Cowon D2. Great bass. Excellent sound overall. Even an EQ that can actually make things sound better. IMHO, a superb player that should get more cred than it does.

Attaching the shirt clip high up works reasonably well for me - e.g. to the neck of a t-shirt. Or running the cable under my shirt, though this can be a bit of a hassle. You can wrap the cables around your ears, which works well but looks kinda dumb (they need to go behind and over your ears...

ER-4s are fantastic phones in my opinion. But they are not an 'immediate satisfaction' phone for everyone. I think they are also more source dependent than many phones. When I first got my ER-4Ps, using them straight out of an iPod, I was very disappointed. They sounded tinny and weak - just...

OK, got it. Thanks for the tip. //Pablor

Great stuff - thanks for this guys. Xanadu777, very glad you pointed that out about the enamel. Is that what the colouring is, and do I just scrape it off? //P

Hi there I recently bought an OFC replacement cable for my HD25. It's a 3 metre cable so I'm going to shorten it and solder on a mini plug. I just wanted to check I've understood the colour coding correctly, as the colours were different on the original cable. So, one sleeve contains a...

bump. No more takers? Maybe my suspicions are right and the can I'm looking for just doesn't exist.

Ears looking at you kid!

I know similar questions have been asked before – I have searched but not found a solution that meets my needs. So here goes – any suggestions/thoughts welcomed. Oh, and apologies for the length of this post. I just wanted to give some background. I’m looking for great portable headphones. I...

I had a very similar problem with my SM3 on delivery - crackly static, and very faint music with the volume knob turned past 12.00. Xin does seem to have some quality control issues - I've heard a couple of similar stories. However, he does make great efforts to sort out anything that goes...

I've been experimenting with both, and haven't found a really major difference. I think the effect they have may be quite dependent on your head and ear size/shape. I have quite small ears. Even with the bowls, the drivers are pretty much right on them. With the flats, they are definitely...

Sounds like what your bro's looking for is the Skullcandy Skullcrushers. Not a hi-fi recommendation, but could be the only way to go if HD212 doesn't deliver enough bass. Cheap too! www.skullcandy.com

If it sounds good, it is good. If you're already happy with the sound you've got, stick with it and enjoy your music, which is the most (if not only) important thing when it comes to audio. Upgrading just because you feel you ought to is a waste of money.

What source will you be using? The ER-4P works OK straight out of a portable player, but can lack bass and sound thin on certain kinds of music. Although designed to address the portable market, it really demands an amp to sound great IMO.

I bought a pair of Koss PortaPros about three years ago - for work purposes, playing back interviews I'd recorded. I occasionally used them to listen to music on my laptop and thought they sounded great. Then about 18 months ago I bought an iPod. I'd never really used a portable player much...

Spad, that was an epic endorsement! Here’s an update to my post, made when I was deliberating over whether to spend some money on a SuperMacro amp. In true Head-Fi spirit, the result was of course a foregone conclusion. I ordered the amp, with OPA627 opamps and the four switches. This...

Hi I haven't heard the Alessandros so can't comment or compare, but I have the HD-280 pros. I think they're great cans, especially for the price. They're good for all the kinds of music you describe. The bass is certainly tight - deep but not boomy. It's just there when you want it to be...

Thanks for the suggestions/comments guys. Looks like Grado are out then. I'm just in the process of buying some HD-25s, so I'll try those out (though I suspect they might not be light enough for running). And my Shure E4Cs when they arrive. Otherwise, I guess I'll stick with the PortaPros...

I'm currently experiencing some of the side-effects of audio upgrades. The latest issue is this. I run quite a bit (inc. long distance), and have always been really happy with my PortaPros for this purpose...until now. Lately the sound has not been doing it for me, even just for running. I...

aWanderlust, interesting post. I've been considering custom IEMs, but also thinking about trying out the E4C before taking that plunge. I wonder if you could explain the soft tip modification you did in more detail? Or post a link to where you read about it. I'll try that if get the Shures...

Hi Like many of you out there, I suspect, my quest for portable audio nirvana has led me to consider options I would have considered at best financially irresponsible only a short time ago. I'm currently considering either Sensaphonics ProPhonic 2X or UE-10 Pro (leaning towards the...

Guys, thanks a lot for your helpful replies. Really interesting to hear a variety of experiences. And Jason, thanks for daring to venture a percentage. But I guess I will never really know unless I try it for myself. Looks like it's a done deal for the SM3! Best regards, Pablor

Hi guys, I'm currently using a 4G iPod with Ety ER-4Ps. This combo sounds fantastic for a lot of my music, but I'm now considering a headphone amp. The only one I'm really interested in is the SuperMacro 3, but I could do with some advce. First, how much of an improvement will this be? I...