Topic: Best Headphones

[charles]

What is the best reasonable set of headphones to compliment a setup?

[Brian Skalinder]

For what purpose?  Home listening, monitoring/mixing at shows?  Budget?

I don't really use headphones to monitor unless I'm at a festival and have significant down-time between sets.  Even then, not so much unless I suspect I'm having a problem.  There're probably some headphone posts in the Playback Forum, try a Search over there as well.

[John R]

Budget?

grado? senn? sony? etymotic?

[pfife]

I love the sony7506's.  Not as much iso as I would have hoped though.

[mmmatt]

I have senheiser 280's  I DO monitor at shows with phones, and I do most of my post production with them as well.  The are clean sounding and they attentuate (block out) the noise around you very well.  I think I paid $99 for them, and they are worth every penny IMO.

Matt

[Sean Gallemore]

and to point out the obvious, best is subjective

[SPLASTiK]

I have senheiser 280's  I DO monitor at shows with phones, and I do most of my post production with them as well.  The are clean sounding and they attentuate (block out) the noise around you very well.  I think I paid $99 for them, and they are worth every penny IMO.

Matt

I'd second the 280 pros for live settings. They attenuate a lot of outside noise and are pretty flat.

I own a pair of those for monitoring live music when engineering live sound.

[Busman Audio]

AKG 240S   great sound not cheap though.

[DAT grl]

I have senheiser 280's  I DO monitor at shows with phones, and I do most of my post production with them as well.  The are clean sounding and they attentuate (block out) the noise around you very well.  I think I paid $99 for them, and they are worth every penny IMO.

Matt

I'd second the 280 pros for live settings. They attenuate a lot of outside noise and are pretty flat.

I own a pair of those for monitoring live music when engineering live sound.

Add my third vote for the Sennheiser 280 pros.  They were recommended by 2 different friends who're audio professionals.  I still love my Grado SR 80s for just enjoyment listening b/c they're so lightweight.

[Tall Adam]

AKG 240S   great sound not cheap though.

i use the 240s for my playback and editing, but they suck live, semi-open backed. i use $15 koss "the plug" live  they isolate great, sound good enough for my purposes (mostly just checking that im getting signal, setting levels and  making sure there are no major problems) and theyre cheap

[icculus543]

I use the BOSE Quiet Comfort 2 headphones.. They work great but are a little pricey..

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

I love my Grado Sr-80's. Best $100 I've spent. I usually listen to them vs. my crappy speakers. They sound fantastic.

Next up is a set of nice in the ear phones (I'm thinking some Shure's). The Grado's aren't good on a airplane. They are open so everyone can hear what you're hearing.

MIKE B

[DAT grl]

Next up is a set of nice in the ear phones (I'm thinking some Shure's).

I haven't listened to the Shures and didn't see them when I was buying.  I ended up with Etymotic ER4-Ps.  In all honesty, I'm loving my
Sony Fontopia earbuds.  They sound great for the price ~$40 (if you can't spend the $100 for the Shures) and I use them all the time with my iPod.

[MattD]

How do you like your ER4-Ps? I have a pair of ER-6s on the way to me ... maybe by this weekend if I'm lucky.

[DAT grl]

How do you like your ER4-Ps? I have a pair of ER-6s on the way to me ... maybe by this weekend if I'm lucky.

The isolation on them is phenomenal, which makes them excellent for stealth monitoring in the field.  You'd never guess that earbuds could sound as good as closed headphones.  However, my ear canals are constructed so I have to jam those suckers in but good to get the isolation.  It's enough to be uncomfortable for extended periods, as noted in this review, which is why I like my Fontopias that look similar to the construction of the ER-6s. 

Plus, at $330 I'm a wuss about the Etymotics.  Even though I know they're rugged, I tend to baby them.  I've been known to accidentally rip out the cord on earbuds so I wouldn't feel as guilty about killing or losing the Sonys.  I'm bass-thirsty and the bass response is great but there's no way to get the isolation you have with the Etymotics.  As soon as the Fontopias meet their end, I may have to get the ER-6s.  They look sweet.

Charles, you may want to read through these threads.  They helped me decide on mine.

[mniven]

Not sure what other Etymotics owners think, but I'd highly recommend plunking down the extra cash for some custom earmolds. They are much more comfortable and it takes no time at all to get a "seal" in your ear canal.

They work fine without earmolds (I had more luck with the foam covers than the rubber tips), but the earmolds do present another level of comfort. Plus, the better the seal in your ear, the better the headphones will sound.

I got my earmolds through the place I got my Etymotics, but there are several places that will do it for you. I think there might even be some links on the Etymotics web page.

[DAT grl]

Are the Shure E3/2c or Fontopias an active system or do they just rely on a good seal for isolation? 

Of those I only know about the Fontopias and they aren't active.  I've never used them for when I'm rolling tape, only for iPod listening.

[Charlies]

Following is the substance of a blurb from the "Winter 2004" edition of "mercedes" magazine (don't ask), which piqued my interest:

"Ear Candy...While full-range loudspeakers are perfect for filling a room with sound, sometimes you want to listen privately--and that shouldn't mean your music has to suffer. Grado's RS1 headphones ($695) and RA1 Reference Headphone Amp ($350) provide all the sound qualify you crave. From their honey-hued mahogany earpieces to the ultra-pure, oxygen-free copper voice coils, the RS1 headphones ooze old-world craftmanship. The RA1 amp, machined from a solid block of mahogany, is available in both AC and battery-powered versions.  Combine the headphone with the amp for a sound that's warm, smooth and dynamic, revealing otherwise-hidden detail"..... [you should look at these....they are beautiful!]

