headphones?

[Osmosis Jones]

Sigh. So after owning a pair of Shure E2C for nearly 6 years, having them stolen, switching to a pair of Grados, I finally ponied up for a pair of the Shure SE425s and well they were fucking awesome. The cables were sturdy, thick, and detachable from the earbuds. Plenty of tips and great sound reproduction. Granted, I missed my Grados a little bit after giving them away but the SE425 more than made up with a comfortable fit, to the point that I would regularly forget I had them on when riding on the motorcycle. For some reason, I would get a little bit of discomfort when running as if they were being tugged out of my ear.

However, I recently lost these headphones and am looking again. My budget is around the same $200-$250. I actually bought the SE425 overseas for under $200 after some haggling. I would like something with slightly more "punch", similar to the Grados, at the expense of accurate sound reproduction. Any recommendations?

[saintkeat]

Try the monster turbine pro. it has plenty of slam. if you want more clarity with that look at the monster turbine copper edition. only reason why i recommended copper over the gold and miles davis editions, is because you seem to like plenty of punch =)

[M4TM]

I used to use turbines. Loved the sound and fit but the wires broke fairly quickly. Had them replaced once but then they broke again. Nothing too strenuous either. Just daily commute on public transport...

[Walt Thizzney]

Image S4's are cheaper and better than turbines

[aso2004]

I want to get some lightweight over ear . Have to be lightweight and sturdy to a degree.(my kid might use them as well)

Looked at koss but what are a pair of good ones???

Price is not that much of an option ,weight is...

[saintkeat]

@aso2004 Koss portapros are a good buy, senns px100 is another good option.

@walt thizzney really? are you sure you heard the same S4 i heard? the klipsch s4 sounded pretty low quality to me, the bass was paper thin, details weren't particularly fantastic, soundstage was about the same as the turbines, and the construction wasn't reassuring at all. in fact as far as wires go, i've heard of a number of s4 failures.

[Walt Thizzney]

give them a week burn in, they are amazing... unless u like muffed bass of monster's

http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/klipsch-image-s4-in/4505-7877_7-33577358.html

[DJ_Flame]

For the same amount of money, a better bass oriented earphone which trumps the S4 are

- Fischer Audio Consonance (about $10 cheaper) - U shaped soundstage but pretty versatile and have awesome fabric wires.

- Final Audio Adalgio 2 - Just better soundstage overall

Both have received Sonic Diamond awards over @ head fi. I'm currently using a Consonance, previous one was an S4 and there is a perceptible difference in sound. S4 sounds more harsh compared to the lusher Consonance.

If you can spend the extra, go for the FA adalgio 3s. Top notch soundstage @ a good price.

Edited April 15, 2012 by DJ_Flame

[Stacks]

picked up a jdslabs amp... real nice on bigger headphones for home use but (as I'm sure others have mentioned) not worth lugging around on the day to day... bass boost is nice and it does make my se535s sound better but people look at me like I'm gonna detonate on the subway (fiddling with an altoids box with wires coming out of it and a blue LED light on the side)...

Edited April 16, 2012 by Stacks

[kiya]

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

Thanks, you just cost me $350. I just bought the Westone 4, got a good deal on Overstock.com (brand new).

I love good sound and have only spent a lot of home/office systems and car systems, never on headphones.

[baldy]

my boys looking for something iphone compatable, any recommendations? he wants one with mic and controls

[DJ_Flame]

Superlux , SR60i or Alesandro MS-1s?

Using for watching movies/ tv shows at home with the occasional commuting, so comfort & sound is a big factor, isolation not so much.

Honestly I'm in love with the SR60i and MS-1 designs. Tried on the MS-1 so far and they are really plush on the ears.

Edited April 21, 2012 by DJ_Flame

[fobsquad]

i agree grados are super nice except the headband is super fragile. but they are still otherwise perfect, i'd get them.

i never tried superlux tho

[saintkeat]

^ That's an unusual finding. Grado headbands haven't been an issue for me or the people around me.

If you like what the MS-1 or the SR60, then get either. There's nothing quite like the Grado sound.

I can't comment on the Superlux and all it's variations since I haven't heard them. I think there was a comprehensive review done on all the models somewhere on Head-Fi. Worth a look.

If you found the sound you like already why bother looking though.

[Toganpro]

SR60i isn't viable for commuting since it is open-air. Great value if you're only using them indoors where it's quiet though.

[DJ_Flame]

If you found the sound you like already why bother looking though.

