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[Dilbert]

I just bought a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-A900s, and they are awesome:

Although they are far from being easily portable, the sound quality is excellent, the closed design means that I won't annoy my officemates with my music, and the low impedance (40-ohm) means that I can drive them well from my iPod without an external amplifier. Most importantly, they are the most comfortable headphones I've owned by a mile. (Supraural designs have always hurt my ears a lot; these are circumaural cans with a unique support mechanism to place some of the weight on the cross-band and minimize the amount of compressional force needed to keep them on the ears.)

What are you currently using?

 

[draven]

They're compact, have decent sound, and have a short cord (remote cord).

Plus I can easily ignore people with them.

 

[.hacked]

MDR-V700DJ

and

MDR-XD300

 

[pj]

Grado sr-125

They're very good, but they're uncomfortable and you can hear almost as much sound from the back as the front..

 

[karasu]

they're really comfortable.

 

[Particle Physicist]

this as good a thread as any to ask..

ive been looking for some decent NON-in-ear headphones for my ipod.. anyone have suggestions?

 

[Jado]

For outdoor and some home use (Sennheiser PX 100):

For home use only (Sennheiser HD 201):

Hooked up to computer (some Radioshack headset):

 

[hukasmokincaterpillar]

Sony's eternal MDR-V6s. Suckers will last you decades.

 

[truffleshuffle83]

any opniions on logitechs bluetooth headphones??

 

[JRPereira]

I use these.

http://www.alteclansing.com/product_details.asp?pID=AHS502I

They sound great (very clear, huge bass), but I need to buy some ear cusions for my glasses so I can wear them for longer periods of time.

 

[Forgotten Ancient]

@ work

Sennheiser HD 280 pro

I'm not a headphone aficionado, but these have done me well over the past 3+ years. They sound pretty good and are great at cancelling outside noise. I can have these turned up pretty loud and it doesn't sound like I'm listening to anything.

My pair is kinda beat up tho - the plastic at the top is cracked. Would someone recommend a better pair within a reasonable price ($100) range? I could use my current pair for home use.

 

[pixelated]

PRO4AAT
Bought it for music production really, but they are great for games like battlefield 2 with the voip

 

[Dilbert]

PX-100s are open-air designs, but if closed is important to you, try the PX-200s. I thought they had good sound quality, and they are FAR more portable than full-size cans.

 

[Jill Sandwich]

 

[Chairman85]

Shure e2c, Koss KSC-35, Sennheiser PX-100

 

[Forgotten Ancient]

I also have the Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator Earphones for my ipod. Outside of their knack for gathering earwax (gross!), they sound great. I decided to get this pair based on my fellow Gaffers last Spring.

 

[The Shadow]

I'm not much of an audiophile so the best of the cheap is good enough for me. Right now I use Sennheiser PX 100 but actually prefer the sound of my KOSS Porta Pros. The only reason I use the Sennheisers is because they're slightly more comfortable to wear.

For some reason I can't find a comfortable pair of headphones, at least ones that I'm really happy with. The best sounding headphones I've owned, the KOSS KSC-35's are consequently the most uncomfortable for me to wear so I don't even use them anymore.

I have some Sharp canal-phones that I bought from Japan that sound fantastic and are comfortable to wear but the ear goo is a concern. Plus, I don't know if I could use them for gaming since I think they'd be easy to blow out, being that the driver is so small.

 

[mrklaw]

are there any *good* surround sound headphones? Mostly only for games, but I want something I can use for Xbox 360 (and eventually PS3) at night

Can either connect to my amp (I have analog outs if necessary), or have its own decoder.


BTW, wouldn't it be nice for Xbox360 games to have a dolby headphone option?

 

[Ill Saint]

Grado SR225.

 

[truffleshuffle83]

bump for some wireless or bluetooth headphone help????? anyone

 

[belgurdo]

How much do these phones average? I want some for when I play PC games (CoD 2 is crazy with the sound pumped up, even on $10 computer speakers!) and my dinky Sony travel-phones and Radio Shack backups don't always cut the mustard

 

[Chony]

 

[cubicle47b]

Sennheiser HD 280 pro

Same here. Excellent sound quality and they're very comfortable unlike the Grado SR-60s.

 

[wandering goat]

For the most part, I'm using the Apple In-Ears with Sony EX71 tips, Apple 71s as I call them. The sound quality is excellent, and the only reason these don't get acclaim (a valid reason though) is that the included Apple tips make the headphones literally unusable. Other than that, they're the perfect portable headphones. Great sound quality (leagues beyond the EX71) with a surprising amount of detail and a richness to the instruments, good strong bass, some isolation but not too much with practically no leakage, great comfort and ease of use, small size / excellent portability, and (if it matters to you) they look stylish.

