i would second a vote for grado. i've had mine for 10 years and they still sound perfect. last year they stopped working and i sent them back to the factory expecting to have to pay for the repair but they returned them a few days later working perfectly at no charge!
the only caveat of grado is that all of thier products (as far as i know) have an "open" design which lends itself to superior sound quality, but also lets everyone around you hear what you're listening to. this is true even at moderate volume levels, so i don't feel comfortable using them at the office. i also prefer smaller headphones at the office, as i feel people wearing huge cans at their desks look unapproachable and somewhat unprofessional. i have yet to find a set of headphones for the office (not earbuds) that are small, light, don't emit sound to the outside, and sound anywhere near as good as grado.
if you're listening to mp3's, the highest fidelity headphones in the world aren't going to help. mass sharing of music in small, easily transferable file formats has effectively lowered the standard of fidelity (which is fine because most people can't tell the difference between an mp3 recording and a CD, or wav recording anyway).
i've had a pair of grado sr80's for a few years now. yes, they are terrific headphones, but, for the most part, they only let me enjoy the general flatness of my mp3 collection. though they are nice when i pop in the occasional CD, they suffer from a very large drawback: they make my ears hurt like HELL after wearing them for more than a half-hour. my girlfriend has the same problem with them.
i also had a pair of sony dj headphones (i forget which model number... they were all black with relatively flat cups and a long spiral cord) for about four years. because of the open-air design of the grados that bryan4 mentioned, i would use these sonys at school when i worked in the lab. they sounded just as good as the grados, since almost all of what i would listen to was mp3s. they also felt like big pillows on my ears and were a pleasure to wear for as long as i needed.
so, my advice is to invest at least $50 so you don't get garbage, but i can't stress enough how important the comfort factor is. especially if you're only going to be listening to mp3s, fidelity is not a prime concern.
note: the past tense "had", used with regard to the sony's... they were stolen from the computer lab while i was working on my final renderings at the end of spring semester last year. so somebody else is enjoying MY pillow headphones while i'm stuck here with these frickin grado's that make my ears feel like they're bleeding. :(
I agree, those small-ass dinky ones that come with most MP3 players like the ipod are horrible. They never stay put in my ears. Those Bose ones on display at the Apple store (and also pictured above) are really nice - light, cupping, and very comfortable.
the Grados do sound to be the best quality (did a little research) and they're pretty sexy machines, however i'm worried about the comfort factor. also, i plan on using these in the office so i don't want my co-workers rockin' with me.
The bigger headsets do kind of alienate you from your co-workers as well.
maybe i'll buy the grados for pluging into my guitar amp at home and get something smaller for the office.
I would also highly recommend the bose triport headphones. I will admit they are a little overpriced ($150), but they are so lightweight and comfortable that you can barely feel you have them on.
the sennheiser hd600s are the absolute best. you want the best? buy these. $450 but you can ebay them for about half that. it's like aural sex. i've had a pair for 2 years now (as has my studio mate) and we are constantly calling each other to ask if they really sound this good... you can hear fingers being moved over strgs and people breathing in recordings. pink floyd's "wish you were here", a disc i'd heard for years on cd was completely renewed for me when i listened to it on the sennies. you can hear the spaces around instruments with them.
I've been partial to the Koss Porta Pro. They're not too expensive (around $65 CDN) and they sound great. *The design hasn't changed and their price hasn't gone down in at least 10 years -- says something about their quality.
The best thing about them (other than sound) is their thin metal headband -- you can toss them in a backpack full of textbooks and they always come out fine. Plus they're super comfortable -- you can wear them for hours and hours without searing ear pain.
Alright, let's talk about wireless headphones. I hate having to keep taking on and then putting back on my headphones everytime I go to pick up something at the printer or even to swing over to a colleagues desk. I'm already strapped to my computer, let's not extenuate the situation by making a physical connection. I know Sennheiser has wireless too, but this brand is damn expensive. I'm willing to shell out $200 max on a nice pair of good-looking and good-sounding headphones. What do you guys have to say?
