[1Time]

It's almost as if the OP did not state a $100 budget... oh, but he did, and so not done.

Quote:

Originally Posted by arteom /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sennheiser HD-25, done and done.

 

[1Time]

But the OP asked for full size headphones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galesden /img/forum/go_quote.gif X2. Definitely can't go wrong with those. Durable. Sound pretty good and they don't break the bank.

 

[arteom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Time /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's almost as if the OP did not state a $100 budget... oh, but he did, and so not done.

I think we both know people don't leave here spending just $100

. I'm just trying to save this guy some time and money. No amp/dac needed, get all he needs and then some for ~$170, or less if keeps eye open in FS forums.

 

[Peter Pinna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrandenJay /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am a bewildered seventeen-year-old who loves to listen to music. My parents are nice people and have bought my last several pair of headphones for birthday and christmas presents... and the last two were skullcandy.(I always suspected they were flashy garbage... but what could I do?) I got curious about my headphones a week or two ago and went searching for some perspective... eventually I ended up on this site and let me tell you, I am shocked at how much I did not know about headphones. I am completely ignorant, un-educated, knowledge-less... So please, help me. I looked through stickys and found the Equation Rp21, which is supposedly superb, but another sticky said source is important and if headphones are TOO good they show you how bad your music sounds... download quality... So the question: What should I buy? I have a Zune I need something durable that won't crack or break after weeks of heavy use (I wear them around my neck all day, until I get home.) I'm hoping to pay under $100 -addendum- I listen to things as they come to me, but I listen to a lot of classic rock, alternative rock, techno, and, oddly enough, some hits from the 30's and 40's.

Hi, BrandenJay!
I haven't read all of the responses to your post but my best guess is that my advice is different than the suggestions and advice of others on this thread.
I suggest you take off the headphones and leave them at home when you are going out. I suggest that you listen to and experience the harmonies and rhythms of real life, the laughing of friends, the crying of babies, the chirping of birds and the squealing of brakes. I suggest that you isolate yourself in the sound of headphones only when you are at home and there is no one else around with whom to interact.
The sounds of real life are very valuable, BrandenJay. If your ears are constantly isolated "behind" headphones, you will miss out on some wonderful hearing experiences, hearing experiences that you will wish you had heard when you are older.
If you only wear headphones at home, you will potentially be able to hear some excellent headphones that produce the best sounds. Here, I'm referring to headphones that are not the type you would wear around your neck as you roll down the street on your skateboard or bicycle. These headphones to which I'm referring would be much too valuable for this type of activity. This type of headphone would cause you to focus on the music. You would be able to hear certain aspects of the sound that you never realized before were present in the music.
Participate in life completely when you are with others and when you are out. Listen to the creations of your imagination as you bicycle through town. You may even hear your own creations of music.
When you are home and in the mood to hear the creations of others, this is the time to listen to headphones, not "cheap" headphones but rather headphones that will allow you to hear what the artist to whom you would listen intended you to hear.
In this post, I will not mention any brands or names of headphones. I will leave that for you to research and investigate. I suggest you find a store that sells excellent quality headphones in your area and audition some headphones. Yes, they will be more expensive than $100, in some cases a lot more expensive. These are not headphones that you will ever take for granted. These are headphones which you will treat with great care.

Good luck to you in your life and in your search.

 

[JJDyn0mite]

I have to say, I agree with a lot of what Peter said about not isolating yourself from the outside world, but if you don't choose to change your entire worldview on the matter there are a lot of good choices out there as many have suggested in this thread.

And to answer 1Time, I find the D1001 plenty comfortable around my neck when I'm not listening. My neck is pretty normal length and I wear a size 16 1/2 or 17 neck in dress shirts.

Good luck.

JJ

 

[Ruffle]

On Head-Fi and elsewhere, the studies of the Stanford Music Professor who has discovered that the majority of the incoming "MUSIC" students preferring 128 MP3 played from junk source over CD on a quality system has been discussed a lot. Even some humorous articles blaming Steve Jobbs for the current trends in the recording and mastering studios.

