569 replies to this topic

[Greg1138]

I did however buy the CX 300-II for my iPod and I regret it now because the bass is just too damn much!

Bought them, hated them, watched them go wrong in 6 weeks and sent them back.....replaced them with Sony EX300SL's....iPod given new lease of life....

[Blumenkohl]

And Blum it sounds like your like headphones with boosted lows and highs and recessed mids.

On the contrary my headphone of choice for orchestral music is the AKGK701.

[king mark]

To be honest I have the SR-6o's because they were the best sound I could get for the money. Maybe if I tried something higher end I'd really be blown away.

The Grados are still better than anything I could find for 150$ or less in the big box stores by Sony,Panasonic,Koss(well except the Porta Pros which are pretty good). I even tried Bose TriPorts and i thought they sounded like crap

[Drax]

I did however buy the CX 300-II for my iPod and I regret it now because the bass is just too damn much!

Bought them, hated them, watched them go wrong in 6 weeks and sent them back.....replaced them with Sony EX300SL's....iPod given new lease of life....

Mine haven't gone wrong yet. I haven't even used them much.

[Koray Savas]

The answer is probably buried in this thread 10 times over, but what would you guys recommend as the best headphones for listening to film scores? Seinnheiser gets mentioned a lot. I believe I mentioned it in another thread, but I've been seriously considering the Studio Beats.

From the reviews I've read, and what Mark O. told me, they're better for R&B and Hip-Hop than anything else. What I'm thinking though, is that since I rarely listen to scores outside of home in the first place, I might get the Beats and use those for all my rock and blues and everything else, and then get a good set of computer speakers for listening to scores at home.

Thoughts?

[Blumenkohl]

1. How much are you willing to spend?
2. What kinds of music do you listen to?
3. What do you listen on primarily?
4. Do you need something on the go, or is it for at home listening? Both?
5. Do you like exciting or do you like accuracy and analytics?

[Maglorfin]

I would definitely recommend AKG's K-272 HD, a truly excellent headphones in all respects. Never have film, classical and jazz music sounded so fabulously. I've had them for 2 years now and I couldn't be happier with them.

[Koray Savas]

1. How much are you willing to spend?
Probably no more than $200, but that's taking my discount into consideration. In general, I get headphones half-off.

2. What kinds of music do you listen to?
Film scores, classic rock and some jazz, blues, hard rock, etc. Mostly anything between the 40s and 70s.

3. What do you listen on primarily?
At home, a pair of Altec Lansing speakers connected to my laptop. On the go, standard Apple earbuds.

4. Do you need something on the go, or is it for at home listening? Both?
Both, like I said, I think the best route would to get a decent pair of headphones for the go, and a nice set of speakers for my laptop.

5. Do you like exciting or do you like accuracy and analytics?
What do you mean by exciting?

[Mark Olivarez]

From my experience, most music, like Rock R&B, Pop & Soul, sound great on any good headphone set. For whatever reason, it's hard to find a pair that plays Classical & Soundtracks to a similar high standard.

[Marian Schedenig]

And Blum it sounds like your like headphones with boosted lows and highs and recessed mids.

On the contrary my headphone of choice for orchestral music is the AKGK701.

As of a few weeks ago, so are mine. Brilliant.

[crocodile]

Are these the ones Alex recommended some time ago?

Karol

[Koray Savas]

Alex recommended the B&W P5 I think, or maybe he just liked the style. I don't know, I just got back from talking with my GM about it. He has the Studio Beats and likes them, but he also showed me the P5s and I tested out the Miles Davis Tribute earbuds, and those sounded fantastic.

In terms of portability, the Davis ones are at the top of my list. I just can't imagine myself walking to campus with over-the-ear headphones on. Not to mention my ridiculously long hair gets in the way

[king mark]

but those AKG's are 500$! Even half price at Amazon(for which I can't order) it's really expensive

[Koray Savas]

Yeah, that's too much. The Davis earbuds are a whopping $400, but I get them for a cool $200. Plus it comes with a CD, a trumpet carrying case which I don't know who the hell needs, and something else I don't remember.

[king mark]

even earbuds at 200$ is way too much. they break no matter what after a year of use. 100$ max for me for some decent Shures SE115

Wait Koray your not using those stock Apple buds anymore?

[Koray Savas]

I am, I have yet to find anything to match in terms of price and comfort.

