headphones?

[red]

hey guys what would you recommend for an in ear headset? mine just broke today because of dem asian chick lv bag run to catch the subway and snap the cord. sighh

my budget is around 300-500. no beat by dr dre homo though. thanks in advance!

Depends on what kind of sound you want.

[soulshui]

Depends on what kind of sound you want.

I listen to blue, pop, not often with hip hop. I want a smooth and silky yet balance kind of sound- what do you have in mind sir?

Edited January 27, 2012 by soulshui

[Eternal171]

I listen to blue, pop, not often with hip hop. I want a smooth and silky yet balance kind of sound- what do you have in mind sir?

If you like bass and haven't had a really good pair of earphones before (and want to downgrade your budget), you could go with Kilpsch S4's, they are a cheap pair of earphones which have a fast bass but not too much detail...

If you want a more balanced sound, go with Westone's UM series, they are really amazing but very balanced. This means they are neutral and present the sound as they were recorded, with no added emphasis on any frequecy(bass treble mids), which can be said to be "boring" by people who prefer a "warmer" feel to their music

This is their top range:

http://www.amazon.com/Westone-UM3X-3X--ear-Professional/dp/B002EGASU0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1327717655&sr=8-2

If you want a warmer, more musical feeling, which I think you will prefer because of what you listen to, go for the Westone 3s or 4s, they have a very good sound signature and Westones are the most comfortable universal In Ear Monitors(earphones) you could honestly get

http://www.amazon.com/Westone-3-Headphones-in-ear-ear-bud/dp/B001MBLBXQ/ref=lh_di_t_dup

Both the above earphones have three dedicated drivers, meaning one driver each for bass mids and treble. The instrument separation as a result will be spectacular and if you want you'll be able to isolate an instrument, or vocals or whatever

If you want to spend for a better bass, get the Westone 4s, they have an additional bass driver:

http://www.amazon.com/Westone-Four-Driver-Universal-Earphones/dp/B004M4RTUY/ref=pd_vtp_e_2

With the small amount of money left over(i recommend buying the westone 3s instead of 4s so you can), buy an amplifier for your earphones because really Ifones and Ipods do not have the power enough to fully drive a pair of earphones well. This basically means that your music will be more detailed, stronger and wider. I would say its a must but if convinience or $$ says otherwise, then don't get one.

A DIY amp which is amazingly inexpensive is the cMoy BB by jds Labs, it surpasses amps even double it's price. I recently bought their most expensive amp that hasn't even been released, its being shipped to me. Make sure to mention which earphones you'll be using it with, john'll customize your amp for it. It also has a bass boost that lets you control the amount of bass. Very fun feature

http://www.jdslabs.com/item.php?fetchitem=cMoyBB203

You will reach audio Nirvana right there (as long as you don't try anything more expensive;) ) and I can assure you you'll be super happy with your set up.

The reason I recommended Westones is that no one with Westones ever complains about the fit and comfort of their IEMs and almost never about their sound. They also tend to sound very very good to people just starting to look into good music, better than anything else in the price range. However if for some reason you don't want a pair of Westones, ask again and i'll be happy to advise you

[soulshui]

If you like bass and haven't had a really good pair of earphones before (and want to downgrade your budget), you could go with Kilpsch S4's, they are a cheap pair of earphones which have a fast bass but not too much detail...

If you want a more balanced sound, go with Westone's UM series, they are really amazing but very balanced. This means they are neutral and present the sound as they were recorded, with no added emphasis on any frequecy(bass treble mids), which can be said to be "boring" by people who prefer a "warmer" feel to their music

This is their top range:

http://www.amazon.co...27717655&sr=8-2

If you want a warmer, more musical feeling, which I think you will prefer because of what you listen to, go for the Westone 3s or 4s, they have a very good sound signature and Westones are the most comfortable universal In Ear Monitors(earphones) you could honestly get

http://www.amazon.co...ref=lh_di_t_dup

Both the above earphones have three dedicated drivers, meaning one driver each for bass mids and treble. The instrument separation as a result will be spectacular and if you want you'll be able to isolate an instrument, or vocals or whatever

If you want to spend for a better bass, get the Westone 4s, they have an additional bass driver:

http://www.amazon.co.../ref=pd_vtp_e_2

With the small amount of money left over(i recommend buying the westone 3s instead of 4s so you can), buy an amplifier for your earphones because really Ifones and Ipods do not have the power enough to fully drive a pair of earphones well. This basically means that your music will be more detailed, stronger and wider. I would say its a must but if convinience or $$ says otherwise, then don't get one.

A DIY amp which is amazingly inexpensive is the cMoy BB by jds Labs, it surpasses amps even double it's price. I recently bought their most expensive amp that hasn't even been released, its being shipped to me. Make sure to mention which earphones you'll be using it with, john'll customize your amp for it. It also has a bass boost that lets you control the amount of bass. Very fun feature

http://www.jdslabs.c...hitem=cMoyBB203

You will reach audio Nirvana right there (as long as you don't try anything more expensive;) ) and I can assure you you'll be super happy with your set up.

