[MagicBoy14]

I recently bought an MP3 player and I've been searching hard for good earbuds to go with it. Could anyone reccomend some good earbuds? Preferably non-etymotic earbuds, they go too deep into the ears for my tastes.

 

[jlo mein]

i think the standard stuff will be recommended here....

cheap go sen mx500.....cheap isolation go sony ex70...sony 888 if the fit is good and have the $....LTUCCI1924 will probably chime in recommending those rat shack buds he recently found for $20....MacDEF will probably say ditch earbuds and go for the koss 35...

everyone agree?

 

[Gluegun]

Ditch earbuds and go Koss 35!

Whoever's with me, say YEAAAA!!!!!

 

[MagicBoy14]

Hm, yeah, I noticed both the Sony 888s and the Sennheiser MX500s. Do the Sony 888s have much better sound and are they much more comfortable?

In response to the KSC-35...I was heavily considering them, but then fashion came into play so I had to rule them out. :/

 

[Nezer]

YEAAAA!!!!!

(or Etys)

 

[FrostyMMB]

Quote:

In response to the KSC-35...I was heavily considering them, but then fashion came into play so I had to rule them out. :/

I can't imagine why you would think any of the other earbuds would look more fasionable. If that's your concern, I'm sure you can find some pretty horrid sounded Aiwa earbuds that will fit your style. I would understand if you ruled them out because you found clip-ons to be uncomfortable, but consider the sound before anything else. Do you really want to join the ranks of V700 DJ lovers?

 

[radrd]

K_S_C_35

YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

Originally posted by MagicBoy14 Hm, yeah, I noticed both the Sony 888s and the Sennheiser MX500s. Do the Sony 888s have much better sound and are they much more comfortable?

Having both, I can say that, to my ears, the MX-500s have a more controlled bass and a more extended top end. Where the 888s shine is in the midrange........ they are a warmer sounding 'phone.
In terms of comfort, I find them about equal. But in terms of durability, which I deem important for truly portable use, the MX-500s construction makes them more rugged. The E888s have to be babied, whereas the MX-500s seem to be able to take a fairly large amount of abuse.
My advice? Get the MX-500s and buy some CDs.

 

[blr]

Quote:

Originally posted by FrostyMMB I can't imagine why you would think any of the other earbuds would look more fasionable. If that's your concern, I'm sure you can find some pretty horrid sounded Aiwa earbuds that will fit your style. I would understand if you ruled them out because you found clip-ons to be uncomfortable, but consider the sound before anything else. Do you really want to join the ranks of V700 DJ lovers?

Actually Aiwa makes some very good earbuds and an alternative to the MX 500. I got ED 400 some time ago and am still very happy with them, especially after moding them to remove the silicon cushions. To me they're the flattest sounding earbuds I've ever heard- not bad for about 17 USD.
Sorry if your experience differs, or you just picked Aiwa as a brand name without having heard them?.

On the 888 vs.MX 500 joelongwood, pretty much said everything.

 

[mulciber]

I've been using 888's forever and I'm incredibly fond of them. I've auditioned Etymotic ER-4S's extensively, and I've always thought of the MDR-e888 sound as the "poor man's Etymotics", although that's not extremely accurate. As Joelongwood said, however, the midranges - which I think are just as hard to get right in a bud as any other single component of the sound, are remarkably good. Once the 888's are properly burned in, the bass is terrific as well. Highs roll off a bit at the top and can often sound shrill, but still quite a bit better than other buds I've had.

Joelongwood also suggested that they have to be babied. I have never babied mine, but recently I found that the rubber casing that holds one of the ear units together has loosened to the point where I'll probably have to replace them in time. I also cover them in DOUBLE foam covers to get a tighter fit, and therefore better bass. This is recommended.

Also recommended is an amp. They are easily driven (at, I think, 16 ohms) by a portable, but you wouldn't believe how much more they're capable of when amplified. That's when they really shine (all hail JMT).

