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geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: pfink on Thu, 24 June 2010, 09:15:13

Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Thu, 24 June 2010, 09:15:13
I'm looking for a set of relatively inexpensive (under $150) closed headphones for work. I've got a pair of Grado SR60i's that I like a lot but they're open and too loud for the office.

I've got the following on my short list:

Audio-Technica ATH-M50
Sennheiser HD448
Sony MDR-V6

Anybody got any opinions on these? Any other recommendations?

Thanks.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: phillip on Thu, 24 June 2010, 10:41:50
the m50s!

Or if you wanna spend a lot less, the jvc ha-rx700 or rx900.  I have the 700s at work.  One complaint though - they clamp down pretty hard, so you might want to stretch em out a bit or just not wear them for extended periods of time.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: isp on Thu, 24 June 2010, 10:58:41
I'm still happy with my MDR-V6...they've stood up to some abuse and are a really good value.  The earpads will eventually wear out though and you'll need to replace them, check out replacement velour pads from Beyerdynamic (same pads on dt250) BEEDT250V.  Good luck!
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Thu, 24 June 2010, 11:41:43
Quote from: ripster;195949
Although I tend to go Sennheiser that Sony looks a fair amount cheaper and it sounds like you are mainly concerned about noise leaking OUT than IN. The Pleather goes flaky in 3 years if used daily so don't spend the big bucks is the only advice I have.

The Sennheiser's only $30 more than the Sony on Amazon, so price isn't going to be the deciding factor. The Audio-Technica is the most expensive of the three at around $130.

I'm assuming any of the closed cans are going to be OK as far as leakage at moderate volume levels, so I'm mainly concerned with sound quality. I mostly listen to guitar-heavy rock music.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: phillip on Thu, 24 June 2010, 12:20:28
other possibilities

denon ahd1001
shure srh440
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: gr1m on Thu, 24 June 2010, 16:37:53
Sony MDR-XB700. Wildly underrated, you can ask on Head-fi about them. I don't think they're officially closed but the cups are so enormous and cushy that sound doesn't leak out, they basically cancel noise and they're comfortable as **** to top it off.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: colbabe on Thu, 24 June 2010, 20:03:44
So are these work headphones for transcription purposes or what?

I'm in the market for transcription phones (for listening from the PC speaker) and been lookin' around.

Any transcriptionists out there ....if so, any opinions on a good pair of phones for listiening to transcription from PC speakers?

Much APPRECIATED!
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Thu, 24 June 2010, 22:32:30
Quote from: colbabe;196037
So are these work headphones for transcription purposes or what?


In my case they're for listening to music at the office without bothering other people.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: kishy on Thu, 24 June 2010, 22:36:48
You must listen to your music fairly loudly if other headphones allow nearby people to hear your music...
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: phillip on Thu, 24 June 2010, 22:37:35
open headphones just leak a lot of sound
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Thu, 24 June 2010, 22:44:44
Quote from: kishy;196071
You must listen to your music fairly loudly if other headphones allow nearby people to hear your music...


Even at moderate levels open headphones like the Grados can easily be heard 10 feet away, which ain't gonna cut it in an office with cubicles.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: kishy on Thu, 24 June 2010, 22:44:54
If the relative percentage of your audio that is leaked (I don't argue about the existence of it) is audible to nearby people, your music is too loud (or your headphones are abnormally bad, Apple earbuds being an example)

^ coming from the guy who was criticized for abusing his hearing at a ZZ Top concert
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Thu, 24 June 2010, 22:49:51
Quote from: kishy;196081
If the relative percentage of your audio that is leaked (I don't argue about the existence of it) is audible to nearby people, your music is too loud (or your headphones are abnormally bad, Apple earbuds being an example)

^ coming from the guy who was criticized for abusing his hearing at a ZZ Top concert


You obviously don't understand the difference between open and closed headphones. And we're talking about real cans here, not earbuds.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: gr1m on Thu, 24 June 2010, 22:50:22
Kishy, have you ever been with a person that was listening to music on Sennheiser HD555s? They're open enough for your ears to feel like they're naked, and they're more audible to people not currently wearing them than most laptop speakers.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ironman31 on Thu, 24 June 2010, 22:52:46
Like he was saying, even a quite low levels (not loud to anyones standards) the grados and other headphones leak enough sound to be heard within the same room.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: kishy on Thu, 24 June 2010, 22:54:29
Quote from: pfink;196084
You obviously don't understand the difference between open and closed headphones. And we're talking about real cans here, not earbuds.


