Let me start by saying that this is the first pair of decent pair of headphones that I have ever purchased. I have had very good equipment for home, but always got by with OEM headphones from portable MP3 players and mobile phones. I have been craving a better music experience lately, and started researching portable players (Ibasso, etc) however decided that I am happy with my HTC One M8. The only component that I felt was worthy of an upgrade was the OEM headphones that came with the phone.
I have not tested the other headphones I had considered (DN1000/2000, IE80, XBA-H3, A83), but chose these because the reviews I read made me think they would work best for my listening preferences. I also started to realize that there is too much to know about "good" headphones for someone like me to make a ~$300 purchase. So, for $130, these seemed like a safe bet.
I am very pleased with this purchase. So far, this was money easily and well spent. I can also say that this will probably be the first of several headphone purchases, for me. Not because I am dissatisfied, but because my eyes are starting to open. Through all of my research, I have judged others for statements like, "You can hear things you never heard before." Well, these headphones have alerted me to two things, quickly:
1. Good headphones make a very significant difference. Listening to Eulogy, by Tool, I truly can hear parts of the song that I have never heard before. The beginning of the song is quite different than I ever remember it. I will need a good amount of time to get used to the new sound. I keep listening to them and realizing how much different these are from my OEM headphones.
2. Tips matter a LOT. I have tried four different size/material combinations. Some are clearly better than others, but I have still not settled on one yet. I can see now where this plays a significant role also in the overall sound from any headphones.
All-in-all, I am very pleased. I think this was a very good spend for what I feel I am getting - with my sample set of 1 headphone, I can say that these are perfect for me.
My listening so far has ranged from Tool to Rush to Mobb Deep to Dave Brubeck to Porcupine Tree. Everything has sounded MUCH better.
I am planning on wearing these to the gym, so time will tell how well these work in that environment. I think that the shorter cable will be good for working out, but would likely be very frustrating as a dedicated length in my home. As a mobile application, it works for me.
I have not tested the other headphones I had considered (DN1000/2000, IE80, XBA-H3, A83), but chose these because the reviews I read made me think they would work best for my listening preferences. I also started to realize that there is too much to know about "good" headphones for someone like me to make a ~$300 purchase. So, for $130, these seemed like a safe bet.
I am very pleased with this purchase. So far, this was money easily and well spent. I can also say that this will probably be the first of several headphone purchases, for me. Not because I am dissatisfied, but because my eyes are starting to open. Through all of my research, I have judged others for statements like, "You can hear things you never heard before." Well, these headphones have alerted me to two things, quickly:
1. Good headphones make a very significant difference. Listening to Eulogy, by Tool, I truly can hear parts of the song that I have never heard before. The beginning of the song is quite different than I ever remember it. I will need a good amount of time to get used to the new sound. I keep listening to them and realizing how much different these are from my OEM headphones.
2. Tips matter a LOT. I have tried four different size/material combinations. Some are clearly better than others, but I have still not settled on one yet. I can see now where this plays a significant role also in the overall sound from any headphones.
All-in-all, I am very pleased. I think this was a very good spend for what I feel I am getting - with my sample set of 1 headphone, I can say that these are perfect for me.
My listening so far has ranged from Tool to Rush to Mobb Deep to Dave Brubeck to Porcupine Tree. Everything has sounded MUCH better.
I am planning on wearing these to the gym, so time will tell how well these work in that environment. I think that the shorter cable will be good for working out, but would likely be very frustrating as a dedicated length in my home. As a mobile application, it works for me.