I have the Bose Triports and I like em alot. I got them for 2 reasons: they sound good, and the color matchs my Ipod Mini. I know I know, but it's so cool when you put them next to each other!
Mine are the SD 25, or similar (about £90 new). Everything is detachable and replacable, from cable, to phone, to headset.
They are practically fireproof and a must have for the urban survivalist on the groove.
Watch out for the ones with the back-folding ear pieces, when one ear piece is folded back you end up with hard plastic digging trenches in your scalp.
Sennheisers are awesome... but unless you're DJ'ing like BOTS go with an open air version for best fidelity. i had both an open ear set and a closed set and the open ones sounded much warmer and fuller across the freq range.
HD650s are mind/ear-blowing but will clean your wallet out. On a budget, try the 515 or the 477. Open air designs that'll sound nice.
Koss Porta Pros are ok but I think they look a bit too cheap for my taste.
If you're listening to mp3s, don't spend more than $80. You won't hear the diff. Or if they'll be used so they're at risk of being stolen/broken.
Good point on MP3. The fidelity is not there due to the compression so you won't notice the difference on quality headphones - in fact it bugs the hell our of me, quality speakers just highlight the frequency limits.
s'why i don't listen to mp3s if i can help it. was on vacation w/ a bunch of mp3s. got home and listened to my cds... started wondering if my ipod was broken. nope. just bad fidelity.
vinyl through nice solid wood speakers will never be beat.
architecturally speaking... it's like the difference between mdf and real solid wood.
people, please don't buy that bose tripod. I got it as a gift more than a year ago, and it just fell apart in 4 months. I did get the replacement, but it, again, fell apart in six months. I couldn't get it fixed or replaced, because its warranty got expired. If you don't believe it, you can check out the customers' reviews at Amazon. I mean, it sounds AWESOME, but heck, what's the point if it doesn't even last a year? Its casing is made out of very low-quality plastic, it couldn't hold metal sliding bar inside, and that's why it gets broken. Design flaw, man.
Back to the Sennheisers - if you buy them and *don't* then go on to buy some Technics 1210s, mixer of your choice, and every new record on a Monday, there is something wrong with your Sennheisers. Return them.
As for the MP3 quality issue, Ogg Vorbis is better, and plays through an iRiver (though not iPod), or you can Flack which is lossless, though requires you to go on and purchase a lot of optical DAC equipment.
Assuming that you dress as if your life depends upon it, wearing a pair of phat cans on the street will not phase you. Get Sennheisers, plug 'em into your shuffle, and shimmy on into the sunset.
i have a pair of panasonic rp-ht355. they're comfortable and sound pretty good. nothing too special...
BUT
they have a 12' long cord. they saved my ass in late-night studio because i was able to walk to a drawing and switch to my model area, not having to worry about the headphone jack ripping out of my laptop therefore causing everything to fall, crumble, and die.
while they may not be fanciest, most expensive, or produce the best sound quality, functionally they are brilliant for someone who has to get up often and move from one space to another.
I am a huge headphone-aphile and I LOVE my AKG K-81DJ cans.
I also own Grado SR80's (which I use at home every night) but, as it has been mentioned 100 times already, they are open backs so everyone can hear what you hear AND all the ambient sound goes into your ears as well.
I use my AKG's at the office and on the subway to and from work. I use them with my iPod. They sound amazing. Deep bass, great mids and highs. Fairly quick burn-in time.
I would reccomend them to anyone!
You could say that I'm an audiophile (my dad has a multi-thousand dollar high-end audio system), and of all the brand's that I've heard, AKG is way ahead of the competition, especially at almost any given price point. They have a natural, controlled sound. Beyerdynamic is probably second best.
