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[davidcotton]

Haha, okay, that's reassuring. My Klipsch S4 were 80$ so I'm sure at 170$, Westone 2 is leagues better. I'm just wondering what I should get; Klipsch Image X10i (230$) sounds appealing and it's their top IEM, as far as I know. Also, what's the difference between Westone 3 and UM3X?

Maybe I can help a little having had both the klipsch x10i and Westone 2.

Don't really know what you listen to but I prefer the sound of the westone to the klipsch, and I tend to listen to a lot of rock/metal type music. The Westone 2 gives up a little bass to the top range tier but thats it. Main reason I got the klipsch was a)was curious and b)it was on offer at the time. One other thing to note is that the westone has bomb proof construction as well as a decent guarantee. Whilst the klipsch has a few reported cable failings. Both are small and easy to fit (having said that I did get both remolded into customs by fisher, sadly I have to wait another week to get the fit sorted out but thats the risk of customs)and offer great isolation if that's required. Both run fine out of an 3rd gen Ipod touch that I use without any need for an amp.

The main differences between westone 3 and um3x is that the um3x is designed more for the stage artists, it also has a slightly different designed body/shell to the 3. The westone 3 is aimed more at the consumer with bigger bass etc.

Here's a couple of threads from headfi that may or may not help, happy reading :-

http://www.head-fi.org/t/458399/westone-2-true-fit-iem-appreciation-impressions-thread

http://www.head-fi.org/t/382767/westone-3-impressions-and-appreciation-thread

http://www.head-fi.org/t/422240/westone-um3x-appreciation-thread

Cheers

 

[Trojita]

So instead of a portable AMP, would my Pioneer Elite VSX-21TXH Receiver do a good/better job? I'll be using a ATH-AD700 and a Sennheiser HD598 with it.

 

[FoxSpirit]

My question is; Should I deselect the Linear PCM options that are not supported by my amp. or is the PS3 smart enough to figure out which frequency is the best to output at for my amp?
Octavart the One

Lastly, as phenomenal as the sound is, the HD 650s sure dont win in the looks dept.

I find them quite stylish, to be honest

Oh yeah, from my experience, the PS3 and DAC simply decide on the compatible rate. I set up all my options for linear PCM on the PS3 but those are weird modes. So in game it always runs with the 48kHz. No problem with that though I do wish for a 24-bit upscale :-\
So no harm done there.

 

[mike23]

Hmm. Will my Onkyo HT-6200 receiver work with high impedance headphones without an amplifier? Specifically, I saw the Beyerdynamic DT 990 which is 250 ohms. I looked through the manual but I can't find anything specific about headphone impedance.

I may as well ask for a recommendation while I'm here as well. I'm looking in the ~$200 area, but I wouldn't mind bumping up a bit if it was worth it. Closed headphones, with some sort of fabric ear cushions. I don't really know anything about headphones, to be honest. So take that into consideration.

Sennheiser HD 598 look promising.
AKG K702 look pretty good too, more expensive though. $279 vs $259
K701 White looks cooler, but is $20 more than the 702s


I currently have Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones right now. I like them, but the ear cushion material annoys me, plus the cushions are damaged. I just saw that it only costs 18 bucks for replacements, so if I can't get a reasonable bump in quality for the new headphones, I'll probably just stick with the 280s.


Also, is there such a thing as good wireless headphones in the $200 range? I'm not a huge fan of wires, but I'm not willing to go backwards in sound quality.

 

[LordCanti]

Hmm. Will my Onkyo HT-6200 receiver work with high impedance headphones without an amplifier? Specifically, I saw the Beyerdynamic DT 990 which is 250 ohms. I looked through the manual but I can't find anything specific about headphone impedance.

I may as well ask for a recommendation while I'm here as well. I'm looking in the ~$200 area, but I wouldn't mind bumping up a bit if it was worth it. Closed headphones, with some sort of fabric ear cushions. I don't really know anything about headphones, to be honest. So take that into consideration.

Sennheiser HD 598 look promising.
AKG K702 look pretty good too, more expensive though. $279 vs $259
K701 White looks cooler, but is $20 more than the 702s


I currently have Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones right now. I like them, but the ear cushion material annoys me, plus the cushions are damaged. I just saw that it only costs 18 bucks for replacements, so if I can't get a reasonable bump in quality for the new headphones, I'll probably just stick with the 280s.


