Need some guidance

[dstro]

Hi

Im new here and dont know very much at all about this stuff so please excuse any misconceptions

Im looking to buy some quality headphones that will last me and i plan to primarily use with my iPod. I listen to everything (jazz, rock, alternative, techno, etc) I was set on the Bose Quiet Comfort 2's until i read some reviews. It now seems for hte price i can get much better headphones.

As far as sound quality, I've listened to the Bose and been quite impressed but from what ive heard I shouldnt have been too impressed. As far as I'm concerned sound quality is very important (its why I'm willing to pay so much) but i'm not sure if i will even be able to distinguish a difference in sound quality in my price range ($100-$300) in whatever I go with.

The bose are also appealing because theyre private (I dont want headphones that will disturb people around me), the noise cancelling seems to be a very nice feature, theyre not too big, the carrying case is perfect for carrying the headphones and my ipod, theyre light and comfortable for prolonged listening, and they look good

Ive also heard I might want to check out the Plane Quiet Solitudes. As far as non- noise cancelling phones, recently Ive been lookin at Sennheiser audiophiles (the HD580's speceifically) and am wondering what everyones opinions are. I'm not completely set on noise cancelling, i just want very quality sound in a comfortable over the ear style headphone that arent too much a of pain to carry.

Which will i be most satisfied with in the long haul?
Any other suggestions to check out?
Any comparisons of the Solitudes vs. Quiet Comfort 2?

 

[sionghchan]

Check out the Grado SR60. I find the quality to be unbeatable for the price (won lots of awards as well) and it is driven very well through iPods unampped.

If you want to move higher up in the line, check out Grado SR80 or Alessandro MS1.

[Edit: Forget about the Bose Cans... Grado will rip them apart...even the SR60.]

 

[catscratch]

First of all, if you want portables, we should talk about canalphones. Yes, I know, they probably don't look very comfortable upon first glance, but believe me, they can be very comfortable once you get used to them. You simply don't notice them when they're in your ears. Their isolation is supreme and their sound quality is fairly good. They cannot be beaten as far as practicality goes, period.

Since you were willing to spend on Quiet Comforts, I assume we can talk about some fairly high-level canalphones. So, the canalphones you can take a look at are:

Etymotic Research ER-4P
Shure e4c
Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro
Westone UM2
Shure e5c

Out of these, the ER-4P will give you a ton of clarity and detail, but they won't give you oodles of bass. They're the best suited to classical music. The e4c is also very clear and detailed, but they have more bass than the ER-4P. Both of these are single-driver balanced-armature drivered canalphones, and can be had for around $200. The e4c is brand new, so finding it might be a bit hard; the ER-4P has been around for a decade. The next 3 canalphones are dual-drivered balanced armatures, and have substantially more bass than the first 2. The UE Super.fi ($230-250) has, according to accounts, a strong bass and a forward midrange, with slightly recessed highs. The UM2 ($340) is a bass monster, with clear, detailed highs but a slightly recessed midrange. The e5c ($360) is also a bassy beast, but this time with a forward mirdange and recessed highs.

All of these headphones sound very, very good. All of them. The difference is in the sound signature, and your own personal preference. They are all very practical, can be used unamped straight out of your mp3 player, and will isolate quite well. None of them are perfect, but since this is your first high-end headphone, you'll be quite impressed.

The problem with using the Sennheiser HD580 out of an iPod is that it has 300 ohms impedance and a low sensitivity. That means that it needs a powerful signal in order to shine. The iPod will not be able to drive them without an amplifier. Now, you can get these refurbished for $130-ish and get an amp with the remaning money, and this will be a very good-sounding system; however, you will also have to carry the amp around, as well as the HD580's themselves, which are quite bulky. For home use, they would be ideal. I would have to say that for the money, they are among the best sounding headphones - but you have to factor in the cost of amplification.

You don't want active noise cancellation. This technology relies on using a mic to pick up external noise, then introducing the noise into the signal but 180 degrees out of phase with external noise, thus creating destructive interference and cancelling the external noise out. At least, that's how it works in theory. In practice, in order to have high-quality noise cancellation, you need a high-quality mic and high-quality playback to introduce the noise into the signal without damaging sound quality. That's not something that you can get for $300 - even if we're not talking about a company that doesn't drastically mark up it's prices. However, this is BOSE. I.e., Buy Other Sound Equipment. It's not even that they're so terrible, they just aren't worth the money, and are advertised as the best audio company out there - and that angers a lot of audiophiles, myself included. The Quiet Comforts are a pretty good set of headphones - if they retailed for under $100; they are unjustifiable at their current price.

Stick to canalphones if you want isolation, and full-size headphones for home use.

If you don't want canalphones, however, and still want a headphone that will isolate, try the Audio-Technica ATH-A900. It's a very versatile, well-rounded headphone that sounds very good and can be driven by your iPod without too many problems. A pair should set you back $200 from www.audiocubes.com .

[Edit: Almost forgot... Welcome to head-fi, sorry about your wallet

]

 

[psyco1]

The sr-60 is about as open as you're going to get. Sound leaks in and out, to disturb you and your neighbors.

If you're going to be using this as a portable, I'd shy away from the A900. It's huge and loose fitting, not a very good thing for a portable. If you want to listen at home, no problem it's a great can.

The Beyerdynamic dt250-80, Sennheiser HD-25-1, or even the $80 Senn hd-280 might be worth looking into if you want a full sized headphone.

 

[Jahn]

as much as i hate canalphones, it seems that what you are describing fits the natural isolation that IEMs can provide. so go with those who know them better and check out that IEM list! welcome to head-fi and sorry about your wallet! and don't buy BOSE!

 

[dstro]

thank you all for your responses

i forgot to mention i dont want any in-ear phones...i hate having something in my ear and TOO much sound isolation is a little unnerving to me

I know it is totally irrelevant to sound quality, but i kind of enjoy nice looking headphones. Are there any better looking alternatives?

Also, how drastic of a difference would it be if i used the HD580's without an amp? I know i would sacrafice audio quality but i dont want to have to carry around another thing. Would they sound bad, or just quiet? One last question about the HD580's if anyone has them or knows - do they produce a lot of sound that can be heard by people other than the listener?

Anybody know anything about the Plane Quiet Solitude?

Thanks so much for your feedback and quick responses

 

[gsferrari]

Good looking headphones with decent sound:

Senn PX100
Senn HD-25

But the best option is the grado SR-60 imo. It looks cooler in person than in pics

Easy to stow away in a backpack/laptop case etc.

 

[jumping jupiters]

It appears that most are missing the point for you...Yes, the Senn's will leak sound, but less than the Grado's. The Senn's shouldn't bother anyone next to you if you are in a congested area, however a plane or bus would be too close. In any event, my search for an airplane solution landed me at canal phones. Unfortunately, all the "sealed" cans (deamed for not letting noise out..."open" being the opposite) that are of decent to high quality were all bulky...geared more towards drummers and bass players. I had the Senn 250 Pro's for a while (sounded fantastic for being sealed), but hated their bulk. I looked like I should be landing the plane instead of listening to music. In my opinion there really isn't a good solve for what you want outside of canal phones. Check out www.headphone.com, they have a pretty comprehensive list of sealed phones and could steer you well. Hopefully others have had success they can share.