I'm not a fan of Sennheiser, despite their reputation. They're the most popular specialty brand, but I find them to be too edgy and "artificial" sounding. Don't get Bose. Most hated brand of all audiophiles, and extremely overpriced (you pay for their advertising).
Everyone has their own ears, however, so nothing beats a personal listen.
I am in the market for a big fat pair of stereo headphones....is it true that noise canceling headphones are bad for you - or even worse than earbuds - in terms of how much noise your eardrum can/should absorb? Do you know what I mean?
Bitchin' headphones
what's a sweet brand of headphones? I want some real noisemakers, something that will cover most of my dome and vibrate my bod.
Sony MDR-D22. Research them here: AudioCubes
Very nice, very good sound.
thanks Rose
some great ones come free with an ipod!
i've got a pair with my ipod, they suck, they don't really fit in my ears and they shound like two tin cans rattling around.
oh, and they probably were included in the price of the ipod
GRADOLABS....none I've used yet sound better than these..
and they're very cool in their Retro styling...
Supercool
www.gradolabs.com
bose triport
Cambridge soundworks sometimes has sales on grado headphones
suture are you serious? the ipod headphones are terrible IMO... anyway, the bose pictured above are very comfortable, and the grados are very cool.
i would second a vote for grado. i've had mine for 10 years and they still sound perfect. last year they stopped working and i sent them back to the factory expecting to have to pay for the repair but they returned them a few days later working perfectly at no charge!
the only caveat of grado is that all of thier products (as far as i know) have an "open" design which lends itself to superior sound quality, but also lets everyone around you hear what you're listening to. this is true even at moderate volume levels, so i don't feel comfortable using them at the office. i also prefer smaller headphones at the office, as i feel people wearing huge cans at their desks look unapproachable and somewhat unprofessional. i have yet to find a set of headphones for the office (not earbuds) that are small, light, don't emit sound to the outside, and sound anywhere near as good as grado.
if you're listening to mp3's, the highest fidelity headphones in the world aren't going to help. mass sharing of music in small, easily transferable file formats has effectively lowered the standard of fidelity (which is fine because most people can't tell the difference between an mp3 recording and a CD, or wav recording anyway).
i've had a pair of grado sr80's for a few years now. yes, they are terrific headphones, but, for the most part, they only let me enjoy the general flatness of my mp3 collection. though they are nice when i pop in the occasional CD, they suffer from a very large drawback: they make my ears hurt like HELL after wearing them for more than a half-hour. my girlfriend has the same problem with them.
i also had a pair of sony dj headphones (i forget which model number... they were all black with relatively flat cups and a long spiral cord) for about four years. because of the open-air design of the grados that bryan4 mentioned, i would use these sonys at school when i worked in the lab. they sounded just as good as the grados, since almost all of what i would listen to was mp3s. they also felt like big pillows on my ears and were a pleasure to wear for as long as i needed.
so, my advice is to invest at least $50 so you don't get garbage, but i can't stress enough how important the comfort factor is. especially if you're only going to be listening to mp3s, fidelity is not a prime concern.
note: the past tense "had", used with regard to the sony's... they were stolen from the computer lab while i was working on my final renderings at the end of spring semester last year. so somebody else is enjoying MY pillow headphones while i'm stuck here with these frickin grado's that make my ears feel like they're bleeding. :(
I second that opinion on the iPod freebies...they suck!
I have these sone ones, which I love:
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=MDREX71SL%2fWK&Dept=pa&CategoryName=pa_Headphones_FontopiaEarbud
Personally I find Bose products overpriced, but the ones pictured above, are pretty good...if you're into that big headphone look! ;-)
Sony MDR-V900
Awesome sound for while at work. Worth every penny.
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=MDRV900&CategoryName=acc_Headphones_CDSeries/StudioMonitor&DCMP=CNET_DF&HQS=PA_MDRV900
Wanksta,
what G ipod do you have?
