[cramkay]

Dear Headfiers,
I would like a recommendation for a good pair of canalphones for my Sony NWZ s618. I listen mostly to classic rock, alternative rock, heavy metal and country music. I prefer warm and musical sound to flat and plain sound. I like good bass in my music. I can spend around 60$. From the reviews i read here, i narrowed my search to the following options:

1. Denon c551
2. Sony MDR EX90LP / EX85

How do these compare in terms of sound quality and isolation. Sound quality is the most important factor for me, followed by isolation, comfort and fit. Are there any other options in this price range that suit my music needs? Ive read various reviews and threads in this forum but not been able to come to a conclusion. Please guys, help me out. Thank you in advance!

 

[chongy5]

Are the second ones the one that come with the NWZ-A818?

If so, their isolation isn't that great - my CX300s isolate far more.

Hope that is of some help.

 

[tstarn06]

The EX90 is $67 at Amazon. There are some mods on Head-Fi for both the EX90 and the EX85 (similar mods, though the phones are somewhat different). I have the EX082s, which come with the A816, and the isolation is greatly improved if you move to Comply T400 foam tips.

I also modded that phone, removing the screen (inside the sound tube) and blocking the holes on the face of the phones (around the tubes) with melted wax. They sound very good now, better than the CX300s for sure.

I owned the 551s and gave them to a friend. Pretty good, but again, isolation is pretty much the same with all canalphones (which use silicone tips). I don't see how anyone can say that one canalphone isolates better than another when they are using the same tips (and pretty much go into the ear the same way). But foam tips are a little more form fitting, so noise leaking is lessened, which means better isolation. At least that's my experience.

I'd see how much you like the phones that come with the Sony DAP first, and maybe try to mod them (search for EX90 mod thread on Head-Fi) before I paid for another pair.

 

[neoufo51]

The Sony headphones are only a step above the headphones that come with the A818. Forget those.

The Denons pair well with Sony players and have a much better build and bass than the Sony headphones.

 

[GSurge]

I just got Denon C551's today. I like the housing and cord, as well as the little zipper pouch to keep them in. Isolation is probably something like 40%, 100% being deafness to outside noise. I can't clearly hear things going on around me, but I have a sense that they are there. Not sure if that helps, haha.

 

[tstarn06]

I would agree on the Denons being a good value, but there are some experienced head-fiers who have modded the EX90s and think pretty highly of them post-change.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/son...thread-193464/

 

[soozieq]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't see how anyone can say that one canalphone isolates better than another when they are using the same tips (and pretty much go into the ear the same way).

Tom, the design of the EX90 and EX082 is not the same as the Denons in any way, (we discussed this before, remember?) The Sony's sit slightly outside of the ear canal whereas the Denons go in much further. They may both be referred to as 'canalphones' but the Sony's are not made to shove in any further than the outside of the ear canal. Consequently, they're dreadful for isolation

I had the EX90, the EX082 (with the Sony A808 dap) and both the Denon models and the Denons win by a long shot as far as isolation goes. I could use the Denons on the tube and get decent enough isolation for it not to be a problem. No way did the Sony's work on the tube, I tried them a couple of times and even at maximum volume the isolation was still poor (and they leaked sound like there was no tomorrow!)

I also thought both the Denons beat the Sony's on sound quality, and I did try the mod on my stock EX082. While it improved the isolation slightly, it still didn't match the Denons.

 

[FlavioWolff]

EX90 = good sound, but absolutely NO isolation. I own a pair, and love them. for my needs.

 

[soozieq]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlavioWolff /img/forum/go_quote.gif EX90 = good sound, but absolutely NO isolation. I own a pair, and love them. for my needs.

They do sound good in a quiet environment.

If you could physically ram then in further, I'm sure they'd sound even better

 

[cramkay]

Thank you so much guys for your response!

From the discussion and after reading some more threads, i seem to lean towards the Denons. I get the impression that the Denons isolate better than the sonys and even have better sound. Ill still wait for more responses though!

