[Iridemtb]

Hey guys, I need some audio advice.

Short story/Spark notes:
Fractured my tibia, damaged cartilage in my knee riding moto. Been busy with school the past year with heavy science courses. Now getting back into shape, and am hitting the gym/doing other outdoor activities for copious amounts of hours with my upcoming slow semester.

So, I need new headphones. I am willing to shell out up to $200. I want high quality ones.
My choices so far:

Monster iSport
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826696051&nm_mc=OTC-FroogleNEW&cm_mmc=OTC-FroogleNEW-_-Headphones+and+Accessories-_-Monster+Cable-_-26696051

Bowers and Wilkins C5
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_749C5/Bowers-Wilkins-C5.html?tp=36775&kw=&org=pla&nw=g&crv=7677061585

Now keep in mind I have only had cheap sony's before ($30 headphones). I want really good quality sound, but some fit and stability as well. I used a pair of klipsch headphones and etymotic headphones so I have an idea of what good is. Let me know what you guys have in store!

 

[jacksonpt]

I'm disappointed with my clip-on in-ear Beats (made by monster), both the sound and the stability, especially considering the price. My yurbuds sound 90% as good with WAAAY better stability for 1/3 of the price.

Just FYI.

 

[stevew]

i would go the bluetooth route.

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

Luckily my hearing is too ****ty to be able to tell the difference between $20 and $200 headphones.

 

[Iridemtb]

Thanks jacksonpt. Reading other audio forums, I have heard the same about the "Dre" product line. Stevew. I have gone blue tooth before, but I always forget to charge the earphones, and the quality wasn't superb even though I dropped an ample amount of money on a good set (Think over $100).

I want a set with a cord, better audio quality, better isolation possibly.

 

[stevew]

Thanks jacksonpt. Reading other audio forums, I have heard the same about the "Dre" product line. Stevew. I have gone blue tooth before, but I always forget to charge the earphones, and the quality wasn't superb even though I dropped an ample amount of money on a good set (Think over $100).

I want a set with a cord, better audio quality, better isolation possibly.

as far as bluetooth and in ear...i think it depends on how you can get them to sit in your ears.

 

[CBJ]

I have tried so many different headphones and I keep getting disappointing. Keep buys Plantronics BackBeat 216 but my experience is the fit of the headphones are much more important than other factors so who knows if they will fit you. Also a lot of them break even the expensive ones so buy from somebody with a good warranty.

 

[Iridemtb]

http://www.jaybirdstore.com/s.nl/it.A/id.311/.f

That's what I had before. Pretty good quality but I want supreme sound. Without those cords, I've read you just don't get the same quality.

Crabjoe, if you get some custom molded one's (which are money) you probably would be good.

 

[ICEBALL585]

I still use my ear bud headphones that came with my original GameBoy that I got back in 1992.

No, I'm not kidding. They actually still work good.

 

[Crashby]

Much cheaper than your price-point, but absolutely killer: Sonix Lenntek

http://www.amazon.com/Sonix-001-0011-001-Sound-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B001713AAI

I bought 4 pair as I will likely use them until I cant hear any longer...

 

[kazlx]

I should slap you for just mentioning Monster.

I have Etymotics. There are a bunch out there that are good. Just depends how much you want to spend. Check CNet for some good reviews. Velodynes always seem to get good reviews and are $90. They make nice subs...

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

I still use my ear bud headphones that came with my original GameBoy that I got back in 1992.

No, I'm not kidding. They actually still work good.

Damnit, must spread. That is badass. The ones with the little red/blue rings where the cords meet the buds? Funny how you remember stuff like that.

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

Crabjoe, if you get some custom molded one's (which are money) you probably would be good.

I just keep buying the same exact $20 pair of Skull Candy buds whenever a pair breaks. I've used/owned $150-$200 Sennheiser, Beats and Shure buds in the past and didn't really notice a difference........well, certainly not a 1000% difference as the price would suggest.

 

[narlus]

my Shure e2cs are a lot better than the much cheaper skull candys

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

my Shure e2cs are a lot better than the much cheaper skull candys

Well la-de-da!

 

[IH8Rice]

I should slap you for just mentioning Monster.

this



why anyone would spend up to $200 on a pair of ear buds/in ear headphones is beyond me. my old company tried dabbling in the ultra high end ear bud market and i didnt notice a difference b/w them and our $100 pair.
UE and Shure make fairly good ear buds but for that kind of money, id go for a on ear set of cans

 

[kazlx]

Agreed. Get a decent pair for tooling around and then save some money for speakers in your pad where it actually makes a difference.

 

[ICEBALL585]

Damnit, must spread. That is badass. The ones with the little red/blue rings where the cords meet the buds? Funny how you remember stuff like that.