Also, is there such a thing as good wireless headphones in the $200 range? I'm not a huge fan of wires, but I'm not willing to go backwards in sound quality.

I've heard good things about the RS 180's from Sennheiser (like $200 on Amazon, last I checked).

As for whether or not you'll get a boost from the 280's, it really depends. Almost any open headphone in the $200+ range (except for beats/bose, etc) is going to have an advantage over the closed 280's.

I've got the K701's and I love them, but they aren't for everyone (they aren't bass heavy at all, which a lot of people dislike). I've also got a pair of 555's on hand (modded to 595's) and friends that can't tell the difference between the two pairs. If your hearing isn't pretty great, and you don't know what you're listening for, spending the extra money is foolish.

If your receiver has a headphone amp built in, they should be able to drive a higher impedence set fairly well. Not the same as a standalone amp, but again, unless you've got a trained ear, the chances of you telling the difference are slim anyway.

Oh, and the 598's seem like a waste of money to me. Seem to be in the same housing at the 555's/595's (with obvious visual changes. I'll admit that they look fantastic) but at a much higher cost. For the price, they should sound more like the 600's than the 555's (if they do and I'm out of the loop, I digress).

 

[Trojita]

I got my 598's for $180.

 

[LordCanti]

I got my 598's for $180.

I got my 555's for $80. I really should do more research on the subject, but if the driver in the 598's is the same as the driver in the 555's, that is $100 for a nice paint job. If the driver isn't the same (and it very well may not be, I don't know) then I'm flatly wrong of course. I'm googling around, and the general opinion seems to be that the 598's are pretty close to the 595's (which are themselves identical to the 555's mostly, except for a piece of sound destroying foam in the 555's, which is easily modded out)

If it is the same driver, it's very low impedance, which means it's basically designed for iPod's, and to be put directly into a computer/CD player/etc. Amping them won't provide a big boost in sound quality.

 

[Tattooth]

I had a pair of meelectronics m11s die on me last week, they were the best IEMs I had ever used. So, I ordered a pair of Yuin PK3s, and was very skeptical of the quality. I got them today and, I could not be more impressed, they sound better than my large Sennheiser headphones!

Are there better foam earbud covers out there? I could see these Yuin ones getting a bit uncomfortable after a long time

 

[Trojita]

I got my 555's for $80. I really should do more research on the subject, but if the driver in the 598's is the same as the driver in the 555's, that is $100 for a nice paint job. If the driver isn't the same (and it very well may not be, I don't know) then I'm flatly wrong of course. I'm googling around, and the general opinion seems to be that the 598's are pretty close to the 595's (which are themselves identical to the 555's mostly, except for a piece of sound destroying foam in the 555's, which is easily modded out)

If it is the same driver, it's very low impedance, which means it's basically designed for iPod's, and to be put directly into a computer/CD player/etc. Amping them won't provide a big boost in sound quality.

I was replying to the earlier post saying they were in the 200's. The sound difference and look of them are enough for me and I hope I enjoy them.

 

[LordCanti]

I was replying to the earlier post saying they were in the 200's. The sound difference and look of them are enough for me and I hope I enjoy them.

I love my 555's, so if the sound signature is similar, you will probably enjoy them. They look fantastic in any case.

 

[Keylime]

So...just returned the Etymotic HF3s. After listening to them all day, the lack of solid bass just really killed the feel of 90% of the music I listen to.

Best Buy pretty much had nothing that I wanted after that, so I ended up going to the Apple Store. Lots of great options there, but I ran into those awesome looking Incase Sonics that you guys were posting about before...and they were so incredibly sexy that I had to buy them.

The bass is definitely kicking in these cans, perhaps a bit more than it should. My music is making me feel good again, though, so the balance on these are more catered to my style audibly. Clarity honestly doesn't seem as good as the Etymotics, but to me those IEMs were just lacking character where these are not.

Probably going to be the most comfortable set of headphones I'll ever own. These things are both snug and soft.

Minimally these pass the sexy test...need to spend more time with them to determine just how much better the sound is than my Triports or Beats Solos. I'm hoping that these will prove to be a solid set of cans by the general groups standards...hard to tell right now because reviews are few and far between on these.

