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grack posted:What kind of music do you listen to and what's your price range? Sorry, I should have been more specific ... I'm willing to spend up to around £100 on a pair of good IEMs, though I'm a bit worried about the longevity of things, I've never had a pair that's lasted more than a year and a half. As for music, I listen to lots of different stuff, but a lot of heavy rock, punk, drone/ambient, jungle/breakcore and jazz. As an example, when I first took the Brainwavs headphones out I tested them on Faraquet, Melvins and Swans. I'm also a bit worried about the quality of my actual player too ... I'm using an old iPod Video (80Gb), is it actually worth spending much money on headphones with something like this? If not, are there any other alternative portable players with better sound quality that can store a good amount of music?
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Aug 19, 2013 21:07
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First thing I'd say is try different tips with the M5, but if that still doesn't help look for headphones with bass heavy or v-shaped sound signatures. If you dislike mid-heavy headphones, analytical or balanced signatures probably won't be to your liking either. I kind of like this listing, personally - joker's favourites for different signatures and different price ranges: http://theheadphonelist.com/articles/earphone-buyers-guide/
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Aug 19, 2013 21:18
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I'd recommend the Audio-Technica ATH-CKM500 based on your budget and listening preferences. Look up the reviews on it - it seems right up your alley. Your iPod should be fine unless you actually begin hearing distortion/hissing. I've heard the classic iPods all had really decent DAC's to begin with, so you shouldn't have to worry about upgrading your player.
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Aug 19, 2013 21:20
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horse_ebookmarklet posted:Budget - Under $200. So I ended up buying the ATH-M50s. I'm initially liking them; pretty comfortable. They're very different than the HD280-Pros in that these are pretty 'bassy' in comparison. I don't know if this is good or bad, but I like having some bass response! They're also pretty adequate at cancelling out background noise while still being relatively quiet volume levels. I'm thinking it was a good purchase.
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Aug 20, 2013 04:13
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The Bose QC15 are pretty drat good, they're pretty tinny with the noise cancelling on, but not nearly as top heavy as the Ultrasone pro 900s are bottom heavy and I love those. I'd say those are the exception to the rule for Bose, all the other QC sound like poo poo compared to a decent Senn/Shure IEM and don't have nearly as much isolation/cancellation. Also there needs to be a customs section in the OP, they really are their own category once you move up to something like JH or UE.
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Aug 20, 2013 04:32
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Pudgygiant posted:The Bose QC15 are pretty drat good, they're pretty tinny with the noise cancelling on, but not nearly as top heavy as the Ultrasone pro 900s are bottom heavy and I love those. I'd say those are the exception to the rule for Bose, all the other QC sound like poo poo compared to a decent Senn/Shure IEM and don't have nearly as much isolation/cancellation. Also there needs to be a customs section in the OP, they really are their own category once you move up to something like JH or UE. I had multiple pairs of the QC15 and every one of them cracked where there was a right angle corner of plastic on the bands. Warranty replaced them all but I stopped traveling with them when I got the og Shure E500PTH. At the time both were fine but there is much better out there now. MY Dad has some UE9000s that have good noise canceling and sound way better than the Bose. Even then, noise cancellation is so Y2K. I am squarely in the iem isolation camp, and eventually replaced the Shure with a universal five BA iem from a company that no longer exists. These are an order of magnitude better than the old Shure tripe drivers (though the newer 535 are also improved). I totally agree that custom iems deserve their own section. I have seen pictures of my new CIEMs and I don't have them yet but I hope that my iem journey ends at this pair. Hand built by a wizard, ten drivers in each ear. I can't wait.
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Aug 20, 2013 04:44
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Has anyone got any suggestions for foam tips that will fit on Meelectronics a161p? I had been using Sennheiser (or were they Shure?) ones but they don't fit.
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Aug 20, 2013 09:41
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Red_Fred posted:Has anyone got any suggestions for foam tips that will fit on Meelectronics a161p? I had been using Sennheiser (or were they Shure?) ones but they don't fit. The comply 200 series fits according to comply's website
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Aug 20, 2013 14:12
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Red_Fred posted:Has anyone got any suggestions for foam tips that will fit on Meelectronics a161p? I had been using Sennheiser (or were they Shure?) ones but they don't fit. Generic memory foam tips you can get off of eBay will fit with no problems. JVC Marshmallow tips will work as well. Shure and Klipsch use much smaller nozzles so don't get those.
