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Like most everyone these days, I like to take my library with me and includes everything except country and pop. No offense to anyone who loves it. Outside of what came with the music player and cellphone, my first external purchase were Sennheiser PX-100s. I loved them to death literally. Then I purchased the Koss KSC75s and broke them too. The damage to these were not workmanship but from dropping them, throwing them, letting Jr. get a hold of them and twirl them like a helicopter, etc. Over a year ago, Brainwavz had M4s on sell for less than $30 delivered they have been my mainstay ever since. I enjoy them but they can be fatiguing at times which I believe is mainly a fit issue.
I would not consider myself a basshead but if there is any in the music, I don't want it compromised & I want to feel it! ... but not at the detrimental expense of mids and highs.
My upgrade budget is ~$100. The source is a Galaxy S3.
Any suggestions?
~100, bassy-ish while retaining balance - are you fine with something along the lines of the M4's performance but with a different signature, or an upgrade entirely? Whatever the case the X10 (prices have been dropping lately) or the SE215 could do quite well. Or even perhaps the M2.
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Need some help looking for some IEM with an on-line mic and possible iDevice controls...
- Budget is $100, but it's not firm. If there is something awesome out there for more, I'd consider it.
- Will be using them in the car on long trips connected to my iPhone. Would like an on-line mic to pick up phone calls if needed.
- I'm in an S2000 roadster and it gets quite loud at speed. Would like some decent isolation.
- I listen to all different types of music and will want something that is a good all-around performer.
- No portable amp will be used. They must be efficient enough to run off of an iPhone.
- Needs to be very durable. I go through 3 sets of Apple earbuds a year and I would like these new ones not falling apart.
Thanks.
$100, mic, good isolation, all-rounder - the HF3s seem to fit the ticket in many ways but durability (nozzles are quite thin and prone to worry). Something similar balanced (perhaps even better all-round due to the less fatiguing nature), mic-capable, and durable would be the A161P. Also slots nicely within budget. But isolation doesn't compare with the Etys, also still rather good in the grand scheme of things. Would have also suggested the PFE012, but due to the closing of Phonak's earphone sector (so no more warrenty) and the shallow insertion, would suggest against that if ever you come across them during your research.
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Hey guys, im looking for some iems that will sound great for piano/ orchestral music, price range <$150. I want to prioritize presentation over accuracy, so timbre and a large soundstage with good imaging are gonna be important to me. As a reference, i think the B2's are a little too lean on note presentation to sound realistic, but I enjoy the soundstage and mids. A little bit fuller bass would be nice, but id like to have something similar in the punch. Help me please!
Piano, timbre, large stage, good imaging, under $150, more note presence than the B2s, more bass presence/punch - this really, really sounds like the EX600s. Vast, airy staging, V-shape with bass texture up the wazoo, timbre accuracy is probably second only to their older brother the EX1000s. Notes are clear but very satisfying. If you can stand the lack of isolation and ergonomics, they are a no-brainer sound-wise.
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Hi to all Head-Fiers!
I'm goriath a new member, nice to join this community.
Well I'm searching for a pair of good headphone for my mobile phone (sonyericsson). I listen to several musical genres, but mainly to metal (death, melo-death, trash, ...) and electronic (Industrial, Synth Pop, New Wave, ...). At home I'm used to wear beyerdynamic HPs (DT990 and DT231Pro). Now I'm seeking for a good pair that are light and portable, so I'm thinking to supra-aural.
Actually I'm undecided between beyerdynamic DTX501p and AKG K450, I like both very much but I don't know which one is better.
Are they comparable?
Looking at the specs, the DTX501p seems to perform similar and even better than the DT231Pro I have at home, which I already tried with my mobile phone and I'm very pleased with the sound (unfortunately the DT231Pro doesn't look exactly as portable headphone :\ ). DTX501p has also an angled jack that would make things easier in my case.
On the other hand K450 looks very good as well, I read very good words about it. The nice add is that I can go for the K451 instead, which has the microphone cable bundled and that would came very handy with a mobile phone. Unfortunately this headphone has a straight connector, but since this HP has a detachable cable, I can buy another one and mod the connector by my self.
Could someone give me any suggestion in order to take the right decision?
Thanks in advance.
