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The Headphones Thread

post #1 of 674
1/30/04 at 12:05pm
Thread Starter 
I have a pair of Sony MDR-V600s and I love them. They dont have that real real heavy bass sound. While the bass is good, I dont like when its too evident. Which it isnt in these headphones. Anyone have these? like them?

How about those Bose 'phones? Not the quiet comfort ones that are very expensive and are really only advertised as the best kind to carry on planes. I am talking about the step down from those, I forgot the model name. But I tried a pair on in a Bose store and they were AWESOME. Anyone have these?
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post #2 of 674
1/30/04 at 12:12pm
You mean the BOSE Triports?? - absolutel crap. You get better sound with a $20.00 Sony MDR-150 and even better sound with a $45 Sony MDR-V300 (assuming you are a SONY fan)

But as far as budget and sound quality mix here are the best headphones very little money can buy :-

1] Grado SR-60
2] Grado SR-80
3] Grado SR-125
4] Grado SR-325
4.5] Senn HD-280 Pro
5] Sennheiser HD-580 Precision (need amplifier to bring out the best. A $50 Mint Tin amp does very well unless you have more money to get a tube amp like the ASL MG Head or a Solid State amp like the Perreaux)
6] AKG 401
7] AKG 501
9] Koss PortaPros
10] Koss U-35 ??
11] Senn PX-200
12] Sony MDR-V600 (not a personal favorite)

of all these (and more if you do research) you have to choose between open type and closed type. Open type offers less isolation and better sound.

Some links :-

www.headwize.com
www.headfi.com
www.headphone.com
www.ttvj.com
www.audioadvisor.com

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post #3 of 674
1/30/04 at 12:23pm
Thread Starter 
Excellent reply .. thank you

Bose are crap huh? Good to know.. because those are pretty pricey. I have been real happy with my Sony's, as they have been working well for 3 years strong now. I definately prefer the headphones with the normal not overbearing bass. I listen to mostly rock music of all kinds. Zero rap..
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post #4 of 674
1/30/04 at 3:08pm
Try the Grado SR-60 just for hoots. Order one from www.headphone.com where they have a 30 day return policy. I guarantee you wont go back to the V-600's. The Grados are audiophile quality...in a class of their own...without the SONY pricetag.

Have you looked at the Sony driver? if you can bear to do so - take it apart and look at the driver - then you'll know what I am talking about when I say that they arent as good as they should be for the price.

Not bashing the V-600's - but they are worth around $30.00 AFAIK and AFAMOK (Many Others = MO)

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post #5 of 674
1/30/04 at 7:45pm
Which kinds of headphones do you think is best: the in-ear ones like the Shure E5 or those that cover the entire year like most of the high-end headphones? I suspect the in-ear phones, since they go all the way into the ear canal, has great bass and even greater cancellation of outside noise.
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post #6 of 674
1/30/04 at 8:32pm
The ear plugs lack in bass - feel annoying after a few hours, are disgusting to clean and hard to insert...Very detailed sound though...imagine taking it out every time you have to get the phone or the door...

nah!
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post #7 of 674
1/30/04 at 8:34pm
Are they a lot different from those regular earbuds? I know the cheap, regular earbuds only go in a few millimeters. How deep do the Shure's really go?
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post #8 of 674
1/30/04 at 8:36pm
gsferrari is clearly an expert on all of this, I bet he spends all his time reading headphone information and forums, his eyes bleeding at the screen..

I wish I were as smart as you gsferrari, you are my hero.
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post #9 of 674
1/30/04 at 8:40pm
Depends on which fitting mode you use. If you use the tri/bi flanges then it goes in a long way. If you use the foams then it goes in but not as far as the flanges. BUT they do go in a long way...
If you want pictures i'll put me up for you...



