572 replies to this topic

[Marian Schedenig]

I hate in-ears. Headphones all the way. They mess up my hair though.

[Jason LeBlanc]

I don't use my iPod anymore. I use my 6 disc CD player in the car. At home I listen through my desktop speakers. On a plane I'll dust off my noise-cancelling Sony's.

I use my ipod 100% of the time while I'm in my car now. I have a thing in my car that charges it and takes it output from the bottom and goes right into the Aux-In that my car has, and I can also control it via a remote that's attached the my steering wheel. It's awesome.

[Koray Savas]

My car doesn't have those features unfortunately.

[Blumenkohl]

There is no headphone other than buds and in-ears that looks good while walking around town.

That's old-fashioned thinking. It's like saying people that wanna look good must wear contact lenses instead of glasses. Hip people in Paris, London and Milan don't wear in-ears anymore.

If being hip and fashion trendy is your thing sure go for it.

I like good classic timeless style. And that means being discreet and not looking like the guy who loads luggage onto my plane. I actually don't like the white Apple bud design for that reason. Too flash.

[Wojo]

I don't use my iPod anymore. I use my 6 disc CD player in the car. At home I listen through my desktop speakers. On a plane I'll dust off my noise-cancelling Sony's.

I use my ipod 100% of the time while I'm in my car now. I have a thing in my car that charges it and takes it output from the bottom and goes right into the Aux-In that my car has, and I can also control it via a remote that's attached the my steering wheel. It's awesome.

As I've posted before, my Ford's head unit is a factory 6-disc MP3/CD changer, but lacked an input. Ford added them in '08, mine's an '07. I paid a half-assed audio shop to install a line-in headphone cord, but they did a half-assed job. The toggle switch is not hidden at all, the cord is ugly, and there is absolutely no gain on the input signal, so I have to crank the iPod to full volume (or just backed off, to reduce clipping) and crank the car volume up all the way as well, and even that isn't good because I swear the background static is harmful to health. (And if I forget the iPod was on before changing stations, the sonic boom is three blocks across.) If I wanted to listen to my music via air-based FM transmitter instead of what I have, I'd rip my music at 64 kbps.

Well, after going about two weeks without using the iPod because of a short commute and just listening to a loud rock CD over and over again, I wanted to listen to my iPod. I threw the switch to make 89.1 my iPod input...and I still heard static. So either the switch has gone bad, the audio input is shorting somehow, or has come loose from the back of the head unit. I have been too busy to diagnose it in the evening, but it's a real bummer. At this point, I would like to invest in the kind of sound system Jay described. I need to take some measurements of how big my current head unit is to see how big a hole I need to fill, but it really sucks..

[Jason LeBlanc]

My car doesn't have those features unfortunately.

Oh, the only thing my car came with was an Aux-In. The rest is a separate device I bought. This one:



http://www.kensingto...e-and-ipod.aspx

It's amazing

[Koray Savas]

My car's radio is like built into the dash. I asked a friend from Car Fi when I was at BBY, and he said it'd cost around $500 to install a radio with an aux input. I said no thanks, I'll live with CDRs.

[Datameister]

I lucked out and my car has an aux input. It's also got a built-in USB input like what you're describing, Jay, but I've found that mine doesn't work too well, so I just use the aux input for my iPod. Works just fine...except I do have to crank the volume up on my iPod and on my dashboard, and for some reason, a random radio station can be heard in the static if I turn the volume way up for a quiet part of the music. Gets a little annoying, but it's not a huge deal.

[Ren]

My car can navigate my iPod through the dashboard while it's plugged in to the aux in. I can also sync it with Bluetooth.

[Jason LeBlanc]

I lucked out and my car has an aux input. It's also got a built-in USB input like what you're describing, Jay, but I've found that mine doesn't work too well, so I just use the aux input for my iPod. Works just fine...except I do have to crank the volume up on my iPod and on my dashboard, and for some reason, a random radio station can be heard in the static if I turn the volume way up for a quiet part of the music. Gets a little annoying, but it's not a huge deal.

My car doesn't have any USB input, and I certainly didn't describe anything to do with one My Kensgington LiquidAux plugs into my cigarette lighter. Then one wire goes into the bottom of my ipod, and the other wire goes into the AUX-IN in my car. Perfect sound quality at full voume. Well, my car's speakers such so I have to crank it all the time. Either that or ipods just don't get very loud

[Koray Savas]

I'm pretty sure every car player requires your iPod to be at full volume, then you just use the car's volume knob to adjust it.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Right, but this plugs into the bottom port of my ipod, not the headphone jack. The ipod's internal volume is irrelevant.

