Need new set of headphones

Hey guys, my Zune premium headphones finally bit the dust, I need a new pair of headphones for $70 maximum. I don't really have a preference whether they are in-ear or over the ear, but if they are of the supra aural variety, they have to be closed. I have been on the receiving end of open ear headphones and I hated it, and I also do not want to be broadcasting what kind of music I'm listening to because I usually listen to music in the library or in the labs at school so sound leakage has to be non-existent.... Thank you for your suggestions.

 

I have always been a fan of Shure, and they have the SE115, their newest entry level earphones at Best Buy for $90 (I know that's over your maximum, but it is worth considering)

Recommendations we make for you may also depend on what kind of music do you listen to as well...

 

In that price range I'd get the Hippo VB

 

can try this
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW---Shure-SRH...wItemQQimsxZ20091213?IMSfp=TL091213018007r565

shure SRH440

they recently introduced this to market , im not sure about the quality since they are new to headphones ... but looking at their IEM product lines which i am impressed of , it probably can produce good SQ

or Shure SRH240 for their lower end models

 

If you want to look like a complete - and I mean complete - dork, sure.

I'd go with the Shure IEM's, also people say good things about the entry-level Klipsches, but I've no experience of those.

 

the shure iem's isolate a lot of ambient noise (this is good).

noise cancellation always makes me feel weird, so i don't personally recommend anything with noise canceling.

i 2nd shure iem's. the low profile is nice, and the quality is still very high (perhaps even higher than the over the ears)

 

I have the Shure E4gs and Klipsch Custom-3s. I have found that the Klipsch's offer a "wider" space, but the actual braided wires I have found to not be very durable. It is also unfair to compare these two as the e4gs are single driver, whereas the Custom-3s are dual driver, and both are outside the price range of the OP.

 

I got a On ear Bose Headphones for factory refurbished price of $100 (brand new too.. just damaged outside box).

Its got amazing sound, and I fully recommend it, despite the over your budget.

 

Nah. A lot of people say this, and it's because they (at least a lot of the single-driver balanced-armature IEMs) have a more nasal sound which accentuates texture in the sound, meaning some people perceive that as added detail.

As far as overall quality goes, isolating IEM's are relatively poor bang for the buck - but the isolation combined with decent sound and compactness is really what you buy them for, and they have no over-ear equals in that regard. I wouldn't use anything else while travelling...

... except now when it's fricken cold, brrrrr. Over-ears are substituting at the moment.

 

Yeah, I agree with Vogelbung, it is very hard for an IEM to beat out a full sized headphone in just sound quality. But in some cases an IEM is the only way to go.

 

A lot of those are over 70 :/... I was thinking about getting some Sennheiser CX-500 or HD228. Any thought on those?

EDIT: I just found the SE-115 for $62 on Amazon, I think I'll go for those...

 

I am sorry, but what does IEM stand for and mean? Thanks.

 

Yeah thats a pretty good deal, personally I prefer foam tips over plastic/rubber tips. I find the provide a better seal and comfort. But I'd try the stock rubber tips to start with, you can get foam tips from Shure or comply. I wasn't a big fan of the SE110 when I tried them and I actually preferred the E2C (when they were still called that). But I haven't tried the SE115 so I can't speak for those. It's a decent price for what you are getting none the less.

In-ear monitors. ^^

 

In the OP's price range, this is precisely true. The suggestion of SRH440 was actually pretty good, and there is not alot of decent closed headphones out there at this price.

 

As I said, not unless you want to look like a complete, utter dork.

And it's true in any price range - even yours, although the 3's do an excellent job.

 

Anything can be screwed up and then sold for alot of money, especially in areas where taste differences are valid ^_^. Also, I am not sure if wearing full-size headphones is all that dorky. It is becoming increasingly common, and in the library it makes perfect sense. Besides, this is not Skullcandy with its bright neon colors and absolutely ridiculous designs.

