bad read..normally sits on the shelf over the
throne..so gets read over a period of visits..funny how you always remember
where you got to...will email you a new way to write an article in a
mo...gotta find it

speak soon, Tonz

I've not replied except to say that I posted the headphones.

I'm looking for a decent set of headphones for home-listening. The max I'm willing to spend is about $150. I'm looking for good quality, to be sure, but nothing that would be lost on a pretty modest receiver (not that I'd likely find something audiophile-quality for $150). Basically the best set available the quality of which won't be lost on the standard issue Sony amp/receiver. Any recs? Thanks in advance.

I'd say Grados

http://www.gradolabs.com

the SR-125 model is exactly $150

Are any of the bluetooth headphones worth it yet? I understand the current codec is lossy and next year we should see lossless Bluetooth headphones. Looking forward to getting rid of the damn wires.

i've had a lot in this price range and finally settled for the SR-60s. I like them better than the 80s, although the comparable Sennheiser HD-497s have a replaceable cord.. don't get any inner-ear canal ones.

My portapros (which I got because they were on a close-out at our town's failing Tower) finally broke after about, what, ten years of use. My brother bought me Sony MDR-V150s, which are OK, but just not as nice (low end drop off, thinner in midrange). But they are, if I know my brother, pretty cheap and reliable.

My AKG K26P's just broke after two years of mild use. Any recs for replacements?

I just got me a pair of SR-80s, and am completely in love with them. I'm thinking of getting a HeadAmp AE-2 to go with them--anyone have any experience with this amp? Or with HeadAmp in general?

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.

have a nice blood.

I made a terrible, terrible mistake- got tired of my slightly painful, hideous (yet wonderful-sounding) Portapros and went looking for a more attractive model for walking-around use, settling on a pair of Zumreeds (the Japanese ones with the hemispherical cups). They look great and sound like absolute crap compared to the Portapros. Thankfully the place I bought them from will take them back after a minor restocking fee.

I'm keeping the portapros (with replacement ear cushions, because OW) for walking and commuting, but I am in the market for a nicer pair I can wear at work and use for casual DJing at home. Would Grado SR-80s be good for this? I'd be running them off of an ipod at work and a generic middle-of-the-line sound system at home.

my slightly painful, hideous (yet wonderful-sounding) Portapros

ha ha. i always thought it was like a portapro secret. i totally put up with pulling my hair out, digging a metal band into my head and crinkling impressions of the plastic eatphones into my ears because they sound so great. i really need to send them off to be fixed sometime soon (elastic band solution amid disintegration), but i don't want to be without them for a couple of weeks. i still regularly notice how good they sound.

grado's sound great, and i love my SR-60s...they are very "open" though and bleed sound both ways, so that might be a problem in a work environment.

Just got my SR80s today and I'm already in love with them. A bit less up-front and punchy than the Portapros, but I'm hearing so many subtle little details I was missing. And they're so comfy!

On flights to and from Oakland for work in August I saw around 5 age 50-something and up guys using Bose headphones. Just got back from a trip to LA and again saw the same number of folks in that same demographic with the Bose headphones. I wonder if I should join them when I hit that age range...

Bose - Better Off Somewhere Else.

Typically you can get better headphones for a lot less.

I use the noise canceling Bose on flights and they work like a charm. I would never have sprung the $350 but since they were a gift I use and enjoy them.

After 50 your range of hearing is typically so reduced that it won't make much difference what you use.