[Traveller]

A few years back on the way to work I was enjoying my Etys and TAH on the tram when a student hopped on wearing STAX-sized headphones.

Considering 99.9% of the public cruise around with their white iPod "earbuds", I was of course impressed and somewhat astonished. But when I grinned it was knowing that my tiny Etys+ portable Amp probably delivered better audio then his iPod & killer headset.

A few days later, I saw another student - female, at that, also wearing some serious headgear. So clearly this had to be a new trend among the blacksheep / outsiders / Gothic crowd because it wasn't like the local cheer leading squad were going to give up their cute little pink earbuds anytime soon...

Long story short, a few years have gone by and the trend's still here, but the numbers have remained in the minority (i,e, the ear bud still outnumber the Stax-look-alikes by about 100,000 to 1.)

So this is where I have to admit I'm no longer "in" (read: it's been a while since I've ventured onto a campus...) and I've decided to finally come out and ask around as to the reason for this trend. Is it for/to:

1. A. Improved audio reproduction quality?
2. B. avoid annoying the surrounding public with the typical "buzzing" that almost sounds like music at a few tens of decibels to high emanating from $12.99 ear buds?
3. C. Students who, like me (make that a ah, younger-me...), refuse to follow the norm and praise individualism above all (long live Sid!)
4. D. All of the above

Although I'm assuming it's a world-wide trend, I should mention that I'm talking about the public scene in Europe (Vienna, Austria, to be exact).

Thanks for bringing me up to speed...

 

[J.D.N]

Cant really answer your question i dont think, but the vast majority of people on campus i see are wearing ibuds or skullcandies. Granted, those wearing SC's are usually the alternative type or girls who like the little pink ones.

I occasionally see someone wearing over the head cans, usually sony/philips something DJ style but i wouldn't have a clue about the model or quality or anything.

I've never seen any headgear on anyone that has stood out as particularly good.

Maybe its an England thing...

 

[spinali]

Interesting results.

For me, it's A all the way. I suppose if I could afford a pair of Super-Fi Pro 11s, it would be different. But just about every single IEM and earbud I've tried (and I've tried most of them) has sound inferior to an ES7 - at least with my ears.

As to "buzzing" - unless I'm in a library, let them deal with it.

 

[92135011]

Part of it is might be that there is more bass from full size phones, regardless of how good that base might be. A good few years back I used to love lousy bass. It was where the music's at! That was up until I heard nice bass...then I hated lousy bass

 

[moogoob]

I do it because I can.

Grados, HD280s, whatever. Haven't tried my Koss clunkers on the subway yet, but will one day.

I am looking at the Yuin PK1s, though, because I really like earbuds, and am interested to hear that someone makes a pair that actually sounds good.

 

[Traveller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.D.N /img/forum/go_quote.gif Maybe its an England thing...

It wouldn't be the first time...

Well I, for one, think it's pretty cool. I've been low-keyed about it so I haven't asked any of them what the deal is nor have I wandered up close enough to figure out the actual model(s)...

... I can just imagine my own reaction, way back when, if "a suit" had all of a sudden come up to me and started sniffing around my head, rofl

But I may just pop out my TAH the next time to start up some conversation and get the low-down on the why and the what (headphone model), etc.

 

[catscratch]

I doubt it's a trend. It's probably just people using whatever they have. Also, earbuds don't work for everyone (they can' stay securely in my ears, for instance), so some people have to resort to using full-size gear. If it wasn't for custom-molded IEMs I'd still be using something like an HD650/600 or Stax SR-001 on the move.

 

[Traveller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moogoob /img/forum/go_quote.gif I do it because I can.

Cool.
So what do your friends think - that you're "doing it your way", or do you compare cans on your daily commutes?

 

[-=Germania=-]

I have worn many types of headphones in public.

I have never been brave enough to march proudly with my k400's or HD580's when I had them.

I however done:
im716
FreqShow (current)
ES7's
sr-80's (colored pink/silver)
HD495
PX200
etc...

I also use an amp 99% of the time. So I carry the Headsix,LOD,iPodTouch combo in my purse (I still get questions about the "silver box" on the back of my iPod).

My portable system I would say is better than my home system overall ( and in cost), but there is something to be said for the large headstage of AKG's and the ringing sound of old Audiotechnicas (power hungry beasts).


At my school it is more like 1/10 is wearing non-earbuds and regular cans seems to be more prevalent than IEM's as they are 1/15.

 

[RedSky0]

Mostly A although probably subconsciously C. Specifically when music has a narrow soundstage it irks me, so I've given up on IEMs and resigned to walking around with my HD600/Mini³ combo, they're honestly not that much bigger than portable designed closed phones and besides why care if people judge you? They're perfectly within their rights to resort to whatever simplistic preconceptions and generalisations they wish

 

[krmathis]

Perhaps they just use whatever they have?
Some really give a damn about what other people think, and if their loud volume ignore those around. Hence would wear large open-back headphones on public transportation, with the volume on max.

 

[Contrastique]

I started wearing full-sized headphones outside like about 8 yrs ago. I disliked earbuds because of their discomfort or/and they never stayed in my ears. Once used to the bigger ones I never wanted anything else. Quality became a real issue later on, like 1 and half yrs ago (that's when I found head-fi lol). Now I use my Proline 750's and Larocco amp. They go everywhere I go.

It's not exactly a trend over here though, at least I hardly see anyone with them. There's one guy with the Sony V700 but it's more like a fashion-accesoire to him. One guy with a Senn 580 or something. Some girls / boys with smaller Sony-stuff but that's about it unfortunately.
So A it would be now for me and C perhaps also ---> There's more space around the masses lol! But also to shut me off from my enviroment is a big motivation for me to wear them.

 

[moogoob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traveller /img/forum/go_quote.gif Cool. So what do your friends think - that you're "doing it your way", or do you compare cans on your daily commutes?

Nah, if I'm traveling with freinds I'll turn my music off and wear my SR80s around my neck. It's not polite to listen to music with others around.

By myself on the bus, OTOH...

 

[Uncle Erik]

I haven't seen much of it around here, but I have seen more people with high-end IEMs. For me, headphones are an at home deal. I like full-sized open cans with tube amps. On the street, I feel uncomfortable if I can't hear what's going on around me. But I do take along IEMs for airplane and train rides.

 

[yale.reinstein]

Full sized phones are too cumbersome, and the noise outside is loud. I tried to carry around my SR80 once on vacation.

I see very few people wearing big phones, and if they are they're sony, and I think they think they look cool. Personally I think anyone wearing big headphones are deaf, ignorant, and bad to the bone.