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iPod In-ear Headphones

At the moment, I'm in central Asia with my old Bose; I don't expect to be back in western Europe for another few weeks, but, one week before my return is confirmed, I shall order the Shure 535, anticipate their arrival when I do, and enjoy them. Everyone has observed this is the "blue riband"of in-ear headphones - and I've already spent more than that amount on mediocre (but acceptable) nonsense, it makes sense to buy the best and simply enjoy them.

One final question: do they need a long period of warming up, or breaking in?

Cheers - and thanks again.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
At the moment, I'm in central Asia with my old Bose; I don't expect to be back in western Europe for another few weeks, but, one week before my return is confirmed, I shall order the Shure 535, anticipate their arrival when I do, and enjoy them. Everyone has observed this is the "blue riband"of in-ear headphones - and I've already spent more than that amount on mediocre (but acceptable) nonsense, it makes sense to buy the best and simply enjoy them.

One final question: do they need a long period of warming up, or breaking in?

Cheers - and thanks again.
Click to expand...

I would say that about 2 weeks and they are warm and friendly sounding. The one thing that I like is that you can play them soft, or loud and they sound the same. They have been described as being polite. :) When I first got mine, I hooked them up to an iPod and played jazz and classical music through them for about two weeks. I left them in a draw the entire time so that they could play. I am quite sure you will love them.

Write back after you get them.

Cheers
 
Thanks again, and yes, I had thought that a serious period of warming up was in order. Although it'll be several weeks (possibly a further month or so) before I get home (ordering anything to an address here is Not a Good Idea), I'll certainly let you know how I get on with them when I do get them.

Cheers
 
Depends on your budget

But I recommend a pair of custom-made in ear monitors. I had a couple of pairs of Shure earphones: E2C and then E3C (with triple flange buds). These were great, the E3Cs being more comfortable, more isolating and nicer sounding than the E2Cs. I then got some Ultimate Ears UE10s (no longer made). Super comfy with great sound and noise isolation.
 
The Apple In-Ears are fantastic, IMO. They are sort of expensive, but you can get them rather cheap on eBay. I've had 3 pairs and will use them until I get custom IEMs or something equivalent.

Link.
 
Abyssgh0st said:
The Apple In-Ears are fantastic, IMO. They are sort of expensive, but you can get them rather cheap on eBay. I've had 3 pairs and will use them until I get custom IEMs or something equivalent.

Link.
Click to expand...

As hearing is generally subjective I cannot comment on your hearing but I can comment on the Apple Headphones. As someone who is quite serious about sound and listening to music I can say with 100% assuredness that the Apple In-Ears are terrible. The quality is awful and the sound quality is simply subpar. Expensiveness is relative and I can say that you get what you pay for with the Apple devices. They can in no way match the sound quality of even the lower priced Etymotics, or Sennheiser, or some of the other brands. Someone would be better off spending a few more dollars if possible and buy a named brand set that is up to the task of sound reproducing. The Apple In-Ears simply do not make the grade.
 
i like the apple in ears for my use which is as an iphone headset replacement.

it's a big step up over the included duds and still gives you the use of the headset/mic/buttons with a quality sound for your music playback.

while i'd be interested to try some of the ones recommended on here i have to state that if i were that into listening to music it would be on actual speakers and not headphones.

and for the poster who mentioned apple in ears being affordable on ebay: be conscious that the majority of those are fake (look the same, sound terrible)
 
Wirelessly posted (iPhone : Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Atomic Floyd
 
jamisonbaines said:
i like the apple in ears for my use which is as an iphone headset replacement.

it's a big step up over the included duds and still gives you the use of the headset/mic/buttons with a quality sound for your music playback.

while i'd be interested to try some of the ones recommended on here i have to state that if i were that into listening to music it would be on actual speakers and not headphones.

and for the poster who mentioned apple in ears being affordable on ebay: be conscious that the majority of those are fake (look the same, sound terrible)
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I listen to music on speakers as well, a pair of B&W 803's to be exact but listening to music on headphones is clearly different. I'm sure you know that.
 
sapporobaby said:
I would say that about 2 weeks and they are warm and friendly sounding. The one thing that I like is that you can play them soft, or loud and they sound the same. They have been described as being polite. :) When I first got mine, I hooked them up to an iPod and played jazz and classical music through them for about two weeks. I left them in a draw the entire time so that they could play. I am quite sure you will love them.

Write back after you get them.

Cheers
Click to expand...

I returned from central Asia on Monday evening, and yesterday evening, decided to treat myself (with the benefit of a secure, safe, broadband connection) and so, ordered them. They are expected to arrive in the next few days, and I'll let you know how I get on. I'm really looking forward to receiving them - in the wilds of the Pamir and Tien Shan mountains I had to make do with my old Bose IE6 pair - perfectly adequate but nothing spectacular. Once again, thanks for your help and advice, and I'll certainly post when I receive the Shure se 535s.