Are you looking at the frequency range specs? Those are rather meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Advertised ranges for extension are rarely met by the manufacturer, and sometimes the claims are just exaggerated beyond human audibility. Unless you're referring to some FR measurements I'm not aware of.
Would personally pick the AKGs out of the lot. Tons of punch and a bit cleaner than the Beyers IMO. Any reason for angled jacks in particular?
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Hello all,
I'm looking for advice to buy a good (for me) pair of headphones.
Here are the requirements :
I mostly listen to dance/electronic music, so I need GOOD bass (no rap and hip/hop).
I prefer to have a closed design since I will be using it in planes and noisy environments.
I have an in ear denon C751 and I like it a lot, if it can help, I tried an AKG 518 DJ LE and it was quite good for me despite not being closed and "foldable".
The "full size" or "portable" is not really important, I can carry both...so I have posted this request in both threads
Regarding the price of course the lower the better, I don't care AT ALL about the brand, the color, the design, it's to listen to music, not to express my personallity to others (so i guess the beats are disqualified already
)
Thanks a lot for the help
Electronic, bass, closed/isolation, no budget (from what I'm reading) - the HP700s/HD25-1 might do nicely. Great punch on both, a lot of body and texture on the former, very quick transients and edge on the latter. The Senns also isolate probably more than almost any closed on-ear. Though the Denons are above average and certainly aren't slouches themselves. The HP700 would most closely resemble the K518 out of the two. If you liked the AKGs, would also look at the K618 as well. General improvements with a bit more body.
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Hello friends,
I am new to this forum, I go through this site for reviews as it is very reliable and useful too.
I am currently using Tekfusion Twinwoofers (White) and not at all happy with it. I am planning to buy new IEM in 1500 INR.
I listen to Rock, Metal, Trance, Pyschadelic, Hip Hop and Soft.
Also, I have a small collection of earphones but none of them are working currently (cable problem, loose connection, etc).
Purchased in order:
Sony EX 85
Phillips SHH4520
2 X Creative EP 630
1 X Creative EP 830
1 X Sennheiser MM50
4 X Soundmagic PL30
1 X Bose AE2
n Now Twinwoofers.
I just love the PL30, because of its balanced sound and comfort.I had purchased it in 950 Rs ! now its is selling for 1800+ (Flipkart) LOL, I don't wanna spend that much at the moment on IEM.
Request you all friends to suggest me a good IEM in 1500.
Thank you friends
The budget is fairly limiting and if you really want the balanced sound nothing really does that as cheap as with the PL30. Again, very limiting budget for that sort of sound signature as it's not really what the market is aiming for within that price demographic. Maybe the Monoprice 8320 (cheap shipping, cheap overall), the cable can tangle quite a bit, but durability is rather good at the price. Fit due to the size can be a turn-off though.
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I've done a fair amount of research and I've narrowed it down to two competitors:
Vsonic GR07
Yamaha EPH-100
Would be used for listening to rock, indie, post-rock
input would be a Cowon
from what I've read the Vsonics have a wider sound-field, but the EPH-100s have better instrument seperation. These are both things that I want.
The trebles of the GR07s are supposed to outshine the EPH-100s, but the EPH-100s have less treble fatique.
Either way I'm really stuck between these two, could use a push in either direction
Technically the VSonics have the better separation to my ears. So not sure about the other conflicting opinion. The GR07s are simply the better technical performer. So thereby adding another opinion into the fray.
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Hi Everyone, ( I am not sure which topic is more relevant so I posted this one also to the shootout:104.... topic)
This is my first post on headfi. I feel a little bit lost in many posts and I want to ask your opinion.
I have some good set up for my home hifi system but the WAF (wife acceptance factor) of my favorite music (Metallica to Deep Purple, Country to Glam Rock) is not very good and I need headphones.
I am using senheisser CX300 in ears for sometime but I need better headphones. I will buy one IEM and around 150USD I made my choice for yamaha eph100 as there are good reviews on headfi.
I also want on ears and I want one closed and one open on ear headphone. My budget will be around 300USD for two of them and I narrowed my choices for closed one to Senn HD25 1-II (200USD.amazon) but I am not sure about the open ones I tried AKG 420 in a local shop few days a a part and first time I thought they are incredible but one week later I thought they are somewhat muddy.
