Headphones

[onlyafterdark]

Hi all,

Thought I would start a headphone thread to go with the iPod announcement.

Does anyone have any comments on a particular set of headphones or warnings about ones to avoid? I am looking at some Sennheisers right now and I am pretty impressed. I have read nothing but good things about them in various magazines (ex. stereophile). Anyone have any dealings with that particular company?

Finally, does anyone know what kind of headphones Rasheed Wallace uses at his bball games? I have always wondered what he has because it always seems like he has them on every chance he gets.

Cheers

Nato

[Akumulator]

Everytime this topic comes up I always have to chime in with my favorite pair of headphones........ Grado SR80. They're big, they look outdated... but they sound great.

[Messiahtosh]

Good thread.

I was looking to buy some headphones that are "wrap around the back of the head style," but ones that sound good. Is there such a thing? I would prefer to keep the price below $40. Thanks! :)

[onlyafterdark]

Wow good luck with that search Messiahtosh and let us know how it turns out. I havent heard of any that wrap around the back of the head that sounds good but then again I live in a small town.

I am leaning towards a good pair that are comfortable and fit around the entire ear so that you dont get fatigue in the ear a few hours after listening to music. Big doesnt bother me so much as long as they sound good. My old headphones that I used with my TDK Mojo will be sufficient for casual use (like at school for example). Im going to do some serious shopping when I go down to Portland in a few weeks.

[trailmaster308]

Good thread.

I was looking to buy some headphones that are "wrap around the back of the head style," but ones that sound good. Is there such a thing? I would prefer to keep the price below $40. Thanks! :)


Don't know how they sound though, but fits the under $40 criteria

wrap arounds (http://www.everythingipod.com/suggest.tpl?command=search&db=dbs/products.db&cart=1090646352953515&eqPRONAMEdatarq=Sony%20MDR-G72LP%20Folding%20Street%20Style%20Headphones&searchSKU=001-0031&max=1&eqAVAILdatarq=YES&max=1)

[Wrao]

I had that same pair for many a year, I liked them.

[Akumulator]

I've actually never like any of the wrap around headphones. The Sony one's I had really hurt my tender childlike ears. Plus they tend to catch fire...................ok I lied.

[chipz]

I have an old pair of Sennheiser HD 540 Reference II which have the best sound of any I have tried. I've had them about 10 years and they still sound better than many others I've tried. Replacement cords are also available for most Sennheisers at a reasonable price. I imagine the new Senngeisers would sound just as good.

[Wrao]

I've actually never like any of the wrap around headphones. The Sony one's I had really hurt my tender childlike ears. Plus they tend to catch fire...................ok I lied.

Indeed, I don't like wrap arounds too much either, but I did like that pair. I'm more an ear-cup style guy though.

[Messiahtosh]

I like over the top of the head too, for $40 can you get a decent pair of those. Size doesnt matter, as long as it isnt absurdly large.

[johnq]

The best around (including for iPod useage):

Sony's MDR-V700DJ Studio Monitor Series DJ Headphones:
Impedance: 24 ohms
Frequency Response: 5 - 30,000 Hz

You want a low impedance for using the iPod. Most other headphones are at a much higher impedance.

Second, you want low and high frequency response. 5Hz and 30,000Hz is awesome.

You won't need to "crank it up" as much with these because the lows and highs are there at a lower volume. Plus the over the ear style cuts outside noise pretty well.

Compare even just these 2 criteria to any other sub-$150 headphones and these will be the best almost always. Plus they are well designed physically, fold down really well for backpacks and look and feel great.

There are better headphones at higher prices but none better at this price or lower. They go for about $100 now, but I was so impressed I bought them when they were about $149.

Sennheiser's are not all that. Look into their specs.

Don't let the "DJ" trick you into thinking these are trendy or DJ-specific headphones. They're workhorses.

[Messiahtosh]

Awesome, thanks!

[Messiahtosh]

Uh oh, I found those headphones for $91 at the lowest price. They look absolutely gorgeous though! Are there any more ones that look that good, about that size, and are only maybe $50? :eek:

[johnq]

Also, there was a 2-page thread "elsewhere" (http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31269&highlight=MDRV700DJ).