Cheers
 
ericrwalker said:
Sounds like a cool trip. Hiking trip? I haven't been to that part of Asia yet, but I am sure there is some awesome scenery.
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Actually, perhaps oddly, it was work related. I observe, or monitor elections, when asked to do so by the foreign ministry of my country and am then seconded to the EU or the OSCE (or, indeed, the Carter Centre which is very well regarded in the field) - whichever body is actually monitoring that particular election. You will sometimes hear on the TV news a comment to the effect - when discussing an election in a specific country - that "observers say the election was free and fair", or "observers say the election was fundamentally flawed", well, I've been doing this sort of work on and off since the mid 1990s, - so I was in Kyrgyzstan for two months observing their recent Presidential election which took place on October 30.

However, having said that, the country is absolutely stunning. I had been there in 2005 (also for a presidential election, just after their previous revolution) and the scenery was simply spectacular. It is casually referred to as "the Switzerland of central Asia" and has attempted to pioneer a sort of CBT (community based tourism) where travellers get to stay with local families in a sort of home stay. Hiking and trekking (also on horseback) can be arranged; it's a pity I didn't really have an awful lot of time for that sort of thing, but it is truly well worth a visit.
 
What an awesome job opportunity.

Scepticalscribe said:
Actually, perhaps oddly, it was work related. I observe, or monitor elections, when asked to do so by the foreign ministry of my country and am then seconded to the EU or the OSCE (or, indeed, the Carter Centre which is very well regarded in the field) - whichever body is actually monitoring that particular election. You will sometimes hear on the TV news a comment to the effect - when discussing an election in a specific country - that "observers say the election was free and fair", or "observers say the election was fundamentally flawed", well, I've been doing this sort of work on and off since the mid 1990s, - so I was in Kyrgyzstan for two months observing their recent Presidential election which took place on October 30.

However, having said that, the country is absolutely stunning. I had been there in 2005 (also for a presidential election, just after their previous revolution) and the scenery was simply spectacular. It is casually referred to as "the Switzerland of central Asia" and has attempted to pioneer a sort of CBT (community based tourism) where travellers get to stay with local families in a sort of home stay. Hiking and trekking (also on horseback) can be arranged; it's a pity I didn't really have an awful lot of time for that sort of thing, but it is truly well worth a visit.
Click to expand...
 
ericrwalker said:
What an awesome job opportunity.
Click to expand...

Yes, it is, and I've been very fortunate. My background is academic - I'm a teacher of history and politics, specialising in the former communist world, Russia, CEE and so on. Hence, I get asked to observe elections in the former communist world, so I'm a college teacher who has sort of strayed into public service. In fact, I haven't been in a classroom for over three years now, as I have spent most of the past three years abroad on one sort of mission or another. I used to really enjoy the merging of the "real world" with that of the classroom, and being able to use examples from my travels to war torn countries (I did several elections in the Balkans, for example) in class.

I will admit that when I was a student in the 1980s, - before the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Fall of the Wall - when that part of the world was cut off from our universe - I never thought I would be lucky enough to get to see some of the magically alluring places I had read about in history books (and later taught to students). The old Silk Road of fame and infamy goes through Kyrgyzstan; it's incredible and a privilege to be able to visit these countries in such circumstances.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
I returned from central Asia on Monday evening, and yesterday evening, decided to treat myself (with the benefit of a secure, safe, broadband connection) and so, ordered them. They are expected to arrive in the next few days, and I'll let you know how I get on. I'm really looking forward to receiving them - in the wilds of the Pamir and Tien Shan mountains I had to make do with my old Bose IE6 pair - perfectly adequate but nothing spectacular. Once again, thanks for your help and advice, and I'll certainly post when I receive the Shure se 535s.

Cheers
Click to expand...

Hey dude. Great news and you are so darn lucky. I would love to go there to shoot. I am an amateur photographer and I am always on the hunt for places to shoot. Want to make it a permanent/real profession when I get around to retiring. :)

Hope you like the Shure's when you get them. In fact, I know you will. :)
 
I have the B&O A8

Yes they are quite expensive but I like the fit and the sound but some people don't!!

I paid about $HK1500 (about 121 Pounds)

Get the Ear set 3 (iphone/phone version with a mic) I think they are a bit more expensive though but you do get a decent warranty if they break
 
The best you can buy

I work in the music biz (drum tech) and if you want the best in-ears go no further than

http://www.jhaudio.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Harvey_(inventor)

This is what all the pro's use. All the acts I've worked with from Usher to The Foo Fighters use these in-ears. Jerry Harvey started the company "Ultimate Ears" which used to be the staple but has since left and started "JHAudio". I have a pair of the cheaper JH-7's and they are amazing. They blow everything else out of the water. From watching a movie on a long flight to monitoring a live show on the road these baby's rule. If you've got the money go for the 16's 8 drivers per ear!!! Just my 2 cents.
 
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I had the shure e4c, which was okay, but now use ultimate ears triplefi, which is maybe a little better, but less comfortable.

The problem with these is that the cables break every six months if you aren't careful. With the triplefi at least it's replaceable. The triplefi was briefly available for $99, including a model with an iPod remote. With the foam cushions the isolation is incredible. If you can't afford something like what's listed below and you can find these for a similar price, I would recommend them for sure. The sound is rather analytical, but they are much faster than similarly priced dynamic headphones (at least the ones I've used).

