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'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.