Enlighten me?

It's a crappy design if the design itself permits a large amount of the audio to be heard by others even at low volumes.

Quote from: gr1m;196086
Kishy, have you ever been with a person that was listening to music on Sennheiser HD555s? They're open enough for your ears to feel like they're naked, and they're more audible to people not currently wearing them than most laptop speakers.


Hmmm...sounds crappy.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ironman31 on Thu, 24 June 2010, 22:56:59
Lol, I feel like we are on head fi trying to speak mechanical keyboard to the audiophiles over there
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: phillip on Thu, 24 June 2010, 22:57:34
Quote from: kishy;196092
Enlighten me?

It's a crappy design if the design itself permits a large amount of the audio to be heard by others even at low volumes.



Hmmm...sounds crappy.


http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/420809/open-vs-closed
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Thu, 24 June 2010, 22:57:55
Quote from: ironman31;196095
Lol, I feel like we are on head fi trying to speak mechanical keyboard to the audiophiles over there


I was thinking the same thing.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ironman31 on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:01:33
Kishy, I'm not really blaming you, you just have to listen to some nice open headphones first, then you'll understand where everyone is coming from. The people who listen to open headphones usually r at home sitting in front of their amp and turntable with no one else around to listen to their sound bleed.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: Morning Song on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:03:30
I have a Sennheiser HD212, that I got six years ago, and have loved ever since. They're closed (perfect for a dorm room, i found. Nothing gets in or out), and the cable is detachable (and more importantly in my case, replaceable)

But i'm also not an audiophile by any stretch, so this is a layperson's opinion.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: kishy on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:04:39
The reason for having headphones is to keep your music to yourself, be it with a portable media player or otherwise. According to this extremely basic concept, open headphones are a crappy design. They could be the best sounding headphones in the world and they'd be a crappy design because they impose on people around you.

Obviously not an audiophile, but I've disclosed that elsewhere so it should go without saying.

If your music is audible to people around you, you should be subject to a ticket/fine.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: phillip on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:07:06
open headphones are not a crappy design, you just have crappy ears
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:08:05
Quote from: kishy;196101
The reason for having headphones is portable audio.


That's a ridiculous statement. Headphones existed decades before portable audio.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ironman31 on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:08:47
k. Your opinion
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: kishy on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:09:16
Quote from: phillip;196104
open headphones are not a crappy design, you just have crappy ears


I have crappy ears for being considerate? Nice.

Quote from: pfink;196105
That's a ridiculous statement. Headphones existed decades before portable audio.


Yeah, you quoted me while I was making an edit.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ironman31 on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:09:57
that las one was directed at kishy
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: phillip on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:11:54
well i guess you should throw away all your loud ass keyboards, and get rid of your speakers and cellphone as well
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ironman31 on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:13:56
Quote from: phillip;196109
well i guess you should throw away all your loud ass keyboards, and get rid of your speakers and cellphone as well


Lol. That's outrageous thinking there.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:15:05
Quote from: kishy;196101
The reason for having headphones is to keep your music to yourself, be it with a portable media player or otherwise. According to this extremely basic concept, open headphones are a crappy design. They could be the best sounding headphones in the world and they'd be a crappy design because they impose on people around you.

Obviously not an audiophile, but I've disclosed that elsewhere so it should go without saying.

If your music is audible to people around you, you should be subject to a ticket/fine.

You're stuck in the headphones = portable mindset. A $200 pair of headphones can sound better than speakers costing $1000+, so if you want to listen to music at home on quality equipment and don't have the budget for expensive speakers you can get more bang for your buck buying a decent pair of headphones.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: kishy on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:15:22
Keyboards, speakers and cell phones don't impose on others if you aren't disrespectful to people around you.

I'll be using a quiet keyboard (crappy or otherwise) if I end up in an office environment. Loud keyboards are a hobby, hobbies stay at home.

Cell phone...don't have one, but when I get one (more of an if actually, I don't want to be contacted if I'm out of the house) I won't be one of those pricks who makes/takes calls in situations where either my attention to the call would be rude to the people I'm with or the presence of my voice could be an irritation (on the bus, in line at a check out, etc)

Quote from: pfink;196111
You're stuck in the headphones = portable mindset. A $200 pair of headphones can sound better than speakers costing $1000+ dollars, so if you want to listen to music at home on quality equipment and don't have the budget for expensive speakers you can get more bang for your buck buying a decent pair of headphones.

Alright, if we're talking about exclusively for home use (or studio or similar) then you've completely got a point.