This.

SR60i isn't viable for commuting since it is open-air. Great value if you're only using them indoors where it's quiet though.

This makes the Superlux or the Beyer DT235 (which I also tried on = super comfy with decent sound) a more versatile option.

Grado / Alessandro hit the sweet spot design + sound wise though.

Also Beyers can be bought online for $70 compared to $120 MS-1s. (post shipping to asia)

Choices, choices, choices.

Edited April 23, 2012 by DJ_Flame

[chris w.]

so I'm in the market for some new cans and I was thinking about getting the Sennheiser HD25-1 II's along with a FiiO E11 amp. thoughts? I listen to pretty much all genres of music, but I'm most into electronic music (house, techno, etc.). I also don't want the combined price of the headphones + amp to go over $300.

Edited April 23, 2012 by chris w.

[ThugLife]

Im rocking the Westone 3s right now, great IEMs. Had the westone 4s but they didnt have the bass that I desired. But for live mixes or more rock, jazz, classical type music, they were the most amazing things I have ever heard. The 3s are awesome, but they substitute amazing clarity for decent bass.

[baldy]

anybody got thoughts on the Phonak Audeo 132 pfe? Prolly gonna hook my homie up for his birthday with it.

[Kasper]

my boys looking for something iphone compatable, any recommendations? he wants one with mic and controls

same here, i promised i'd buy a pair of decent headphones for the gf that are compatible with the iphone (don't care about controls too much though). any rec under $100?

[red]

so I'm in the market for some new cans and I was thinking about getting the Sennheiser HD25-1 II's along with a FiiO E11 amp. thoughts? I listen to pretty much all genres of music, but I'm most into electronic music (house, techno, etc.). I also don't want the combined price of the headphones + amp to go over $300.

HD25s are good. dont waste money on an amp. especially for portable use. the senns could be driven easily by an mp3 player.

as far as the grados, never really liked them. mad bright sounding. plus the quality's shit. the denon d2000s are probably my favorite cans around 2 bills but they aren't for carrying around. if you want portable, get some IEMs.

[rafael.agp]

need recomendations for an IEM.

i listen mostly to rock, prefer clear sound and it's gotta be well built so not to fall apart or tear the cord after a year of daily wear. will be used when comuting, mostly.

remote with iphone support would be a plus.

[red]

Etymotic ER4P.

[kiya]

Just got a pair of Ultrasone PRO 900 headphones.

Shit is bananas. I've never heard anything like it, i've spent my entire life using high-end IEMs and just realized that sound protection is less important than a round even sound.

[pennyoka]

Been using ultrasone pro 750s for the past 4 or 5 years. They make great cans. Maybe time to upgrade to 900s...

[Eternal171]

Thanks, you just cost me $350. I just bought the Westone 4, got a good deal on Overstock.com (brand new).

I love good sound and have only spent a lot of home/office systems and car systems, never on headphones.

Glad to be of service hahahahah

[Osmosis Jones]

How are Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10? Shure wants $200 to replace the left earbud on my SE425. I can get the UE for close to $150.

[saintkeat]

TF10pro are a bargain now, only because they plan on discontinuing it. They have plenty of bass and a forward sound signature. Very decent apart from the slightly obtuse fit.

Kiya - Nice pick up, although I wasn't particularly impressed with the entire ultrasone range when I heard them, perhaps they excel with amplification. One particular gripe I had was the inability to detach the cables for superior, more robust ones. At the price of the higher range models I'd expect it, or at least be given a nice looking non detachable cable. Still, it limits the option of going balanced.

[kiya]

TF10pro are a bargain now, only because they plan on discontinuing it. They have plenty of bass and a forward sound signature. Very decent apart from the slightly obtuse fit.

Kiya - Nice pick up, although I wasn't particularly impressed with the entire ultrasone range when I heard them, perhaps they excel with amplification. One particular gripe I had was the inability to detach the cables for superior, more robust ones. At the price of the higher range models I'd expect it, or at least be given a nice looking non detachable cable. Still, it limits the option of going balanced.

The PRO 900 i got has a full detachable cable, check my photos above, there's no cable attached. Also, i like that the cable screws into place so it doesn't come detached accidentally. Also, the higher end Ultrasone cans definitely need decent amplification to shine.

[saintkeat]

Ah was referring to the edition 8 and 10 mate. The wiring doesn't invoke much confidence. Makes the Audeze LCD-3 a bargain in comparison.

BTW have you tried open cans?