[PixelSquish]

well, i have been commuting to work in the big apple for a bit over a month now. in that time i have paid careful attention to what people are listening with on their mp3 players.

i have seen 1 pair of customs (unsure what brand) and a few buds/iem type jobbie with a black and white cord (anyone know what they are they may be good).

pretty much the vast majority are using stock white buds and some other earbuds that i cant tell what they are - so some may be good ones like the yuins.

so sad, all these people with so little quality to their music. i really expected to see more good IEMs like some westones, UE's, Shures, etc...

 

[toughnut]

u will certainly feel more sad when you knew that they never heard of westone, shure, ue, etc haha. MP3 brand make a big name but not the earphone.

 

[insyte]

Most will only know their ipod earbuds

 

[epithetless]

I feel sad not so much about the mediocre sound quality they're getting, but the substantial hearing damage they must be experiencing with all those open-air buds -- People have to blast the things just to overtake the train noise.

BTW, those black-and-white corded earphones are the Bose IEs. Also completely non-isolating.

 

[roxxor]

I think non-isolating phones should be banned in public places that also ban cell phone use. That would be sweet.

 

[EnOYiN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by roxxor /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think non-isolating phones should be banned in public places that also ban cell phone use. That would be sweet.

What for? I am using a HD25 when I am travelling by train (I am doing so twice a day) and even if there is a little kid screaming right next to me I simply don't hear it. Suffice to say I really like my portable headphones.

 

[Ender137]

a note on those bose iems...

one of my friends really likes them (O.o) but apparently it's really popular among the "i'm just out of college and i got an i-banking job" sorts..., which my friend is...

i told him that he should look around on head-fi before he buys what he sees everyone else wearing.

 

[roxxor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnOYiN /img/forum/go_quote.gif What for? I am using a HD25 when I am travelling by train (I am doing so twice a day) and even if there is a little kid screaming right next to me I simply don't hear it. Suffice to say I really like my portable headphones.

I meant so I can't hear you listening...

 

[Malux]

Quote:

Originally Posted by insyte /img/forum/go_quote.gif Most will only know their ipod earbuds

this thread makes me feel like I'm watching the Matrix...

"if only they can be awakened to the truth of beautiful music"

 

[nickdawg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by roxxor /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think non-isolating phones should be banned in public places that also ban cell phone use. That would be sweet.

How about banning those cell phones with the speakers on them. I cannot stand this new trend of the MP3 player/cell phone combination and people walk around listening to it without headphones. In that case, crappy stock earbuds would be a better alternative(how many times can you say that?).

 

[nvkid909]

the people listening to these ibuds are simply making a statement to others (especially on public transport) that they are not open for conversation or interaction with people nearby.

i find the whole 'quiet coach' thing quite amusing, if you use public transport a lot you will see a difference in the class of people who are ready to jump on someone with 'leaking headphones'. i noticed the more middle class people object to it more whereas working class travelers just seem to accept it. of course, the whole thing is about noise & rarely will anyone say anything to a parent or parents in charge of a noisy child, though this is usually much more annoying than any mild headphone leakage!

personally i think some people have actually been encouraged, one way or another, to be less tolerant of others. many music events are having more restrictions on them & i think class is starting to show it's hand here; people who seem to think they do more / earn more / are of greater importance therefore deserve to have things exactly their way, possibly even, to be able to sneer at people of a certain generation for [presumably] listening to music that differs to their tastes!... indeed, i was accosted once when listening to ambient, at 25% volume (had a migraine), thru' HD25's!

but back to the OP, it's not just the earbuds, there's a whole spectrum of people who are still courting the idea of digital music. people ask how many mp3's you can fit on a_____ & i tell them about AAC or other formats. which is met with zombie like stares into space.

 

[McPanse]

I actually have a buddy who is a musician and is perfectly happy with the stock earbuds. My only explanation is that maybe there are some people out there content to listen to the music and can look past the sound, if that makes sense. God bless them.

Then again, I'm an avid reader who earns his living by writing. Words are important to me, but so are how they appear on the page.

So who knows.

Better to light a candle than curse the darkness. Next time you see somebody on the subway wasting away beneath stock earbuds, pull them gently aside and ask them, "do you have any idea what you are missing?"

On second thought, better not. You'll probably get arrested.

 

[tomwom]

I find this thread very interesting. I don't use public transportation to commute, heck, I don't even commute.

Anyhow, what ever happened to talking to the fellow next to you when traveling this way. Is the art of conversation dead? Or does everybody want to live in their own little world?

 

[epithetless]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomwom /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anyhow, what ever happened to talking to the fellow next to you when traveling this way. Is the art of conversation dead?

Pretty much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomwom /img/forum/go_quote.gif Or does everybody want to live in their own little world?

Pretty much.

 

[Zorander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by epithetless /img/forum/go_quote.gif BTW, those black-and-white corded earphones are the Bose IEs. Also completely non-isolating.

I have sighted quite a number of them. I thought they were just normal earbuds recabled with SPC wires (those twisted pair ones that come in black and white). I questioned the likelihood of that however, knowing the proportionately small number of people who know about real quality 'phones (let alone re-cabling).

This answers it. And does not change my opinion that the black-and-white theme looks ugly.