For portable use though, surely you agree open are unfit?
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: kishy on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:16:34
Quote from: pfink;196111
You're stuck in the headphones = portable mindset. A $200 pair of headphones can sound better than speakers costing $1000+ dollars, so if you want to listen to music at home on quality equipment and don't have the budget for expensive speakers you can get more bang for your buck buying a decent pair of headphones.


Alright, if we're talking about exclusively for home use (or studio or similar) then you've completely got a point and, in that context, I retract the crappy remark.

For portable use though, surely you agree open are very unfit?
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: gr1m on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:20:24
Yes, open for portable use is a bad idea. But, to add to the advantages of headphones over speakers for home use, size/power. You get equal quality in a much smaller package than speakers.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:23:37
Quote from: kishy;196114
Alright, if we're talking about exclusively for home use (or studio or similar) then you've completely got a point and, in that context, I retract the crappy remark.

For portable use though, surely you agree open are very unfit?


I concur, open phones are not meant for portable audio. However, portable audio was never the topic of this thread.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: gr1m on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:30:44
Earbuds never caught on for me because they feel uncomfortable in my ears. Good middle ground are those small headphones that you clip on to individual ears. But, ultimately, after nearly being hit by a blaring firetruck a few years ago because I couldn't hear it over my death-metal, I gave up on portable audio.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: kishy on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:36:34
Quote from: pfink;196122
I concur, open phones are not meant for portable audio. However, portable audio was never the topic of this thread.


And for this, I apologize - I read the thread title and the most recent replies, and thought "lolwut? headphones are for portable audio trolololol".

Quote from: gr1m;196125
Earbuds never caught on for me because they feel uncomfortable in my ears. Good middle ground are those small headphones that you clip on to individual ears. But, ultimately, after nearly being hit by a blaring firetruck a few years ago because I couldn't hear it over my death-metal, I gave up on portable audio.


Agreed, earbuds are uncomfortable (and they're generally recommended against by doctors because the skin in the ear isn't supposed to be in constant contact with anything - source: two walk in clinic doctors and family doctor)

My friends can never comprehend why I listen to my music at a lower volume than they do. I'll pass my PMP and they crank it...I like to be able to hear things around me and mentally "zone out" so I'm basically ignoring other sounds but if something requires my attention, it immediately has it. It seems this is a rare skill?
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ricercar on Thu, 24 June 2010, 23:43:36
Quote from: ripster;196079
I didn't realize they cancelled the SE500s.  I now have collector items.


NIB? Better clean off that skin oil ....
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: microsoft windows on Sat, 26 June 2010, 08:23:07
I'd recommend you one of these headphones.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2607/3728831475_f92f3fa845.jpg)
Which headphone would you like?
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sat, 26 June 2010, 11:19:10
Try getting some creative headphones, those'll be good. I had some sony headphones, but they did that thing where one of the ear-cup things wouldn't get a signal due to the cheap wiring (it wasn't the gold-plated audio jack). So you had to tighten the wire between the two... I eventually ripped the wire.

And yeah, if other people can hear your music, it's WAY too loud. I cringe when I hear loud blaring music on the bus from others... they're going to be deaf so fast. The worst thing for your ears IS loud headphones, because the sound waves are funelled into your ears. At least in a concert hall the soundwaves are free to reverberate around.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Sat, 26 June 2010, 13:31:52
Quote from: EverythingIBM;196669
Try getting some creative headphones, those'll be good. I had some sony headphones, but they did that thing where one of the ear-cup things wouldn't get a signal due to the cheap wiring (it wasn't the gold-plated audio jack). So you had to tighten the wire between the two... I eventually ripped the wire.


I think the only Creative headphones that seem to match up with what I'm looking for are the Aurvana Live! (http://us.store.creative.com/Aurvana-Live/M/B000ZJZ7OA.htm), however I think any of three I mentioned in the initial post are a better choice at close to the same price.

Quote from: EverythingIBM;196669

And yeah, if other people can hear your music, it's WAY too loud. I cringe when I hear loud blaring music on the bus from others... they're going to be deaf so fast. The worst thing for your ears IS loud headphones, because the sound waves are funelled into your ears. At least in a concert hall the soundwaves are free to reverberate around.


Sheesh, not again...

As stated previously I currently have a set of open can headphones (Grado SR-60i), which I can't use at work because they leak sound even at moderate listening levels. I'm therefore looking to buy a decent set of closed can headphones to use at work.

