I just ordered my SE530's yesterday. I won't get them for a a few days. Only paid $250 for them so I'm stoked. They are considered by many to be the best universal IEMs available. But that's completely subjective of course. I could end up hating them but I'm still excited to try them out.
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Headphones I've tried. My top 10
- Thread starter 4DThinker
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I had a comment on my blog thank me for the JLB 610 Headphone review I did. He also brought up the point that it's hard to find photos of headphones being worn on the web, which makes one wonder how "Princess Leia" they might look. If you're interested, I've now posted photos of the JBLs on my head. Feel free to leave a comment.
To refresh, the JBL reference series 610s are bluetooth headphones and come with an iPod bluetooth adapter.
To refresh, the JBL reference series 610s are bluetooth headphones and come with an iPod bluetooth adapter.
Please give us a full (OK, maybe a couple of paragraphs) review of the SE530s when you get them, Skrutzen.
What exactly are you looking for?...I'm open to giving a lengthier review...but specifics are helpful...
Thanks.
I don't care for lengthy technical audiofile reviews. A good review (IMO) talks about how headphones sound relative to others the reviewer has listened to. It comments on fit. It comments on ease-of-use (controls on Bluetooth headsets, for example). It might mention a popular song that could be found on web, and how well the subtle nuances of that song are dealt with by the reviewed headphones. Lastly, the review might include a photo of someone (the reviewer?) wearing the headphones.
iGrado Review (non-technical)
I thought I'd update this thread with a mini-review of the iGrado headphones, which I just purchased ($49 on Amazon). I am new to high-end headphones and have not read any other reviews elsewhere, but these are so impressive, I wanted to write something.
In short, the iGrado phones immediately became my favorite listening device (along with a few complaints). Compared to what? 5-6 of the standard ear bud thingies you get with iPhones/iPods, one new Sony DR-BT50 (also just purchased), and some older Sony MDR-V300's, and a worn-out pair of Sennheiser PX 100's. Nothing great, but as I said, I am new to high-end headphones, and now realize I have some learning to do.
Anyway, there is an immediate striking difference with the iGrado, which I can only describe as a spatial clarity. Every instrument and voice is clearly identifiable in its own "space". As I said, the difference is striking and immediately noticeable. Honestly, I never suspected headphones could give such a good sound, and I am humbled by the experience: I am officially a headphone NOOB
I did notice that some material had some harshness in the vocals in a certain range, especially when there were also guitars or similar instruments in the same range (complex sound). I attribute this to either the phones themselves (understood that these are not the top of the line Grado phones) or the lossy encoding of the audio material: I use 128k AAC for my iPhones and Nano, but ALAC for my iPod video and iPod Classic. So there is definitely a possibility that this occasional harshness is caused by one or both of these issues.
Unfortunately, none of the material I tested with is "popular" or readily available on the web for comparison testing (the Japanese pop singer "Epo" is my vocalist of choice, but OTOH as I have heard her stuff so many times with lesser equipment, it made the iGrado improvement that much more noticeable. I just did a comparison listen on one track, against the two Sony's, and while they are both good, the bass has a comparatively muffled sound, and there is a lack of that spatial clarity which I had never noticed until using the iGrado's.
The shocking thing is that these are the $49 "low-end" Grado phones! What on Earth will the good ones sound like?!? So, I am set to make yet another new purchase, a better pair of Grado's, but I have not yet decided which ones to try. Advice and/or discussion welcome. I am considering the SR325i or the RS1/RS2.
Oh, the down side: they are not comfortable. The headband is made of hard plastic that is slightly flexible but otherwise not adjustable at all. This hard plastic tends to press against my upper ear and cause discomfort. I tried wearing them on a two-hour walk this evening, but before the two hours were up, the discomfort was overriding the joy of listening and I couldn't wait to get them off my head. Maybe that will change/improve over time (have had them about 5 days now). I tried giving the headband a good stretch outward to relieve the pressure on my ears, and the little "iGrado" metal emblem/sticker on the top started coming off. Sigh... I did wear them while jogging the other night and had no problems. And I had them cranked up with some King Crimson at work the other day, and was asked by someone in another cube to "please turn it down". So they aren't "private" (is there a standard term for this?).
Summary: 4 1/2 stars (out of 5), 5 for sound quality, but losing one whole star for comfort issues and gaining 1/2 star back for "bang for your buck": this is a great value at $49!
