Headphones

[JustSteve]

ive had my shures for a few years and they're showing now signs of slowing down. i take them to school everyday and they've survived extensive backpack abuse just fine and the sound quality is second to none.

that's one thing they i really love about them, the cord strength. nice and thick so they stand up to lots of use.

[Derekx]

Word. As a warning though, I had a really hard time listening on these guys for much longer than 90 minutes because of the discomfort...

I found that you can do a lot of modding to Grados. One thing, you can do is change the pads. If the only problem is comfort, then I think these headphones are a go for me.

[Mr. Dylanja]

Has anybody tried the Dr. Dre headphones?

[wmgaretjax]

I found that you can do a lot of modding to Grados. One thing, you can do is change the pads. If the only problem is comfort, then I think these headphones are a go for me.

part of the issue isn't only the pads... it's the size and shape. they just aren't quite big enough to be comfortable for me... that said, i don't have very big ears...

[hawkingvsreeve]

I'm not sure if I am entirely sold on the Klipsh S4s or not. There is a noticeable bump in the 200-500k area that makes a lot of things that dont have good frequency separation sound kind of muddy. I can fix it with eq, but it's not optimal. For earbuds they do sound really great though. I dont know if it is $80 great, but I don't have much in terms of earbuds to compare them to. I am going to see how they stack up against my over the ear headphones. I imagine they will lose, and truth be told it is sort of an unfair fight, but the over the ear ones were ten bucks less, so. You know. They are relatively comfortable although I am having small issues maintaining a good seal in my right ear.

[ELECtROjan]

Has anybody tried the Dr. Dre headphones?

I remember hearing Bot from Crookers saying that they are awful dj headphones because the bass overrides high and mids and the they arent built well. And $300 is ridiculous if you ask me...

If you want to DJ there isn't a better value then the Sont MDR V700. $130 and still used by some of the best djs out there

[GeezrRckr]

the skinny: i just got a pair of Soundmagic PL-30's in the mail today. i'm still burning them in, but so far these sound amazing. i got them here. however, i ordered the bundle with the Fiio E5 headphone amp for under $40 *delivered*! here is the link for the bundle.

i'm kind of a stickler on sound quality (hi-res rips required, please) so i thought i'd pass on the goodness. i'm sure many of you will find my use of canalphones to be gauche, but i prefer them to over-the-ears because i like the noise isolation and they fit inside my motorcycle helmet. i’m going to compare these from time to time to my previous pair, V-Moda Vibes (which are really awesome if you can afford them). i still need to burn these in properly, but right out of the box i noticed the following:
- bass is pretty deep and not too distorted or muddy. there is a "high-bass" setting on these that i have them set to right now. not the best bass from canalphones i've heard, but far superior to all stock iPhone-type buds.
- soundstage is where the Soundmagic’s shine, imo. the subtle nuances of songs are heard very clearly with these and the spatial definition is really quite amazing for canalphones. i actually think these do a better job in this realm than the $100 Vibes! with the great noise cancellation, you will surely hear stuff in songs that you hadn’t before with cheap earbuds…guaranteed!
- build quality is decent, but here is where you see why these are priced the way they are. they may not hold up so well under my heavy use (i go through a pair every 4 mos or so). in comparison, I’ve gone through about 7 Vibes because of failure at the plug. so, maybe it’s just me.
- comfort is really good with these. took me a sec to get the over-the-ear wire deal, but it only took a couple times putting it on/off to figure that out. these also fit perfectly inside my helmet, which is a primary factor in my using canalphones (although not all of them can be used with my helmet).
- packaging is very nice. they come with 6 different size of earbuds (maybe more..there’s another little bag i’ve yet to open). instructions are adequate, despite being fraught with typos and the like (Engrish style, ya know). the really nice thing about these is this really cool round travel pack that is closed via zipper. great for storing your entire system, if small enough. also makes a great stash device, for those that are of that ilk.
- overall i’d say the Soundmagics are big winners. at the <$25 price DELIVERED, you really can’t go wrong with the fine sound quality, precise imaging and solid bass. i’ve yet to try out the headphone amplifier but from what i’ve read, it’s supposed to really make a difference. maybe i’ll send an addendum to this once i’ve had the chance to listen with that.

if you’re really a basshead, i recommend the V-moda Vibes i’ve been using. it appears they’ve come down quite a bit in price (down to $60 now...wow). i’d recommend getting those at B&H (lots of fakes on eBay). they are here.

[GeezrRckr]

Has anybody tried the Dr. Dre headphones?

i tried the Dre Beats Tour canalphones recently. if i had the bones, i'd buy them. they are like $150/pair. and, all the ones being sold on eBay right now are absolute fakes (trust me, i've looked into it).

maybe they'll come down. but, read my review above. a nice, inexpensive alternative has presented itself.

[westcoastpirate]

Any good recommendations for in-ear headphones that are iPhone compatible? So they will have the mic and remote on the cord?

[GeezrRckr]

wow....just started listening to the Soundmagic's with the FiiO E5 headphone amp and the difference is simply tremendous. i cannot believe how it improves imaging. the sound is also much richer and balanced. and, at your peril, the volume can be cranked to truly dangerous levels. strong recommendation for this combo (Soundmagic PL-30 + FiiO E5 headphone amp). here is a decent review about it to give you an idea about how it works (in conjunction with a slew of O-T-E 'phones too).

what a day for my ears...wow!

[menikmati]

Any good recommendations for in-ear headphones that are iPhone compatible? So they will have the mic and remote on the cord?

v-modas!