The article also said to "consider" Senn. HD650 phones ($500) with a Grace Design headphone amp ($1,500), or the Stax SR 404 phones with the STAX SRM-006t tOOb headphone amp ($1,700 for both)...

I'd need to try all these out before pulling the trigger, but would be happy with any of 'em in my stocking!!

[Nick Culbreth]

Not sure what other Etymotics owners think, but I'd highly recommend plunking down the extra cash for some custom earmolds. They are much more comfortable and it takes no time at all to get a "seal" in your ear canal.

They work fine without earmolds (I had more luck with the foam covers than the rubber tips), but the earmolds do present another level of comfort. Plus, the better the seal in your ear, the better the headphones will sound.

I got my earmolds through the place I got my Etymotics, but there are several places that will do it for you. I think there might even be some links on the Etymotics web page.

any link to the retailer you got the earmolds from?

[MattD]

Also, how much were custom molds?

[JasonSobel]

I use the Grace 901 headphone amp with the Grado RS2 headphones (very similar to the RS1's), and it's absolutely amazing.  I can hear every nuance and detail with this setup.  back when I was buying all this, I used the Grace to compare a bunch of headphones: Grado sr-225, sr-325, and RS-2's, and the Senn. HD-580 and HD-600.  I ended up going with Grado, because the music seemed to jump out at me and was more lively than with the senn. headphones.  With the Grace 901, in addition to an excellent analog section, you get a fabulous D/A converter as well.  however, if you're thinking of going this route, wait another couple months until the 902 headphone amp is released (basically the same analog headphone amplifier, but with an updated D/A converter)

Following is the substance of a blurb from the "Winter 2004" edition of "mercedes" magazine (don't ask), which piqued my interest:

"Ear Candy...While full-range loudspeakers are perfect for filling a room with sound, sometimes you want to listen privately--and that shouldn't mean your music has to suffer. Grado's RS1 headphones ($695) and RA1 Reference Headphone Amp ($350) provide all the sound qualify you crave. From their honey-hued mahogany earpieces to the ultra-pure, oxygen-free copper voice coils, the RS1 headphones ooze old-world craftmanship. The RA1 amp, machined from a solid block of mahogany, is available in both AC and battery-powered versions.  Combine the headphone with the amp for a sound that's warm, smooth and dynamic, revealing otherwise-hidden detail"..... [you should look at these....they are beautiful!]

The article also said to "consider" Senn. HD650 phones ($500) with a Grace Design headphone amp ($1,500), or the Stax SR 404 phones with the STAX SRM-006t tOOb headphone amp ($1,700 for both)...

I'd need to try all these out before pulling the trigger, but would be happy with any of 'em in my stocking!!

[MattD]

Jason,

Did you compare the 901 with the Benchmark DAC-1 when you were looking for the headphone amp?

[JasonSobel]

Did you compare the 901 with the Benchmark DAC-1 when you were looking for the headphone amp?

I did not.  At the time, I couldn't find a place locally to listen to the DAC-1.  After reading Oade's reviews of the 901, and then listening to it myself, I felt justified buying it.  (I should add that I got lucky and was able to buy an "open" box model that had been used for an Audiophile magazine review, and paid a good deal less than I otherwise would have)

[BobW]

Jason,

Did you compare the 901 with the Benchmark DAC-1 when you were looking for the headphone amp?

DAC-1 and a pair of better Sennheisers are very hard to put down     

And the kicker is you get a 24/96 D/A that is, ....  well, a Benchmark.

[drewloo]

I use Grado SR80s at home and Sony Fantopia (51s) for the field.  Mike was right about the Grados being loud for airplane use.  I also thought they didn't provide enough isolation when sitting close to an engine.  I was going to go w/ some Shure E2Cs but decided against it when I saw how much of the earphone sits outside the ear so went w/ the Sonys.

Go to head-fi.org for everything (well, almost) you ever wanted to know about headphones.

cheers,
Drew

[BC]

www.headphone.com

sorry if already posted, didn't read through everything

[mniven]

any link to the retailer you got the earmolds from?

Also, how much were custom molds?

I bought my  Etymotics through a pretty small dealer who, at the time, was offering earmolds for $30 when you bought the headphones through them. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the place offhand, but I think I have it at home. I'll check.

This is another place I was considering, but then I found out about the other place. They sell them for $115:

http://store.yahoo.com/earplugstore/cusfitearmol1.html

Basically, what these places do is send you a home-kit to make the mold yourself, i.e. you have to pour the goop in your ears yourself, then send the mold back to them. Then they use that mold to make the final ear pieces for you. It's not really hard to do, but it's a good idea to have someone there to help you do it.

There are also hearing specialists that will make a mold for you, but it's more expensive.

Here's a pic. These aren't mine, but they give you a feel for what I'm talking about:

[mniven]

Here's where I had my ear molds done:

http://www.customearsets.com/Models___Prices/Etymotic/etymotic.html

It was $269 for the ER-4Ps and then $30 for the ear molds.

It's $100 if you already own the head phones and just want the ear molds.

[George]

"Best headphones" is highly subjective.  It all depends on how you like your music reproduced: bright, dark, smooth and so on.  I personally own a pair of Sennheiser HE60's and use their stock amp.  I recently purchased a new source, Music Hall cd-25 which is rocking my rocks at this moment. 

The good thing is you don't have to break the bank to afford some decent headphones but you might wind up questioning the quality of the rest of your rig if you do so.