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Advice for headphones

B

boombox15

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 17, 2013
272
22
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
I have been using my Apple EarPods for awhile with my iPhone and they seem to work pretty well. Sometimes, I use the beats solo HD headphones as well, however, when I use those, the sound is terrible and almost "muddy".

I am now considering buying a new headphone, the beats studio wireless, but if they sound as terrible as the solo HD, then I won't buy them. If you own the beats studio wireless, how do they sound?

Thanks!

Link to headphones: http://www.beatsbydre.com/headphones/studio-wireless/red/900-00109-01.html
 
I'd like to put in a vote for LG Tone+ HBS 730.

The battery life is marvelous, controls are intuitive, it's bluetooth so wireless, and the sound quality is top notch as far as ear buds go.

The design can be a little polarizing, some people love it and others not so much. Personally I find them to be quite sexy. :)
 
boombox15 said:
I have been using my Apple EarPods for awhile with my iPhone and they seem to work pretty well. Sometimes, I use the beats solo HD headphones as well, however, when I use those, the sound is terrible and almost "muddy".

I am now considering buying a new headphone, the beats studio wireless, but if they sound as terrible as the solo HD, then I won't buy them. If you own the beats studio wireless, how do they sound?

Thanks!

Link to headphones: http://www.beatsbydre.com/headphones/studio-wireless/red/900-00109-01.html
Click to expand...
I have the Sol Republic Tracks Air and really like them. They don't over emphasize the bass like the Beats do. Rather they emphasize the midrange. Nice clean sound.
 
What I want is a headphone that at least comes close to "recording studio" sound quality. I am interested in the beats because they come in the red color, and it would be nice to have a headphone that is not white. Any advice?
 
I have tons of headphones and earbuds in my collection. For me; I have to confess that I cannot tell the difference between a $10-$20 headphone/earbud and a $200-$300 dollar model. The difference is mostly in the packaging and the quality of the design, materials used but it seems that the speakers inside are pretty much the same to me.

****The most important part is how the earbuds/headphones fit on your head!

So if are like me and are not in the music business; I go and try out a couple of them; bring your iPhone and have a couple of tracks that represent your music taste and listen to them in store or better yet on earbuds; buy them and go to a spot inside the store and unpack them, fit the right size rubbers and listen to them and return the ones that you don't want. I recommend buying four or five earbuds at a time. That way; you have completed your purchase in a hour time and selected the ideal earbud and then return them while you are still in the store. That way you don't loose stuff and you don't let time run out so that you cannot return it too.
 
boombox15 said:
What I want is a headphone that at least comes close to "recording studio" sound quality. I am interested in the beats because they come in the red color, and it would be nice to have a headphone that is not white. Any advice?
Click to expand...

Beats headphones are a fashion statement - trendy headphone more in with fashion and looks then with sound quality.

If you want recording studio quality sound; then you need to get studio quality tracks first! Look at the density of the song and how much MB it is. Studio quality recordings are much more density then a MP3 recording.
 
If you're set on Beats, the Solo 2 models are the only ones that actually sound pretty good. I bought a pair for my sister (since she cares more about the looks than the sound) and I was actually pretty impressed with them - they sound a lot better than any other Beats headphone I've listened to (including the Solo HD, Studio, and a few others).

My personal favourite headphone is the V-Moda M80, which comes in a few different colours.
 
boombox15 said:
What I want is a headphone that at least comes close to "recording studio" sound quality. I am interested in the beats because they come in the red color, and it would be nice to have a headphone that is not white. Any advice?
Click to expand...
The Sol Republic Tracks (wired) come in red or black and the Tracks Air (bluetooth) come in black. They call the black gunmetal and it is actually a very dark grey.

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HarryWild said:
I have tons of headphones and earbuds in my collection. For me; I have to confess that I cannot tell the difference between a $10-$20 headphone/earbud and a $200-$300 dollar model.
Click to expand...
I surely can.

