Earphone purchasing guide!

[killazys]

Well, I'm not a crazy audiophile, but I thought this might be useful for some people looking to buy new head/earphones. If anyone would like to review/post about their current cans/earphones that would be nice... I've always looked for something comprehensive so that I won't be in the dark every time I try to buy a new pair of earphones, and so far I haven't found it. Let's make one then^^

Here's a great post on ABI for headphones under $30.
Another great list from ABI:
From your friendly /g/ents over at 4chan: hf buying guide

What I've owned in the past:
Razer pro|tone m100 - nice bass, nice price ($35)
Klipsch Image S4 - overall warm sound, perhaps a bit overpriced in the faced of better competition
Etymotic ER-6i - avoid. simply, avoid.
JAYS d-JAYS - needs burn-in time, then matches the S4
JAYS q-JAYS - extreme clarity, accurate and punchy bass but not for bassheads
Head Direct RE0 - similar sound signature to the q-JAYS, but high impedance for amping (useful) and cheaper
Klipsch Image X5 - clarity, but overpriced and poorly constructed cable

I'm sure there are more, but for now I would recommend Hippo VB for bassheads (never owned, but I've heard great things), and for clarity/treble focused JAYS q-JAYS or the Head Direct, which is my current set. With the price reduction on the RE0, they're probably the best bang for your buck.

Anyone want to contribute something about headphones? I've never used them before. Only thing that would move me over is probably the wider soundstage compared to IEMs.

[rostheferret]

I never got why people spent huge amounts on headphones for their MP3 player. If you want the best possible quality from a pair of headphones, you're gonna end up with something so ridiculously huge that they become impractical. That said, people who still use the stock iPod headphones are morons. I've been using the Sennheiser CX-300's for a few years now and I see no reason to change. Instead of the usual "wire frayed in 6 months" my first pair lasted me 3 years, cost me a tenner, fit perfectly and has some excellent - if not top of the line - specs. When they died, I ended up getting a pair of panasonic's which were just awful, the bass was practically non existent making it all sound tinny. Replaced them with Sennheiser's CX-400-II, which had a slight redesign, and the wire broke as usual in about 6 months. So I got another pair of CX-300's, and I've had these ones about a year now. I've been quite tempted to buy them in bulk just so when they wear out I'll not have to worry about increasingly aging headphones, but I've thus far refrained. It is getting to the point where I can't see why I'd choose X when I could have these though.

[Proin Drakenzol]

I use a pair of Ultimate Ear 700 IEM Noise canceling headphones. There's definitely a difference between those and a $30 pair.

That being said, never buy the BOSE IEMs, they're terrible. You're better off with a pair of JVC gummies.

And those Dr. Dre or w/e Monster headphones? Not only am I biased against them for not being IEMs (I hate over-the ear headphones) their sound quality is atrocious. Overdriven, distorted bass; weak, tinny treble; and a mid-range that sounds like a dying cat. All for more money than my UE 700s.


Oh, IEM = In Ear Monitor.


[EDIT]One thing the chart doesn't take into account: Ultimate Ear IEMs do have a lot of hiss until you curve the around your ears (making the cable kind of like a soft-clip). The hiss comes from them being sensitive to movement, soft-clipping them reduces excess movement and completely removes the hiss.

[AceHigh]

Opposite for me, I hate IEM.

From my experience:

Koss: shitty cable. They really rip apart, can't recommend it.
Sennheiser: This stuff is quality. Personally I use a compromise between sound quality and practicality, so I use this one. They are light and comfortable, and compared to the size, the sound is very impressive.

[killazys]

My problem was never the cables: instead it's always the audio jack that ends up bending and killing my audio :'(

For those that want to use earbuds wouldnt yuin pk2 be the best option?

And speaking of "high end" players being necessary to power high end earphones, keep in mind that high end doesnt necessarily mean expensive. For example, Cowon PMPs are well known for being able to provide stellar sound to high end IEMs or headphones. Another option would be to get a portable amp, but there's a difference between just an amp and something with DAC.. and then the player has to has true digital line-out. AFAIK devices like iPod pre-convert the signal. But an amp can't hurt

Proin, I've heard good thing about UE. Can you comment on the soundstage and clarity? Sound signature as compared to, for example, Phonak Audéo PFE if you've owned them (same price range, ish)?

Also, skullcandy are overrated as well.

[tomoya-kun]

I love my pair of sennheiser pxc 250

[phufham]

i just have a cheap $20 sony but imo they have great sound, size can get annoying sometimes tho.
Sony MDR-V150

[killazys]

Speaking of headphones, I've been looking for something for at-home listening, or at least something that's not quite as fatiguing as IEMs. The only pair of IEMs that I could keep in my ear 24/7 was the q-JAYS, but that has since broken and lolwarranty. Any "cheap" headphones, ~$60 or less, that are COMFORTABLE for home wear? That would probably mean around-ear as opposed to on-ear. I don't care about isolation, but I'm a stickler for clarity.

[vuzedome]

I dislike those huge bad ass looking ones, my Sonic Gear xanadu 1000 does things just the way I like it.
I'm gunning for clarity and brilliance, not all bass and dull.

[tomoya-kun]

Also the Bose QC3 model is very good for travel and has excellent quality.  Also noise cancellation is a nice bonus. 

