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General Discussion => Essentially Flyertalk => Topic started by: asava on February 17, 2010, 12:08:10 AM
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Just wondering if there were any audiophiles that had a decent amount of knowledge they could share with me.
I'm just now getting started on the headphone game, and I also have decided to get a decent record player.
For headphones I just bought some Grado SR225i's, should be here in a couple days. Talked to the guy at the shop i was ordering from and he said that there is no real need for a headphone amp until I start getting into the higher end models. Would it be worth it to get a headphone amp now, or should I just wait until I can spend more than $200 on a pair of cans?
Also if you have anything bad to say about the SR225's let me know so I can stop the order before it ships out.
As far as turntables go I really have no idea where to begin. I wouldn't be using it to DJamer or anything like that, just looking for a good turn table that will keep a consistent speed and has better than average sound. Is there a serious difference between Direct Drive and Belts? I will be hooking it up to a Denon AVR 3802, if that makes a difference. That being said is there any suggestions as to what route I should go? I've been looking on ebay at some old Duals, but don't think it would be right spending some $100-$200 on a turn table unless I knew what the f i was spending it for. Any specific cartridges I should be looking for? Brands? Models?! anything at all?
Also if you have a decent record player and wanting to sell it I may take it off your hands.
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I have SR225s and I have nothing bad to say about them. I think they're pretty outstanding, but I'm not a huge audiophile either.
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Being an audiophile sounds like a really expensive hobby.
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Cost effectiveness seems like a pretty big issue. The headphones he really wants aren't just twice as much as the ones he's getting. They're at least three or four times as much. Plus the amp. By how much do you think they will improve his experience?
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LMAO, I have no clue. I bought $20 MEElectronics because they were generally listed as the most durable on head-fi. But I only listen to mp3's, so spending anything over $40 for headphones is crazy IMO.
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I'm a soundbar guy so....
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People 'round here think i'm crazy for professing my love for lossless audio on blu-ray discs. Makes a ton of difference. I don't have an expensive set up thou.
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People 'round here think i'm crazy for professing my love for lossless audio on blu-ray discs. Makes a ton of difference. I don't have an expensive set up thou.
i've started upgrading all my favorite albums to lossless. absolutely makes a difference.
Cost effectiveness seems like a pretty big issue. The headphones he really wants aren't just twice as much as the ones he's getting. They're at least three or four times as much. Plus the amp. By how much do you think they will improve his experience?
this is right on. i definitely don't have the dough to go spend a couple g's on my listening set up.
also i can't really say how much they would improve the experience, being as i have never had the opportunity to put on a $1000 pair of phones through a tube amp, but i bet it would be MIND MELTING.
I have SR225s and I have nothing bad to say about them. I think they're pretty outstanding, but I'm not a huge audiophile either.
what kind of music do you listen through them? i was wondering how the bass holds up in hip hop and trip hop. from what i've read they seem to be perfect for any type of rock, but didn't know about the others.
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I don't even listen to music on my set up. Strictly HT and gaming.
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I don't even listen to music on my set up. Strictly HT and gaming.
definitely an underrated experience.
but so is watching an movie with incredible sound. you ever watch saving private ryan on your set up? i thought i was gonna get shot during the opening scene.
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what kind of music do you listen through them? i was wondering how the bass holds up in hip hop and trip hop. from what i've read they seem to be perfect for any type of rock, but didn't know about the others.
I've listened to all major genres except jazz. That sort of thing shouldn't be an issue for you at all. I never noticed anything that I thought was a deficiency. If I had any issues (which I didn't), they would be more about to what extent the sound that I was hearing was an exact match of the sound that was recorded. Basically, if something sounds good when it's recorded, it should sound good when you hear it though these headphones.
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Get 1200's for your turntables
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yum
(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rwhiphop.com%2Fhip-hop%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F12%2Ftechnics-1200.jpg&hash=136f7e8061182a2ffa86cd43ebb26d639a85b5a3)
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not gonna lie that looks pretty delicious. do you have em?
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did. sold them after college. best turntable ever made. ~$500.
