Help please - what to buy?

[schizm42]

I am in the market for a new pair of headphones.

I have narrowed my choices down to:

HD 555 + bitrate amp selling for 259 at headphone.com

etymotic er-4P selling for 219 also at headroom.

these will be plugged into 1) a computer (probaly one w/ a crappy soundcard) and 2) my ipod. 3) on VERY rare occasions, I will listen to television / a DVD with these thrgouh a stereo receiver.

My requirements:

1) My work consists of me sitting at a computer all day and I'd like to keep my tunes handy. The following features are important to me in this setting: comfortability - i can wear it all day long and not feel it. very good quality of sound. ability to hear outside noises / carry on a conversation with others while I listen to music (i listen at low volumes).

2)I travel internationally a lot on business. The following features are important to me in this setting: noise reduction/isolation, good sound quality, extreme portability (i don't even have room for an amp). Durability - the current set of headphones I have got detroyed because they were constantly abused in travel. They're stuffed into backpacks, smashed into storage compartments, thrown quickly in while running to the next gate. I assume most of these problems will be solved my having smaller and easier to manage phones.

for scenario 1, the optimal would be the HD555+bitrate.

for scenario 2, the optimal would be the etys.

the best thing would be for me to buy both, however, i cannot afford to spend more than $300 total on the headphones.

since I have not had either of those headphones, I don't know how much they are characterized by the weaknesses i presume they have. For example, if the hd555s are built like tanks and there is some way i can seal off sound with them (are there external active noise reducers?) then they would be perfect.

If the etys had some ways to remove the sound isolation but still have good sound or if they are actually comfortable enough to wear all day, then it would push me in favor of the etys.

I understand that they both have very different sound properties, and I'd appreciate it if you could describe them to me - however, Im not sure if that alone would make my decision. since I listen to many genres of music, and I probably would have a different headphone preference for each one...

finally, do any of you have any other reccomendations I may have left out? Is there a headphonephone out there that is perfect of my needs but I just dont know about? would there be some way for me to buy two headphones that satisfy my desires? this may be difficult given the quality of sound i desire, but that's why i'm putting it up to the panel of experts residing at this messageboard.

thank you very much,

Shyam

 

[Davnport]

what kind of card does your computer have?

I think the ety would be the better solution for both home and portable. The hd555's would probably not be the best solution for a portable rig. They are a little big. With the ety, I would still look into getting an amp. You could watch the for sale forum: amps like the xin supermini or even a cmoy can be found for sub $100.

I will say that I think that hd555combo is a pretty good deal.

as far as giving an in depth evaluation, I don't want to overstep here. Hopefully one these awesome head-fiers will step in and give you what you need. I will say that I think the sound between the 2 cans you mentioned is going to be very different. Do a search for an in depth of the er-4, I am sure you will find an adequate description of it.

Good luck

 

[Kirosia]

With etys on and the music playing, you will NOT hear outside noises and people (for the most part)

The HD555 sounds like they fit your bill, but since they're an open phone, they might leak, and the sound isolation may be non-existant (don't really know)

 

[VanTheMan]

If i were you ( im not ) I will get :

Sennheiser HD555 - around 130$ i suppose
Shure e2C /Etys 6i (ihavent heard this) - around 90 $ i suppose
Headsave Classic ( or Go-Vibe ) - 100$

 

[Davnport]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VanTheMan If i were you ( im not ) I will get : Sennheiser HD555 - around 130$ i suppose Shure e2C /Etys 6i (ihavent heard this) - around 90 $ i suppose Headsave Classic ( or Go-Vibe ) - 100$

This is actually a pretty good idea. That senn hd555/amp deal looks like a pretty good deal, then you can get a lesser set of canalphones (although still pretty decent). I didn't see you mention what type of music you like. If your screen name is referencing tool, then you might like the more lively sound of the E2. If you want more analytical, then the er6 might be your bag.

Here is a great review of the E2 vs ER6. Look into it.

Good luck!

 

[drunknmunky]

If you have a bad sound card, u may want to invest in a 24.99-30 dollar sound card called, Chaintech AV-710....apparently its a good bang for your buck.

 

[nichifanlema]

hey, didn't the Sennheiser factory burned down or something? or was that just for the 595 line??

 

[ampgalore]

The whole factory burned down.

I forsee selling my HD600 for $600 real soon.

 

[schizm42]

few more questions and responses:

thanks for the shure vs. ety6 comparison.I found it very informative. This websitre is very large and it's a bit tiring to navigate and find stuff that can be useful *newbie alert*

someone said 6i - i looked on ety website and it said that they're making new er-6 w/ more bass...and it would match my ipod. is this what you are reccomending? do you think this would be better for me?

as far as music taste, I listen to everything. jazz, prog rock/metal, classic rock, classical, hip hop, rap, metal, folk, techno, international stuff, spoken word, you name it.
I do like more bass, but i prefer 'clear' sound over boom. I'll put it this way: I'd rather get nice speakers, then spend on a nice subwoofer later. I wouldn't want to get cheap speakers and get a subwoofer just for the bass but w/out the clarity.

I do like tool, but my screenname came first (no, i'm not bitter)

also, I plan to keep these headphones for, well, ever. I don't have the money for anything like the HD600s yet, but I'd like something pretty good. that's why i was talking about the er-4 instead of the er-6. Also, ive read reviews that said the er-4 is a lot more comfortable than the er-6, and that's a big issue for me. Also, I've read that the er-4 has greater noise isolation.


