Budget headphone's selection -update-
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Topic: Budget headphone's selection -update-
Posted By: oliverstoned
Subject: Budget headphone's selection -update-
Date Posted: January 25 2008 at 05:06
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Budget headphone's selection -update- PA people often ask me some headphone's advices. As i've tried many models recently, here's a little selection of budget headphones, of good musical value of course and at very attractive price (i especially think of our youngest members, but not only). All the models presented here doesn't require a dedicated headphone's amplifier, and so can be drive directly from any portable source such as an Ipod. I don't present "earbud" type cause i don't like it too much, because most of them lack low (even if some of them has some of the most beautiful highs and extreme highs). So, i've selected "earpads" models which have the other advantage to be much more confortable than the earbuds ones, which doesn't let the ear "breathes" much. If some of you are interested in earbuds models anyway, i can provide some advices as well. The selection: Sennheiser PX100 The smallest quality headphone on the market. In the same league as the Koss "Porta Pro" but slightly better, and with excellent ergonomics. Sennheiser's sound aesthetic: soft and musical, perfect to soften sub-digital quality MP3. Not a real hifi headphone, but a great value for the price. There's nothing below. Musically better than bigger (isolated) models. 
Beyerdynamic DT 231 A winner in the earpad category: extremely musical, a tight and quick low end for such budget headphone, a warm midrange that will soften a lot your harsh MP3. It's limited in extreme highs but so musical that it's not a problem. Extremely confortable and features only one cable, which is convenient. 
Sennheiser EH 350 Great performance for the price: highly efficient, well balanced, well extended on both ends of the spectrum, neutral, it also features a good soundstage. 
To feed your headphones with a cheap quality analog portable source: Sangean pocket tuners DT 110 
DT 120 
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Replies:
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 25 2008 at 05:52
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I recently got the Sennheiser HD 515 ... I'm not really happy with it. Maybe I'll try one of the mid range (3xx) headphones, like the one you suggested!
------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Mike" rel="nofollow">Recently listened to: 
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Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: January 25 2008 at 07:03
| I don't know that one...are you sure about the reference? |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 25 2008 at 07:44
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^ sorry, my mistake ... it's HD 515.
------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Mike" rel="nofollow">Recently listened to:
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Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: January 25 2008 at 07:53
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OK, indeed the HD515 lack some resolution in the mids/highs and has a slightly nasal coloration. For the same price, the HD485 is better, and for some extra bucks, the HD555 is much better.
A killer combo is the HD 555 drived by a Headroom "Total Bithead" amp: 
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Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 25 2008 at 08:31
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^ I agree about the "nasal" quality of the HD 515 ... unfortunately I can't return it to the store because of that. But how should this amp fix the problem?
------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Mike" rel="nofollow">Recently listened to:
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Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: January 25 2008 at 08:34
| Sorry i did a mistake, i mean the 555 ( i just corrected my post) drived by this portable amp. No, there's nothing to do about your 515, except to sell it back, on Ebay for example. |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 25 2008 at 09:57
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^ I'll probably keep it as a backup ... I wouldn't want to inflict this kind of torture on other people. It's just sad that out of all the big Sennheiser headphones I picked the crappy model ... I would never have thought that I would need to check reviews before buying a Sennheiser product. So ... maybe now I'll go with AKG, just to teach Sennheiser a lesson! 
------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Mike" rel="nofollow">Recently listened to:
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: January 25 2008 at 12:19
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I stick by Consumer Reports recommendations, I've bought a set of the Sony portable ear buds and the home model (Grado) and have been really happy with them. I haven't had much experience with home models but lots of experience with ear bud types particularly those that come with digital music players and they've all been crappy. Really impressed with the Sony ones. The best I've heard of that type. Haven't tried the airplane types. Best for music, especially at home:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/headphones-12-06/ratings/1206_head_rat.htm#grad60 - Grado SR-60 $70 CR Best Buy
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/headphones-12-06/ratings/1206_head_rat.htm#grad80 - Grado SR-80 $95 Best for airplanes:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/headphones-12-06/ratings/1206_head_rat.htm#sennpxc - Sennheiser PXC 250 $150
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/headphones-12-06/ratings/1206_head_rat.htm#bose - Bose QuietComfort 2 $300 Best for use with portable audio players:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/headphones-12-06/ratings/1206_head_rat.htm#sony - Sony MDR-ED21LP $20 CR Best Buy http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/headphones-12-06/ratings/1206_head_rat.htm#senncx - Sennheiser CX 300 $50 ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: January 25 2008 at 12:59
| The two Grado's are good. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: January 25 2008 at 14:21
I have a problem with my set that is more physical in nature rather than perfomance. The phones come off the little poles that mount them to the band too easily. I can rescrew them on but still... But hey, a good set of headphones is a great way to enjoy prog without annoying your loved ones too much. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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oliverstoned wrote:Posted By: Mikerinos
Date Posted: January 25 2008 at 23:43
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I have Grado SR60s and Sennheiser HD202s. The Grados can sound "bright" and the Sennheisers too bass-exaggerated, but overall worth purchasing. The $15-20 HD202s are way better than standard iPod earplugs. I'd like to upgrade sometime in 2008, hopefully to HD600s after I sell some stuff on eBay and get birthday money. The HD600s are more appealing to me than more-expensive Grado models because of the closed design and better reviews. Are they worth investing if I don't have a headphone amp, or should I consider the HD555 instead? I'd like an amp eventually, but ones I've looked at are more expensive than the headphones themselves! ------------- 
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Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: January 26 2008 at 04:16
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Glad to see you're an Agitation free fan. No, the 600 or 650 is not worth without headphone amp, but Headroom does excellent pure class A portable (or not)amps (20 h autonomy)that will drive wonderfully a 600 or 650: It costs 400 dollars: 
http://www.headphone.com/products/headphone-amps/the-micro-line/2007-headroom-portable-micro-amp.php - http://www.headphone.com/products/headphone-amps/the-micro-line/2007-headroom-portable-micro-amp.php |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: January 26 2008 at 06:09
Holy Crap!!!  ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: January 26 2008 at 06:48
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What do you mean? Do you find it great or too expensive?