If you don't know what the difference is between open and closed headphones let me Google it for you (http://www.google.com/search?q=difference+open+closed+headphones&hl=xx-pirate&ie=utf-8&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox).
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ricercar on Sat, 26 June 2010, 14:28:13
Creative is only as good as Cambridge Soundworks. In the speaker world, Henry Kloss was god.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Sat, 26 June 2010, 17:19:09
Quote from: ripster;196728
Screw Creative.  I'd look at somebody that knows something about professional audio like those Shures.  Those sound like the ones to beat at that price point.
Show Image
(http://www.shure.com/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/prod_img_srh440_l.jpg)

Yeah, I'm considering that one (Shure SRH440.) Most of the reviews I've seen say they sound pretty good, plus they're currently only $76.95 at Amazon. I also like the fact that the cable is detachable.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Sat, 26 June 2010, 17:25:03
Quote from: Julle;196743
Screw any make and model recommended here. Finding the perfect pair of headphones is a very subjective matter, go and try out as many as you can (preferably with the kind of music you're going to be listening to) in the desired price range and decide for yourself.


That's good advice, however the selection at most of the local outlets leaves something to be desired (much like keyboards) so I'm relying on whatever info I can get online to make a choice.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: bionicroach on Sat, 26 June 2010, 17:31:57
If you're a headphone enthusiast, you're probably already familiar with them, but just in case, I thought I'd mention I've had good luck buying headphone stuff from HeadRoom (http://www.headphone.com/).  They offer a 30-day guarantee on most if not all the brands they sell, and there's a decent amount of product info on the site.

I'm usually a Sennheiser (open) guy, but for closed phones, Audio Technica and Denon are pretty decent in my experience.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: noctua on Sat, 26 June 2010, 17:55:02
Go to dealer's which have keyboards, synthesizers and PA systems etc. there you can test
extensive headphone's of your choice, personally i do so (don't read, use your ears)!
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: gr1m on Sat, 26 June 2010, 17:59:12
What I find is that testing in store is nothing like using at home, so I don't bother testing items in stores now. I just read up on them obsessively to find even one post in one dingy forum that says "These headphones suck if you're wearing glasses!" to decide not to buy them.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: kishy on Sat, 26 June 2010, 18:26:01
The type of product that you're buying to test (and then likely return if not liked), it's best to buy in store. Returning stuff to a brick and mortar store (with a decent return policy of course) is a heck of a lot more convenient than some RMA process with online dealers, plus there's a good chance you'll be out shipping in at least one direction.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sat, 26 June 2010, 21:25:04
Quote from: ripster;196766
All these headphones suck if you wear glasses.


Well, good thing I don't wear glasses. Bad news for the n3rds though.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Sun, 27 June 2010, 08:26:00
Quote from: Julle;196749
I once ended up buying an expensive pair of headphonesrelying solely on the reviews online. They sounded fantastic but were the most uncomfortable pair I've ever owned, at least, with my huge bulb of a head.

Do you have any specialist stores you could resort to? You could try out all the headphones you wanted and buy the ones you want cheaper somewhere else.


Most of the local specialty audio stores have gone out of business. And Best Buy, Target and the like don't stock much of a selection.

There is a Guitar Center close by. Maybe I'll swing by there this week and see what they've got.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sun, 27 June 2010, 12:51:47
Quote from: pfink;196895
Most of the local specialty audio stores have gone out of business. And Best Buy, Target and the like don't stock much of a selection.

There is a Guitar Center close by. Maybe I'll swing by there this week and see what they've got.


Just go order something online. You get what you want (if you know what you're doing), unlimited selection, and so forth.
Although ebay & google do disappoint me at times.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: microsoft windows on Sun, 27 June 2010, 13:02:25
Don't say the N-word on this forum.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: noctua on Sun, 27 June 2010, 13:05:51
The advantage in an "professional" music store, you can test directly if these are light and
comfortable and the most important you can hear it with different audio materials..
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: noctua on Sun, 27 June 2010, 13:11:54
Last but not least, in an store you can compare different headphones, simultaneously..
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Sun, 27 June 2010, 14:08:50
Quote from: microsoft windows;196950
Don't say the N-word on this forum.


Nudnik? (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nudnik)
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: cryticfarm on Sun, 27 June 2010, 18:13:30
holy **** i'm back guys
and i'm actually decent with audio
audio-technica m50 or denon d1000 i'm thinking
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Wed, 30 June 2010, 20:29:53
OK, I ended up getting a pair of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50s's on eBay for $90. They sound pretty good so far, I'll break them in for a couple days and report back.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ricercar on Wed, 30 June 2010, 21:25:53
I'd be quite interested in your opinion of the treble. Audio Techncia has always had a quirky high end in my experience, say above 13KHz.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: nraymond on Wed, 30 June 2010, 22:32:50
Quote from: pfink;195947
I'm looking for a set of relatively inexpensive (under $150) closed headphones for work. I've got a pair of Grado SR60i's that I like a lot but they're open and too loud for the office.