A pic of the sexy (since the ones posted in that review linked earlier are shit colors):

 

[Geneijin]

I got my 555's for $80. I really should do more research on the subject, but if the driver in the 598's is the same as the driver in the 555's, that is $100 for a nice paint job. If the driver isn't the same (and it very well may not be, I don't know) then I'm flatly wrong of course. I'm googling around, and the general opinion seems to be that the 598's are pretty close to the 595's (which are themselves identical to the 555's mostly, except for a piece of sound destroying foam in the 555's, which is easily modded out)

If it is the same driver, it's very low impedance, which means it's basically designed for iPod's, and to be put directly into a computer/CD player/etc. Amping them won't provide a big boost in sound quality.

Actually, they're more similar to the HD558 on head-fi reportedly; hence, the HD558 mod you'll hear about, similar to the HD555 mod.

Edit: Also, the HD598 has an impedance of 50 ohms while the HD555 is 120 ohms. Amping greatly improves the HD555 more than the HD598.

Edit2: http://www.headfonia.com/sennheisers-new-hd558-and-hd598/3/

 

[The Main Event]

So...just returned the Etymotic HF3s. After listening to them all day, the lack of solid bass just really killed the feel of 90% of the music I listen to.

Best Buy pretty much had nothing that I wanted after that, so I ended up going to the Apple Store. Lots of great options there, but I ran into those awesome looking Incase Sonics that you guys were posting about before...and they were so incredibly sexy that I had to buy them.

The bass is definitely kicking in these cans, perhaps a bit more than it should. My music is making me feel good again, though, so the balance on these are more catered to my style audibly. Clarity honestly doesn't seem as good as the Etymotics, but to me those IEMs were just lacking character where these are not.

Probably going to be the most comfortable set of headphones I'll ever own. These things are both snug and soft.

Minimally these pass the sexy test...need to spend more time with them to determine just how much better the sound is than my Triports or Beats Solos. I'm hoping that these will prove to be a solid set of cans by the general groups standards...hard to tell right now because reviews are few and far between on these.

A pic of the sexy (since the ones posted in that review linked earlier are shit colors):

Nice. Thanks for the impressions. Looking forward to them in Canada.

 

[Gila]

So...just returned the Etymotic HF3s. After listening to them all day, the lack of solid bass just really killed the feel of 90% of the music I listen to.

Best Buy pretty much had nothing that I wanted after that, so I ended up going to the Apple Store. Lots of great options there, but I ran into those awesome looking Incase Sonics that you guys were posting about before...and they were so incredibly sexy that I had to buy them.

The bass is definitely kicking in these cans, perhaps a bit more than it should. My music is making me feel good again, though, so the balance on these are more catered to my style audibly. Clarity honestly doesn't seem as good as the Etymotics, but to me those IEMs were just lacking character where these are not.

Probably going to be the most comfortable set of headphones I'll ever own. These things are both snug and soft.

Minimally these pass the sexy test...need to spend more time with them to determine just how much better the sound is than my Triports or Beats Solos. I'm hoping that these will prove to be a solid set of cans by the general groups standards...hard to tell right now because reviews are few and far between on these.

A pic of the sexy (since the ones posted in that review linked earlier are shit colors):

How's the isolation? Leakage?

 

[LordCanti]

Actually, they're more similar to the HD558 on head-fi reportedly; hence, the HD558 mod you'll hear about, similar to the HD555 mod.

Edit: Also, the HD598 has an impedance of 50 ohms while the HD555 is 120 ohms. Amping greatly improves the HD555 more than the HD598.

Edit2: http://www.headfonia.com/sennheisers-new-hd558-and-hd598/3/

I'm not disputing any data Head-Fi has on the 598's (I've read posts claiming the 598's were identical in sound to the 595's, but no proof is ever given), but as far as the 555's go, amplification doesn't really do a whole lot. I've tried my 555's through a bunch of amps, and it doesn't really make a difference. You can color the sound with tube amplifiers, but on a mechanical level, I don't think the 555's need the additional power from a dedicated amp. I certainly wouldn't spend more than the headphones themselves to amp them.

I'd say an amplifier (unless it's really cheap, like a fiio) is a waste of money for a pair of 555's. I say this as someone that loves their 555's for daily use (mostly for comfort. They are really comfortable.)

