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iPod Headphones?
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Koss porta pros, ugly as sin, but beautiful sounding.
Or go for a set of Grado's or the Sennheiser PX series.
Sport 30 more dollars, and you could be the frist i'd know of to try Audio Technica's new clip onws, the EW9's I think? They have solid Japanese cherry housing and are supposed to be superb, but I've yet to see anyone on here with a pair
http://www.audio-discounters.com/ath-ew9.html
Random site with that price, no clue how good these guys are but you get a pic
I myself endedup with Bose OE headphones, mostly due to that memory foam comfort but the sound is actually really good, and I hate most of the stuff they produce, but the OE's seemed to be a winner.
I actually prefer in-ear headphones for one good reason: better noise isolation.
Since you're willing to spend around US$100 for such a headphone, I'd recommend with the Creative Aurvana or Shure e2c if you go with an in-ear model; they are some of the best-sounding in-ear headphones around for its price range, no contest.
Since you're willing to spend around US$100 for such a headphone, I'd recommend with the Creative Aurvana or Shure e2c if you go with an in-ear model; they are some of the best-sounding in-ear headphones around for its price range, no contest.
The Bose are complete s***. I hate that company worse than M$.
Get the Grado SR-60's. That's much more respectable.
Get the Grado SR-60's. That's much more respectable.
If you want great over the ear headphones go with Grado SR-60s or SR-80s. The 80s are AMAZING. They do not cancel out noise like the Bose but honestly the Bose in the under-120 range are awful - actually, Bose in general are not worth the $$. Go with the Grados SR-80s - at around $90. you won't be disappointed.
For those into the in-ear buds I'd recommend anything by Shure, I've had the E2Cs and recently upgraded to the E4Cs - got em new on ebay for $160 - about $139 off list price! The E4Cs are the best headphones I've had yet.
For those into the in-ear buds I'd recommend anything by Shure, I've had the E2Cs and recently upgraded to the E4Cs - got em new on ebay for $160 - about $139 off list price! The E4Cs are the best headphones I've had yet.
I've heard both the e2c and e3c and except for a little more bass both headphones pretty much the same, in my humble opinion. In short, the $170 to buy the e3c is not worth the money.
Not true. I've just made the switch from e2c to e3c - a world of difference and well worth the extra money.....
Go right now and buy the Sennheiser PX 100. These are really cheap and the are the best for the price. They also come in white so it's the perfect match. Go try these...you won't believe your ears.
I'm putting down another vote for the Grado SR-60s. Every time I put them on I just can't believe that they only cost me $60. That said, they will let in a lot of extra noise, but it's not a big deal. I use mine on airplanes all the time. My only gripe is that the plastic surrounding the headphone jack doesn't quite fit inside my Agent18 case.
Very smart... using an open phone in a noisy plane, so you end up turning up the phones to beyond hearing-damage causing levels in order to overpower the ambient noise.
@ the original poster: If you ask me I'd go with aricher and try and look for a deal on the E4c. The Shure E3c and E2c are both quite compromised earphones as are others based on 'balanced armature drivers' which you can buy for about the same money. The E2c is quite nice and soothing to listen to but is uncomfortable for a lot people and also it has no treble. The E3c is reasonably comfortable and pretty durable but has a very tinny sound. The E4c has better sound than the E3c while retaining its good points. If that seems like too much, I'd limit it to a Sennheiser CX300 ($50 before any deals). Some people seem to like the Sony MDR-EX90 (under $100) earphones for a nice sound but as far as I know it's a bit like the Grados in that it doesn't keep out any noise.
Remember, they want over the ear headphones, not ear buds. So that rules out the Shures. I haven't tried them yet, and they may be the EX90's, but sony has a collapsable pair thats supposed to have pretty good sound for about $60-$70, silver, comes with a bag, best buy and circuit has them.
Since you're not considering in-ear pieces, I'd suggest going for a pair of 'closed' headphones - less outside sound coming in (better listening quality) and less sound leaking out (your fellow commuters would appreciate it). The Sennheiser HD280 are quite bulky, but do a good job of blocking a significant amount of travel noise on a train or a bus.
Ah. 'Out of the ear' wasn't very clear. I thought the OP meant 'coming out of the ear'
AKG K81DJ seems to be a new popular choice for those sitting 'out of the ear'.
AKG K81DJ seems to be a new popular choice for those sitting 'out of the ear'.
If you want portable and good noise-isolation, try the sennheiser px200. They cost around 60 bux, and are built to be extremely durable. I bought mine over a year ago and they're still intact, making it a record lifespan for any headphones I owned. Well worth the price and they look cool in white also.
Hey Hey now, while I stated, I don't like 99.9% of their stuff, for the heck of it I tried out the OE's and honestly, they sound really good and isolate very well for plane travel (just put them to that test this past weekend) and I was surprised how well they were driven on a 2nd gen shuffle.