I've got the following on my short list:

Audio-Technica ATH-M50
Sennheiser HD448
Sony MDR-V6

Anybody got any opinions on these? Any other recommendations?

Thanks.


Read the ATH-M50's are ok, as are the Sennheiser, the MDR-V6 was my personal first pair of decent closed headphones, bought them 10 years ago, sold them three months ago (very so-so compared to what I have now).

Friend of mine who has auditioned, owned, and sold more headphones than I have eventually settled on Ultrasone, suggested I pick up the PRO 650, and I couldn't be happier.  I paid about $150, they were recently on sale for $99 for a day on special at one of the big online audio stores, and I see they aren't in the current lineup at Ultrasone (hmmm).  Anyway, they are the most balanced of all Ultrasone headphones according to my friend (and others who've tried many different models).
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 01 July 2010, 07:39:34
I have the ATH-M50s and I really like them.  I paid about $90 on eBay for them as well about a year ago, I guess.  At the levels I listen (pretty low), the treble is pretty good; I don't fatigue at all.  Truth be told, I haven't listened to a whole lot of classical, jazz or female vocals on them, but I'll bring some to work tomorrow and report back.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Wed, 07 July 2010, 15:18:57
Quote from: ricercar;198141
I'd be quite interested in your opinion of the treble. Audio Techncia has always had a quirky high end in my experience, say above 13KHz.


OK, so I've been using these for almost a week (mainly at work using an Archos Jukebox jacked into a CMoy amp as source) and I like them a lot.

The high end sounds fine to me. Some of the reviews I'd read said that these 'phones were bass heavy but to my ears they have a pretty balanced sound. The pads conform to my head very snugly (although not uncomfortably) creating a seal that hardly leaks any sound in or out.

One other thing: they sounded better after a couple days of use than they did right out of the box. I'm not going to get into whether that's because of an actual break-in effect or not (http://headphonebreakin.blogspot.com/), however it was definitely noticeable.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: niplfsh on Fri, 09 July 2010, 03:39:16
Late to the party, but I'm a HUGE fan of the Sony MDR-V6.  Been using them for years, both in a professional capacity (I used to work in audio production and had a college radio show) and personal (I DJ and use them as my main computer set).  They're built like a tank and have excellent sound for the price.   It's a 20+ year old design.

Not to be confused with the Sony MDR-V600, which are terrible.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ricercar on Sat, 10 July 2010, 22:08:08
I have to agree. I bought my M6 over two decades ago. They're still my workplace phones. The Sony MDR V6 are the Model M of the headphone world.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sun, 11 July 2010, 03:20:39
The last sony headphones I used broke.

Sony needs to stick making 10x CD ROM drives to make me happy.

Creative headphones are the only ones that should be used.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ch_123 on Sun, 11 July 2010, 06:15:08
Something tells me that Creative don't make good headphones...
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: gr1m on Sun, 11 July 2010, 07:21:35
Some (read one or two) are decent but yeah, in general, Creative headphones aren't great.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: Phaedrus2129 on Sun, 11 July 2010, 12:48:47
Creative headphones aren't terrible. They're just mediocre to average and priced like they're premium. I mean, I'd certainly prefer them to the Logitech **** they're usually stocked alongside, but I demoed one of their $60 headsets once, and it doesn't compare to these $35 JVCs.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: kishy on Sun, 11 July 2010, 13:12:00
I've got three sets of originally-supplied-with-PMPs Creative earbuds. Aside from the fact that they're earbuds (which makes them pretty awful in form alone), they sound..."acceptable".

Pretty poor bass but the quality is there. Limited distortion, they play whatever you want them to, they simply don't put out much bass at all (in the sense that it simply won't be heard, rather than being turned into a nasty distorted vibration like other cheap sets).

As for their better headphone products...couldn't tell ya.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: microsoft windows on Sun, 11 July 2010, 14:25:32
As long as headphones work I'm happy.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ch_123 on Sun, 11 July 2010, 15:14:11
Quote from: Phaedrus2129;201622
Creative headphones aren't terrible. They're just mediocre to average and priced like they're premium. I mean, I'd certainly prefer them to the Logitech **** they're usually stocked alongside, but I demoed one of their $60 headsets once, and it doesn't compare to these $35 JVCs.