Edit: I read your link. With those pictures, I'm now convinced that the 598's are identical to the 595's, at least acoustically (meaning they're the same as the 555's as well). Sennheiser is still up to their old tricks with the piece of bass destroying foam inside the ear cups. They can say that the impedance is lower all they want, but they look exactly the same.

 

[Keylime]

How's the isolation? Leakage?

Isolation isn't very strong, maybe a 10-20% reduction in outside noise. Leakage when they are on your head is noticeable as well. Someone sitting next to you on the train would definitely hear it.

Just found out that the cups adjust up and down (thought they were fixed). Centering them on my ears helped balance the sound a lot more.

Listening to dub and electro music with these on makes me so happy. The bass I was so dearly missing on the HF3's are back and they don't appear to be murdering the other tones when it's thumping unlike my Beats. Still think the Etymotic HF3's had better overall clarity...but with them on I could hear the music, but not feel it. I think the Sonics may sacrifice a little bit of "hear" to get a lot more "feel" which is a much better balance for my tastes.

Admittedly I do wish the isolation/leakage was better since I plan to use these on the train daily...we'll see how they hold up to the daily commute test next week.

 

[HiResDes]

Comparing headphones to earphones isn't really right anyway.

 

[Geneijin]

I'm not disputing any data Head-Fi has on the 598's (I've read posts claiming the 598's were identical in sound to the 595's, but no proof is ever given), but as far as the 555's go, amplification doesn't really do a whole lot. I've tried my 555's through a bunch of amps, and it doesn't really make a difference. You can color the sound with tube amplifiers, but on a mechanical level, I don't think the 555's need the additional power from a dedicated amp. I certainly wouldn't spend more than the headphones themselves to amp them.

I'd say an amplifier (unless it's really cheap, like a fiio) is a waste of money for a pair of 555's. I say this as someone that loves their 555's for daily use (mostly for comfort. They are really comfortable.)

I haven't listened to the HD555 much, but when they're underpowered, the sound is very, very laid-back and distant compared to when they're amped properly. And no, it's not the Senn Veil I'm mistaking it for. I found the HD555 needs more power than the AKG K271 to reach its potential. You're probably right the difference isn't that much, but the difference is more noticeable to me than an unamped AKG K271.

Edit: I read your link. With those pictures, I'm now convinced that the 598's are identical to the 595's, at least acoustically (meaning they're the same as the 555's as well). Sennheiser is still up to their old tricks with the piece of bass destroying foam inside the ear cups. They can say that the impedance is lower all they want, but they look exactly the same.

With how much people are talking about the HD598 being unlike the traditional Senn sound, I don't think it's another HD555 case unless proven otherwise.

 

[Keylime]

Hmm...the sound leakage/isolation thing is going to be an issue with these. On the train this morning I was worried to up the volume to levels high enough to drown out the white noise without distracting the passengers around me.

Think I'm going to REALLY get the AiAiAi TMA-1's instead of just talking about it. Placed my order on Amazon just now and will be returning the InCase Sonics tonight. Great looks. Great comfort. Solid bass. Good overall sound. Poor isolation/leakage issues. Would be great for around the house, but on the go they are a bit too open for my day to day use.

For my needs, the isolation provided by the TMA-1 will likely do the trick while keep the clean aesthetic.

Bummer, because the looks of the Sonics are incredibly awesome. I'm going to want lime green accents on my TMA-1s when they arrive

 

[LCfiner]

If you require maximum isolation, you may need to stick to IEMs instead of on-ear portable headphones.

I have read many good things about the bass levels in the sennheiser IE8. they are supposed the pretty great IEMs. just a thought

 

[Keylime]

I think after getting the HF3's, they spelled out pretty clearly again to me that I'd probably require custom molds to get the right seal since my ears are different shapes on each side and a good seal typically has been too tight, but produced good sound at the expense of comfort.

These AiAiAi should offer significantly better isolation from everything I've read, carry a very similar aesthetic and have been proven by reviewers to be a solid set. Maximum isolation isn't so much the goal as just "good" isolation. The Sonics didn't really offer much in terms of isolation making them a little less than ideal for my day to day commute. My Solo HDs were great as far as isolation/leakage were concerned, and I'm guessing that the AiAiAi's are comparable to that with much better sound quality.

