Headphones

[Bender 0]

Etymotic or Shure are the only way to fly

Not a fan of UE then?

[Perry94 0]

If you need cheap "over-the-ear" headphones, Koss KSC-75 would be your best bet. Very good bang for your buck. Some say they're comparable to Grado SR-60's, and I know for a fact that they sound awesome. No sound cancelling though, so if you need that, you're SOL.

[tamtamg 12]

If you need cheap "over-the-ear" headphones, Koss KSC-75 would be your best bet. Very good bang for your buck. Some say they're comparable to Grado SR-60's, and I know for a fact that they sound awesome. No sound cancelling though, so if you need that, you're SOL.

They're decent, but I still say Grado SR60's are the best bang for the buck. Not many headphones sound noticeably better unless you're willing to spend $300+

[Drewhunz 3]

Sennheiser HD414's were/are the industry standard for 40+ years. Designed to be worn for hours on end. My pair was made in the early 70's and apart from replacement cushions and a new cord last year- still going strong. If you're going Grado- you may as well spring for the SR125i. Can't say enough good things about their turntable cartridges.

[Trippingblue 1]

I picked up a pair of Shure SCL-3's for ~$60 on Musician's Friend. Normally they would have been $150 or so. I like them with my iPod; playing drums with them in my ears all I heard was sweet, sweet Zeppelin.

[saba 0]

Drew

If you like the cart try it with their phono amp. On my Rega P-25 nothing but sweet music is made on early Sat evenings

[fat pat 0]

+1 for ksc-75s for cheapies.

fuck skullcandy, bose, theyre worthless and overpriced

http://www.head-fi.org/forums

do your research there

[Thockey17 1]

Why bother with good headphones if you're only going to be listening to highly compressed mp3s from an iPod/other MP3 player?

Might aswell stick with the cheapies...

[lampliter87 8]

I'm sure you listen only to original vinyl.

[Thockey17 1]

I'm sure you listen only to original vinyl.

I'm a pretty serious audiophile that can't stand sub-par playback. Uncompressed/Lossless audio flowing through a quality set of headphones + amplifier is just worlds better.

Using a GOOD set of headphones to listen to a portable device with a handicapped amp (phones, iPods, etc) is downright stupid. You're not going to see any real gains for the money you spent over a low end setup.

Buy whatever you want...it's not my money you're wasting.

[Drewhunz 3]

I'm sure you listen only to original vinyl.

Is this really a problem? Listening to music in the method it was created sounds far better than a analog to digital transfer. An album from the 70's sounds far better than a current CD digitized from the master tapes. There's a thing called sound compression that producers these days seem to think is a wonderful thing, but I'll taked nuanced sound transitions over constant volume anyday.

[lampliter87 8]

Drew I completely agree with you, and I understand the advantages. I'm just saying the original point of the thread was the search for a quality set of headphones for working out/being active etc., without breaking the bank. Trust me, if vinyl was still readily available and I could take a record player to the gym with me, that's all I would listen too and Thockey would be completely right.

[cptjeff 0]

Yeah, Sony has some nice stuff in that price range, and in several styles. I have a pair of earbuds that I really like. Not so hot on their customer service though, charged me $20 to have them fixed when a wire came loose in the earbud. Factory defect, but out of warranty. SOL.

Unless it's a rather expensive pair when it comes to something like that and it's out of warrenty you may as well pull out a soldering iron and do it yourself. If the cable is toast then just go pick up a really cheap pair and take the cable out of that to use.

Couldn't open the sucker. Believe me, I thought of that.

[saba 0]

and if it was not for these comfounded dagnabit forms of mobile music, music itself my not evolve. How many artists are commited to direct mp3, and other forms of mass distribution over releases of vinyl, cd, etc...?

