Author Topic: New Cans (Read 5240 times)

itlnstln · « **on:** Wed, 09 September 2009, 13:13:04 »

If anyone is looking for some nice, somewhat inexpensive headphones for the office, I just got some Audio-Technica ATH-M50s. They sound great for the price, and they are circumaural, so they'll pretty much block any noise out. I got mine off eBay here; $85 w/free shipping.

rdjack21 · « **Reply #1 on:** Wed, 09 September 2009, 14:18:44 »

I'm a fan of the Koss Porta Pro myself. I have a couple of them. One set at home and one at work. They are great head phones for the price.

itlnstln · « **Reply #2 on:** Wed, 09 September 2009, 15:33:06 »

Koss Porta Pros are awesome; they absolutely kill stuff 2, 3 and 4 times their price (especially Bose headphones which I thought really sucked, but that wasn't suprising). I was looking for a circumaural set as I have some rather annoying officemates that I wanted to shut out. That, I am very conscious of my hearing, and circumaural headphones allow me to lower the noise floor, so I can play my music at a lower actual volume, but still get plenty of perceived volume.

erricrice · « **Reply #3 on:** Wed, 09 September 2009, 15:43:33 »

AKG K-44
THE WIDEST sounding headphones I have ever known of. Beats out almost everything above it in sound quality too. $30 if you can still find them(they're around the internet somewhere haha).
Not much to look at, but the are EXTREMELY impressive. If you know anyone with a pair try them out, you will spend the time finding them, believe me.

huha · « **Reply #4 on:** Wed, 09 September 2009, 19:50:05 »

I never liked the Porta Pros, they're quite awkward and uncomfortable to wear and their bass is too emphasized in my opinion. I couldn't really enjoy music more on them than on other cheap headphones, while I could clearly hear they were better. But apparently not better enough to matter to me.

That said, I don't think you can get decent phones for little money. They'll most likely be somewhat expensive to be able to offer the quality required for listening comfortably.

-huha

sixty · « **Reply #5 on:** Wed, 09 September 2009, 20:08:39 »

Quote from: ripster;116396

Yeah - audio is an even bigger pit than keyboards. I have to say I really like my $179 Sennheiser HD-595s though. Seems to be in a pretty good sweet spot for most modern listeners who don't want to just fall asleep to the typical Sennheiser sound and Von Karajan.

Hmm.... cheaper than a Topre but more than a Filco - maybe this is a Universal Truth!

Using the HD-595s too. Mine actually were very cheap, got them for like 60 bucks on amazon.de open box a long time ago - they went up after that again by a lot it seems.

D-EJ915 · « **Reply #6 on:** Wed, 09 September 2009, 20:45:26 »

Quote from: sixty;116398

Using the HD-595s too. Mine actually were very cheap, got them for like 60 bucks on amazon.de open box a long time ago - they went up after that again by a lot it seems.

no they've always been about the same price...$250 in-between the 580s and 600s

AndrewZorn · « **Reply #7 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 01:30:54 »

Quote from: itlnstln;116218

If anyone is looking for some nice, somewhat inexpensive headphones for the office, I just got some Audio-Technica ATH-M50s. They sound great for the price, and they are circumaural, so they'll pretty much block any noise out. I got mine off eBay here; $85 w/free shipping.

hey! me too! just last/this week. came from denon d1001. same ebay retailer too (but I got the straight-corded version, the M50s, the M50 (no s) is the coiled cord).
don't forget to use bing cash back to make it even cheaper.

they sound great, bass is the best i have felt on headphones, but isnt stupid. just sounds like speakers. also pretty good at keeping noise out.

clickclack · « **Reply #8 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 03:47:39 »

This is a fun thread

I have learned a bunch about these "cans" by just checking out what was posted.

I have Bose QC noise canceling headphones, and I really like them. I have had them for a few years and they get knocked around and only recently has wear become an issue. I wonder if I can replace the foam ear surrounds. Anywho...
I use them mostly to relax when I am working on a project, and/or to protect my ears when I am on machinery. Very soothing

A common misconception people seem to have about noise canceling head phones is that they will cancel all types of noises. From what I have read and experienced, they mostly just cancel out the repetitive noises. An example would be machine noises and background street traffic.
You can hear people talking sometimes better! If I am in a room with heavy machinery and someone is trying to talk to me without the noisecanceling headphones I can't really hear them. With the phones their voice is separated from the noise and becomes more clear, yet becomes softer too!

