Buying portable or in-ear headphones? Seeking guidance? DON'T START A NEW THREAD. Ask for advice... - Page 177  

MG7s. The orginal MG5 and their subsequent driver models are a slightly different beast. 

 

X10s have a semi-Grado tonality. Nothing really stands out though as a Grado replacement. Anywhere you might be willing to compromise within the sig?

 

Yeah, the EX1000 have been recommended to me quite alot, hehe. The funny thing is I haven't even heard them before. I'm afraid that the treble peaks, however may be a problem for me since i'm really sensitive to that. Other phones that have been recommended to me are SM3 and W4, what do you think? 

 

I'm also looking for an portable headphone as well $300-$500 budget.

 

Really appreciate the help

Edited by Love Music - 1/29/13 at 1:54am

 

Yes, I'm willing to compromise. I would have bought Grado's already if not. So, far what I have read iGi's are flimsy (lack of better word) and G8/10 are so expensive that they do not fullfill my "bang for buck" criteria.

 

I have explained what I'm after in little bit more detail in this thread:

 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/648250/in-ear-headphones-suggestions-for-grado-sr60s-aficionado

 

Basically any value oriented in-ear phones that fullfill these parameters (grabbed from SR60i review) might fit the bill.

 

• Wide-open, clear, and well-detailed sound
• Awesome midrange and vocal detail
• Deep, tight, and articulate bass
• Fatigue-free and pristine treble
• Sounds great on all different kinds of music

,

If new reasonable priced phones end my love affair with Grados, then so be it. If not, then ...

 

i might have described the treble on xcape ie wrongly, let me try again. on the xcape ie, all of of the highest pitch sounds (orchestra) comes on and sound a little short, disappearing quickly before the point/pitch where a listener will expect it to reach before moving on to the next sound. i've only had this and the panasonic for comparison and on the panasonic it seems to reach that height/pitch/point for the high note before fading out naturally to the next sound in the song.

oh and i left out movie OSTs in my musical preference, most of these music are called 'epic mixes' on youtube. not sure what genre these belong to, maybe cinematic rock?

are the re-262s warmer than the 252s? i see in other thread the 252 is categorized as analytical while the 262 is under the list of warm earphones. also will the 262 run from iphone (without amp) if i buy it since it has impedance of 150 ohms which seems huge in earphones, not saying that i already want the 262 but just out of curiosity. 

 

 

listening to the black eyed peas song <boom boom pow>, the panasonic earphone can actually produce throbbing bass, not sure if it's basshead level kind of bass i am experiencing here but it sure sounds natural and nice. oh yes 1 more thing, i REALLY love the sound of violin. :)

 

could i be a mini basshead without myself knowing?, if i am, it probably spells trouble wanting bass and good violin sounds on top of overall natural sound. lol it will be a big joke if i try a couple more earphones in the future only to find this pair of cheapo badly abused panasonic earphone to be the best i always wanted. it will be such a big joke, i dare not imagine further. :l 

also, very important to explain is that whenever i use the word 'natural sounding' in music, i mean the natural sound you normally hear from external speakers like 5.1 setup home theatre system, that sort of natural. and i think this kind of natural that most people are used to might be very different from the sound signature of neutral in-ear earphones as i read (from ClieOS's link) that sound emitted by all in-ear earphones (including those with neutral frequency response) do not interact with the surrounding much before hitting our eardrums and thus it might sound very different from the 'natural sounding' most people are used to from external speakers. 

whenever i say natural, the sound i am seeking is the kind similar to the ones i hear in home theatre systems and such.

sorry if i have to post the article of another user here, as i think his words and referencing best explains what i agree with to a large extent. and i think this is the kind of earphones that i have been looking for. http://www.inearmatters.net/2008/12/neutral-vs-natural-thought.html

correct me if i am wrong. now i am trying to visualise my preferences in the form of a frequency response curve. the sound signature i am looking for is probably best described as a 'balanced' profile. with good, fast bass just slightly below basshead/bass focused earphones and better bass than warm/sweet earphones. mids should be above average and that will probably translate to slightly forward. treble has to be sparkly but i cannot accept any sibilance as it is the most annoying and undesirable. the visual picture in mind is a U shape, not V, since i do not want recessed mids. recessed mids will make the whole listening experience sound non realistic or live i presume. and slightly forward mids probably help me to hear the details better which i suppose will be a pleasing experience in terms of musicality? (correct me if wrong)

 

probably what i need will be a bigger bass than the curve in the graph above. treble wise i do not know how to gauge from the graph but it has to be nice, natural, sparkly just before anything hits sibilance regardless of the type of genre of music played and of course it also must not overpower the mids which is where all the vocals and most of the music is. i see that the mids in the graph are above the 0 line, and i interpret that as slightly forward. of course all of these layman explanation and interpretation of graphs are from my non audiophile user experience, writing in length hoping that you can understand what i really want and open to your correction and professional opinion. :)

i read that the re252s are also lacking in bass although generally balanced sounding and specially good due to the silicon interaction with the ear, maybe assisted through bone/tissue conduction. from what i try to interpret of my own preferences above, maybe what i really like isn't the phonak or re252, 262 kind of sound signature as i presume all of them lack 'natural sounding' bass that i like. looking forward to your recommendation here.

