[Nevalti]

Hello
 
On the basis of various comments here and elsewhere I have bought a Fiio X5 and am looking for the right headphones - so I thought I would stumble around this forum looking for help. I am currently mainly using Jays vJAYS which are surprisingly good but I want (passive) sound isolation for travel - and enough comfort for long 'plane journeys.
 
Also - what on earth has happened to the old style of ear-phones which just rest comfortably in the bottom of your ear-lobe? Obviously ear-canal 'phones provide sound isolation but the best ones I have (CX500) don't compare with my VERY old Aiwa HP-V151 ear-lobe hangers in every respect except sound isolation. 

 

[SteveHiFi]

Earbuds don't usually go with the idea of good isolation, and not many people buy them these days as there's an alternative!
 
I've mentioned these a few times in the past few days, you're not the only earbud fan. Final Audio Piano Forte ii and Audio-Technica ATH-CHX7iS are worth checking, or Sennheiser is still pumping out their MX earbuds.

 

[Nevalti]

Thank you for those ideas 'SteveHiFi' (Steve?).  I have just read the threads here about those two. The comments about the Piano Forte ii seem to confirm my belief that ear-buds offer a greater spaciousness than IEMs. Maybe they do exist but I have never heard 'spacious' IEMs and music that stays between my ears always sounds artificial to me. 
 
I am not set against IEMs, I do want some good ones which have the obvious advantage of isolation, but sound quality and comfort are higher priorities much of the time. On long flights I tend to swap headphones depending upon what I am doing or how uncomfortable/hot my ears are becoming.
 
[size=13.3333330154419px]I can't find any professional reviews of either of your suggestions but, for[/size][size=13.3333330154419px] £30 or thereabouts, the Piano Forte's are obviously worth a try.[/size][size=13.3333330154419px] [/size]

 

[Nevalti]

I now have some 'Piano Forte's playing in my ears and can confirm that they are excellent for classical and jazz providing a great deal of spacial information AND they remain relaxed and musical for long term listening. Listening to them through my Benchmark DAC1 they have, apart from the rather weak bass, a similar tonal balance to my Bryston 4B and PMC OB1i speakers - and that is very high praise!
 
One drawback is that I have found that they sound best (in my ears) rotated so that the wires point straight forward but that makes the 'tubes' contact my ear canal uncomfortably - so I am having to compromise. 
 
One unexpected bonus is that they are dead-easy to drive and suit my Fiio X1 beautifully without any extra amp. That makes them perfect for lightweight travel. Conversely, they are a bit dull with my Fiio X3. In fact, they have revealed to me that the X3 has a rolled off treble, compared with the Benchmark DAC 1, which, to me, means that the X3 treble IS rolled off. That is not something I noticed before with my slightly bright Jays v-JAYS.
 
All in all a great recommendation - many thanks.

 

[SteveHiFi]

Thanks for your feedback! Shame about the comfort issue - due to the slightly larger size of the Piano Forte earbuds I can't guarantee a perfect fit but foam pads like these might offer a solution -
 
http://headphonespares.sennheiser.co.uk/portable-headphones/mx-985/foam-ear-pads-5-pair-andacirc-black.html
 
You've hit the nail on the head with the X3, it is definitely smoother than the X1 and the likes of the AK120. I prefer it but that's my taste talking.
 
You might one day want to investigate the higher models such as the Piano Forte X - horrendously expensive but sublime with classical recordings -
 
http://final-audio-design.com/es/pianoforte-x/