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Looking for headphones for a christmas present, got some criterias, need help

post #1 of 6
11/10/12 at 7:57pm
Thread Starter 

Hey guys. My mom and I are thinking of buying my stepdad a nice pair of cans for christmas, as he travels a lot.

She saw the B&W P5s in a magazine ad, and asked me if they were good, or if I could find something better. I'm pretty sure I can find something better, but there are some criterias.

  • They have to look good, at least not ugly
  • Not too large, will be used on the go
  • Comy, able to be used for long periods of time (he doesn't use glasses though)
  • Obviously good sound, can be used without any amps or such on phones
  • Not looking for perfect, balanced and clear sound, but a bit bassy and sound that is fun listening to
  • He mainly listens to rap and hip hop
  • Good noise cancellation
  • We don't have all kinds of headphones available here, so please suggest some that aren't super rare
  • Maximum price level is around ~600 dollars, but remember most headphones will be more expensive here in Norway than in USA / UK

I don't have all that much knowledge about headphones, but a little.

The first that came to my mind is:

  • ATH-M50s
  • Bose quietcomfort 15/3 (?)

Anybody got better alternatives? I created a thread for this because there are quite a lot of criterias, and since they're not for me I didn't want it to get buried in the main thread. Sorry if that is a huge incovinience. Thanks in advance.

 

 


Edited by batteripakke - 11/10/12 at 7:58pm
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post #2 of 6
11/10/12 at 8:06pm

https://www.blinq.com/#consumer-electronics/headphones/sony-dr-zx701ip-drzx701ip-monitor-headphones-for-iphone/81733

 

Their ebay store offers international shipping: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-DR-ZX701IP-DRZX701IP-Monitor-Headphones-for-iPhone-/370687409216?pt=US_Headphones&hash=item564eb0fc40


Edited by mbamg - 11/10/12 at 8:17pm
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post #3 of 6
11/10/12 at 8:14pm

You might look into some V-Modas, though I'm not sure that they have great noise cancellation. Alternately, maybe the AIAIAI TMA-1 or the Senn HD 25-II?

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post #4 of 6
11/10/12 at 11:19pm
The B&W P5 are nice (let me qualify: I don't know what prices are like in Norway) - but the QC15 offer better isolation and imho better comfort and less colored sound. They're a bit bassier though, and eat batteries (they can't be used without batteries). The M50 are a downgrade imho - both in comfort and sound.

Some other options to consider are the ATH-ESW9 (which are better sounding than the P5, imho better looking, but they don't isolate as well), and Koss Tony Bennett Signature (which are a very balanced and clean sounding pair of cans, afaik the DJ200 is the same thing plus ControlTalk).

Be careful if you end up going with the ESW9 - they're one of the most counterfeited headphones ever made. So make sure you go through an authorized dealer. I think Bose will also deny warranty coverage if you go unauthorized (but afaik you can buy direct from their site worldwide); Koss has the best warranties period (lifetime, no questions asked) and ships worldwide from their website now.

If I had to rank them:

SQ: ESW9
Isolation: QC15
Overall Value: Koss

I'd pass on the M50.
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post #5 of 6
11/11/12 at 7:04am
Thread Starter 

Okay, thanks for some for the response. The B&W P5s are still up for consideraton, the price is 610 dollars. They don't seem really comfortable though, any experiences with theese? Senn HD 25-II is not really an option, since he'd want them to look good as well. DJ2000 always seems like a nice choice, but we can go higher than that in terms of price.

 

The candidates now seems to be:

 

  • QC15
  • B&W P5
  • AIAIAI TMA-1
  • V-Moda(?)

 

More input / suggestions?

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post #6 of 6
11/11/12 at 6:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by batteripakke View Post

Okay, thanks for some for the response. The B&W P5s are still up for consideraton, the price is 610 dollars. They don't seem really comfortable though, any experiences with theese? Senn HD 25-II is not really an option, since he'd want them to look good as well. DJ2000 always seems like a nice choice, but we can go higher than that in terms of price.


The candidates now seems to be:

  • QC15
  • B&W P5
  • AIAIAI TMA-1
  • V-Moda(?)

More input / suggestions?

$610?!?! Is that in USD? Forget that! They're *maybe* $300 headphones here, and they're outclassed by most headphones in that price range in terms of pure sonics. I'd take the QC15 or the DJ200/Tony Bennett over that in a heart-beat.

And note that the DJ200 isn't the same thing as the HDJ-2000. I mean this one:
http://www.koss.com/en/products/headphones/full_size_headphones/PRODJ200__PRODJ200_Full_Size_Headphones

And spending more doesn't always mean more better. redface.gif
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