What type of headphones does everyone have?

Still on apples white bud thingies till i can wade through all the different opinions on this forum and find a truly decent pair. Maybe this thread will help. :)

I just bought a pair of Sony MDR-EX71SL. I really like the isolation the earplug style buds provide. I can sit on a bus and have people talking right beside me and I hardly hear a peep. Also since the cord is short I can use it with the iPod remote and not have 6 feet of cord to deal with. Overall I am very pleased with these buds.

Mike

I have a pair of Shure E2C and Grado GR80's, both excellent. Had a pair of Sony 71's, no bass.

Shure E2's and Grado SR 60's.

Originally posted by LiquidGUI
I have Sony MDR-V700
They are very nice and sound perfectly clear. [/url]

This sound from the MDR-V700 are far from clear. Their boomy bass totally muddles up the entire sound.

I am just trying to prevent someone wasting $100+ for an inferior headphone compared to others at that price range.

I have shure e2's and I'm currently ordering my Sony CD3000's.

anyone know why to buy e2's in the uk ?

Originally posted by MadDog5145
I am just trying to prevent someone wasting $100+ for an inferior headphone compared to others at that price range.

They're clearer than most phones that the majority of people have. The huge bass is great fun and it can be a help on players like the iPod when the EQ sucks. Let's keep the Head-Fi.org "I'm an expert" copy n' paste critiques out of this forum, shall we?

Phones I use most frequently with iPod: Shure E1, Grado RS-1.
Phones I use infrequently: Audio-Technica ATH-EM7, Sony MDR-V700DJ, Sennheiser HD25, Sennheiser PX100, Ultrasone HFI-650.

E1: quite isolating, clear and punchy sound, very handy to carry. I'm considering the custom ear molds for these to increase isolation further. I use this while travelling.
RS-1: An extraordinary sound. None of my headphones - I have more than I listed for home use - do mids and bass like the RS-1. Lightweight and very comfortable. I use these when I'm listening to the iPod in and around the house, and also with my home systems.
ATH-EM7: one of the clearest sounding earclips I've heard. Not bassy like the Koss earclips but I like the clarity. It also looks very cool and in summer it is very cool (i.e. not hot ;) )
MDR-V700DJ: Powerful bass and easy to power, fits in my backpack pocket for travelling. Heavy, hot and a little uncomfortable for listening to for more than an hour or two. The sound isn't that high fidelity compared to the Ultrasone for example but I get huge fun from listening to this phone. Looks good too. I just wish they could make it a bit more comfortable.
HD25: Clearer than the V700 and nearly the same bass. A slightly better sounding phone and much lighter than the V700 but less comfortable around the ears, much more of a hassle to put on and more difficult to stow. I think these may block out slightly more sound than the Shures but they get really hot and sticky. I'm selling these soon.
PX100: I love the way these fold up, it's so cool. Sounds not bad either, but this and the EM7 get much less use than the Shure simply because I find myself picking up the E1 as I'm going out all the time.
HFI-650: Great sounding truly hi-fi phones which I'll use if I want to listen to a classical album or something like that. A little boring for what I normally listen to (rock). These aren't heavy, are a bit hot but quite comfortable to have on for a while.

I managed to break my Apple buds just a couple of days after I got my iPod (my fault, not apple's). Then I used some Sony pieces of crap earbuds that I've had for awhile. They weren't nearly as good as the Apple buds. Finally, yesterday I got a pair of $15 Koss "The Plug" in-the-ear earbuds. I think they're really great, and not just on $15 earbud standards. The only real worry I have is about their durability. If you're like me and you want some decent in-the-ear phones that you can use until you bring yourself to splurge on EX72s, go out and get some.

I have the plugs too, and I have to say, they are the worst creation since fur lined toilet seats. They are, IMHO, truly awful. You're better off with the Senn's for that price, which have great sound...About the only thing the Plug does is isolate; for me it was like taking a good sounding MP3 player and making it sound like AM radio...

Try DJMart. I would recommend the E2's over the E1's though, especially if you're going to be out and about with them...

i own koss portapro's. this is your typical bang for the buck. great sound and great price. did i forget to mention great sound :p .

I have the Sony MDR-F1s. Probably not the best sound quality since it's open air, but you can wear it all day. It's the most comfortable set I've ever tried. People actually fall asleep wearing these!

I've got a pair of Koss PortaPros too. PortaPros represent!

I am a bit concerned that since I use them instead of the included earbuds, I don't get to be part of the iPod club and get the iPod Nod Of Approval on the Metro.

Guess it's worth it for the sound though.

I even sat on them and they are still okay.. although one earpiece is a bit wonky because it wiggles around a lot.

Count me in as a Koss Porta pro person as well. I originally got them when I got a Archos a couple years back.
I use the Portas as my primary phones and the Apple bud as secondary....

