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Sennheiser Headphones for an iPod?

S

Soire

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 27, 2004
223
0
Garden State
So I'm waiting on the 4th gen iPods, and as I do, I figured I'd go ahead and buy some sweet headphones. The two models I'm looking at are from Sennheiser and are the EH2270 and the HD570 (links in that order)

http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/productdetail.asp?transid=004730
http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/productdetail.asp?transid=004552

So my question is whether or not the iPod will be able to power these pro-level headphones. Any thoughts? Also if anybody has tried these headphones please feel free to help in my decision making process. Right now I'm leaning towards the refurbed EH2270. Thanks.
 
Soire said:
So I'm waiting on the 4th gen iPods, and as I do, I figured I'd go ahead and buy some sweet headphones. The two models I'm looking at are from Sennheiser and are the EH2270 and the HD570 (links in that order)

http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/productdetail.asp?transid=004730
http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/productdetail.asp?transid=004552

So my question is whether or not the iPod will be able to power these pro-level headphones. Any thoughts? Also if anybody has tried these headphones please feel free to help in my decision making process. Right now I'm leaning towards the refurbed EH2270. Thanks.
Click to expand...

You might want to consider an external amp if you are getting Sennheisers. I did, and it really improves sound. I recommend Headroom for portable amps, the Total Airhead is $200 (http://headroom.headphone.com/layout.php). Sennheisers benefit greatly from an amp. If you don't want to get an amp, look into Etymotics ER-4P (about $220). Those are designed for portable players and are the best headphones for use directly out of a portable source IMHO.
 
Check out headphones by a company called Bang and Olufsen. I bought a pair of the A8 model and I find them a perfect fit for my iPod. They are very portable and still give great sound. Check them out, the styling is superb as well.

http://www.bang-olufsen.com/sw1612.asp
 
mrviga said:
Check out headphones by a company called Bang and Olufsen. I bought a pair of the A8 model and I find them a perfect fit for my iPod. They are very portable and still give great sound. Check them out, the styling is superb as well.

http://www.bang-olufsen.com/sw1612.asp
Click to expand...

I completely agree : friend of mine has these too : really amazing sound for such a small headphone : and he goes running with them every day, so that won't be a problem...
 
i've used each of those headphones. my brother has the 2270's and i have the 570's. honestly... the 570's are one of the MOST comfortable pair of headphones i have ever owned, with some of the best sound. one downside- you need to use them in a quiet room. they way they are designed, the coils are allowed to vibrate with the music. this makes for GREAT sound reproduction, but listeners in the room will hear everything you're listening too. my bro swears he likes his 2270's better, but i cant tell too much of a difference, esp with the iPod.

also in that price range. bose's noise canceling headphones are another of my favorites. and shure's earbuds- amazing! really incredible sound.

i'm a bit addicted to my headphones... but i like to have music wherever i am :D
 
gwuMACaddict said:
i've used each of those headphones. my brother has the 2270's and i have the 570's. honestly... the 570's are one of the MOST comfortable pair of headphones i have ever owned, with some of the best sound. one downside- you need to use them in a quiet room. they way they are designed, the coils are allowed to vibrate with the music. this makes for GREAT sound reproduction, but listeners in the room will hear everything you're listening too. my bro swears he likes his 2270's better, but i cant tell too much of a difference, esp with the iPod.

also in that price range. bose's noise canceling headphones are another of my favorites. and shure's earbuds- amazing! really incredible sound.

i'm a bit addicted to my headphones... but i like to have music wherever i am :D
Click to expand...


Well I've been doing some research and I have noticed that the 570's are open air. How loud are we talking here? I'm used to crummy $20 sony headphones. But I'm still up in the air between the 570's and 2270's assuming they both need low power- i.e. portable capable. I feel that I had ought to be able to hear somebody shouting at me, but I don't want to disturb people around me or have the music drowned out by ambient noise.

And of course, I greatly value the advice of a fellow GWU student. (Although I've only got 2 weeks left!)
 
Thank you all for helping me out. I think I'll go with the HD 570's as they support portable player's power output and are stylish. I am a little worried about how much noise they let in though... but I guess I'll get over it. Thanks. :D
 
I use a pair of HD 280 pro Sennheiser headphones with my iPod....and they sound GREAT! I've used a lot of headphones in my life and these are easily the best out of all of those. I'll be buying from Sennheiser for a long time to come.
 
I also use HD 280PROs on my new iPod. Despite the 64ohm impedance the iPod seems to drive them just fine, the sound is actually better than from my soundcard or portable CD player I think. Also these are closed so others don't have to listen to your music and you don't have to listen to their noise. :) They aren't fully "noise-canceling", but they are close enough for me.
 
My iPod will happily drive a pair of Grado RS1's, so load isn't an issue that really comes into the arguement. Strangely the RS1's will initially go louder than my Sennheiser HD600's despite a lower impedance.
Open back can prove problematic but is more of an issue spreading noise outward to others then effecting your own listening. Noise will leak in but no worse than with in ear headphones and the greater comfort and better fit will illiminate most of this anyway. Noise cancelling headphones do work but at a price, they are generally heavier, require batteries which they go through quickly and sound quality is not as good as with standard open back designs.
Sennheisers offer quality, supreme comfort and in general a sound which is easier to get along with and likeable to more people than other makes. I am a big fan of Grado but do try them on first if you can as comfort isn't the greatest with all their models.
I can't comment on the sound of B&O as I've never tried them but you do pay a premium for that name and style (in the uk you do anyway).
Like with all music related choices find a dealer who will let you try first.
 
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