 

Once again though you're making assumptions. Yes, many full-size phones aren't dorky looking on the head and most are perfectly socially acceptable. However with the higher-end SRHxxx series, it's more like wearing your own personal head-mounted spoiler. It has one of the broadest when-worn profiles in the biz. You'd have to be damned good looking to be able to get away with it outside of a recording studio. Seriously - even a K271 or an HD280 (itself a somewhat silly looking phone on the head) would incite less snickers. A Sennheiser HD25-SP would be a more practical choice if you needed to go on-ear. The AKG K81DJ seems inexplicably popular - personally I think it's almost MDR-V500DJ class junk - but that's also a socially acceptable option.

 

If you haven't already pulled the trigger, consider the BeyerDynamic DT-235.

 

Excellent sound for the buck, but a tad leaky both in and out despite being billed as closed.

 

those full sized shures are HUGE. studio shop near me stocks them. they are bigger than ultrasones.
what about Head Direct RE0? they are $79 at the moment and people on headfi rave about their sound quality. i own some and ive got to agree. they sound damn near as good as my ultrasone 780's, except the bass isnt quite as deep or powerful. very good sound though.

hippo VB's have had good reviews too.

as for being over budget, ive godda say there is a HUGE jump when you push just tha little bit more. sennheiser cx300 were terrible, and i cant belive cx500 are much better. a mate bought SE115 and they certainly werent anything special, not when for $10 more you can get something that is truely special (RE0 or hippo VB).
maybe look at skullcandy smokin buds if you like (or are used to) lots of bass.

ask over at headfi. for more advise. they are pretty good over there.

 

here's the thing


and you might want to check on this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y8hnXm0v30

i dont think that studio headphones , or those audiophile headphones always make you look like a retard...sorry but i have to disagree on that part..
unless the headphone look like the video mentioned above

 

re0 vs hfi780...well, that's cause your hfi780 actually sounds pretty bad ^_^
head-fi: no, they are a hype-monster now.
skullcandy: alot of 120 hz, not alot of bass.

Actually, there have been earbuds with price in the range of 20 bucks that were as good as RE0 ^_^.

 

You didn't read the later posts then. I was making a specific reference to the Shure phones.

 

I've received the shure today. And they sound awesome, the foam blocks a lot more sound than the silicone covers that came with my previous cheap earphones .

 

I cannot imagine myself walking around outside with my AudioTechnicas on. On the other hand I can probably live with Sennheisers as they are not as conspicuous.

 

It depends of which one you are talking about. I do not see anyone walking in the street with HD600 on for example.

 

Haha I've seen people walk around campus and once at the Chicago Union Station with the HD600/650 on. It does not look as outrageous as the AudioTechnica circumaurals with the "wings".

 

I have a set of Shure SRH840 and AKG K701, and I use the Shures for on the go and the AKG's at home. The AKG's aren't necessarily something you want to walk around in haha. Plus, my amp can't power it, it needs some serious powering.

 

I've heard those Shure SRH840's sound great. I've even heard some say they sound as good as the HD800's.

 

i dont see shure headphones are quite hideous enough ....
as for audio technica headphone lines i do agree they are quite big and the shape is round and weird for people to wear it around ...

 

Dunno about the HD800 comparison - I'm sure some dumb guy with compromised hearing on Head-Fi has made the parallel - but they do sound very good for a closed phone. Very well controlled 'honk', excellent extension at both ends, not a 'boring' tonality while being revealing, a nice sense of space, excellent isolation - about halfway between the superior-isolating (for a headphone) Bose Triport AE and the most isolating regular phones the HD25-1 -, superior build quality for a plastic phone bar the exposed earcup cables, and decent comfort.

Now, if you're willing to compromise all that against the stupidest on-head headphone look ever, well that's fine. I'm not.

 

Actually they're not from head-fi, and its someone who's opinion(on sound equipment) I trust very much. He said he didn't spend to much time with both of them though, but at first impressions he said the sound differences most certainly did not justify the price difference. But for the record he said he likes his HD650's more than the HD800's.

 

If he has any experience at all, he would know that hasty pronouncements from first impressions is what drives the bulk of the 'deaf leading the clueless' 'opinions' on Head-Fi.

 

Likes or compares quality? It is possible to like a technically inferior headphone for various reason, and happens ALL the time.

Listen to this man =). On instantaneous impressions, refinement characteristics go almost entirely unnoticed, in favor of other characteristics like punchy bass and forward mids.