Pioneer's $29 SE-CL30 Encapsulated Earphones may represent a better, cheaper option than the EX51/70/71 for those who need the isolation afforded by in the ear canal earphones. They have a slightly broader frequency response 5-23,000 Hz and use 10-mm drivers rather than 8- or 9-. They also come in black or white.

Be nice to get some feedback on these, which are not imported into the UK yet....

I just got the Sure E2's. A++ is all I can say.

I just purchased the Etymotic ER 4S earphones along with a portable amp. This combo produces incredible fidelity that is jaw-dropping. Highly recommended.

Originally posted by Kevin
I am a bit concerned that since I use them instead of the included earbuds, I don't get to be part of the iPod club and get the iPod Nod Of Approval on the Metro.

Wear the remote. :D

I use Koss earplugs. I don't know the model name. The backs of the plugs are a kind of vaguely grayish blue, and they go way into the ear. ;)

They produce a lot of bass. I love them dearly.

Am I the only one that does not dislike the Apple earbuds? I use them and the Koss plugs alternately. Sometimes you don't want to feel contained, in which case in-the-ear is no go. :D

No offense, but the Koss plugs are awful--there are much better, reasonably priced options...If you want to make your ipod sound like AM radio however, the plugs are great..

sony MDR-G52. Light weight. $19.99 circuit city OUTSTANDING sound, 1 cord simplicity, behind the head design.

Do you have a link to that amp. I have an Airhead, but don't use it much as it is not tha tconvenient to carry around although the custom ipod/Airhead case is pretty cool.

Been using my old pair of Sony MDR-EX70's. Got a pair of MDR-
F1's too but wife complains she can hear my music. So today I
spent something like 5-6 hrs looking for a(nother) pair. First I
walked out with MDR-E888SP as I couldn't decide (yet *had* to
buy something), then later went back and spent about 1 hr
deciding between the Sennheiser HD-25's & Pioneer SE-900D's
(think the Pioneer's Japan only - can't find much about it on the
web).

Was a very close call 'cos the Senn HD-25's had a tighter bass,
but the SE-900D's seemed clearer and more detailed. Finally
walked out with the SE-900D's - that was 2 hrs ago :-).

Sean

Etymotic E-4P - reference sound, not great on the move.

Shure E2C - surprisingly good sound, great on the move if a little cumbersome to insert.

My CD3000's should arrive by later this week. I'll probably getting the ER-4S in the next few months.

I returned my Pioneer SE-900D's and changed them for the Senn HD25's.
The Pioneer were *great*headphones but I couldn't wear them for more
than 1 hr as it was literally clamping my head! I was getting headaches
if I wore them too long - this was a real pity 'cos we really like the sound
quality it was producing. I'm sure in time they would have loosened over
time. But as they were closed circumaural, my ears did get very warm.

So I switched them for the Senn HD25's which are supra-aurals. They are
still quite tight but will loosen in time. At least they are not so warm.

ive been doin some research on headphones, and id really like a nice sennheiser hd 497 or grados. But I've been reading reports on other boards on how these headphones probly couldnt be properly driven by the ipod, or that they will be underpowered or whatever.

Having no knowledge on such matters, I ask the collective wisdom of ipodlounge to enlighten me in this regard. What exactly is this driving thing all about? And CAN the ipod adequztely or properly drive those higher end earphones like the higher models of Sennheiser, Sony and Grado?

Thanks in advance

I got my Shure E2's last week.

They do take a bit of getting used to. I'm not used to earbuds that block out everything else, and I think this can be a bit off-putting when you first try them. I've been using my cheap Sony MDR-A30's for ever and ever so I've kinda got used to them. The Shure E2's come with an assortment of in-ear options - some foamy ones, and some soft plastic/rubbery ones. I tried a few out and finally settled on the small plastic/rubbery ones.

Here's the thing. Once you get used to the feel of them, the sound is incredible. It's a bit like having your home hi-fi speakers shrunk to fit in your ears. I actually have them on as I type this and I'm hearing things I've not noticed before in songs I really know well. They have great treble and bass, and have tremendous width of sound. If you really like your music I absolutely 100% recommend them. I've not sampled any of the other higher end earphones, but I would definitely say that for about $75 shipped they are pretty darned good.

I use noise cancelling PXC 250's. They do a good job of cancelling out background noise, in the office, on an aircraft, in the car etc. They are very comfortable, and the price, while definitely not cheap isn't unreasonable.

The noise cancelling unit does amplify slightly and the volume is plenty loud enough for me. These are a new model. They fold up and come with a pouch big enough to take the headphones, the iPOD. They also have an external pocket for adapters (supplied), should you want to listen to the onboard entertainment on an aircraft (heaven forbid!)

Bang and Olufsen A8's.

