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Sansa E280 Improvements (headphone related)

post #1 of 10
1/1/07 at 4:20pm
Thread Starter 
Hi

I'm a total newbie to MP3 players. I've recently bought a Sansa E280 US version for the radio, size and expandable memory and like it a lot despite its little ideosyncracies (yeh, lots of fun with Windows Media Player 11)

I quickly learnt that the supplied earbuds were not up to scratch so I'm using Sennheiser MX500s which are better. The Sansa sounds even better on the AKG K26P but these don't seem portable to me.

So, what I'm interested in is recommendations for better sound quality for portable playing? I'm thinking about Sennheiser PX200s (the earbugs don't dampen out road noise when walking unless I jam them in) - will this be an improvement like the K26Ps?

I'm also interested in the portable amp equipment - any recommendations about type and where I can get them in the UK?

Any help gratefully received - love this forum!

Thanks

Yeknod
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post #2 of 10
1/1/07 at 4:35pm
Depends on how far you want to go.. I'd recommend the Philips HP460 or AKG K81 DJ but they aren't nearly portable enough. I certainly, however, wouldn't recommend the PX200 as they are considered generally unexceptional for their price segment.

You might want to consider the JVC FX33 (Marshmallow) or FX55. The Creative Labs EP630, Sennheiser CX300, or V-Moda Bass Freqs might also interest you. There's also IEMs, but that's a whole new story.
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post #3 of 10
1/1/07 at 4:40pm
Welcome to Head-Fi ... sorry about your wallet!

People will probably say you should have posted this in the headphones section, but I don't have a problem with it being here.

Are you open to in-ear earphones? They're certainly highly portable, and not so difficult to get used to. Canal phones such as Creative EP630s, Marshmallows and Sennheisers, on up to the V-Moda Vibes, insert (gently) into the ear and do a pretty good job of overriding outside noise. For true passive noise reduction, there's the IEM category, such as Etymotics, Westone, Shure, Ultimate Ears and others -- you don't need headphones with active noise cancellation circuitry, unless you're averse to in-ears.

Almost anything you get will be an improvement, one way or another, over any manufacturer's supplied earbuds ... so you're on the right path.
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post #4 of 10
1/1/07 at 5:03pm
Thread Starter 
Great, many thanks for the quick responses. Yes, I've been looking at the EP630s and CX300s. The one thing that puts me off is that my current MX500s slip around affecting the SQ so I hope these other earphones will be better? I'm sort of swayed towards phones that cover the whole ear - easier to manage when I stop walking.

I'm also interested in the portable amp equipment - worth the purchase to improve the Sansa SQ or use to power headphones that cover the whole ear? My music tastes are quite varied Pink Floyd to Vivaldi Stabat Mater so I guess I'm looking for a bright, clear sound without overdone bass.
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post #5 of 10
1/1/07 at 5:51pm
Blast, that seems to be a Grado signature. Unfortunately, Grados are open and will provide no isolation whatsoever. It's unfortunate that all of the choices I mentioned are either dark or notoriously bass-heavy, which is quite against your preference.

There's an unfortunate dearth of isolating, bright, circumaural (I believe that's what you're looking for?) headphones.
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post #6 of 10
1/1/07 at 6:02pm
For the cash, I love my Shure E2c's, they offer fantastic isolation, same as plugging your ears with your fingers until you get a full seal.

Great sound quality for the price point, not sure how they stack up to the new models in that pricerange now though.

They are very durable, I listened to mine daily for about two years on an older iRiver 195 and they sounded great.

In a mods thread, someone suggested pulling this ring out of the ends of the tubes, so I gave that a go, and the highs opened up substantially. Much better 'air' to the tunes now and better definition.

They are isolating enough to be able to use my iPod while mowing the lawn or with my backpack leaf blower without having to crank the music to dangerous levels.
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post #7 of 10
1/1/07 at 10:46pm
see my sig. if you impressed with those fart cannons know as 26ps. than you'll really appreciate the 81 Dj upgrade as I did. especially after I added a silver cable.

I've owned the cx-300s and I wasn't all that impressed with the sound.
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post #8 of 10
1/2/07 at 1:24am
"my current MX500s slip around affecting the SQ"

Those are relatively large earbuds, which just hang precariously in the ears. A big advantage of even inexpensive earphones such as the Marshmallows, Creatives and the slightly more expensive Sennheisers is that they are canal phones ... they "plug" gently into the ear canal with very soft silicone ear pieces and fit far more securely than the (maddening) earbuds that just hang there. Very suitable for walking, exercising, etc.
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post #9 of 10
1/2/07 at 1:34am
Having a Sansa E250R myself, I can tell you that the JVC FX-33 "marshmallows" are an excellent choice for this mp3 player! I just got them and I am definitely impressed for the amount of money spent.. Bass is far better (which helps on the bass lacking aspect of the E200), maybe slightly loose, but I have read burn-in/breakin cures most of this issue..

Mids blend well, and highs have pretty good detail, they stand out pleasantly, don't know how to describe it. They fit me pretty good, even with the stock foam things.. I like them because they don't COMPLETELY block out sound so i can still wear them at work and stuff..

It's like "partial isolation"
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post #10 of 10
1/2/07 at 2:01am
Thread Starter 
Again, thanks for all the advice! Lots of suggestions to explore.

I guess good isolation is a must for me so circumaurals seem not to be such a good idea.

Has anyone tried portable headphone amps with a Sansa - worth the investment or will the suggested kit work well without an amp - I'm sort of curious how these amps affect headphone performance especially with the equipment suggested above?
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