What hasn't been discussed lately is hearing loss among iPod users in public areas. Hearing loss is at an unprecedented level among young people. Even if you do listen to ear buds that isolate slightly better, all they do is slam harmful volumes of sound at your ears. Just ride any public transportation, the noise of people talking, the engine, the traffic, it's all VERY VERY LOUD. And then you can hear the horrificly loud bass from some kid's iPod and ear buds over all this noise. I see more young people, college age and younger who damage their ears in this fashion than the older folk. Maybe the older folk realize hearing is a treasure to be protected not destroyed.

So I agree with Peter, leave the headphones, ear buds at home. Not only are you isolating yourself from the world, you are also destroying your ears. Live your life, be involved and a part of it, don't shut it out. That's my opinion.

Enjoy your music in comfort, fidelity and safety at home.

I've tried listening to music with in ear monitors outside. Then left the volume I had it set, sat down at home and listened again. I was horrified at how high the volume was, and immediately stopped listening to music outside. It's not worth damaging your ears over it. Especially since you can't even truly enjoy the music, listen to it detail and the quiet of your room.

 

[Happy Camper]

Sell yourself and get some RS-1s. You can wear your woody in public and draw the women.

 

[mlau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Pinna /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi, BrandenJay! I haven't read all of the responses to your post but my best guess is that my advice is different than the suggestions and advice of others on this thread. I suggest you take off the headphones and leave them at home when you are going out. I suggest that you listen to and experience the harmonies and rhythms of real life, the laughing of friends, the crying of babies, the chirping of birds and the squealing of brakes. I suggest that you isolate yourself in the sound of headphones only when you are at home and there is no one else around with whom to interact. The sounds of real life are very valuable, BrandenJay. If your ears are constantly isolated "behind" headphones, you will miss out on some wonderful hearing experiences, hearing experiences that you will wish you had heard when you are older. If you only wear headphones at home, you will potentially be able to hear some excellent headphones that produce the best sounds. Here, I'm referring to headphones that are not the type you would wear around your neck as you roll down the street on your skateboard or bicycle. These headphones to which I'm referring would be much too valuable for this type of activity. This type of headphone would cause you to focus on the music. You would be able to hear certain aspects of the sound that you never realized before were present in the music. Participate in life completely when you are with others and when you are out. Listen to the creations of your imagination as you bicycle through town. You may even hear your own creations of music. When you are home and in the mood to hear the creations of others, this is the time to listen to headphones, not "cheap" headphones but rather headphones that will allow you to hear what the artist to whom you would listen intended you to hear. In this post, I will not mention any brands or names of headphones. I will leave that for you to research and investigate. I suggest you find a store that sells excellent quality headphones in your area and audition some headphones. Yes, they will be more expensive than $100, in some cases a lot more expensive. These are not headphones that you will ever take for granted. These are headphones which you will treat with great care. Good luck to you in your life and in your search.

I have to agree with Peter here.
On a side note, I had a flash zune, and I really liked the sound.
All these suggestions here are pretty good.

BTW, what type of music do you like?

 

[Peter Pinna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Camper /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sell yourself and get some RS-1s. You can wear your woody in public and draw the women.

Happy Camper:
"Sell yourself"? Exactly what are you suggesting here for this 17 year old young man?

 

[1Time]

He's suggesting the OP work as a prostitute to make enough money to buy more expensive headphones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Pinna /img/forum/go_quote.gif Happy Camper: "Sell yourself"? Exactly what are you suggesting here for this 17 year old young man?

 

[1Time]

Irrelevant. If the OP has $100 to spend, he can't spend more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by arteom /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think we both know people don't leave here spending just $100 . I'm just trying to save this guy some time and money. No amp/dac needed, get all he needs and then some for ~$170, or less if keeps eye open in FS forums.

