Headphones anyone ?

[SEAWOLF97]

these little guys getting better everyday. just took some breaking in period.

[Steve K]

Hi,

For noise cancelling headphones, so far the Bose Quiet Comfort 2 (now 3)is hard to beat. It has a switchable resistance setting for use with high gain or low gain sources. The sound is neutral with enough bass. If you're a frequent flyer, you can't go wrong with a pair. Oops, was I allowed to say this four letter word?

For earbuds, the Shure's excellent, but so is the Etymotics, i.e. ER6i.

If leaking sound is not an issue, the Grado SR6 or SR8 are great. These are also very efficient and have no problem playing music loud from iPods.

Hope this helped.
Steve K

[BMWCCA]

While we all love listening to our JBLs in a proper listening environment, sometimes it's not just possible. And yet we all still love our music. With a family of five in a small house, I've sometimes had to resort to using headphones. My favorite type is the fully enclosed variety and over the years I've really had a hard time finding any I liked any better than the Superex ST-Pro-B-Vs I've had since I was a kid. I paid up for them back then (they blew the Koss Pro 4As away) and they've certainly served me well for something like thirty-five years if not more. Alas, Superex is no more and their old digs in Yonkers is a real-estate office these days.

So, when it came time for me to buy a pair of enclosed headphones for my middle daughter to take to college a couple of weeks ago, I got interested in researching the topic a bit. Luckily for me she was happy with the first pair she tried, a $19.95 Sony set from our local Crutchfield store. They have a liberal 30-day return policy even if they don't allow any headphone auditions in the store anymore (hygiene, they say) rather than the next up Sennheisers for $49. Seeing cans priced beyond $400 got me wondering what you could get in the under-$100 range. So I hit the Internet.

One model that kept popping up was the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro, listed as a retail of $199, but with a street price of $99. I read the review at Headphone.com and another at Dansdata.com that seemed to be educated and complete. I was unable to find any review that didn't at least damn these with faint praise, yet all criticized them for a decided weak bass characteristic. So then I started shopping for price. Crutchfield had them listed on-line for $99 but they didn't have any in the store even to look at. I tried. On-line I found them for $79.99, plus shipping, and even a $79.99 w/free shipping at bav.com, but the free shipping was modeled after Amazon.com with a predicted 4-10 days. Then I came upon the old-semi-reliable J&R with a "click here for email low price". I did and they came back with $79.99 with a special link and included next day shipping via UPS at no additional cost. Tap, tap, and the order was done. Exactly two days and one-hour later they were delivered at my door.

First audition was plugged directly into a trusty Sony CDP-901 single-play CD loaded with Donald Fagen's Kamakiriad. Immediately I was grabbing for the volume control on the player to tame the assault on my ears. That was LOUD! Backed-off to half-way I was floored by how strong the bass was in these cans. So much that I put the old Superex back in for comparison on the same passage. All I can say is the Superex must be the D130s of all headphone, and the Senns the real LFs of the range. Then I tried the HD 280s in the Soundcraftsmen DX4200's headphone jacks, with about the same result. Just for fun I plugged them in next to the Crown PS400's monitor jack. For the short audition, the HD 280s sounded great (not much different than before, really) up to an extremely high level when they started to break up a bit, but the level was irritating enough already.

So what's up with the Internet experts, the graphs, and the ding for bass roll-off? Well, I next plugged them into my Powerbook G4 with iTunes and heard exactly what others had complained about. In fact it took some fiddling with the iTunes EQ to get the HD 280s to sound like much of anything, and I settled on the "Rock" setting as the most realistic (about a 6dB kick in both top and bottom extremes with a smooth curve). So, what's the deal? Do these reviewers sit there listening to their high-priced cans and pontificate using nothing other than an iPod for source material?

I know some of you may be due for some new cans, and I can recommend the Sennheiser HD 280s, so far, as an excellent choice for $80. I'd love to try some others in the $200-$400 range, or even those Euro-only aluminum Sony's, but in reality, when I took the Sennheisers off my ears and cranked up the Crown, even modern monitor headphones are no match at all for my 4412As, properly driven. And, for those of you who may recall, I thought those had overly accentuated bass at first. Of course that's what comes of listening to D130s in C37s in the 030 configuration for nearly fifty years!

If you want to get hold of the Sennheiser HD 280's quickly and efficiently for the best price I found, with free shipping, just follow this link to J&R's special unadvertised price. I have no affiliation with any of the reviewers, vendors, or manufacturers mentioned here other than to be completely happy with the service (and price) from J&R.

If anyone has any other headphone stories of success, recommendation, or warnings, feel free to jump all over this thread!

[SEAWOLF97]

I just read a discussion on Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's the other day.......

http://www.fatwallet.com/t/18/758873

I picked up a pair of AKG K-55 's and have been very impressed , comfortable
and very dynamic and was surprised to see on Parts Express that they were
on sale for about $30...really, no joke these are second in my collection only
to my expensive Senn Hd-580's.

[Ducatista47]

Well, I have enjoyed headphones a lot through the years. I admit that these days I only listen through them when my big rig is down for repair or modification.

I did start with Pro 4-A's back in the Hippie days, when I built my first "serious" system - Dynaco separates, Dual turntable with Shure cart, etc. Then in the late 1970's I discovered Stax. No turning back after that...