For cheap, the JVC marshmallows are awesome and provide decent isolation but they aren't as detailed. I've also head good things about monster turbines, atomic earbuds, and klipsch, but they all seem to be dynamic so they probably have more bass and less detail than the ultimate ear models.
 
caen1 said:
I'm looking to buy a new pair of in-ear headphones. I currently have the tour beats by dre and they sound very well, but the build quality is just awkward. The buds are loose and the remote on the cable is broken (cheap plastic). So I was looking for a new pair of in-ear headphones. I'd like the sound and build quality to be very good, and I'd also like a remote which would be compatible with a 5th generation iPod nano (the last clickwheel nano). Thanks in advance!
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Get the Westone 3 or UM3x. Best $300 you will ever spend, guaranteed ;) . No remote, but the sound kicks ass, and the build quality is great. My UE headphones only lasted a couple months, but my Westones work perfectly after a year of torture.
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
I will admit that when I was a student in the 1980s, - before the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Fall of the Wall - when that part of the world was cut off from our universe - I never thought I would be lucky enough to get to see some of the magically alluring places I had read about in history books (and later taught to students). The old Silk Road of fame and infamy goes through Kyrgyzstan; it's incredible and a privilege to be able to visit these countries in such circumstances.
Click to expand...

I was very fortunate to be witness to history. I was stationed in Stuttgart from 1989 through 1993. I went to Berlin twice, in the spring and summer of '89, when you still needed Flag Orders and Checkpoint Charlie existed. We went back in the fall of '89 when they announced they would open the Wall so the East Germans could go shopping during the day but had to come home at night....we drove to Berlin to witness this event, and ended up staying for several days to watch and participate in the events. When you see videos of the massive crowds, sitting on the wall, tearing it down; I'm in there somewhere. I was about 100 yards away from that bucket loader that was used to lift a section of the wall as everyone cheered.

It was crazy....the Soviet and East German troops, who just a week before would have shot anyone getting near the wall....just stood there watching as we crawled all over it and started tearing it down, bashing holes in it so we could reach through and shake hands with East Germans on the other side.
 
Joe-Diver said:
I was very fortunate to be witness to history. I was stationed in Stuttgart from 1989 through 1993. I went to Berlin twice, in the spring and summer of '89, when you still needed Flag Orders and Checkpoint Charlie existed. We went back in the fall of '89 when they announced they would open the Wall so the East Germans could go shopping during the day but had to come home at night....we drove to Berlin to witness this event, and ended up staying for several days to watch and participate in the events. When you see videos of the massive crowds, sitting on the wall, tearing it down; I'm in there somewhere. I was about 100 yards away from that bucket loader that was used to lift a section of the wall as everyone cheered.

It was crazy....the Soviet and East German troops, who just a week before would have shot anyone getting near the wall....just stood there watching as we crawled all over it and started tearing it down, bashing holes in it so we could reach through and shake hands with East Germans on the other side.
Click to expand...

WOWOWOWOWOWOW... I was stationed in Stuttgart at that time as well. Patch Barracks to be exact. Home of EUCOM... I remember the wall coming down and the crazy screaming in the streets. It was wild.
 
sapporobaby said:
WOWOWOWOWOWOW... I was stationed in Stuttgart at that time as well. Patch Barracks to be exact. Home of EUCOM... I remember the wall coming down and the crazy screaming in the streets. It was wild.
Click to expand...

I was out at the Army Airfield in Echterdingen. We had a few of the EUCOMM Huey's out there, but I was in the 4/159th Avn....Huey Crewchief supporting 7th Corp.

It was a wonderful time to be there for sure....and Reunification happened before I left in summer of '93. I felt as though we had finally completed WWII, on my watch. Yours too!
 
Joe-Diver said:
I was out at the Army Airfield in Echterdingen. We had a few of the EUCOMM Huey's out there, but I was in the 4/159th Avn....Huey Crewchief supporting 7th Corp.

It was a wonderful time to be there for sure....and Reunification happened before I left in summer of '93. I felt as though we had finally completed WWII, on my watch. Yours too!
Click to expand...

Did you know a SGT Joy Noel?
 
I've seen these, and similar ones at events where they make them for you right there. I would love a pair, but I just can't justify the price. Pretty cool though, and they probably take out nearly all the ambient noise.

Chodarth said:
I work in the music biz (drum tech) and if you want the best in-ears go no further than

http://www.jhaudio.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Harvey_(inventor)

This is what all the pro's use. All the acts I've worked with from Usher to The Foo Fighters use these in-ears. Jerry Harvey started the company "Ultimate Ears" which used to be the staple but has since left and started "JHAudio". I have a pair of the cheaper JH-7's and they are amazing. They blow everything else out of the water. From watching a movie on a long flight to monitoring a live show on the road these baby's rule. If you've got the money go for the 16's 8 drivers per ear!!! Just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...
 
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