Once in a while someone can do something right
But the Grado's are a very good choice as well, but not so much for loud environments. However I do miss my 225's...
another recommendation for the sennheiser px100 headphones...!
on another note, does anyone know where I can get replacement foam pads for them in the U.S.? My pair of headphones got knocked away from me when I was sleeping on the bus, and I lost a foam pad for one of the ears. Can't find them anywhere in the U.S....Anyone? P.M. me please!
on another note, does anyone know where I can get replacement foam pads for them in the U.S.? My pair of headphones got knocked away from me when I was sleeping on the bus, and I lost a foam pad for one of the ears. Can't find them anywhere in the U.S....Anyone? P.M. me please!
The Generic foam pads at Radio Shack should fit it just fine, and about $3...
They are elastic-like around the edges so it should fit them and not slack. I think Circuit City carries them as well.
Hey Hey now, while I stated, I don't like 99.9% of their stuff, for the heck of it I tried out the OE's and honestly, they sound really good and isolate very well for plane travel (just put them to that test this past weekend) and I was surprised how well they were driven on a 2nd gen shuffle.
Once in a while someone can do something right
Indeed, of course, there is obviously proof of this. Read this: http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3266
and
http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html
There you have it. Unadulterated truth about an empty marketing scheme. For me, Bose is basically like sticking ear implants into yer canals. Artificially inflated sound faking the live quality.
Grados are real and the accurate sound is incredible. If you want good implant, at least try the Etymotics or upper end AKG's.
Yet another vote for the PX100's. I use them everyday at home on my Mac, you can just slip them on and off quickly and the sound quality is great for the money
They're also very lively - sound wise I mean. Had my pair for almost 2 years now and have survived well.
It's been a while since I had the SR60/80 which I think is the only (relatively) decent headphone that Grado makes. Every other Grado I've bought, all the way up to the current flagship, have been relative disappointments. They are dynamic and they are pleasant - but they aren't very capable. It's interesting to see the Grado comments here as I think that Grado is the "audiophile's" Bose. In addition to the sound they are rather poorly built, trade on their looks/name/heritage, not to mention completely impractical for use on iPods.
The infamous Triports in fact have a little more going for them in terms of portable use - while I feel rather sorry for anyone who praises their sound, they do sound acceptable-to-OK for most, they are closed, they're more comfortable, more practical and are just as (not) durable as the SR's.
There are certainly better or more practical alternatives from Sennheiser and AKG for either the SR's or the Triports. The Sennheiser HD25 and the AKG K81DJ are well-reviewed headphones which are closed, compact and durable.
The PX200's are good, provide some blocking of outside noises but generally sounds a bit dull - the penalty of closed headphone design in such a small space. The PX100 is good sounding but not closed like the 200. I sometimes stand next to people with them on the train and how much they're blasting the music out causes a bit of concern. Excellent for use in cubicles, etc but not suitable for urban use if you ask me. As others say, both are surprisingly durable.
There's also a new pair of headphones from Sony. http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INT...ductSKU=MDRD777LP&DCMP=Redirect_ss_MDRRD777LP
The D777 has an ambient sound in switch. The headphones that the D777 was based on (the Eggos: thus named because they collapse into an egg-shape as the D777 also does) had a facility to let in ambient sound, so that you could hear train announcements or road traffic. The new D777 has a switchable valve so that you can select between fully closed and 'ambient-in' modes. The flagship Eggos have always sounded pretty good and this promises to be no exception. It's $30 over the OP's budget but may be worth a look - should be in stores now.
Er... sorry about that, post ended up a bit longer than I intended
The infamous Triports in fact have a little more going for them in terms of portable use - while I feel rather sorry for anyone who praises their sound, they do sound acceptable-to-OK for most, they are closed, they're more comfortable, more practical and are just as (not) durable as the SR's.
There are certainly better or more practical alternatives from Sennheiser and AKG for either the SR's or the Triports. The Sennheiser HD25 and the AKG K81DJ are well-reviewed headphones which are closed, compact and durable.
The PX200's are good, provide some blocking of outside noises but generally sounds a bit dull - the penalty of closed headphone design in such a small space. The PX100 is good sounding but not closed like the 200. I sometimes stand next to people with them on the train and how much they're blasting the music out causes a bit of concern. Excellent for use in cubicles, etc but not suitable for urban use if you ask me. As others say, both are surprisingly durable.
There's also a new pair of headphones from Sony. http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INT...ductSKU=MDRD777LP&DCMP=Redirect_ss_MDRRD777LP
The D777 has an ambient sound in switch. The headphones that the D777 was based on (the Eggos: thus named because they collapse into an egg-shape as the D777 also does) had a facility to let in ambient sound, so that you could hear train announcements or road traffic. The new D777 has a switchable valve so that you can select between fully closed and 'ambient-in' modes. The flagship Eggos have always sounded pretty good and this promises to be no exception. It's $30 over the OP's budget but may be worth a look - should be in stores now.
Er... sorry about that, post ended up a bit longer than I intended
Yet none of those articles touch on the headphones. Last thing I'll say cause Im not gonna argue back and forth
They may not make everythign perfect but the OE's are awesome. Another company to consider: Samsung, their home audio sucks, their Tv's are so-so, and cell phones are hit and miss, yet their monitors are great and so are their memory modules. Should we say they suck because half their products aren't good?
Anyways, to everyone inquiring about headphones:
Get what sounds good to YOU
And thats all that matters