[imti]

Hi there,
 
I'm looking for some help finding portable headphones because I've been using my stock ipod earphones for far too long since my skullcandy ink'd died and I gave my s'candy hesh away for being a little big for street wear.
 
I have a budget of £50, maybe 60 max.  I am looking at the AKG K430 (for their portabilty factor) or Etymotic hf5 (heard so much about the hf2 on these forums however i don't need the controls), but I don't know much about them, like if they suit my needs.  I listen to mainly hip hop and r'n'b; but also indie, dance, dub, soul and some rock.  I asked at a comet store and the guy was really pushing me to go for the monster in-ears or the solos, even though i told him they were a little too much,

.  So my sources will be my iPod Classic and my Macbook (which i recently bought, so it explains my budget) to watch a few movies on.
 
Thanks for your help!

 

[tjohnusa]

What did you find different between the stock earbuds and the skullcandies?

 

[imti]

I went for the skullcandies purely because of their price point and appearance really (dunno what I was thinking, lol; however i did purchase these a few years ago), but what I did like about the cans (the hesh's) was the bass.  Thought I'd try and spend a little more this time round and go for quality but this came up with manufacturers that I had never knew of, like beyerdynamic, akg, and that sort.  So I don't know what their like, seeing as I am a total beginner...

 

[Ronald Lee]

i guess you might want to give the AKG a try? IT would be better, small and portable. Easy to carry around with you. But in term of isolation it would not be as comfortable as your hesh, that is covering up your whole ear!

 

[Gideon]

What kind of sound are you looking for?
 
There's many options which have a good clear sound but not much bass, and then the very bassy options (e.g low end senn's) have a very muddy bass which keeps people who mainly listen to dub happy but that's about it really (tried my friends and it wasn't my bag).
 
I'm using radiopaq jazz headphones at the minute which are on offer for £20, they give a nice punchy bass when needed but it goes away when it's not needed giving a nice clear sound.
 
See Marks review here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/436538/radiopaq-jazz-review
 
I was in the same budget as you and i listen to metal, rock, alternative, jazz, hiphop ish (weird bands really lol) and i've tried my neices music (r&b, soul, proper hip hop,etc...) and they peformed well there as well.
 
Monsters are also very bass heavy from what i've read, so as i said if bass is the most important thing then someone else may be able to help out more there but if you want a punchy bass that can pound you when needed, or subtly in the background or disappear depending on the track at the time then i still say the radiopaq jazz others either don't have the bass or just wont leave you alone.
 
That's my 2 pence from my limited exposure (new myself) but thought i'd share in case it helps

 
With the price at £20 I got these and then ordered the PA2V2 amp to go with them (should be here any day).

 

[SpecialJ]

MEElectronic M6s have great bass. Joker's review of them is HERE. I bought these as a backup for my SE535s but was shocked at how great they actually sounded. Although I reach for the latter for pleasure listening, I ALWAYS grab the M6s when I go to class (because I'm afraid of damaging my investment and they're smaller). Great isolation, great comfort, great bass extension and control. And lucky for you, Overstock is selling them for $18 (USD).

 

[spacemanspliff]

Sennheiser earbuds are the toughest I have ever had. Every other budget earbud has broken within a month. The MX470 is certainly very decent sounding and $15-20. 

 

[imti]

Hey guys,
 
first of all, thanks for all the help!  I've been looking at the earphones that you have suggested, and I have decided to go for some headphones instead, just because I miss the comfort of them (I tried on the hesh's again from my cousin; whom I gave to).
 
I was looking around and I managed to get the AKG K450 down to £63.50 inc. p&p over the phone.  Are they that much of an improvement in sound over the K430s (which were for around £45)?  They should arrive on Monday, so I'll let you know of my first impression.