Best headphones for notebook/iPod?

I am looking for the best over the ear headphones for use on my ASUS G73 and when im out with my ipod. I was looking at the Sennheiser HD650s but saw someone say they dont work good with an iPod since they would need an external amp. anyone have good reccomendations in that 300-400 range?

 

Just make sure you find a pair of headphones with a low impedance if you dont want to use an amp to drive them.

Coming from a small device like an ipod personally I would use earbuds because a full size headphone is bound to be killer on the battery.

I use Audio Technica A700s (like $160 range) and they can drive directly from a device with no amp.

For my portable listening (Nokia N900) I use Logitech Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10's ($400 MSRP but got them for way less)

 

You'd probably have more luck if you asked around on the Head-Fi forums. Products in the 300-400 price range are audiophile-grade. Judging by your post, I don't think that those are for you.

High-end headphones pretty much all require an external amplifier and good source material, such as lossless audio files. Unless your music collection is lossless, $400 headphones will only highlight the lack of depth of your MP3s and compression artifacts.

You'd probably be happier with a cheaper pair of Grados. Those typically don't require an amplifier and sound great no matter what. Again, you should seek advice on a dedicated audio forum if you're going to spend that much.

 

2nd Dakins. Headfi is a great resource to read about headphones. You don't want to spend $400 and find out the headphones don't have enough bass for your tastes. Flagship headphones all sound different, so in a sense, there is no "best headphone" in the high tiers, it all comes down to personal sound preference.

if you're serious about high-quality audio, you should start with some cheaper phones, find your sound preference, slowly upgrade your music library, and then get those $300 plus phones. Otherwise it'd be like buying a hexacore i7 for games while you're still on integrated graphics.

 

"best?" You know what sort of responses you'll get right? Need more info

As always, if you don't want to shell out too much cash, buy used! I got my stuff from head-fi. The only thing left now is an amp that I'll build later. You can always build your own amp, and if you have some chassis to salvage, then you'll save yourself a lot of money. If you're interested in building one, the folks from head-fi will be happy to assist you

 

Are you sure you don't want IEMs? Well, I don't know exactly what you mean by 'when im out with my ipod,' but I would recommend IEMs if you are going to be using them in rather noisy or quiet places.

 

IEM's are usually easier to drive, but they will never sound as good as a full sized headphone in the same price range. I personally would get the HD650's if I was going to put that much money down, if you shop around you could probably find them for around 300$. Spend the other 100$ on an amp that would pair with your iPod. In my opinion buying something lesser is just a waste of time and money, but you do need to put alot of research into buying something nice before you pull the trigger.

 

Thx for the input everyone. I really dont know much about this stuff hence why im asking lol but if i got the 650's would i need and amp to plug it into my notebook or would it be good enough on its own?

edit: from what ive been reading the HD 595s work well on an ipod without amp. and only 180 on amazon. This seems like a solid pickup for gaming/listening to music and movies etc

 

You're not going to want open headphones while you are "out" with your iPod. Sound will leak both in and out of the headphones, which will disturb your listening experience and annoy the people around you.

Look into the Sennheiser HD-25. They're about $200 and are supposedly very good portable headphones. You can spot the ESPN announcing crew wearing these headphones for just about any sporting event that they broadcast.

 

The HD 650s have an impedance of 300Ω. In comparison, consumer grade output jacks will typically drive up to around 30Ω. So no, these headphones won't work well without an amp. The HD-25s have an impedance of 70Ω. You'll get decent volume without an amp, but the sound will be dull and flat.

Really, you should look into Grado headphones if you want a high quality sound that doesn't require an amplifier. Alessandro is also a highly recommended brand. Then again, you might not like the sound signature. True audiophiles might be able to direct you better.

Look around on headphone.com, they have really good, genuine headphone reviews for the top brands. There's also a really useful learning center, where you can read all about the technical stuff concerning headphones.

HeadRoom: Stereo Headphones, Amps & DACs, Wireless, Noise Canceling, Ear Canal, Earbud, Audio Cables & Accessories

 

Don't go to headfi... you'll never get out of there with your wallet alive!

 

Depends on your wallet I suppose. I came out of there with an Orpheus and my wallet shows no sign of dentage

The impedance presented is kind of immaterial: It's the power and voltage swing that's relevant - and in fact, due to the design of many low-cost sound stages the higher the impedance, the better in many situations.

I'd second the recommendation for the HD25 as all-purpose phones, but I find them very uncomfortable - after an hour or so I feel like someone's taking a knife to my ear.

I once wore them for 5 hours straight - and swore never again. I had earache for at least a day.

The Shure SRH840 is another alternative for a do-everything, anywhere phone. It looks sillier on your head than an HD25 - which is low-profile and retro, but being around-ear, it's a lot more comfortable, while delivering excellent sound along with excellent isolation. They're new so you won't find that many people using them as of yet, but I almost guarantee you'll start seeing a lot more of them around in broadcast scenarios.

 

untrasone are like closed grado 225's (which i prefer to 325's). easy to power too at 35 ohms. i ran them out of my ipod classic fine. i own an ibasso D10 amp as well, but on the move im not so picky. out of the laptop though, i have to use the amp. inbuilt soundcard is terrible. makes me feel sick.

avoid the HD650's if you intend to use them out of your private library, isnce they leak so much noise in and out. grados are just as bad. closed or IEMs are much more suitable.

 

I've got some Ultrasone HFI-780's and they're pretty good for portable. They have excellent bass and pretty good highs too. Although I think they're a bit sibilant, but I'm very sensitive towards sibilance. But at 35 ohms anything can drive them.

I haven't tried the Shure SRH840's but I've heard good things about them from some of my friends.

Most important thing you can do is give as many sets as possible a listen before you buy, look around town and see if theres any music stores or electronics shops with a good selection of headphones.

 

Too late!

I was at Chicago Canjam and I came out of there a changed man. I fear my future now.

 

I'll pray for you