$200 is steep for earbuds (that's including my discount, mind you), but it comes with a lifetime warranty, plus I'd get the Geek Squad Protection Plan which would get me a new pair if they ever broke.

[crocodile]

As far as the earphones go I'm using these. I used to have some Sennheiser headphones but they weren't that good. I'm planning to buy new ones.

Karol

[Trent Bennett]

I listen to just film score music. I still stand by the V-Moda Octave earbuds. V-Moda doesn't make the particular ones Sams Club carried any more but you can get them from the Amazon market place. They're the perfect noise canceling earbuds I've ever owned the most comfortable ones too. I had a pair of Sony Fontopia's but they weren't as good or as comfortable as these. They're worth the price too.

[Koray Savas]

Reviews for the P5 and Miles Davis buds are all excellent. I think I'm gonna rule out the Beats and decide between those. Although I'm still waiting for Blume to get back to me!

[Marian Schedenig]

but those AKG's are 500$! Even half price at Amazon(for which I can't order) it's really expensive

They were slightly over €200 when I ordered mine at Amazon.de. But I guess international prices may vary, and I don't know the current EUR/USD rate.

[Koray Savas]

Has the exchange rate changed at all recently? USD is roughly 1.5x that of the Euro.

[king mark]

but those AKG's are 500$! Even half price at Amazon(for which I can't order) it's really expensive

They were slightly over €200 when I ordered mine at Amazon.de. But I guess international prices may vary, and I don't know the current EUR/USD rate.

Still at that price I'd expect nothing less than perfect sound. Or something that would blow me away compared to cheaper ones

[Marian Schedenig]

but those AKG's are 500$! Even half price at Amazon(for which I can't order) it's really expensive

They were slightly over €200 when I ordered mine at Amazon.de. But I guess international prices may vary, and I don't know the current EUR/USD rate.

Still at that price I'd expect nothing less than perfect sound. Or something that would blow me away compared to cheaper ones

Definitely. And I did ponder for a few weeks before I decided to get them. But I don't regret it.

[Blumenkohl]

1. How much are you willing to spend?
Probably no more than $200, but that's taking my discount into consideration. In general, I get headphones half-off.

2. What kinds of music do you listen to?
Film scores, classic rock and some jazz, blues, hard rock, etc. Mostly anything between the 40s and 70s.

3. What do you listen on primarily?
At home, a pair of Altec Lansing speakers connected to my laptop. On the go, standard Apple earbuds.

4. Do you need something on the go, or is it for at home listening? Both?
Both, like I said, I think the best route would to get a decent pair of headphones for the go, and a nice set of speakers for my laptop.

5. Do you like exciting or do you like accuracy and analytics?
What do you mean by exciting?

I'm assuming you get like a retail discount? Generally speaking the brick and mortar retail stores carry highly marketed overpriced consumer products, not prosumer/professional headphones. Things like Bose, Skullcandy, etc. I'd try to stay away from those.

Given your budget, you're probably not gonna wanna mess with amping, and since you want something portable AND at home listening you want something not hideously large, and something durable. I think I've read before you live in the DC/Baltimore area? So I assume you'll like some noise cancellation .

I'd recommend the Sennheiser HD25-1 II (not to be confused with the lower quality HD 25-SP II). http://www.amazon.co...N1XW7J3XYX0GVDQ

If you can pick those up for a 50% discount, you've gotten a deal of a lifetime. But even if not they *just* fall within the budget. They're great all-arounders, extremely durable (and replaceable, every bit of the headphone is detacheable, from the cable to each individual cup, so if you destroy something, you can just order a replacement from Sennheiser). It's got excellent acoustics so it scales well to the different types of music listen to. It cancels out a good bit of noise and provided isolation for when you're on a subway or in a coffee shop, or if you don't want other hearing your music, or the other way around. And they can be driven by even a tiny iPod. And they're very light, packable (come with a carry bag). But they're durable enough that I can just toss it in a bag with a computer and know it won't break.

A lot of professionals have a pair at the ready. It was actually on the recommendation of our sound guys I picked up a pair. Easily my most used headphones. And I'm a headphone/amp addict/collector. They don't look flashy, so they'll be less likely to be theft targets. But they do look cool. They remind me of stealth fighters. Functionally cool. Durable as hell.

[Koray Savas]

I'd like to try them out physically before I buy, I'll scrounge around a bit. Thanks for the info. Any advice on desktop speakers?