From my experience, i warmly recommend it. I've recently tried the Headroom Micro Amp with HD 600 & 650 (i've got both) and it's very good, though of course not as good as my Sugden Le Bijou (Class A also)home headphone amp (which costs around 1500 dollars new). But i made a mistake when ordering, confusing the portable one with the non-portable. So i sent it back, and the portable will not be available until late March. Anyway, these little amps work wonderful, and this spring, i'll be in the meadows, listening to tapes through my Sony WM-D6 professional portable cassette deck, linked to the Portable micro amp, that will drive my HD 650!! One thing that i don't know, is that if the Total bithead amp (see up), a smaller, and more basic amp, would be abble to drive properly a 600 or 650. But for sure, the HD 555/Total bithead combo is awesome. Maybe the solution for you. |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 26 2008 at 09:58
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Maybe I'll get the HD 555 ... but not the amp. My hi-fi is more than capable of driving big headphones, and I would never use such big headphones in a mobile situation. For that I strongly recommend in-ear headphones.
------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Mike" rel="nofollow">Recently listened to:
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Posted By: Mikerinos
Date Posted: January 26 2008 at 18:06
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The HD555s are open headphones right? I'd prefer closed because I like filtering out some noise when I'm listening to music and I'm sure sound leakage is annoying for people around me as well. -------------
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Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 27 2008 at 02:26
^ in-ear headphones are *ideal* for that. Nearly all environmental noise is filtered out, and there is virtually no sound leakage. And because they are so small and so close to the ear membrane, they need very little power, so your batteries will last longer. And last but not least: You look less "nerdy" than someone walking around in a subway with big headphones.
------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Mike" rel="nofollow">Recently listened to:
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: January 27 2008 at 06:15
The price tag of course.  Budget headphones if money is no object? ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: January 27 2008 at 09:03
...drive it properly? Certainly not. |
Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: January 27 2008 at 09:06
We're slightly off-topic. We're talking about HD600's which are not exactly budget headphones, but extremely cheap for what's the best electro-dynamic headphones on the market. But unfortunatly, it require a dedicated amp, and no headphone amp output, even on great electronics, is good enough to reveal their full capacities. |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 27 2008 at 09:29
Why don't Sennheiser mention anything about a dedicated amp on their pages about the HD models? ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Mike" rel="nofollow">Recently listened to:
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Posted By: Mikerinos
Date Posted: January 27 2008 at 09:49
Personally, I find them less comfortable than big headphones and they're worse for your hearing apparently, which is something I don't want to wane any time soon. Plus, I think a lot of Sennheisers look really neat; and the Grados, not as much, I usually wear them at home anyway, since they're open. -------------
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: January 27 2008 at 10:20
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Well, I'd love to try out some $400 headphones someday, but it they're that good, maybe I should avoid them at all costs...
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 27 2008 at 10:26
Why should they be bad for your hearing? The danger for your hearing depends on the volume, not on the form of the headphones. And good in-ear headphones are actually better for the ear because they filter out environmental noise and thus allow you to listen at low volume without being distracted. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Mike" rel="nofollow">Recently listened to:
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: January 27 2008 at 10:34
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^ Can't disagree with that, the less outside noise infiltration, the lower the volume you can go and enjoy the music.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: Mikerinos
Date Posted: January 27 2008 at 12:06
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/20/electric_earbuds/ - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/20/electric_earbuds/ That's mostly just for the "earbud" type in-ears, not the "ear canal" ones which are more expensive and higher quality. I've only used one pair of ear canal headphones, and I really didn't like it. Sure, they sounded better than cheap iPod earbuds, but I found them more uncomfortable than big 'phones and didn't sound as good (my friend apparently spent $80 I believe on the pair, so they weren't that cheap) as my Grados or even the cheap Sennheiser HD 202s. They reduced about as much noise as my closed big 'phones, I'm not sure how they'd compare with big headphones that are specifically noise cancelling. So basically, it's preference, like many things. And from what I heard, in-ears aren't my thing.  -------------
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Posted By: Jimbo
Date Posted: March 08 2008 at 04:43
Cheers Oliver, I just bought a pair of Sennheiser PX 100's, and they're fantastic! 
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Posted By: Novalis
Date Posted: March 26 2008 at 01:11
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What does anyone think about the AKG K 416? Also, I've been told that the Sennheiser EH 350s are great but not very comfortable. Thoughts? |
Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: March 27 2008 at 09:25
I just get your post. Happy that you're happy with the PX100. It's the smallest good headphone on the market, along with the Koss "Porta Pro" in the same league. And it's much better than higher models feat isolation (PX250 and so on, to avoid). What source do you use? Ipod? |
Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: March 27 2008 at 09:30
Haven't tried the K 416. The EH350 are not very confortable indeed. I warmly recommend the Beyerdynamic DT231 Pro over the EH350: very confortable and more musical, plus it's cheaper! |
Posted By: Kid-A
Date Posted: April 20 2008 at 17:32
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Koss Ksc-75 clip-ons. ------------- 
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