I've been in other people's cars that had something hooked up to the headphone jack of their ipod, and you had to leave the ipod itself at about half volume and then control from the car or it got all distorted.

[Wojo]

I've been in other people's cars that had something hooked up to the headphone jack of their ipod, and you had to leave the ipod itself at about half volume and then control from the car or it got all distorted.

That's they way my setup worked before it broke: the car speakers operate as a super-sized set of headphones. I normally keep the iPod at full volume in that case, but sometimes have to back it off a bit or it clips. But you're right, iPods are either so inherently quiet that they and the car speakers must be blasted to be audible, or else my car is so inherently noisy and its sound system is so good at attenuating the signal, that I lose clarity.

If I use an FM transmitter, then I definitely have to back the volume off because it will clip. I have only bought cheap transmitters -- which eat batteries and sound terribly static-y -- as a quick fix for traveling in cars that don't have any kind of aux input or a tape deck, in which case the tape adapters still work great. They do make FM transmitters that cost over $100 but for that money, I'd rather upgrade the box inside the dashboard.

My next upgrade will have something iPod friendly. A dedicated hookup with control on the steering wheel would be amazing.

[Trent Bennett]

I don't use my iPod anymore. I use my 6 disc CD player in the car. At home I listen through my desktop speakers. On a plane I'll dust off my noise-cancelling Sony's.

I use my ipod 100% of the time while I'm in my car now. I have a thing in my car that charges it and takes it output from the bottom and goes right into the Aux-In that my car has, and I can also control it via a remote that's attached the my steering wheel. It's awesome.

Jason,

Is the device/CD player your talking about a Pioneer? We recently replaced our CD player in our car and got a Pioneer. It does have an Aux-In plug but it also has a USB plug that you can plug an iPhone/iPhone into it. It'll even charge the device when it's plugged into the CD player. It's a lot more convenient than having to haul around a bunch of CD-Rs with you.


Edit: Jason ignore my message my bad...I didn't see your previous message.

[Jason LeBlanc]

I use the Kensington Liquid Aux device. I just have the stock radio that came with my Mazda

[Koray Savas]

Right, but this plugs into the bottom port of my ipod, not the headphone jack. The ipod's internal volume is irrelevant.

I've been in other people's cars that had something hooked up to the headphone jack of their ipod, and you had to leave the ipod itself at about half volume and then control from the car or it got all distorted.

Haven't seen one of those before. Typically all you need is an aux cable to connect to the headphone jack.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Yes but this is better because it keeps its charge, it grabs perfect line-out quality, and allows the remote you strap to the wheel to work. See the pic I posted above

[Koray Savas]

Yeah it looks cool, but I wouldn't spend $100 on it.

[Jason LeBlanc]

I think i paid $50. I dont think they make them anymore though

[Chaac]

I hate in-ears. Headphones all the way. They mess up my hair though.

Interesting. How much does that weight?

[Marian Schedenig]

Good question. Very little - not so much that weight seems relevant to me.

They have two problems: The plastic paddings on the ear bracket thingies get loose after a while and start dangling behind your ears a little. And the cable retractor hold wears off and will try to always retract the cable that goes to the plug. I solved that bit by making a knot into it, since I always use the headphones with my stereo bluetooth headset anyway, so the cable only has to be long enough to reach my neck. Sound is ok, obviously not spectacular but perfectly fine for office use and when on the bike, and I the ear pieces let through outer sounds with no problems, so they're good for wearing in traffic.

The main problem is: They're hardly available anywhere anymore. I got them a few years ago for €20 and still kick myself for not getting a spare pair right away. As far as I could find out, Sony never made a replacement model, and hardly anyone else produces something comparable. Especially with the retractable cables - even with the knot I have to make to balance the broken stopper, that's still a very helpful feature and effectively avoids tangled cables.

Ah yes, in case it helps: The name is Sony Q68.

[Blumenkohl]

Koss KSC75 are excellent clip-ons as well, especially given the dirt cheap price.

[Marian Schedenig]

I'll keep them in mind.

[Wojo]

I have decided to buy a new head unit for my car that can control an iPod, and I would also like to splurge on Bluetooth functionality for hands-free cell phone usage and HD radio.