[killazys]

The Bose QC3 is interesting.
Most reviews point to superior noise isolation, but also subpar sound quality for the price.
So it depends on how important noise cancellation is to you, I guess.

Two reviews:
Here , and here
Just a little background on the QC3.

On another note, recently received these.
Eight dollars, earbuds. The sound signature isn't as balanced as I would have liked, with a nice bass, okay mids, and sometimes distorted trebles. It's eight dollars, but there are probably better, similarly priced alternatives (Beyerdynamic DTX20, or JVC Gumy).

[Makar]

It depends on what kind of earphones you want (ex. In-ear, over-ear, etc).

When I was looking for good In-Ear headphones for under 20 dollars, I asked many places about what the highest quality and longest lasting headphones would be. Most people told me to get these MEElectronics M9 Earphones and that's what I bought. I still use em and they are great.

[killazys]

It depends on what kind of earphones you want (ex. In-ear, over-ear, etc).

When I was looking for good In-Ear headphones for under 20 dollars, I asked many places about what the highest quality and longest lasting headphones would be. Most people told me to get these MEElectronics M9 Earphones and that's what I bought. I still use em and they are great.

MEElectronics is a solid brand. IEMs for under twenty dollars that don't sound like terrible crap are difficult to come by..
Soundmagic also makes very nice affordable IEMs

[skajten]

Creative Aurvana Live best ones imo.

[zat0x91]

Using a pair of Denon AH-D5000's and a Yamaha RX-V3300 AV Amplifer.  Yeah the amp is overkill, but I got it for free so I'm not going to complain.  Spent $450 on the actual pair of headphones though.

Love these headphones, they have pretty amazing bass compared to any other headphones, the D7000 isn't that much of an upgrade and it costs about ~$300 more...

I still need to buy a fucking soundcard, but I've been broke lately, onboard sound blows...

Also the Bose QC3 model is very good for travel and has excellent quality.  Also noise cancellation is a nice bonus.  

>Bose
>Quality
laughinggirls.jpg

But seriously, Bose is no where as good as people think they are.  The sound quality from them is mediocre at best, go on head-fi and see just do a search on Bose or Skullcandy and watch people get laughed at.  They're retarded overpriced for what you get; it may be nice if they were selling it for 1/3 of the current price.

Also, there is no perfect headphone.  It completely depends on what type of music you listen to or if you want headphones that produce a neutral or colored sound.  You could have a pair Senheisser HD 800's, but they'd sound flat on bassy music.  My Denon AH-D5000s are perfect for bassy music, but not so great for classical, or whatever.

[fohfoh]

Skull candy suck imo. Marginally better than low end headphones at best.

Bose is like Apple. It's not that crappy, but seriously not worth the price you dish out.

I ended up with Sennheisers in the end, but I seriously also considered Shure and Audio Technica as well.

CX200 + HD 280 pro.


Any comments about Shure? They were FUCKING expensive.

[t3h_triste]

Also, skullcandy are overrated as well.

I had one. It looked and felt cheap, but at least it had colour...hahah! As a note, my 'phones are usually used "on the road."

I've used the following (that I can remember):
Sennheiser PXC-150
Great, but is only really effective on planes or wherever you're expecting the environmental sound to be constant as opposed to variable (the latter just like, say, on the bus). That and the dongle-whatever thing and cables aren't what you call portable. Sound quality is clean and crisp.

Sennheiser PMX-60
The only complaint I got is that the sound really seems to bleed in/out. Comfy and robust, but sound quality is a bit...on the muddy side?

Audio-Technica ATH-ES7
Not so forehead- and ear-friendly after prolonged periods. The sound is quite good, but this really shouldn't go on the road...and if you're gonna use this at home, then buy something better, I suppose!

The ATH-ES7 is now sorta-broken, so I'll need to purchase something else soon. But maybe I'll get that AKG K701 Mio uses to use at home...hmmm... =p

[Xtras]

Bose is not as amazing as the advertising makes it out to be. That said, in an effort to counter that assumption, audiophiles often go overboard in demeaning it. It is good, but if sound quality is what you are interested in, then there are much better headphones for that price. The reason for this is generally because at that price range, you'll find all companies move into the audiophile headphones, which are usually open back and large. These obviously are designed for the best sound output and maximum comfort. Bose on the other hand, aims to sound good enough, while still being convenient to take traveling, and for general listening even if other people are around, so they are a little smaller and are closed back. Again, they don't sound like shit by any means. They still sound very good, but not as good as other headphones at that price.

But if you are talking noise cancellation, the Bose QC15 are definitely one of, if not the best at that price. Especially for aviation or motor sounds, the noise cancellation is superb.

By the way, many of the people on Head-Fi, are mildly crazy. If not that, then they are incredibly ardent about audio, so take their discussions with some reservations unless to want to wholly enter their level of dedication.

[fohfoh]

Like I said, Bose isn't trash, but it's generally not worth the price it demands. IMO Bose headphones aren't usually worth it, but their speakers are generally worth looking into. (Or at least used to be)

[t3h_triste]

But if you are talking noise cancellation, the Bose QC15 are definitely one of, if not the best at that price. Especially for aviation or motor sounds, the noise cancellation is superb.

I just had a deja vu moment after reading this paragraph. =S