 

[LCfiner]

It seems like you had a similar reaction to IEMs that I did. I figured my case was rare but, yeah, while the IEMS could feel comfortable in the outer ear, I never felt super comfortable in the inner ear.

Look forward to your TMA-1 impressions. they appear to be up your alley, as they’re bass heavy but don’t sacrifice too much clarity.

 

[Somnid]

I need some recommendations.

My main set of headphones are Senheiser HD280pros. While I love them the isolation is almost too good. Basically I got them in college to drown out noisy roommates. Now I'm more likely to use them at home or in the office in typically quiet settings and I can't hear shit around me. I'd like a set that's more open so I can hear when people try to get my attention, and also have better breathability (if I use my 280s for more than an hour the lack of air circulation and heat can feel choking).

Can anyone recommend a set of about the same or better quality that's a bit more open? I'm still a little concerned about leakage of open sets because while I'd like noise in I want as little to bleed out and annoy others. My budget is about $100. I'd be willing to sacrifice on sound quality to get my usage requirements as well.

 

[LordCanti]

I need some recommendations.

My main set of headphones are Senheiser HD280pros. While I love them the isolation is almost too good. Basically I got them in college to drown out noisy roommates. Now I'm more likely to use them at home or in the office in typically quiet settings and I can't hear shit around me. I'd like a set that's more open so I can hear when people try to get my attention, and also have better breathability (if I use my 280s for more than an hour the lack of air circulation and heat can feel choking).

Can anyone recommend a set of about the same or better quality that's a bit more open? I'm still a little concerned about leakage of open sets because while I'd like noise in I want as little to bleed out and annoy others. My budget is about $100. I'd be willing to sacrifice on sound quality to get my usage requirements as well.

Pretty much any pair of open headphones is going to let sound leak out. There are so called "semi-open" headphones, but there really isn't an industry standard for just how open they should be, or how much sound they should allow.

I've never seen a chart comparing the sound leakage of various headphones. When I need to hear what is going on around me, I usually just only insert one IEM, or have only one ear cup over my ears.

 

[Trojita]

How much were the ESW-9's, msrp and the sale price? I can't them at a decent price or in stock.

 

[LCfiner]

How much were the ESW-9's, msrp and the sale price? I can't them at a decent price or in stock.

msrp is 300. I bought from for 220 from authorized reseller beach audio (via amazon). some places will sell them for 200.

there are lots of fakes for this headphone since they are quite popular so be wary of anything under 200.

 

[kamspy]

HiRes, steer me to some cheap earbuds that will make my brain vibrate.

 

[Keylime]

Who likes a twist?! Cancelled my Amazon order of the AiAiAi TMA-1s because I'M FUCKING IMPATIENT!

Was walking around the mall some more and walked into a RadioShack of all places and saw a set of V-Moda on-ear headphones. "WTF" I think to myself. I loved my V-Moda buds a long time ago before they were stolen...let's see what these are all about.

Stand in front of the headphones that are locked on the rack and just Google my ass off trying to find impressions of these (apparently also fairly new). Reading around it looked like everyone was saying they were a solid set, and sturdy as hell (apparently passing some military level test? Does that matter? I don't know!).

Cancelled my Amazon order and bought these because I want headphones now...not in 3 days. What a dumb character trait I have...but I digress.

These bitches are a happy medium between all three sets of phones I've been talking about: Beats Solo HD, Etymotic HF3 and Incase Sonics. The Beats were thumping bass with little else, but good isolation. Etymotic had great clarity, but so little bass it took me out of the music. Sonics had a more balanced natural EQ with a bit of emphasis on the bass, but offered next to no isolation.

Enter the V-Moda Crossfade M80s. Isolation almost on par with the Beats, bass more full than the Sonics, and better mid-to-upper clarity than everything minus the HF3s. Comfort is great. Style is sexy. Come with a crazy hard case. Happy Rubx.

These are going to be my new cans, as they pretty much fit everything I was looking for.

The sex:

Edit: God fucking damn do these sound good. Tron: Reconfigur3d sounds so much more atmospheric than it ever has.