 

[1Time]

You're right JJDyn0minte. I tried my Creative Aurvana Live! around my neck again, but this time I fully extended the headband, pointed the ear cups forward, and it does work. It's not exactly comfortable on me, and I wouldn't want to wear it like that for very long, but it can be done.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJDyn0mite /img/forum/go_quote.gif And to answer 1Time, I find the D1001 plenty comfortable around my neck when I'm not listening. My neck is pretty normal length and I wear a size 16 1/2 or 17 neck in dress shirts.

 

[Sarah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruffle /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've tried listening to music with in ear monitors outside. Then left the volume I had it set, sat down at home and listened again. I was horrified at how high the volume was, and immediately stopped listening to music outside. It's not worth damaging your ears over it. Especially since you can't even truly enjoy the music, listen to it detail and the quiet of your room.

Maybe you need better IEMs. I listen to mine on my bus and walking commute (busy city streets, rush hour traffic) and I keep the volume at 18 or 19 (out of 40) on my player. If I listen to them at work in my private office, I can still comfortably listen at the same volumes. Loud music and noise bothers me so there is no chance that I am listening too loud without realizing it. I might turn it up to 20 or 21 if I am on an airplane sitting close to the engine but that's hardly into hearing-damage territory.

As to "take off your headphones and enjoy the world around you," we don't all live in idyllic surroundings. Walking home along a busy street at rush hour is not pleasant to listen to and more harmful to one's hearing than IEMs at a normal volume. Cars, truck engines, bus engines, horns, sirens... give me some music, please! I can still hear the vehicles over the music to a point (so as not to get run over) but it is much less stressful than spending 40 minutes a day listening to straight-up traffic from 10 feet away. Most people spend zero time close to any kind of traffic when they are not shut in their noise-isolating cars so you may not realize how loud and abrasive those sounds can be if you are walking or bicycling nearby. It is not a healthy aural environment.

 

[ratz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah /img/forum/go_quote.gif Maybe you need better IEMs. I listen to mine on my bus and walking commute (busy city streets, rush hour traffic) and I keep the volume at 18 or 19 (out of 40) on my player. If I listen to them at work in my private office, I can still comfortably listen at the same volumes. Loud music and noise bothers me so there is no chance that I am listening too loud without realizing it. I might turn it up to 20 or 21 if I am on an airplane sitting close to the engine but that's hardly into hearing-damage territory. As to "take off your headphones and enjoy the world around you," we don't all live in idyllic surroundings. Walking home along a busy street at rush hour is not pleasant to listen to and more harmful to one's hearing than IEMs at a normal volume. Cars, truck engines, bus engines, horns, sirens... give me some music, please! I can still hear the vehicles over the music to a point (so as not to get run over) but it is much less stressful than spending 40 minutes a day listening to straight-up traffic from 10 feet away. Most people spend zero time close to any kind of traffic when they are not shut in their noise-isolating cars so you may not realize how loud and abrasive those sounds can be if you are walking or bicycling nearby. It is not a healthy aural environment.

I completely agree. I hate the noise of traffic that I have to put up with when I am walking to school. I also hate how loud I have to turn up the volume in order to drown that noise out, so I rarely listen to music while commuting. I use IEMs though, so I dont have to turn them up extremely loud, just to my comfortable limit for when I am listening at home.

 

[1Time]

This is a matter of preference and utility (see my sig). Some may prefer having headphones that block external noise well. Some may prefer being more audibly aware of their surrounding environment. Some may prefer not having the sound leak out and possibly disturbing others who are near by. And some could care less about bothering others or hearing external noise. And still others prefer... etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ratz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I completely agree. I hate the noise of traffic that I have to put up with when I am walking to school. I also hate how loud I have to turn up the volume in order to drown that noise out, so I rarely listen to music while commuting. I use IEMs though, so I dont have to turn them up extremely loud, just to my comfortable limit for when I am listening at home.