[PCMusicGuy]

Doc-holliday,
 
I tried the cityscapes over at bestbuy and did not really like them. The sound was a bit too bottom heavy and they did not isolate as well as my HD280s. I will amend my list here of my wants.
 
Comfortable (HD201s are really light and I could wear them all day)
Good cord (HD201 cord was too long and a hassle most often)
Easy to drive (i will be using a laptop, or airplane jack to drive. no amps please)
Portable (folding up like the HD280s would be great but a small carrying case may also work)
Good isolation (needs to be at least 60% of HD280s sound isolation)
Quality sound (vocals, mids, and highs much more important to me than bass)
Under $250

 

[sacrifice13]

Here's a good question!
 
Which headphones do you guys think sound the best straight out of an ipod, unamped?
 
I've heard the ATH-ESW9 is the winner, but what do you guys think?

 

[HamilcarBarca]

Quote:

Can anyone help me?

 
This isn't a recommendation for or against the JVC HA-S500 but ...
 
The S500, discussed at Head-Fi in a long thread, isn't available in the US, at least. You can look up the S500 at (for example) Amazon, go to some of the sellers' storefront pages, and see other grey-market imports. I'm not sure this answers your question.

 

[MarcoGV]

Quote:

Beyerdynamic DT235 although not the most attractive thing in the world.
The philips cityscape downtown is 40 bucks on onesaleaday "flash" section. Was on tyll's wall of fame. I have never heard it.
The Koss Portapro is $40
I think the CAL is $50 but again never heard them, though people call them the poor man's M50.

 
 
Quote:

What are the best possible headphones I could buy for a friend under 40$? Preferably closed or semi-closed and around-ear, though on-ear would probably be fine too. Just trying to convince her that there's more to sound quality than iPod earbuds.

+1 on the first three choices by Doc-Holliday, with which I have good experience.  The first two are in front of me at work (better be quick! and I alternate between them, depending on mood and application.  The DT-235 has a more "hi-fi", detailed, crisp sound---very nice for jazz and some classical music.  The Downtowns are great for travel, because they isolate very well, have a short "tangle-resistant" cable, and a microphone with a one-button controller that works with my Android phone. They are somewhat bassy.  Tyll's review notes a "shouty" character in the vocal range, which he notes may actually be an asset for use in noisy environments, but I cannot confirm that.  Tyll's measurements show excellent square-wave responses (especially the 30-Hz wave) that indicate very good bass and a tight seal.  The Portapro was my "nightstand" can for many years, and gave me a lot of happy hours of listening (mainly to public radio's "Music Through the Night") for little money.  Last March, I replaced them with the Ortofon O-one, which is superior, especially because of its realistic soundstage, for classical music, but much more expensive when bought at normal retail price,   At the end of the day, you cannot go wrong with any of the three recommendations, and you may have to decide on the basis of personal preference, intended use, looks, and other non-technical aspects.  An easy case is if you want a can that works well on commutes or travel: then the Downtowns are clearly the best.
 
I noticed that the three recommended headphones just mentioned all cost over $40 (but below $50) on amazon.  The CAL!, which I have never listened to, is over $60 on amazon.  If you want something that is regularly under $40 on amazon, I would recommend the Philips SHL 5500 and, much cheaper but still reasonable, the JVC HAS160B (flats).
 
One comment about the Wall of Fame listing of the Downtowns.  If you read carefully Tyll's entry, you will notice that the text about the headphones being retired is associated with the Philips O'Neill Bends, not with the Downtowns; I have asked Tyll to clarify but have received no response yet.  In any case, a headphone retired from the wall can still wear the Wall of Fame badge!

 

[Audiophile24]

I have read the headphone buying guide, which is nothing short of fantastic. I think I know what I want but would really appreciate some honest feedback on a headphone recommendation. I am not ready to go all in a $1K set of phones, but I would like to find something that fits in the $100-$200 range.

I prefer closed cans only because they keep the sound contained and I would like to use them occasionally during travel. The three things most important to me are instrument detail, image, and clarity. My thought was something like the Sennheiser HD 280 or the KRK 8400's, something made for complete accurate reproduction - then I could EQ out some flatness.
 
If open cans are the way to go then I am okay with that. I have never had the fortune to test a pair to know what the openness sounds like.
 
The type of music I listen to would be a mix of:
 
Foo Fighters
Counting Crows
Breaking Benjamin
 
Then
Phil Collins
Bruce Hornsby
 
and a bit of Robert Miles and ATB
 
I appreciate all the help in advance. 

 

[ferday]

Quote:

I had Grado RS-1 with a Millet Hybrid Max amp. Due to comfort issues and the fact that they seemed to excel in music played with instruments I moved on and got a pair of Darth Beyers (still the same amp). These days I mostly listen to electronic music (psytrance, ambient, downtempo, ebm/industrial etc) plus some metal.
 
