[Magicthyse]

This is a post regarding the 'Street Style Revisited' thread. Thanks for a good review, Eagle_Driver - in absolute terms, your review is IMO accurate and reflects my views of the lower-end 'G' range.

In all seriousness though, I want to bring up this thing about 'intended application' I mentioned in the thread.

The reason that the 'street style' phones are closed back is for reasons of practicality (anti-splash, especially the S2 range) and sociability (less noise leak) as well as other considerations. These obviously degrade sound quality but the very lack of such considerations for 'better at home' phones may make them totally unsuitable for urban use.

The very biased performance of the G72 actually improves the chance of the (pop, rock) music being heard in urban environments.

It's all very well testing them at home and saying they are crap (and in absolute terms, yes they are pretty crap), but you really have to try them out in the environment the phones were built for. You also have to take into consideration, for consumer-level phones, the other facets of the equation - like looks, durability, convenience, etc. For example, the fact that the G72's fold into a ultra-compact package was never mentioned.

I do this - when I'm trying out new phones, I always take at least two others out into the field as it were to compare. From your views and many others here, I get the feeling you don't.

Doing so might make your reviews a bit more objective.

 

[Mystyler]

Nicely said.

 

[acs236]

One other thing to consider, though, is that there are better sounding compact headphones that have the advantages of the street styles -- e.g. Koss Portapros, 35s, etc. Good sounding, compact headphones are achievable.

Given this, I don't think I can fault anyone for failing to consider the portability factor of the streetstyles.

 

[Magicthyse]

See, acs236, this is exactly what I'm talking about.

I don't argue that the KSC35's etc have great sound. However they're totally open. The Street Styles are slightly more closed (strangely or not, the cheaper ones better than the G72 - which could also explain the slightly better sound of the G72's). These are the things you have to consider when reviewing phones.

I've got a pair of KSC-50's coming in to replace my broken G52's (the Plugs I got concern me a bit - could scratch inside my ears?) so more on that later!

 

[acs236]

I only have the G72s and Portapros to compare, and haven't really done an extensive comparison. I never reall considered that the Sonys were more closed then the Portapros, which themslves don't seem to leak too badly.

Quote:

Originally posted by Magicthyse See, acs236, this is exactly what I'm talking about. I don't argue that the KSC35's etc have great sound. However they're totally open. The Street Styles are slightly more closed (strangely or not, the cheaper ones better than the G72 - which could also explain the slightly better sound of the G72's). These are the things you have to consider when reviewing phones. !

 

[KR...]

well, if you just MUST have the streetstyle look, then just get this :

KSC55 Portable
SRP: $19.99

 

[delenda est Sony]

Magic---

the Plugs are safe enough (no ear scratching!) but they work pretty poorly. They don't fit snugly and the standard sound is weak and tinny. There's a mod where you punch holes in Flens ear plugs and replace the cushions on the Plug and this makes em sound a lot better and gives better isolation, but the sound is still pretty boomy and if you're concerned about fashion, wedging these medical looking Flens plugs into your ears is rather unstylish. The Plugs,sadly, are just money badly spent...Ety ER6 does it much better but also costs seven times as much.

If you want cheap privacy, try the Senn MX500s. Cheap ($18), very low leakage levels, and they sound much better than Sony street style phones.

 

[Snufkin]

But the KSC-55s are open as well, so someone sitting next to you on a bus might get a little unhappy having to listen to everything you're listening to

While I appreciate what Magicthyse is saying, I certainly wouldn't buy or recommend any of the streetstyles.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Eh, one of these days I will try to listen to absolutely NOTHING at all on the bus...

...but then I will have to deal with the increasingly LOUD and monotonous ambient engine noise inside the bus!! Aaaaaarrrrgh!!!!

Far too many people on the bus have been blasting their hearing away with those cheap pieces of $#!%. (That includes most "street style" 'phones, too.)

 

[a1leyez0nm3]

i was just on a trip that went 14 hours into canada on a bus and ferry. someone who was going asked to see my headphones, "hey let me see how loud those can go..." I could already hear his music... and see his streetstyles.. i dont need to say anything else...

Eagle_Driver

Far too many people on the bus have been blasting their hearing away with those cheap pieces of $#!%. (That includes most "street style" 'phones, too.)

 

[Joe Bloggs]

What phones were you using? a1ley... whatever

 

[Toe]

Well, even though deS pretty much said it already, I'm just going to mention that if you need cheap, portable, and private, you should probably be looking at the Sennheiser MX-500s, not some Sony Street****s.

 

[a1leyez0nm3]

Quote:

Originally posted by Joe Bloggs What phones were you using? a1ley... whatever

all eyes on me...

well, I was using my HD280s. on the bus trip up, I left at about 330AM, so I put on some ear plugs and my cans overtop with some quiet music and tried to sleep most of the way up. ear plugs under the 280s works really well, if you use a decent type. I see loads of people using horrible sounding junk for headphones everywhere, but at school, one time I saw someone using sportapros... oh and on that same trip I saw someone with the V700dj cans on a ferry... I couldnt help but look in utter disgust...

 

[a1leyez0nm3]

Quote:

Originally posted by Magicthyse In all seriousness though, I want to bring up this thing about 'intended application' I mentioned in the thread. The very biased performance of the G72 actually improves the chance of the (pop, rock) music being heard in urban environments. the fact that the G72's fold into a ultra-compact package was never mentioned.

the fact that the koss ksc-35s are small by themselves wasnt mentioned either.... just face it, you can get way better headphones for the money.

 

[Magicthyse]

Quote:

Originally posted by a1leyez0nm3 the fact that the koss ksc-35s are small by themselves wasnt mentioned either.... just face it, you can get way better headphones for the money.

The fact that the KSC-35's are difficult - or should I say slow - to put on was also not mentioned

See what I mean about taking these things into account?

Quote:

oh and on that same trip I saw someone with the V700dj cans on a ferry... I couldnt help but look in utter disgust...

And had I seen you with your HD280, I would have fallen off my chair laughing.