Bose comparison

[z0541]

Now don't trash me too much, but this is my only means of comparison. A friend recently purchased the Bose triport headphones (just like the noise cancelling, but not) and I tried them on my portable CD player. Now, bear in mind that this was my first experience with anything other than headphones that come with the player, but I was impressed. I had to have them. I was all set to buy a pair (assuming that they were the only thing out there), but then I found out that there is a whole underworld of headphones. Since then I have done a lot of reading and have learned a lot, but I need some sort of reference point. Because of my location it is difficult to experience anything first hand (I live on an isolated college campus in a small town with no car) so hopefully you can give me some insight. So, how do Bose triport headphones compare with other headphones in the same price bracket (they are $150). Some models that I have been especially looking at are the HD 280 pro, HD 250 II, DT 250-80, etc. As you can tell I think I need the sealed, but I haven't completely ruled out open. Any objective comparisons you can give me would be greatly appreciated. I know Bose doesn't have a great reputation, and I am not planning on buying them, I just want to know how they compare with what I have been shopping for.

Thanks for any insight you can give me. Once I get the cans figured out I can move on to selecting an amp

 

[Gluegun]

Perhaps try the Sennheiser HD212 Pro to start out? They are inexpensive and should offer good bass and isolation... and are inexpensive and easy to drive to boot! No need to go big on spending lots of money to get something better than the Bose...

 

[antness]

Try checking out the Sony MDR-V6. They are good closed headphones, way below your spending cost at about $70 a pair I think.

 

[z0541]

I suppose I should add that I have a great deal of exposure to high end audio equipment. Growing up my father has always had very high end stuff. His set up now is probably well over $80,000 and he has given me some of his hand me downs. I am currently running his old Angstrom 200 surround sound processor/D-A converter, so I have good stuff and know what reference audio equipment is. I just have never been exposed to high end headphones and I thought I should get the same out of my portable that I get out of my home system. Also, living in an apartment I can't really let my home system fly like I would like because of thin walls, so this would help on that front too.

 

[Gluegun]

Ah... Etymotic ER6. *Smiles*

 

[BoardC3]

Gluegun i disagree with that. I had the 202's and i thought they were horrible just alot of muddy bass with veiled mids and rolled off highs. I thought the Bose headphones were alright to pretty good, because even though the bass was too strong it was pretty tight and detailed. The bose headphones also seemed a little rolled off at the highs but it was still soooooo much better than the senns. I wouldnt recommend either headphones. I say get either a pair of Grado SR-80 ($100) or some Senn 580 (i didnt like them that much but EVERYONE else here does and theyre about $130.) I HIGHLY suggest Grados

 

[elnero]

What exactly will you be using them for? Will you be using them for portable use? Does open (sounds leaks out and in) make a difference to you? With your interest in high end would you consider buying now or later a separate high quality headphone amp?

If you would buy an amp and don't mind open headphones then the HD580's might be a good choice (though I'm like BoardC3, while I think they are an excellent headphone they're not really my cup of tea). The HD580's are a real bargain of a headphone, they are considered one of the better ones out there and at the price they are a steal. The only thing is IMHO they really require a decent source and amp before they will start to shine. So while the entry price is cheap in the end you should expect to pay a bit before they reach their potential. Mind you there are some people here who think they work fine without an amp, I'm just not one of them.

If you require more isolation than you should look at a closed phone. kelly just did an excellent comparison of some closed headphones which can be found here . He feels the Ultrasone HFI-650 is one of the best but I would recommend reading through his post thoroughly to get a good idea of what each sounds like and which might suit your needs.

 

[z0541]

I go back and forth between closed and open about once a week. On the one hand, I am a student so I am in the library quite a bit. I also fly from time to time, so the closed may be better with those considerations. If I go with that route I would likely get a portable amp. On the other hand, I will be using them at home quite a bit to watch movies, listen to CD's and MP3s, and possibly playing the guitar. For the little time that I actually spend on planes and listen to music in the library I may be better off with the open and keeping them at home. In that case I would definately be getting an amp because my home preamp does not have a headphone jack. Ultimately I would like to have two set ups, one closed set with a portable amp and one open with an amp at home. But alas, I am in school, and it looks like it has to be one or the other for right now. But, these are decisions that y'all can't help me with.

That reminds me of another question. Does anyone have any experience playing electric guitar with headphones? Because of that thin wall thing I mentioned earlier I don't play my acoustic nearly as much as I would like. I was thinking about buying an electric and playing with headphones on. Does anyone have a recommendation for that application?

I guess I have done a lot of reading, Kelly's post included, and was just looking for a comparison of the Bose to other similarly priced closed headphones so I could get some sort of means of comparison. For example, it sounds like the Bose has more bass than the average set, so if I liked the bass of the Bose I may want to stick to cans that have a great bass response. Or if I didn't like the bass in the bose, vice versa. I am just trying to get an idea of what Kelly means when he says that something has a great base response, highs roll off, great mid range, etc., because I have very little else to compare it to, although I do know how one set performed compared to my tastes in these areas, the Bose. For example, BoardC3 told me something he liked about the Bose and compared it to the performance of another headphone. Unfortunately it is not one that made my short list for a closed set, but through reading I can see how others have compared the 212s to the 280s. Do you see where I am coming from?

thanks

 

[BoardC3]

the 202s and 212s are supposed to be very much alike thats why i talked about them

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by z0541 I guess I have done a lot of reading, Kelly's post included, and was just looking for a comparison of the Bose to other similarly priced closed headphones so I could get some sort of means of comparison.

Having heard the Bose, as well as owning every headphone in Kelly's comparison except for the Ultrasone, I can tell you that, by far, the Bose is the worst of the lot.

 

[gerG]

I think that you need the Etymotic ER4S. They are great for travel, for serious listening, or even for private practice on amplified instruments. Potential drawbacks are too much isolation, and some people don't get along with canal-phones.

Headroom has a 30 day trial period on all of the products that they carry.


gerG

 

[z0541]

MacDEF, great, you are exactly the person I am looking for. Now, if you can tell me why you liked the others more, and what the differences were it would be great.