#274958 - 25/01/2006 12:11
New headphones?
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5682
Loc: London, UK
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I'm sitting at work using my Sony MDR-EX71 in-hear headphones, and I've decided that I don't like them that much.
Partly, it's because the wires are rubberised with something quite sticky, and they insist on tangling themselves up.
Partly, it's because they're in-ear, and after wearing them all day, my ears can get a little irritated.
So, any suggestions? I quite like the look of those ones where the band sits across the neck, rather than the top of the head. The sound quality should be OK, but I'm not expecting crystal clarity. They should avoid too much noise leakage -- for the sake of the other people in the office.
Something relatively cheap is good -- I'm not looking for Sennheisers or anything.
_________________________
-- roger
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#274959 - 25/01/2006 12:58
Re: New headphones?
[Re: Roger]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 27/02/2004
Posts: 1901
Loc: London
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Quote:
I'm sitting at work using my Sony MDR-EX71 in-hear headphones, and I've decided that I don't like them that much.
Me too, they're crap. I found my original MkI iPod ones, a lot better. And even though they block out quite a lot of external sound they're still a lot quieter than normal ones.
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#274960 - 25/01/2006 12:58
Re: New headphones?
[Re: Roger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/04/2000
Posts: 3810
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The bottom-of-the-line Grado SR60's are quite affordable (something like $70) and are] traditional band-over-the-top headphones. The band is flexible, so you can expand or shrink it to make it more comfortable on your head. Sound quality is fantastic. The only downside is that they're (relatively) open air, so outside noise gets in easily. I never had complaints from nearby people about the sound from my headphones when I was using them.
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#274961 - 25/01/2006 14:41
Re: New headphones?
[Re: DWallach]
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old hand
Registered: 07/01/2005
Posts: 893
Loc: Sector ZZ9pZa
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I have a pair of SR60's, so I thought I'd add my thoughts. I use them as late evening headphones, mainly in bed chilling out with cool music from the Empeg (with an Evilfire headphone amp) or watching movies on the laptop. I love them - the sound is really awesome.
Yet, I am a little hesitant to recommend them for using them at work. They are not quite comfy enough. Even with the headband stretched out just so, I can't wear them for more than 2-3 hours. Just as DW said, they leak a lot - it maybe ok if you don't have people near you or its a noisy office.
A great thing about them though is the cord is a long thick affair. You'd never get it tangled up, and you can probably reach a PC under a desk.
Oh and also these are definately not good for Internet Radio, or anything low bitrate. There is so much detail and the sound is crisp - compression really shows up. Then again, I'm not sure how they compare to other headphones in the same league in this respect.
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#274962 - 25/01/2006 14:42
Re: New headphones?
[Re: Roger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12320
Loc: Sterling, VA
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I'll take this opportunity to share my experience with the "Logitech Wireless Headphones for MP3" as they are so creatively called. I got this set for Christmas and I really liked them. I think the advertised range is nearly correct for line-of-sight, and I could still get about 20 feet through some walls.
The problem is that they did not do a great job on the physical design. I have a much larger head than average (I think I'm about a size 8 hat, maybe a little larger), but I've heard several complaints like mine: the headphones are too tight, and after a while they crack in the middle of the headband.
It's gotten so bad that at this point I think the headphones don't even turn on. They're just broken. So now I have to go through the RMA process which I know is just going to result in another set that will do the same thing.
However, if you have a smaller head, I highly recommend these headphones. They work perfectly, and you can control the volume on the headphones themselves.
_________________________
Matt
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#274963 - 25/01/2006 21:41
Re: New headphones?
[Re: sein]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/04/2000
Posts: 3810
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The stock Grado foam pads are somewhat uncomfortable for hours-long use. My local snooty audiophile shop sold me a $10 set of replacement foam pads that are radically more comfortable than the originals. And, I completely agree about the "revealing" nature of Grado headphones. When I first got them and plugged them into my PC, I was shocked that I could hear my mouse moving. Scrolling a window was a cascade of noise. And, heaven forbid you did anything with the hard drive.
I'm now a fan of external USB sound cards...
EDIT: hear my MOUSE, not HOUSE moving.
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#274964 - 25/01/2006 22:08
Re: New headphones?
[Re: DWallach]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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Quote:
The bottom-of-the-line Grado SR60's are quite affordable (something like $70) and are] traditional band-over-the-top headphones. The band is flexible, so you can expand or shrink it to make it more comfortable on your head. Sound quality is fantastic. The only downside is that they're (relatively) open air, so outside noise gets in easily. I never had complaints from nearby people about the sound from my headphones when I was using them.