Looking at more reviews, some suggest that Head Direct RE2 perform better than Denon c551. Can anyone give me a comparison of the two? And also please suggest if there are any other canal phones offering the features mentioned around 70-80$ price range! Thanks so much once again guys!!

 

[tstarn06]

I remember now. I guess when I insert the Comply foamies into my ear, they go in the same depth and offer the same seal no matter if it's the Sonys or the Denons. The Sony's do have some sound element outside the sound tube, but with the wax seal, I have effectively shut that off. I don't find them bad isolation-wise, for general use.

In fact, I guess I don't find the difference all that much. But hey, I've been wrong before (and will be again). I already gave away my 551s (to a good friend, who really likes them as a replacement for her iBuds). So I can't compare any longer. Of course, for real isolation (planes,subway, etc.) I use either the 716s or the SA6s, but that's another issue.

To answer the OP, I favor the RE2s over the 551s, based on the Head-Direct sound signature (warmer but plenty of detail). I found the Denons to be a little but much on the highs, not really sibilant, but fatiguing when I tried them for long spells.

That's not news, as Julie and I have discussed this before. Different strokes for different folks.

As an aside, how are those TF10s Julie? PM me with some details.

Quote:

Originally Posted by soozieq /img/forum/go_quote.gif Tom, the design of the EX90 and EX082 is not the same as the Denons in any way, (we discussed this before, remember?) The Sony's sit slightly outside of the ear canal whereas the Denons go in much further. They may both be referred to as 'canalphones' but the Sony's are not made to shove in any further than the outside of the ear canal. Consequently, they're dreadful for isolation I had the EX90, the EX082 (with the Sony A808 dap) and both the Denon models and the Denons win by a long shot as far as isolation goes. I could use the Denons on the tube and get decent enough isolation for it not to be a problem. No way did the Sony's work on the tube, I tried them a couple of times and even at maximum volume the isolation was still poor (and they leaked sound like there was no tomorrow!) I also thought both the Denons beat the Sony's on sound quality, and I did try the mod on my stock EX082. While it improved the isolation slightly, it still didn't match the Denons.

 

[cramkay]

Thanks everybody for the advice! It has been very helpful! looks like the RE2 score better than the denons. But it pushes the price to 80$ which i think is my limit. Ill take them if theyre worth it.

Another thing i wanted to ask is whether my sony s618 dap will be able to drive the RE2. These phones have an impedance of 32ohms. Will i need an amp? How does the sony sound signature match with that of the RE2s?

 

[cramkay]

Today i borrowed the Westone UM1 iems from my friend and tried them with the sony 618 dap. The sound was kind of flat, the bass was not adequate and the treble was very less. But i have to say that the detail was very very good and the sound was crystal clear. The mid range was superb. I make this comparison coming from using Creative EP630 for a year. I really liked the sound of the UM1 but would prefer if it was a little more musical. Creative EP630 seems very muddy, the bass is bloated and the detail is compromised. How would the Denon c551s compare to the Creative EP630 and the Westone UM1s?

 

[soozieq]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I remember now. I guess when I insert the Comply foamies into my ear, they go in the same depth and offer the same seal no matter if it's the Sonys or the Denons.

Oh yeah, I didn't try the Comply tips with the Sony phones. No doubt they isolate more than the silicon tips, shame the Comply's were too big for my delicate petal-like ears

Quote:

As an aside, how are those TF10s Julie?

Still loving them to death!

Quote:

PM me with some details.

I certainly will!

 

[soozieq]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cramkay /img/forum/go_quote.gif How would the Denon c551s compare to the Creative EP630 and the Westone UM1s?

If the EP630 sounds similar to the Sennheiser CX300 (which I've read on here that it does), then the C551s sound better in my opinion. My 'other half' loved his CX300s until he tried the C551s, and that was the end of the CX300s! There are a couple of C551 threads, and almost every single post is positive. It might help you to check them out for more details.