|
Author
|
Topic: looking for some damn good headphones
|
californiarockr
Assimilated
Member # 1986
Member Rated:
|
posted March 26, 2005 00:30
I need some good headphones, preferably (but not necessarily) the standard over your head soft padding covering your ears kind. I need some that have
A wide frequency response range
Low power requirements (will be using with an iPod Shuffle and an iBook with terrible battery life)
Some noise cancelling ability (could just be nice foam padding-- will be used on train)
Cool looks
Any suggestions? preferably, less than 100 USD
thanks
--------------------
lol
Posts: 361 | From: guess... :/ | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged
|
|
SilverBlade
Alpha Geek
Member # 3541
Member Rated:
|
posted March 26, 2005 01:17
Bang & Olufsen
Features:
Earphones hooked over the ear
Comfortable
High quality sound
Price: Around 100 USD
Sennheiser
Features:
All kinds of headphones and earphones!
Some headphones are cushioned with leather
Range of prices
Incredibly good sound quality
Especially...
Sennheiser HD 456-05177
Sony MDR-EX
Features:
Earphones that fit into the canal of the ears (= effective noise cancelling)
Black or white!
(There is a Panasonic equivilant which is cheaper, but I don't know about its quality)
Price: 46 USD
Bose Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones
Features:
Cushioned headphones
Unique noise cancelling system
Looks good!
Great sound quality
Price: .... 299 US
There are cheaper alternatives to that specific model on Bose, but you end up being able to hear the noise cancelling sound - well, I could anyway.
Happy headphones/earphones shopping!
--------------------
http://www.silver-blade.net
Posts: 303 | From: Hong Kong | Registered: Feb 2005
| IP: Logged
|
|
Rimaraf
Newbie Larva
Member # 2954
Rate Member
|
posted March 26, 2005 05:01
They're beyond your current budget, but the Etymotic ER4-P ear canal plugs are easily the best phones I've used, especially when used with the sponge inserts rather than the nylon ones.
--------------------
blog
Posts: 9 | From: UK | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged
|
|
dragonman97
SuperFan!
Member # 780
Member Rated:
|
posted March 26, 2005 08:32
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=koss+qz50
I like them - got the from work for offsite purposes, and presently this includes home. They take a single AAA for the noise cancellation, so it shouldn't be draining the iPod much. I'm using it on my Mac mini right now, and loving it. I found that in really loud situations, it doesn't necessarily do that much...or you don't really notice it as well (though it removes the shrillness of server fans). OTOH, while using it in quieter places, I've noticed that it practically drowns out the world - it takes a /lot/ to get my attention when I'm listening to iTunes with them. And for your purposes, they're also quiet affordable.
For lighter duty use, I'm very pleased with these:
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=koss+ktx-pro1
These are the everyday headphones I use at work (also not paid for by me - woo-hoo!), and they are pretty awesome. Ironically, the frequency range is a hair wider on these than on the above, so they're really quite comparable, and /very/ affordable.
--------------------
There are three things you can be sure of in life: Death, taxes, and reading about fake illnesses online...
Posts: 9052 | From: Westchester County, New York | Registered: May 2001
| IP: Logged
|
|
magefile
Highlie
Member # 2918
Member Rated:
|
posted March 26, 2005 14:16
The Etymotics Rimaraf mentioned are quite nice. I don't use them myself (I have a jack on my hearing aid that I can plug stuff into), but that's what I've heard. They also make "musician's earplugs" that, in theory, lower the volume without too much distortion - so you can still hear what's going on around you.
Disclaimer: the owner/founder's daughter is a friend of mine.
--------------------
Let them be stupid - the market will sort it out.
Posts: 743 | From: Massachusetts | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged
|
|
Brother Dysk
Geek Larva
Member # 3777
Rate Member
|
posted April 03, 2005 01:43
Now normally, I would shy away from recommending BOSE products (overpriced, bad midrange response, generally) but in this particular isntance, a pair of BOSE headphones (not earphones) may be what you're looking for, using them with your iPod. They've got pretty good bass response (good enough that your iPod will be the weakest link, at any rate) and get nearly saturated without the need of any external preamp - they're designed to get driven hard enough by mobile audio devices. Stay away from the Sennheiser HD series, even though they are the best headphones conceived and built by man - they won't anywhere near saturate in a mobile situation without a headphone amp (if you're willing to sink money into one of those, however, get yourself the most expensive pair of non-wireless Sennheisers your pocketbook allows).
One thing though - the noise cancelling on the BOSE 'phones is not the world's best - in quiet situations, you can probably "hear" or detect the cancelling signals. I believe you can disable it, and it's nice to have for lotsa-noise situations, where it either gets drowned out, or is preferable to the noise level there would otherwise be.
I have no comment on the Koss cans, never seen or (more importantly) heard them.
Posts: 25 | From: Hong Kong | Registered: Apr 2005
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