I also really enjoy not having to crank up the volume. I can hear things really well at low volumes since it cancels out or lowers the apparent "outside" volume.

When I was in college my friends dad was working on a prototype headphone that would vibrate with the music. Especially noticable on songs with heavy bass. It was like ear sex! Things sounded great and again you didn't have to crank up the volume since it gave the impression that it had a heavier base than it did. It was very convincing, extreeeeeemly enjoyable. Hmmm... I wonder what ever happened to it...

JBert · « **Reply #9 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 04:39:23 »

Active noise canceling headphones are only good if they offer some kind of "overload protection".
They work by sampling background noise and they output an inverse signal. This in turn causes the background noise to be canceled. The problem is, sometimes the noise and inverted signal don't match and the noise and/or inverted signal can be heard. If the noise was very sudden and loud, the inverted signal may suddenly peak as well and damage your ears.

I don't know how well-tested Bose headphones are for this phenomenon, but it's something to look out for - especially in the cheaper alternatives. I know one guy who partially lost his hearing due to headphones of this kind. They were probably

Personally, I'll keep using the passive noise-cancelling headphones. They mostly work well enough.

EDIT: After a little reading, it seems sudden and loud mid to high frequency noise is to be watched, low frequencies are mostly muted fine.

AndrewZorn · « **Reply #10 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 05:40:35 »

Quote from: clickclack;116493

When I was in college my friends dad was working on a prototype headphone that would vibrate with the music. Especially noticable on songs with heavy bass. It was like ear sex! Things sounded great and again you didn't have to crank up the volume since it gave the impression that it had a heavier base than it did. It was very convincing, extreeeeeemly enjoyable. Hmmm... I wonder what ever happened to it...

skullcandy made some like this
but i wouldnt suggest anything from them

itlnstln · « **Reply #11 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 07:54:35 »

I have some noise-cancelling headphones, and they actually make it easier to hear other people's conversations by filtering out the other crap. In a weird way, I kinda like that.

huha · « **Reply #12 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 08:53:42 »

Quote from: ripster;116396

Yeah - audio is an even bigger pit than keyboards. I have to say I really like my $179 Sennheiser HD-595s though. Seems to be in a pretty good sweet spot for most modern listeners who don't want to just fall asleep to the typical Sennheiser sound and Von Karajan.

Hmm.... cheaper than a Topre but more than a Filco - maybe this is a Universal Truth!

I haven't listened with the new-issue (late 90s) Beyerdynamic DT-990, which supposedly offer more bass than my old model, but my old (early 90s) one is just (and still!) fantastic, although it wishes to disintegrate from time to time (that's where true quality shows, by the way--you can still get replacement parts for everything).
I think one of the most important aspects of headphones is not the very best sound you can get, but rather comfort. If they're a pain to wear, you can't enjoy the sound, even if it's the best in the universe. On the other hand, if they sound crappy as hell, even wearing comfort won't cut it (happily enough, no one cares to produce comfortable headphones that sound really crappy), so you'll have to find a sweet spot somewhere inbetween, except when not planning to use them for prolonged periods of time. I have no problem wearing the DT990s for hours, and they even sound decent.

Noise-cancelling is an issue. Active noise cancelling can work, but in order to do it right, you'll need expensive electronics. Half-arsed attempts can produce decent results, though. Filtering out the noise by means of isolating it is far better, as that'll work all the time. Sadly, you'll need closed headphones for that, and I think they're horribly uncomfortable. Open headphones need to have a more expensive speaker design, but they don't rely on sealing everything tight, so they're often (not always!) more comfortable to wear. You won't get any significant noise dampening, though, but I kind of like this as well. On the other hand, I don't work in noisy environments.

-huha

chongyixiong · « **Reply #13 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 09:12:18 »

Hey huha, I have the new DT990s, and I must say I really enjoy the performance I'm getting out of them.. all round balance with just the sweet spot on bass.

