[atomic]

Hey everyone,

I need a little advice on a headphone purchase...

I'm looking for something portable, closed, comfortable, and, of course, inexpensive. They will be used primarily with an iPod (no amp) at work (at a noisy biochemistry lab) and on plane trips.

Right now I'm using KSC-35, and while I really like their sound, they aren't that comfortable - the clip starts hurting the back of my ear after an hour or two, and I'd like to be able to wear headphones for longer than that. It seems some people find the 75 more comfortable, and I'm thinking about getting some to replace the 35, but I'd also like to get some closed 'phones.

I don't think I want to get anything in-ear, earbuds have always been quite painful for me and I realize in-ear monitors fit differently but I don't want to spend that much and it seems the sound quality is compromised on lower-end models. Also I don't really like the idea of putting something so close to my eardrums...

So I'm looking at AKG 26P, Senn HD201 or 202, maybe PX200, and Sony MDR-V6. I'd prefer a foldable design. I haven't heard any of these and none of the audio retailers I could find in my area carry any of them so I think I'll have to take a chance over the internet. So I'd really appreciate any comments you have about sound quality for any of these (especially compared to the KSC) and comfort. Other ideas are welcome too.

Thanks, and I'm already sorry about my wallet.

 

[gratefulshrink]

Hey everyone,

I need a little advice on a headphone purchase...

I'm looking for something portable, closed, comfortable, and, of course, inexpensive. They will be used primarily with an iPod (no amp) at work (at a noisy biochemistry lab) and on plane trips.

What's your budget?

 

[atomic]

Budget = well, I'd prefer to stay under $50, but I might be persuaded up to $100. The portability, comfort and sound are more important than saving a few $$.

 

[gratefulshrink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by atomic Budget = well, I'd prefer to stay under $50, but I might be persuaded up to $100. The portability, comfort and sound are more important than saving a few $$.

Well, I like my Senn PX 200's -- very portable, and comfortable (very lightweight) & you can get them for $45-55 (or maybe even cheaper).

I don't know how you define portable. The Senn HD 280 pro are big closed cans, but they fold up (and can fit in a small bag), and are comfortable. They will not leak any sound. Again, they are full-sized. Check another thread here -- you can get them for around $70 -- a good deal.

 

[gratefulshrink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by atomic Budget = well, I'd prefer to stay under $50, but I might be persuaded up to $100. The portability, comfort and sound are more important than saving a few $$.

BTW, the Senn 280 Pro can be driven by an ipod alone (but an amp would help).

 

[seiferoth10]

I would think the Senn 280 would be your best bet.

here's a link to one, but I have no clue how reputable the vendor is..
http://www.compuplus.com/insidepage....gle&id=1004080

 

[stranger0429]

How about Sony Eggo D66?d66s are moe comfortable than px200 or px100,and also provide you more isolations.I think the price for d66 is just under your budget

Here comes the link
http://www.audiocubes.com/category/H...eadphones.html
But you don't have to get one here

 

[Cyclone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by seiferoth10 I would think the Senn 280 would be your best bet. here's a link to one, but I have no clue how reputable the vendor is.. http://www.compuplus.com/insidepage....gle&id=1004080

They are one of the more reputable retailers around here so dont worry about buying from them (other than their notoriously expensive shipping). I know some people think the 280's clamp too much, and to some extent i agree with them, but the clamping just isnt uncomfortable to me. Even at their worst (with in the first week out of box) I never found them to be unbearably uncomfortable. If you want a great all around can and dont mind 1. looking like a fool with them on 2. Lack of bass impact un-EQ'd and 3. Their iffy comfort issues. Then they will be great cans for you.

 

[JB.]

You might try the Senn HD 201 for $20 at Headroom (headphone.com). In your position, it would be best to get high-quality AND affordable cans.

When I started out looking into quality headphones, I made the noob mistake of “wanting the BEST.” The problem is, until you’ve heard an array of cans and can establish what characteristics you enjoy, you’re just taking everyone else’s advice on what sounds good.

Headphones are so personal that describing them is often like describing music and, pardon the exhausted idiom, talking about music is like dancing about architecture. If someone who had never heard music asked you what was good, it would be very difficult to give accurate advice on what to listen to. It would be impossible to appease them if they said, “I just want the best music.”

That being said, I find that the vast majority of headphones regularly discussed on Head-Fi all have some good qualities. Even though it seems like there is a lot of heated discussion, the headphones discussed on Head-Fi represent a miniscule fraction of the headphones available, and are almost without a doubt a collection of the best headphones available. Because of this, nearly any of them would be a worthwhile purchase.

The optimal level to begin with in high-end audio is with products that fit the 10% rule, which is when you’d have to spend 10 times as much to get a product that is 10% better. This is something of an overgeneralization, but think about the KSC-35’s vs the HD650’s.

Duncan recently recommended the Philips HN-060 canalphones. I saw a pair on eBay for about $30 plus shipping. Duncan was one of the OG Head-Fier’s whose advice I followed religiously for almost 2 years before I even registered on this site. If you’re lucky, you’ll eventually be able to find someone who has similar taste to your own so that you’ll be able to rely on their opinions. It will save you a fortune in time and energy.

 

[atomic]

Wow, thanks for all the replies everyone.

The 280s do look nice and I've heard good things about them, but they are pretty big, and I think I'm more interested in the PX200 or K26P just because they are smaller. Same with the eggos, although they do look sleeker than the 280, I do like how the headband isn't a big hunk of plastic.

JB, I totally agree, everyone has different ears and everyone hears music differently, so it's hard to take recommendations over the internet. I think I'll probably end up ordering a couple different ones and sending back what I don't want.

So right now I'm leaning toward K26P, Px200, and also I was just looking at the ATH-FC7 on audiocubes, they look real good too and it looks like several people on this site like them...

Can anyone make some comparisons between these three about their comfort and sound quality? I generally listen to hip-hop, classical and electronic music (what a combo, right?) at work and I'm sure some of these are better for one genre than another...

 

[gratefulshrink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by atomic Budget = well, I'd prefer to stay under $50, but I might be persuaded up to $100. The portability, comfort and sound are more important than saving a few $$.

Here's another idea: Beyer DT 231's. I have not heard them myself.

The link:

http://www.headphone.com/products/he...mic-dt-231.php

 

[sgrossklass]

The DT231 is fairly nice for portable use provided you turn down the highs a bit (doesn't fold but is reasonably compact), but the isolation on these cans is only average (comparable to a HD497, it seems). (To be fair, the HD201 is not reputed to be particularly awe-inspiring in terms of isolation either.)

 

[atomic]

Yeah, it seems like most of the ones I'm looking at don't have super great isolation, but I think any of them would be better than the KSC35 for that purpose.

The DT231 do seem to be nice, but I've decided I'm more interested in the smaller ones - ATH-FC7, PX200, or K26P. I like the folding action! It looks like they would all serve my purpose, I'll just have to find which one will be most comfortable for me.

 

[gshan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by atomic Yeah, it seems like most of the ones I'm looking at don't have super great isolation, but I think any of them would be better than the KSC35 for that purpose. The DT231 do seem to be nice, but I've decided I'm more interested in the smaller ones - ATH-FC7, PX200, or K26P. I like the folding action! It looks like they would all serve my purpose, I'll just have to find which one will be most comfortable for me.

For maximum comfort, PX200.

 

[warpdriver]

PX-100!

For the money, I continually amazed at the comfort, and sound quality. Comfort wise, I can wear these ALL day and not want to take them off my ears.

I know you said you wanted closed....and the PX-100's are open, but they are still worth it to buy for any situation where you don't need closed headphones.