Audiophile Opinions on Headphones

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Drowningman

Drowningman

War Child
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I'm looking to purchase headphones and would appreciate opinions on various products.

I'm leaning towards Sennheiser right now. Just about every review I've read on Sennheiser headphones have a lot of positives and whatever negative issues people might have had with them are fairly minor things.

Here are a few basic things I'm looking for:

1. ipod touch compatible

2. Over the Ear or Around the Ear Headphones
(On the Ear might be ok but, I need a convincing reason)

3. Doesn't have to be wireless (unless its quality is as good as a wired
one)

4. Budget - around $300 (of course, anything under that is even better)


I'd like to get some opinions based on your research or purchases.
 
Go to Thailand. You can buy Beats for $75. I've had mine two years and they still sound a treat.

when they break I'll probs get Sennheisers tho
 
I don't like the sound on Beats headphones much. I prefer Sennheisers, which type you want is your personal preference. :)
 
cobl04 said:
Go to Thailand. You can buy Beats for $75. I've had mine two years and they still sound a treat.

when they break I'll probs get Sennheisers tho
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I have some reservations about Beats headphones. Of course my feelings are based on reviews I've read but these reviews were written by professionals in the music business.


I came away with the feeling that Beats are the "Flavor of The Month" Its a cool thing to have right now and of course they are heavily advertised and you see celebrities wearing them so they must be good right?


quite a few reviews mentioned that Beats are not very durable and they do tend to crack. Also, that they are very Bass heavy and might drown out more subtle notes or instruments.


Well, looks like I'm inching closer to Sennheisers. But I'll research some more on Beats and maybe try out a few models.
 
Currently I only own in-ear Sennheisers, so I can't advise you on the shells. I've had those in the past but I don't recall the model or make. For in ear I have the Xbass type, MX470 http://en-de.sennheiser.com/stereo-earphones-smart-mobile-phones-mx-470, I find they don't overdo it on the bass but make each instrument just a little clearer. And I do like making out the bass as I play the instrument, just not the Oonts Oonts Oonts shite you hear in a club.

A good tip I once got from a music teacher: If you are checking for headphones, test them with Bohemian Rhapsody. That song has pretty much highs and lows for each instrument in it.
 
Galeongirl said:
Currently I only own in-ear Sennheisers, so I can't advise you on the shells. I've had those in the past but I don't recall the model or make. For in ear I have the Xbass type, MX470 Sennheiser MX 470 - Earphones - Optimized for Smart-, Mobile Phones, MP3 - Stereo LiveBass-System, I find they don't overdo it on the bass but make each instrument just a little clearer. And I do like making out the bass as I play the instrument, just not the Oonts Oonts Oonts shite you hear in a club.

A good tip I once got from a music teacher: If you are checking for headphones, test them with Bohemian Rhapsody. That song has pretty much highs and lows for each instrument in it.
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Cool!! that's a great tip. I'll be walking around town with my Queen CD now. :lol:

your comment on the Senneheisers seems to be on par with what I've read, that they kind of make every instrument stand out clearly
 
Yeah pretty much every type of headphones I've had sofar had that. My dad used to sell Sennheiser sound systems back in the 90s so I grew up with them. Then again a lot of my friends also have Sennheisers. I find that the people who appreciate the 'older' music from the 80s and 90s(yea yea generation gap) tend to go for more traditional headphone brands like Sennheiser, and the one going for the 'cool' new music go with Beats. I've tried out those from a uni mate, they don't sounds special to me at all. A lot of loud muffled bass, so perhaps for generic pop songs or bass-heavy songs they'd be good. But I prefer to hear each instrument.
 
Galeongirl said:
Yeah pretty much every type of headphones I've had sofar had that. My dad used to sell Sennheiser sound systems back in the 90s so I grew up with them. Then again a lot of my friends also have Sennheisers. I find that the people who appreciate the 'older' music from the 80s and 90s(yea yea generation gap) tend to go for more traditional headphone brands like Sennheiser, and the one going for the 'cool' new music go with Beats. I've tried out those from a uni mate, they don't sounds special to me at all. A lot of loud muffled bass, so perhaps for generic pop songs or bass-heavy songs they'd be good. But I prefer to hear each instrument.
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I agree. If my music library was all Rap or Dance music then maybe Beats might have been a good choice.

But, I listen to a variety of music a lot of U2 of course, Rock, Rap, Classical, Jazz, Ambient, World. So I want to have that experience of
re-discovering my music through better headphones.

BTW, I got a chuckle out of your line about "older music from the 80s and 90s" I was in my teens and twenties during that time period and to have that time referenced as the "old days" just makes me face reality that I may otherwise ignore.
 
Well I was born in 89, and I've always loved 80s music. But trust me, that was SO uncool in highschool. I apparently listened to 'grandpa music', most common thing I heard when I said my fave band was U2 was "oh, my parents love them". :lol: So that's why I call it older music, cause apparently I was born a generation too late.
 
Galeongirl said:
Well I was born in 89, and I've always loved 80s music. But trust me, that was SO uncool in highschool. I apparently listened to 'grandpa music', most common thing I heard when I said my fave band was U2 was "oh, my parents love them". :lol: So that's why I call it older music, cause apparently I was born a generation too late.
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Well, I was born in 71' so really the 80s was the time time period when I really started getting into music. 80s music is the shit. don't let anybody tell you otherwise. That decade was groundbreaking, musically. bands experimented with sounds and styles. Yes, there were a lot of one hit wonders but they were trying something new sonically.

At the risk of sounding too cynical, there are a lot of rock and pop acts today that are just "studio manufactured". Not a lot of experimentation going on. Even if the artist wants to do somethng different, the studios just won't allow it because the want to keep it safe so that it will sell.