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ended up going with a Technics SL 1300. Little bit cheaper, and supposedly decent sound. Probably replace the cartridge sometime, so as to upgrade. But for right now I am pretty f'n happy.
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ended up going with a Technics SL 1300. Little bit cheaper, and supposedly decent sound. Probably replace the cartridge sometime, so as to upgrade. But for right now I am pretty f'n happy.
Give an update after a while. I'm real interested in buying one but don't wanna drop 500 bucks on one right now. Nothin' beats the sound of vinyl though.
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I have 2 pairs of sennheisers and I don't think they can be beat. It's amazing the difference in recording/producing from modern stuff (overdriven crap) to classical stuff where recording quality really truly matters. So be aware, the higher quality of stuff you get, the more pure the sound will get. In many cases of modern music, it will end up sounding worse. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war
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Ultimate Ears SuperFi 3
http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/ultimate-ears-super-fi/4505-7877_7-31491515.html?tag=txt%3bpage
CNet says they are the best phones in the $100 price range. On sale here for $39.99. Anyone have or has had these? The cable is replaceable which kind of drew my attention because that is what I always wear out.
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/349/7085&ci=0
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Sugg's for a good center channel speaker? :cool:
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ended up going with a Technics SL 1300. Little bit cheaper, and supposedly decent sound. Probably replace the cartridge sometime, so as to upgrade. But for right now I am pretty f'n happy.
Give an update after a while. I'm real interested in buying one but don't wanna drop 500 bucks on one right now. Nothin' beats the sound of vinyl though.
really like the direct drive. super smooth. very much enjoy it.
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Ultimate Ears SuperFi 3
http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/ultimate-ears-super-fi/4505-7877_7-31491515.html?tag=txt%3bpage
CNet says they are the best phones in the $100 price range. On sale here for $39.99. Anyone have or has had these? The cable is replaceable which kind of drew my attention because that is what I always wear out.
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/349/7085&ci=0
look into meelectronics phones, too. Have a pretty good rep for durability. that looks like a ridic. deal, though.
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ended up going with a Technics SL 1300. Little bit cheaper, and supposedly decent sound. Probably replace the cartridge sometime, so as to upgrade. But for right now I am pretty f'n happy.
Give an update after a while. I'm real interested in buying one but don't wanna drop 500 bucks on one right now. Nothin' beats the sound of vinyl though.
really like the direct drive. super smooth. very much enjoy it.
Amazing avatar/caption/signature, btw.
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Ultimate Ears SuperFi 3
http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/ultimate-ears-super-fi/4505-7877_7-31491515.html?tag=txt%3bpage
CNet says they are the best phones in the $100 price range. On sale here for $39.99. Anyone have or has had these? The cable is replaceable which kind of drew my attention because that is what I always wear out.
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/349/7085&ci=0
look into meelectronics phones, too. Have a pretty good rep for durability. that looks like a ridic. deal, though.
Christ, just found a coupon code (techbargains_6110) and they are down to $35.99 free shipping. May have to do this.
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Slightly off topic, but the best cheap headphones you can buy: Sennheiser PX 100's (http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PX-100-Collapsible-Headphones/dp/B000089GN3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276809159&sr=1-1)
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Ultimate Ears SuperFi 3
http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/ultimate-ears-super-fi/4505-7877_7-31491515.html?tag=txt%3bpage
CNet says they are the best phones in the $100 price range. On sale here for $39.99. Anyone have or has had these? The cable is replaceable which kind of drew my attention because that is what I always wear out.
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/349/7085&ci=0
look into meelectronics phones, too. Have a pretty good rep for durability. that looks like a ridic. deal, though.
Christ, just found a coupon code (techbargains_6110) and they are down to $35.99 free shipping. May have to do this.
Ordered. I checked google shopper and there was nowhere selling them online for less than $90 (and those were shady places).
$120 at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Ears-SuperFi-Studio-ear/dp/B000K2PDNM
I've had $30 sennheiser's before but this will be my first set of elite phones. Pretty pumped.