[king mark]

Why not try the Grado SR60? They're as good as your going to get for under 100$. That's what I have for my PC and I'm perfectly happy with them

they have a Stereophile mag praise too

http://www.stereophi.../headphones/532

[Blumenkohl]

I wouldn't get computer speakers. Crappy sound quality. Get hi-fi loudspeakers/monitors.

M-Audio has some affordable monitors that are very good, if you're still on a $200 budget. But if you're willing to spend a little more, these are awesome: http://www.amazon.co...d=1Q2AXQ3WOZR56

I had these for a while, before I upgraded to higher end monitors a few months ago: http://www.theaudioi...&products_id=80

[Koray Savas]

After much internal struggle, I decided to go with these:




I did a full test-run of the Miles Davis Tribute buds on my iPod, and they fell short. While certain music sounded quite good, the high bass made film scores sounds a bit odd and hollow. So at a $230 price tag (including discount) I decided to pass for something that wouldn't kill my wallet. These sound about the same if not better, and only cost me $90. I like the cable a lot, it's not 100% tangle-free, but it does save you a good 30 seconds compared to the Apple earbuds. I like the variety of ear pieces they provide, as the larger ones always pop out of my ears while walking. They do a good job of blocking out external noise, although I actually didn't mind that with my Apple buds. I prefer to be able to hear my surroundings while walking on the sidewalk. Either way, not a purchase I am regretting yet.

I'll probably invest into a good sound system for my computer over the Summer. For now, these are good for the rock and blues that I listen to when I'm on the go.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Uh, what are they?

[Wojo]

The filename of the image is: "monster-cable-beats-by-dr-dre-tour-earbuds.jpg"

http://www.monsterca...ay.asp?pin=4608

[Koray Savas]

Yeah, they're the Tours.

[Datameister]

Hope they treat you well, Koray! I'll continue avoiding earbuds, but whatever works for ya.

I am looking forward to the arrival of my Beyerdynamic replacement pads, which I'll be using to replace the pads on my five-year-old Sony MDR-7506 headphones. (This page gives a good feel for what I'm gonna do.) Hopefully the results will be as good as people say they are...and I suppose if not, I'll eventually buy some actual Sony replacement pads.

[Alexcremers]

'Beats' have a popular sound and trendy design but headphones devotees don't take them seriously. Sound and build quality are not worth the price.

[Wojo]

My ATH-M50's are great. I may look like I'm trying to land airplanes, but I'm happy. The good sound is worth it even though they're not noise cancelling.

[Jason LeBlanc]

I need a new pair of ear buds. I bought these:

Sennheiser CX 400-B

But they aren't working out. Are there any earbuds for $60 or less that handle the dynamic range of film scores fairly well?

Also, I'm starting to come around on the idea of having "real" headphones as well. My girlfriend might be moving in with me, which means I'd need them when i do score editing and stuff like that. Right now I just blast things at loud volumes when working on scores

[Datameister]

I cannot recommend the Sony MDR-7506's highly enough for score editing (etc.), Jay! As I recall, they go for about $80 or so, and they've been a popular choice for...I dunno, a decade or two at least. Very clear, accurate sound, so you don't need to crank it up super loud - although they are actually pretty loud headphones, so if volume is what they need, they deliver there, too. They're also very durable headphones (with the exception of the pads, which can be replaced). I've heard of professionals using a single pair for ten years or more and still getting a great sound out of 'em.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Thanks for the tip Joe! Looks like they're $85 on Amazon right now

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AJIF4E/

[king mark]

I need a new pair of ear buds. I bought these:
Sennheiser CX 400-B
But they aren't working out. Are there any earbuds for $60 or less that handle the dynamic range of film scores fairly well?

those suck

I'll plug the Shure SE115 again, which has the best overall sound I heard and not so expensive. Good bass + detail for film scores. Plus they have a detachable extension so if you break the cord you can buy a new one.


Koray those Beats are made for Hip Hop or pop music

[Jason LeBlanc]

Hmmm, I plugged Shure SE115 into Amazon, and got a whole bunch of differen ones - SE115-K, SE115-RD, SE115-BLU, SE115-CL, et etc

http://www.amazon.co...e SE115&x=0&y=0

Can you steer me towards the exact ones you're talking about?

[Faleel]

I use JVC earbuds, I do not know what they are called...marshmellows? its the number on them is HA-FX34