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Aug 20, 2013 17:48
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friendly gentleman posted:Budget - Under $200. I don't think this guy got a reply but he's looking for the same thing I'm looking for(I listen to music on my phone while on the subway.) My main concern is that I kind of treat my headphones like poo poo and stuff them in my pockets so of course the wire starts to die and I get irritable about it. If they haven't made a headphone that can take my abuse then one of those over ear headphones that fold up would work too! I just like portability. Thank you all for offering advice to the average listener!
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Aug 21, 2013 04:54
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Philips makes the O'Neill tread, and it's supposed to be pretty well bulletproof. Doesn't sound very good, unfortunately. Have you considered getting an Altoids tin to use as a headphone case? It's worth slightly modifying a bad habit to save money.
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Aug 21, 2013 06:16
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Thornes posted:I don't think this guy got a reply but he's looking for the same thing I'm looking for(I listen to music on my phone while on the subway.) My main concern is that I kind of treat my headphones like poo poo and stuff them in my pockets so of course the wire starts to die and I get irritable about it. Maybe look into Klipsch? I heard they're newer line has a more robust headphone cord. Otherwise they definitely fit the bill.
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Aug 21, 2013 11:59
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I listen to a V0 encoded music coverage a dizzying array of genres: classical (Bach, Beethoven), overproduced pop, female vocalists (Adele, Norah Jones), and lots of electronic music (mostly progressive house). I've had Sennheiser 580's for a long time and they're great, but I'd like to have a little more bass, especially for my electronic music. It might help to get an amp, but using a friend's Asus Xonar, they didn't seem THAT different from my onboard audio; when I A/B'ed my 580's with Sennheiser 650's on the Xonar, the 650's had that little more bass I was looking for, but they weren't $500 better. I'm wondering whether there'd be any value to getting Sony MDR 7506's, especially since they're $77 on Amazon, which is basically their all time low price. Should I spend the $77 on a headphone amp? Or should I just mess with equalizer settings since the lack of bass is most notable with electronic music where fidelity is less of a concern?
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Aug 21, 2013 12:48
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You can get the HD650 for less than $300 used on Head-Fi.
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Aug 21, 2013 16:17
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So I got the VPulse phones after you guys recommendation and a bunch of reviews I read. Unfortunately they came in defective.. I think. when I push the right earbud into my ear I get a wicked crackling sound like cellophane crinkling... but they sound perfectly good with no distortion. But its a deal breaker, that poo poo would drive me nuts. Anyone seen anything like that? [edit] thanks for the recommendation, these sound EXACTLY like I wanted redeyes fucked around with this message at 22:22 on Aug 22, 2013 |
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Aug 22, 2013 22:13
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It's driver flex. Some IEMs do that but it's no problem.
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Aug 23, 2013 00:03
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Midorka posted:It's driver flex. Some IEMs do that but it's no problem. Say what?! It sounds like the driver is being torn in pieces, its not a nice sound in my ear. Also, if I just push on the bud while in my ear it does that rotten crinkling sound. What do you think? redeyes fucked around with this message at 00:28 on Aug 23, 2013 |
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Aug 23, 2013 00:15
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redeyes posted:Say what?! It sounds like the driver is being torn in pieces, its not a nice sound in my ear. Also, if I just push on the bud while in my ear it does that rotten crinkling sound. He's saying it doesn't damage the IEMs or indicate a defect. I'd say if you need to keep pushing them in, you need tips that fit you better. If it really drives you nuts, you can try another pair, but I don't know which ones do it off the top of my head.
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Aug 23, 2013 00:34
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redeyes posted:Say what?! It sounds like the driver is being torn in pieces, its not a nice sound in my ear. Also, if I just push on the bud while in my ear it does that rotten crinkling sound. Try smaller tips. Also, when you insert the headphones pull on the top of your earlobes to stretch out the canal slightly. This can help minimize the air pressure changes that cause driver flex. Otherwise, yeah - flex is pretty common. Just keep messing with them and you'll figure out a way where it's no longer a problem.
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Aug 23, 2013 01:10
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Budget - 50-150 Source - galaxy s3, laptop, ipod Isolation Requirements - No Preferred Type of Headphone - Earbud Preferred Tonal Balance - Preferrably vocal focused Past Headphones - Was using sennheser mx880, the cord messed up and at times it had to be in a specific position to get sound out of both channels Preferred Music - Indie music So my friend is looking for new earbuds to use in her lab. She doesn't like the isolation ones and has a pretty decent budget I think. Anyone have any suggestions for her?