What do you think about my IEM and closed choices and what do you suggest for a open one (grados may be)
Secondly do you think I will like the senns and will not want to use open ones.
Thirdly I am thinking of buying a fiio E12, will it help to improve the sound quality for the above mentioned headphones. Iphone 4, possibly Samsung S4 will be the sources. I will be looking for a dedicated mp3 player also but not sure yet. Ipod classic vs sAnsa.
Thanks for the answers
For that sort of music the Yamahas are relatively forward with the bass/mids so could potentially work very well. Would also look at the GR07 if it's mostly rock as the dynamics and texture are fairly nicely presented as well. For a closed one at that price, though I've long outgrown Grados, but perhaps the FA-003 might work out better for rock due to the forward mids and clean notes. Of course don't really know how you like your genres to be presented.
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And let me give a hint to people posting in this thread looking for recommendations, keep it short and sweet. We don't have time to read paragraphs upon paragraphs explaining your situation. This isn't directed at anyone, just the community as a whole. Keeping it to a paragraph or less will probably get you more answers.
sticky this....
People helping out should be beggars not choosers. If someone has the sincerity and time to put in the rather large effort of describing their situation with the detail that I've seen, it'd only be prudent that someone who wants to suggest something would read it. If they can put in the effort why can't we?
Not to mention it helps greatly with narrowing stuff down if they do indeed go into detail. Brevity is just as bad a sin. In fact I would venture to say larger and more thought-out questions brings in more interest as it's not the typical "which $50 IEM is better"
And another thing - this is essentially volunteer work. We aren't trying to fill a quota, and no one is certainly forcing us to do so. Why bother complain?
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westone 4r or shure 535 ? Listen to mostly rock and alt some electronica. Is 375 for either brand new a good deal or have there been better?
For rock/electronic, the Shures are slightly more aggressive tonally, if you like that sort of presentation. But it's by a small margin, and wouldn't really go for either. The prices are decent.
Open to other alternatives? Sound sig preferences?
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Hello all,
What looks to be my best option for getting a pair of CIEMs re-shelled?
I picked up a pair recently and am finally getting around to it.
Cost is the primary concern, the only real 'extra' I'm interested in is detachable cables (and the option for an iPhone mic would be nice but by no means required).
Thanks!
UM does some really high-quality reshells (handiwork is pristine, very clear shells), and they can also do stuff like retuning and adding drivers if you're so inclined. Plenty of other companies do reshells as well, 1964EARs for one, etc. In fact the list is rather extensive. The new INEARCUSTOMs also look rather appealing price-wise. So would definitely go look at that from the looks of the cost criteria.
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Hello,
After a lengthy research period I have narrowed down my decision between two on ear headphones. In the past all the headphones/earbuds I have used were bundled with smart phones I purchased but its finally time to invest in some headphones. These headphones will mainly be used withy Galaxy Nexus smartphone/computer.
The two headphones I have narrowed down between are the: Monster DNA and the V Moda M80's. I listen to mainly hip hop, pop, rock, sometimes country and dance.
I want the music to sound clear and crisp and be fairly balanced yet fun to listen to(dont know if that is possible). Concerning bass, I want to notice it but i dont want it to be overwhelming. I would be using these headphones in a plane occasionally so good comfort and noise isolation would be preferred.
My budget would be up to $200, so it is either the V Moda M80's or the Monster DNA's although I'm open to alternatives.
Thanks in advance
The DNAs are more "crisp", but the M80s are undoubtedly the balanced one out of the lot. The Monsters can get downright harsh and aggressive at times. Isolation is relatively poor on the M80s due to venting.
Would personally look at the A900X as an alternative to the others, great balance, clean and crisp.
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I'm looking for a decent pair of regular, non-in-ear earbuds (e.g. the original iPod earbuds). I don't want in-ear headphones because I'd primarily be using them for running and while walking to work, both of which are situations where I am crossing busy streets and don't want to be isolated from the noise around me. So I'm not looking for the absolute best sound quality in the world, just the best basic earbuds. I might consider durability to be equally as important as sound quality (I've noticed the wiring tends to take a beating while running). Price...is a tough question, mainly since these aren't a super high priority on my list, so cheaper is always better, but over a long enough timeframe I'd consider just about anything. Thanks.