I had previously tried them on in the store and fell in love with them, but they were way too expensive for me to even think about getting them. I then saw them on EBay and decided to put a bid in, and actually won them. I have used them for about 2 weeks and they sound great. But what surprises me is that they are very comfortable because they provide great sound without having to be shoved into the ear. That combined with the over the ear design makes it so you don't feel them half the time you are wearing them.

reorx24,

I have a pair of grado s80's and use them with the ipod with no amp, they sound fantastic! I sometimes can't believe the sound I get from them. I never tried the s60's so I really can't compare, but the 80's are great.
:D

Headphones:

Grado SR-325
Audio Technica W1000
Audio Technica A500
AKG 501
Etymotic ER-6
Senn 600 + Red Clou cable
Ultrasone HFI-650
Senn MX400

Headphone Amplifiers:

Sugden Headmaster
Creek OBH-11 Special edition
MG Head DT
HeadRoom Total AirHead

Sources:

NAD 521 CD player + MSB Link DAC III with upsampling upgrade
iPod 3Gen 15GB

Yes, the Etymotic are great and if you don't want to spend this much for portable headphones you can always get the Etymotic ER6 for allot less. A thing to point out is that you need to get a good seal and it also takes time for the brain to adjust to the sound. Good info on this can be found at http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3615

Good comparison Review: Ety ER6 vs both 4p and 4s http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6828

You might also consider adding a portable amp to the mix. It can improve the sound quite a bit :)

I also got the cable with mine to convert them to the er4s, don't know which way I like it best yet. I think when with the 4s cable they would be helped with an amp but I don't think it's a must as I've always heard. Love it both ways.

Another tally mark for ER-4P's. I've had them a year now. Make life on planes MUCH easier - especially on long international flights. Listening while working around the house is not as bad as people say FYI.

Yeah, I would like to use the silicone ones because of lasting longer etc. but I just don't think they are as comfortable or achieve as good of seal as with the foamies. I also got some of the smaller foamies coming I ordered from er's website, I think they may work even better. One's supplied seem large for my ears. Maybe I will have even more audio bliss!

Originally posted by Rich
Bose Quiet Comfort. They were a "business" expense! :D

Do your self a favor and try some real headphones. You will thank me. :D

I've used a pair of Sennheisers MX300, that came with my iRiver 256MB player. Being satisfied with
the quality of the MX300s, I recently bought a pair of MX500s. They have a good performance on the
entire frequency spectrum with the iPod.

After some experimenting... I'm quite happy with the following setup:
- level all my MP3's at 92dB (using MP3Gain)
- increase the volume by 100% (using xPlay, iTunes, or one of the freeware utilities that pop up)
- set EQ to "Bass booster"
- use Sennheiser's MX500

This gives distortion-free sound with enough 'bass'. At a volume level that is loud enough for normal use.
It might even be loud enough for use on a noisy commuter train (haven't tried yet).

If you're satisfied with the EQ 'off' then you might even level your MP3 at 93,5 or 95 dB.
Since at that level, an EQ-setting with bass-boost (Electronic, Hip-hop, R&B, Rock and the like) will likely
introduce some distortion.

Bye,
mage

I'm a fan of the Shure E2 - fantastic sound and comfort. I don't have to blast my ears trying hear music on the subway.

I just bought an iPod myself last week, and I am already looking for a replacement earphone. There's been enough threads and posts about the Sony EX70/71 to give me mixed feelings about this piece. I will be using the earphones primarily for school (walking and such), working out, and loungin around the house. I'll just have to do more research.

As for right now, I had a Koss headphone model that I cant remember the name of, but I sat on it one night so it now rests in peace. I now use the Sony V900 to replace the V700 that I had prior. I prefer the 900 much more, due to slight better sound quality and MUCH more comfortable.

bigman,
How's the cool factor with the Grado 60's? I am looking at getting them for my teenage daughters, but of course they won't use them unless they look cool as well as sound good. Am also looking at the Senn PX200 or PX100, and Koss Porta Pro in that price range.
Thanks,

Which lightweight Sony's? I would like to get a good balance between sound and style in the $50 range. The Senn's aren't cool looking? http://www.headphone.com/layout.php?topicID=3&subTopicID=26&productID=0020080020

columbo,
What are the RS-1's? I am not familiar with them. I personally use a pair Etymotics with my ipod, but these are for my teenage daughters, and they like on ear phones that look cool. That's what I am trying to achieve, some recommendations on good sound, and also acceptable fashion wise. :)

Thanks,
I guess the other guys while trying to be helpful aren't focusing on my requirements. Lightweight, fashionable, decent sound, and around $50.00 to $70.00. I'm not looking for them for me but for my teenage daughters for their ipods, and I'm not looking for the worlds best or most expensive. I'm just wondering what the younger crowd is using in this price range. To me, the Senn PX200's look great, fold away in a nice case, and purportedly sound very good in their price range. Same with the Koss Porta Pro's. Any users of these phones? Any other suggestions within these parameters are welcomed.
Thanks again,

Boy, that review was off though...I actually posted a reply to it--I own both the EX's and the Shures; there is simply no comparison between the two, the Shure's are so much better. And I used to be a huge EX fan (ask Jacko).

