[holberg19]

Hi guys

Im new here on this great forum. Im currently on a vacation in the US living in Vegas, but im originaly from Denmark, Europe.

In about 2 days im going home - which is a 15+ hour flight and the headphones I normally use, died yesterday. Those were the standard headphones i got when i purchased my Ipod Nano 1½ year ago.

So now I decided to go buy some decent headphones/IEM here in the US before I go back to Denmark, but im not really familiar with this area since I have never owned a decent headphone or IEM.

The last few days I been thinking about buying a noise cancelling headphone, but after reading here I got a few worries about that. Mainly because I have read, that the sound quality in those are quite poor, and that IEMs do the noise cancelling job a lot better.

Please correct me on this matter if i am mistaken, ok?

Im going to use the headphones/IEMs when im travelling by trains, aircrafts and busses, so reduction of the noise from that is important. With that in mind - is IEMs the only thing that will work for me? If not, what should I settle for?

Second most important is sound quality. The sound quality might be superb, but if its destroyed by a aircraft engine or trainnoise its worthless.

Im currently settled at the strip in Vegas. Think that www.circuitcity.com () is within reach so thats atleast one place where I can buy the headphones/IEMs. Theres a Sony store at Caesars Palace (Forum Shops) so thats a possibility too.

Budget is around $100 +/- 30 something.

With my limited possibilities of visiting stores in Vegas - my demands to outer noise reduction and my limited budget - what products could be interesting for me?

 

[fraseyboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by holberg19 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi guys Im new here on this great forum. Im currently on a vacation in the US living in Vegas, but im originaly from Denmark, Europe. In about 2 days im going home - which is a 15+ hour flight and the headphones I normally use, died yesterday. Those were the standard headphones i got when i purchased my Ipod Nano 1½ year ago. So now I decided to go buy some decent headphones/IEM here in the US before I go back to Denmark, but im not really familiar with this area since I have never owned a decent headphone or IEM. The last few days I been thinking about buying a noise cancelling headphone, but after reading here I got a few worries about that. Mainly because I have read, that the sound quality in those are quite poor, and that IEMs do the noise cancelling job a lot better. Please correct me on this matter if i am mistaken, ok? Im going to use the headphones/IEMs when im travelling by trains, aircrafts and busses, so reduction of the noise from that is important. With that in mind - is IEMs the only thing that will work for me? If not, what should I settle for? Second most important is sound quality. The sound quality might be superb, but if its destroyed by a aircraft engine or trainnoise its worthless. Im currently settled at the strip in Vegas. Think that www.circuitcity.com () is within reach so thats atleast one place where I can buy the headphones/IEMs. Theres a Sony store at Caesars Palace (Forum Shops) so thats a possibility too. Budget is around $100 +/- 30 something. With my limited possibilities of visiting stores in Vegas - my demands to outer noise reduction and my limited budget - what products could be interesting for me?

Hi! Welcome to head-fi; sorry about your wallet

(That saying's getting old!!!)

Yep, most (if not all) noise reduction headphones don't have very good sound quality or noise reduction.

If you are going on trains/planes/busses where there is alot of noise, IEM's are best. Some people fit them better than others, so its probably best to buy some cheap ones to begin with, to make sure that they agree with you/you agree with them.

Try these: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/JVC-M...oductDetail.do
They don't sound that bad for the price, and will be a good start.

And if you want to experience better budget sound without isolation, try the Koss KSC-75.

Hope this helps!!!

 

[Joshatdot]

+1 JVC HA-FX33's (Marshmallows), I love these little guys!
+1 for Koss KSC75's for Clipon Earphones

 

[LaBreaHead]

Too bad you have so little time and have to resort (bad pun) to getting earphones in Vegas ...

The suggestion of the JVC Marshmallows was a good one for you -- almost everyone could use a pair of Marshmallows or Creative EP630's as a decent step up from the earbuds that come with players.

Similar to the Creatives (but they cost more) are the Sennheisers (CX300's, I think) that can be purchased in retail stores. The Marshmallows, Creatives and Sennheisers are canal phones that do block out some sound, but they don't isolate as well as true IEMs such as Etymotics, Shure, Westone and Ultimate Ear.