I also have the ATH A900s and they are indeed great. You can mod them very easily to make them quite a bit better (this softens the highs just a tad, stops the slight echo sound, and brings out the mids big time, which I found were too recessed originally.) Here's how to do it:

Pull off the padding and unscrew the headphones (I think there's 4 screws on each one) and take the two pieces (one will have the drivers and some foam stuff and the other will be empty) apart. They're connected by a wire, so don't pull them too far apart. Buy some regular blue-tac, roll it into an eyeball size ball, and flatten it with a rolling pin until it's roughly the size of the cup. Put this inside all over the base of the empty cup and stretch it so that it covers the whole area. This brings out the mids and takes away the echo, which I personally never heard though many people complain about it.

Then take a cotton ball, divide it in half about four times so that you have 1/16th of the ball, and stretch this out over the small circular area behind the driver. This softens the highs just a tad so that the sound is easier on the ears.

Then screw the cups back together and put the padding back on (this may take some patience, but it's not hard.) Repeat with the other side and voila, you have a perfect sounding headphone with very little work. It's hard to screw anything up and it's fully reversible, so if you feel up to it, give it a try.

 

[Hooker]

Grado SR-80 for the iPod
Sennheiser PC150 for the PC

 

[truffleshuffle83]

wow modding headphones!!!!!!!!!!!!! i truely am not an audiophile :lol

 

[reggieandTFE]

etymotic ER6i,

As mentioned above great ear buds except for the ear wax problem (more noticeable because of the clear/beige colored in ear pieces). I was a bit disappointed at first with the bass response, but once I moved from the flange ear pieces to the ear plug type ones, the low end has been much better. I've seen them for $80 online before so people should definitely look into them if they want some noise-blocking without having to have batteries and big old suitcases on your ears.

 

[cvxfreak]

I'm ashamed to be using the standard iPod earbuds because my old ones (that I bought in October) broke.

The ones that broke:

Hopefully I find the time to get them repaired (I lost the receipt) or buy a new pair.

 

[wandering goat]

wow modding headphones!!!!!!!!!!!!! i truely am not an audiophile :lol

Well, that's one of the harder ones to do, and it's still pretty easy. When you can get an increase in sound quality with minimal effort and without spending more money, I say why not go for it?

 

[Lemurnator]

I also have the Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator Earphones for my ipod. Outside of their knack for gathering earwax (gross!), they sound great. I decided to get this pair based on my fellow Gaffers last Spring.

AM I THAT GAFFER!?

I used to make many headphone threads. :3 I liked those, but I couldn't get over the fact that they felt like my ears were getting RAPED when I used them.

I prefer these. : ) Although the etymotics have the BEST isolation... :/ If only they fit well into my ears. ;_;

 

[The Shadow]

I'm ashamed to be using the standard iPod earbuds because my old ones (that I bought in October) broke.

What I don't get is how people keep using their Ipod earbuds when they obviously need to be replaced. There's been more than a couple people using them that have some major stripping going on. Like half a foot or more of exposed cord where the plastic coating came off.

By a new pair you cheap bastards.

 

[East Clintwood]

Sennheiser HD 650

 

[Forgotten Ancient]

AM I THAT GAFFER!?

I used to make many headphone threads. :3 I liked those, but I couldn't get over the fact that they felt like my ears were getting RAPED when I used them.

I prefer these. : ) Although the etymotics have the BEST isolation... :/ If only they fit well into my ears. ;_;

Yup, I think it was in a thread you started. How much were the phones you just listed? I like my etys a lot, but they can get a lil painful at times (and they sometimes feel weird when I'm trying to strain lifting weights). I plan on getting a second i-pod in the somewhat near future so I'll need a second set. Maybe I'll take your advice again...

...but, are you really drink crow? If so...I shouldn't let ya know that I also use my etys on my DS. :lol

 

[Anthropic]

I have one pair of Sony MDR-7506s:

I love these things...metal exterior, a great bag to carry them, and they fold up. The sound is great, and I love the subtle, yet strong bass. These are the first headphones where I've been able to hear things that I've never heard before on some recordings (like Dark Side of the Moon).

...And a pair of Grado SR60s. The SR60s sound great but I find them uncomfortable with my glasses, and then tend to annoy people around me with the open ear design.

 

[yoshifumi]

sennheiser hd-280s

although i don't really use them that much anymore now that i improved over my previous speaker situation

 

[Lemurnator]

Yup, I think it was in a thread you started. How much were the phones you just listed? I like my etys a lot, but they can get a lil painful at times (and they sometimes feel weird when I'm trying to strain lifting weights). I plan on getting a second i-pod in the somewhat near future so I'll need a second set. Maybe I'll take your advice again...

...but, are you really drink crow? If so...I shouldn't let ya know that I also use my etys on my DS. :lol

No, I'm not. If I were a lot more people would have been banned.

The Shure E3's are as much as $200 and as little as around $130-140 on the site I got mine from. Can't remember what it was called though but it used to be linked from headfi.

