[slytherin]

I am loking for a good portable headphone that isolates the maximum and leaks the minimum, and my price range is up until 50 dollars,I have been looking at the shl 9500,are they the best I can get following the above description?

Bump

 

[warrenpchi]

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I am loking for a good portable headphone that isolates the maximum and leaks the minimum, and my price range is up until 50 dollars,I have been looking at the shl 9500,are they the best I can get following the above description?

 
Honestly, I've never even heard of that model so I have no idea.  I usually resort to using IEMs when I want both isolation and portability.
 
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I'd like something at least as bassy as the X10's, basically after a great universal IEM around $200 that is comfortable. Thinking the XBA-30's might be too big coming from the X10...

 
Hmm, don't know then. 

  Don't know a thing about the entire XBA series, and unfortunately nothing I have fits that description I think.  Anyone out there wanna help with this?
 
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Originally Posted by warrenpchi /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
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I posted here a little while ago asking for suggestions. I've decided that I want loud, bassy headphones like the AKG K 518, but don't want to spend more than $35.

 
Well then today is your lucky day.  The AKG K81DJ (which is more or less the same thing as the K 518 LE) is on sale for only $38 brand new at Amazon! 

  Now aren't you glad you posted here?

 
Oh wow, thanks! Are there any other headphones you would recommend before I go with the AKG K81DJs? How are the JVC [size=small]HA-S4X (Extreme Explosion on ears) and the Monoprice 8283 in terms of bass, clarity, and sound stage? Thank you for your help![/size]

 
Welcome!  There probably isn't anything else in that price range that would fit your needs better than that.  I'm not sure if the JVC HA-S4X was the Extreme Explosion that I heard a while back, but if it is, lets just say that it's not something I'd be inclined to take seriously and leave it at that.
 
The Monoprice ones are aight, certainly not bad especially given the price, but I would still take the K81DJ as I don't think the Monoprice is portable enough to be a portable.  Out of 5, I'd rate the bass, clarity and soundstage as thus:  4/2.5/1.5.
 
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Hello all. I am in the market for some on ear headphones with a neutral balanced sound. To give people an idea of what I like, these are my current headphones/IEMs and love them all; AKG Q701, Shure SRH840, and VSonic GR07.

 
If you ever find something like that, please let me know! 

 

[Exci]

Hi all.  My Klipsch S4s just died on me (the cable, of course), so it is time to find new headphones.  I generally liked the S4s, but they were my first pair of decent headphones, and I am not opposed to finding something I might like even more. 

Price range: $100 or under, but I am willing to pay up to $200 if the sound is significantly better enough to justify it. 

Music listened to:  All sorts, except very little clasical, jazz, or country.  Mostly current or 90's rock, industrial, darkwave, and complex techno.  My ideal headphones would bring out the complexity and sometimes musical brutality of Nine Inch Nails, the intense emotion of Flyleaf's vocals, the bright and clear sound of Yellowcard's fiddle (without smothering the beats), any slamming guitar riffs, and still rattle my eardrums a bit with punchy bass lines.  With techno they could manage clear (sparkly?) highs and mids, and still hit me with the beat.  Maybe too much to ask...?

Device: Cowon X7

Activity:  Walking and riding the bus, nothing terribly athletic or jostling.  

What did I like about the S4s?  The bass was not bad, though there were times when I wanted more, but I suspect that was thanks to the fit in my ears.  I generally just loved the sound quality, but I don't have the right words to describe it. 

What didn't I like?  There were times when the mid range was kinda muffled, vocals got a bit burried and the fiddle in Yellowcard (for example) wound up kind of in the background of the music.  That said, I think this was likely due to my inability to tweak the equalizer exactly right, and any advice anyone can prvide for that would be great as well. 

I think that covers it.  Any recomendations are appreciated.  Thank You!!!

The S4 isn't that good IMO so I doubt your eq skills are to be blamed.. a little over a 100, the gr07 bass edition may suit you. Mind you though that I haven't listened to them myself, but you could ask around in the gr07 thread. They should be less veiled, yet provide the bass impact you are looking for. They also seem to respond well to eq'ing..

 

[shdl83]

What do you guys think of the AKG K420? Any experience with these?

 

[warrenpchi]

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What do you guys think of the AKG K420? Any experience with these?

 
I have the K422 - which I believe is very closely related (just different pads) - and I LOVE THAT LITTLE PUPPY!  Accurate, balanced, neutral, transparent?  No, absolutely none of those things.  But it's just so fun despite all that!
 
It's got some mid-bass and lower-mid emphasis, slightly depressed (but not dramatically recessed) mids, and a crisp/snappy (but not airy or crunchy) highs.  No sub-bass to speak of but the lows taper off nicely.  It's also open.  Yes, I know they claim semi-open but they are LYING.  I can hear everything going on outside blended into my music... or vice versa... kind of like living an episode of Scrubs.
 
I believe it to be fun ala Currawong in the very best sense of the term.  Final analysis?  It's like a hot french fry, and that that entails.  Love it and it will love you back.  I seriously need to get some sleep.