The reason I recommended Westones is that no one with Westones ever complains about the fit and comfort of their IEMs and almost never about their sound. They also tend to sound very very good to people just starting to look into good music, better than anything else in the price range. However if for some reason you don't want a pair of Westones, ask again and i'll be happy to advise you

thank you so much!! I will drop by again if I need any help!! thank you!!

[Eternal171]

thank you so much!! I will drop by again if I need any help!! thank you!!

No problem, I rather spend 10 mins writing that out than you go out and buy the best looking non-beats which will end with you not enjoying your music as much as you should

Worth it for that pic too hahaha

[soulshui]

heheheh talking about that, do you have any more choice other than the one listed above?

I really like the look of the westone UM3X (because it is transparency and cool looking) but then I read the review and it turn out that the westone 3 are getting a better grade. What do you think eternal171? What ever you say, I will follow your guide mate! thanks again!

[Eternal171]

heheheh talking about that, do you have any more choice other than the one listed above?

I really like the look of the westone UM3X (because it is transparency and cool looking) but then I read the review and it turn out that the westone 3 are getting a better grade. What do you think eternal171? What ever you say, I will follow your guide mate! thanks again!

Well actually a lot of reviews favor the UM3X, but this is because many reviewers are classical music listeners and even if they aren't their ears are usually more analytical as they have intent to review. anw Amazon's reviews are nothing to go by though and as I said I would fully recommend the Westone 3s because as I said for your music you will prefer the Westone 3s. This is because it will be presented to you in a more musical fashion with a wider soundstage, which means that the sound will be "further" from you.

That being said your budget opens up a hell of a lot of options, you could get Ultimate ears triple fi 10s for really cheap but they aren't going to sound great for any few particular genres and they are freaking huge, can't even fit into my ears so I wouldn't take the risk....

You could go for earsonic SM3s but you wouldn't have a strong treble or particularly hard bass which you would want for hip hop. Plus their build quality is shit, I warrentied 3 times and this is my 3rd set i'm using

Monster pro turbine coppers aren't anything like beats in terms of bad build quality and horrible clarity, they can actually sound pretty good, but are a little on the bassy side

If you like BASS, the Senhiser IE8s are amazing, if you listened to house or anything these are just perfect, but you do sacrifice on clarity to a certain degree, which is why I don't like them

Well you could go for Shure 535s, they are a good pair of earphones with decent bass, but their bass isn't hard and fast, which may even be suitable for hip hop, but may not be great for Pop. Their fit also isn't as good as Westones, but they do look cool.

Still above all I think you should go for the Westone 3s or 4s. Remember, an amplifier is really important

[AHShadow]

Hey guys! I'm getting a bit tired of carrying my ATH-M50's around with me all the time and I was wondering if anyone ca recommend some mid-budget earbuds (<200) with similar sounding as the M50's!

Thanks!

[saintkeat]

Eternal171 - I agree with your post. but the um3x really shouldn't be in there. the only westone universals i've liked to date is the um2 and the 4r.

ahshadow - good choice with the m50s btw. without a doubt i would strongly suggest monster turbine pro, if you plan on upgrading your source, ie better dap or purchasing a decent amp, then opt for the more expensive fischer audio dba-02. monster turbine pro does not benefit a whole lot from amping, the dba-02 on the other hand does, its like night and day.

i've just completed my review of the fiio d3 dac. check it out here http://saintkeat.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/fiio-d3-dac-review/

I should be posting more audio related stuff soon enough.

[bencap]

With the small amount of money left over(i recommend buying the westone 3s instead of 4s so you can), buy an amplifier for your earphones because really Ifones and Ipods do not have the power enough to fully drive a pair of earphones well. This basically means that your music will be more detailed, stronger and wider. I would say its a must but if convinience or $$ says otherwise, then don't get one.

A DIY amp which is amazingly inexpensive is the cMoy BB by jds Labs, it surpasses amps even double it's price. I recently bought their most expensive amp that hasn't even been released, its being shipped to me. Make sure to mention which earphones you'll be using it with, john'll customize your amp for it. It also has a bass boost that lets you control the amount of bass. Very fun feature

http://www.jdslabs.c...hitem=cMoyBB203

Nice write-up on the headphones, super useful +rep for ya. However, I think getting a headphone amp to listen to mp3's is kinda overkill, borderline foolish.

[michaelttizzle]

friend sold me a sony mdr sa500 for cheap. (not my picture) these are ridiculously detailed compared to anything else i have. really cold sounding

edit: ive never used the um3x, but I really like the um2. Those would probably be the iem's id buy with that budget.

