windyapple
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2010
- Posts
- 4
- Likes
- 0
I'm not a true audiophile (obviously). However, I have a really deep appreciation for music and beautiful, quality sound in general. It excites me to hear even the little nuances that make a piece of music what it is. I know I'm not alone in this.
The only listening devices I've ever used are earbuds that come with mp3 players, and one of the jelly kind from Walmart. I evaluate the sound as being "okay", "mediocre", nothing special or particularly amazing. The actual pieces of music are lovely, yes. The earbuds don't lend much at all to my listening experience, though.
Currently I'm using a pair of earbuds that came with a zune. To date, they are the best I've heard. Since I carry them around with me in a pocket in my purse, it's incredibly hard to try to prevent them from becoming tangled, wrapping around things...becoming damaged. They stay in my ears well enough, as long as I'm not moving about. I'd like to be able to move reasonably (dance?) without having to hold them in my ears.
I want circumaural headphones, though I'm not completely sure whether I want open-air or closed. As I understand it, closed headphones block outsides noises so that the music volume can be lower, but the closed design affects the sound in a slightly negative way. Open-air headphones produce an undistorted sound, but they offer no outside sound protection, and the sound travels to those around you, as well. Am I understanding the pros and cons? Correct me if I'm in error.
My musical tastes include classical/choral, instrumentals, jazzy ballads, soft rock, a bit of pop, techno, electronica, house, and a few songs with amazing guitar solos that I'd love to hear at their best. I'd like a set of headphones that has the ability to sound both smooth/delicate/detailed and full. I need adequate, noticeable bass. Not boomy, excessive bass, though. I think the best way I can say this is that I like tonal balance.
And I want all of this for $50, more or less. Is it possible? I'm not sure. At this point in time however, I'm not sure I can justify a much higher price. I just want the best I can get for around that price. And though $50 is low in the audiophile quality/price range, remember that the best I've heard is zune earbuds, and the most I've ever spent on earbuds is $10. So what's "alright" or "acceptable" for trained ears such as yours is likely mind-blowing for me.
Now that I've given my life story (ha), I hope that someone can provide product suggestions!
I've been looking at the Sennheiser HD428 and HD515. It would be great if someone could provide a small review or feedback on those two.
The only listening devices I've ever used are earbuds that come with mp3 players, and one of the jelly kind from Walmart. I evaluate the sound as being "okay", "mediocre", nothing special or particularly amazing. The actual pieces of music are lovely, yes. The earbuds don't lend much at all to my listening experience, though.
Currently I'm using a pair of earbuds that came with a zune. To date, they are the best I've heard. Since I carry them around with me in a pocket in my purse, it's incredibly hard to try to prevent them from becoming tangled, wrapping around things...becoming damaged. They stay in my ears well enough, as long as I'm not moving about. I'd like to be able to move reasonably (dance?) without having to hold them in my ears.
I want circumaural headphones, though I'm not completely sure whether I want open-air or closed. As I understand it, closed headphones block outsides noises so that the music volume can be lower, but the closed design affects the sound in a slightly negative way. Open-air headphones produce an undistorted sound, but they offer no outside sound protection, and the sound travels to those around you, as well. Am I understanding the pros and cons? Correct me if I'm in error.
My musical tastes include classical/choral, instrumentals, jazzy ballads, soft rock, a bit of pop, techno, electronica, house, and a few songs with amazing guitar solos that I'd love to hear at their best. I'd like a set of headphones that has the ability to sound both smooth/delicate/detailed and full. I need adequate, noticeable bass. Not boomy, excessive bass, though. I think the best way I can say this is that I like tonal balance.
And I want all of this for $50, more or less. Is it possible? I'm not sure. At this point in time however, I'm not sure I can justify a much higher price. I just want the best I can get for around that price. And though $50 is low in the audiophile quality/price range, remember that the best I've heard is zune earbuds, and the most I've ever spent on earbuds is $10. So what's "alright" or "acceptable" for trained ears such as yours is likely mind-blowing for me.
Now that I've given my life story (ha), I hope that someone can provide product suggestions!
I've been looking at the Sennheiser HD428 and HD515. It would be great if someone could provide a small review or feedback on those two.