Actually here's a snippet where I compared impedance and frequency range for a handful of headphones:


Low End Portable:
(Mostly "craptacular", no offense! Only based on these 2 criteria!)
Koss KTX-Pro1 15-25,000 60ohm 19.99
Koss Porta Pro 15-25,000 60ohm 44.95
Senn PMX 60 18-21,000 32ohm 24.95
Koss UR-29 18-20,000 100ohm 29.95
<-High impedance!
Senn PX40 20-20,000 32ohm 14.95
Senn PX 30 30-20,000 32ohm 9.95
Koss KTX-4 40-20,000 32ohm 14.95
Koss KTX-8 40-20,000 32ohm 14.95
Senn Hd 26 50-18,500 32ohm 9.95
Koss KTX-1 80-18,000 32ohm 4.95
Koss KTX-6 80-20,000 32ohm 9.95

Mid-level General Use:
Sony MDR-V700DJ 5-30,000 24ohm 134.95
Sony MDR-7509 5-30,000 24ohm 233.95
Sony MDR-7506 10-20,000 24ohm 116.95
Sony MDR-7505 10-20,000 24ohm 98.95

Off the Hook:
Koss ESP-950 8-35,000 100ohm!! 899.95 <- DAMN $$!!
Senn. Hd 280 PRO 8-25,000 64ohm 179.95
Senn HD 590 prestige 12-38,000 120ohm 242.95
Senn EH 2270 12-22,000 64ohm 170.95
Senn Hd 250 II 12-19,000 300ohm!!! 224.95 <- That's
HIGH IMPEDANCE!


The above shows the DJs, in my opinion, to be the confluence of lowest impedance, best frequency range (at any price), and the best price for it's specs. There are other criteria though, so this is hardly definitive, it's just my preferences.

Note, this was months ago, so prices and specs have changed I'm sure.

No, I don't work for Sony, but every now and then I find something gush-worthy. :)

Would I jog with them? No. But practically any other use is fine, if a coiled wire doesn't bother you. (I just let it hang behind me, no problem).

[_Ω_]

I second the Sony MDR-V700 headphones.

It is the only remaining thing I own from Sony that I am still happy with.

EDIT - I would question if they are good iPod headphones as they are quite large. They are not something you can slip into your pocket.

[johnq]

Well, I use them around the house/office with my iPod (and iBook) and when temporarily not using them just have them slung around my neck.

But no they are not exactly ear buds :)

I also used them on the commuter train for about an hour a day. The padding blocks out the train noise. This also should mean you aren't cranking them up as much (and draining the battery) and the low impedance should be a plus power-wise (but maybe it's a wash considering you're pushing bigger speakers, I'm not sure about that).

Speaking of ear buds:
iPod headphones:
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Impedance: 32 ohms

...just for reference.

You're missing 5Hz to 20Hz on the lows and 20,000Hz to 30,000Hz on the highs, if compared to the Sony DJs...pretty substantial difference.

[HOM]

Everytime this topic comes up I always have to chime in with my favorite pair of headphones........ Grado SR80. They're big, they look outdated... but they sound great.

Listen to this man!

He knows of what he speaks. Grado Labs makes the best headphones I've ever used.

[johnq]

Grado SR80:
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Impedance: 32 ohms

...same as the default iPod earbuds.

I'm just sayin'...plus I've seen frequent mention of these specifically ideally needing an amp to sound their best.

But I can't diss them since I've never used 'em. ;)

[Luca]

Hah. Specs mean nothing in many cases. There are so many headphones that simply claim a 20Hz to 20kHz frequency response (which is the typical human hearing range, though it varies) that I sometimes wonder if most companies even bother testing.

Anyway, the specs aren't all-important. Impedence and frequency response are only two parts of the equation. You also have to take into account how well the headphones transmit the sound and other factors. You could compare it to a pair of computers - one a single 1.8 GHz G5, the other a single 1.8 GHz Celeron, each with 512 MB of RAM. Guess which one is faster ;). I'm sure there's someone here who could perhaps explain all the different factors that go into making one set of headphones sound a lot better than another, just as I could give you a number of reasons why a 1.8 GHz G5 is faster than a 1.8 GHz Celeron.

My personal headphones are Sony MDR-EX71SLs. They are the tiny in-ear earbuds. A lot of people don't really care for them but I like them. The sound quality is very good for the size, they actually stay in my ears, and they are comfortable once you get used to them. But that's not really what you're looking for.

BTW, I had a pair of Sennheisers (HD-270) a while back and while they were okay, they weren't really worth what I paid for them. Also, since they were fully sealed, they didn't let any sound out (good) but they made my ears sweat really badly (bad). The flip side are open designs, which let your ears breathe (good) but leak sound all over (bad). It just depends which you think is more important. As far as I know, the Grados are open. And yes, I have heard good things about them. I've also heard that while they will sound much better with an amp, they are also very good without one. I'm sure even without an amp, they're way better than any of the cheap ones out there.