Edited March 20, 2012 by michaelttizzle

[saintkeat]

Nice write-up on the headphones, super useful +rep for ya. However, I think getting a headphone amp to listen to mp3's is kinda overkill, borderline foolish.

320Kbps Mp3 is fine. But if you plan on upgrading your equipment, ie, dac, amp, etc. it's best to convert the whole library to Alac/flac/wav.

[freecat]

On MP4nation they have a sale on the Brainwavz M4 earphones, nearly half price. They're pretty good (loads of reviews around you can google it).

http://mp4nation.net/catalog/brainwavz-m4-iem-earphones-p-659.html

[saintkeat]

My grado modification walk through.

http://saintkeat.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/saintkeat-x-martin-custom-x-grado-headphones/

[Hobbes874]

^wow pretty impressive, I like the addition of the leather strap too. Not a gigantic fan of steampunk style, but cool non-the-less.

On the topic of Grados, I used to have a pair of Alessandro MS-1s (Modified SR-80s I believe) and they were phenomenal for music, not so much for anything that required a sound stage (movies) or bass-heavy music though. Ended up selling them since i was pretty happy just using Sennheisers for a wider range of things.

[saintkeat]

Thank you!

Actually MS-1s use a different driver from the SR80 which is why it sounds less bassy and more geared towards the mid and high frequencies. Which Senns are you using now?

I'm considering picking up a pair of V-Moda M80s for reviewing other models against. Aedle would be sending me their flagship model for review as well. Watch out for that!

[M4TM]

i ended up springing for some B&W's. love the looks. like the sound, but still needs a lot more hours of use before I can really tell.

[kH0yA Sw@Gp0o]

i'm wanting new headphones for just general use (relatively heavy commuting included)

i'm eyeing some grado sr60is 'cause i've heard nothing but good about them and price is good right now but i worry that the open diaphragm whatnots may not make them the best choice for commute use (wouldn't know, have never had open diaphragm headphones)

opinions/et al would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

[Denton]

open diaphragm = no good for commuting

i have the 225s and they let in anything and everything plus everyone else can hear your music

[kH0yA Sw@Gp0o]

hrng. just as i thought.

i could just not give a fuk but then that's impractical. sigh. any suggestions for something within the same price range?

[saintkeat]

Depends on your music preference. Let's say I assume you like the grado sound, but want a closed dynamic.

I would recommend Ath m50, ath pro700mk2, v-moda m80, hd-25 II.

Heck even the skull candy aviators didn't sound bad. Just try to get them cheaper since I wasn't convinced about its construction quality.

Edited April 1, 2012 by saintkeat

[freecat]

I would add Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro. I have a pair and although they're quite big for daily commuting use the sound is really really good. Anything Sennheiser or AKG is good too.

Otherwise, I just received a pair of Beta Brainwavz M4. Got them because they were on sale. They're a nice improvement over my Betabrainwavz Beta.

Edited April 2, 2012 by freecat

[Walt Thizzney]

Just bought the Image S4's...... heard good things, I use Senn 280's as my cans there great for the price

[034936]

After years of eyeing them off, and wasting money on cheaper stuff, i hope my headphone quest is over:

[STFU]

After years of eyeing them off, and wasting money on cheaper stuff, i hope my headphone quest is over:

It is... great 'phones.

[Mr.Barry]

I have a pair of Audio Technica A900s for at home. Pretty amazing sound.

For on-the-go I am currently looking at some in-ear-monitors: Ultimate Ears 700 most probably. Triple.Fis must sound great, but it looks huge and I fear the fit difficulties a lot of people have with these. Alternative I also consider is Grado GR 08.

[saintkeat]

consider the monster turbines too. ue 700 was very mediocre for the price. I wasn't impressed at all comparing it to the super fi 5 pro

[soothsayer]

i'm wanting new headphones for just general use (relatively heavy commuting included)

i'm eyeing some grado sr60is 'cause i've heard nothing but good about them and price is good right now but i worry that the open diaphragm whatnots may not make them the best choice for commute use (wouldn't know, have never had open diaphragm headphones)

opinions/et al would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

Just copped some SR60's off ebay, they do have a really open soundstage and I only use them at home now. Decent mids and highs but I don't really like the bass on them, I get this weird buzzing sound instead, not sure if this is because they are fairly new and will just go away with time. I might trade them in for 325's though, I heard they have more detailed sound which I would definitely enjoy for electronic music

[saintkeat]

Were they used off ebay? some of us modifiers have heard that buzzing before and its a result of a wrinkling diaphragm. take a hairdryer, set it to cool, and blast some air into the grill where the grado label is. it'll push out any wrinkles, problem solved.

[soothsayer]

yeah now that I check it seems they were slightly used. I'll try that method tonight. I also want to get some closed cans in the future, something like the Audio Technica ATH-ES10 but i'm on that broke college kid budget