Stax is pretty pricey, but I have read of great NIB deals from Canada. I got a great NIB deal here in Peoria to bag my current pair, manufactured in the early 1980's I think.

I have spent many, many evenings over the last four decades enjoying music through headphones and could not think of single bad thing to relate about the entire experience. I find that I adapt very quickly - within an hour - to the different soundspace when I switch. Too bad there is not a wealth of binaural recordings out there to be had.

As if I were not already gung ho enough, having probably the world's best headphone amp, the Grommes PHI-26, certainly helps move the experience along nicely. It was voiced on Grado product, but brings out the best in everything I have tried on it.

Clark in Peoria

[Hoerninger]

If anyone has any other headphone stories of success, recommendation, or warnings, feel free to jump all over this thread!

I do second the usage of an electrostatic headphone. Today there seems to be no alternativ to Stax.
Although the whole thing is pricey a special amp (high voltage output) is highly recommended.

I prefer listening with open headphones, the sound is much clearer. And with the electrostatics I crawled in many sounds and music.
___________
Peter

[johnaec]

I recently picked up a pair of Sennheiser HD212Pro's that I really like. Less expensive than the 280's, but a great set for those that want to try them out.

John

[opimax]

I am looking for a head set to use riding a bicycle. I find the rushing noise of the wind quite loud and not enjoyable. If I turn my head almost sieways the noise goes away due to the different position of my ears.

What I was thinking of is some in ear buds which are noise canceling. In ears won't cause additional noise and noise canceling to get rid of the natural wind rush.

I haven't done any real research yet but does this seem right? can I get in ear noise cancelling ear buds, can i afford them? Sound quality is not as important as getting rid the the loud roar

thanks

Mark

[BMWCCA]

Is it safe to ride a bike in traffic with such isolation as the noise-reduction ear-buds are capable of? Just asking. I wouldn't do it on my motorcycle, though I do use ear-plugs for wind noise.

[00Robin]

Riding a bike with buds or headphones is NOT even a thought. For me anyway. Even really enjoying some good power walking with them has me craning my head around at times looking for what....triffids??? (for any one who watched the Day of the Triffids back in the early 60's)

I have a preference for complete over the ear jobs and they MUST be leather padded. They can still pull some sweat,but leather does help. And I don't dare if I look stupid,I want perfect sound.

Unfortunately sound vs headphones vs what they are plugged into whether it be your receiver,ipod,sonyMP3,or the now ancient disc player or portable radio,each has its own sound per headphone. Annoying.

For receiver and KurzweilPC88 privacy I like the Sennheiser and Sony studio variety,especially because they have a curled line I can hook on the music stand without fussing over the length. For my Sony MP3 and Ipod it HAS to tbe the Bose tri-ports. Leather around the ear and they are crispy and full of bass and not the fuzzy maddening kind. They all cost a hun or a little over,but as much as I would like to believe a $450 pair would be the "very best" when I listen to them I can't really tell. But maybe its because I have tried too many in too short of a time span to really be a good listener.

The ear buds I find to be maddeningly uncomfortable,but the younger people seem to love them.

[opimax]

I wouldn't know, won't ride in traffic, 95% rails to trails, no one around if lucky.

I know some people have the opinion it shouldn't be done at all but that is for another thread. This is about actually saving my hearing from the loud roar w/o wearing ear plugs (which should have the same effect as noise cancelling) and as always it is a matter of how the individual uses the technology. I don't have to turn the music up loud, especially if doesn't have to overcome wind noise. i (most likely) don't want to run into traffic and I take full responsibilty of my actions w or w/o headphones ,at all times and all my actions.

So do they make noise cancelling ear buds?

Mark

[Steve K]

I love headphones, too. I still own, I think 2 pairs right now. A Grado SR-80 and a AKG set. I say 'think' and can't remember the AKG's model name because they've been in storage for a few years already. The reason is simple. The eletronics I've got now don't have the jacks to plug them in, necessitating a separate headphone amp to be connected between the source (CD player) and the pre-amp. That's really too bad because there defnitely are times when headphones come in handy, like late at night when you still want to play your music loud, or when you want to be totally immersed in the music. So, while we're on the subject of headphones, how about recommendations on headphone amps, too?

[00Robin]

I wouldn't know, won't ride in traffic, 95% rails to trails, no one around if lucky.

I know some people have the opinion it shouldn't be done at all but that is for another thread. This is about actually saving my hearing from the loud roar w/o wearing ear plugs (which should have the same effect as noise cancelling) and as always it is a matter of how the individual uses the technology. I don't have to turn the music up loud, especially if doesn't have to overcome wind noise. i (most likely) don't want to run into traffic and I take full responsibilty of my actions w or w/o headphones ,at all times and all my actions.

So do they make noise cancelling ear buds?

Mark

Yes Sony does on their website.

[opimax]

thanks, don't suppose anybody has any experience with them...

I will check thir site


Mark

[00Robin]

thanks, don't suppose anybody has any experience with them...

I will check thir site


Mark

No,Mark,sorry but I personally do not. I JUST saw them on the site under MP3 stuff yesterday so they really are there. Sometimes when you call them the person you talk too is really truthful if you push them and ask about others that compare to them. If there are others.