(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cool-smileys.com%2Fimages%2Fheadphone-smiley.jpg&hash=898863e6be534bf64d6a42aea91c2cf6a5ac871e)
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I have 2 pairs of sennheisers and I don't think they can be beat. It's amazing the difference in recording/producing from modern stuff (overdriven crap) to classical stuff where recording quality really truly matters. So be aware, the higher quality of stuff you get, the more pure the sound will get. In many cases of modern music, it will end up sounding worse. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war
Got to reiterate this, even entry-level audiophile systems will make lots of modern recordings sound like a dog's ass at anything above a whisper. On the other hand older pressings and music that sound very dull on cheaper systems can be absolutely amazing.
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I have 2 pairs of sennheisers and I don't think they can be beat. It's amazing the difference in recording/producing from modern stuff (overdriven crap) to classical stuff where recording quality really truly matters. So be aware, the higher quality of stuff you get, the more pure the sound will get. In many cases of modern music, it will end up sounding worse. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war
Got to reiterate this, even entry-level audiophile systems will make lots of modern recordings sound like a dog's ass at anything above a whisper. On the other hand older pressings and music that sound very dull on cheaper systems can be absolutely amazing.
Does that mean new stuff sounds good on garbage and old stuff sounds good on good equipment?
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The bad: The Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio earphones' cable is too short for tall users.
:frown:
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I was frownin to yla, I was frownin to bro
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The bad: The Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio earphones' cable is too short for tall users.
:frown:
I'm only 6' but was worried about that too. Here's the thing though, the cable is replaceable and I bet you can get one as long as you want/need :dunno:
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Just got my elite phones
(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsmileys.on-my-web.com%2Frepository%2FMusic%2FDJamer-086.gif&hash=ca4528f16c559d92a4447e233c61b6a520e364f6)
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(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsmileys.on-my-web.com%2Frepository%2FMusic%2Fmusic-111.gif&hash=6988bfa6bc3334f9aed0a2c1d8aa926eb5a32bde)
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I have 2 pairs of sennheisers and I don't think they can be beat. It's amazing the difference in recording/producing from modern stuff (overdriven crap) to classical stuff where recording quality really truly matters. So be aware, the higher quality of stuff you get, the more pure the sound will get. In many cases of modern music, it will end up sounding worse. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war
Got to reiterate this, even entry-level audiophile systems will make lots of modern recordings sound like a dog's ass at anything above a whisper. On the other hand older pressings and music that sound very dull on cheaper systems can be absolutely amazing.
Does that mean new stuff sounds good on garbage and old stuff sounds good on good equipment?
New stuff doesn't really sound good on anything. By new stuff, I mean poorly produced stuff, which almost all music now is. Good equipment is more faithful to the original recording- for better or worse. They don't have the "super duper bass" or anything. So if it was recorded/produced poorly, that comes through even moreso. If it was done really well, it will sound even more amazing and clear.
Here's an example of poorly produced music- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRyIACDCc1I
Death Magnetic is notoriously loud. The Guitar Hero tracks are pre production. Note how clear those are.
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I have 2 pairs of sennheisers and I don't think they can be beat. It's amazing the difference in recording/producing from modern stuff (overdriven crap) to classical stuff where recording quality really truly matters. So be aware, the higher quality of stuff you get, the more pure the sound will get. In many cases of modern music, it will end up sounding worse. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war
Got to reiterate this, even entry-level audiophile systems will make lots of modern recordings sound like a dog's ass at anything above a whisper. On the other hand older pressings and music that sound very dull on cheaper systems can be absolutely amazing.
Does that mean new stuff sounds good on garbage and old stuff sounds good on good equipment?
New stuff doesn't really sound good on anything. By new stuff, I mean poorly produced stuff, which almost all music now is. Good equipment is more faithful to the original recording- for better or worse. They don't have the "super duper bass" or anything. So if it was recorded/produced poorly, that comes through even moreso. If it was done really well, it will sound even more amazing and clear.
Here's an example of poorly produced music- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRyIACDCc1I
Death Magnetic is notoriously loud. The Guitar Hero tracks are pre production. Note how clear those are.