[JustSteve]

they may not hold up so well under my heavy use (i go through a pair every 4 mos or so). in comparison, I’ve gone through about 7 Vibes because of failure at the plug.

that is crazy. i abuse the hell out of my shure's and they are still going strong 2 years later. the cord is really thick and has held up well. sounds like you may be better off spending a little more money to get a higher quality product construction-wise.

[GeezrRckr]

but, do you use yours for >4 hours each day and inside a motorcycle helmet too?

it's not the cord that fails....it's the plug. the good news is that v-moda provides amazing service. they simply replace them everytime i've sent them in. haven't paid for a pair in a couple years (or however long i've been using them). and, come to think of it...this current pair has held up pretty well (they recently changed the plug design...maybe they finally figured it out). we'll see how these Soundmagic's hold up.

[menikmati]

if you’re really a basshead, i recommend the V-moda Vibes i’ve been using. it appears they’ve come down quite a bit in price (down to $60 now...wow). i’d recommend getting those at B&H (lots of fakes on eBay). they are here.

128headphones on Ebay sells real ones. Check em out.

[GeezrRckr]

wow, that is unreal. and, it appears they are legit.

"Auction inventory consists of overstock and clearance items." still seems hard to believe they are offering them for so cheap.

guess the poor economy is 128eadphones' bounty. i may have to grab one of those too.

[menikmati]

wow, that is unreal. and, it appears they are legit.

"Auction inventory consists of overstock and clearance items." still seems hard to believe they are offering them for so cheap.

guess the poor economy is 128eadphones' bounty. i may have to grab one of those too.

Yes trust me, they are legit....

[dorkfish]

v-modas!

I was going to say, the V-Moda love should make you and Jeff happy.

[menikmati]

haha yeah...

[GeezrRckr]

is he the seller?

[menikmati]

we work there

[GeezrRckr]

oh cool. good score on procuring those. it just goes to show what a crazy markup this shit has on it, eh.

[JustSteve]

these also have me interested for my next pair, the klipsch s4's:
http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/k....html?tag=also

what puts me off, though, is the reported cord durability...but the sound reviews are some of the best i've seen.

[hawkingvsreeve]

these also have me interested for my next pair, the klipsch s4's:
http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/k....html?tag=also

what puts me off, though, is the reported cord durability...but the sound reviews are some of the best i've seen.

This guy returned em. He may be full of shit though.

I'm not sure if I am entirely sold on the Klipsh S4s or not. There is a noticeable bump in the 200-500k area that makes a lot of things that dont have good frequency separation sound kind of muddy. I can fix it with eq, but it's not optimal. For earbuds they do sound really great though. I dont know if it is $80 great, but I don't have much in terms of earbuds to compare them to. I am going to see how they stack up against my over the ear headphones. I imagine they will lose, and truth be told it is sort of an unfair fight, but the over the ear ones were ten bucks less, so. You know. They are relatively comfortable although I am having small issues maintaining a good seal in my right ear.

[wmgaretjax]

i tried the Dre Beats Tour canalphones recently. if i had the bones, i'd buy them. they are like $150/pair. and, all the ones being sold on eBay right now are absolute fakes (trust me, i've looked into it).

these are absolute crap in my opinion. the lows were ultra artificial sounding and anything above 200hz sounded tinny as fuck. i felt the same way about the headphones...

[jackstraw94086]

Took a tad bit of getting used by but I now I love my Ultrasone Pro 550's (the germans generally make pretty quality shit). At first I was a little disturbed by a perceived lack of low end, and they seemed a bit bright, but it's only because they separate frequencies and sounds so fucking well that you just notice everything more. Awesome headphones to produce music with (without spending an absurd amount of money).

Between the large cups that fully enclose the ear, and this technology they tout that apparently allows them to get "louder" sound with less dB's, the headphones are comfortable enough to wear for hours.

[digitaldragon03]

My cat chewed through the wires of my MDR-V6s. I bought another pair, the last ones lasted me 6 years and probably would have gone on for another decade.

[cansei de ser sexme]

My dog chewed through my Beyerdynamic DJx-1s and I soldered the wires together. It works for now, but are there any disadvantages in sound quality? Will the sound break up over time? I am going on a road trip and they seem fine for now but want to make sure they will last as I dont want to get stuck in Montana with no headphones.

Also what are some closed ear options for ~$150?

And does anyone use a headphone amplifier? How much does quality change on iPods for headphones in this range with an amp? I was thinking of building this... http://diyaudioprojects.com/Solid/12...LM317-Headamp/

[lunatic core]

I just killed my cans, and I am currently stuck with nothing but my work earbuds.
This is the usecond time I killed them, the first time I took them to Wal-Mart and told them I lost the recipt, even though I actually bought them at a mall on sale for less than Wal-mart's price.

I will miss them.

[iammrcandyman]

My girlfriend just bought me a pair of these. They are amazing. If you have the money, buy em.

Oh ya they're Sennheiser HD25's.

[SoulDischarge]

Ugh. I bought some headphones from Best Buy today but my cat chewed through the cord so I ended up returning them right away. I have no idea where to buy headphones IRL any more so I ended up going to target because I needed exchange some underwear anyway and the only over the ear ones they had that didn't look like they would break within a day and were within my price range were the Skullcandy Hesh, which look fucking stupid but I need headphones today and am sick of shopping around. Way too much bass and practically no treble. I should have known better but I'm poor/unpatient. I'll just have to deal for awhile. Are there any stores out there with a half decent selection of headphones any more or is it just online?