[Sprockethead]

Hi all. I'm kind of new here. 
 
I need a high end pair of ear buds. I realized today that while in my cube I listen to my $10 headphones for like 7 hours a day in my cube.

Granted, it's not like my source (laptop) is pushing out anything great, but I might as well improve the one component that I have control over.

I was going to buy some Denons, but I don't like the ear canal noise-canceling ear buds. First, they make me feel like my ears are plugged up (I guess they are), but with water or something. Second, I need to kind of hear what is going on around me. Like if somebody is calling my name behind me. 

Are there such a thing? Or are all high-end stuff going to be either noise canceling or way down in the ear canal?

Thanks for any advice.

Later.

 

[Goratrix]

Sennheiser MX 980
 
(but try them on before you buy, they tend to be too large for some people's ears)

 

[Sprockethead]

Thanks.

 

[bubsdaddy]

The Bose in ears are non-isolating and are extremely comfortable. Bose is unpopular here for mostly pricing reasons but given that you can find last generation Bose IE for around $60 I don't think they are extremely overpriced. The newest generation is around $90 and has pretty good reviews on Amazon. There are much better in ear monitors you can get for the same money but if you do not want isolation this may be a good choice.

 

[BobSaysHi]

No, bose is overpriced.
 
Quote:

Hi all. I'm kind of new here. 
 
I need a high end pair of ear buds. I realized today that while in my cube I listen to my $10 headphones for like 7 hours a day in my cube.

Granted, it's not like my source (laptop) is pushing out anything great, but I might as well improve the one component that I have control over.

I was going to buy some Denons, but I don't like the ear canal noise-canceling ear buds. First, they make me feel like my ears are plugged up (I guess they are), but with water or something. Second, I need to kind of hear what is going on around me. Like if somebody is calling my name behind me. 

Are there such a thing? Or are all high-end stuff going to be either noise canceling or way down in the ear canal?

Thanks for any advice.

Later.

For what you want, you might want to get full sized headphones instead of in ears (which sounds like what you want). Look through the forums. 
 
If you want to hear others behind you, others will be able to hear your music.

 

[Yggdrassilious]

Oh man where does one begin...
 
Senn MX 980, B&O A8, Creative Aurvana Air, Yuin PK series, Final Piano II Forte. 
 
You could also try some clip-ons like Audio-Technica EW9. 
 
Full-sized cans will be suffocating if you wear them for 7-hrs a day. 

 

[JamesMcProgger]

7 hours a day with earbuds...sounds painfully. sure you cant use fully circumaural headphones?
 
 

 

[dilpal]

if you want iem then JVC FX 700, isolation is poor on them, if earbud then yuin pk series

 

[bubsdaddy]

Another route you could go would be lightweight portable on ears. Sennheiser px100, JVC Flats, Koss Porta Pro, KSC 75 (clip on) are very comfortable for hours and provide littel to no isolation.