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which headphones for ipod?

smartalic34

smartalic34

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
I'm finally fed up with the stock apple earbuds and have decided to upgrade. I can't decide if I want over-the-ear phones or canalphones, but does anyone have any experience with these 4 models?:

Shure SE210 (in-ear) link

V-Moda Vibe (in-ear) link

Sennheiser HD-555 (over-ear) link

Sennheiser HD-280 Pro (over-ear) link

thanks!
 
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smartalic34 said:
I'm finally fed up with the stock apple earbuds and have decided to upgrade. I can't decide if I want over-the-ear phones or canalphones, but does anyone have any experience with these 4 models?:

Shure SE210 (in-ear) link

V-Moda Vibe (in-ear) link

Sennheiser HD-555 (over-ear) link

Sennheiser HD-280 Pro (over-ear) link

thanks!
Click to expand...

Canalphones are (I've heard) much quieter if used properly, but many people don't like them and say they aren't comfortable. On the other hand, as comfortable as over-ear 'phones are, they're not nearly as quiet as the canalphones.

Just some food for thought. 😛
 
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I own the v-moda vibes. I use them for recording music and for listening to music while i drum along. The sound quality is good and the noise canceling is just enough that i can hear the drums (I play loud... very loud) and still the music (clearly) but nothing else.

The only problem- i can only drum while wearing them for about an hour tops, regardless of how deep (or not deep) in my ear they are the just hurt. It may be because i'm not very big (about 5'7" and 115 lbs) and maybe my ears are small or something, but no matter which size plugs i put on them they just hurt.

If you've got bigger ears though, I'd definitely recommend them 🙄
 
+1 for Shure

I own the SE110 and love them but the SE210 are even better! Go for them, they're conformable and block out a good deal of external sound.
 
Also consider Etymotic er6i in earcanal headphones. They go in to your ear quite deep and I've got to admit that I find them uncomfortable after 1hr+ of constant use, but if you're listening to music in a noisy environment (i commute 45mins to work in the paris metro every day) then they're great. They really block out external noise and the sounds they produce is very neutral. I tend to use those on the metro and then I have a pair of Sennheisers for use at work where it's less noisy.
 
thanks for all the great responses so far! I'm definitely going to go with in-ear phones. I'll add the etymotics and the other shure model to my list, so now it's between the shure se110, shure se210, v-moda vibe, and etymotic er6i.

any additional comments are appreciated.

two quick questions though: I've read that the yellow foams that came with the shures have been replaced by black coated foams. are these new black foams also disposable (like the yellows) or are they washable/re-wearable?

are the shure and etymotic models harder to put in/take out than the v-moda because they go in deeper?
 
Go with whatever is cheapest at Wal-Mart. They they use a speaial Chinese based lead that makes everything sound better.
 
Im a big fan of in ear, with the rubber cups, but i just picked up some Sennheiser HD 205's, and they have blown me away. Although, i havent tried similarly priced In Ear versions.

The 205's look cool too, and the 'R' cup rotates forwards and backwards, good for when your talking to people (The Box says DJ use though 😉 )
 
smartalic34 said:
I've read that the yellow foams that came with the shures have been replaced by black coated foams. are these new black foams also disposable (like the yellows) or are they washable/re-wearable?
Click to expand...

Great question. The foams are now black and can be WIPED, not washed as this made mine loose their ability to hold their shape when putting them in your ear.

They do come off and can be replaced, but with clean ears and careful cleaning, they should last awhile.
 
Go for the Grado SR-60's.. They have incredible sound quality for the price of $70 (the best in the industry), they are very comfortable, they are durable, and their warranty is extremely generous. I broke them in this crazy incident of major tripping which was so my fault, and they replaced them for free.
 
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I have the Etymotic ER-4P. They are in ear headphones and I got used to the feel and love them now.
They are nice to wear anytime its noisy. I used them when I was doing some remodeling and it was great, enjoyed the music and didn't worry about hurting my ears with all the equipment I was using. I also wear them when I'm doing yard work, and I hardly hear the mower or trimmer. They kind of double as ear protection.
I would also look into the new klipsch in ear phones, they are supposed to be the smallest and most comfortable, and are getting great reviews.
 
The Grado's are in a different category, they are not the best cans for out and about. The Shure's will share some of the sound quality that the Grado's have (not all of it) and some of the noise-cancelling ability through superior sound isolation that the others have while coming in a portable package.
 
