I'd love splurge out on a proper hi-tech pair too but they've got to be worth it. It's got to be super crystal clear! I'd love to test them before I hand over the dosh.
Go to a specialist Hi-Fi dealer then? They will let you test as many pairs as you want. Take some of your own music with you to compare.
Yeah, I maybe will treat myself one day in the future...
Those earbuds I find to be the most uncomfortable 'phones around. But they are discrete when out and about. If your looking for 'phones on the move then be prepared to pay over the odds for comfort rather than performance. I guess the best types are going to be those worn by bands on stage and F1 drivers.
I guess it would be great if F1 drivers could have soundproofing, speakers and a microphone built into the helmet, like combat pilots (who use throat mics).
If you're looking for headphones which enclose the ears, then you really should listen to them. You can't do that with earphones because they're a health hazard and can easily transfer ear infections. Headphones in the same price range doesn't necessarily mean that they're up to the same performance standad.
I have owned multiple pairs of Sennheiser earphones in the past. A quick run through..
CX300 (Very bass heavy)
CX400 (Still bass heavy but not as much as CX300)
CX500 (More balanced sound)
CX550 II (Very rounded sound, balanced sound)
The Sennheiser CX550 II look different to the rest and seem to hold better in the ear canal.
The only pair of Sennheisers I have owned which I idn't like where the Sennheiser HD201. No bass, tinny sound and very quiet even through a XFI soundcard, ipod 2nd gen and ipod nano.
I'd recommend the JVC ones or maybe Skullcandy ones my friend says theyre great, I think they're daft for when out and about though.
I owned a few pairs of these for cheap work earphones (I cannot use sound proof earphones at work due to not hearing any traffic). I really dont rate the Gumy ones. The sound quality is very poor and the bass sounds forced and not rich.
I now use the Sony MDR-ED21LP for work use. Far far better than the Gumy range. Great bass and smooth highs and for a tenner a great buy. More durable than the Gumys also.
Don't get Bose ones! They're S**t! They're the worse pair of headphones I've ever bought! I thought with them being Bose, they'd be awesome. They're not. The sound is awful, you have to turn up the volume to maximum to get any decent sound from them. There's no bass whatsoever, if that's what you're after. They let all ambient noise in too, so if you're out and about, you'll have the volume up full and still hear traffic! They're poorly shaped so constantly fall out of your ear or having to readjust. (the instructions do say they're designed to just sit in the ear canal not to be worn deep in the ear... but I think this is just their way of compensating for a crap design) You do get a set of 3 different sized buds, but I've tried all 3 and they're still pants! Avoid.
I've also tried 3 different pairs of Sennheisers because they seem to crop up a lot in people's favourites. But I found them a bit rubbish too. 2 pairs stopped working after a few months, and with the last pair I had, the right earpiece fell apart. I'm not careless with headphones, just unfortunate it seems.
I've also tried the in-ear Apple buds, 3 times! But they kept developing the same fault, the right hand side stopped working, and after doing a bit of research it seems it's a general fault with that particular set. So I got a refund.
The best ones I've ever bought and still using are the Atomic Floyd headphones. AMAZING! Well worth paying a little bit more/saving up for.
I've yet to personally try the Dr Dre/Lady Gaga Beats 'phones yet but a mate of mine said they are phenomenal. As are the Monster Turbine ones, made by the same people responsible for the Beats headphones.
I've also tried 3 different pairs of Sennheisers because they seem to crop up a lot in people's favourites. But I found them a bit rubbish too. 2 pairs stopped working after a few months, and with the last pair I had, the right earpiece fell apart. I'm not careless with headphones, just unfortunate it seems.
I've also tried the in-ear Apple buds, 3 times! But they kept developing the same fault, the right hand side stopped working, and after doing a bit of research it seems it's a general fault with that particular set. So I got a refund.
The best ones I've ever bought and still using are the Atomic Floyd headphones. AMAZING! Well worth paying a little bit more/saving up for.
I've yet to personally try the Dr Dre/Lady Gaga Beats 'phones yet but a mate of mine said they are phenomenal. As are the Monster Turbine ones, made by the same people responsible for the Beats headphones.
When I typed in something like 'best earphones' in Google, quit a few lists mentioned the Sennheiser ones. Got my first pair of them yesterday. Quickly tried them out and they sound good so far. Apparently there are a lot of fakes being sold and according to the reviews on Amazon some people say that if they break to quickly they must be the fake ones, as some say they've had theirs for a long time and they're still fine. Just hope mine don't start falling apart.
Apparently there are a lot of fakes being sold and according to the reviews on Amazon some people say that if they break to quickly they must be the fake ones
I had a pair of Bose ones last year, they lasted three months. Was soooo angry
Then thought I'd appease my anger and got the GaGa Heartbeats, which after 6 months have now decided to go really crackly.
How long are a pair of in-ear headphones meant to last? Because I really can't afford £80 every six months!
At the moment I just use the default ipod ones but with my laptop I use Sennheiser MX270 earbuds. They're really good and are easy to carry around in my bag.
Hmm, my experience is limited have to add my vote to Sennheiser. Worth the £30ish just for the brilliant sound reducing, especially if you commute & want to block out people's train jabber without annoying others/going deaf.
Used so many different types of headphones and earphones in the past, but i think ive settled down now!