Good systems are very revelatory of what's actually present in the recording but as ew said: that faithful reproduction may be a good thing or a bad thing.
Good systems are a definitely double-edged sword, there are albums I love (e.g., much of The Doors and old Sabbath) that have very noticeable flaws that are annoying and really stick out now but which I'd never really noticed on cheap equipment. On the other hand great recordings and great masters really stand out; check out e.g., Steve Hoffman's master of The Who's "Who's Next". Simply amazing.
For an entire genre the most striking difference, for me at least, was late 60s & 70s classic rock much of which I thought was a bit dull-sounding. Listening to some of that on good equipment for the first time some of those tracks have just amazing depth and detail that I'd never noticed before.
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I have 2 pairs of sennheisers and I don't think they can be beat. It's amazing the difference in recording/producing from modern stuff (overdriven crap) to classical stuff where recording quality really truly matters. So be aware, the higher quality of stuff you get, the more pure the sound will get. In many cases of modern music, it will end up sounding worse. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war
Got to reiterate this, even entry-level audiophile systems will make lots of modern recordings sound like a dog's ass at anything above a whisper. On the other hand older pressings and music that sound very dull on cheaper systems can be absolutely amazing.
Does that mean new stuff sounds good on garbage and old stuff sounds good on good equipment?
New stuff doesn't really sound good on anything. By new stuff, I mean poorly produced stuff, which almost all music now is. Good equipment is more faithful to the original recording- for better or worse. They don't have the "super duper bass" or anything. So if it was recorded/produced poorly, that comes through even moreso. If it was done really well, it will sound even more amazing and clear.
Here's an example of poorly produced music- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRyIACDCc1I
Death Magnetic is notoriously loud. The Guitar Hero tracks are pre production. Note how clear those are.
For an entire genre the most striking difference, for me at least, was late 60s & 70s classic rock much of which I thought was a bit dull-sounding. Listening to some of that on good equipment for the first time some of those tracks have just amazing depth and detail that I'd never noticed before.
Absolutely. They were awesome at getting the thickest, in-depth sounds out of great, yet limited equipment.
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Sugg's for a good center channel speaker? :cool:
What do you have for Fronts? Some mfgs will have a center that is "tone matched" but some reviews say that is not always the case.
The cheapest solution is if you can sit directly in front of the screen and not use a center. Instead the receiver will send the center channel signal to the L and R equally, some times called a phantom mode or some such on older equipment.
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Seems like a good deal for some mid range home phones :dunno:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826621002&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=361116&SID=FW94hudt
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106455
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Seems like a good deal for some mid range home phones :dunno:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826621002&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=361116&SID=FW94hudt
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106455
I had a pair of the 201's. Not bad for just whatever. Pretty comfy. These are low-range, btw. Midrange will be in the $40-$80 range.
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Got these Sennheiser's:
(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sennheiser.com%2Fsennheiser%2Fproducts.nsf%2Fresources%2FECEB14FADE9A3DE9C125768F00351D99%2F%24File%2FPMX_680_set_new.jpg&hash=e3e4750570459419d6ebf3d37ea8ab21ee2343a9)
to replace these Sony's:
(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn3.digitaltrends.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Freviews%2Ffull_reviews%2Fsony%2Fmdr-as50g%2Fas50g-big.png&hash=271198adf5eeed13b16c326748a5a3357586270d)
as my gym headphones. they stay in better and are more comfortable but the sony's sounded better for the short times after I stuck them back in my ears after falling out. overall a good trade off so far.
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i use these for jogging or if i'm at the rock house moving boulders, which i do basically 24/6.
(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fa4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ak-snc6%2F199580_10150200551806760_117499261759_8809559_805221_n.jpg&hash=fbfa77d615302226be6efcb9d053f91ed5afb100)
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The sennheisers are ultimate comfortable and sound good but I have problems with them funneling sweat into my earhole until it overflows then i have to go to the hand dryer and blow off the earbuds. I am sweatier than avg though.
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The sennheisers are ultimate comfortable and sound good but I have problems with them funneling sweat into my earhole until it overflows then i have to go to the hand dryer and blow off the earbuds. I am sweatier than avg though.
mine have passed the sweat test so far and I'm super sweaty too. maybe your ear is shaped funny?