Logitech's computer speakers are great. I have a Z-2300 and the sound they put out is amazing - shaking the room at relatively low volume kind of amazing.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: gr1m on Sun, 11 July 2010, 15:25:08
Quote from: ch_123;201669
Logitech's computer speakers are great. I have a Z-2300 and the sound they put out is amazing - shaking the room at relatively low volume kind of amazing.


I was going to take an SS with big red circles surrounding the word "Headphone" in both the title and the post you quoted, but I figured I could just tell you and achieve the desired effect with less effort.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ch_123 on Sun, 11 July 2010, 15:37:53
I know, I was just raising the somewhat related point that Logitech make great speakers.

As for headphones, I'm happy with my rather expensive pair of Beyerdynamics.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: phillip on Sun, 11 July 2010, 16:21:50
meh.  not a fan of logitech computer speakers.  i've owned quite a few sets, but all the money i put into them could have gotten me nicer speakers.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: microsoft windows on Sun, 11 July 2010, 17:14:18
My niece gave me these nice old Creative computer speakers with a woofer. Although they don't beat my good old phonograph sound system's speakers, they're still pretty good. Just got to make sure the volume ain't up too high or else my neighbors across the woods will hear me log on to windows.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Sun, 11 July 2010, 19:38:36
Like so?
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sun, 11 July 2010, 19:39:22
Quote from: microsoft windows;201722
My niece gave me these nice old Creative computer speakers with a woofer. Although they don't beat my good old phonograph sound system's speakers, they're still pretty good. Just got to make sure the volume ain't up too high or else my neighbors across the woods will hear me log on to windows.

I love the windows 98 log on sound, I've found the kids laughing when logging off a little weird though.

Quote from: kishy;201632
I've got three sets of originally-supplied-with-PMPs Creative earbuds. Aside from the fact that they're earbuds (which makes them pretty awful in form alone), they sound..."acceptable".

Pretty poor bass but the quality is there. Limited distortion, they play whatever you want them to, they simply don't put out much bass at all (in the sense that it simply won't be heard, rather than being turned into a nasty distorted vibration like other cheap sets).

As for their better headphone products...couldn't tell ya.

HA! That's why I've been using my Creative SBS20s for 8 years, they're TREBLE. I hate bass, it's stupid. BOOM BOOM BOOM. Boom your ass! It's crap! Treble is where all of the melodies are. Get angry at me if you want, but music consists of treble and MELODY, not noise, repeating drum loops with obnoxious vocals.
Bass is good if you're listening to chip tunes... yeah... because they can't even use bass, they're all 8-bit treble sharp goodness. None of that muffled crap they call "music".

I should add that you need a LITTLE bit of bass, 100% pure treble is even a little bit too much, although it's worthy to note I can turn all of the bass off on my SBS20s. Yeah... you can actually control the bass, treble, volume -- even has a mute button. Most of the minimalistic crappy speakers today only have a volume button -- um... WHAT IF I WANT TO CHANGE SOME PARAMETERS?
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: kishy on Sun, 11 July 2010, 20:25:04
Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;201755
Like so?


Ewwwwwwwwwww. Bad!
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sun, 11 July 2010, 20:35:50
Quote from: kishy;201768
Ewwwwwwwwwww. Bad!

Has the same quality of the stupid apple bootup noise.

I hate the mac boot noise. The PC 300 has a better internal speaker than those pieces of mac rubbish (and it's already bad!).
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: kishy on Sun, 11 July 2010, 21:06:49
Quote from: EverythingIBM;201771
Has the same quality of the stupid apple bootup noise.

I hate the mac boot noise. The PC 300 has a better internal speaker than those pieces of mac rubbish (and it's already bad!).

Disagree, 300PL-era Macs (Performa/LC/Quadra 5xx I believe) have decent* internal speakers - and STEREO, imagine that!

*: considering the size of the things, physical location within the case and all that. And plus, only all-in-ones have internal speakers anyway.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sun, 11 July 2010, 21:12:56
Quote from: kishy;201784
Disagree, 300PL-era Macs (Performa/LC/Quadra 5xx I believe) have decent internal speakers - and STEREO, imagine that!


Nah, I listened to all the mac speakers, they're crap. No OEM-built-in speakers are any good. Stereo or not, it doesn't mean anything. That just means you'll have TWO ****ty speakers.