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HarryWild said:
I go and try out a couple of them; bring your iPhone and have a couple of tracks that represent your music taste and listen to them in store or better yet on earbuds; buy them and go to a spot inside the store and unpack them, fit the right size rubbers and listen to them and return the ones that you don't want. I recommend buying four or five earbuds at a time. That way; you have completed your purchase in a hour time and selected the ideal earbud and then return them while you are still in the store. That way you don't loose stuff and you don't let time run out so that you cannot return it too.
Click to expand...

I call that return abuse.
 
HarryWild said:
I have tons of headphones and earbuds in my collection. For me; I have to confess that I cannot tell the difference between a $10-$20 headphone/earbud and a $200-$300 dollar model. The difference is mostly in the packaging and the quality of the design, materials used but it seems that the speakers inside are pretty much the same to me.
Click to expand...

if they all sound the same to you your ears or not very observant. some people are like that but there is a huge sound difference in headphones. just like in speakers.
 
appleincognito said:
I agree. However, you really need to have lossless music such as .flac to actually get the most out of good headphones.

The typical beats user listens to .mp3's and drives around with the music insanely loud in their car. ;)
Click to expand...

it helps but I only listen to audiobooks and so I don't spend a lot on headphones as I am hard on them in my woodworking shop but still there is a noticeable difference in the sound even with that source. well I do have to admit years ago my wife and I both went to recording engineer school so we learned to be more picky with sound.
 
I'd like to chime in ask what are good wireless headphones? I know that wired will give the best sound, but I'd like to be able to listen to music and walk around in the office while muting (noise canceling) my coworkers out. Lol. :-D

I prefer over ear.
 
@OP If you want to come close to "studio" quality then go with Shure or Sennheiser like appleincognito said. I have several pairs of Shure in-ear and over ear.

I just picked up a pair of the Sennheiser On-Ear for fun. I knew from the reviews that they would sound great and that there would be some sound leakage. Overall the sound great, they fit nicely over my head, and work well with my iPhone (I don't have to take off the case). The guy at the Apple store was trying to get me to but the Sennheiser Over-Ear headphones. I would have gotten them but I already have a pair of Shure headphones that are about the same quality. You could go with that too. The Sennheiser Momentum have a nice build. They are made with Alcantara leather. The stitching around the headphones are very detailed. The ear piece is very adjustable. Inside the box you get two nice carrying cases.

The Beats headphones are bass heavy, not really balance for me. I like to hear everything in the recording and not rely too much on the EQ. They aren't isolated headphones. I can hear those around me and lots of the sound is lost. Unlike my Shure SRH 840 which are very isolated and well balanced. The Shure SE315 make my iPhone sound really great. I can only turn the iPod/iphone up half way because it can get too loud. On a plane my music is turned up about ¾ the volume.
 
I have 2013 Beats Studio Wireless (Matte Black) and I wouldn't recommend these unless you are more into looks than quality..

I actually think my Apple EarPods sound better than them. The "noise cancelling" technology barely works, I can still hear my roommate's TV and any conversations that happen in the room. It does muffle small sounds like you moving and footsteps and wind when outside, which makes me feel a little uncomfortable.

The sound leak!! I wish they got better but they are not. I have to turn down the volume if I wanna use my headphones or risk everyone in the room hearing me. I share a room with my roommate (college dorm) so I barely use my headphones. You can hear the music being played even if you put it on your head. I tested it out with my friend.

So by now I'm regretting my decision to prefer looks over quality because I actually wanna listen to music in peace lol. Apple EarPods are still my go-to device to listen stuff on. They aren't that bad.
 
appleincognito said:
Beats are rubbish. They're only for the brand/looks with little sound quality.

I would personally recommend the Sennheiser Momentum OVER-EARS (not on-ears). They're fantastic quality and similar pricing to beats. Additionally I think they look pretty nice.

Another fantastic set are the Bower and Wilkins P5 headphones - http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Headphones/Headphones/Headphones/P5-Series-2.html - They are fantastic looking and fantastic sounding and a little cheaper than the momentums.

Finally, if you're tight on a budget, you could take a look at the Audio-Technica ATH-M50s. They're good headphones for the price and certainly better than beats.