And yes, U2 is in a way "grandpa music" Imagine some 20 year old in the late 70s who discovered this new band coming out of Ireland. That person is now in their mid 60s and most probably a grand parent. I have been to a lot of U2 concerts and I routinely see people in their 60s or older
 
I know, I agree with you. I didn't really care how uncool I was. :wink: I embraced it. The 90s was a lot of fun with the boybands, britney spears and the rave music, but nothing beats the 80s for me.
 
To be honest, I don't think Beats really qualify as audiophile. Sorry, cobs. [/snob]

I own Sennheiser HD-595s that I love. Super comfy and really nice, balanced and detailed sound. I think the most current version is the 598 - which you can find for under $200. I also have a pair of Grado SR-225i's that are great for rock music (more up-front presentation), but they're not nearly as comfortable as the Sennheisers since the Grado's rest on the ear instead of over it. I wear glasses, and after a half hour the headphones start to put too much pressure against the glasses for me, and though they are a more involving headphone for rock music, they aren't so much better than the Sennheisers to warrant that loss of comfort (at least for me). If you don't wear glasses you might not have any issues with them, though. The Grados are around the same price as the Sennheisers, too.

I guess I should ask what you're planning on using these for. If you're just going to be listening around the house, then either the Senns or Grados will be fine. But if you're planning on using them while commuting or out in public, they won't work since they're open backed headphones and will both leak a lot of sound and let outside noise in. In that case you'll need to get sealed/closed headphones.
 
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Whenever my Aviators finally break beyond repair (they have a "lifetime warranty" but that only covers technical problems) I'll upgrade to Grados /sayingthisforthelast6years.
 
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I love my HD 280 Pro Sennheisers. They're extremely comfortable, the noise bleed is negligible when fully closed and the bass is outstanding, with a better balance than Beats. They also retail for a lot less.
 
Diemen said:
To be honest, I don't think Beats really qualify as audiophile. Sorry, cobs. [/snob]

I own Sennheiser HD-595s that I love. Super comfy and really nice, balanced and detailed sound. I think the most current version is the 598 - which you can find for under $200. I also have a pair of Grado SR-225i's that are great for rock music (more up-front presentation), but they're not nearly as comfortable as the Sennheisers since the Grado's rest on the ear instead of over it. I wear glasses, and after a half hour the headphones start to put too much pressure against the glasses for me, and though they are a more involving headphone for rock music, they aren't so much better than the Sennheisers to warrant that loss of comfort (at least for me). If you don't wear glasses you might not have any issues with them, though. The Grados are around the same price as the Sennheisers, too.

I guess I should ask what you're planning on using these for. If you're just going to be listening around the house, then either the Senns or Grados will be fine. But if you're planning on using them while commuting or out in public, they won't work since they're open backed headphones and will both leak a lot of sound and let outside noise in. In that case you'll need to get sealed/closed headphones.
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I too wear glasses so yeah, I would probably have the same issue of the glasses being pressed against my head or ears.

I had read about the Senns not being completly sealed but the reviewers said that because the overall quality was so superior, the noise leaks were a minor issue.

For the most part, I will be using the headphones indoors, or maybe on a flight while traveling. but I am not planning on using them on trains, or on a bus, or even walking around outside.

I will check out the Senn 598s
 
LemonMelon said:
I love my HD 280 Pro Sennheisers. They're extremely comfortable, the noise bleed is negligible when fully closed and the bass is outstanding, with a better balance than Beats. They also retail for a lot less.
Click to expand...



Yeah, the prices on Senneheisers are very attractive. A superior product that costs less. I can't pass up a deal like that.

Are your 280s over the ear headphones?
 
I wouldn't recommend wearing open headphones (like the HD598) on a flight - the roar of the engines will be too much, so you'll have to turn the volume up to the point that you're annoying your neighbors and/or damaging your hearing. :) I've got a pair of Shure in-ear headphones that block out a ton of external noise that I use pretty much exclusively for flights. I'd also check out Etymotic - great isolation and really impressive sound quality.
 
Stick with the go to microphone companies. I use Sennheisers (HD 558) for over the ear, and Shure for IEM (SE 315K). I like the sound quality of Shure's headphones as well, but I can never seem to find a pair that's comfortable, Sennheiser is the best of both worlds.
 
Can't believe I missed this thread to once again plug the virtues of in-ears lol

And since you have indicated you wanted an audiophile opinion, forget all these other suggestions. (ok, just kidding..sortof...)

For the money you are looking to spend, you need to get proper IEMs, and I wouldn't go with Shure, by virtue of the fact that at that price point they are junk (comparitively) and you won't get enough sound isolation to make you feel like your money was well spent.

For anything approaching an audiophile experience you should be starting at least at something with dual drivers, and getting as close to triple or even quad drivers as your pocketbook will allow.

Go Westone or Ultimate Ears. And you want to ensure the fit. The fit will make or break your experience on an airplane, for instance. So much so that if you find you can't get a nice feel, use a custom impression service, get the mold, and then send them the headphones you end up buying. They will rip out the insides and install them into the custom mold they make for you and return.

Your ears will thank you immensely and you will hear the music - at low volumes - better than you ever have..

I also really love my in-ears at the gym. The cord loops up and over my ears down my back inside the shirt and never gets in the way. They never pop out, and I feel like I can truly block out every other distraction. Literally - I mean I can't hear anything else but! lol. I woudn't recommend them for jogging along the road or near railroad tracks tho. You won't hear impending doom like you need to.
 
What source of music are people going to be listening to most of the time that would justify custom-fit IEMs? Most people listen to at most 320kb/s compressed sources, not worth dropping that kind of cheese for MP3's. If the person asking the question is only listening to lossless, that's a different story.
 
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