I know what Darth LeBlanc uses, and it looks ok as long as you have a good input jack; my car does not.

Does anyone have any recommendation on good after-market brands and models, or does everyone just use the stock radio that came with their vehicle?

I think I have it down to the Pioneer DEH-P8400BH versus Kenwood KDC-BT752HD, but opinions are welcome.

[Jason LeBlanc]

I use that device because my car came with an aux-in port. That doesn't matter if you're replacing the head unit; You can buy a head unit with its own aux-in! But yea, you can also buy one that controls the ipod as well. I used to have one of those actually in my old car (It was a Pioneer but I don't remember which model). It was nice because the ipod wire went into the glove box, so I'd just hook it up, leave my ipod in the glove box, and control it from the head unit. Only problem is limited functionality - basically just Next Track, Previous Track, and maybe turn shuffle on (I don't remember). It displayed the song titles on the head unit too. I actually prefer what I have now though; I prefer using the actual ipod to control it what songs I wanna hear rather than trying to find them through the head unit (If I remember you could cycle throught artists but it displayed them one line at a time)

[Wojo]

One primary difference that I'm seeing between the Pioneer and Kenwood models that I mentioned is the placement of the USB cord. The Pioneer's is in the rear of the head unit, while the Kenwood's in the rear. The rear would allow the device to live in the glove box without any cords showing, but the front offers greater flexibility in terms of devices that use USB, such as a thumb drive full of music if I'm going someplace I don't want to take my iPod.

[E.T. & Elliott]

Still use Grado SR60i. Haven't even gone with the 80s. I have no complaints other than the cord.

[king mark]

You should invest in 225i, the upgrade was huge for me. I think it's better to take the leap to that model than anything in between the 60 and 225

[Alexcremers]

Here is the Philips Fidelio L1. I held it in my hands. Very nice.

[Stefancos]

Hmmm... Philips

[Wojo]

Phillips is certainly my favorite screw.

[king mark]

Looks expensive...but does it sound any good?

[E.T. & Elliott]

Those are too big for my tastes. King Mark, are those Grados around the same size as the SR60? Also, does the cord still suck and twist around?

[king mark]

The 225i is the same size as the sr60i. Well all the Grado models are a slightly wider rear cup now (like old sr 60vs sr60i...)


The cord on the 225 is thicker but shorter than the 60( uses larger gauge wiring). It's less prone to twisting but I taped a little plastic stopper so the earcups don't rotate 360 degree. But yeah I still hate the cord going to both earcups, but that's the only drawback

Originally when I wanted to upgrade my earphones, a 1 cord design was my main priority (like seinheiser HD598 or similar), but after trying a few things, sound eventually took over as main priority and upgrade Grado was the way to go as you get the same basic sound + the noticeable improvements as you go upwards in the line (3D soundstage + bass presence). That is up to 225 because 325 sounded too metallic to me.

Oh I almost forgot, you need to replace the stock earcups of the 225 with the softpads (same ones as on the SR60) because the stock ones are really uncomfortable

I'm always blown away by the sound each time I use them. Beautiful musical and detailed sound but never harsh

[Alexcremers]

Looks expensive...but does it sound any good?

It's very expensive (279 Euro). I couldn't get a good idea about the sound (terrible dance music) but it's getting really good professional and amateur reviews. It became the main headphones for the guy who reviewed it at head-fi.

I'm interested but only if I can find it at half the price.

http://www.head-fi.o...ciation-updated

[king mark]

Well, you only really know if you buy it and try it out for a while

So the best advise is buy somewhere you can return or exchange

[Alexcremers]

That's not possible in me country. You can't return stuff once it's opened. I have to bring my own player and hook it up in the store. For now the phones are nice to hold in your hands (because of the materials used), they feel good on the head and it's getting very good reviews. Still, looking at the price, it reeks a little bit of Apple snobism.

[E.T. & Elliott]

Well, I searched those out on Google shopping and they only show up on the Apple store and one other place. So they certainly seem to be aimed at Apple snobs according to Google.

[Stefancos]

That's not possible in me country. You can't return stuff once it's opened.

If KM is to be believed you can just buy, use and return stuff in Kanadia. Does that even go for CD's and DVD/Blu-rays?

[Alexcremers]

So how can you be certain some dude didn't wear your headphones for 2 or 3 months?