Buying portable or in-ear headphones? Seeking guidance? DON'T START A NEW THREAD. Ask for advice... - Page 156  

Hello everyone!, I'm looking for a set of headphones and I've been looking at all these different brands. I've chosen to get headphones which sit against the ear (on-ear). I listen to Indie music mainly, if that helps with finding a more accurate result.

I love aesthetics. If I had to pick which one:

• ATH-ES55
• B&W P3
• Harmin Kardon CL

• Or are P5's really worth it?

My budget is around $240. 

Thanks N!

Whoever told me Westone 3s sound like HE400s is wrong...I bought a pair of W3s and they're very dark and sluggish - sounds like I'm listening to music with my ears plugged from low pressure, no detail at all.


Anything else that sounds like the HE400s? Considering IEMs or closed portables under $300. Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSitthi 

Whoever told me Westone 3s sound like HE400s is wrong...I bought a pair of W3s and they're very dark and sluggish - sounds like I'm listening to music with my ears plugged from low pressure, no detail at all.


Anything else that sounds like the HE400s? Considering IEMs or closed portables under $300. Thanks.

Sounds like a bad fit - maybe with foams.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zalithian 

Sounds like a bad fit - maybe with foams.

Unlikely since I tried every tip that came with it, but it could be that these IEM shells and/or nozzle angle aren't for my ear structure.

Howdy everyone! I started a thread earlier asking for advice, but that was before I saw this one, so i apologize for not posting my question here in the first place. Anywho, I was looking to replace my $20 Meelec M6s for something around $100. I've been primarily looking at the Shure se215s and the Westone UM1s. I mostly listen to Regina Spektor and Radiohead (and Thom Yorke). Other bands are Muse, Modest Mouse, LCD Soundsystem, and 90s alt rock. Something I'd really like is for Thom Yorke's vocals to be a little more prominent if that makes sense to ya'll. Also, would an amp like the Fiio e6 produce a better sound when playing FLAC from my android phone? Thanks.

Edit: Would the sound quality of the V-Moda M 80s be better than IEMs at this price range?

Quote:

Originally Posted by minus91ne 

Hi all, new here and returning after a long hiatus to being able to concentrate on listening to music. Due to lack of space and opportunity to set up and listen to a full hifi separates + speakers system, it seems like for now my best bet is to find some good headphones in a sound style I like to listen to music through my macbook, maybe or maybe not with an external DAC/headphone amp.

My best advice in this situation is to make a pilgrimage to a shop where you can freely listen to dozens of headphones for an entire afternoon.  If you're like me, you'll go home spending more than you thought you would!

PX100 is a great basic Senn.  Lots of choice out there, I imagine you'll be spending lots of time reading on the forums here!

For AKG i just picked up a K403 for about $30US which is a very AKG sound.

Put the MDR-V6 on there as a classic, studio sound too

Thanks inline, I'm going to have a look (and hopefully a listen) at the sennheiser px100ii and akg k450 (which are now £40 locally, which might be a bargain). Once I've got the Koss and one or other of those, plus my monster urbeats and some old sony iems, I'll at least have a range of 'phones to work with, some of which are acknowledged to have particular signatures that might guide me when I come to looking at the 1 or 2 pairs of decent headphones I will stick with for concentrated listening.

Hi.  A headphone novice here.  Just wanted some advice before I decide to part with (and possibly waste) some money.

Got a £25 ($40) Amazon voucher left over from Christmas, don't know what to do with it, thought of maybe getting a pair of 'proper' in-ear phones.  As per the OP, here are my "parameters":

- Type = in-ear, probably sound-isolating (although the Bose IE2s seem like they might be suitable)
- Budget = up to £100 ($160) approx (possibly more for the 'right' phones)
- Use = unamped, mainly for listening to speech podcasts and audiobooks, used with iRiver T60 (I know, it's old, but it's still in great condition, and I like that it uses an AAA battery)

My current phones are very basic: a pair of Sony MDR-E818LP (http://www.sony.co.uk/product/hpa-in-ear-classic/mdr-e818lp).  Again, they're old, but even after several years of daily use they're still in great condition (which is more than can be said for pretty much every other pair of phones I've ever owned).

Anyway, after looking around online, it seems the following might be suitable (what puts me off in brackets):

- Bose IE2 (not noise-isolating)
- Shure SE215 (cable over the ear)
- Westone 1 (cable over the ear)
- Sony XBA-1 (seems their lack of bass irritates many people)

I guess what I'm asking is: all things considered, is it worth spending up to £100 ($160) on a new pair of phones?  If so, which would be a good buy?  Would it be worth (for example) spending extra on a pair of Sony XBA-2's?

Any advice appreciated.

Try Sony XB60EX. They're on sale too.

I'm looking around for a rather small portable solution, don't like anything that sticks into me and I stumbled upon Koss Porta Pro is it any good, well kinda stupid question If I already looked around and yes is the answer...Just looking for opinions...

Quote:

Originally Posted by WildStyle-R11 

I'm looking around for a rather small portable solution, don't like anything that sticks into me and I stumbled upon Koss Porta Pro is it any good, well kinda stupid question If I already looked around and yes is the answer...Just looking for opinions...

Koss Porta Pro should be any headphone enthusiast collection (just kidding). It has great sound stage & the bass is powerful but not that overwhelming. It has a retro look if that doesnt bug you. One thing is hair gets stuck onto the headband at times & when you pull the headphone off your head there is an ouch.

I see they are on sale too. Comes with a carrying pouch also.

Hello,

I'm looking for a new pair of in-ear headphones since the cable of my Sennheiser CX-280 broke. This time I'm looking for a more high-end pair of headphones. My budget is up to +/- €100/$100. I mainly listen to my Sandisk Sansa Clip Zip (rockboxed).

I'm considering the Shure SE215 or the Sony XBA-1, but I don't know which one I should chose. My main point of doubt is the bass part, because the SE215 is said to be a in-ear headphone with a lot of bass, and some people say that the XBA-1 pretty much lacks bass. I'm not considering myself to be a bass-head since I found my old Sennheisers had a bit too much bass, but I don't consider a lack of bass as a good thing, because I like a nice, warm sound.

So which one should you recommend? Or do you have an other great quality alternative?

Thanks in advance.