a_recording
Member of the Trade: Lachlanlikesathing
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2009
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Hi! I'm a new member, and I've really been interested in getting a new pair of headphones ever since one of my uncles let me try listening to his pair of very high end Shure canalphones (they may have been SE530's but I'm not too sure.)
After reading reviews and doing some research, I'm thinking of getting the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5's or the Head Direct Re0's. Here in Australia they are essentially the same price. I've also been really interested in the Etymotic HF5's or HF2's (I'm using an iPhone) but the price for those in Australia seems a little excessive.
The thing is, I'm not absolutely sure as I don't have any real reference points for headphones of this quality - so I figured if I told you guys what I liked about my current headphones, you could give me a little help that would be really appreciated!
Right now the headphones I have are:
Koss PortaPro
I got these PortaPros in Hong Kong after first buying the KSC55's and KSC75's. I've always been a big fan of their quality/price ratio, and I like the warm and open sound they have, as well as their tremendous comfort. I love their wide soundstage, though I find them pretty weak in terms of treble and detail though, meaning I have to set the EQ on my iPhone to treble booster (which can get a bit sibilant at times). Also (and the main reason why I want to upgrade) is I'm tired of only really getting the benefit of these headphones in a quiet place. On a train I'm always worried they'll leak so much they'll annoy the passenger next to me, and half the time I can't hear the details in the music I really want to hear. They aren't terribly convenient to bring around either.
Sony MDR Ex-85
These came with an MP3 player I was given as a gift, and for pack-ins I'm always surprised at how good they are. Compared to the PortaPro's the sound is not nearly as full, with quite weak bass and a somewhat clinical/flat sound. They seem to have more detail in the treble though, but a few tweaks on the EQ and the PortaPros win out. The isolation isn't terrific either, but at least they are comfortable. The one thing I like about these over the PortaPro's is that they can sound more intimate, especially with vocals - as if I can hear the breath a little better.
Now I at least want the headphones I buy to be a really significant improvement on the ones I already have. I listen to a wide variety of music, from classical to rock, but not much hip hop. My favourite artists are David Byrne and The Dresden Dolls. All my music is high bitrate (256kbps AAC, though I would use lossless if there was a perceivable improvement with new headphones). I love hearing new detail in sounds, but the reviews about the Etymotic's lack of bass worry me.
It's really important to me that the headphones are very durable as well, as with the Sony's I've gone through a fair number of extension cables after they got caught on something and snapped.
I've read a lot of the reviews of the RE0's, which seem to suggest they punch way above their price range compared with the SF5's, but I'm also concerned that because I'm using a portable device to drive them, they won't reach their full potential compared to the SF5's.
If anyone can read this rather long winded post and give me some recommendations, I would really appreciate it! Thanks in advance!
After reading reviews and doing some research, I'm thinking of getting the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5's or the Head Direct Re0's. Here in Australia they are essentially the same price. I've also been really interested in the Etymotic HF5's or HF2's (I'm using an iPhone) but the price for those in Australia seems a little excessive.
The thing is, I'm not absolutely sure as I don't have any real reference points for headphones of this quality - so I figured if I told you guys what I liked about my current headphones, you could give me a little help that would be really appreciated!
Right now the headphones I have are:
Koss PortaPro
I got these PortaPros in Hong Kong after first buying the KSC55's and KSC75's. I've always been a big fan of their quality/price ratio, and I like the warm and open sound they have, as well as their tremendous comfort. I love their wide soundstage, though I find them pretty weak in terms of treble and detail though, meaning I have to set the EQ on my iPhone to treble booster (which can get a bit sibilant at times). Also (and the main reason why I want to upgrade) is I'm tired of only really getting the benefit of these headphones in a quiet place. On a train I'm always worried they'll leak so much they'll annoy the passenger next to me, and half the time I can't hear the details in the music I really want to hear. They aren't terribly convenient to bring around either.
Sony MDR Ex-85
These came with an MP3 player I was given as a gift, and for pack-ins I'm always surprised at how good they are. Compared to the PortaPro's the sound is not nearly as full, with quite weak bass and a somewhat clinical/flat sound. They seem to have more detail in the treble though, but a few tweaks on the EQ and the PortaPros win out. The isolation isn't terrific either, but at least they are comfortable. The one thing I like about these over the PortaPro's is that they can sound more intimate, especially with vocals - as if I can hear the breath a little better.
Now I at least want the headphones I buy to be a really significant improvement on the ones I already have. I listen to a wide variety of music, from classical to rock, but not much hip hop. My favourite artists are David Byrne and The Dresden Dolls. All my music is high bitrate (256kbps AAC, though I would use lossless if there was a perceivable improvement with new headphones). I love hearing new detail in sounds, but the reviews about the Etymotic's lack of bass worry me.
It's really important to me that the headphones are very durable as well, as with the Sony's I've gone through a fair number of extension cables after they got caught on something and snapped.
I've read a lot of the reviews of the RE0's, which seem to suggest they punch way above their price range compared with the SF5's, but I'm also concerned that because I'm using a portable device to drive them, they won't reach their full potential compared to the SF5's.
If anyone can read this rather long winded post and give me some recommendations, I would really appreciate it! Thanks in advance!