if the above opinions still do not change your recommendations, considering all the phonaks (including the ones you didn't list, 232, 022,122,012 etc) and the re262, re252, are you still saying that the hifiman re252 should be the most suited for my preference? because i found a place to buy the re252 for 100 dollars. :) 

 

also what do you think of the sony xba-3 and their iphone version? i just read minutes ago on this forum that they are 'dynamic sounding' balanced armatures with good clarity? and detail and soundstage (though i still dont really know what soundstage feels like, my interpretation is the 3d/2dness of sound but i hope soundstage and separation are two different matters as i hope it isnt that overly exaggerated separation of vocals and instrument in terms of distance that i heard on the sunrise xcape impressive edition) and some reviews say the treble is metallic sounding, probably from the spike in impedance at 8k Hz frequency? also i am worried if the xba 3 are muddled in vocals/mids, as the xcape ie already sounds a little veiled, i don't think i can accept anything that is veiled since you also pointed out that i am sensitive to timbre of instruments. how do you think the xba3 will compare against the xcape ie?


can't thank you enough for your patience.

Edited by pokpokgei - 1/30/13 at 7:04am

hey i found a great new site which has a really good selection, ive shortlisted these

http://www.junglee.com/Sennheiser-100-II-On-Ear-Miniheadphone-Black/dp/B002VPDOH8/ref=sr_1_17?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1359376964&sr=1-17

http://www.junglee.com/JBL-Tempo-On-ear-Headphone-Black/dp/B00B0912Z2/ref=sr_1_27?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1359377346&sr=1-27


http://www.junglee.com/AKG-420-Foldable-Mini-Headphone/dp/B009HY8X04/ref=sr_1_29?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1359377346&sr=1-29

http://www.junglee.com/Koss-UR55-Headphone/dp/B003X1DE88/ref=sr_1_45?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1359377346&sr=1-45

http://www.junglee.com/JVC-HAS360B-Folding-Headphone-Black/dp/B003AIL2I8/ref=sr_1_43?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1359377346&sr=1-43

http://www.junglee.com/AKG-403-Foldable-Mini-Headphones/dp/B009HYB3S8/ref=sr_1_73?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1359377387&sr=1-73

http://www.junglee.com/mn/search/junglee/ref=sr_nr_p_4_38?rh=n%3A683847031%2Ck%3Aheadphones%2Cp_36%3A949020031%2Cp_4%3AHarman%7CDenon&bbn=683847031&keywords=headphones&ie=UTF8&qid=1359377726

and these are the denon headphones 
http://www.junglee.com/mn/search/junglee/ref=sr_nr_p_4_38?rh=n%3A683847031%2Ck%3Aheadphones%2Cp_36%3A949020031%2Cp_4%3AHarman%7CDenon&bbn=683847031&keywords=headphones&ie=UTF8&qid=1359377726

thanks! :)

Anyone have any further suggestions for me ?

 

Seems I have kinda backed myself into a corner with actually demoing the Solo HDs and then liking the form factor of them allot, but not being overly keen on them sonically(although I did not find them terrible to be honest) There is not a hell of allot else out there that is as compact as they are.

 

I really would prefer something I can actually demo in person to but the only other compact foldable on ear phones in the same "tier" as the solo HDs I can actually demo physically are the Monster VEKR and WeSC RZA's..

 

 

How about a Beats Solo knock-off Noontec Zoro?

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/inexpensive-and-terrific-noontec-zoro

 

Same price I think Just kidding, it's half the price, and better sound quality according to Tyll.

Edited by miceblue - 1/28/13 at 1:30pm

Hi! I have lurked for a while but this is my first official post! :-)

 

I am a musician and I use in-ear monitors. I lost one side of my black Shure se315s and I would like to replace it without buying a brand new pair.

 

I know Shure does not sell this as a replacement part, and so far I haven't had luck on ebay.

 

Does anyone here have any other ideas or connections? I know I'm not the only one that has lost one side. From what I've heard, its a common issue since these headphones are designed to detach.

 

Can anyone help?

 

Thanks!

 

Unfortunately according to that review they have very poor sound isolation. I use public transport alot so that would not work for me at all.

Ok one last question. Do you think the m100 are worth the price. I really like the vmoda design and the m100's are about $100 more than the lp2's so I was wondering if they were worth it.