I thought I'd update this thread with a mini-review of the iGrado headphones, which I just purchased ($49 on Amazon). I am new to high-end headphones and have not read any other reviews elsewhere, but these are so impressive, I wanted to write something.
In short, the iGrado phones immediately became my favorite listening device (along with a few complaints). Compared to what? 5-6 of the standard ear bud thingies you get with iPhones/iPods, one new Sony DR-BT50 (also just purchased), and some older Sony MDR-V300's, and a worn-out pair of Sennheiser PX 100's. Nothing great, but as I said, I am new to high-end headphones, and now realize I have some learning to do.
Anyway, there is an immediate striking difference with the iGrado, which I can only describe as a spatial clarity. Every instrument and voice is clearly identifiable in its own "space". As I said, the difference is striking and immediately noticeable. Honestly, I never suspected headphones could give such a good sound, and I am humbled by the experience: I am officially a headphone NOOB
I did notice that some material had some harshness in the vocals in a certain range, especially when there were also guitars or similar instruments in the same range (complex sound). I attribute this to either the phones themselves (understood that these are not the top of the line Grado phones) or the lossy encoding of the audio material: I use 128k AAC for my iPhones and Nano, but ALAC for my iPod video and iPod Classic. So there is definitely a possibility that this occasional harshness is caused by one or both of these issues.
Unfortunately, none of the material I tested with is "popular" or readily available on the web for comparison testing (the Japanese pop singer "Epo" is my vocalist of choice
, but OTOH as I have heard her stuff so many times with lesser equipment, it made the iGrado improvement that much more noticeable. I just did a comparison listen on one track, against the two Sony's, and while they are both good, the bass has a comparatively muffled sound, and there is a lack of that spatial clarity which I had never noticed until using the iGrado's.The shocking thing is that these are the $49 "low-end" Grado phones! What on Earth will the good ones sound like?!? So, I am set to make yet another new purchase, a better pair of Grado's, but I have not yet decided which ones to try. Advice and/or discussion welcome. I am considering the SR325i or the RS1/RS2.
Oh, the down side: they are not comfortable. The headband is made of hard plastic that is slightly flexible but otherwise not adjustable at all. This hard plastic tends to press against my upper ear and cause discomfort. I tried wearing them on a two-hour walk this evening, but before the two hours were up, the discomfort was overriding the joy of listening and I couldn't wait to get them off my head. Maybe that will change/improve over time (have had them about 5 days now). I tried giving the headband a good stretch outward to relieve the pressure on my ears, and the little "iGrado" metal emblem/sticker on the top started coming off. Sigh... I did wear them while jogging the other night and had no problems. And I had them cranked up with some King Crimson at work the other day, and was asked by someone in another cube to "please turn it down". So they aren't "private" (is there a standard term for this?).
Summary: 4 1/2 stars (out of 5), 5 for sound quality, but losing one whole star for comfort issues and gaining 1/2 star back for "bang for your buck": this is a great value at $49!
iGrado modification to enhance sound
The modifications below are said to enhance the sound quality of the iGrados as well as the comfort.
# iGrado defoaming mod. The iGrado out of the box sounds muddy, but with a pad/quarter mod and this defoaming mod it really makes it shine. What you do is first take a tack or a any pin and poke out the plastic screw covers. It may take some jerking due to the glue bond. Once that's complete you unscrew the screws and take the driver housings off the headband. You'll need a small knife to pry open the grille cover to access the interior of the driver housing. The clips are very tight so if you're having trouble prying up one side then try the next because once you unclip one the rest is easy. After it's open you just remove the foam and reassemble.
# Another pad mod for Grados is swapping the original grado pads or bowls with Sennheiser HD414 yellow pads. The sound becomes a lot more detailed and the headphone becomes a lot more comfy to wear for longer periods of time. For optimal detail you can decide to cut a hole in the middle of the pad, but it can be a bit too much treble and brightness for some, so if you're happy with just the pad swap just let it be.
http://www.gradolabs.net/mods.html
I thought I'd update this thread with a mini-review of the iGrado headphones, which I just purchased ($49 on Amazon). I am new to high-end headphones and have not read any other reviews elsewhere, but these are so impressive, I wanted to write something.
In short, the iGrado phones immediately became my favorite listening device (along with a few complaints). Compared to what? 5-6 of the standard ear bud thingies you get with iPhones/iPods, one new Sony DR-BT50 (also just purchased), and some older Sony MDR-V300's, and a worn-out pair of Sennheiser PX 100's. Nothing great, but as I said, I am new to high-end headphones, and now realize I have some learning to do.