Had I the cash, I'd upgrade to Etymotics in a second, nonetheless. As loyal as I am to my 888's, Etymotics are the clear next step in that direction. Unfortunately, I just had to replace my television. I can see my Etymotics waving goodbye from the deck of the ship, which is rapidly shrinking on the horizon.

That said, I can still enjoy truly ecstatic musical experiences with the 888's and recommend them as a moderate investment.

DGI

 

[Gluegun]

I talked to this guy.

He has a very sad story.

You see, he HAD the ER6's....

He HAS the MX500's.....

he recently started buying cd's, and has about 30 of them.

He bought a 20 gig Rio Riot mp3 jukebox player.

He uses MusicMatch to make his CD's into mp3's...

He returned the ER6's after they didn't blow him away.

See a few problems here?

1. He doesnt have a good portable cd player
2. He spent $400 on a MP3 Jukebox that he DID NOT NEED, ESPECIALLY with so few CD's, and for school use... and refuses to sell this monstrous POS that is horrendous for his needs.
3. He rips and encodes mp3's with a very low sound quality program
4. He judged --and returned-- the ER6's because they didn't sound good, when they were showing how much his source sucks. Doesn't EVERYONE know the saying, "Garbage in, Garbage out", how even the highest fidelity headphone will sound mediocre at best with a source like his??
5. He sent the Ety's back after ten days. I don't even know if he tried them with a different source. He says he put them in real deep, and assumed he was getting a good seal..
5. Even after knowing all of this, he refuses to cut his losses, sell the Rio, go to CD, buy the Ety's, and have a good sounding systemm...

This is very, very sad...

Now, my nitpicks here are not "oohhh, he didn't go and buy a CD-based system!" I wouldn't mind if he didn't go and buy CD. It would SUIT HIS NEEDS, as he only has 30 CD's, but he, for some reason, got enamored with the '20 gigs! WOAH!' of the Riot... Even though I doubt he will ever use that much. Now, what he COULD have done, if he wanted to spend that much $$, is gotten an iPod or a PJB100, both of which would have provided better music quality. Also, he isn't *creating quality mp3's!* There is no Exact Audio Copy ripping them, and there is no LAME encoder encoding them! How can you judge the quality of headphones through garbage musicmatch mp3's? If he wants to make mp3's, he should check out the guides at www.r3mix.net.

If there is anything that is a pet peeve with me, it's seeing someone waste money.... and getting wooed by useless features...

 

[MacDEF]

Gluegun, hows about not being so harsh on people when you "report" on your conversations?

 

[MagicBoy14]

Well, yeah, I did try the ER-6's, but they really weren't breath-taking and for $130, I expected something that was. Also, they go really deep into your ears, and that wasn't too comfortable (or fashionable). And yeah, I do own the MX500's, but they seem to put a lot of pressure on my ears and are really uncomfortable which is why I wanted to see if I could get an earbud reccomendation for something that was more comfortable...

 

[blueocp]

Gluegun, I think you are a bit too narrow-minded and a little obsessive about your beliefs. Just because someone does not believe what you believe, or are ignorant does not give you the right to talk smack. So what if he doesnt like the ER-6s, so what if he wants to keep his jukebox? Not everyone in the world wants sound quality above all. I don't like the etys at all, I find that the characteristics of the etys very impractical. It is my opinion, and if I were him I sure as hell would not want the isolation the 6s give at school. Yelling does not persuade, empathy and reasoning is what can influence.

 

[Duncan]

My story is much the same... out of all the headphones I have, the V6 is what does it for me... this might well be 'entry level' in audiophile terms, but I think they rock, big time... especially in my home setup (must change my signature at the bottom when I remember) Personally I think that they are better than any other 'phone that I have, even my HD580... even out of my X-Cans... they're great!!

Now, because I don't conform to popular belief, does that make me wrong? - I'm the one listening to the headphones aren't I?