[ManCannon]

I'm loooking for some good headphones that will stand up to the extremely cold winters of Maine. I'm planning to wear them mostly on long walks, often times in the middle of snowstorms, so I need a pair that can get cold and wet. The easiest solution is probably IEM's, but I really don't like IEM's so they're out of the running.

I tried a pair of ATH-ES7's which I really liked. I dig their look and their sound but I don't know how well they'd stand up to being wet and cold. I'd really like to get them but I don't want to risk destroying a $100 pair of headphones by getting them wet.

I'm looking to spend less than $150 and the heapdhones will be paired with a Zune HD.

 

[kjpmkjp]

Can't speak for anything else, but my Ultrasone DJ1-Pro's stood up to a New Brunswick winter (arguably nastier than Maine's), as well as another in Toronto, just fine. They're still kicking quite well. You might find a pair for $150ish, as I picked up mine for about that. They've also been paired with a Zune (not HD, but the 120), and sound perfectly fine without an amp. However, portable amps will definitely make them shine.

 

[3X0]

Forget about the ES7s for your purposes. The Sennheiser HD 25-1 II are what you are looking for, for sure. I wore them in snow, sleet, hail, and heavy rain last year with no problems and toasty ears.

 

[ljokerl]

HD25-1 II would indeed be ideal, but I don't know if you can get them within your budget. On a more affordable note, I've been really impressed with the build of the new JVC HA-M750. Don't know about snow, but they could probably survive a hail or two.

 

[Devolve]

Perhaps try to find some used SRH840's, I think i've seen them for ~150 in the used forum. They are a bit bulky and heavy, but damn they seal well.

 

[cyberidd]

I don't know about how well they'd stand up to being wet, but my DT770 helped keep my ears warm in -40 C (= -40 F) weather the last couple of winters with no problems. They did get snowy as well, but not really snowy, and I made sure that snow didn't actually get inside the headphones.

 

[ManCannon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3X0 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Sennheiser HD 25-1 II are what you are looking for, for sure. I wore them in snow, sleet, hail, and heavy rain last year with no problems and toasty ears.

These sound perfect and from the pictures I'm seeing they don't look too bulky which is a bonus, I definitely wanted something slightly portable.

As they're Sennheiser I'm sure they have excellent sound quality. Is the bass decent? Are they pretty comfortable?

I see them for about $200 on Amazon. That's a little more than what I wanted to spend but if they'll stand up to rain, sleet, and snow, have decent bass and are relatively comfortable I could probably swing the extra $50.

Thanks for all the responses so far, I'm going to research all of them thoroughly before I make a decision.

EDIT: Well I found them for $172 on Amazon which seemed like a decent price. I need them before Nov. 11th as I'm taking a very long flight so after reading a few threads about them I went ahead and placed the order. Said they should be here in 3-5 business days, can't wait to give them a shot.

Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[lilkoolaidman]

hmmm... Ti Chick Pink
nice and cozy

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ManCannon /img/forum/go_quote.gif As they're Sennheiser I'm sure they have excellent sound quality. Is the bass decent? Are they pretty comfortable?

Lol... so much for researching at length. Don't worry though, they do have very good (quality-wise) bass and they are quite comfortable. Bonus comfort points for the optional Velour pads. Don't know if they're included with the set you bought.

 

[ManCannon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Lol... so much for researching at length.

Haha yeah, I was going to go more in depth but every thread I checked seemed extremely positive and they seem like everything I'm looking for.

Really I looked down at the date and saw I only have a week till my flight and I said "These babies are going to have to do" .

 

[kencheeto]

Why not get a big beanie or something to cover them?

 

[ManCannon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kencheeto /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why not get a big beanie or something to cover them?

Yeah I was thinking that but even a hat can get wet and I've actually already got a beanie I'm going to be wearing them over.

I'd just prefer to buy something I know can stand up to the weather anyway rather than constantly be worried about any kind of moisture ruining them while I'm traipsing around in the middle of a blizzard.

 

[RedSky0]

Why not get an IEM? I use my ER4Ps in the rain all the time because I know there's no chance of them getting wet.

I mean, the HD25s may well be pretty well insulated, but when we're talking about something worth $150-200 ... eh I wouldn't want to risk it.

 

[ManCannon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedSky0 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why not get an IEM? I use my ER4Ps in the rain all the time because I know there's no chance of them getting wet.

I've just never found them comfortable unfortunately. Right now I have a pair of V-Moda Bass FreQ's that I got from Pepsi Points and before that I had a pair of Shure E2C's and I've never liked the fit of either one. I tried 3 different inserts for the Shure's, the foams, the hard plastic, and then the softer ones you can buy and I didn't find any of them to reach an acceptable level of comfort.

The biggest thing for me though was that my ears seem allergic to them and I get a ton of wax buildup whenever I use them. I think in the end my ears just don't like the idea of having things shoved inside them.

 

[3X0]

The HD 25-1 II are comfy and even toasty with the velour earpads, and as a bonus the velours won't make you sweat in a hot environment.

They are the only headphones to date I've felt comfortable with throwing around and treating like crap, and they really don't show wear and tear at all. Once you have it in your hands, you know it's a durable, lightweight, super-ruggedized headphone.