They're worth it, trust me. They're about 100 times more comfortable than the etys. Etys are more accurate and clinical sounding but they're also weaker.

 

[hukasmokincaterpillar]

I have one pair of Sony MDR-7506s:

I love these things...metal exterior, a great bag to carry them, and they fold up. The sound is great, and I love the subtle, yet strong bass. These are the first headphones where I've been able to hear things that I've never heard before on some recordings (like Dark Side of the Moon).

Same as my MDR-V6's I believe (not to be confused with the V600s). I agree, they really do bring out aspects you've never heard before. Great, accurate sound and solid bass. The double edged sword with lesser quality recordings is the warts tend to get revealed though.

Did you know those earcups can be replaced with Beyerdynamic's DT250/280 velour pads? They're 100% compatible with the 7506/V6s and can be bought seperately. Much comfier fit.

 

[Forgotten Ancient]

No, I'm not. If I were a lot more people would have been banned.

The Shure E3's are as much as $200 and as little as around $130-140 on the site I got mine from. Can't remember what it was called though but it used to be linked from headfi.

They're worth it, trust me. They're about 100 times more comfortable than the etys. Etys are more accurate and clinical sounding but they're also weaker.

:lol Thanks, and sorry about that. I guess I've missed out on the whole Lemurs is Drinky thing...

When I order my next mp3 player I'll probably check these out. Hopefully they'll be closer to the $130-$140 range you mentioned, but prices for good head/earphones don't drop nearly as much as standard devices.

 

[XMonkey]

I just bought a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-A900s, and they are awesome:

That's what I've got. Excellent headphones

 

[jobber]

at work

walking and at home

 

[Triumph]

Got a pair of shure E2Cs. I've been meaning to upgrade to the E4Cs but have been holding off for my company's next conference, where I hope to score a pair.

 

[Forsete]

Sony MDR EX71SL

 

[Triumph]

Sony MDR EX71SL

DON'T DO THAT TO YOUR EARS!!!!

 

[Hyoushi]

I also use

 

[fart]

sennheiser HD600 for home

ety er6 (not i) portable

the koss ksc-35/50/55/etc. and sennheiser px100 are my picks for the best portable value. nothing else really comes close with the utility that these headphones have. if you really have to have earbuds, track down a pair of cresyns (a lot of people find these uncomfortable - although the radioshack foamies help a lot) or sennheiser mx500 buds. ALL BUDS SOUND LIKE CRAP. keep in mind the phones above are open and leak like crazy (everyone hears what you hear)

if you're willing to compromise on things you can do a lot better in the sound department. grados are ace but cost more and will make you look like an alien (seriously). sony mdr-v6 (not 600) or sennheiser hd280 for high-q closed phone, but kind of bulky. the v6 are sturdier but less neutral. i've heard good things about the senn hd201 for cheap cheap closed phone, but they're crazy bulky and i imagine not too sturdy. canal-phones, if you can get them comfortable for you, are a dream to listen to, and the isolation is tops. some people like the shures. i'm partial to the etys myself. everything else in that range is super expensive.

for high-q closed phone that cost near as much as my hd600s, you'll have to ask someone else.

as always, http://www.head-fi.org !!!!111

 

[ghibli99]

Etymotic Research ER6:

I use the foam inserts, and they sound really good in the high/mid range, but these things lack bass, so they're only good if you have good bass management on whatever device or system you're using. I bought these since I realized I did most of my headphone listening while traveling by plane, and these things eliminate almost all ambient noise, and aren't too expensive.

Prior to this, I was using Sennheiser HD600:

These were awesome, but since my listening environment had a lot of ambient noise, their open-air design let in a lot of that. So, for classical music, jazz, and audiobooks, ambient disturbances would get a little too distracting. I regret selling these, but oh well.

 

[GG-Duo]

sony mdr-d33. hand-me-downs, but i really like'em

 

[Forsete]

DON'T DO THAT TO YOUR EARS!!!!

Hmm? Something I should know?

 

[fart]

Etymotic Research ER6:

I use the foam inserts, and they sound really good in the high/mid range, but these things lack bass, so they're only good if you have good bass management on whatever device or system you're using. I bought these since I realized I did most of my headphone listening while traveling by plane, and these things eliminate almost all ambient noise, and aren't too expensive.

Prior to this, I was using Sennheiser HD600:

These were awesome, but since my listening environment had a lot of ambient noise, their open-air design let in a lot of that. So, for classical music, jazz, and audiobooks, ambient disturbances would get a little too distracting. I regret selling these, but oh well.

to discover the er6 low end, you need amplification and a tight seal

 

[ghibli99]

to discover the er6 low end, you need amplification and a tight seal

Yep, I've read this, but the average portable CD/DVD player doesn't come with robust amplification and tone control, and the rubber flanged inserts are extremely uncomfortable to me. So, I'm somewhat screwed here. :lol