IMHO I'd steer clear of the Sennheiser headphones because my last 3 sets were duds. The sound quality was very good however the build was rubbish otherwise they would have been outstanding headphones for the price.

I own both Alessandro MS-1 (Grado) and Audio Techinica ATH AD-700 9 out of 10 time I will use the ATH AD-700, they sound better and feel much better on.

If you are still unsure try Headphonic
 
smartalic34 said:
I'm finally fed up with the stock apple earbuds and have decided to upgrade. I can't decide if I want over-the-ear phones or canalphones, but does anyone have any experience with these 4 models?:

Shure SE210 (in-ear) link

V-Moda Vibe (in-ear) link

Sennheiser HD-555 (over-ear) link

Sennheiser HD-280 Pro (over-ear) link

thanks!
Click to expand...

NO V-MODA please, they sound mediocre and the quality of the product is terrible.
Senn's Pro are plain sweet, they're cheap and sound fantastic. I'll rather use over-ears because they're waayyy much more comfortable but if you are planning to do some traveling and/or have a limited carrying space then I'll recommend any of Klipsch's in-ear headphones (according to reviews they sound fantastic and are very comfy)

Hope this helped,
Victor
 
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I really like my Etymotic er-6i headphones. The sound quality is really good, they block out tons of external noise, they have held up really well for the year I've had them given how poorly I treat them sometimes. Highly recommended.
 
Here's a mini-review of the SE210's from a non-audiophile...

In Canada they retail for $199 + tax, but I managed to get a brand new pair for $85 😛

First - make sure to clean your ears before wearing them - otherwise - mess will ensue. Ugh...

First pair I bought had to return since the right earbud produced 0 sound at all. Second pair works fine.

In terms of the fit - the left one stays in my ear very well but the right always falls out. Perhaps I need to try changing foamies - it comes with a variety of inserts and you can choose ones you find comfortable.

Overall, they sound I'd say 40% better than the iPod ones. That's just IMO. As I said, I'm not an audiophile...the bass is definitely much better which is nice. I don't find I can get "louder" music out of them without distortion - at high volumes there's still some distortion. Again, these may be stupid comments because I know nothing about audio. Overall, the best feature by far is how once you have them on you can barely hear what's going on around you. This is an amazing quality since you can only hear your music. I find that there are so many sounds that the white iPod earbuds muffle - when you put on the SE210s the music sounds slightly different - you hear more subtle background instruments and it's just more enjoyable especially since you don't hear background noise.

I also find myself using them even when not plugged into my iPod - in the library for example and I need to have an even quieter room - put on the Se210s and you're set! (not being sarcastic, I actually do this 😛).

Bottom line - they're good - but not AS good as I was expecting based on their excellent reviews. Maybe they really are THAT much better I just don't realize it since i'm not an audiophile.
 
I'm going to be anti-Shure (as I've done before). The sound is great but their cables are absolutely atrocious. They're thick and give you reassurance that they'll last, but they end up stiffening and cracking in a short time. Shure have acknowledged they have a materials problem and will replace your headphones under warranty, but that can mean going without them for a couple of weeks if you're unlucky.

I'm onto my second pair of SE210's and the cable is hardening again. The first set lasted only 2 months 🙁. I really wish shure would do something about their quality, as I'd have absolutely no reservations recommending their products otherwise. Personally I'd be keen to step up to a more expensive line like the E530s as I've been so satisfied with my SE210s, but there is no way if the cables don't last. There's a significantly large thread over at head-fi.org (>300 posts) discussing Shure's cable issues.

My verdict: Great headphones for the price, cable problems a deal killer.
 
I really like my shure e4c's... fantastic sound quality.

The only caveat I'd make for canal/in-ear phones is that you need to take great care in inserting them to ensure you get a good sound, the hassle of which is exacerbated when finding yourself having to listen to a train announcement or needing to talk to someone after having carefully inserted them!

Bottom line, it's much easier to flip on and off a standard pair of headphones or iPod white buds as the need arises.

But, if you can relax on your journey, the cost/sound quality ratio of Shure E series in-ear phones are unparalleled in my personal opinion.

Vanilla
PS: I use Large foam sleeves, which I find provide a really good ,close fit.
 
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