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Aug 23, 2013 07:10
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Yuin makes some earbuds that are in that range. I've heard good things about them.
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Aug 23, 2013 15:36
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Got my Grado SR80i today, and I believe I'm going to be thoroughly impressed once the burn in is done. I don't even really need it they sound so good already. I listened to some calm Opeth where Akerfeldt actually vocalizes without screaming and plays acoustic, and it sounded *fantastic*. This jealous dumby I work with put them on, pulled up freemixtapes.com or whatever, listened for 10 seconds, and declared that his knock-off Beats sound better.
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Aug 24, 2013 12:30
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Protons posted:Got my Grado SR80i today, and I believe I'm going to be thoroughly impressed once the burn in is done. I don't even really need it they sound so good already. I listened to some calm Opeth where Akerfeldt actually vocalizes without screaming and plays acoustic, and it sounded *fantastic*. "Burn in" isn't a real thing when you're talking about speakers/headphones. If your headphones sound different after using them, you broke something. KillHour fucked around with this message at 17:31 on Aug 24, 2013 |
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Aug 24, 2013 17:23
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KillHour posted:"Burn in" isn't a real thing when you're talking about speakers/headphones. If your headphones sound different after using them, you broke something. That's not true at all. I've listened to more headphones than most people have seen in real life and can promise you that some headphones benefit from being used. Grado SR80i aren't one of them, but some do. Whether it be the pads softening and creating a better seal or the drivers themselves changing, it happens.
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Aug 24, 2013 17:33
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Midorka posted:That's not true at all. I've listened to more headphones than most people have seen in real life and can promise you that some headphones benefit from being used. Grado SR80i aren't one of them, but some do. Whether it be the pads softening and creating a better seal or the drivers themselves changing, it happens. I could see the pads compressing more making a difference (although that's not what most people think of when they reference "burn-in"), but what specifically would change in a driver from use that could make it sound better? Genuinely curious, because nothing in the magnet itself is going to change, and any change I can think of from the diaphragm would be material fatigue and make it sound worse.
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Aug 24, 2013 17:45
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I'm not an audio engineer, so I don't know the science or mechanics behind it. The headphones that I've experienced this with have almost all been balanced armature drivers. I've experienced bass going from distorted to clean and punchy while the highs go from shrill/distorted to bright but not distorted. My only guess is that the high and low frequencies put more stress on a driver than the mids, or the lows and highs simply show more distortion if a diaphragm is in its infancy. I know for a fact that I've experienced it though, but as I said almost exclusively in BA IEMs. Full-sized headphones I've heard very little changes, I attribute them mostly to my brain getting use to the sound, but I know for a fact that I've experienced a big change in sound when stiff pads break in, such as the Audio Technica Ad900. I believe that most full-sized headphones are tested for quality/consistency before sent out, perhaps many IEMs aren't? Especially with so many new/small companies. If that were the case the diaphragm would possibly be too tight to allow for the air to naturally push out without problems. Once it has some flex to it, from use, it changes. Just speculation though. Midorka fucked around with this message at 18:15 on Aug 24, 2013 |
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Aug 24, 2013 18:11
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Grado himself includes a letter in the box that talks about burn in. I've never believed in it but who knows. I just don't worry about it and use them. Interesting point about the ad900s. I'm thinking of getting a pair.
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Aug 24, 2013 18:17
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Yea, the Grados are pretty  and I'm pretty happy with them after only 28 hours.
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Aug 25, 2013 08:02
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KillHour posted:"Burn in" isn't a real thing when you're talking about speakers/headphones. If your headphones sound different after using them, you broke something. I literally compared side-by-side my three years old AD900 with my friend's one-day old AD900 and they sounded very different, it was very noticeable by both of us. I have no idea what happens within the headphones but I was glad my impressions on the AD900 changing weren't placebo. When he's back from vacations we're gonna do it again, now that it's been some months since he bought it. He confirmed he felt changes in the sound in the first week of use, I want to see how they compare now. I don't remember this happening with other headphones (except for the D5000). I'm pretty sure I didn't notice anything in the HD 280, but I can guarantee you that burn-in exists and happens in the AD900. I don't know if it's the driver, the pads or supernatural intervention.
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Aug 25, 2013 12:12
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Do a lot of people use those fIIO amplifiers? It must be a pain to lug around your ipod and that amp with cables running all over just to listen to some Nickleback.