I don't mind vintage apple stuff for collecting/money purposes, but beyond that, they're not usable. They're more of a console than a computer.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Mon, 12 July 2010, 17:11:03
Quote from: niplfsh;200924
Late to the party, but I'm a HUGE fan of the Sony MDR-V6.  Been using them for years, both in a professional capacity (I used to work in audio production and had a college radio show) and personal (I DJ and use them as my main computer set).  They're built like a tank and have excellent sound for the price.   It's a 20+ year old design.


Yeah, I'm sure I'll pick up a pair of MDR-V6's eventually. Now that I'm pretty much done buying keyboards I'll probably start going overboard trying different headphones.

I just bought a pair of DBI Pro-700's (http://dbiint.com/pro700) on eBay for $29.95 (http://cgi.ebay.com/DBI-PRO-700-HEADPHONES-NEW-BOX-/130409600236) after reading a lot of good things about them at Head-Fi (http://www.head-fi.org/forum/).
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: nraymond on Tue, 13 July 2010, 16:33:25
Quote from: EverythingIBM;201787
I don't mind vintage apple stuff for collecting/money purposes, but beyond that, they're not usable. They're more of a console than a computer.


When I was in high school, I remember playing Star Control on a friend's PC in his dorm that had no sound card, just the simple PC speaker that usually went beep, but that game could actually play digitized sounds and music (which was Amiga MOD file based 4 track music) through the PC speaker, and let me tell you, every single Mac built-in speaker sounds awesome compared to that, yet I'd call Star Control with sound/music on PC Speaker usable.  Do I have dedicated, amplified speakers hooked up to all my computers now (Macs/PCs/workstations)?  Sure do, but those speakers are well above usable.

(Not everyone uses vague terms like usable/good the same way, and until a discussion formalizes the meaning of qualifying terms, the discussion can't move forward easily.)
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ricercar on Thu, 15 July 2010, 23:30:33
> a discussion formalizes the meaning of qualifying terms

Qualified: Microsoft Windows is a troll, who posts here to get a reaction to his arcane opinions. He doesn't actually seem to have any valid opinions about the keyboards except those made before 1990 or so.

Qualified: Everything IBM seems to be his next of kin.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 16 July 2010, 01:29:12
Quote from: ricercar;203213
> a discussion formalizes the meaning of qualifying terms

Qualified: Microsoft Windows is a troll, who posts here to get a reaction to his arcane opinions. He doesn't actually seem to have any valid opinions about the keyboards except those made before 1990 or so.

Qualified: Everything IBM seems to be his next of kin.


Ricercar: one of ch_123's henchmen.

I like my 1997 KB-8923 keyboards btw. MW just has some cool old stuff, and doesn't throw perfectly useful computers away: while everyone raves about iMacs iPods, and all that "i" crap.
It sickens me how wasteful and greedy people are with new technology.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ricercar on Fri, 16 July 2010, 19:39:53
Quote from: EverythingIBM;203249
Ricercar: one of ch_123's henchmen


ooh. I'm a hench-troll now. I always wanted to be a second fiddle.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: nraymond on Sat, 17 July 2010, 20:56:06
Quote from: pfink;202060
Yeah, I'm sure I'll pick up a pair of MDR-V6's eventually. Now that I'm pretty much done buying keyboards I'll probably start going overboard trying different headphones.

I just bought a pair of DBI Pro-700's (http://dbiint.com/pro700) on eBay for $29.95 (http://cgi.ebay.com/DBI-PRO-700-HEADPHONES-NEW-BOX-/130409600236) after reading a lot of good things about them at Head-Fi (http://www.head-fi.org/forum/).


Being a headphone geek myself, you surprised me with mention of the DBI Pro-700, since I hadn't really heard of them... I bought them, and wow, best $30 pair of headphones I've heard.  I can understand why they MSRP for $180, they're built for music listening stations in stores, and while they aren't perfect, they are actually very good!  Better than the MDR-V6, hands down.  Thanks for mentioning them.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Mon, 19 July 2010, 13:34:33
Quote from: nraymond;203745
Being a headphone geek myself, you surprised me with mention of the DBI Pro-700, since I hadn't really heard of them... I bought them, and wow, best $30 pair of headphones I've heard.  I can understand why they MSRP for $180, they're built for music listening stations in stores, and while they aren't perfect, they are actually very good!  Better than the MDR-V6, hands down.  Thanks for mentioning them.


Mine arrived today. I'm listening to them now and am honestly shocked at how good they sound for $30.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: ch_123 on Mon, 19 July 2010, 15:11:07
Quote from: ricercar;203469
ooh. I'm a hench-troll now. I always wanted to be a second fiddle.


