Best headphones for portable cd player?

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I know this has been discussed here before, but can someone refresh my recollection of what the best headphones are for use with a portable cd player on the bus to/from work?

Thanks,
dawg

― dawg, Thursday, 28 August 2003 15:14 (twenty-two years ago)

what up dawg

if you got the ca$h...

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 28 August 2003 15:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Koss' Portapros are affordable and have wonderful sound.

I always hear good things about Grados.

― ben welsh (benwelsh), Thursday, 28 August 2003 15:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I have both - the problem w/Grados is that they have no soundproofing so they're very loud and annoying for anyone nearby, however in all other respects they are superbly, insanely good. And they're made in Brooklyn! The Koss Portapros are the best value for money I think, although they're a little bassy, so you shouldn't put up your CD player's mega-bass if it has one. They're also nice and small and they fold up very compactly.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 28 August 2003 15:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Also if you have the cash and want something more compact.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Thursday, 28 August 2003 16:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Sennheiser PX 100 (open-backed) or PX 200 (closed-backed). I have the PX 100s and they are so fucking great I can't tell you enough.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 28 August 2003 16:37 (twenty-two years ago)

What's a decent pair of Grados cost?

Do you have to buy them online? Or will audio stores have a pair I can try out?

― ben welsh (benwelsh), Thursday, 28 August 2003 16:51 (twenty-two years ago)

If you don't mind earbuds (I actually prefer them to other low-end phones), the Sennheiser MX500s are awesome. They have more low-end presence than any other relatively inexpensive headphone. The Koss PortaPros are good as well, if you'd rather have that type of 'phone.

I've heard great things about Grados as well, but wouldn't think of them as bus-riding phones.

― southern lights (southern lights), Thursday, 28 August 2003 17:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Koss Portapros all the way, if you buy them at ecost.com, there's a discount and free shipping. They arrived the day after I order them to boot.

― T. Weiss (Timmy), Thursday, 28 August 2003 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

You can get Grado's online and on the web. If you look at similarly priced models from Senn, Grado's win hands down. The SR-60's are about $70.00 US I think, and are well worth it.

Tracer's right about them not being totally ideal for public transport. They're open cup designed so everyone beside you can hear what you're listening too if you've got them cranked.

― Philippe, Thursday, 28 August 2003 18:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I have a pair of Grado's, and their good with the home hi-fi set, but... When coupled with a portable player, the headphones are a bit too heavy to "drive" for the weak player - and I have a top-of-the-line [UNSHAMEFUL BRAGGING...] Panasonic portable CD-player.
Just my 2c.
Looking for a pair of easy-to-drive-yet-full-size-earcups headphones...

― Bubba, Friday, 29 August 2003 12:17 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

How loud are we talking where it becomes an issue with the Grado's? I'm considering upgrading from my PortaPro's, but I do a fair bit of commuting around campus and if I'm going to be bugging people just listening to music at a moderate level I don't feel that.

― stephen morris (stephen morris), Sunday, 27 February 2005 04:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Get the closed-backed Sennheiser PX 200s. They're so great and no one will be bugged.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 27 February 2005 14:25 (twenty-one years ago)

they are good for the exact purpose required here (very compact, durable, easily driven and acceptably insulating (from external noise/to other people).

I'm not so keen on the sound myself. I think it does suffer from the enclosure (it seems to be the opinion on various Headphone-phile forums that the PX-100's are much superior) or perhaps I'm just not a Senn person.

For listening late at night in bed, wandering around the house without a great deal of noise or on the computer however Koss KSC-35's 0wnz (not so easily driven/loud as the PX's though).

I'd upgrade to a bigger set (of some brand) but most I've ever tried seem to interfere with my glasses arms too much.

― itchy bits (itchy bits), Sunday, 27 February 2005 14:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I tried the PX-100s but thought they were pretty useless for city living. I walked down the street and all I could hear was people shouting. Horses for courses.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 27 February 2005 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

sorry, that's exactly what I meant.

They might have better sound from the open design, but close by any kind of external noise. Basically equivalent to the Ksc's (also useless outdoors) with a headband.

― itchy bits (itchy bits), Sunday, 27 February 2005 14:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Based on everything I've read I'm still leaning towards the Grado's. Their resale value seems to be way better than the Sennheiser (a brand new pair of Grado SR-60's goes for $69 on Amazon, and there's a refurbished pair going for $71 right now on eBay.)

I can deal with leakage, I want to know if there would be an absurd ammount of leakage even at moderate levels.

x-post I will definitely look into the Sennheiser PX-200's, Alba. I've read some stuff about their pads being too small for the ear or that getting a tight lock around the ear was difficult. Is that really a problem with them?

Also, I really like wearing my headphones when I go to bed. Are they comfortable enough for that? My PortaPro's are pretty great for that, except the ear pad gets ripped up after doing it for a few months.

― stephen morris, Sunday, 27 February 2005 19:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I've had no problem with comfort or fit. But every head and ear is like a snowflake or something...

Their lightness and small size are a plus for me - my ears get really hot when wearing big studio-type headphones for prolonged periods.

And they fold up so you can slip them in your inside jacket pocket.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 27 February 2005 20:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I can get a little spaced out when walking around with my headphones so ultimately I decided that I needed to let some outside sounds in to avoid getting myself killed. I had the PX-100s and I thought they sounded great & were super comfortable, but they could be more durable. Once I tossed my bag wrong and they broke. Always heard great things about Grados but I need something I can wear when I'm jogging, too.

― Mark (MarkR), Sunday, 27 February 2005 20:07 (twenty-one years ago)

SENNHEISER HD-497s own this thread. (and the PX-100s rule several provinces).

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Sunday, 27 February 2005 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I caved and bought a pair of Grado SR-60's. In the end it came down to aesthetics, as I really couldn't find a bad review of either set.

Thanks for the help tho, I can't wait for these to arrive.

― stephen morris (stephen morris), Wednesday, 2 March 2005 06:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Always heard great things about Grados but I need something I can wear when I'm jogging, too.

that is officially the last thing i ever thought someone on ILM would say :)

sm - good luck with the grados. my brother has those and loves them.

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Wednesday, 2 March 2005 07:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmmm, I have Grado SR-125s but couldn't imagine using them outside the house. They're completely open and leak like mad. Also, the heavy cable would make it kinda impractical. I use Sony EX-71 earbuds but they don't agree with everyone (comfort/bass issues; if none of the three provided silicon earbuds fit yr ear canal properly, you won't get any good low-end).

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 2 March 2005 11:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I knew you would be on this thread, Michael.

After much trial and error, I am still with slightly souped up earbuds, Sony ones. They are supposed to give you more low end.

Earphone fetishists might like to know that I saw Michael extract his from his lugholes this morning.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 2 March 2005 11:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, these will probably be (mostly) for home use. I've still got my portapro's!

― stephen morris (stephen morris), Wednesday, 2 March 2005 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

my favorit for everthign
tried and tru
sony mdr-7506

― tone bone, Thursday, 3 March 2005 05:32 (twenty-one years ago)

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