Just Bought Earbuds, Need New Headphones

[suraj]

I just bought a set of Sennheiser MX-500 earbuds to use with my iPod at school. I prefer earbuds for portability but when working at my desk I would prefer to use headphones. I'm looking at something in the price range of the Bose TriPorts.

Has anyone seen anything better than the Triports for a similar price?

 

[aye5882]

I just bought a set of Sennheiser MX-500 earbuds to use with my iPod at school. I prefer earbuds for portability but when working at my desk I would prefer to use headphones. I'm looking at something in the price range of the Bose TriPorts.

Has anyone seen anything better than the Triports for a similar price?

i don't usually post but i am very anti-bose. they are too much hype and don't deliver the sound for the price paid. if you're going to be spending that much money, you're better off w/ other manufacturers...(i.e. akg, sennheisers, etc.)

check out this website.... www.headfi.org

there's some hardcore audiophiles there.... their motto for newcomers is "welcome to headfi, sorry about your wallet" lol. i can personally attest to that motto since i recently purchased custom made earphones for $550

 

[Zwhaler]

i don't usually post but i am very anti-bose. they are too much hype and don't deliver the sound for the price paid. if you're going to be spending that much money, you're better off w/ other manufacturers...(i.e. akg, sennheisers, etc.)

Ok, I am going to have to disagree. Bose has always made the best, and whenever you see the word Bose, you should know you are getting a top notch product.

I know someone who owns Bose TriPorts, and they are spactacular. Amazing enough, the cheaper ones sound better than the more expensive ones. Since the ones I am recomending to you aren't sold at Apple.com, you will to look in the store to find what you want. But trust me, bose rocks.

 

[aye5882]

nah-uh

Ok, I am going to have to disagree. Bose has always made the best, and whenever you see the word Bose, you should know you are getting a top notch product.

I know someone who owns Bose TriPorts, and they are spactacular. Amazing enough, the cheaper ones sound better than the more expensive ones. Since the ones I am recomending to you aren't sold at Apple.com, you will to look in the store to find what you want. But trust me, bose rocks.

not according to audiophiles that have $1000+ worth of speaker equipment. no disrespect to you or anything.

have you tried other brands of headphones? i used to be in your shoes and thought that bose was the best. thats partly due to their marketing. before then, i've never heard of brands such as akg, beyerdynamic, grado, etymotic, ultimate ears, etc.

again to the OP, i strongly suggest that you go on the website i said earlier, register, and post a message saying that you're looking for some headphones. include a price range, types of music you listen to, privacy (closed or open type of headphones that will leak sound and can disturb people in quiet places), etc. i'm sure there are plenty of people there that will gladly help you choose the right pair of headphones.

good luck!

 

[Locatel]

I have a pair of Sennheiser PX 100. Hard to beat at $40 and better than the more expensive PX 200 and PXC 250. You'll be tempted to use them with your iPod also. Check some reviews on the internet.

 

[bousozoku]

Ok, I am going to have to disagree. Bose has always made the best, and whenever you see the word Bose, you should know you are getting a top notch product.

I know someone who owns Bose TriPorts, and they are spactacular. Amazing enough, the cheaper ones sound better than the more expensive ones. Since the ones I am recomending to you aren't sold at Apple.com, you will to look in the store to find what you want. But trust me, bose rocks.

I have a home theater setup with Bose speakers, which I love, and I would not recommend the TriPorts.

Sennheiser make the best headphones and they even have a USB adapter for their stereo headsets for use with computers. You'll pay more than some brands but less than Bose charges and in all cases, you'll get better sound.

not according to audiophiles that have $1000+ worth of speaker equipment. no disrespect to you or anything.
...
good luck!

I wouldn't bet on audiophiles' opinions, though.

 

[miles01110]

I find Bose to be very hit and miss. I'm a big fan of classical music, and like to think that I have a more trained ear than most when it comes to listening. On various Bose systems that I and my friends own, I can tell the difference in sound quality from system to system....it's very disturbing. They should get their act together and fix that...

I have the Quietcomfort 3's from Bose, they are great...but a little bit out of your price range.

 

[tarjan]

bose is utter crap. They make nothing except for billboards and marketing. All they do is rebadge really cheap crap and put an eq on it to make it "sound" better (read bassy with no definition).

Do yourself a favor and buy either a Grado sr 80 for a headphone or etymotic for an in ear solution. I have both and prefer the etymotic sound, specifically the er4p. I also have an er6i that I wore for 300k air miles and they lasted wonderfully, but the 4p edges it out for sound quality.

The quiet comfort is crap compared to pro use, plus it requires power and is bulky. The er4p or 6i weighs nothing, requires no power and is more comfortable with a better sound.

 

[miles01110]

Do yourself a favor and buy either a Grado sr 80 for a headphone or etymotic for an in ear solution. I have both and prefer the etymotic sound, specifically the er4p. I also have an er6i that I wore for 300k air miles and they lasted wonderfully, but the 4p edges it out for sound quality.

Also an excellent suggestion.

The quiet comfort is crap compared to pro use, plus it requires power and is bulky. The er4p or 6i weighs nothing, requires no power and is more comfortable with a better sound.