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Aug 25, 2013 12:38
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So i've actually managed to break my V-moda LP Crossfades that I've had ever since release, I know that is hard to do but stepping on an earcup during a particularly zealous drop has rendered them a bit useless. I have already spoken to V-Moda who have kindly granted me their 50% 'Immortal' program for any of their products which is sweet as hell. I really enjoyed the LPs, sure they were heavy on the lows but because I mix mostly house they were fine. I want to know then whether I should go for the LP2s or the M100s? I imagine the LP2s have a similar balance to their predecessors, but the M100s are a bit more refined. If I buy the M100s will I still get that awesome 'thud' bass that I got from the LP2s? Also, to any goons reading this who enjoy their EDM, seriously forget any of these crappy plastic beats, V-Moda is incredible. EDIT : Also can anybody testify to the V moda VAMP? Is it a good mobile amp? I've always wanted louder music on the go. a neurotic ai fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Aug 25, 2013 |
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Aug 25, 2013 16:29
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Protons posted:Do a lot of people use those fIIO amplifiers? It must be a pain to lug around your ipod and that amp with cables running all over just to listen to some Nickleback. I use one at home and work. Then again, I typically don't listen to my HD-598's on public transportation or walking around.
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Aug 25, 2013 18:13
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Protons posted:Do a lot of people use those fIIO amplifiers? It must be a pain to lug around your ipod and that amp with cables running all over just to listen to some Nickleback. If you're hauling around a backpack or shoulder bag on a commute it's fairly easy. That said, I don't use any type of external DAC/amplifier because my phone (Optimus G) has excellent output already.
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Aug 25, 2013 21:31
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So the recommendation for the Vpulse earbuds.. goddamn dudes. Those things hit my ears harder than my in-house 12" Blue Sky subwoofer. It's absolutely insane how transparent these buds are for my tastes. They can dip LOW like 25-30hz and no problem, rattle my loving fillings out, and then go to slut-banging metal and even nice sweet jazz and all of it sounds very natural and full bodied and wonderful.
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Aug 26, 2013 02:52
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Budget - $100 max Source - On board audio on Win 7 desktop/old Sennheiser USB earphone & mic jack Isolation Requirements - Looking to block out normal household sounds with a roommate Preferred Type of Headphone - Over ear. Past Headphones - I've had a Sennheiser PC 150 for the past 7 years and a few days ago, they stopped producing bass. A few gaming goons recommended to get a decent pair of headphones and a separate cheap-o mic since I'll primarily only use the mic function for gaming/mumble and the occasional call on Google voice. From skimming the thread and talking to those guys, I thought I'd narrowed it down to Sony MDR7506 and Creative Aurvana Live! but I'm thinking maybe I'm over stating my necessities since I'd been really happy with the pc150 ($50) for 7 years and maybe I could use a still decent Audio-Technica ATH-M30 as long as it covers my ears.
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Aug 26, 2013 06:00
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grack posted:Generic memory foam tips you can get off of eBay will fit with no problems. JVC Marshmallow tips will work as well. Shure and Klipsch use much smaller nozzles so don't get those. I'm a bit late but how much of an improvement are these over , say, double flange tips? I have double flange tips on my Jlab J4s which are my commuter pair, but the double flanges never stay in and I have to angle them right to get the full seal (and effectively, bass.) IEMs staying in the ear is kind of important when you're on the go.
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Aug 26, 2013 21:57
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Protocol7 posted:I'm a bit late but how much of an improvement are these over , say, double flange tips? I have double flange tips on my Jlab J4s which are my commuter pair, but the double flanges never stay in and I have to angle them right to get the full seal (and effectively, bass.) IEMs staying in the ear is kind of important when you're on the go. Sounds like you need larger tips. Foam will seal a little better and, at least for some people, be more comfortable. Isolation should be about the same.
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Aug 26, 2013 22:18
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grack posted:Sounds like you need larger tips. Foam will seal a little better and, at least for some people, be more comfortable. Isolation should be about the same. I sit right about the middle for size, since small ones immediately fall out and the larger ones won't even go in (even with the earlobe trick.) Could just be lovely tips, though, maybe a better, larger one will suit my needs.
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Aug 26, 2013 22:28
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Just got my pair of NVX XPT100 in the mail. Loving them so far!
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Aug 27, 2013 01:37
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Alehkhs posted:Just got my pair of NVX XPT100 in the mail. Loving them so far! Glad my review helped you.
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Aug 27, 2013 01:40
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