[Akumulator]

It's been a few years since I bought my Grados and don't remember exactly..... but I think that only the higher end models need the amp. The SR80 sound amazing without one. You can probably find out here: http://gradolabs.com/

[Eugene]

Non of the Grados need amps, but the higher you go, the better they will sound. Without an amp, the SR60 probably sounds identical to the SR80 (perhaps even better...)

I'd say advertised impedance of 100 ohm or less is A-OK for the iPod.

[onlyafterdark]

What would happen if you used headphones that had a high impedance say around 120 ohms? Im looking at the Sennheiser HD 590 right now (http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/icm_eng.nsf/root/04486#). It has a good range but from what you guys have been saying the impedance is way too high.

[Wrao]

What would happen if you used headphones that had a high impedance say around 120 ohms? .

you implode

[Eugene]

What would happen if you used headphones that had a high impedance say around 120 ohms? Im looking at the Sennheiser HD 590 right now (http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/icm_eng.nsf/root/04486#). It has a good range but from what you guys have been saying the impedance is way too high.
The 590s should be fine. I really wouldn't be that worried about anything around 100 ohms. You might want to start worrying >150 ohms.

[onlyafterdark]

Thanks Eugene.

[DMBand0026]

Even though you've probably already decided on a pair of phones, I figured I'd add my suggestion in too.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005N6KG.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Those are by far the best headphones I've ever owned (minus my noise canceling ones for recording, but those are $200+ easily). They are Sony MDR-W08L Vertical In-Ear Headphones with 13.5 mm Drive Units. Incredible sound, great bass, sharp treble, and they cancel out other noise pretty well because they are similar to earbuds in that they actually sit in your ear. They are extremely comfortable and unobtrusive.

And best of all, if you're anything like me (a poor college kid trying to support himself), they can be picked up for a measly $9. Can't go wrong with them.

[onlyafterdark]

Ill definatly have to check those out. You cant go wrong for $9.

[FFL]

Ill definatly have to check those out. You cant go wrong for $9.

great impedence, too
specs from amazon.com:

Headphone Type: Vertical, In-the-Ear, Open air, dynamic
Driver Unit: 13.5mm diameter
Magnet: Neodymium
Headband: Slim
Cord: TPC; Y-shaped, 3.3 feet (1.0m)
Plug: Nickel-plated Stereo Mini Plug L-shaped
Impedance: 16 ohms
Sensitivity: 104dB/mW
Power Handling Capacity: 50mW
Frequency Response: 20 to 20,000 Hz
Weight: 0.5 ounces (13g), without cord
What's in the box: Headphones, mini plug

[stevegong]

Good thread.

I was looking to buy some headphones that are "wrap around the back of the head style," but ones that sound good. Is there such a thing? I would prefer to keep the price below $40. Thanks! :)


Like Luca, I also have the Sony MDREX-71SL. I needed to get used to them and still they sound a bit too sharp. Other people seemed to find it fine though, so I had my ears checked up in one of those hearing test labs. Turns out I'm a lot more sensitive to high pitches than a lot of people. The bass on it sounds great and the cable wraps around the back of your head. (unless you're talkign about the street style type earphones, which I find annoying because you can't really lie on a pillow and listen to music.

The white ones which I have cost $56 from Japan because the white ones are not sold in USA. Check out audiocubes.com.

hope this helps

[Messiahtosh]

Thanks Steve! I dont know about anyone else, but the earbuds that Apple ships are more like the earbaseballs. They are so big and uncomfortable, they don't fit in my ear that well anyway. I wonder if a lot of other people find them uncomfortable? :confused:

[gEEk]

If you can tolerate the large size and the somewhat old school look (which I rather like) I don't think you can do much better for your money than the Grados. The bass is deep and natural (rather than emphasized in the mid bass) and the mids and highs are accurate and detailed. If you have never listened to really good headphones before, they will surprise you.

I agree with Eugene that the SR60s would be just about perfect for the iPod if, again, you don't mind the size of these cans.

here (http://www.headphone.com/layout.php) is a good place to research and buy headphones.

[Messiahtosh]

I have made my mind up on these. http://www.headphone.com/layout.php?topicID=13&subTopicID=70&productID=0020080212

Sennheiser HD 212 Pro $49.99

[onlyafterdark]

here (http://www.headphone.com/layout.php) is a good place to research and buy headphones.

Thanks for the link gEEk, that site helps a lot.

[usurp]

I have 2 earphones.

I got the Bang & Olufsen ones, they look good and sound crap.
http://unex-t.com/blueipod/

I also have the Shure E2s, they look normal but sound incredibly good.
http://www.unex-t.com/e2

overall though i would HIGHLY recommend the E2s. Also the iPodlounge Forums > iPod > Gear > Ear/Headphones section has some really good discussions on various brands and models.