It does require power, but it's fine for Pro use. Like I said, some Bose systems sound horribly bad, but I don't jump to the conclusion that "bose is utter crap." When they get it right, it sounds great- one step below a live performance in Symphony Hall. You have to realize that Bose makes their systems unnecessarily (IMO) complicated- the payoff is great sound but if they screw up even the most minor detail in production the product suffers. The science behind their systems is solid, the implementation is not.

Edit: By the way, all headphones require power of some sort, it's just a matter of how much is needed to power the driver.

 

[PaulinMaryland]

Akg K81 Dj

I spent weeks reading up on efficient (iPod-capable) closed headphones. Most of my info (user opinions) came from the Headfi headphones forum. I ended up buying several models in the $50 the $70 range. The winner: AKG K81 DJ. Go to Head-fi and search for "Official K-81DJ thread".

 

[Valjean]

I just bought a pair of Grado SR-60's for $69 about a month ago. These are some excellent cans. Some people think they are ugly, but I happen to like retro look. They are comfortable too! Google should lead you to some positive reviews.

 

[ericmjl]

Bose? Seinhieser?

Well, I'm not an audiophile here, but I do like music. To be frank, my mom once bought a Bang and Olufsen clip-style earphones (the kind that can be adjusted in all directions to fit your ear), while I had a Sony in-ear headphone. Later, I switched to a Sony earbud-style hadphone. When I used both to play a CD, there was hardly any difference between the bass drumbeats between the two, and the higher-pitched notes came out clear too. Price differences: Sony: $40, Bang and Olufsen: $230.

My point here is, test-run some headphones, and you may find that sometimes, expensive isn't always the best option.

 

[bousozoku]

Well, I'm not an audiophile here, but I do like music. To be frank, my mom once bought a Bang and Olufsen clip-style earphones (the kind that can be adjusted in all directions to fit your ear), while I had a Sony in-ear headphone. Later, I switched to a Sony earbud-style hadphone. When I used both to play a CD, there was hardly any difference between the bass drumbeats between the two, and the higher-pitched notes came out clear too. Price differences: Sony: $40, Bang and Olufsen: $230.

My point here is, test-run some headphones, and you may find that sometimes, expensive isn't always the best option.

I love the look of Bang & Olufsen but they've always been more about style than sound. As long as I can remember, no audio magazine has rated anything more than average about them, unless it pertained to style.

 

[suraj]

I love the look of Bang & Olufsen but they've always been more about style than sound. As long as I can remember, no audio magazine has rated anything more than average about them, unless it pertained to style.

I have B&O A8s, and they are utter pish.

After doing some research I have decided on the Sennheiser HD280s. They seem to have good sound quality and should be pretty good desk headphones.

 

[Scottyk9]

As you can see, a lot of this is subjective. Head-fi does have some useful information - that's where I looked before buying my Grado SR80's (which, in my own humble experience, sound fantastic....)

 

[FFTT]

A warning about headphones and earbuds.

I would limit the use of headphones as much as possible and then at low volume.

I had perfect hearing and perfect pitch all my life until I worked extensively on a recording project wearing headphones for hours a day.

A year later, I suffered complete and irreversable hearing loss to one ear and damaged about 45% of the other.

Not from playing live, but from headphones.

Extended use of headphones can and will permanently damage your hearing.

That goes for lawn and garden equipment and power tools too.

You ears are not indestructable.

I'm saying this because it is important.

I don't want to see any more people end up like me.

 

[bousozoku]

I have B&O A8s, and they are utter pish.

After doing some research I have decided on the Sennheiser HD280s. They seem to have good sound quality and should be pretty good desk headphones.

I think you'll be tremendously happy with Sennheiser headphones. Even my ear buds have a quality that was unexpected but the full sized headphones are quite well balanced. I don't see any other brand as good.

A warning about headphones and earbuds.

I would limit the use of headphones as much as possible and then at low volume.

I had perfect hearing and perfect pitch all my life until I worked extensively on a recording project wearing headphones for hours a day.

A year later, I suffered complete and irreversable hearing loss to one ear and damaged about 45% of the other.

Not from playing live, but from headphones.

Extended use of headphones can and will permanently damage your hearing.

That goes for lawn and garden equipment and power tools too.

You ears are not indestructable.

I'm saying this because it is important.

I don't want to see any more people end up like me.

That's too bad since hearing rarely returns to normal. I always used Sennheiser Open-Aire headphones because I feared hearing loss. Of course, since they don't isolate, they're no good for studio use.

You're not responsible for the FFTT that London/EMI used as a trademark, are you?

 

[FFTT]

Trademark? I don't think so.

I'm just a local yocal but,
I've told my story to countless musicians and technicians from all ends of the spectrum.
This has become even more important now with so many project studios where
the musicians spend considerable time recording and mixing without a break.

Studio technicians also have to be mindful of long term exposure.

I've gone to John's Hopkins for evaluation and there's little hope until stem cell
research results in an approved procedure to regrow auditory hair cells.
They're working on it, but FDA approval might take a decade.

The problem with headphones and earbuds is that the sound is SO direct with little or no cushion of air space.
You literally end up frying your auditory nerves.

We all love that concert hall feeling when you crank up the phones.

Sooner or later you'll need everything at that volume just to hear it at all.

Don't mess around.