PDA

View Full Version : please help me get a new headphone



meTroubled
February 13th, 2012, 05:59 AM
I'm planning to get a new headphone from amazon, under $200.
I'm very much confused...right now I'm using sony ericsson walkman series phone built specially for music...bass is mind blowing...great audio quality indeed...

So, I don't wish to end up spending money and get a worse quality headphone.

1) Please tell me about your experiences and which brand do you consider best.
2) Also, please vote in the poll and explain briefly about pros and cons of different headphones' styles.

thanks in advance...^_^

xedi
February 13th, 2012, 03:00 PM
The style and brand depends a lot on what you want to use it for and what your preferences are.

As a general rule I find Sennheiser to have the best price/performance ratio, however, with $200 money is not the issue here and I do not know about the options in those price regions.

A few thoughts based on my preference, maybe it will help you, too.

I have a Sennheiser PX 360 which is a collapsible around ear closed design headphone. I listen to my music often in the train, so a good external sound isolation is important and that the headphones are portable. Ear buds are the most portable option but their sound is not as good and offer poor isolation against external sound. Since the PX 360 is collapsible, it is portable enough for me. I chose it over an open design, because I did not want to disturb everybody else on the train. Open designs sound better but everybody around you will be able to hear what you are listening to, too. The Sennheiser PX 360 has nevertheless an awesome sound. What I like about Sennheiser is that they have quite a clear sound. The problem is that with cheaper headphones you have to make compromises and cheap Sennheiser headphones still have a clear sound but lack in Bass, which IMO is better than the opposite often found in other cheap headphones. With the higher priced Sennheisers like the PX 360 (got it for about 100€ if I remember correctly) you do not have this problem anymore.

However, if you will be only using your headphones in your home or somewhere where you will not disturb anybody then I would recommend getting around ear headphones with an open design.

With expensive head phones I also recommend getting a dedicated sound card. Maybe the sound card of my Lenovo X200s was just crap but after I bought an Behringer UCA202 for about 20€ the sound improved immensely. What I did not expect to improve is a much better stereo sound. I suspect that the sound card on my Lenovo X200s is leaking a lot...

Edit: I forgot that you will be using it with your phone, then of course a dedicated sound card is pointless.

drawkcab
February 13th, 2012, 06:10 PM
Check out these forums:

http://www.head-fi.org/

A few years ago the guys at head fi and hydrogen audio pointed me to some nice AKG studio headphones that I was able to find on ebay for a 1/3 retail price. I'm not sure what the hot deal is these days but, as others have and will mention, it's tough to beat Sennheiser at most price points.

In general, I don't spend a lot on earbuds because I abuse them and so they tend to get lost and/or destroyed very easily.

Also, don't spend $200 on super high-end headphones when your audio gear will under utilize them. I have an old iriver h120 that makes my studio phones worth it but anything more than a $50 set of cans would be wasted when used with my phone, other mp3 players and laptops.

sffvba[e0rt
February 13th, 2012, 07:18 PM
http://steelseries.com/products/audio/steelseries-siberia-v2

A pair I got yesterday actually (was a killer deal I couldn't refuse).

Sound quality is very good and they are very comfortable. They have a two year guarantee so I expect them to be durable (enough).


404

lisati
February 13th, 2012, 07:29 PM
I don't like the "bud" sort that goes "in" the ear. The ones I've used have a tendency to fall out of my ears at inopportune moments, and although quality seems to have improved over the years, they sometimes leave something to be desired.

TeamRocket1233c
February 14th, 2012, 12:23 AM
Either Sony MDR-V6, MDR-7506, or Sennheiser HD 202 II.

meTroubled
February 14th, 2012, 02:05 AM
The style and brand depends a lot on what you want to use it for and what your preferences are.

As a general rule I find Sennheiser to have the best price/performance ratio, however, with $200 money is not the issue here and I do not know about the options in those price regions.

A few thoughts based on my preference, maybe it will help you, too.

I have a Sennheiser PX 360 ...{}...Edit: I forgot that you will be using it with your phone, then of course a dedicated sound card is pointless.

I used hp on-the ear headphones once, sound was amazing but the person sitting beside you could also listen to what you're listening.
Now, i'm using ear-buds...sound is pretty loud but doesn't reach up to a unbearable level..and this is why it offers complete privacy...no once except me can't listen to, what i'm listening.