Although other headphones do sound a wee bit nicer than mine, but I really agree with you on the fact that these headphones are COMFORTABLE.. they fit the ear nicer than the Sennheisers for me.

Loving it!

Not to mention open cans sound so much more natural.. you just need to isolate yourself from the noise to enjoy the full potential.. since in my opinion, who tries to enjoy music when you're like walking by a construction site or lounging on the sofa within the living room with 10 kids running around?

The whole experience on listening to be music must be enjoyed, not only on the aural level - to me.

itlnstln · « **Reply #14 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 10:05:17 »

While I haven't tried Sennheiser's circumaural offerings, these ATs damn-near block out all office noise. I can't hear people talk, let alone the very little keyboard noise I have. The best part is, I can't hear my phone ring.

InSanCen · « **Reply #15 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 12:49:59 »

I'll keep my Grado's out of this one, they're getting sold soon anyway. I don't use them enough to warrant keeping that much cash tied up.

These are mine

ironcoder · « **Reply #16 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 13:22:49 »

Quote from: huha;116395

That said, I don't think you can get decent phones for little money. They'll most likely be somewhat expensive to be able to offer the quality required for listening comfortably.-huha

I generally agree with that. However, I found a great exception. These are so good they outta be illegal. I love mine:

http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/home_en.nsf/root/private_headphones_classic-line_pxseries_005206?Open&row=3

ironcoder · « **Reply #17 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 13:24:16 »

Quote from: webwit;116613

I really like the Sennheisers. Except they get broken within a year. Maybe you tried the wrong model?

Why, cuz his didn't break? :biggrin:

clickclack · « **Reply #18 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 14:23:23 »

Quote from: ripster;116627

The PXC450. They are way better built than the Bose, they have a "Push To Hear" button, they sound soooo much better.
Whats that "push to hear" thing?
So I just tried an interesting lil experiment...
I read a long time ago that my Bose QC headphones cancel out more nose when you have music playing (even at very low volume). That always seemed true but I never really check it out. So I am typing on a keyboard right now (rubber dome) and this is what I have noticed-
1) w/o the headphones I can obviously clearly hear the keys and the wiggling of the keys
2) with the headphones over my ears (not turned on) it muffles the sound but I can basically hear every thing, but it is more pleasant if slightly droning.
3) with the headphones turned on the keyboard is muted very significantly.
with my AT101W it is a bit more quiet (not as much as the rubber dome) and my model M has become much more quiet.
4) with music playing at a low volume I dont really hear the rubber dome at all and the outside traffic is gone. My model M is so reduced that I could actually forget about the sound easily (i can still hear it but... not by much). And I could also easily forget about the sound of the AT101W (again hardly audible)
This would explain when I am at work I forget that I have machinery on and walk away! haahaaa OOOPS! =p

I'm just saying when I disable the noise canceling and turn it back on there isn't a BIG difference hearing mid-tones (keyboard sounds). Works best with airplane engine rumble bass and the high frequencies "Seashell - I Can Hear the Sea " effect of closed headphones. Also it eats batteries - the old Bose used two AAs vs the Sennheiser single AAA.

Do we have different Bose phones?
I only have one "AAA" in them and they last about a month with daily use.
When the battery is low (you can tell when the red led blinks) its pretty good for another 10hrs but wont cancel out as much and the canceling technology has more issues. If I bump them then they try to cancel out my hit! haaahaa!
And I can hear a slight seashel cancel noise, but its soothing. This is hardly noticable when the bats are fresh, and completely gone when any music is playing regardless of the volume level.

TheSoulhunter · « **Reply #19 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 17:08:59 »

Sony MDR 7506 all the way... ^^

InSanCen · « **Reply #20 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 18:29:00 »

The best cans I have ever heard, (But sadly will never own), is the legendary Sennheiser Orpheous system. Yes, Headpdone System. They are Electrostatic, you need the whole kit and caboodle to run them. The price tag though, was an eye-wateringly expensive $14,000!

I have never (And probably will never again), heard anything that compares to that (And my system at home isn't exactly low-end).

