Recommend Your Favorite Light Headphones
I currently use a pair of Sennheiser PX-100 headphones with my iPods. These are small, light, over-ear headphones that have excellent sound for the money. I’ve had them for several years, and I think it’s time to replace them. (I have no real problems with them, but I think headphones at this price point degrade over time.)
I may end up buying another set of the same ones, but does anyone have any recommendations? Remember, over-ear headphones, not earbuds. Thanks!
Posted: 9/16/2010 by kirk | Filed under: iPod & iTunes | Tags: headphones | 9 Comments »
I don’t have a recommendation but a question: what’s your opinion of how much ambient sound these headphones exclude, and how much they leak into your environment? And how are they for comfort on (say) a long plane ride? Online headphone reviews are all over the place; I’d value your impressions as a classical music listener. Thanks.
The don’t block out any ambient sound; they are on-ear and open, so they don’t insulate at all. They wouldn’t be any good on a plane ride for that reason. If you travel on planes a lot, I think you really need noise-cancelling headphones.
well.. those Böse(http://amzn.to/bL3RWb) are the best headphones i’ve ever tasted! You can listen and experience really every tone, also b/c of the noise-canceling. I’ve tried Dvořák’s New symphony and it was hilarious!! But the price is high though ://
You should also consider the comfort of the headphones. If possible, go to a store that sells them and try them on (which will also let you *hear* them too).
Unfortunately, living in the country as I do makes that difficult. The only stores within driving range are supermarkets, and they don’t have headphones available to listen to.
I’d start by checking out Grado at gradolabs.com. I’ve had a pair of the SR60′s for years and they’re amazing. Natural, open sound with true bass – not exaggerated or enhanced like Boss or many other brands. I use them for the home stereo as well as my iPod. Very comfortable – even over eyeglasses. They are a little big for walking about (they’re very lightweight, but have a retro Radar O’Reilly look to them). Grado also makes an iPod specific pair, the iGrado. Check out the many reviews on Amazon – you’ll find Grado users are as loyal and enthusiastic about Grados as Mac users are about Apple.
A few sites to consider (if you haven’t already)
http://www.goodcans.com/
http://www.headphone.com/
http://www.head-fi.org/
I’ve used the Grado SR60 for the past 11 or 12 years and am very satisfied with them. I won’t buy any other brand. I plan on upgrading to the SR80i soon. I agree with Dave’s comments about Grados. Of Course, you have the Sennheiser 580, I think, and they are excellent. I’ve heard them and was very impressed. I would still buy a higher priced Grado, though. I hope you get what you want.
I’m not looking here to replace the 580s; those are my “static listening” headphones. I don’t see the need to buy another high-end pair of headphones, as long as the 580s sound so good.
I’ve never actually heard Grados, and, as I said above, living where I do makes it kind of hard.
I have just purchased an iPod touch and also was using the
px-100 phones. I thought that my ears were degrading when I was hearing a lot of crackling noises. I tried the Sennheiser 600s from the stereo. All sweetness. No crackle. The px-100 phones were indeed wearing out.
At the Apple store I tried all the phones on display. The one that sounded and felt the best was the Bowers and Wilkins P5.
It sounds like music. It feels as if they took my head measurements. The cord is just the right length. It has an inline clicker if you are used to that sort of thing. It also has
another cord without a clicker. It uses leather on the headband and ear cups. It is sealed so there are not a lot of noises intruding while you are seated on the train or bus.
I have tried the Grado phones and have owned some that cost a small fortune. I found that I hated the foam on my skin. It is irritating.
And it still sounds like music. It exposes the source material in a very honest manner. It does not pump up the bass nor does it sweeten things too much. If I had four ears I would buy another pair. And it is not made using gobs of plastic. Looks very durable.
Can’t recommend it enough.
Good Luck
dmcw.