Double Edit: The bass is definitely cleaner...in a good way. Instead of most bass sounds just being reduced to a rumble, you can hear the nuance in the sound itself. Bass doesn't literally rock your head like the Beats do, but the bass is definitely featured in the way I need it to.

Triple Edit: Wife says that the headphones don't leak nearly as much as the Sonics did. I'm wearing them as she's watching TV and she said that she doesn't even notice I'm listening to music until she's fast forwarding through the commercials. These should pass the daily commute test with flying colors. There is some leakage, no question, but much much much better than the Sonics. Isolation is good enough that white noise is sufficiently reduced.

The Quattro: Beatles music sounds great. The stereo recordings really let you hear each instrument clearly and the guitars sound bright, the drums sound clean and the bass twangs when Paul is twanging, and offers great body when he's just root noting...piano sounded a bit faded admittedly, but overall the Beatles have never sounded better. Mmhmm...

 

[K.Jack]

Amazon Prime gets me my desired gear next day.

:smug-shrug

 

[x3sphere]

Actually, they're more similar to the HD558 on head-fi reportedly; hence, the HD558 mod you'll hear about, similar to the HD555 mod.

Edit: Also, the HD598 has an impedance of 50 ohms while the HD555 is 120 ohms. Amping greatly improves the HD555 more than the HD598.

Edit2: http://www.headfonia.com/sennheisers-new-hd558-and-hd598/3/

Early versions of the 555 were 120 ohms. New 555s are 50 ohm. They switched over a looong time ago too. I bought 555s back in like 08 and they were not 120 ohms.

 

[Gila]

AKG K142HD is on sale for $81 apparently, It isn't working for me - probably cause I'm in Canada. But you US Gaf should check it out

 

[Geneijin]

Early versions of the 555 were 120 ohms. New 555s are 50 ohm. They switched over a looong time ago too. I bought 555s back in like 08 and they were not 120 ohms.

Edit: Did not know about that.

I must have unknowingly got an older model then. Bought the HD555 last year at EE when they had that deal, and I'm pretty sure the impedance was 120 since I recently amped the pair properly this time.

 

[Keylime]

Amazon Prime gets me my desired gear next day.

:smug-shrug

I could have went this route, but we are heading up north for the weekend tonight so the cans would arrive while I was gone and some fool would end up jacking my pimp-phones!

I'm way too impatient...it's something I need to work out, although it does have it's uses.

 

[LordCanti]

Edit: Did not know about that.

I must have unknowingly got an older model then. Bought the HD555 last year at EE when they had that deal, and I'm pretty sure the impedance was 120 since I recently amped the pair properly this time.

They'd certainly need more amping at 120 than 50. I guess I have the 50 version, which explains why amping doesn't really improve them.

I have no doubt that the driver inside the 598 is exactly the same as the 555/595. People experiencing different sound quality are probably comparing a broken in pair of 555/595's to a brand new pair of 598's. Obviously there would be a difference.

 

[noah111]

Using in-ear headphones is like getting raped by a celebrity. The penetration might not feel right, but the quality is just so good.

I bought the Philips 'pure clarity' (SHE9620) and am enjoying them over what I have been using for several years which is the Apple/iPhone/iPod earbuds. Only thing I kinda miss of course is the mic & playback controls.

Never really liked in-ear stuff but I am getting used to it as it's worth the great sound quality.

Are these earbuds good or am I still missing out? Recommendations of some national (perhaps more easy to find) in-ear sets would be appreciated!

 

[LCfiner]

I could have went this route, but we are heading up north for the weekend tonight so the cans would arrive while I was gone and some fool would end up jacking my pimp-phones!

I'm way too impatient...it's something I need to work out, although it does have it's uses.

Nice cans, dude. I did not like a pair of older V-moda IEMs that I got around 4 years ago so I soured on the brand but I’ve read pretty much only positive things about these M80s. seems like a good buy for your needs.

 

[Trojita]

I got my HD598's last night. I won't be able to try them out until tonight. Is there anything I should play in general to burn them in? Or is anything fine? How long should they take to burn in?

I was reading this article on audio science that was pretty interesting.

http://gilmore2.chem.northwestern.edu/articles/judging_art.htm

It's funny that low bass in lightweight headphones are nothing more than an illusion.

 

[HiResDes]

HiRes, steer me to some cheap earbuds that will make my brain vibrate.