Earphones ive used in ear and standard. Used Sony, Apple, Sennheiser, JVC and any other name under the sun.
I use Sennheiser CX270's now. Great amount of bass and clarity for what i listen to, fit well, and are small and tough. Not overly cheap and cheerful, but not overly expensive, so if they ever break on me, theyre not going to be painful to replace.
At home i use proper headphones. Used a few types, but always come back to Sennheiser. Used the HD 212 Pro's for a few years, and they were great.
Upgraded to the HD555's a couple of years ago, and havent looked back. The sound quality is immense for the price, and they produce evry note brilliantly. Being open backed, the openness and warmth of the music really comes through. Love them to bits. Tought things too, so i cant see them dying on my anytime soon!
If I'm out and about I just use the apple ones that came with my iPhone 4. If I'm at home though I use these because I like the extra bass. http://www.productwiki.com/sony-mdr-xd100/
I also keep the Bass Boost equalizer on most of the time.
Comments
Had them about 2 years now.
Go to a specialist Hi-Fi dealer then? They will let you test as many pairs as you want. Take some of your own music with you to compare.
Yeah, I maybe will treat myself one day in the future...
I guess it would be great if F1 drivers could have soundproofing, speakers and a microphone built into the helmet, like combat pilots (who use throat mics).
If you're looking for headphones which enclose the ears, then you really should listen to them. You can't do that with earphones because they're a health hazard and can easily transfer ear infections. Headphones in the same price range doesn't necessarily mean that they're up to the same performance standad.
CX300 (Very bass heavy)
CX400 (Still bass heavy but not as much as CX300)
CX500 (More balanced sound)
CX550 II (Very rounded sound, balanced sound)
The Sennheiser CX550 II look different to the rest and seem to hold better in the ear canal.
The only pair of Sennheisers I have owned which I idn't like where the Sennheiser HD201. No bass, tinny sound and very quiet even through a XFI soundcard, ipod 2nd gen and ipod nano.
I owned a few pairs of these for cheap work earphones (I cannot use sound proof earphones at work due to not hearing any traffic). I really dont rate the Gumy ones. The sound quality is very poor and the bass sounds forced and not rich.
I now use the Sony MDR-ED21LP for work use. Far far better than the Gumy range. Great bass and smooth highs and for a tenner a great buy. More durable than the Gumys also.
Don't get Bose ones! They're S**t! They're the worse pair of headphones I've ever bought! I thought with them being Bose, they'd be awesome. They're not. The sound is awful, you have to turn up the volume to maximum to get any decent sound from them. There's no bass whatsoever, if that's what you're after. They let all ambient noise in too, so if you're out and about, you'll have the volume up full and still hear traffic! They're poorly shaped so constantly fall out of your ear or having to readjust. (the instructions do say they're designed to just sit in the ear canal not to be worn deep in the ear... but I think this is just their way of compensating for a crap design) You do get a set of 3 different sized buds, but I've tried all 3 and they're still pants! Avoid.
I've also tried 3 different pairs of Sennheisers because they seem to crop up a lot in people's favourites. But I found them a bit rubbish too. 2 pairs stopped working after a few months, and with the last pair I had, the right earpiece fell apart. I'm not careless with headphones, just unfortunate it seems.
I've also tried the in-ear Apple buds, 3 times! But they kept developing the same fault, the right hand side stopped working, and after doing a bit of research it seems it's a general fault with that particular set. So I got a refund.
The best ones I've ever bought and still using are the Atomic Floyd headphones. AMAZING! Well worth paying a little bit more/saving up for.
I've yet to personally try the Dr Dre/Lady Gaga Beats 'phones yet but a mate of mine said they are phenomenal. As are the Monster Turbine ones, made by the same people responsible for the Beats headphones.
When I typed in something like 'best earphones' in Google, quit a few lists mentioned the Sennheiser ones. Got my first pair of them yesterday. Quickly tried them out and they sound good so far. Apparently there are a lot of fakes being sold and according to the reviews on Amazon some people say that if they break to quickly they must be the fake ones, as some say they've had theirs for a long time and they're still fine. Just hope mine don't start falling apart.
Mine were all bought from Currys.
Then thought I'd appease my anger and got the GaGa Heartbeats, which after 6 months have now decided to go really crackly.
How long are a pair of in-ear headphones meant to last? Because I really can't afford £80 every six months!
I'm very brand loyal, If Denon did a food mixer I'd brobably get that.
had my headphones ( got two sets in and outside ear) for about 7 years without any problems.
Earphones ive used in ear and standard. Used Sony, Apple, Sennheiser, JVC and any other name under the sun.
I use Sennheiser CX270's now. Great amount of bass and clarity for what i listen to, fit well, and are small and tough. Not overly cheap and cheerful, but not overly expensive, so if they ever break on me, theyre not going to be painful to replace.
At home i use proper headphones. Used a few types, but always come back to Sennheiser. Used the HD 212 Pro's for a few years, and they were great.
Upgraded to the HD555's a couple of years ago, and havent looked back. The sound quality is immense for the price, and they produce evry note brilliantly. Being open backed, the openness and warmth of the music really comes through. Love them to bits. Tought things too, so i cant see them dying on my anytime soon!
I also keep the Bass Boost equalizer on most of the time.