 

[shdl83]

I have the K422 - which I believe is very closely related (just different pads) - and I LOVE THAT LITTLE PUPPY!  Accurate, balanced, neutral, transparent?  No, absolutely none of those things.  But it's just so fun despite all that!

It's got some mid-bass and lower-mid emphasis, slightly depressed (but not dramatically recessed) mids, and a crisp/snappy (but not airy or crunchy) highs.  No sub-bass to speak of but the lows taper off nicely.  It's also open.  Yes, I know they claim semi-open but they are LYING.  I can hear everything going on outside blended into my music... or vice versa... kind of like living an episode of Scrubs.

I believe it to be fun ala Currawong in the very best sense of the term.  Final analysis?  It's like a hot french fry, and that that entails.  Love it and it will love you back.  I seriously need to get some sleep.

Can you hear it when the cord os getting hit? Aldo, what other cans at the $ 40 price range you guyd woikd recommend?

 

[warrenpchi]

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K422

 
Can you hear it when the cord os getting hit?

 
Hmm, don't remember much in the way of microphonics, but lemme go grab it and check real quick.
 
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Aldo, what other cans at the $ 40 price range you guyd woikd recommend?

 
What kind of sound are you looking for?  Or alternatively, what kind of music do you listen to?

 

[warrenpchi]

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K422

 
Can you hear it when the cord os getting hit?

 
Hmm, don't remember much in the way of microphonics, but lemme go grab it and check real quick.

 
Minimal, nothing out of the normal, and certainly not much worse than others out there.  Forgotten how much I like these... 

 

[xcpwner]

Okay, one last question. Do you know if the headphones are durable? I tend to ruin my headphones because I throw them in my backpack and one of the sides usually stops working. The wire on the K81's looks kinda weak but do you know if it'll be able to take a beating? Also, there isn't a significant difference between the k81 and k518s, right, otherwise I could wait for the k518s to come back to a lower price. Thank you for your help!

 

[warrenpchi]

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Okay, one last question. Do you know if the headphones are durable? I tend to ruin my headphones because I throw them in my backpack and one of the sides usually stops working. The wire on the K81's looks kinda weak but do you know if it'll be able to take a beating?

 
Hmm, that's tough.  On one hand, I'd have to say that it's fine because nothing has happened to mine at all.  But OTOH, I tend to be pretty careful anyway so maybe that's it.  Dunno really.  Although, we should note that they clearly intended it to be a portable unit, since it folds up and comes with a carrying bag. 
 
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Also, there isn't a significant difference between the k81 and k518s, right, otherwise I could wait for the k518s to come back to a lower price. Thank you for your help!

 
Other than the colors, I don't think there's a significant difference at all.  I seem to remember seeing them graphed similarly too.  Totally welcome BTW.

 

[slytherin]

So nobody knows any good on ear heaphones for less than 50 or 50 dollars,and I really don't like IEMs

 

[warrenpchi]

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So nobody knows any good on ear heaphones for less than 50 or 50 dollars,and I really don't like IEMs

 
Oh sure, but pretty sure those Philips ain't it.  TBH, up until fairly recently, Philips hasn't exactly had the best reputation in terms of headphone sound quality.  Anyway, two quick questions... does it have to be on-ear (as opposed to around-the-ear)?  And what kind of music do you listen to?
 
EDIT:  And do you have a big head (i.e. how tight should these be)?

 

[slytherin]

Oh sure, but pretty sure those Philips ain't it.  TBH, up until fairly recently, Philips hasn't exactly had the best reputation in terms of headphone sound quality.  Anyway, two quick questions... does it have to be on-ear (as opposed to around-the-ear)?  And what kind of music do you listen to?

EDIT:  And do you have a big head (i.e. how tight should these be)?

It can be around the ear it just has to be easy to carry, I usually listen to rock, usually, but I am ecletic in terms of music, I have a normal head, and small ears

 

[warrenpchi]

Okay, here's the thing... I really, really want to say HD 25-1-II (or even better Amperior), but those are WAY out of the price range.  Something much closer to the price target would be the Sony MDR-V6, but that's not exactly portable.  And of course, we can't even touch on Grados because there won't be any isolation.
 
The aforementioned K518 *might* work for you, but ONLY if you rip out the ridiculous foam pads out of the ear cups like I did so that it's not so bassy.
 
But if all of those don't work, I'll have to default to either a Panasonic RP-HTF600-S or the Monoprice 8323 and hope that they're "portable" enough (which they probably won't be).
 
Very tight and punchy bass, combined with slightly forward mids, and clear (but not sibilant) highs - all rolled into a well-isolated package - is surprisingly hard to come by in a small portable @ $50.  That's my (and your) dilemna here.

 

[warrenpchi]

OH WAIT!  Okay, I thought of something.  You might want to look up some reviews and impressions for the JVC HA-S500-B.  It's not a recommendation as I haven't heard it.  But it has been recommended to me by a few friends of mine as a very competent general purpose portable.  And it just happens to be $45 on Amazon right now.  Hope that helps!