[pod-lover]

porta pro = #1, nice bass & highs, very light weight
sr80 = also #1 sounds better than the rest but leaks too much ( lady on train asked if i could turn it down a little

)
v6 =#2 like porta pro's but a little less bass, good in winter ( keeps ears warm )
ksc 35 = #3 sounds ok but i'm not realy impressed

for daily commute i take ety 4p's & porta pro's

ety - i like with jazz,classical
sr80- jazz, reggae, classical, all others
porta pro- reggae, hip hop

 

[maler23]

I'd like to put in a vote for the Sportapros:

Here's my mini-review for the best value/ugliest head phones ever:

While not a fan of super exaggerated bass, I do err on the side of slightly emphasized low down sounds, especially for phones on the go for working out, etc.. Also, I'm not looking for super high fidelity when I'm doing sit ups and biking through downtown. These headphones are light and they sound really good at high or low volumes, even with a good amount of bass. I tested them out on my current headphone killer "Fight Club". It has a lot of techno-low throb bass tracks that my Grado's, my Sharp phones that came with my Minidisc player(crap) start to cry about at high volumes. Try the end of track 3("What Is Fight Club?"). Although no headphone(or speaker) has ever been able to handle that track without distortion, including these, at high volumes, these were the highest I've ever been able to crank that track. These phones also sound good with classical(Vivaldi's Four Seasons, YoYo Ma), vocals(Otis Redding) and pop(The Police)

Now for some not so good's. These things are UGLY. I mean U-G-L-Y you ain't got no alibi, ugly(i just had to sneak in a 2nd grade insult in there.) I like old school looks(just like my jokes), my Grado's are pretty funky and I like em, but these things are a joke. The "sport" mode that wraps around the back of your heads looks pretty foolish too. My only hope is that folks don't look to closely at the gym or when I'm zipping by on my bike. Also, while comfortable on your head(they have little foam rests that help cushion the force against your ears) they have a disturbing tendency to close really tightly around your neck(either pressing on the side or on your adam's apple) if you are letting them rest there. Not a huge deal, since they fold up to fit in your pocket, but still..

All in all, I heartily recommend these. They give my Grado SR-60's a run for the money(they cost 60) and kick out a good amount of bass without sounding murky(in all fairness, the Grado's are way more transparent, but they are also very bright and get me yelled at by bus drivers all over town). I was also surprised at how long I could listen to them without getting "tired" of the sound. Even with my Grado's, possibly because they can be a bit bright, I get fatigued and need to rest my ears and brain for a bit. But these little guys keep on kicking out the sound. Buy them. You won't regret it. Plus they have a life time warranty, so if you get beat up for looking so incredibly dorky, you can replace them(i'm not sure if Koss covers getting your butt kicked, but it would be worth a try)

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by pod-lover porta pro = #1 sr80 = also #1 v6 =#2 ksc 35 = #3

Considering that the KSC-35 sound closer to the PortaPro than any other headphones, I'm at a loss to figure out how you could rank the PortaPro above the SR80 and V6, but the KSC-35 below. (Not trying to be critical -- it's just that the research methodologist in me is going nuts over that impossible outcome

)

 

[Rizumu]

Quote:

Originally posted by MacDEF Considering that the KSC-35 sound closer to the PortaPro than any other headphones, I'm at a loss to figure out how you could rank the PortaPro above the SR80 and V6, but the KSC-35 below. (Not trying to be critical -- it's just that the research methodologist in me is going nuts over that impossible outcome )

Yeah I'm going nuts too, just because I think the KSC-35 sounds so much better than Portapros

Different strokes like they say I suppose...

 

[RacerX]

Might I suggest Eggos? Don't let the KSC-35's recent rise to flavor of the month status allow you to overlook these beauties (which BTW were last month's flavor of the month). The MDRd66 SL "Eggos" are a lot more detailed and the bass is not muddled and boomy, but instead tight and accurate.

Upside: More detailed mids and highs, tight but underwhelming bass; portable and very cool looking.

Downside: At the high range of your budget ($99 shipped from audiocubes.com); Underwhelming bass (if that's what you primarily respond to in cans); not as portable as KSC-35s.

Good luck in your search!

 

[jaskin]

For looks I'd say the Sony D66. I'm currently using the KSC 35 which is a good all round headphone. If you want the highest fidelity Etymotics 4p.

 

[dragonlong]

Quote:

Originally posted by RacerX Might I suggest Eggos? Don't let the KSC-35's recent rise to flavor of the month status allow you to overlook these beauties (which BTW were last month's flavor of the month). The MDRd66 SL "Eggos" are a lot more detailed and the bass is not muddled and boomy, but instead tight and accurate. Upside: More detailed mids and highs, tight but underwhelming bass; portable and very cool looking. Downside: At the high range of your budget ($99 shipped from audiocubes.com); Underwhelming bass (if that's what you primarily respond to in cans); not as portable as KSC-35s. Good luck in your search!