My point yes something is lost on that ipod, but that pod has been on a train for 3 days through Europe, up and down the Maryland/Virginia countryside etc

To answer the original posting was just to provide options; mine are higher offerings, but for me, I want the best sound reproduction from any sources I can get. The Etymotics have 2 more benifits:I can use the supplied stereo jack and plug directly into cd player output, or my integrated port. Second on the bike with just one headphone in for safety I get a good wind blocking effect at speed. This is a real problem if you push 25-35 on your bike for hours and the Etys do a great job in this regard

Our best vinyl shop here in DC Orpheus who was in business for 30+ years closed his door Jun 1

[Big Glove Save 0]

I'm a pretty serious audiophile that can't stand sub-par playback. Uncompressed/Lossless audio flowing through a quality set of headphones + amplifier is just worlds better.

Using a GOOD set of headphones to listen to a portable device with a handicapped amp (phones, iPods, etc) is downright stupid. You're not going to see any real gains for the money you spent over a low end setup.

Buy whatever you want...it's not my money you're wasting.

You truly have some vaild points.

I would say I am a fan of music first and marshall for sound quality perhaps second. There are advantages and disadvantages of course for both original pressing vinyl and drifter mp3 files. I am one to want to read large type liner notes and credits and get photos and artwork but convenience of digital audio and even mp3 files has it's moment in history as well.

I have over 1,000 vinyl long playing records and over 1,000 compact discs. Even have a analog/digital recorder so I can record out of print albums and other favorites to digital audio disc at bit per bit rates.

An example of some of the worse things I have done in the name of having the music: I took a cassette recording made from an album 15 years ago, recorded it to digital disc and then compressed it to mp3 files. It did not sound as bad as you might think in open air listening from home stereo or car stereo. Obvious fidelity issues once you put on some over the ears headphones.

Sometimes it is the music and the emotion that is important. Sad how quality has been diluted, compromised and made less important than a number of other standards but the song remains the same.

[Bender 0]

I'm sure you listen only to original vinyl.

I'm a pretty serious audiophile that can't stand sub-par playback. Uncompressed/Lossless audio flowing through a quality set of headphones + amplifier is just worlds better.

Using a GOOD set of headphones to listen to a portable device with a handicapped amp (phones, iPods, etc) is downright stupid. You're not going to see any real gains for the money you spent over a low end setup.

Buy whatever you want...it's not my money you're wasting.

iPods are better than the most people realise though. iPod + Lossless music files + amp connected to the line out (rather than the headpphone jack) + some good headphones and your good to go. For me it's not about top range headphones as I do use lossy formats, rather headphones that increase the enjoyment and easily heard detail and then once that point is found leaving it as I don't want to pay a few hundred to here how truley crap my music files are.

[Drewhunz 3]

Yeah- cuz all that fits into your pocket. He was referring to a portable device in general. Hell, I still use a minidisc player as the sound fidelity is about the highest you'll get in a portable device.

[GoHawks 0]

+1 for lossless compression. 60-75 albums will fill up my ipod (30 gig), but really, at any given time, I don't really need any more than that.

I'd really like to get a portable amp to put in-line for my headphones. Anyone got a good suggestion? And also the price range I should expect for a pocket amp?

[Bender 0]

+1 for lossless compression. 60-75 albums will fill up my ipod (30 gig), but really, at any given time, I don't really need any more than that.

I'd really like to get a portable amp to put in-line for my headphones. Anyone got a good suggestion? And also the price range I should expect for a pocket amp?

Don't know US prices or much about them but expect to spend as much as you would on a hard drive based iPod. There is a company that goes by the name of Fiio that make really tiny amps but there designed to add a boost to the mp3 player headphone out rather than line out. Hopefully someone can give you some better information

[Too Old 1]

Still have my old Koss Pro headphones, lol. Speakers are all Klipsch fed by Denon components. I also have my trusty old circa-1975 Pioneer PLL turntable and a Shure cartridge to play vinyl. I made sure the Denon AVR had provisions for a phono hookup before I got it. Need to grab a new cartridge soon again though as it's due. Wish I could afford a nice tube setup to feed the Klipsch's.

[pwrfwd26 0]

just got the beats by dre tour model. i most say they are by far the best ear buds i have ever used.