[pledesma]

Being new to the world of quality headphones, I bought a pair of Senn HD 497 which I think are pretty good. I use them at home but due to their open air sound, I don't use them for travel or work. I'm interested in getting another pair of headphones for these applications and am starting to evaluate my options.
I head the Bose QuietComfort Acoustic Noise Cancelling® headphones aobut 2 years ago and thought they were awesome. They have a new model out, the QuietComfort2 headphone, which are supposed to be even better.
Unfortunately, it seems that HeadRoom and the like, glance over Bose headphones. I'm wondering if this is intentional or if there is just little known about these headphones.
Can anyone enlighten me on where Bose fits in the range of quality for sealed haedphones?

 

[DanG]

Just about everyone on this forum knows about Bose and the fact that they represent a very poor value. If you want a better noise-cancelling system, consider the new Sennheiser PXC-250 headphones that retail for just over $100, I believe, and are available at Headroom.

Do a search on these forums for Bose and you'll see that many people have unnecessarily given Bose a chance and found that they really are overpriced.

 

[terrymx]

its because bose is the lowest quality headphones, and overpriced.

 

[nanahachi]

pledesma, Welcome to headfi!

I'm glad to hear you're enjoying your HD-497s. I hope you have a tight control of your wallet, because if you stay here too long, you'll be making headphone purchases far in excess than you've probably imagined.

I'm sorry to say that I have had no experience with Bose headphones. The general consensus, IIRC, is that Bose gear generally costs FAR more than it really should. It is not that their products are sheer crap, but that for the same price, or less, one could find far better products. Bose has name recognition and branding behind it, which helps push its products forward, without being the final word in quality.

Sorry if that wasn't helpful. It was more of a warning, I suppose.

Try using the to see if anything comes up for the phones that you named specifically.

If you can tell us more about your needs (eg. if you prefer small phones, portable, completely sealed or just "closed"....), your music preferences, the equipment that you'll be using with the headphones, we can try to give you some other recommendations.

G'luck

 

[SptsNaz]

If you have that kind of money, why bother with Bose when you can happily purchase the eymotic er-4s or 4p which are probably 5x better and provide equivalent isolation. They cost less and are much more portable in terms of size.

If your on a budget, many seem to recommend the Sennheiser PXC-250. If you read around you'll discover the hate for Bose here. They're just no where near a good value, or even a decent value considering what you get.

 

[pledesma]

I get the idea that I may get a lot of Bose bashing replies and that it will be unappreciated by the forum monitors.
If you could please respond with constructive advice on what headphones I should check out, please do so. DanG and nanahachi have been kind enough to do so thus far and other recommendations would also be appreciated.

As far as what I am looking for:
1) Mostly for work where I need a fairly long cord (5ft +).
2) Not clear on closed vs. sealed but I want to minimize the disturbance to my neighbors..I do not have an office of my own.
3) I am looking for best quality under $300.
4) I listen to a broad range of music from David Allen Coe, Norah jones, the Beatles, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Temptations, etc...
5) Could use recommendations on other equipment for travel. I mostly listen to MP3s now so I was thinking of an iPod.

Thanks!

 

[Mike Scarpitti]

Sony Eggos D66.

 

[chadwick]

etymotics + an extension cord.

 

[nanahachi]

pledesma,

I was trying to keep my response short, so I probably could have explained things better.

"Closed" are headphones with a closed back, that make attempts to keep the sound from pouring out. "Open" phones often just have a grill or mesh on the back, and sound pours out aplenty. your neighbors would hear everything you hear.

It seems that you, like me, are in an office environment where you don't want much (any) sound to leak out of the headphones to bother your coworkers (called "leakage").

There is also a factor called "isolation" where you, the donner of the headphones, are isolated from the sounds of the outside world. Ear canal phones, like the Etymotic ER-4p (these would work best with the iPod w/o an amp, i believe, i could be wrong) or 4s are the kings in this category, and the sound will amaze you. They are perfect for traveling, but if you wil move around alot, the microphonics of the cord make some harsh sounds if it rubs against your cloths, etc. But if you can afford their $270 (new) pricetag, these will not disappoint sonically(if you can tolerate having something in your ear). I dont remember reading anyone who wasnt impressed by their sound. However, you will really hear very little/nothing of outside noise, so if you need to hear the phone ring, or take of the phones quickly, they are not for you.

When I was doing a search for work phones, like you, I came across some of the following phones. It will take you some time, but I really recommend you do a search and investigate these phones. I don't know if they will suit your needs, but they are what come to mind.

Some Closed phones to consider:

Sony CD1700 (they are what I'm using, so they stick out first)

Audio Technica A900, A100ti, A1000, W1000

Sony v6/v7506 (I don't know if they leak or isolate)

some of the Beyerdynamics phones: DT831, DT880...not sure what else, but i love my lower-end DT231

Sony D66 Eggos

Beyerdynamic DT250-80 (or 250-250)

Sony CD3000 (over $300 however)

Sennheiser HD-280 (do you research b4 you buy these, I didnt love them

)

I'll see if I can think of more phones. do a search for "closed" here in the headphones forum, and youll get a ton of threads to read.