I agree, those small-ass dinky ones that come with most MP3 players like the ipod are horrible. They never stay put in my ears. Those Bose ones on display at the Apple store (and also pictured above) are really nice - light, cupping, and very comfortable.
suture
i have the 20 G ipod...maybe your ipod came with better headphones
thanks for all the advice...
the Grados do sound to be the best quality (did a little research) and they're pretty sexy machines, however i'm worried about the comfort factor. also, i plan on using these in the office so i don't want my co-workers rockin' with me.
The bigger headsets do kind of alienate you from your co-workers as well.
maybe i'll buy the grados for pluging into my guitar amp at home and get something smaller for the office.
I would also highly recommend the bose triport headphones. I will admit they are a little overpriced ($150), but they are so lightweight and comfortable that you can barely feel you have them on.
...and yes, those ipod earphones are terrible!
I've got my grados on right now and none of my neighbors have ever complained....Metallica's rocking out Sad But True...
so that is a non-issue...unless you've got superman's eardrums and are used to turning the volume knob to "are you insane"
Sennheiser for over ear open and closed headphones.
Etymotic for ear buds.
Make the investment. Good headphones can completely transform a $200 stereo system into what would cost $5k+ to do through speakers.
i believe that everyone should have the right to listen to MY music
hands down best headphones on the market.
http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/
and the best prices here.
http://www.headphone.com/layout.php
supermarket's almost right...
the sennheiser hd600s are the absolute best. you want the best? buy these. $450 but you can ebay them for about half that. it's like aural sex. i've had a pair for 2 years now (as has my studio mate) and we are constantly calling each other to ask if they really sound this good... you can hear fingers being moved over strgs and people breathing in recordings. pink floyd's "wish you were here", a disc i'd heard for years on cd was completely renewed for me when i listened to it on the sennies. you can hear the spaces around instruments with them.
need i go on?
the url...
i decided to go super cheap with my latest pair. i have no complaints.
panasonic.
I've been partial to the Koss Porta Pro. They're not too expensive (around $65 CDN) and they sound great. *The design hasn't changed and their price hasn't gone down in at least 10 years -- says something about their quality.
The best thing about them (other than sound) is their thin metal headband -- you can toss them in a backpack full of textbooks and they always come out fine. Plus they're super comfortable -- you can wear them for hours and hours without searing ear pain.
Koss PortaPro
Alright, let's talk about wireless headphones. I hate having to keep taking on and then putting back on my headphones everytime I go to pick up something at the printer or even to swing over to a colleagues desk. I'm already strapped to my computer, let's not extenuate the situation by making a physical connection. I know Sennheiser has wireless too, but this brand is damn expensive. I'm willing to shell out $200 max on a nice pair of good-looking and good-sounding headphones. What do you guys have to say?
I have the Bose Triports and I like em alot. I got them for 2 reasons: they sound good, and the color matchs my Ipod Mini. I know I know, but it's so cool when you put them next to each other!
Stax Electrostatic Earspeakers are the way to go.
http://www.stax.co.jp/
Don't be silly, Bose and Sony are mass market, not for audiophiles.
Sony MDR V700
great sound and can fold up easily and stash in my backpack.
Definitely the Sennheisers.
Mine are the SD 25, or similar (about £90 new). Everything is detachable and replacable, from cable, to phone, to headset.
They are practically fireproof and a must have for the urban survivalist on the groove.
Watch out for the ones with the back-folding ear pieces, when one ear piece is folded back you end up with hard plastic digging trenches in your scalp.
I'd go with the Sennheisers. Got a closed pair for mixing. They are the dogs.
a bit too good for in the office though...
Sennheisers are awesome... but unless you're DJ'ing like BOTS go with an open air version for best fidelity. i had both an open ear set and a closed set and the open ones sounded much warmer and fuller across the freq range.
HD650s are mind/ear-blowing but will clean your wallet out. On a budget, try the 515 or the 477. Open air designs that'll sound nice.
Koss Porta Pros are ok but I think they look a bit too cheap for my taste.
