[joanna danna]

Ok here's the rub - I have little time to spend researching headphones. I did this ad nausea before settling on earphones; Ety R4P. They are Ok but not anything special IMO. I do enjoy the detail but miss feeling in them, they come off sterile and too analytical. It's not as if I want my skirt blown off by the mid/low bass, I just want more presence and soundstage and the ummmph feeling. Yes they are seated well and sealed, so I know this isn't the issue.

I've tried and did not like the UM3X - its mids seemed out of line, and the bass was too much . However they were a lot livelier than the Etys and this I enjoyed about them.

Nonetheless I'm through with canal phones and am now thinking of Cans - probably open as I enjoy a more accurate sound stage. I will be running it off a iTouch/Nano in high bit rate. I have access to a small amp but would rather not use it. I'm not limited by a budget but would prefer to not overkill this and certainly not spend too much time thinking about it. I just want headphones/earphones/yada yada that have as close to the accuracy as the Etys provide but with the feeling of a wide soundstage and kick'n and a joy to listen. ( Rem: not a huge fan of the 'roll your window up buddy - your bass is loosening my fillings.')
All experienced suggestions welcomed.

 

[eugenius]

For the ipod, forget open home cans, get something like this:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f10/so...ecable-447731/

And then, get the "I'm a girl" earpads and headband pads like these:

 

[ktsai1283]

Since you didn't mention what type of music you like to listen to most of the time, I'll give general recommendations...

Audio-Technica ATH-AD700/AD900
Grado SR60i to SR225i

Will this be your portable set-up? If so, are you sure you want an open can for that?

 

[Naris]

eugenius where did you find those pads?

 

[Ice Nine]

LOL, those are my headphones you posted. I just bought them from another user. But like the other poster said, where did you find those pads?

 

[Ice Nine]

Sounds Around, The DJ Store: Headphones

Damn, they're in Ireland.

 

[joanna danna]

Music....
Simple every thing but rap.

 

[ford2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by joanna danna /img/forum/go_quote.gif Music.... Simple every thing but rap.

Rap is not music.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by joanna danna /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ok here's the rub - I have little time to spend researching headphones. I did this ad nausea before settling on earphones; Ety R4P. They are Ok but not anything special IMO. I do enjoy the detail but miss feeling in them, they come off sterile and too analytical. It's not as if I want my skirt blown off by the mid/low bass, I just want more presence and soundstage and the ummmph feeling. Yes they are seated well and sealed, so I know this isn't the issue. I've tried and did not like the UM3X - its mids seemed out of line, and the bass was too much . However they were a lot livelier than the Etys and this I enjoyed about them. Nonetheless I'm through with canal phones and am now thinking of Cans - probably open as I enjoy a more accurate sound stage. I will be running it off a iTouch/Nano in high bit rate. I have access to a small amp but would rather not use it. I'm not limited by a budget but would prefer to not overkill this and certainly not spend too much time thinking about it. I just want headphones/earphones/yada yada that have as close to the accuracy as the Etys provide but with the feeling of a wide soundstage and kick'n and a joy to listen. ( Rem: not a huge fan of the 'roll your window up buddy - your bass is loosening my fillings.') All experienced suggestions welcomed.

Before you give up on canal phones/earphones I would consider the UE4Pro custom IEM which were not quite as forward as the UM3X or ES3X, but have very smooth and detailed extended highs. I think the similar priced JH5Pro were a little bassier and you may not like those ones.

You could consider the Phonak Audeo PFE which are a single driver balanced armature IEM that has superb mids, sparkly highs, but also some good deep bass extension. With some music players they can be slightly sibilant but they come with two different filters for installing in the sound tubes and one of them will tame that area. Some people say the Klipsch Image X5 improves the highs over the X10, while taming the X10's bass, so that is another one to consider.

The UE Triple.fi 10 Pro are fairly well balanced with sweet treble that seems in line with the mids and bass. I felt they were slightly colored in the mid bass but not boosted in the bass and not lacking either.