The Vibes are available in retail stores (is there an Apple store in Vegas?), and while the source of a lot of controversy on Head-Fi, would be a good first earphone -- except that they isolate less than other canal phones (on purpose -- they have more of an "open" sound and I wouldn't recommend them for airplanes and trains).

I hope you get something nice and have a good trip. (I wouldn't fly without an IEM -- I currently use the relatively affordable Etymotics ER6i with foam ear tips -- which really helps cut down on noise fatigue and lets me concentrate on the music of my choosing in flight.)

 

[holberg19]

Wow guys. Thank you very much for your response.

Ill be looking for some IEMs like JVC FX33, Shure, Senn CX300 or Creative EP630's when I go around here at The Strip.

Do Sony make any decent IEMs? Cos, I can walk to that shop. If i have to go to Circuit City, I need to pay atleast 20$ in taxi-expences so maybe I would be better off buying some Sonys?

 

[Claus-DK]

fedt med endnu en dansker her på sitet...

 

[LaBreaHead]

Sony makes OK-sounding in ears in your price range, but there have been serious issues with the rubber coating "melting" or peeling off the wires. You can do better with the Marshmallows or Sennheisers, for example (don't know that Creatives are widely available in stores). Having to buy in stores usually means you spend more money for the same item -- but at least you'll have a "starter" pair of earphones.

 

[holberg19]

With the inputs from this thread and a couple of late evening hours at Head-fi I went to CircuitCity earlier today.

Bought the Shure E2c. I decided to go into what I would consider as being the lower midrange of the IEM's and at Circuit I had the Sennheiser CX300 and the Shure E2c to choose from in the price range around $100. Went to Best Buy also, but their choices wasent really that wide. They had only the Shure E2c's in the $100 range.

At the same time I found "Our Love to Admire" by Interpol for only $14 so I bought that too. In Denmark it costs around $25-$30.

Not really a rationel buying process, but im on vacation here which has made it difficult.

The Shures has been playing for only 2 hours, but as they sound now, im quite pleased. Both with the level of noise canceling and the overall sound.

Thanks to all you people who participated.

 

[ironman64]

Glad to hear you like them. IEM's are a special animal to get acquainted with, so be sure to take time and try the different eartips to find a comfortable fit. I recommend the foam tips. Your goal is to be able to wear the headphones without discomfort--even hours into your flight.

Also, as a word of kind caution, be mindful of how loudly you listen with those things in! I've found it's easy to accidentally turn them up without noticing.

 

[sweetwilly]

The Marshmallows are extremely uncomfortable for me. My ears are aching after a good 30 minutes or so.

 

[tbonner1]

Welcome to Vegas, thank you for helping to pay our taxes (just kidding).

Go for the Marshmellows with the Shure E2 foam tips to make them more comfy.

 

[LaBreaHead]

On one hand, you got just about the lowest-level IEMs possible. On the other (more positive) hand, you got IEMs! Congratulations -- the isolation provided by true IEMs on various forms of public transportation is quite nice.

That's a good souvenir of Las Vegas. There's an American advertising campaign, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," but in your case, you have a truly functional reminder of your trip. I hope they work well for you (I second the suggestion regarding foamies -- yes, a bit of an expense, but at least on airplanes and noisy transport, they should be worth it in terms of isolation and comfort).

 

[Arjisme]

You made a decent enough choice for a first sound isolating earphone. The E2Cs are a good step up from the bundled phones you get with media players. Also, Shure has a 2 year warranty and they stand behind it. That's nice because if (and when) your E2Cs develop problems, you will be able to send them in to Shure and basically get them replaced with a new pair.

 

[holberg19]

Sorry for bumping this but:

As you can read out of this thread, I bought some Shure E2CN IEMs in the US which was really good at my trip home to Denmark.

Now I have been using them for some time and have a few questions.

First one is regarding these small black thingys with grease on the back to put on the tube of the IEMs. (I guess its used for preventing ear wax entering the IEMs?) Are these black thingys supposed to block so much sound AND make the sound much darker/flatter?

I didnt really notice how much they blocked the sound until I started wondering why my IPODs sound was so low so I removed them. Dont think it has been like that from the start. Now I just use them without the black thingys and they sound so much better/louder.

Please reply on this matter. Thank you very much in advance.

 

[dimm0k]

Is it just me or is it a lot more uncomfortable using IEMs on planes?