What Headphones Are You Using?

[Scepticalscribe]

At least their sound is unlikely to be tinny.

Seriously, though, my issue with in-ear headphones has been more related to comfort than fidelity, although over-ears have an obvious sound advantage because of their size. With all the earbuds I've tried, include the Shure Etymotics I had, I found that I had to push them well into my ear canal to achieve a proper seal, leading to discomfort and a constant awareness of their physical presence.

Well said. And I agree completely with you.

On the topic of in-ear head-phones, the issue of comfort has been my major concern as well; not just a feeling of discomfort, bout occasionally, veering into actual soreness.

 

[decafjava]

At least their sound is unlikely to be tinny.

Seriously, though, my issue with in-ear headphones has been more related to comfort than fidelity, although over-ears have an obvious sound advantage because of their size. With all the earbuds I've tried, include the Shure Etymotics I had, I found that I had to push them well into my ear canal to achieve a proper seal, leading to discomfort and a constant awareness of their physical presence.

Have you tried the Comply foam eartips? They work very well with many models of IEMs and I find them very comfortable.

 

[Suture]

I picked up some Comply foam eartips here for the wireless earbuds I use when working out. No more pain in my ear from discomfort. Thanks! Now I just wish I could find a set of wireless earbuds (for working out) that sound good.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Have you tried the Comply foam eartips? They work very well with many models of IEMs and I find them very comfortable.

Now, that sounds like something that is worth looking into further; are these actually comfortable to wear?

 

[D.T.]

For Father's Day I got a pair of OPPO PM-3s. They survived a long trip to SoCal for a family reunion. They sound and look great. I tried the P7s and P5s at my local Apple Store and the OPPOs just sound cleaner. My iPhone 6+ drives them well without an amp but now I'm chasing better sound files .

I've only had the opportunity to listen to planar mag phones a few times and they were brilliant. I didn't realize there were any options for this tech that were in a "reasonable" price range like the PM-3! Very cool.

 

[lowendlinux]

I'd have all the time in the world to listen to music after my wife divorced me for spending $600 on headphones (Oppo PM-3) and those are reasonable

 

[decafjava]

Now, that sounds like something that is worth looking into further; are these actually comfortable to wear?

Well, yes, a lot more than the silicon tips my RHA or Etymotic buds came with. The "comfort" brand are top notch at least for me (the usual qualifier of YMMV applies). You do have to pay attention to prepare them properly, roll them between your fingers to compress them and hold the bud in until the foam expands to sit in place. Also they don't last as long and are more difficult to clean. I use a small amount of rubbing alcohol on a tissue to wipe them off and let dry. But they need to be replaced more often than a silicon tip would be.
Here is the Comply site.
http://www.complyfoam.com/

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Well, yes, a lot more than the silicon tips my RHA or Etymotic buds came with. The "comfort" brand are top notch at least for me (the usual qualifier of YMMV applies). You do have to pay attention to prepare them properly, roll them between your fingers to compress them and hold the bud in until the foam expands to sit in place. Also they don't last as long and are more difficult to clean. I use a small amount of rubbing alcohol on a tissue to wipe them off and let dry. But they need to be replaced more often than a silicon tip would be.
Here is the Comply site.
http://www.complyfoam.com/

Thanks very much for taking the time and trouble to post this link for me.

Should I ever decide to head down the route of purchasing a set of in-ear headphones in the future, finding a way which will ensure that they are comfortable to wear will be a major priority.

 

[redshifted]

I've only had the opportunity to listen to planar mag phones a few times and they were brilliant. I didn't realize there were any options for this tech that were in a "reasonable" price range like the PM-3! Very cool.

Is $400 reasonable ?

The reviews are generally positive. Some folks want more bass . The bass is clean, tight and well-defined for me.

The biggest complaint seems to be the fit for some reviewers. My ears fit comfortably in the ear cups and my head fits with minimal clamping pressure from the headband. If your ears are larger they may not work for you at all.

I had the choice down to these or the NAD HP-50s. I decided to start with the OPPOs and then work my way over to the NADs or Sennheiser Momentums or Shure 425s if they didn't work out. They could be more portable .

 

[Toutou]

Sennheiser HD 595 at home, Jays a-JAYS Two on the go.

 

[redshifted]

I'd have all the time in the world to listen to music after my wife divorced me for spending $600 on headphones (Oppo PM-3) and those are reasonable

They're more like $400 - but that's still a lot of money for a pair of headphones.

If I add up all the money I've spent on replacing headphones through the years, they're not really that bad. They're likely the last big audio purchase I'm going to make.

 

[D.T.]

Is $400 reasonable ?

Note the quotes ... it's all relative!

I do think for most mortals, there are diminishing returns on many things, and for headphones it's when you start getting up towards $400-500.

 

[redshifted]

Note the quotes ... it's all relative!

I do think for most mortals, there are diminishing returns on many things, and for headphones it's when you start getting up towards $400-500.

That's my experience as well. My hearing 25-30 yrs ago could appreciate the super high end headphones of today but the years take their toll. I can still hear the difference between p5s and p7s and the like. I'm willing to spend ~$400 for the OPPOs because I still love just listening to music.