[PXLpainter]

I've tried hundreds of brands - spent lots of $$ over the years and still always come back to the AKG K240 line. I currently use the AKG 240DF Studio Monitor headphones. Lightweight and comfortable - excellent bass response at low volumes! You don't need to crank it to hear everything!

I've done a lot of audio recording professionally in studios all over the world and I always take my own headphones. They won't feedback or bleed into the microphones either. Extremely durable, though too big to just cram in your briefcase or backpack. ;)

http://www.akg.com/products/powerslave,mynodeid,186,id,252,pid,252,_language,E N.html

They generally run about $159.US retail, so they're quite affordable too.

[onlyafterdark]

Has anyone tried the Shure E3C or any of the other Shure products?

[Luca]

I haven't, but I have heard some very favorable reviews of them. I already enjoy my Sony in-ear headphones, so the more expensive Shures are probably amazingly good.

[Hassan i Sabbah]

I use and endorse Sennheiser HD 200s. "The DJ's Friend." They rock. I'm on my second pair. http://stereophones.ru/img/hd200-v2.gif

I'm not a DJ. I use them on my bicycle and they sound fantastic. And they're less than £50.

[Eugene]

Has anyone tried the Shure E3C or any of the other Shure products?
Yes, they are nice. I'd probably go with the e2c or e3c when my Etymotic ER-6s decide to break... Of course your in-ear headphones are going to have itty bitty drivers. They simply can't provide the bass that larger open headphones can.

[Maciej]

I'll add a couple more links if you guys are willing to listen.
Head Room, like gEEK said, is awesome. I originally did a lot of research on www.headwize.com (altho they have been going thru a little bit of monetary issues and server changes,) as well as www.audiocubes.com. I hope these links will be helpful, the forums at headwize once had a great amount of knowledge, I'm not too sure how many people have stuck with it. Its work a try, right? ;) Good luck in your search.

[onlyafterdark]

Thanks Sh0eWax.

[Eugene]

More necro
My current collection:

1999 - Koss TD/80 - pic (http://i32.tinypic.com/30huhif.jpg)
2001 - Grado Labs SR60 - pic (http://i30.tinypic.com/245isti.jpg)
2002 - Etymotic ER-6
2004 - Sony MDR-V6
2007 - AKG K701 - pic (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1114/1165624578_e94281a94b.jpg)
2009 - Grado Labs SR325is

Heh, the Koss through the Sony are badly beat-up. The Koss headphones in particular are in the worst shape, but I can send them back to the factory for $6 and they'll actually rebuild them. There really aren't more superlatives to throw at the SR60s...I'd gotten used to listening on my V6s and K701s, I'd forgotten how much brighter and appealing the Grados sound for a variety of music. So much that I just ordered SR325is to use as primary listening headphones. The ER-6s are still great IEMs, though the newer models from other companies are probably noticeably better now.

[SpecMode]

Let's see...my current in-use collection:

-Shure SE420
-Sony MDR-AS100
-Audio-Technica ATH-A700
-Grado Labs SR125

I use the Sony 'sport' over-the-head 'phones when I don't really care about quality; pretty much for bus rides to/from work. The Shure in-ear 'phones are great for drowning out noise/conversations, and the sound quality is great. They're just a bit less comfortable, though.

The SR125s are probably the best-sounding of the whole bunch, IMHO, but not good for wearing out-and-about since they are about as good at keeping sound in the phones as a sieve is at keeping in water. I like my music a bit loud. :) The Audio-Technica headphones are more comfortable than the SR125s, though, and are much better for listening to music in bed (the Grado phones tend to slip off of my ears).

[Eugene]

The SR125s are probably the best-sounding of the whole bunch, IMHO, but not good for wearing out-and-about since they are about as good at keeping sound in the phones as a sieve is at keeping in water. I like my music a bit loud. :) The Audio-Technica headphones are more comfortable than the SR125s, though, and are much better for listening to music in bed (the Grado phones tend to slip off of my ears).
I was tempted to buy A900s for the comfort + sealed listening, but the only way to get them seems to be to import directly from Japanese dealers. And yeah no way on using Grados in bed...they'd probably break after a week. I usually just use the Sonys for listening in bed since I don't care too much about fatiguing them too much while I adjust my sleeping position.

[popantique]

Call me a hipster, but I wear Skullcandies. Usually Hesh, but they're broken and I've yet to get them replaced (under their sick-ass warranty), so I've been using Recruits (same as the icon), which had the added bonus of not putting pressure on my new conch (cartilage) piercing back when it was still rather sensitive. Seems like they'd also stay in place better if I take up jogging again. (hah!)