Yup those are the ones, I'm always suprised they still work well.

 

[buildyourown]

I was looking for the same solution last year and ended up with 2 sets. One for sitting, and one for working out. I bought the Motorola bluetooth ones. Which, despite horrible reviews, are awesome. I bought them at REI and figured I'd take them back if they sucked. Range covers my entire house and they never get loose or fall out in any workout I've tried. Yes you have to charge them, and yes they take some getting used to. I do wear ear plugs 8hrs/day so I'm used to stuff in my ear.

Then I bought a fancy set for gaming/music at home. Audio-technica AD700. Incredibly comfortable and huge but they sound awesome and are really the only set Ive ever experienced that doesn't cause any fatigue at all. Love them. Ugly as hell though.

 

[jdcamb]

I have a older set of Shure 215's. When they die I will get a set of Klipsch whatever the cheap model is... I would consider the Sennheiser's also. Just remember any headphone will still operate after you sweat them out. And Earbud designs tend to have a halflife in how they sound over short period of time.... I replace them often and I try to get bang for the buck out of any set I buy.

 

[ridiculous]

With a $200 budget I would grab a comfy set of ear buds that you can use for your activities. I have a set of $25 bob marley ear buds (?????, i know, ridiculous) I dont know whats up with that, but they sound great and they have a hemp cord instead of the typical wire, so they don't become an instant tangled disaster the minute you put them in your pocket.

With the remaining money I would buy a set of Audio Technica ATH-M50 headphones and a Fiio E6 headphone amp for your less active activities. Total bliss.They are a life saver here at work with the open environment we have going on.

 

[bdamschen]

my Shure e2cs are a lot better than the much cheaper skull candys

Think what you want. I have some e2cs and they sound worse than the skull candy chops I bought for $20 on sale at circuit city 5 years ago.

And yes, I'm picky about my sound. Usually rock some sony mdr-v6s when portability and sweaty-ness isn't an issue.

My current favorites are the earbuds that came with my Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone. They were free.99 and have decent sound.

 

[jimmydean]

my Shure e2cs are a lot better than the much cheaper skull candys

My Ink'd cost $9. I manage to lose one of the rubber surrounds about every few months, so I buy another set. I now have a few spare just in case.

But for under the helmet moto or on the bike commute, they have a good sound.

 

[H8R]

this



why anyone would spend up to $200 on a pair of ear buds/in ear headphones is beyond me. my old company tried dabbling in the ultra high end ear bud market and i didnt notice a difference b/w them and our $100 pair.
UE and Shure make fairly good ear buds but for that kind of money, id go for a on ear set of cans

For $200:

These for home:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MDR7506/

and these for elsewhere:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SE215/


BTW - the Shure warranty makes pretty much any of their earbuds bullet proof. If you have any issues with them, send them in and they replace them. Fast. They are like the Zippo lighter of earbuds.

But yeah, don't spend more than $80-$100 on earbuds unless you need them for professional stage monitoring.

 

[Iridemtb]

Agreed. Get a decent pair for tooling around and then save some money for speakers in your pad where it actually makes a difference.

I currently live at home and commute to college. I already have a nice set of Klipsch speakers for my room. Awesome stuff.

Buildyourown-Bluetooth simply don't have the same sound quality I don't believe. Also, those are nice home headphones, but I only use headphones when active. I use my Klipsch speakers any other time.

Ridiculous-My goal is to attain that sound quality with some earbuds.

That's why I want to spend the money. I know, in general, with sound, you get what you pay for. I want something that has a good range with a little bass.

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

They are like the Zippo lighter of earbuds.

So they do the same thing a $.25 BIC lighter does, but look way cooler and cost 100X as much?

 

[H8R]

Think what you want. I have some e2cs and they sound worse than the skull candy chops I bought for $20 on sale at circuit city 5 years ago.

Experiment with the different ear pieces that the Shures come with. Even if the ones that are on there are similar to other earbuds that you think sound better, you may just need to experiment with them. You'll be surprised at the difference with the Shures once the right piece is in your ear. It's like the sound just opens up completely.

I went from the standard silicone pieces to the slightly smaller foamy ones and it was night and day. It's all about what works for each individual. (YMMV)

 

[kazlx]

Ridiculous-My goal is to attain that sound quality with some earbuds.

That's why I want to spend the money. I know, in general, with sound, you get what you pay for. I want something that has a good range with a little bass.

You won't and you don't. While they can sound good, tiny drivers will never sound as good as regular drivers. Save yourself the money, it's not worth spending $200 on headphones. Even if you use them all the time, the money will better spent replacing pairs that break/wear out/get lost than anything else.