I have both the Ety's and the Shure's...
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post #10 of 674
1/30/04 at 8:42pm

Pics of Etymotics






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post #11 of 674
1/30/04 at 8:43pm

Pics of Shure





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post #12 of 674
1/30/04 at 8:45pm
Hope that helps

They are unwieldy and when you need to take them off repeatedly and put them on back again its annoying. You cant hear the phone, door, dog...nothing. Nice to have a pair for air travel and I prefer the Shure E2c because it has tangible bass while the ety's dont have any bass to write home about...
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post #13 of 674
1/30/04 at 9:26pm
So what headphones do you recommend? Are there different types of those phones that covers the entire ear?
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post #14 of 674
1/30/04 at 9:45pm
The ones that cover the ear are CIRCUMAURAL headphones and mu suggestions are :-

1] Sennheiser HD-590 (supposed to be a bit bright - try and and if you dont like it - return it)

2] Sennheiser HD-580 + CMOY/CHA47/Portable amp (contact JMT at www.jmtaudio.com for a portable amp or a transportable amp for this headphone)

4] Senn HD-212 PRO (semi-circumaural - great sound for games/mp3's etc. good BASS)

5] Senn HD-497 (Another GREAT choice...as good as the grado SR-60)

6] Senn HD-280 PRO (another good choice but easy on the bass - very realistic sound)

8] Beyerdynamic DT250-80 (nice!)

9] grado SR-80 / 125 - see if the SR-60 satisfies you first. I think it will...

10] KOSS UR-20 (an old favorite of mine...very nice for the money...very nice for a LOT more money...challenges more expensive phones)

11] AKG K 401 (hmmm...)

These are the only ones I have heard and of all these headphones you could basically try them all...they are all great choices.

My recommendation??

Order the Grado SR-60, Beyerdynamic DT250-80, Senn HD 497 and AKG K401 and return the ones you dont like.

To shorten the list - very hard job!! - get the Grado SR-60 and the Sennheiser HD-497

Try those two and give up on the one you dont prefer.

These headphones need to be broken in...for more info go to www.headphone.com

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post #15 of 674
1/30/04 at 9:51pm
Great site..seems they have everything...I've never even heard of headphones that require amplification..thanks

What's the difference between earpads and earmuffs? How about open or sealed?
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post #16 of 674
1/30/04 at 10:04pm
Open
====

Pros :-
----
1] better sound quality because there are no resonant sounds from reflections inside the "box"
2] less stress on the ears
3] low isolation. you can hear the phone, door, computer breaking up

Cons:-
------
1] poor isolation. You can hear outside sounds if you are outside
2] a little more expensive because different driver materials and enclosure design

CLOSED :-
=======

pros :-
-----

1] Good isolation - you cant hear extraneous noises
2] cheap

cons :-
-----

1] Very hard to get rid of the resonant and reflected noises
2] poor sound quality
3] unrealistic sound, boomy bass etc.

Earpads and Earmuffs?? Earmuffs are used to protect your ears from the cold AFAIK...

Earpads are what you find on the headphone drivers to make it comfortable to wear. Some are more comfortable than others. Some are painful to wear!!

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post #17 of 674
1/30/04 at 10:16pm
Some headphones require amplifications to sound good.

Amplification can be used for all headphones. The problem is that the "AMP" section in portables is very very poor. They concentrate on the rest of the stuff and neglect the amp section because MOST people dont care about horrible sound.

For people who DO care the idea is to use the Line-Out and then connect it to an AMP for better sound after bypassing the internal amp of the device.

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post #18 of 674
1/30/04 at 10:42pm
I ordered the Sennheiser RS-30's can anyone tell me how good these are. thanks
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post #19 of 674
1/30/04 at 10:45pm
Those are wireless right? Decent - not exactly audiophile quality
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post #20 of 674
1/30/04 at 10:51pm
Headphone.com lists the two following categories: Medium sized ear-pads and medium sized ear-muffs. What's the difference? Also, what's the difference between medium size and full sized headphones? I know so little about these. Thanks for your help.
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