Headphones 2011

[Trousers and Pat]

It's time to upgrade from my old earbuds where only the left side works. So, no more of this shit, what are the good headphones in 2011? My budget is like 40-50 euro, not looking for anything too colorful because I already have ridiculous hipster sunglasses and I'm fin a get smacked if I'm not careful. Probably get smacked anyway.

[Good Intentions]

The best earbud-range headphones I've had are my current ones, Koss KSC75. They're dirt cheap in the states, somewhat more expensive outside of it (I had a friend post them to me here in NZ, worked out a great deal cheaper). I've also had a range of Sennheiser mid-range earbuds, which all served me well enough, but I like the Koss ones better. They won't even go halfway into your budget.

The best earphones bar none around your budget are the Grado SR-60, at about US$80 (60 euro), and they're as good as ones a great deal more expensive. If you're spending 50 euro, you're cheating yourself by not spending another 10 and getting these very, very much superior ones (and who knows what price you can get if you shop around). There are two problems, though. Firstly, they're American as well, and have the same annoying thing as Koss that buying outside the US is expensive, and no US seller will ship overseas (I imagine this is a licencing thing). Well, no US seller is supposed to, though I imagine many of the people on eBay aren't all that worried. You can get around that. The other issue is that, unlike some other cans you might be looking at (the Sennheiser HD202, maybe, which I've had and was very happy with) they are bad for everyday portable use. They have the right specs, but they aren't constructed in a way which handles use on the street very well. I used mine like that for 8 months or so, and ended up with a lot of problems with the cable. If you want to use these at home, though, then they are very good.

You can also fix your earbuds without too much trouble. Almost certainly one of the cables has worked loose inside your plug, which is a doddle to fix if you've got a soldering iron.

[coldforge]

The issue with the SR60s is that they're open air. Generally speaking I keep one set of closed air, and one set of open air headphones, because open air cans sound great, as noted by GI, but they prevent nearly no outside sound from coming in. So they're home phones.

I actually just got a new set of subway headphones, the sennheiser px-200 IIs, which are closed air and also fold. They were the best low level everyday headphones that I found in my research, but I haven't had enough time with them to report.
I can say they were bought to replace the Sennheiser HD 202s (I think; all the markings are long worn off), which sounded great and were very hardy, though they take up more room than the folding ones.

[elpollodiablo]

I got some Bose earbuds for Xmas. I think they retail at like a hundo or something. They sound pretty good. I'd never spend that much on headphones, though, because about 90% of what comes out of 'em is podcasts encoded at 64kbps.

[lucky strike]

i have some beyerdynamic dt 990 pros that should be here via UPS any minute now... so excited! fuck

[Bernard]

forge do you use headphones for recording purposes? I need to get some for working on sound, and I just know nothing about this area, and for some reason don't really trust people to be able to do both image and sound, though obvs. walter murch

[Good Intentions]

If Reese was still around he'd tell you to under no circumstances get Bose cans. In his absence, I'd like to say that under no circumstances you should buy Bose cans (unless you're in pollo's situation and get given them). They're expensive and underperform in their price bracket.

[davy]

I'm still jamming with my Logitech wireless headphones. The shape/style is awkward (they wrap behind the neck, so you can't really lay down while wearing them), but they're comfortable on the ear and the sound is soooo much better than it ought to be. Much better than my other, more expensive set of Sony over-the-ear headphones.

[coldforge]

forge do you use headphones for recording purposes? I need to get some for working on sound, and I just know nothing about this area, and for some reason don't really trust people to be able to do both image and sound, though obvs. walter murch

All of the situations that I've used headphones during the recording process—to wit, playing drums or talking on the radio—have needed headphones because I needed to hear something while I was close to a microphone. That is, the important factor there is sound isolation. It doesn't really matter how good anything sounds. Just get a set that's got really good isolation and is built toleraby well.

If you're going to be using cans in a recording context where sound quality is a factor—I guess I would only advise, like, get really really good headphones. I like the Grado SR series. I've never bought a set of cans where isolation AND quality were both necessary at the same time.

[Maaik]

In the field and in the office, I use Sony MDR V6s because that's what I was issued by the station.  They're certainly nothing special, but they're relatively inexpensive and I ain't never had no problem with em.

[Bernard]

In the field and in the office, I use Sony MDR V6s because that's what I was issued by the station.  They're certainly nothing special, but they're relatively inexpensive and I ain't never had no problem with em.

