Need Help Picking Headphones ~$200 CAD...

[DeusInvictus7]

Hey guys, I need help picking new headphones for listening to music/iphone use.

I did a search, and as far as I saw, I did not see anything that was similar to my question. I also was looking at the "Post your headphones" thread, but most of the pictures weren't loading right, and not many were in-ear headphones.

A mic is not necessary, but would be nice, but I have seen that most sets that have the built in mic kind of sacrifice the quality of the sound, at least for the price. Also, I do want to stay away from the Shures...I know, I know, they are good, but they don't fit my ear right, since I have pretty small ears, and I've played around with the e2c's and I could never get a comfortable fit. I have the Bose In-Ear right now, and after a year and a half of owning them, they are ok, but like everyone says, they aren't that great.

So here's my question, what do you guys think is the best set of small, in-ear headphones that I could get, while being around $200CAD?

I was looking at the B&O A8's, and those seem to be what I'm leaning towards.

Thanks in advance

 

[thegoldenmackid]

The B&O's are a good choice. Was it just the size of the buds that was problematic with the Shure's. I can't see myself recommending any other IEMs if the Shure's don't fit. I will say with any IEM you have to wait a day or two before your ear adjust to them. Most people rarely have any comfort issues after a week.

 

[DeusInvictus7]

The B&O's are a good choice. Was it just the size of the buds that was problematic with the Shure's. I can't see myself recommending any other IEMs if the Shure's don't fit. I will say with any IEM you have to wait a day or two before your ear adjust to them. Most people rarely have any comfort issues after a week.

Well, this is my story for headphones:

I first bought the Bose ones, which are actually pretty comfortable, at least to me, and after about a week I exchanged them for the Shure's just to see what was the difference. I had the Shure's for about another week and I could never get anything to fit right...so I returned them and went back to the Bose...mind you these are both 100 dollar sets, and I wasn't really looking at anything else then.

EDIT: Oh, does anyone have any opinions on the Kilpsch Custom-2's? Those look pretty nice too.

 

[RainMeister]

Check this SITE for recommendations. These guys know what they are talking about.

I personally prefer Sennheiser full-sized head phones, but have been pleased with the Etymotic ER6i for use with my iPod.

 

[six.four]

Check this SITE for recommendations. These guys know what they are talking about.

I personally prefer Sennheiser full-sized head phones, but have been pleased with the Etymotic ER6i for use with my iPod.

The site you linked is a store...with extremely limited reviews.... and limited product selection....it doesn't even cover all the brands - like Ultimate Ears...I don't see how that's a good place to get a recommendation. It's like saying circuitcity.com is a good place to get recommendations - atleast circuit city has more user reviews.

A MUCH better (and more realistic) place to get advice is here:

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

Those guys are hardcore. Alot of tweaks and mods originate from those forums and you'll find some hardcore enthusiasts there.

Oh... and you can find great deals on high end equipment in the trading section of their forums.

 

[RainMeister]

The site you linked is a store...with extremely limited reviews.... and limited product selection...

Are you always this prickly or is it that time of the month? No need to dump on another poster just to make your own recommendations.

I've found the reviews at HeadRoom to be quite accurate with my own experiences. The guys running the operation are true audiophiles, and they place their reputation ahead of making a quick buck. Comparing them to Circuit City is like saying a filet minion at Morton's tastes no better than a McDonald's hamburger.

 

[six.four]

Are you always this prickly or is it that time of the month? No need to dump on another poster just to make your own recommendations.

umm. How about you're just overly sensitive? Nowhere in the post did I make any personal attack on you. Honestly, I don't even think my post was abrasive. I'd apologize, but I'm not sure what I'd be apologizing for. To each his own I guess....

 

[marmiteturkey]

umm. How about you're just overly sensitive? Nowhere in the post did I make any personal attack on you. Honestly, I don't even think my post was abrasive. I'd apologize, but I'm not sure what I'd be apologizing for. To each his own I guess....

Well, for what it's worth, I think your original post was worded a bit clumsily as well.

I'm also a big fan of the headphone.com site - their reviews are very straightforward and real-world, and as long as you understand that they're always trying to sell you one of their headphone amps, you'll be okay.

 

[jampat]

Ety ER4 or ER6 sound really good for the money. Definitely worth a look, both should blow the Bose out of the water. If you can stretch a little more, the Shure SE530's can be had for <350 from a lot of sources (I'm not sure where you are, but there was a store in London, ON that stocked 530's for this price). I have not heard great things about the B&O's, all style, limited performance, never heard them though.

 

[J the Ninja]

Denon AHC-751s are good (they're what I have). Heard nothing but good things about the Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 Pro too.

 

[DeusInvictus7]

Thanks for the recommendations guys, will be perusing through those.

What about the Klipsch Custom-2's? Anybody heard anything about those?

 

[teflon]

Well, this is my story for headphones:

I first bought the Bose ones, which are actually pretty comfortable, at least to me, and after about a week I exchanged them for the Shure's just to see what was the difference. I had the Shure's for about another week and I could never get anything to fit right...so I returned them and went back to the Bose...mind you these are both 100 dollar sets, and I wasn't really looking at anything else then.

EDIT: Oh, does anyone have any opinions on the Kilpsch Custom-2's? Those look pretty nice too.

Thanks for the recommendations guys, will be perusing through those.

What about the Klipsch Custom-2's? Anybody heard anything about those?

I have the Klipsch Custom-2s. If you have small ears, they may be ideal, as they have extra small ear gel option. Once you register online, they'll send you a set of extra ear gel for free, and you can select whichever size if you want. It's pretty comfortable, but definitely takes practice to put it in correctly and finding the right fit. Sound quality is pretty good and they provide good isolation. Fantastic customer service. I broke my first pair, and I just walked in to London Drugs (my place of purchase) with my broken earphones. The guy immediately replaced my broken pair with a brand new one, no questions asked.

 

[gothamm]

have you considered the klipsch image x5, the most comfortable in-ear headphone in the world?