[Khanate]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum and as the title might suggest it I found this forum looking for headphone advices on the internet, so hopefully I found the right place.

I'm a student on a somewhat tight budget but I'm still looking for a decent pair of headphone since my current ones really don't deliver (in-ear not canal) so eating ramen and the lousiest beers available to me I can afford to spend 100 to 200$ on headphones. Although it's not that much I'm still looking forward to making a worthwhile purchase.

I use my headphones a lot, I take the bus and the metro with them and often in city noise. I use them inside also but I think I should consider the fact that I do use them amidst a lot of noise. I listen to metal, indie rock and techno mostly, but I'm looking for a pair of headphone to go with my metal tastes rather.

I like drone doom metal and funeral doom metal and my headphones have been a huge letdown for these music types and they're the reason I'm looking for a new headphone pair so I'm disregarding other genres a little in my search for the new pair. I hope you guys can help me out because I am sincerely lost between all the brands and qualities

Thanks in advance,

Hugo

 

[Khanate]

I want to add that canal in-ear or the closed case out of the ear ones doesn't really matter to me.

I know there are threads for hearphones in similar price range but I see that you guys usually give advice depending on the kind of music the person is aiming for and a search for drone didn't result in much

Hugo

 

[Agnostic]

What in ears were you using and what specifically did you not like about them?

 

[uraflit]

i dont know much about headphones for metal, but remember that you need good quality files to have good sound quality. also, most iPods run fine without any portable amps as long as the headphone isnt power hungry.

 

[Khanate]

A panasonic earbud that I bought off the shelf for 20$ or so a few years back. I guess its the older version of the following:

http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-e...00000000005702

They clicked a lot on drone doom songs which I guess must be that they can't reach the lower frequencies it should be playing and overall the sound wasn't very clear and I can hear a lot of outside noise while in the metro.

 

[rb67]

As a fellow student, I have to say IEMs (in ear monitors) are your best bet. They are portable, offer the best isolation, and don't really require an amp as much as full size ones do - although one will improve your experience. I personally use Etymotic ER-4Ps when I ride the noisy bus to school, on airplanes, etc., and they are great.

What kind of sonic signature are you looking for? Would you like big bass response at the cost of kinda of "muddy" "unclear" mids/highs or are you looking for slightly more balanced bass with crisp sounds? Personally I like guitars and string instruments and the Etymotic series of IEMs were perfect for me. I listen to acoustic guitar, classical (violin pieces), and (Isis, Red Sparowes, Explosions in the Sky, Tool, Esmerine, Architecture in Helsinki)

 

[OverlordXenu]

Well, for $300, you could get live wires. ($250 for LiveWires, $50 for impressions.)

They are custom In Ear Monitors.

 

[Khanate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb67 /img/forum/go_quote.gif What kind of sonic signature are you looking for? Would you like big bass response at the cost of kinda of "muddy" "unclear" mids/highs or are you looking for slightly more balanced bass with crisp sounds? Personally I like guitars and string instruments and the Etymotic series of IEMs were perfect for me. I listen to acoustic guitar, classical (violin pieces), and (Isis, Red Sparowes, Explosions in the Sky, Tool, Esmerine, Architecture in Helsinki)

I'm not looking for a big bass response, I want a well balanced sound that's very clear and can still go reach in the lower frequency spectrum as I want to be able to hear pitch high screaming vocals at the same time as a deep droning bass noise (a la Khanate) while commuting on the metro.

 

[Denver Max]

I'm a college student, take metro to and from school and work, and listen to a lot of metal myself.

I have the Etymotic Er-6i and am somewhat satisfied. The isolation is superb, I can't hear anything but my music when my music is on, and I do not turn my iPod's volume above 25/100 under any circumstances.

The only fault in them in my opinion is a subjective matter. They don't have the bass that my Beyerdynamic cans have that I use at home. The bass is definitely there, but during a pounding section of music the "pounding" of the drums and bass tones are not at the forefront like they are with the beyers, which can bother me. Other than that they are a great pair. I am upgrading to the Shure SE530 though in the meantime to see if I like them better, but they aren't in your pricerange.

 

[Khanate]

I'm looking at the etymotic's at the moment... Is there a big difference between ER-6, the ER-6i or the ER-4? Also how does the live wire compare to these?

It seems like the ER-6 and ER-6i are more within my price range but if (and only if) there is a large difference between those and the ER-4 or the live wire then I might consider dropping another 100$ to get at the 300$ I need for either of those.

Are there any other suggestions? I forgot to mention I use a 5th gen iPod (like anyone in college lol).

After I'm done with university I'll probably buy something in a higher price range but that's still a few years away and would prefer to get sound isolation in order to not have to turn up my volume so much and ruin my hearing.

Thanks for all the info so far though!

 

[Denver Max]

The Er-6i are a headphone built for use with iPods, with enhanced bass and a lower impedance to make them easier to drive by the iPod's onboard sound. The Er-6 are very similar if I remember correctly, except that you lose the iPod-specific design.

The Er-4p (remember that p, the s is not an ideal IEM for iPod usage) is a certainly more detailed IEM, you pay some money for it, but I would encourage you to take a look at a lot of pictures of them. The cord and design of the "bud" does not look nearly as portable as my Er-6i.

And also keep in mind that the Er-4 line was designed for audio reference. That means it's an IEM that is going to be as unbiased about the sound you're putting through it as possible, and it also probably means that when creating it they made the assumption that you're going to be using the reference monitors through a very nice soundboard to "monitor." This special sound signature is very detailed, very capable and powerful, but might not be as fun as the Er-6i for simply listening to music on the go.

 

[Khanate]

From your description it does seem like the Er-4 is not worth it for me compared to the Er-6i, but what do they actually mean by enhanced bass?

 

[kpeezy]

I've spent too much money recently

I have er6i's and I love them, but I'm thinking about selling my er6i's and MS-1's and getting livewires. I'll then have livewires and HD580's and I want to be DONE. We'll see

 

[Khanate]

How do the ER-6i's and the livewires compare for someone who needs a good sound but probably won't get much more in terms of audio equipment for a few years?

 

[Khanate]

Is a 5th gen iPod + Turbodock II + Livewires a good combo? Or is it going to require an amp to sound good?