Basic buds - literally the EarPods. In terms of earbuds they are rather nice to begin with. In terms of durability they really beat out most of the Yuins and some of the cheaper Senns. When you get to the $70+ bracket build takes a huge jump for the Senn lineups. The MX880, for example. Also helps that they sound pretty darned good.
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Hi, I'm fairly new to all this, but love my M50s. I've been trying to find a pair of IEMs that can produce a similar sound on the go, but haven't found the right ones yet. I've sampled the klipsch x10, HiFiMan RE-262, and the Audio-Technica CKM-55 and have found them all to be too 'warm' or muffled sounding. I love the crisp clarity of the M50s as well as the punchy bass. I know an exact replication of that sound is a bit much to ask for but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I'm going unamped, with a budget of under $200.
Thanks for any help!
Something similar to the M50s would undoubtedly be the CKN70 or FXD80 tonality-wise. Signature-wise, it's more of a nod towards the JVCs. Good sparkle, very clear, bass has that really tight punch and clean presentation, perhaps even more clean than the M50s (occasionally the ATs get boomy). The CKN70s are rather forward in terms of all the frequencies, so balance is a curious aspect for these. But timbre and tonal presentation is strikingly M50-like, though a bit warmer (not as warm as the other ones listed above though)
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Hello ladies & gents!
I've recently been looking around for a new set of budget earphones, and was directed to you guys for help. A couple of things to note: I am a complete novice at this audiophile stuff! I was recently listening to my pal's Marley headphones and decided I needed a pair of earphones for myself. Up until now, I've used the 'stock' earphones that come with a cell phone, such as the Samsung ones.
I do plan on using this on my phone, and any recommendations with a mic on it would be awesome. My current device is a Galaxy S3 and for whatever reason, it doesn't play nice with most mics. If you happen to have any knowledge of this, please enlighten me!
My budget is pretty damn tight. I'm looking to spend about $30 on a set. Please note that I have close to no knowledge of most technical terms. Having trawled through Head-fi for a bit, I have no idea what highs or lows are, and whether I should get a neutral sounding set. All I'm really looking for is a set of earphones that provide a better experience than the stock ones I've been using all my life. I listen to most kinds of music, apart from heavy/death metal.
So far, I've found a pair of earphones that I think may meet my needs. They are Skullcandy's TiTan line. I did read a review on them on this site, and it wasn't favourable. Wondering if anyone has any suggestions for me?
P.S. if my quest is hopeless, let me know! I understand the market for earphones at this low a price is going to be fairly small.
Thanks fellas,
Yours,
Jeranimo
Mic, <$30 - since you're not sure of where to go sound-wise, would look at something fun and safe like the MH1C or the E10M withing the price.
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Thanks, really appreciate your recommendations. However, may I know whether a complete setup of a pair of headphones and an amp in this price range ($200) is possible? I don't know for sure if an amp would make so much of a difference to headphones this range. Do I really need an amp to maximise the capability of, say, HD 25-1 II? If so, what are your suggestions?
Thank you!
Not so. Portable stuff is essentially that, designed to be portable. If they were all exceedingly inefficient that would be greatly detrimental to portability, would it not? The HD25-1 didn't neccessarily need an amp IMO, and spec wise that would seem to correlate nicely with subjective impressions of efficiency. If the stock player/phone you're using is exceedingly bad though (high noise, roll-off) and has a line-out, looking at an amp would not be an bad idea, if only to circumvent the horrible stock amp.
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As mentioned, perhaps the EPH100 with the adapter could do well isolation and sig-wise.
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Thanks so much for your speedy reply. Looks like it's between the Sony and the E10. Assuming I go for the £15 Sony one over the more expensive but seemingly identical variant, that's quite a difference in price compared with the near £45 E10M.
Also, in terms of fit/comfort etc, is there one of the two that is supposed to be a lot better than the other (on average)? The one thing that struck me about the E10 from reviews is that they look kinda 'large' in the driver area. Also, I've seen reviews saying the microphone and control unit is a bit sucky so I could save £10 maybe and go for the regular version.
The MH1C are undoubtedly the more comfortable one. While nozzles and shell size didn't really affect much of the comfort front, the tips they included did. The MH1C has some of the most comfortable tips available anywhere. The E10M mic was better than the one on my phone but that's not really saying much
.