If you are insanely rich, then your ears will love you forever. Otherwise, try to get a demo at a show, and prepare to cry when you put your own previously fantastic cans back on when you get home.

A review of them.

http://www.sgheadphones.net/index.php?showtopic=6020

D-EJ915 · « **Reply #21 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 18:35:06 »

the orpheus has leather pads on the headphones I mean c'mon lol. I think the R10s are sexier though. If I were going to buy some expensive headphones right now I'd probably pick up a pair of HD600s or RS-1s, maybe W100s.

InSanCen · « **Reply #22 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 18:43:22 »

Quote from: D-EJ915;116798

the orpheus has leather pads on the headphones I mean c'mon lol. I think the R10s are sexier though. If I were going to buy some expensive headphones right now I'd probably pick up a pair of HD600s or RS-1s, maybe W100s.

Once You hear them, you cease to give a stuff about anything visual... they could have styled it after a steaming dog-turd, and, funds allowing, I'd have bought it in a heartbeat. The down-side is that anything you listen to afterwards, short of top-end Studio Monitors, is suddenly ruined. My saving grace is that they (any Electrostatic) are not brilliant at lots of Bass... and my tastes involve gobs of the stuff ;-). Or so I keep trying to convince myself.

D-EJ915 · « **Reply #23 on:** Thu, 10 September 2009, 19:02:37 »

Quote from: InSanCen;116802

Once You hear them, you cease to give a stuff about anything visual... they could have styled it after a steaming dog-turd, and, funds allowing, I'd have bought it in a heartbeat. The down-side is that anything you listen to afterwards, short of top-end Studio Monitors, is suddenly ruined. My saving grace is that they (any Electrostatic) are not brilliant at lots of Bass... and my tastes involve gobs of the stuff ;-). Or so I keep trying to convince myself.

so you mean styled like Stax lol

cmr · « **Reply #24 on:** Fri, 11 September 2009, 16:00:10 »

Quote from: TheSoulhunter;116767

Sony MDR 7506 all the way... ^^

still my favorite headphones

Shuki · « **Reply #25 on:** Fri, 11 September 2009, 21:55:20 »

Audio-Technica are definitely my favourite brand due to comfort and sound signature especially on the open ear headphones. Been using my AD-700s for a while now they are really great.

D-EJ915 · « **Reply #26 on:** Sat, 12 September 2009, 00:38:31 »

jr.com seems to be having a sale/clearance on AT 'phones...

anyway the AD700s are $90 and the A55s are $50 which is a damn steal (I never used them but the A500s were great for $100 when I got them a few years ago)

you could probably get musiciansfriend to pricematch and beat by 10% of the difference.

SCTony · « **Reply #27 on:** Wed, 20 January 2010, 17:29:57 »

I was just going to post about these headphones (Audio Technica ATH-M50) but I see I am late to the party. Seller accepted my offer of $91.77 - I guess I should have started lower but seems like a reasonable price with free shipping. I am looking forward to the UPS truck showing up soon. eBay link

AndrewZorn · « **Reply #28 on:** Thu, 21 January 2010, 03:59:05 »

i suggest ordering some replacement pads if you can
ive noticed (maybe) that the current fake leather pads have hardened because of all the sweat they induce.
yet havent gone off to actually finding replacements yet.

In Stereo! · « **Reply #29 on:** Thu, 21 January 2010, 04:38:29 »

Waiting for my AKG HD271 MKII for more than a month. :<

SCTony · « **Reply #30 on:** Thu, 21 January 2010, 05:39:57 »

Are they as comfortable as the reviews claim? I hope they wear well with glasses.

itlnstln · « **Reply #31 on:** Thu, 21 January 2010, 07:50:25 »

Quote from: SCTony;152616

Are they as comfortable as the reviews claim? I hope they wear well with glasses.

They are quite comfortable. They feel a little heavy in the hand, but with the wide head band and the fairly thick ear pads, I can wear them for hours on end (and I do wear glasses). The only thing I don't particularly care for, and this is nothing specific to the ATs, is the "dent" in your hair after wearing them for awhile.

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Author Topic: New Cans (Read 5240 times)