[santiu]

Hey all, i'm looking for my next pair and I'm looking for the "perfect" travel headphones, as I am about to embark on a long voyage...

1. Good Isolation
2. not too flashy as to not draw attention to myself as someone who has things worth stealing
3. not too expensive, in case they do get stolen/broken i won't cry for too long
4. rugged/reliable/well-built
5. accurate enough to do some basic audio editing (I'll be doing some field recording and will want to use these for monitoring while recording as well as editing later)
6. can be driven directly by portable devices (no dedicated amp)

At first I thought Senn HD-25-1 II. But at $200, i think i'd cry if they got stolen/broken, although they are still up there as a top contender. Then I thought of bringing a pair of HD-280's that i have, but really I'm not a big fan of their sound other than for monitoring while recording. Then i was thinking IEMs, as they are pretty inconspicuous looking. But I'm unfamiliar with lower end IEMs and their isolation abilities or sound quality. I'd love a pair of LiveWires, but at $250+mold cost that would most definitely be breaking the i'd cry if they were stolen/broken rule.

One more approach i thought of is bringing two pairs. Once nice pair like the HD-25 to be used when alone or in 1st world countries where they won't attract as much attention, and then a pair of JVC marshmallows or ksc75 similar to be used when i don't want to call attention to myself. Or maybe i just learn to live with my ksc75's only?

So... experts of the headphone world (especially those who travel) give me suggestions and ideas! Much appreciated

 

[Uncle Erik]

For what it's worth, I travel with the Shure e3c and the Grado RS-1. The e3c is a pretty decent IEM - not the best bass response, but mids and highs are good and they give a lot of isolation. Jet engines, crying children, etc. take a back seat to the sound. The RS-1 draws attention and is open, so I usually only use it in hotel rooms. Both are driven well with just an iPod and no external amp.

But if you're going to do field recordings, then Grado might not be the best choice. They're not exactly neutral. I haven't heard one, but you might want to consider one of the Alessandro headphones for that - I haven't heard one, but I think they're worth reading up on.

 

[nvkid909]

ditto on low profile iem. aren't the ety er4p/s all black now? they're certainly not flashy, even in their red / blue.

 

[ph0rk]

even the se530 isn't all that flashy, really.

It will be hard to beat the HD25-1 or even match it for sq, portability, and isolation (in a headphone) for less money.

 

[santiu]

Thanks for the responses guys.

HD 25-1 II versus Ety ER-4p in sound quality? Do the Senn's win out?

 

[Greg_R]

I prefer the Etys, especially if you drive them off a headphone amp (greatly improved bass). They are definitely low profile... I was listening to mine on a plane and was told that "I should get a good pair of $35 headphones to go with that iPod".