I would also like to recommend the KSC-35, but RacerX does have a good point about the D66 Eggo. I definitely do like the bass better on the D66 than the KSC-35. Only problem is that I haven't been listening to the D66 much recently since I'm always busy and on the go these days, so I don't have time to carry the D66, fold them properly, and make sure that they are put away properly when I don't use them.

I'd say that if you don't want to risk paying for something you might not like, get the KSC-35, but if you know exactly what you want and the D66's descriptions matches that, then definitely get the D66 instead.

If you use your iPod frequently in a quiet environment, then the E888 might be best.

 

[jaskin]

Yeah especially a certain Golden version

 

[dragonlong]

Quote:

Originally posted by jaskin Yeah especially a certain Golden version

jaskin, please pray for me, bud. My best friend will be in Toronto tomorrow and she said she'll look for the Golden E888 again for me. Hopefully she'll find them and I'll be able to get them from her by Saturday, if not sooner.

Do you have the Golden E888? Care to do a mini-review or comparison with the other E888s?

 

[jaskin]

Sorry dragon, I don't think I'll be picking up any E888s anytime soon. They're too expensive IMO for earbuds.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by RacerX Don't let the KSC-35's recent rise to flavor of the month status

Hey, the KSC-35 have been the "flavor of the month" since long before the Eggos were even a twinkle in Sony's eye

The reason there's such a big buzz on them recently is because they've been discontinued for over a year, but Koss just made a bunch available.

 

[MagicBoy14]

Wow! Thanks for all the reccomendations! I checked out every single headphone reccomended. =) The V6 and Eggos look very comfortable...but they really BIG! I tend to like to walk around with my headphones on and V6 and Eggos are a bit too conspicuous for that even if they sound really good.

The three headphones that really interested me were the KSC-35, the ER-6, and the ER-4P, though. I think I'll get a pair of the 35's just from all the buzz they're getting...and if I don't like them, I'll only be out like $30 anyway.

But could someone provide some more insight on the ER-6 and ER-4P? They look very comfortable and inconspicuous, and everyone says they sound terrific...and even at their cost, I thought about buying one or the other. The ER6 looked like the more attractive choice, at nearly half the price, but can the ER-6 be comfortably driven from an iPod without an amp? Also, the ER-4P is over $200 (yikes!), which I could stretch my wallet to pay...but I'm afraid of Etymotics releasing a new model in like a year and then it'd make my $200 purchase obsolete...would that possibly happen? Oh, oh, lastly...anyone know where I can purchase these headphones online? Thanks a lot again for all your suggestions!

 

[jip]

for ipod use, i like er-4s , or senny hd25-1. both great unamped. i have no problem with er-4s bass and volume with ipod. may as well throw my opinion out there...

 

[Digital-Monk]

Quote:

Originally posted by MagicBoy14 Wow! Thanks for all the reccomendations! I checked out every single headphone reccomended. =) The V6 and Eggos look very comfortable...but they really BIG! I tend to like to walk around with my headphones on and V6 and Eggos are a bit too conspicuous for that even if they sound really good. The three headphones that really interested me were the KSC-35, the ER-6, and the ER-4P, though. I think I'll get a pair of the 35's just from all the buzz they're getting...and if I don't like them, I'll only be out like $30 anyway. But could someone provide some more insight on the ER-6 and ER-4P? They look very comfortable and inconspicuous, and everyone says they sound terrific...and even at their cost, I thought about buying one or the other. The ER6 looked like the more attractive choice, at nearly half the price, but can the ER-6 be comfortably driven from an iPod without an amp? Also, the ER-4P is over $200 (yikes!), which I could stretch my wallet to pay...but I'm afraid of Etymotics releasing a new model in like a year and then it'd make my $200 purchase obsolete...would that possibly happen? Oh, oh, lastly...anyone know where I can purchase these headphones online? Thanks a lot again for all your suggestions!

Head over to headroom, they'll take care of your savings. I think the ER-4 sounds better with an amp than the ER-6, but they were very close unamped from an ipod. If you don't want to have an amp, then I'd suggest the ER-6. I couldn't hear $100 difference without the amp. The ER-4's are a little harder to drive.

As far as going obsolete, I wouldn't worry about it, they're always gonna sound great, regardless if they are the latest and greatest.

 

[stan23]

Quote:

Originally posted by RacerX Might I suggest Eggos? Don't let the KSC-35's recent rise to flavor of the month status allow you to overlook these beauties (which BTW were last month's flavor of the month). The MDRd66 SL "Eggos" are a lot more detailed and the bass is not muddled and boomy, but instead tight and accurate. Upside: More detailed mids and highs, tight but underwhelming bass; portable and very cool looking. Downside: At the high range of your budget ($99 shipped from audiocubes.com); Underwhelming bass (if that's what you primarily respond to in cans); not as portable as KSC-35s. Good luck in your search!

umm.. the KSC-35s are most definitely not the 'flavor of the month' Read back and you'll see that everyone has been happy with them for some time now.

The Eggos, I never really considered a 'flavor' of the month. People just bought them up cause they looked cool. Even Mr. Eggo himself (LTUCCI) has turned his back on the eggo in favor of other cans.