The 'phones I was really close to buying were the Sennheiser 650s but their open-air design isn't good for traveling.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

That's my experience as well. My hearing 25-30 yrs ago could appreciate the super high end headphones of today but the years take their toll. I can still hear the difference between p5s and p7s and the like. I'm willing to spend ~$400 for the OPPOs because I still love just listening to music.

The 'phones I was really close to buying were the Sennheiser 650s but their open-air design isn't good for traveling.

Yes, well the difference between the P5s and P7s is the difference between exceptionally good and outstanding.

However, these days, comfort (and style) and portability are also features that need to be factored in when choosing a pair of headphones.

 

[D.T.]

Audio-Technica headphones are the Amazon DOTD, and it's all the new X revisions: 30X, 40X and 50X.

http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=lp_12799523011_gbps_rlm_s-3_0822_5004f0c1?rh=i:mi,n:12799523011,n:12799523011&ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&node=12799523011

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Audio-Technica headphones are the Amazon DOTD, and it's all the new X revisions: 30X, 40X and 50X.

http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=lp_12799523011_gbps_rlm_s-3_0822_5004f0c1?rh=i:mi,n:12799523011,n:12799523011&ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&node=12799523011

Actually, I had to google the acronym 'DOTD' to work out what your post meant, as it was an expression I had never come across before now, and for that matter, it was not something that I knew was done by Amazon. You learn something new everyday.

But, yes, this does strike me as a deal worth paying close heed to if you are in the market to buy a set of Audio-Technica headphones.

 

[D.T.]

That's funny about the DOTD acronym, because in my morning fog, I sat here trying to type it several times. DA ... no ... DY ... wait ... DODT ... grrrr

I haven't finished my coffee yet if that's an acceptable excuse

And yes, these are pretty terrific headphones - you generally never see huge discounts on this brand, so this is a solid discount. A buddy of mine scored the 40X model several weeks ago, he wanted a travel pair of on-ear, sub $100, and was OK with the slight performance reduction (at least on paper) vs. the very popular 50X. He's really impressed, especially in terms of price vs. performance.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

That's funny about the DOTD acronym, because in my morning fog, I sat here trying to type it several times. DA ... no ... DY ... wait ... DODT ... grrrr

I haven't finished my coffee yet if that's an acceptable excuse

And yes, these are pretty terrific headphones - you generally never see huge discounts on this brand, so this is a solid discount. A buddy of mine scored the 40X model several weeks ago, he wanted a travel pair of on-ear, sub $100, and was OK with the slight performance reduction (at least on paper) vs. the very popular 50X. He's really impressed, especially in terms of price vs. performance.

Yes, morning fog - especially the Tuesday after the clocks have gone back and the sky is a dull, leaden, overcast, gloomy grey - portending of winter, and coffee unfinished are exactly the sort of excuses that I can wholly relate to and identify with.

Well, when I first typed 'DOTD' into the google search engine, it came back with something to do with gold, which baffled me somewhat. Anyway, I blinked - and yes, coffee insufficiency was also a factor, and modified and refined my search terms. Thus, next, I typed in 'DOTD Amazon' which - to my surprise - led me to a hitherto undiscovered Aladdin's Cave of veritable finds, not least the Audio Technica headphones (in all of the varied 'X' splendours) that you had described in your post.

But yes, for those of a mind to snatch a quick purchase that offers excellent quality and great value, this does seem a very good deal.

 

[Zerog46]

All Bose here. In ear ones for daily use and the QC25's for when I'm home.

 

[Cnasty]

I have started working out again and tired of these wires on my ear buds!

I saw the Jaybird X had significant discounts since the new model came out. Hate to buy a 3 year old product but also can't see ponying up $170 for ear buds.

Anyone have both and think its that massive of an upgrade or worthy?

 

[Spencerdl]

All Bose here. In ear ones for daily use and the QC25's for when I'm home.

Same here....I've been using BOSE for a long time. I'm currently using the QC20i Noise Cancelling Earbuds. Totally satisfied ...

 

[Susan159]

After either losing or damaging so many pairs of headphones at the gym, I now use the free ones apple gives me with a phone purchase.

 

[venom600]

I have read very good reports of the Harmon Kardon CLs, and they look to be very well built also; how do you find them? Are they comfortable as well as offering very good audio?

I love the CLs. The only issue that I have with them is that they are on ear instead of around the ear, so you get a lot of sound leakage. They feel expensive and they sound pretty good unamped on just about anything. They come with two headbands, so it's easy to get a comfortable fit.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I love the CLs. The only issue that I have with them is that they are on ear instead of around the ear, so you get a lot of sound leakage. They feel expensive and they sound pretty good unamped on just about anything. They come with two headbands, so it's easy to get a comfortable fit.

Thanks a lot for taking the time to post a thoughtful review; much appreciated. Glad you are enjoying them.

 

[Eileen89]

Apple's Earpods... I know I'm the pariah of this thread.

While not the best, I'm using these temporarily now too because I lost my other ones at work.