No - you'll hear the sound of the wind through the foam.  I can hear air moving through mine even if I walk briskly down the hall.  Also the clamp probably won't hold up.  You need IEMs or clips, maybe even a Sportapro.

  k thanks

do you know if these are good 

http://www.jbl.com/estore/jbl/in/products/JBL-Tempo-On-Ear/TEMPO ON-EAR_JBL_IN?skuId=TEMPO ON-EAR SIL_JBL_IN&searchMode=regularProductOnly

and can u please tell me which ones are best out of these 


http://www.junglee.com/Sennheiser-100-II-On-Ear-Miniheadphone-Black/dp/B002VPDOH8/ref=sr_1_17?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1359376964&sr=1-17

http://www.junglee.com/JBL-Tempo-On-ear-Headphone-Black/dp/B00B0912Z2/ref=sr_1_27?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1359377346&sr=1-27


http://www.junglee.com/AKG-420-Foldable-Mini-Headphone/dp/B009HY8X04/ref=sr_1_29?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1359377346&sr=1-29

http://www.junglee.com/Koss-UR55-Headphone/dp/B003X1DE88/ref=sr_1_45?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1359377346&sr=1-45

http://www.junglee.com/JVC-HAS360B-Folding-Headphone-Black/dp/B003AIL2I8/ref=sr_1_43?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1359377346&sr=1-43

http://www.junglee.com/AKG-403-Foldable-Mini-Headphones/dp/B009HYB3S8/ref=sr_1_73?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1359377387&sr=1-73

http://www.junglee.com/mn/search/junglee/ref=sr_nr_p_4_38?rh=n%3A683847031%2Ck%3Aheadphones%2Cp_36%3A949020031%2Cp_4%3AHarman%7CDenon&bbn=683847031&keywords=headphones&ie=UTF8&qid=1359377726

http://www.junglee.com/mn/search/junglee/ref=sr_nr_p_4_38?rh=n%3A683847031%2Ck%3Aheadphones%2Cp_36%3A949020031%2Cp_4%3AHarman%7CDenon&bbn=683847031&keywords=headphones&ie=UTF8&qid=1359377726

 

Hi guys, I'm (obviously) new here. I joined because my current pair of cheap junk headphones is busted and I'm only getting sound out of one ear, and I think it might be time to upgrade to something that'll actually sound good, rather than just replacing them with more cheap junk. I'm considering buying the Sennheiser HD 25-1 II, after reading this 9-way review, but since $200 is a lot of money, I wanted to post here first and see if you guys agreed it'd be a good pick, or if you could think of something else that'd suit me better.

Some things about me:

1. I'm not a fan of the in-ear style. I don't know if my ears are misshapen or I'm just an idiot, but I can never get them in comfortably, and they're just frustrating. I much prefer on- or over-ear headphones.
2. I listen to most of my music on a laptop computer, so I really don't want to have to buy a special amplifier for my headphones.
3. My tastes in music are pretty eclectic, which seems like a potential frustration, since it appears that each set of headphones is better for some types of music and worse for others. Here's my last.fm tag cloud, though, which should give you a better idea. And no making fun of my taste :P

I'm leaning toward the HD 25-1 because I've heard they're some of the best in the price range when it comes to rock music, which I listen to a lot. On the other hand, though, the artist from whom I have more "scrobbles" than any other is...Enya. Pretty much the opposite. She should still sound great in the HD 25-1s, though, right?

Oh, one last thing: I've got a pretty big head. What're the chances of the headphones not fitting me comfortably? That's honestly my biggest worry, lol. My head's not GIGANTIC or anything, but like, if they run small or tight or anything, that could be a problem. I was also looking at the ATH-M50, but I think I heard somebody say they were kind of tight, and if they're uncomfortably tight on somebody else, they'll probably be uncomfortably tight on me too, lol. Otherwise, the only thing leaning me more toward the HD 25-1 versus the ATH-M50 is that I've read the HD 25-1 is better for harder, faster, more aggressive music. I also think I remember reading something about the ATH-M50 being a little bit "brighter" (is that the word?) in the treble, whereas the HD 25-1 is a little softer up there. My ears are somewhat sensitive to the higher pitches of some of the cymbal crashes and stuff, so I think I'd prefer the 25-1 over the M50 in that case.

What do you guys think I should get? The Sennheiser, the AT, or something else?
Edited by JustSomeNoob - 1/29/13 at 12:19pm

hi...listening mostly to jazz on iphone 5 and ipad....looking in the $50-75 price range...do you think the Etymotic MC5 will be my best bet?

I can get them for $52+tax.....previously had the Sennheiser CX300 and thought they were pretty good for the money..also had the AT CKM50...

some negative reviews I'm reading about MC5 relates to poor comfort levels and plain sounding...I don't really want the fake 

over-the-top bass though....what do you think?

Ready to pull the trigger...just looking for some final guidance!

I think MC5 are too cold for Jazz, about comfort, they need deep insertion, might not be to your liking.