 

[Mike Scarpitti]

Quote:

Originally posted by pledesma B Can anyone enlighten me on where Bose fits in the range of quality for sealed headphones?

At the bottom.

 

[Schrieks]

If you're not in a hurry to buy them, you may be able to audition headphones at one of the head-fi meets. You didn't give your location in your profile (so I cannot recommend one), but you can check out this forum http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/forum...?s=&forumid=35 and see if one's happening close to you. For instance, we're having one in the Los Angeles area {plug} and quite a multitude of gear gets brought in and auditioned.

nanahachi mentioned the pros and cons of the Etys. I don't own them, but I've auditioned them and I want to reiterate his sentiments, that they sound amazing and nanahachi: "However, you will really hear very little/nothing of outside noise, so if you need to hear the phone ring, or take of the phones quickly, they are not for you." .... but if those cons are moot for you, then they may be a fantastic fit for your needs.

nanahachi also mentioned the Sony V6s. They do leak sound, but very little when you play at reasonable volumes. Due to their so-so isolation, though, I stopped using them on planes, but they were great for work, as I never missed phone calls the way I do with my current setup.

 

[nanahachi]

one thing that i forgot to mention:

other than the D66 Eggos and the Ety 4P, most phones may not be driven sufficiently by the iPod. Therefore, if you end up with harder to drive headphones, you will need a headphone amp.

That's another hurdle you'll have to get over, but if you want portable, there are several popular options:
* META42 (build your own, or have another do it for you, such as JMT, KurtW, Tigger, and others)
* Supermini
* CHA or Cmoy (I'm not sure if amp builder are still making them, but used ones float around)

do some reading in the amps forum to get aquainted with those. I wholeheartedly recommend getting a META42, whether for your desk powered by AC, or a portable battery-powered one.

(BTW, we WILL make an amp FAQ, to help people like you get a handle of all this info)

if you dont want portable, there are TONS of other headamps, which is a very complicated matter, requiring a bit of research to match your gear correctly. some of them include:
* Meier Audio's Corda amps (HA-1, HA-2...)
* META42
* Headroom's line of amps www.headphone.com
* the upcoming PPA (it might be a while, i really dont know)
* and many many others, including tube amps like the EAR+ and MG Head.

hope that helps.

 

[pledesma]

Per y'alls recommendations, I would like to try the Etymotic ER-4p or 4s. What are the main differences? It was mentioned that the former would work best without an amp on a portable player such as the iPod. How does lower impedance translate into sound production?

Also, I would like to spend as little as possible for these. Is there a resource that offers these at better prices than $269?

In the event that I cannot try these before I purchase them, can someone relate the feel of the ear canal phones to anything?

Thanks again everyone.

 

[SteeleBlayde]

The difference between the Etymotics ER-4P and the ER-4S is a single resister.

Thats right. So all you need is to purchase an adapter from either fixup.net or headphone.com. They both offer adapters. In terms of sound, they're very close but most would agree that the ER-4S sounds better. But then you would really need an amp to drive them. With an adapter, you get the best of both worlds!

I'm not aware of anyone who sells them new cheaper than headphone.com. Unless you want to get a pair used. Personally, I'm not partial to that, especially with earwax and stuff.

As for comfort and fit, its really hit or miss. Some people love and swear by it, some absolutely despise it. It really depends on you. The great thing about headphone.com (HeadRoom) is that they offer you a 30-day return policy, no questions asked, so if you find out you dont like it, you can return it for a full refund.

One cautionary note though, if you do decide to go with the ER-4, give them some time to adjust and give your ear some time to adjust as well. Many people find that they dislike them at first but that the sound improves drastically over time with prolonged use. Ensuring a good seal is also a huge factor. Bear in mind that a good seal does not mean sticking the thing right your ear into your brain.

Alot of the sound depends on the seal so there may or may not be alot of fiddling involved before you are comfortable.

One last thing: Many people complain that the ER-4 has a very microphonic cord and some people have found ways to eliminate this by either having the cord go around the back of the ear lobe, down your back, or using a clip. One, or a combination of these may work for you. Etymotics however is working on improving this aspect of the cord and they have plans of releasing an improved version with less microphonics. Problem is it might not be out for another 6 month. You can search the boards though for more info on this.

Hope that helps!

 

[DanG]

I would not recommend the ER-4S for work unless you really have a loud environment around you that prevents work and/or listening completely. If you have to talk to co-workers frequently, you won't hear them while wearing the ER-4S or ER-4P. If they tap you on the shoulder every half-hour or so or you need to take them out for any other reason on a rather frequent basis, your ears will begin to hurt just because of the frequent insertion and removal.

I would really recommend something that goes over your head and has a sealed back like the Sony V6, Beyer DT250, Sony D66, or another conventional-style headphone. You might also like the
Beyer DT770 Pro (250-ohm version) which costs $165 from Meier Audio and $179 from Headroom. You could get an amp from Head-Fi members JMT or tangent or Headsave for around $100 that could also be used portably with an iPod.

Good luck!