So, please tell me what is the case with over-the ear-headphones....are they so loud too that person beside you can clearly hear what's playing?

wolfen69
February 14th, 2012, 03:00 AM
I don't like the "bud" sort that goes "in" the ear. The ones I've used have a tendency to fall out of my ears at inopportune moments, and although quality seems to have improved over the years, they sometimes leave something to be desired.

Actually, I prefer those to the ones that kind of sit on the outside of the ear hole. The the only thing I've noticed, is that "in the ear" phones never last long for me. I buy at least 3 pair a year.

linuxforartists
February 14th, 2012, 08:22 AM
A good website to check out is HeadRoom (http://www.headphone.com/). Their Top Picks page (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/top-picks.php) has a bunch of lists with the best headphones in different categories.


anything more than a $50 set of cans would be wasted when used with my phone, other mp3 players and laptops.

This is good advice. I've heard you need to get some kind of audio interface if you want to use high-quality headphones on a laptop or MP3 player.

One set of headphones I've had my eye on is the Sennheiser HD201. When I read the Amazon reviews for the newer versions, some people complained about discomfort. I was thinking of getting the HD201 to use for monitoring the quality of my podcasts. I'll be listening to takes over and over, and wanted headphones that were both good and comfortable.

Erik1984
February 14th, 2012, 08:29 AM
Check out these forums:
...
Also, don't spend $200 on super high-end headphones when your audio gear will under utilize them. I have an old iriver h120 that makes my studio phones worth it but anything more than a $50 set of cans would be wasted when used with my phone, other mp3 players and laptops.

Also if you use them when traveling there is a good chance you will loose them or they will break. I'm good at destroying earphones :P

meTroubled
February 14th, 2012, 08:37 AM
thanks a lot for your replies...I've finally decided to get a Sennheiser HD 280 pro headphone....

Please provide me your feedback on this one...

xedi
February 14th, 2012, 12:34 PM
I used hp on-the ear headphones once, sound was amazing but the person sitting beside you could also listen to what you're listening.
Now, i'm using ear-buds...sound is pretty loud but doesn't reach up to a unbearable level..and this is why it offers complete privacy...no once except me can't listen to, what i'm listening.

So, please tell me what is the case with over-the ear-headphones....are they so loud too that person beside you can clearly hear what's playing?

I think around ear and on ear headphones are louder to others because the headphones are further away from your ear so you have to increase the volume to have the same sound pressure arrive in your ear as it would be with ear buds at the same loudness. However, the problem with ear buds is that you do not have much isolation from other sounds, so you often increase the volume beyond healthy levels and still hear the sound of the world around you.

Around and on ear headphones have this problem, too, but it is minimized with closed designs. Those headphones provide better isolation from the outside and at the same time also protect the environment from your noise more so than open headphones.

My experience with the PX 360 is that in quite environments others can hear that you are listening to music (not very loud but noticeable) which would not happen with ear buds at normal levels. However, in the train or car, others cannot hear my music (or too afraid to admit it :P), because the noise of environment is louder than my headphones.


Also if you use them when traveling there is a good chance you will loose them or they will break. I'm good at destroying earphones :P

It was the opposite for me actually. Loosing it is still a problem but I decided to buy more expensive headphones so that they will not break. Thus far they survived everything in contrast to all the cheap headphones I had before which I broke within a couple months.

In the case of the PX 360 I read on amazon reviews that it has problems with the cord breaking, which has not happened to me (as you can read in my amazon review which I wrote after answering in this thread), however, otherwise I find them very stable.

So expensive headphones might be the way to go if you are used to braking them like me.

robsoles
February 14th, 2012, 12:42 PM
I had some nice SkullCandy headphones that were good at excluding external noise once you had them over your ears, if you insist on spending more for headphones then look harder at SkullCandy and, if it remains unchanged, check out their warranty card.

xedi
February 14th, 2012, 12:43 PM
thanks a lot for your replies...I've finally decided to get a Sennheiser HD 280 pro headphone....

Please provide me your feedback on this one...

Sound good on paper and seem similar to mine but I have no experience with them so I suggest you should check them out in a store and see if you like them besides the awkwardness which always occurs when you first hear another headphone you are not used to listening.

meTroubled
February 14th, 2012, 12:46 PM
I had some nice SkullCandy headphones that were good at excluding external noise once you had them over your ears, if you insist on spending more for headphones then look harder at SkullCandy and, if it remains unchanged, check out their warranty card.


my first choice was skullcandy...they look so cool and unique...but, I read some really bad reviews about sound quality and ditched the idea of buying them.