You have some pretty big boots to fill.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Tue, 20 July 2010, 15:40:50
Quote from: nraymond;203745
Being a headphone geek myself, you surprised me with mention of the DBI Pro-700, since I hadn't really heard of them... I bought them, and wow, best $30 pair of headphones I've heard.  I can understand why they MSRP for $180, they're built for music listening stations in stores, and while they aren't perfect, they are actually very good!  Better than the MDR-V6, hands down.  Thanks for mentioning them.

If you also bought yours from the eBay listing I posted (http://cgi.ebay.com/DBI-PRO-700-HEADPHONES-NEW-BOX-/130409600236) it looks like we may have lucked out. Some people ended up getting completely different headphones:

I ordered DBI Pro-700, and got some random headphone... (http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/503008/i-ordered-dbi-pro-700-and-got-some-random-headphone)
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: gr1m on Tue, 20 July 2010, 15:43:01
Quote from: pfink;204621
If you also bought yours from the eBay listing I posted (http://cgi.ebay.com/DBI-PRO-700-HEADPHONES-NEW-BOX-/130409600236) it looks like we may have lucked out. Some people ended up getting completely different headphones:

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/503008/i-ordered-dbi-pro-700-and-got-some-random-headphone

Lol tipsycoma. Biggest moron at OCN - he has infected Headfi too, oh God. Let's hope he doesn't discover mechanical keyboards and join Geekhack. Not that is has anything to do with the headphone issue, sorry for OT :p
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: pfink on Fri, 06 August 2010, 10:44:47
Quote from: ripster;196728
Screw Creative.  I'd look at somebody that knows something about professional audio like those Shures.  Those sound like the ones to beat at that price point.
Show Image
(http://www.shure.com/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/prod_img_srh440_l.jpg)


I picked up a pair of the Shure SRH440's last week. I think I like the sound of the Audio Technicas a little better, however IMO the Shures are more comfortable for long listening sessions.

Surprisingly, the DBI-Pro 700's that I picked up new for $30 on eBay sound better than either of them (or maybe not so surprising since the MSRP of the DBIs is $199.) They're not too bad comfort-wise, either.

They are butt-ugly, though:

(http://www.soybomb.com/ratpfink/headphones/DBIPro700.jpg)

I ended up modding them by removing the steel cable armor (Yikes! It made the cable weigh more than the 'phones) and replacing the 3.5mm stereo jack. Definitely recommended if any more show up on eBay for that price.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: keyb_gr on Fri, 06 August 2010, 17:52:40
MB Quart based, but with custom drivers (http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/447906/dbi-pro700-first-impressions), interesting. Those are typically used as theft-proof demo phones. On a side note, what once was MB / Peerless MB now goes under the somewhat awkward name of "German Maestro".
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: Phaedrus2129 on Fri, 06 August 2010, 20:52:56
I don't know if I've posted in here...


JVC HA-RX700 headphones are $35 shipped at Amazon. This is by far the best bang for the buck for headphones. Period.
Title: JVC HA-RX700 Headphones
Post by: Terrysko on Sat, 07 August 2010, 19:12:51
Quote from: Phaedrus2129;210030
JVC HA-RX700 headphones are $35 shipped at Amazon. This is by far the best bang for the buck for headphones. Period.

For rock fans a challenging deal, well accentuated bass sound and 48 Ohm input impedance. So It can be used for nearly all headphone amps. Thanks for the information.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: stars1 on Sun, 08 August 2010, 22:00:24
Quote from: pfink;195947
I'm looking for a set of relatively inexpensive (under $150) closed headphones for work. I've got a pair of Grado SR60i's that I like a lot but they're open and too loud for the office.

I've got the following on my short list:

Audio-Technica ATH-M50
Sennheiser HD448
Sony MDR-V6

Anybody got any opinions on these? Any other recommendations?

Thanks.


I've never used above headphones you mentioned. Bought several headphones before. And now I am using a 5.1 Surround Headphone (http://www.sourcingmap.com/surround-sound-usb-gaming-headphone-headset-with-microphone-p-40566.html) which I got from sourcingmap about three months ago. This lightweight and comfortable Headphone is perfect for PC gaming and Adjustable microphone is perfect for online gaming or internet calling.
Title: Headphone recommendation
Post by: gr1m on Mon, 09 August 2010, 01:24:12
http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Microphone-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1281335018&sr=8-1

Buy that and never worry about microphones again.