Anyway, there is an immediate striking difference with the iGrado, which I can only describe as a spatial clarity. Every instrument and voice is clearly identifiable in its own "space". As I said, the difference is striking and immediately noticeable. Honestly, I never suspected headphones could give such a good sound, and I am humbled by the experience: I am officially a headphone NOOB
I did notice that some material had some harshness in the vocals in a certain range, especially when there were also guitars or similar instruments in the same range (complex sound). I attribute this to either the phones themselves (understood that these are not the top of the line Grado phones) or the lossy encoding of the audio material: I use 128k AAC for my iPhones and Nano, but ALAC for my iPod video and iPod Classic. So there is definitely a possibility that this occasional harshness is caused by one or both of these issues.
Unfortunately, none of the material I tested with is "popular" or readily available on the web for comparison testing (the Japanese pop singer "Epo" is my vocalist of choice
The shocking thing is that these are the $49 "low-end" Grado phones! What on Earth will the good ones sound like?!? So, I am set to make yet another new purchase, a better pair of Grado's, but I have not yet decided which ones to try. Advice and/or discussion welcome. I am considering the SR325i or the RS1/RS2.
Oh, the down side: they are not comfortable. The headband is made of hard plastic that is slightly flexible but otherwise not adjustable at all. This hard plastic tends to press against my upper ear and cause discomfort. I tried wearing them on a two-hour walk this evening, but before the two hours were up, the discomfort was overriding the joy of listening and I couldn't wait to get them off my head. Maybe that will change/improve over time (have had them about 5 days now). I tried giving the headband a good stretch outward to relieve the pressure on my ears, and the little "iGrado" metal emblem/sticker on the top started coming off. Sigh... I did wear them while jogging the other night and had no problems. And I had them cranked up with some King Crimson at work the other day, and was asked by someone in another cube to "please turn it down". So they aren't "private" (is there a standard term for this?).
Summary: 4 1/2 stars (out of 5), 5 for sound quality, but losing one whole star for comfort issues and gaining 1/2 star back for "bang for your buck": this is a great value at $49!
The modifications below are said to enhance the sound quality of the iGrados as well as the comfort.
# iGrado defoaming mod. The iGrado out of the box sounds muddy, but with a pad/quarter mod and this defoaming mod it really makes it shine. What you do is first take a tack or a any pin and poke out the plastic screw covers. It may take some jerking due to the glue bond. Once that's complete you unscrew the screws and take the driver housings off the headband. You'll need a small knife to pry open the grille cover to access the interior of the driver housing. The clips are very tight so if you're having trouble prying up one side then try the next because once you unclip one the rest is easy. After it's open you just remove the foam and reassemble.
# Another pad mod for Grados is swapping the original grado pads or bowls with Sennheiser HD414 yellow pads. The sound becomes a lot more detailed and the headphone becomes a lot more comfy to wear for longer periods of time. For optimal detail you can decide to cut a hole in the middle of the pad, but it can be a bit too much treble and brightness for some, so if you're happy with just the pad swap just let it be.
http://www.gradolabs.net/mods.html
Ultimate Ears
I went through a few different headphones, ended up on the bose in ear ones about a year ago as i couldn't be bothered to shop around anymore... they were ok but they let to much external sound in.
last week i spent the money on some Ultimate Ear Super-Fi 5 pro's, they are amazing, they fit so well there is no need for external noise cancelation because they naturally drown it all out. there are two drives in each ear and they sound so clear. I actually reduce my ipod volume by nearly 30% now as they are much louder than my old headphones.
I went through a few different headphones, ended up on the bose in ear ones about a year ago as i couldn't be bothered to shop around anymore... they were ok but they let to much external sound in.
last week i spent the money on some Ultimate Ear Super-Fi 5 pro's, they are amazing, they fit so well there is no need for external noise cancelation because they naturally drown it all out. there are two drives in each ear and they sound so clear. I actually reduce my ipod volume by nearly 30% now as they are much louder than my old headphones.
Nicely done, Harry. Thanks for your contribution too Sebgreen. It looks like Grado is pretty forward thinking to have upgrades for it's headphones. Thanks for that info, Duffer.
I just received the Peltor Worktunes. Hearing protection with AM/FM radio and an input for your media player. Reviewed on my blog.
I just received the Peltor Worktunes. Hearing protection with AM/FM radio and an input for your media player. Reviewed on my blog.
