[Strings]

I am very very new to all of this. In fact Im still fascinated by how much complexity there is to all this.

But aye, I only tend to listen to music on my Iriver MP3 player... which means Im used to using portable things.

I was using Shure E3c earphones, but I hated them. Just werent comfortable or easy enough to use for my own needs.

So Im looking for some good portable headphones. i.e

Good build quality
Great Sound Quality
Portable for every day wear outside etc
Good sound isolation
Dont look hideously oversized

Ive gone through quite a few pages to try and decide... and I dont even know where to begin.

Help would be appreciated

Strings.

Edit: Budget is £100

 

[sgrossklass]

Have you looked at Headroom's selection guide already? I would suggest to take a look at a HD25 or HD25-SP. If you still consider these too large, maybe a K26P... though that doesn't have the most rugged construction.

 

[Lisa]

Do you want ear canal phones or over the head headphones?
For over the head but not too big I recommend the sennheiser HD25-1.

-edit-
Too expensive, maybe you can buy used...

 

[Chri5peed]

Another vote for the HD25s, the dearer PROs though, twin headband. Also not the 600Ω, they're for in the studio.

edit - They're a bit over £100 new, you could probably find them cheap and of course 2nd-hand.

 

[Strings]

The HD25s sound pretty good.

Good sound quality though? I mean I listen to everything from Classical music to Finnish Polka Metal.

 

[Chri5peed]

The HD25s are over £100 so yes they do indeed have audiophile sound.

 

[Strings]

Looks like I shall be getting a pair of these.

I dont need anything else for these to be superb do I?

I just have to plug em straight into my H140 aye?

 

[Lisa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strings The HD25s sound pretty good. Good sound quality though? I mean I listen to everything from Classical music to Finnish Polka Metal.

Yes I think so. But they are closed and have a rather small soundstage so that can be not so good for classical.
They also have a cable made out of steel instead of copper. This is done for durability but it does limit the sound quite a lot IMO. When the plug on my cable started to get a bit scratchy I've changed the cable to the cable of their sibling the HD25-13 that is made of copper and I was very pleasantly surprised by how much it improved the sound. So if you go for the HD25s than you might wanna consider the extra costs of the cable there too. (£10 - £20 for a better cable would be my guess.)

 

[Chri5peed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strings Looks like I shall be getting a pair of these. I dont need anything else for these to be superb do I? I just have to plug em straight into my H140 aye?

The HD25s are made for using portably, so they're really easy to drive. Lol, upgradable too, which is perfect for head-fi cans!

I would consider improving your audio files on the 140 if need be.

 

[Strings]

Mostly lossless and high encoded .oggs. Plus .wavs for most live classical recordings.

So the copper cable is likely to have better sound... is changing cables easy?

 

[BushGuy]

Strings..........Finnish Polka Metal ? Soounds involving. What are some examples. I might look for them to d/l

 

[Chri5peed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushGuy Strings..........Finnish Polka Metal ? Soounds involving. What are some examples. I might look for them to d/l

Lol, I didn't see the metal bit! I like some Finnish black metal, Children Of Bodom.

Scandinavia has produced loads of great metal bands recently; Opeth, Nightwish, Dimmu Borgir...

 

[Lisa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strings Mostly lossless and high encoded .oggs. Plus .wavs for most live classical recordings. So the copper cable is likely to have better sound... is changing cables easy?

Don't need any special skills for it.
I've been meaning to change my sig to put links in there to questions I answer a lot. And this was as good a time as any to do that. So check all the links in my sig. I've tried to put the most helpful info in there.

 

[Chri5peed]

Don't HD-580 cables work? If its a cheaper option...

 

[Strings]

Thanks Lisa, this is all looking very promising.

@BushGuy

Well a good example of Finnish Polka style Metal is a band called Finntroll

Another hilariously jiggy death metal band are Ensiferum. Try downloading the song Token of Time. Ensiferum having that viking norse singing thing going every now and again. Fantastic

But aye thanks for all your guys help, I take listening to my music pretty seriously.

Edit: A good Finntroll song to break yourself in is called Eliytres. A good example of how they put the traditional Finnish rhythm in.