 

[H8R]

So they do the same thing a $.25 BIC lighter does, but look way cooler and cost 100X as much?

Nope. A Zippo has a much longer lifespan, is re-usable, more reliable, durable and works better in the wind. Also, it's potentially the last lighter you ever need to buy. Over the course of several years it easily pays for itself.

And where the fvck do you buy a Bic lighter for $0.25?

 

[H8R]

You won't and you don't. While they can sound good, tiny drivers will never sound as good as regular drivers. Save yourself the money, it's not worth spending $200 on headphones. Even if you use them all the time, the money will better spent replacing pairs that break/wear out/get lost than anything else.

Yep. See my post above. I've spent countless hours with earbuds in for rehearsals and studio time. There is very little difference between $100 buds and $500 buds.

The Sony cans I posted above sound fantastic and are very accurate for general listening, and the Shures will sound great when you are out and about.

The $200 buds will not sound like much of an upgrade over the $100 ones, if you can hear the diff at all.

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

Nope. A Zippo has a much longer lifespan, is re-usable, more reliable, durable and works better in the wind. Also, it's potentially the last lighter you ever need to buy. Over the course of several years it easily pays for itself.

And where the fvck do you buy a Bic lighter for $0.25?

Any gas station or convenience store?

 

[Iridemtb]

You won't and you don't. While they can sound good, tiny drivers will never sound as good as regular drivers. Save yourself the money, it's not worth spending $200 on headphones. Even if you use them all the time, the money will better spent replacing pairs that break/wear out/get lost than anything else.

Ok I dig it! I'll be checking out those shures.

H8R-Thanks dude, I'll look at those ear buds!

 

[bdamschen]

Experiment with the different ear pieces that the Shures come with. Even if the ones that are on there are similar to other earbuds that you think sound better, you may just need to experiment with them. You'll be surprised at the difference with the Shures once the right piece is in your ear. It's like the sound just opens up completely.

I went from the standard silicone pieces to the slightly smaller foamy ones and it was night and day. It's all about what works for each individual. (YMMV)

Hmm.. I'll check it out. I was a bit bitter with the initial sound quality and shelved it after a few uses. Had been using the large foam since it was the only one that wouldn't fall out of my ear on rides. That was one of the main reason I switched to over the ear buds. Kept losing earbuds through teh rokz.

 

[stevew]

do not get the foam earbud covers for the shures stuck in your ear.....not fun to remove with tweezers when slightly drunk.

 

[bdamschen]

do not get the foam earbud covers for the shures stuck in your ear.....not fun to remove with tweezers when slightly drunk.

I've found a good way to get them out is to just get really sweaty and ride your bike over something bumpy. Try that next time you're drunk instead of the tweezer option. Probably just about as safe.

 

[norbar]

What kind of sound are you after? I may be a bit out of date since I was in the headphone scene 2-3 years ago but:

Higher models etymotic : for superb quality but zero bass
Shure : Warm and soft sound (420s or 530s or whatever there is now)
Ultimate Ears: Used to be super.fi 5pro (what I use) but they have some new stuff now. Less warm than shure but with some beat and relatively good scene for headphones, less clarity than etymotic. Switch warm for punch in shure and you have it.


Though to be honest head to http://www.head-fi.org/ and do some lurking in the recent topics. 200$ is a very common price limit so you should find many good topics.




@H8R - I disagree about 100-200$ differance. Around 200$ are the first buds that offer quality over just fun. For 100$ you are forced to sacrifice something and it is very noticeable, for 200$ you sacrifice something but in most cases you don't feel it. For more the differances are smaller but I've tried 300$ buds and they are very cool. Very different story with big cans though I'd still claim the best bang for the buck in my times were ATH-A900 for around 180$.

Though finding custom buds have always been something I wanted to try

 

[Iridemtb]

I will be listening to mainly metal, but anything from jazz, to classical, to a small amount of old rap, to alternative.

 

[IH8Rice]

theres a "headphone scene?" that would explain the small sales in the $200+ headphone market

 

[norbar]

Really lurk through head.fi as they are very insightful. When I was looking for buds there was nothing like grado's which are well known to work well with guitar heavy stuff. Maybe there is something now.


@IH8Rice there are nerds for everything. If people can geek out over skyscrapers and trains why not headphones? You can at least buy them

 

[buildyourown]

Buildyourown-Bluetooth simply don't have the same sound quality I don't believe. Also, those are nice home headphones, but I only use headphones when active. I use my Klipsch speakers any other time.

There probably is some lose, but the Motorola ones I have sound pretty damn good. As good or better than any other in-ear headphone I've tried. The benefits of wireless for working out far outweigh the negatives at this point. That was my point about buying 2 different headphones. It seems redundant but working out requires a special headphone IMO.