Those HD25-1 full size headphones that someone recommended are nice but I find the soundstage to be pretty small and narrow which you seem to be trying to avoid. If you were going to get an on-ear headphones the Audio Technica ATH-ESW10 would be a much better choice, with nice clear crisp highs and very little coloration to the sound (the ESW9 would be too dark). The ATH-AD2000 would likely have more of the highs you want, but may also have a little more mids than you want to go with it - still, something to seriously consider. The AD2000 are not as portable as the ESW10 however.

With Grado RS-1 and bowl pads you can get nice crisp extended highs without too much mids and with a nice sense of space and presence, and not feeling bass light. Soundstage is wider than it is deep. You can put flat pads on and bring the mids and bass forward, and with a nicer cable they can sound close to the vintage Grado HP-1000 that are very accurate, extended and present sounding. I keep going back and forth about selling mine, because after I got my HD800 I find the RS-1 with APureSound V3 cable can't compete, but the RS-1 are easily driven off an iPod and the HD800 are not (and HD800 are not as portable either).

The AKG K240M 600 ohm would not be easily driven off the Touch, but I throw it out there because they are likely a headphone with a similar sonic signature to the Ety ER4 you have. With a good amp I sometimes like mine a little more than my Grado RS-1, and a Meier 3MOVE portable amp drives them well.

Hope this helps!

 

[Dobber65]

I have to agree with Turbines, which after three years are still a detailed, well-balanced (minus a bit of mid-range suckout), and overall great IEM. I also have to plug the Monster Turbines as something that I have found to be very very good. I travel constantly, and have a range of IEMs at my disposal, and the Triple Fis and Turbines are always my go-to due to their Ety-like detail on the treble and very good and not overpowering (to me) bass.

Customs are increasingly an option at what was high-end universal prices. The balance you have to make is having a great custom with great sound but possible fit issues, or a universal that may be 90% of the sound but with very good fit. Again, lots of options are available today that weren't even two years ago.

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by joanna danna /img/forum/go_quote.gif Music.... Simple every thing but rap.

Wow - a fellow Grindcore fan. Welcome aboard - its dark in here.

 

[joanna danna]

I'm researching some of the ones mentioned in this forum ( thank you!) and someone mentioned awhile back to look-see the AKG K 701. I believe this will need the use of an amp, which I have but it's ratted-out and weak. As for the 701 - I haven't been able to find poor reviews other than it needs an amp. Online reviews said it's overkill for a portable - perhaps the music chatter of mp3 players. Any takes on the AKG K 701 for my needs and use?

 

[moogoob]

A) They're wide open, which is suitable for walking around town (I use Grado SR80s for this purpose) but not good on a bus/train.
B) I don't know but I've been told the bass isn't anything to write home about. Maybe a K70x owner can chime in about this aspect of the sound sig.
It would be great for home use, though.

 

[Dobber65]

The 701s are in the top tier of headphones, but there are mixed feelings here on Head-Fi. While good, they really need a strong amp to show their strengths, and their bass presentation does not have the same comparisons as the higher-end headphones from Sennheiser, Beyerdynamics, and others (the 701s bass is a bit less than the 6xx or the 880/990). That said, I believe they are very neutral, but again need a good amp.

Have you thought about a Grado if you don't want an IEM? Really, start with an SR-60i to see if you like the Grado sound. These are really a great bargain and give you 80+% of the higher-end Grados, and only improve as you move up the range. Not everyone likes the Grado signature, but it may be worth trying given the value of the SR-60s.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I forgot about the AKG K702 - it is similar to the K240M 600 ohm and definitely better than the Beyer DT770 or DT880 (haven't heard a 990). So add that to the list for an Ety-like phone with soundstage and presence above the IEM, but you will not like that from an iPod Touch any more than the K240M. However, even a tiny iBasso T4 amp (1/4 thick x 2.5" x 1.5") can drive the K702 but not to perfection.