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http://gizmodo.com/5904875/the-best-headphones-for-running
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http://gizmodo.com/5904875/the-best-headphones-for-running
yep, that's where I saw them.
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ya i read it last week and put those headphones you got on the "list of crap i need to get so i can start working out again"
very short list but it's taken me a while to mark things off of it.
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I found this to be really helpful when buying a set up
(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi45.tinypic.com%2F9kql1c.jpg&hash=218077b5515776d6856d3d59e758d236949c69a6)
(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi46.tinypic.com%2Fjrspbc.jpg&hash=f34dbe65038af65216c7d98c7413682df5726192)
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I know I've talked about these before, but it's tough to get more bang for your buck. A lot of audiophiles use these for listening on the go:
http://www.amazon.com/Koss-PortaPro-Headphones-with-Case/dp/B00001P4ZH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336144081&sr=8-1 (http://www.amazon.com/Koss-PortaPro-Headphones-with-Case/dp/B00001P4ZH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336144081&sr=8-1)
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I know I've talked about these before, but it's tough to get more bang for your buck. A lot of audiophiles use these for listening on the go:
http://www.amazon.com/Koss-PortaPro-Headphones-with-Case/dp/B00001P4ZH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336144081&sr=8-1 (http://www.amazon.com/Koss-PortaPro-Headphones-with-Case/dp/B00001P4ZH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336144081&sr=8-1)
yeah, koss is great. I've had a few pairs of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Koss-KSC75-Portable-Stereophone-Headphones/dp/B0006B486K/ref=pd_cp_e_0
I've found that you can get more for your money with audio equipment if you buy something marketed as studio equipment rather than home audio.
At home I have these:
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Studiophile-Powered-Monitor-Speakers/dp/B0051WAM64/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1336144436&sr=1-1
And at work I have these:
http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SRH440-Professional-Studio-Headphones/dp/B002DP1FTU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1336144392&sr=1-1
Both GREAT values IMO.
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yeah, koss is great. I've had a few pairs of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Koss-KSC75-Portable-Stereophone-Headphones/dp/B0006B486K/ref=pd_cp_e_0
I've found that you can get more for your money with audio equipment if you buy something marketed as studio equipment rather than home audio.
At home I have these:
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Studiophile-Powered-Monitor-Speakers/dp/B0051WAM64/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1336144436&sr=1-1
And at work I have these:
http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SRH440-Professional-Studio-Headphones/dp/B002DP1FTU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1336144392&sr=1-1
Both GREAT values IMO.
Oh, good tip. I may have to check both of those out. I've been thinking about getting some over the ears.
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I have these:
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Ears-MetroFi-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B001NTBVPA/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1336148565&sr=8-14 (http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Ears-MetroFi-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B001NTBVPA/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1336148565&sr=8-14)
Have been using a lot for a while now. I am a pretty sweaty person when working out too.
These are fantastic. Great range. very clear. stay in very well. Also extremely good at cutting out background noise.
If you don't want to hear gym people working out or talking to you, or if you want to get hit by a car that you didn't hear coming when running, these are for you.
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I'm using these right now:
http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AHD5000-AH-D5000-Reference-Headphones/dp/B000MVEC10
I've owned a million different headphones from a million different brands. These are hands down the best I've ever owned. You'll need an amp to take advantage of them, but the sound is literally orgasmic.
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mrs. dave just bought me these
http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Headphones/Headphones/P3/explore.html
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head-fi, which michigancat already mentioned, is a good place for headphone, amp, and accessory reviews.
here is a thread with comparisons of 274 in-ear phones(updated frequently): http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-274-iems-compared-hifiman-re-400-added-03-14-13-p-650
another thread with comparisons of 107 portable headphones: http://www.head-fi.org/t/433318/shootout-107-portable-headphones-reviewed-astrotec-as-100hd-as-200hd-added-12-02-12
i have the Creative Aurvana Live! headphones and a couple of the Meelectronics IEMs which are reviewed in those threads.