Well, I have two situations, one is field recording, the other is mixing. You use those for both? Is that what 'in the office' is?

I would love to splurge but I have to also buy a mic, a rig, a monitor -- stuff adds up and this is all coming directly out of my own personal pocket, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

[Maaik]

I try not to mix in headphones, but yeah, when there are other people working in the production room I use those at my desk when I'm editing.  I always listen through the monitors before I mix it down though.

[coldforge]

Yeah, I mean, that's the thing: any mixing I've ever done or have been present for has been out of monitors.

[alistarr*]

if your budget is tight it's way better to buy cheap headphones and half-decent monitors than the other way round. to be honest it's usually better to just plug into your home stereo for mixing than to do it on headphones - you should only use the headphones to to hear stuff while you're recording and then later after mixing through speakers to check how the finished article's sounding on headphones (listening back on lots of different speakers is good, because people are going to hear what you've made through lots of different speakers and you want it to sound decent for everyone).

[Trousers and Pat]

(built-in macbook speakers)

*and thanks for all the advice! this gives me somewhere good to start...

[Bernard]

(listening back on lots of different speakers is good, because people are going to hear what you've made through lots of different speakers and you want it to sound decent for everyone).

Yeah, this is super important. I think that realistically, I am not going to be able to do too much at home, because currently I cannot set up my stereo -- I am living with my mother in law and am very limited in space, plus the baby sleeps in our room so work of that kind ceases after about 7pm. I guess I am weighting toward headphones at the moment so I can hear what's happening in the field -- it's so dumb, I wound up recording the sound of my own fricking wristwatch. GUH.

[YojimboMonkey]

jerks in my office have complained to the bosses (instead of coming directly to me as I have repeatedly asked people to do if they had a problem) about the music that I play at reasonable volumes at my desk.  So I am not allowed to listen to music on speakers anymore and have to get some headphones. 

My boss let me borrow his headphones for a day and ugh.  They were over-the-ear deals that looked like I should be on a shooting range.  They were extremely uncomfortable and destroyed my equilibrium.  I couldn't wear them for more than 20 minutes at a time.

Several years ago I had some Sony earbuds that I liked.  That model isn't made anymore though I guess.  Still available some places, mostly refurbed, but fuck it, I guess I should get something newish.  Any suggestions?  Don't like to go too pricey and best would be something I can go and put my hands on somewhere and buy in person 'cause this silence is boring and depressing and sucks.  I need distractions to be able to concentrate.

[jebreject]

I will rep for Koss 110%

[milly balgeary]

Whoa, whoa, no one has mentioned headphone amps yet? Man, WELL LET ME BE THE FIRST>>>.. you get a good pair of headphones, you need HEADPHONE AMP.

Alright dude, get em Grado. Ear buds are bat shit for your ears and they sound horrible. Get a pair of i-grado's if you need portables. They are like 49 bucks. I've had like 3 pairs of em. I keep ruining em, but I LIKE them while they last and nothing lasts forever anyways, not even DRACULA. Avoid Bose because they are the MONSTER cable of cans. Those fucking douche bags SELL these ritarded ghetto blasters for like 2k, and hey sell em via TV commercial which is hilarious and disgusting....and well...avoid like the plague. The DRE BEATS ones are great.

I KID.

Chick at work's husband bought the dre's against my advice and it's fucking hilarious. You're walking around getting BEATS BY DRE piped in. Like that old fuck was at home pounding them fucking headphones together. I DO BELIEVE they are made by MONSTER cables too.

Avoid earbuds, they are bad for your ears, and you'll go fucking deaf. Buy igrados. Other than that, go check a cans forum. Without Reese's superior knowledge, this whole thread is a bunch of blind hamsters trying to copulate inside of a tiny caged corn maze.

[milly balgeary]

i have some beyerdynamic dt 990 pros that should be here via UPS any minute now... so excited! fuck

I read that as 'beaver dynamic' and I LIKED it.

[davy]

Anybody know anything about Klipsch? I'm contemplating these:



http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Image-ONE-Earphones-3-Button/dp/B0043M9AU2/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

They're about $150 and because they're on the slim side, the fit is really nice. I have a small head and sort of significant hearing loss, so I'm not sure that Fit doesn't trump Sound Quality just a little on my list of headphone priorities. The Amazon reviews are sort of encouraging.