[Yonghwa]

I've been lurking these forums for maybe a week and don't really understand a lot of the terms and what to look for in earphones. Being a teen, I don't really have the time nor patience to learn. I was just wondering if you fellows could help me pick out a couple of earphones to check out. I'm also not familiar with music so treble, bass, highs, mids, and lows are all alien to me. I currently listen to a genre of music called kpop and I know that certain earphones are made for certain types of music soooo yea xD What earphones should I check out if I ONLY listen to kpop? Kpop tends to be fast, fun and always has some short rap in it. Sorry if I'm posting in the wrong place or am causing uneccessary trouble. I'd really appreciate it if you guys could help me though. Some examples of what I listen to would be: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmuHZa6DQOc&feature=youtube_gdata_player http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z37WOB7cf44&feature=youtube_gdata_player http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAzWT8mRoR0&feature=youtube_gdata_player http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n4V3lGEyG4&feature=youtube_gdata_player Thanks guys!

 

[n00b]

Even if we gave you recommendations for earphones to check out, if you don't have understanding of earphone characteristics and sound signatures then there's no way you can choose from our recommendations without auditioning them in person for yourself.
 
I highly encourage you to take the time to learn -- being a teen and not having time or patience is not really a reason for not wanting to learn. The upside is if you have a grasp of understanding headphones then you can make more educated decisions for yourself later on instead of relying on the word of others (that you don't necessarily understand for yourself yet). To give you some perspective, I lurked in 2004 and joined in 2005 when I was 15, and I listen to kpop once in a while.
 
With that said, you haven't stated a budget, so let's start low -- I'd recommend the Philips SHE3580 which can be purchased for around $10. If you end up not liking them, that's only $10 down the drain, but at least you would have some point of reference to compare other headphones when choosing a different pair.

 

[alchemyalice]

How many are you ready to spend on cans?

 

[H20Fidelity]

Yeah nOOb ^ up there ^ is right . It's hard to grasp concepts in words unless you understand meanings. Otherwise you won't know what you're looking for. I think the Philips SHE3580 would be a great start as entry, or if you feel that $10 is just to low of a price check out SoundMAGIC E10 for $35 my number one choice for budget buy with sound bigger then others twice thrice it's price tag.

Once you create a starting point you can make better compassion's.

 

[Yonghwa]

Quote:

Even if we gave you recommendations for earphones to check out, if you don't have understanding of earphone characteristics and sound signatures then there's no way you can choose from our recommendations without auditioning them in person for yourself.
 
I highly encourage you to take the time to learn -- being a teen and not having time or patience is not really a reason for not wanting to learn. The upside is if you have a grasp of understanding headphones then you can make more educated decisions for yourself later on instead of relying on the word of others (that you don't necessarily understand for yourself yet). To give you some perspective, I lurked in 2004 and joined in 2005 when I was 15, and I listen to kpop once in a while.
 
With that said, you haven't stated a budget, so let's start low -- I'd recommend the Philips SHE3580 which can be purchased for around $10. If you end up not liking them, that's only $10 down the drain, but at least you would have some point of reference to compare other headphones when choosing a different pair.

Yea, I can see what you're trying to say. What are some of the basics that I should know? I'll be sure to check that out. Thank you for taking the time to reply!

 
Quote:

How many are you ready to spend on cans?

I'm only 16, but saved some money, so I'm fine with spending a maximum of $300.

 
Quote:

Yeah nOOb ^ up there ^ is right . It's hard to grasp concepts in words unless you understand meanings. Otherwise you won't know what you're looking for. I think the Philips SHE3580 would be a great start as entry, or if you feel that $10 is just to low of a price check out SoundMAGIC E10 for $35 my number one choice for budget buy with sound bigger then others twice thrice it's price tag.

Once you create a starting point you can make better compassion's.

Thanks for the suggestions!
 
 
 
Even though you guys can't find me specific "cans" could you at least suggest a couple that would work with kpop? Thanks again for all the help.

 

[e19650826]

I don't listen to kpop, but I assume that it is very close to jpop... with that you might want some mid centric SQ.. but as said above.. if you don't have any experiences with earphones other than iPod earbuds.. it is hard to understand these concepts or to appreciate them... you might also want to try the Thermaltake Isurus which goes for $30 and said to resemble Audio Techinca's mid centric flavor... $300 is quite big budget... if you like the Isurus you might like to look into more of the AT's stuff like the CK10, CK100, or CKMs if you prefer more bassy and natural SQ..

 

[284033]

$300 is a good budget. Kpop tend to be quite heavy on the bass as kpop songs are mostly targetted at a younger crowd that appeal to a more fun sound signature. For example, Mr Simple by Super Junior is a fast electronic pop track with fast but hard hitting bass. But there also tracks that are more vocal centered like star star star by girl's generation or songs by IU and Purple Sweet.

I would recommend IEMs like Shure SE215, Vsonic GR-07, Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10.

The SE215 and TF10 have sound signature that brings out the general kpop sound signature; hard hitting bass with laidback mids and a slight sparkle in the highs.

The GR-07 still has punchy bass, but has more forward mids which will bring out tracks that are more vocal concentrated.

If you can afford it, you can consider the Aurisonics ASG-1 too.

What I listed are just examples. It would be best if you could go to a shop to try them out. Other IEMs you can consider:

Sony MDR-EX600
JVC HA-FXT90
Monster Turbine Pro
Monster Turbine Pro Gold
Future Sonics Atrio MG7 Pro

 

[e19650826]

Quote:

$300 is a good budget. Kpop tend to be quite heavy on the bass as kpop songs are mostly targetted at a younger crowd that appeal to a more fun sound signature. For example, Mr Simple by Super Junior is a fast electronic pop track with fast but hard hitting bass. But there also tracks that are more vocal centered like star star star by girl's generation or songs by IU and Purple Sweet.
I would recommend IEMs like Shure SE215, Vsonic GR-07, Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10.
The SE215 and TF10 have sound signature that brings out the general kpop sound signature; hard hitting bass with laidback mids and a slight sparkle in the highs.
The GR-07 still has punchy bass, but has more forward mids which will bring out tracks that are more vocal concentrated.
If you can afford it, you can consider the Aurisonics ASG-1 too.

just tried the links above... definately closer to modern American pop music than to jpop... not my stuff.. but I guess more bass and laidback mids are better... put Monster Turbine Pro Copper and IE8 on your list... SE215, GR-07, and TF10 are also good choices.. 
 
 

 

[Huxley]

I would suggest the yamaha eph-100 in that list, especially for the price they are.
 
Punchy bass, good mids and enough sparkle to give the music what it needs, and comfy enough to be worn for hours.

 

[iJimmy]

I have the Mr. Simple album and Miles Davis Tribute's since yesterday... Those are definitely not just for jazz. Suddenly deeper bass appeared and everyone's voices sounded fuller on Superman... On A-Cha, the electronic lines came out way better. On Mr. Simple, bass I never (clearly) heard appeared out of nowhere... I love these! Then again, I don't have much experience with other earphones.