On a side note, if you're a bit of an audiophile like me, you'll want to have wired headphones. They're better.
Click to expand...

Sigh... As much as I hate beats in the past this isn't true for the beats solo 2. The beats solo 2 actually do sound great and much better then my v moda xs. The beats solo 2 are even regarded as great coming from tyll from inner fidelity. The beats solo 2 sound fantastic for on ear 200 dollar price range if your a bass head.

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GoingDark said:
If you're set on Beats, the Solo 2 models are the only ones that actually sound pretty good. I bought a pair for my sister (since she cares more about the looks than the sound) and I was actually pretty impressed with them - they sound a lot better than any other Beats headphone I've listened to (including the Solo HD, Studio, and a few others).

My personal favourite headphone is the V-Moda M80, which comes in a few different colours.
Click to expand...
The v moda xs and m-100 better Imo specially the xs
 
boombox15 said:
What I want is a headphone that at least comes close to "recording studio" sound quality. I am interested in the beats because they come in the red color, and it would be nice to have a headphone that is not white. Any advice?
Click to expand...
Now that's funny, beats and recording studio sound quality in same sentence. If you really want sound quality it will not be beats unless you have a tin ear. Go to head-fi.org all the info you will need to get a quality headphone for the same price you would spend for the beats.
 
These hands down are the best bang for your buck.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00I9UKKS0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1419084099&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40
 
I'm partial to Sennheiser's warmer sound. EVery brand has a different sound to them. Beats accentuate (overly so IMO) the low and mid range so that it overpowers the upper end of the audio spectrum. That's why you noted they sound "muddy". Sennheiser adds clarity to the highs while adding a slightly warm sound to the mids. The lows aren't very prominent but the punch is still there, it's just more subtile. They are great for many genres.

Some headphones are better than others for particular types of music. A lot of Rock fans (classic and 80s rock) say that Grado headphones capture the crunch and distortion of an electric guitar perfectly for example.

Best bet is to find somewhere you can demo different models. Bring a selection of your own music on your phone and plug the headphones into your device and give them a listen. Do be aware that some headphones don't open up until they are paired with an amp. Your phone or ipod may not output the right amount of power to get the most out of them. Look for the ohm rating. Higher ohm ratings on headphones means it will require a bit more power to get the most out of.

boombox15 said:
What I want is a headphone that at least comes close to "recording studio" sound quality. I am interested in the beats because they come in the red color, and it would be nice to have a headphone that is not white. Any advice?
Click to expand...

Most headphones are not used for studio work and those that are you may find "boring". The sound signature for true studio headphones are very neutral and flat. They are usually top tier when it comes to sound quality and clarity, but the fun sound that you may appreciate from other options is absent. Headphones like the AKG 701 and Sony MDR-7506/7520 are designed so that the audio coming off the mixing board for the studio is not colored or colored as little as possible. They sound great but they may not be everyone's cup of tea.

If you want to know a fun fact... Quincy Jones, who worked with Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra on their recordings used AKG 701 headphones almost exclusively. Most notably while he was the producer of Michael Jackson's Thriller.



Lastly I'll say that the Sony MDR-V6 (which are rebadged MDR-7506 headphones) are probably the best bang for the buck in "studio" headphones.
 
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cmdrdredd said:
I'm partial to Sennheiser's warmer sound. EVery brand has a different sound to them. Beats accentuate (overly so IMO) the low and mid range so that it overpowers the upper end of the audio spectrum. That's why you noted they sound "muddy". Sennheiser adds clarity to the highs while adding a slightly warm sound to the mids. The lows aren't very prominent but the punch is still there, it's just more subtile. They are great for many genres.
Click to expand...
What does a warmer sound mean? Not tinny?
 
JulesJam said:
What does a warmer sound mean? Not tinny?
Click to expand...

Warm sound is basically less emphasis on the highs and a more full sound with a rich mid and upper-mid range while still having good bass.

Bright headphones would have a very thin sound with little bass.
 
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