If you're listening to mp3s, don't spend more than $80. You won't hear the diff. Or if they'll be used so they're at risk of being stolen/broken.
Good point on MP3. The fidelity is not there due to the compression so you won't notice the difference on quality headphones - in fact it bugs the hell our of me, quality speakers just highlight the frequency limits.
s'why i don't listen to mp3s if i can help it. was on vacation w/ a bunch of mp3s. got home and listened to my cds... started wondering if my ipod was broken. nope. just bad fidelity.
vinyl through nice solid wood speakers will never be beat.
architecturally speaking... it's like the difference between mdf and real solid wood.
people, please don't buy that bose tripod. I got it as a gift more than a year ago, and it just fell apart in 4 months. I did get the replacement, but it, again, fell apart in six months. I couldn't get it fixed or replaced, because its warranty got expired. If you don't believe it, you can check out the customers' reviews at Amazon. I mean, it sounds AWESOME, but heck, what's the point if it doesn't even last a year? Its casing is made out of very low-quality plastic, it couldn't hold metal sliding bar inside, and that's why it gets broken. Design flaw, man.
Back to the Sennheisers - if you buy them and *don't* then go on to buy some Technics 1210s, mixer of your choice, and every new record on a Monday, there is something wrong with your Sennheisers. Return them.
As for the MP3 quality issue, Ogg Vorbis is better, and plays through an iRiver (though not iPod), or you can Flack which is lossless, though requires you to go on and purchase a lot of optical DAC equipment.
Assuming that you dress as if your life depends upon it, wearing a pair of phat cans on the street will not phase you. Get Sennheisers, plug 'em into your shuffle, and shimmy on into the sunset.
i have the sony mdr-d22s and they are really good i think. Plus the way they fold up is pretty cool.
I back the Bose triports. Great sound and lightweight. I bought mine on ebay for like 110 rather than than the 150+tax you will pay in a store
i have a pair of panasonic rp-ht355. they're comfortable and sound pretty good. nothing too special...
BUT
they have a 12' long cord. they saved my ass in late-night studio because i was able to walk to a drawing and switch to my model area, not having to worry about the headphone jack ripping out of my laptop therefore causing everything to fall, crumble, and die.
while they may not be fanciest, most expensive, or produce the best sound quality, functionally they are brilliant for someone who has to get up often and move from one space to another.
I don't think anyone has mentioned AKG yet??
I am a huge headphone-aphile and I LOVE my AKG K-81DJ cans.
I also own Grado SR80's (which I use at home every night) but, as it has been mentioned 100 times already, they are open backs so everyone can hear what you hear AND all the ambient sound goes into your ears as well.
I use my AKG's at the office and on the subway to and from work. I use them with my iPod. They sound amazing. Deep bass, great mids and highs. Fairly quick burn-in time.
I would reccomend them to anyone!
give em enough cord...
way to piss on my parade
Fact: Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.
Enjoy.
SKULLCANDY - dont know about the quality but the name kicks ass
meez, is that TRUE!?!?!
Oh man. I wear headphones most of the day!
You could say that I'm an audiophile (my dad has a multi-thousand dollar high-end audio system), and of all the brand's that I've heard, AKG is way ahead of the competition, especially at almost any given price point. They have a natural, controlled sound. Beyerdynamic is probably second best.
I'm not a fan of Sennheiser, despite their reputation. They're the most popular specialty brand, but I find them to be too edgy and "artificial" sounding. Don't get Bose. Most hated brand of all audiophiles, and extremely overpriced (you pay for their advertising).
Everyone has their own ears, however, so nothing beats a personal listen.
I love the word 'bitchin.' I still use it just as I did growing up in the early 90s.
I am in the market for a big fat pair of stereo headphones....is it true that noise canceling headphones are bad for you - or even worse than earbuds - in terms of how much noise your eardrum can/should absorb? Do you know what I mean?
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