Discreet
I'm a B&O A8 guy. Use them all the time, and love them. I've never heard earbuds (even some of the super-duper high-end ones) with the same high-end sparkle and amazing vocal detail. The separation, soundstage and detail is also goddam impressive. Maybe a little bit of midrange unevenness, but this is now getting super-critical. Still, excellent performance given the price.
They grip goddam tight to, mine have never been pulled out of my ears, and I've had the same pair now for nearly 6 years...
I also have a pair of Senn HD200s, which are absolute bargains considering their sound. They're by no means high-end, and they're closed-back so more suited to studio use/DJing, but they do produce a good sound for their price. Tubby bass, slightly closed in midrange and relatively rough high end, but tbh the fact they sound as good as they do for their price is a miracle...
best bang for your buck is skull candy www.skullcandy.com they are less than $15 at target and pump just as good as a pair of $100 earbuds. sucks that their iPhone phone earpiece is like $80 though
Oh yeah the skull candy cancels noise.
Oh yeah the skull candy cancels noise.
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, built like they're made to last, and comfortable enough to wear for 8hrs+
Known for their great bass and excellent sound clarity, as well as being very good value. The 80 ohm version is the one to get.
Known for their great bass and excellent sound clarity, as well as being very good value. The 80 ohm version is the one to get.
Shure E3c - sounded great but were uncomfortable for me so were sold and replaced by:
Sennheiser CX300 - used with iPod Nano 2G, comfortable good sound once you have a good seal with correct sized rubber buds.
Beyerdynamic DT311 (10 years old but still OK) for home.
Sennheiser CX300 - used with iPod Nano 2G, comfortable good sound once you have a good seal with correct sized rubber buds.
Beyerdynamic DT311 (10 years old but still OK) for home.
Shure SE530PTH - Everday usage
Etymotic - ER6i - Gym
Bose QC3 - Plane travel and Home relaxing
Apple - Trash can!
Etymotic - ER6i - Gym
Bose QC3 - Plane travel and Home relaxing
Apple - Trash can!
Shure SE530PTH - Everday usage (in Ear same as the 500 PTH)
Etymotic - ER6i - Gym (in Ear)
Bose QC3 - Plane travel and Home relaxing (on Ear)
Etymotic - ER6i - Gym (in Ear)
Bose QC3 - Plane travel and Home relaxing (on Ear)
Well, the SE530's sound most similar to the UE10s. The bass is probably a little light, even for my liking (which is not to have the bass blaring.) I get a much crisper sound then I would get with my e4's, but I definitely liked the definition that the E4's had... The bass on the e4's, which is very minimal, seemed to be much more precise because of how they responded.
(comparing cans to IEMs is problematic IMO)
The SE530s do a good job "isolating" the noise, however there is nothing that the SE530 does that the 110 cannot, since this is just a matter of fit. This is also something that varies from user to user. I have been lucky in some sense, but the seals for me have always been comfortable. (BTW I use the triple plung and the black soft bud)
Most of that is above. However, the SE530 with everything except the white bud would be good for wearing a helmet with, since it definitely goes right in your ear and with the chord going around the back and what not, you can see why musicians have been known to use these despite their black and noticeable color.
Plug in, press play
believe in a thing called love by the Darkness is a song (like many others) where you tend to hear things that you wouldn't normally. These IEMS are not something that does well with bass heavy songs, it just doesn't have the excessive bass you might want that you could get in cheaper less quality based IEMS. However it handles the high's and mids extremely well.
If anyone has any [appropriate] request, I will try.
Thanks, GMK. That was great. Now I'm trying to find a copy of the song you mentioned that I can put on a few players and use to do a listen/compare.
Anyone else with their recommendation of THE best song for headphone evaluation? To check bass, I play Boof by Tony Remy.
Anyone else with their recommendation of THE best song for headphone evaluation? To check bass, I play Boof by Tony Remy.
I'm growing more and more fond of my JBL bluetooth speakers, mainly when used with the bluetooth adapter made for iPods. It is incredibly freeing to get rid of the headphone cable, and yet they come with a USB to 3.5mm cable for when the battery dies or you simply have another non-iPod and non-bluetooth player. They also work great with my iMac via it's built-in bluetooth.
sorry...its "believe in a thing called love" I don't know what I was thinking...
Say, has anyone had any experience with the KOSS Porta Pro? I am looking for a new pair of headphones to replace my dying AKG K26P.