While I'm fairly happy with my current setup, I guess I just want to try something new. I'm something of a bass head and the Audeze LCD-2 certainly seems interesting.. but it's beyond my budget even used. Hifiman HE-500 might be doable, but tentatively my max budget is 400eur/~520usd. Electrostatics are one possible direction, but the bass might not be enough for me (and they tend to be on the expensive side, especially if you need a separate amp). I enjoyed the RS-1's tight bass, but these days I tend to prefer more of it. I'm interested in any thoughts you guys might have.

i demoed the LDC2 and fell completely in love with the "ortho sound"...but couldn't afford so i went with the HE400's.  pretty similar sound, the HE400's are NOT basshead cans but the bass is very good, a little bit better than my ATHM50 in punch and the same extension, but the bass sound is really detailed and layered which is great and a lot of fun, you'll hear every bass hit.  for the majority of electronic music (including dubstep) they are easily my favorite headphones i've tried (outside of the delicious LCD2) and on metal, rock the warm, laid back yet ridiculously detailed sound is quite a treat.  i'm happy with the $ i spent on these...and they run great with my el-cheapo E17.  i've never tried the HE500 but i've heard they are "the same" as the 400 just a little colder, which may be a great sound for electronic stuff.  if i really desire real bass i'll turn my stereo on, no cans in the world can compete with dual 15" + dual 8"  
 
they aren't basshead cans, but the bass is very good if that means anything and i've really enjoyed them on every genre of music, they sound very similar to the lcd2 (which could be called basshead cans BTW).  electrostatics by definition will not have the best bass and you need a dedicated amp, making them $$$.  i've obsessed about electrostatic speakers for years, they are so accurate and airy but really IMO best with speakers as you can run a separate sub.

 

[pexon]

Quote:

 
This isn't a recommendation for or against the JVC HA-S500 but ...
 
The S500, discussed at Head-Fi in a long thread, isn't available in the US, at least. You can look up the S500 at (for example) Amazon, go to some of the sellers' storefront pages, and see other grey-market imports. I'm not sure this answers your question.

Thanks man, I'll get to doing some research!

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

I hope I am asking in the right place... I have a friend who is working out in Japan for the next few months and he told me there are a few cool headphone shops. I'm after a protable pair of on ears up to 150$, anything over there that we can get in the UK/US? Thanks in advance peeps!

JVC HA-S500-Z (Gun Metal Gray), $76.77 (60 Euros).
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300788413563

 

[pexon]

Quote:

JVC HA-S500-Z (Gun Metal Gray), $76.77 (60 Euros).
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300788413563

 
M budget is 100 GBP more than that though. I'd be looking at something better to be honest.

 

[steve2151]

Quote:

I have read the headphone buying guide, which is nothing short of fantastic. I think I know what I want but would really appreciate some honest feedback on a headphone recommendation. I am not ready to go all in a $1K set of phones, but I would like to find something that fits in the $100-$200 range.

I prefer closed cans only because they keep the sound contained and I would like to use them occasionally during travel. The three things most important to me are instrument detail, image, and clarity. My thought was something like the Sennheiser HD 280 or the KRK 8400's, something made for complete accurate reproduction - then I could EQ out some flatness.
 
If open cans are the way to go then I am okay with that. I have never had the fortune to test a pair to know what the openness sounds like.
 
The type of music I listen to would be a mix of:
 
Foo Fighters
Counting Crows
Breaking Benjamin
 
Then
Phil Collins
Bruce Hornsby
 
and a bit of Robert Miles and ATB
 
I appreciate all the help in advance. 

 
I think the SRH-940 would be your best bet if you're willing to buy used. The KRK 8400 and SRH-840 are good options in the next price bracket down, with the 8400 being more neutral and the 840 a bit warmer.  

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

 
M budget is 100 GBP more than that though. I'd be looking at something better to be honest.

Maybe ask these HA-S500 owners what they think is better.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/621063/the-new-jvc-ha-s500-40mm-carbon-nanotubes
 
Or maybe check out the Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/604570/beyerdynamic-custom-ones-new-beyer-headphones

 

[pexon]

Quote:

Maybe ask these HA-S500 owners what they think is better.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/621063/the-new-jvc-ha-s500-40mm-carbon-nanotubes
 
Or maybe check out the Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/604570/beyerdynamic-custom-ones-new-beyer-headphones

Did you read my original post? The One Pro aren't portable on ears.... Thanks for your help though.

 

[Doc-holliday]

Okay gotcha on the uptowns (gosh I hope I like mine when the get here...).

Ok well I think the 380's are a safe bet for you. You will need to get a cable similar to this one for portable use....

There is a possibility you might need to shave a tiny bit of plastic to get it to fit flush. Maybe not.

http://www.sfcable.com/2015-SF-03.html

The 380 is a neutral headphone and is not bright nor bass heavy.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Did you read my original post? The One Pro aren't portable on ears.... Thanks for your help though.

From what I've heard, they are very light weight, but maybe your looking for folding headphones.

 

[pexon]

Quote:

From what I've heard, they are very light weight, but maybe your looking for folding headphones.

I had DT 770's and they look pretty similar to be fair. I was thinking something along the lines of HD25's or DT1350's but Asian'fied