Brainwavz M2 or Fischer Audio Eterna Rev. 1 or M31

Using in-ear headphones is like getting raped by a celebrity. The penetration might not feel right, but the quality is just so good.

I bought the Philips 'pure clarity' (SHE9620) and am enjoying them over what I have been using for several years which is the Apple/iPhone/iPod earbuds. Only thing I kinda miss of course is the mic & playback controls.

Never really liked in-ear stuff but I am getting used to it as it's worth the great sound quality.

Are these earbuds good or am I still missing out? Recommendations of some national (perhaps more easy to find) in-ear sets would be appreciated!

I'd like to think every in-ear or earbud contained within the OP is at least decent.

 

[x3sphere]

So I bought a pair of secondhand HD800s yesterday. Got a pretty good deal on them, $1k shipped, near mint with warranty intact. I've had a pair of HD650s up until now, for the past 3 years. Loved them, but wanted a different sound.

I only have an iBasso D10 as a amp right now, but will be pairing these with an Objective 2 when the boards start going out.

They arrive Wednesday, can't wait

 

[PumpkinPie]

Can you buy headphone...enclosures/ housings? (?) My Sennheisers sound great but they are battered, all the ear and head padding is breaking down and coming off. Could I transplant the innards into another housing?

 

[Alucrid]

Can you buy headphone...enclosures/ housings? (?) My Sennheisers sound great but they are battered, all the ear and head padding is breaking down and coming off. Could I transplant the innards into another housing?

Uh...what type of Sennheisers? I'd probably say they're disposable enough that you should just buy new ones.

 

[LordCanti]

I got my HD598's last night. I won't be able to try them out until tonight. Is there anything I should play in general to burn them in? Or is anything fine? How long should they take to burn in?

I was reading this article on audio science that was pretty interesting.

http://gilmore2.chem.northwestern.edu/articles/judging_art.htm

It's funny that low bass in lightweight headphones are nothing more than an illusion.

For what it's worth, I don't burn my headphones in. I just let that happen naturally. If you're intent on doing it though, I don't think it matters what you play through them. Not sure about the length, but it's probably longer than you'd want to spend not listening to your new headphones.

 

[PumpkinPie]

Uh...what type of Sennheisers? I'd probably say they're disposable enough that you should just buy new ones.

HD215, I wouldn't exactly call them disposable, they were expensive to me.

 

[LordCanti]

HD215, I wouldn't exactly call them disposable, they were expensive to me.

Higher end headphones usually have replacement ear pads and often replacement head bands. I doubt either exists for the $40 HD215's though. You may be able to get replacements directly from Sennheiser, but that is really your only hope.

Edit: Repairs (in the US) directly from Sennheiser are $30 ($10 less than a new pair, but I don't know if they charge shipping). They don't list replacement ear pads or headbands. Not much you can do.

 

[Rain_on_me]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with Skullcandy Hesh Paul Frank Headphones or Skullcandy Paul Frank Skullcrushers? I'm looking for a pair of decent headphones but I don't have a huge budget...

Any reviews/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Ashhong]

Please read the OP..

and pass on the Skullcandies

 

[Funky Papa]

Dear headphone-GAF,

I don't intend to burn 500 bucks nor I need some audiophile stuff for my lousy ears, I'm just looking for some decent, not too terrible travel headphones to use in transoceanic flights. I'm going to pair them with a laptop and a WinPho7 phone, so you get the idea.

Any particular recommendations?

 

[K.Jack]

Dear headphone-GAF,

I don't intend to burn 500 bucks nor I need some audiophile stuff for my lousy ears, I'm just looking for some decent, not too terrible travel headphones to use in transoceanic flights. I'm going to pair them with a laptop and a WinPho7 phone, so you get the idea.

Any particular recommendations?

Uh... so what is your budget?

 

[Funky Papa]

Uh... so what is your budget?

$120 tops?

I'm hardly an audiophile. Frankly, I'm not even sure if the question belongs to this thread, but I couldn't be arsed to create a new one and then get told to post here, eh.

 

[K.Jack]

$120 tops?

I'm hardly an audiophile. Frankly, I'm not even sure if the question belongs to this thread, but I couldn't be arsed to create a new one and then get told to post here, eh.

Check the Sennheiser HD555.