Headphones

[SGladwell]

There was a pre-crash headphones thread. Let's get it restarted, because I'm looking for new headphones for portable use. Right now I use either Koss KSC-35's or the Sony canalphones recommended by crossover/dipole guru Siegfried Linkwitz. EX71 or something like that. The Koss's sound great but offer about as much isolation as my Sennheiser HD-600's and leak about as much sound as the big guys. I am also afraid to break them, because they're out of production and their replacements are both uglier and less comfortable. They're perfect for jogging, though. The Sonys isolate well but I've never warmed to their sound. Too much midbass, a little spitty in the upper mids, and not nearly enough of that silky liquidity that marks Senns and the good Etys. Does anyone know of an inexpensive in-ear monitor/canalphone type set that's more "alive" sounding and less midbass-heavy than the Sonys, less fragile than the Etymotic ER-4's I carry on air trips, and under $100? A little more efficiency would help, too, to enhance iPod battery life.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

I will reply the same way I did in the other thread...

http://www.headphone.com/

These guys have the answers.

 

[Martinis at 8]

I have a set of Panasonic noise-cancelling headphones. I purchased these to avoid hearing damage from aircraft due to all my frequent flying. Now I use the headphones for just about everything. They cost about $220. I was going to purchase Bose brand, but others advised that for the increased price there was no gain.

Still, as the technology improves in this area, I will keep my ears open for a better product.

M8

 

[Full Canvas]

The laugh heard round the Style Forum!

O.K. In advance, I will 'agree' with everyone who mocked the appearance of the Jecklin Floats that I praised in the pre-crash thread for only their aural fidelity. Jecklins are not the prettiest. Nobody ever claimed you could wear them in public without risking derision.

However, nearly thirty years (and two repair/rebuild/mods) later, my Jecklin Float ear-speakers are regularly complimented for general overall listening pleasure by many who own more exotic/expensive/contemporary headphones.

http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/archive/...rintreview.htm
_________________________________________

 

[SGladwell]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

I will reply the same way I did in the other thread... http://www.headphone.com/
I like HeadRoom. I've bought two [edit] pairs of headphones from Tyll (Ety ER-4, Koss KSC-35) as well as a Cosmic headphone amp with their Reference electronics module. (They seem to have replaced the Cosmic with the Desktop Portable and it's even a little bit cheaper. But I've listened to the Ultimate Ears IEM's as well as the Ety ER-6; the UE's underwhelmed and the ER-6's barely improve upon the iPod's stock buds. Searching around a bit I found some Sennheiser canalphones. Anyone have direct experience with them?

 

[faustian bargain]

Originally Posted by Full Canvas

The laugh heard round the Style Forum!

O.K. In advance, I will 'agree' with everyone who mocked the appearance of the Jecklin Floats that I praised in the pre-crash thread for only their aural fidelity. Jecklins are not the prettiest. Nobody ever claimed you could wear them in public without risking derision.

However, nearly thirty years (and two repair/rebuild/mods) later, my Jecklin Float ear-speakers are regularly complimented for general overall listening pleasure by many who own more exotic/expensive/contemporary headphones.

http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/archive/...rintreview.htm
_________________________________________

wow, i haven't seen those before. are they electrostatic? if so, 99 pounds seems cheap.

 

[faustian bargain]

i used Koss PortaPro's for a while as my portable phones. they were/are really pretty nice, with very good frequency response, and for the money (~$35) a good deal. i think they look pretty cool too.

the head-fi guys (or one of those sites) recommend Koss's The Plug for canal phones, especially with the modifications they have posted.

for non-portable use I use Grados, just the entry level ones (sr60), but they're nice, in my view. someday i might splurge and get some serious Grados like the RS-1, or some Stax electrostatics. but probably not until i build my Man Room.

/andrew

 

[briancl]

Originally Posted by SGladwell

But I've listened to the Ultimate Ears IEM's as well as the Ety ER-6; the UE's underwhelmed and the ER-6's barely improve upon the iPod's stock buds

The Ety ER-6's are terribly muddy. I bought them and returned them a week later to get the ER-4p. Those were a great improvement. I then lost those... and purchased the ER-4s to go with my travel headphone amp.. which are a bit better than the p. For home listening, I have a set of Grado SR-225's that has been "upgraded" by John Grado, and finally, for my studio, I have Sennheiser HD-25.

 

[zjpj83]

I'm looking for headphones for my ipod under $100.
Thoughts?

 

[Arethusa]

Shure E2s (various models in this line only change the color of the plastic; I have the g model).

 

[Jill]

Bose "Quiet Comfort" Noise cancelling headphones. I'm wearing them now, in fact, basking in the glory of Il Divo!! I can't imagine wearing them outside the house or the confines of an airplane though, which is why I originally bought them. That would look rather silly.

I bought Brookstone's house brand at the airport at one time, when I left my Bose at home. Since they were only $100 compared to Bose at $300, I was hopeful that they'd be a good replacement (at least 90% as good). Not even close.

I'd like a good earbud type (that actually fits my ears, as opposed to those hard round things) to wear in public with my iPod. But for all other purposes, it's Bose for me since Chuck and I share an office. I don't always want to watch his movie and he doesn't usually want to hear my "left-over music leak" from cheap ear pieces. So and over-the-ear, noise cancelling type is the only practical solution.

 

[Arethusa]

One thing I have learned the hard way is that noise isolating earphones absolutely suck for use at home. I've literally just unplugged them and worn them around because it is much easier than taking them out and putting them back in. They may be better for use with an iPod, but I'd prefer a set of cans on my ears to this.

 

[SGladwell]

Originally Posted by faustian bargain

i used Koss PortaPro's for a while as my portable phones. they were/are really pretty nice, with very good frequency response, and for the money (~$35) a good deal. i think they look pretty cool too.

The PortaPros use the same driver/enclosure as the KSC-35, SportaPro, and the later model silver KSC-35 style bandless headphones. I agree that they're very good sounding headphones. Unfortunately, they don't isolate at all, and if you listen to music with any kind of exuberance everyone in a 10' radius will be hearing it too. The lack of isolation makes them great jogging cans, but not so much for commuting. They're much more natural than any Grados I've heard, including the wood cup ones. The Grados have a boom-tizz kind of sound that drives me up the wall. Then again, I've never met a Grado guy who likes the good Sennheisers (HD-580/HD-600/HD-650) so maybe it is just a different strokes kind of thing.

Originally Posted by faustian bargain

the head-fi guys (or one of those sites) recommend Koss's The Plug for canal phones, especially with the modifications they have posted.

Any links for mods? My brother has an unused pair of those that I could easily requisition and hack up. The mods would have to be really special to make this work, because from what little I've heard of the Plugs they were horrific.

 

[SGladwell]

Originally Posted by Full Canvas

O.K. In advance, I will 'agree' with everyone who mocked the appearance of the Jecklin Floats that I praised in the pre-crash thread for only their aural fidelity. Jecklins are not the prettiest. Nobody ever claimed you could wear them in public without risking derision.

If it makes you feel better, my home speakers aren't going to win any style awards, though they sound better than anything I've ever heard at a hifi salon, including Wilsons, Avantgardes, Revels, Avalons, Sound Labs, Magnepans, Joseph Audios, Von Schweikerts, and B&W's diamond tweeter line.

Now if only they looked like Avalons!

 

[skalogre]

For smaller portable speakers, I use Sennheiser PXC-250 noise cancelling cans. Work quite well on long flights and do a decent job of reducing outside interference. Grado 60's are also good and cost effective, I am told.