I've been hearing good things about the Grados for years. Would be nice if they had a headset for gaming.. or maybe they do. I never looked.
_________________________
Brad B.
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#274965 - 26/01/2006 08:29
Re: New headphones?
[Re: Roger]
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addict
Registered: 10/11/2000
Posts: 497
Loc: Utah, USA
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I really loved my Koss PortaPros. Stylistically, they look like they were designed in the early 80s and just left there, but they sounded great. Additionally, the cord was plenty long without being too long, and the ear support pad business made them really comfortable. I was kind of afraid to wear them in public, though. I don't think they're any uglier than the Grados, though. They're both from different eras. The PortaPros are usually around $40, so cheaper than the Grados. Supposedly, the same drivers are in the KSC series, the KTXPRO1 and the SportaPro which are all cheaper and arguably look better than the PortaPro. The KTXPRO1 and the SportaPro usually go for less than $20. The KSC series ones all clip over the ear like some weird earmuffs, and the Sporta Pro kind of goes around the back of your head, so they kind of meet your needs there.
Right now I have the Sennheiser PX100 which are around ~$50, sound great, and look quite decent. Of the cheap Sennheisers, the PX200 might be better for you since it's closed, though.
_________________________
-Aaron
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#274966 - 26/01/2006 20:29
Re: New headphones?
[Re: Roger]
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addict
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 498
Loc: Virginia, USA
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Avoid the Grado SR 60/80 if you can't have noise leakage. They leak more then any other headphone I've used (and I've used a lot).
The Sennheiser PX100 is my favorite sounding pair for under $50. They, too, will leak sound but not as much as the Grado's. If you listen at moderate volume they may be OK in the office. One of the guys here uses those and they don't annoy anyone. But they would annoy people at the volume I listen.
I use the AKG K26P at the office. They are closed so they hardly leak at all but unlike most closed headphones they sound good. The comfort is only OK. They clamp rather tightly at first but with break in and some forced bending of the band I can wear them all day now.
If you just want regular earbuds the Sennheiser MX500 are a steal at $15. If you get the MX500 then I recommend going to Radio Shack and getting their $2 earbud foam covers. They improve the fit and sound of the MX500.
Yes, I'm a headphone geek.
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#274967 - 26/01/2006 20:34
Re: New headphones?
[Re: adavidw]
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addict
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 498
Loc: Virginia, USA
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Quote:
Of the cheap Sennheisers, the PX200 might be better for you since it's closed, though.
Based on the wildly varying opinion of the PX200 in forums, they seem to be heavily fit dependent. If you have smaller ear openings and the PX200 cover the entire opening, then they sound good. On my ears they don't form a seal and sound terrible.
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#274968 - 27/01/2006 07:03
Re: New headphones?
[Re: DWallach]
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old hand
Registered: 07/01/2005
Posts: 893
Loc: Sector ZZ9pZa
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Quote:
My local snooty audiophile shop sold me a $10 set of replacement foam pads that are radically more comfortable than the originals.
Oh, nice one! Not to hijack the thread or anything, but do you have any details on those?
Quote:
And, I completely agree about the "revealing" nature of Grado headphones. When I first got them and plugged them into my PC, I was shocked that I could hear my mouse moving.
Cheap PC audio used to be pretty bad in this respect. I remember hearing the network traffic loud and clear on my old Sony laptop, and the Dell I once had was so noisy, headphones were very unusable. On the flip side, the ASUS A7N8X-Deluxe nForce2 based PC that I've been using for a few years has surprisingly nice clean clear sound.
Quote:
I really loved my Koss PortaPros [...] I was kind of afraid to wear them in public, though. I don't think they're any uglier than the Grados
Yeah, I love the look of the Grados - its kinda old school and a completely different planet than your modern Sennheiser space-age affair. There is no way I'm wearing the SR60s out of the house though 
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#274969 - 27/01/2006 12:44
Re: New headphones?
[Re: sein]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/04/2000
Posts: 3810
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Oh, nice one! Not to hijack the thread or anything, but do you have any details on those (Grado replacement earpads)?
Sorry, I don't have much. They were in a zip-lock bag with a cheap, laser-printed label. Where the official Grado headphones use a very hard foam that only goes around the edges, these replacements are a more traditional soft foam, of the sort that most traditional headphones have always used, except they're much thicker. So, on one hand, you've got some foam between the headphones and your ears, which might reduce sound fidelity somewhat (sound great to me), but on the other hand, you've got all that extra padding, which makes them far more comfortable to wear.
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#274970 - 27/01/2006 16:24
Re: New headphones?
[Re: DWallach]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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_________________________
Bitt Faulk
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