I haven't tried any of the others. . . yet. :)
I have the Grado SR-60 (http://www.gradolabs.com/frameset_main.htm) that I'm very happy with, only problem I have these, or any of the big "ear muff" type is when it's warm out my ears get hot and it gets a little uncomfortable:mad:

When that happens, I just break out the ear budz that came w/my ipod, and let my ears chill 4-a-while:cool:

The problem I have with earbud type is fit, they all seem to loosen and slip out of my ear.

i already got them, chris. couldn't wait :D . but i have a big problem: the computer of my mom (the one i'm using now) has neither a firewire port, nor a free slot (for a firewire card). usb 2.0 is a no no as well. prior to buying the shure's i stupidly tap'ed in my 10gb ipod. i couldn't get my music of that one because i had forgotten to download ephpod and store it on the ipod and compusa couldn't go online that day, because of the winblast virus. my dad's laptop doesn't have firewire either. so, i'm left with brand new shure e2 earphones and a brand new 15gb ipod with no music on it, no music on the computer and no way of getting music on it anyway. if there is any irony in this situation, i don't appreciate it! :( :D

and i have a 14 hour trip back to germany when my holidays are over without music. any beautiful girls in the houston area with a free shoulder to cry on, please step forward... :D

i can joke about it somewhat, but it's quite troublesome actually.

Linky?

Dunbar,
How would you compare the ER-6's to the E2's?

I listen to my ipod all day at work so whats important to me is: decent sound, blocking out the office chatter, comfort, comfort and oh did I mention comfort?

I opted for the Beyerdynamic DT 250s, very soft comfortable ear cups. I can wear these all day long, very comfortable, I just about forget I have them on. They are closed, not the best choice for sound but the ambient office noise fades away. I can still hear my phone ring but the rest of the office world is not a distraction.

My hearing is not that great, too many concerts, too many years blasting my ears with loud music so I'll avoid saying too much about sound quality other than to say they sound great to me.

The work well with the ipod, no amp required but that would help if you didn't mind one more device on your desk. On a low volume (a good test) no hiss and they crank up real well when that favorite song comes on.

Guess most folks know about headroom. they review different products by 'need':
http://headroom.headphone.com/layout.php?topicID=2

Koss PortaPros, Sennheiser MX500s, Cheap Panasonic Buds, and Sony Behind The Ear Phones.

I have a pair of Philips SBC HP820. these head phones are great, they sound wonderful and they are the most comfortable headphones i'v ever worn (very big). and the self-adjusting head strap is an added bonus!:D

Sony MDR-V300s (at home)
Apple earbuds (everywhere else)

Don't Care what you say got the best combo both in style and quality....
20 GB IPOD
and
SONY DYNAMIC STEREO HEADPHONES MDR-V300

Sennheiser HD600. The best there is. Period. The IPod drives them ok. When I need isolation, I use Sennheiser 280PRO.

I use Etymotic ER-6 with an amp for 'static' listening and the Shure E2 for 'mobile' listening (without amp). I much prefer the sound of the ER-6 over the E2, but they do need an amp to sound good, otherwise I think they lack base definition. The E2s lack base definition with or without an amp, but have a better overall sound without an amp over the ER-6s, which sound a bit shrill due to the lack of bass.

The MX500s, mentioned frequently in this context, have in-line volume control.

I finally ended up with the bang and olufsen headphones. They are wicked expensive, but wicked worth it. They sound incredible and they stay in place--even on the decline bench press!

Etymotic 4-Ps; the iPod's equal in design. Portable and unmatched sound. Somewhat pricey and there's a learning curve in terms of the fit (the profound occlusion takes some getting used to), the accurate sound and getting the seal needed for them to perform as designed. They're worth the effort and expense. I'd replace them tomorrow if I had to.

I just got the Sony MDR-V6's for 69+tax and I must say for years I have only heard half the music on my CD's. There are guitar parts in several songs I loved for years that I didn't quite catch. It's amazing.

After doing a lot of research I settled on this one because it reproduced the sound without bias. Very accurate. Not pumped out bass. Treble can be harsh on bad mp3s but overall great value for money.

P.S. Just saw them on Howard Stern.

Shure: E5
Etymotic Research: ER-4P

Grado SR325
Grado SR80
Shure E2

Current King: Sony mdr7509, my favorite portable headphone. Comfortable, easily driven, closed, and it sounds great.

Next addition: Sennheiser hd580

Past (good) headphones: Sennheiser hd497