Unfortuantely the soundcard is such that I will not be able to upgrade it.

thanks so much for all the help everyone, please keep the advice coming. I have much to learn from you masters of all that is headphone.

 

[Kirosia]

Um . . . I think the er-6 is much more comfortable than the er-4s. I've used both extensively. But you get use to the feeling of the er-4s silicon and foam tips. Silicon tips hurt a bit at first cause they start out real stiff. But in terms of SQ, er-4 wins head over heels.

Also you can get a used/new HD600 for around $200 or less nowadays. But the cost of a killer source/amp is what gets ya.

 

[Davnport]

Quote:

Originally Posted by schizm42 few more questions and responses: thanks for the shure vs. ety6 comparison.I found it very informative. This websitre is very large and it's a bit tiring to navigate and find stuff that can be useful *newbie alert* someone said 6i - i looked on ety website and it said that they're making new er-6 w/ more bass...and it would match my ipod. is this what you are reccomending? do you think this would be better for me? as far as music taste, I listen to everything. jazz, prog rock/metal, classic rock, classical, hip hop, rap, metal, folk, techno, international stuff, spoken word, you name it. I do like more bass, but i prefer 'clear' sound over boom. I'll put it this way: I'd rather get nice speakers, then spend on a nice subwoofer later. I wouldn't want to get cheap speakers and get a subwoofer just for the bass but w/out the clarity. I do like tool, but my screenname came first (no, i'm not bitter) also, I plan to keep these headphones for, well, ever. I don't have the money for anything like the HD600s yet, but I'd like something pretty good. that's why i was talking about the er-4 instead of the er-6. Also, ive read reviews that said the er-4 is a lot more comfortable than the er-6, and that's a big issue for me. Also, I've read that the er-4 has greater noise isolation. Unfortuantely the soundcard is such that I will not be able to upgrade it. thanks so much for all the help everyone, please keep the advice coming. I have much to learn from you masters of all that is headphone.

I might get heckled for this suggestion, but for your needs it might pull off a lot for your scenarios/budget.

First, I tend to travel a lot, but even still I find that I listen to music the most when I am sitting in front of my computer. Hence, I would suggest that the bulk of your attention and budget should go towards getting a nice pair of very good sounding, and very comfy full sized cans for home use. No need to get hd600s over the 580s (especially if you don't have that great of a soundcard and can't upgrade it!.. which I assume is the case because you are referencing your office owned computer, right?) The 580s can be had for ~130-160 depending on whether or not they are new or used. Very comfy cans and pretty solidly made. The AKG 501s are supposed to be a little more analytical (but I have not personally used them... however there is a fantastic write up HERE)
So for home setup I suggest senn 580s or AKG501s. Then look into a decent ~$100 amp. You might be able to find a pimeta around that area (a little more though... go check out suggestions in the amp forum). That solves home/work non-portable use.

Then, for the time being... (and this is were I might catch a little flack

) get a pair of sony mdr-ex71s. If you don't like the short cord with an extension, get the ex-51s which are the same, just one average length cord. These aren't hi-fi canalphones, but they will tide you over until you are ready to bump up. And who knows, you might like those enough, that you can use the saved money for better sources! If you want to stick to this "get less expensive portable phones temporarily" plan, but want more isolation for flights... the E2s are the way to go. They can be had for $70-$80 brand new and with shures warranty policy, you'll have a decent pair of hps for the next 2 years. Just a thought.

 

[schizm42]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davnport First, I tend to travel a lot, but even still I find that I listen to music the most when I am sitting in front of my computer. Hence, I would suggest that the bulk of your attention and budget should go towards getting a nice pair of very good sounding, and very comfy full sized cans for home use.

very good point. Although those headphopnes (the higer end ones you mentioned) are out of my price range, I will go for the 555+bitrate probably. the thing i like about the bitrate is that it works as an external soundcard plug and play to XP or OSX on any computer. which is great because I often use more than 3 at work settings in office and a few in other locations.

I would use the canalphones a lot, especially since I travel for long periods of time (in addition to quantity of flights) but I don't travel for a while, and I may be able to budget myself into getting a pair of either the shure 2/3 or ety 6/6i in a few months. i don't think it's worth paying $50 for the sonys (my cousin actually has them and I didn't like their sound) if I'm thinking of buying actual canaphones in the future. saving $50 now can possibly help push me into a higher headphone bracket for the future

- plus, I can just keep using my current broken ones until they completely die from the traveling lifestyle thereby saving me time for buying a pair of canalphones.

I'm now leaning toward the future purchase of the ety6 since a few of you seemed to say that they are more comfortable and easier to use than the er4? Also, some people on other pages have indicated that the ety6 seems a little more meant for portable use than the er-4. I do like the greater isolation on the ety4, but it seems the new 6i will have the same isolation. I have read about the shures, but they seem to be getting very mixed reviews while the etys only complaint is that they can be too detailed and therefore expose the poor quality of a recording - or maybe i'm not reading it right...anyway, i think i'd prefer the detail.

I greatly appreciate the help and I'll hopefully be ordering the hd555 + amp late next week once I get back from a trip

thanks again