Help me! Getting new headphones.

Rufus_Shinra

So my current pair of travel headphones, Sennheiser PX 100, broke (due to my own fault, not the headphones). I'm in the market for a new pair of travel headphones and have a dilemma: Do I stick with over-the-ear headphones or switch to earbud headphones?

My main reasons for going with over-the-ear headphones in the past has been comfort and sound quality, but according to some friends earbud headphones have been improving as of late. So I'm looking for advice on a pair of nice quality travel headphones w/ a price range of 50 to 150 dollars. Also, advice on headphones to avoid is wonderful.

Gorilla Salad

I actually have these, and they work just fine. Have to reattach the things that keep them on your ear, but other than that work great. Also, have a volume adjuster on the actual headphones, so work well with PC's.

EDIT: Actually, those ones don't, but the pair I have that look just like that do.

Pastoriusk2

Don't get ear buds or any kind of in-ear headphones. They are bad for your hearing. I would go for something like what Gorilla Salad recommended. Since you like Sennheiser's, grab these.

Raslin

Ehh, I grabbed some earbud headphones from a wootoff, and have really enjoyed them. Forget what they're called, but earbud's can be fairly nice.

bruin

If you get ear buds, let me recommend the Sennheiser CX300s - http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-CX-300S-CX300-S-Earbuds/dp/B000E1DSAE/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/002-3457891-0454425?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1189973431&sr=1-3

That link takes to to them for $40 on Amazon, marked down from $90. They're really comfortable (I can't even feel them after they've been in for a couple minutes), and the sound quality is amazing, especially for the price. I got mine around the same time my friend got a pair of Sennheiser circumaural headphones for $200 and they don't even sound significantly worse.

Nalouto

oh, while we're on the topic.

can anyone steer me towards (or away) from these babies?
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10091415&catid=

they look beautiful, and I need noise canceling for my audio courses/long subway ride to school.

Dracil

Pastoriusk2 wrote: »

Don't get ear buds or any kind of in-ear headphones. They are bad for your hearing. I would go for something like what Gorilla Salad recommended. Since you like Sennheiser's, grab these.

Why? I find I can lower my volume several levels lower (e.g. from 80% max volume to 10% max volume on my cellphone) because I can block off so much external noise with an earbud. Don't see why *lower* volume would be bad for your ears, unless you keep them at whatever volume you were using it before.

Ziggymon

Man forget about noice cancelling when you can have these babies:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TransFormers-g1-Music-Label-Rumble-Frenzy-Headphones_W0QQitemZ320129815053QQihZ011QQcategoryZ4696QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

Negrodamus

Dracil wrote: »

Pastoriusk2 wrote: »

Don't get ear buds or any kind of in-ear headphones. They are bad for your hearing. I would go for something like what Gorilla Salad recommended. Since you like Sennheiser's, grab these.

Why? I find I can lower my volume several levels lower (e.g. from 80% max volume to 10% max volume on my cellphone) because I can block off so much external noise with an earbud. Don't see why *lower* volume would be bad for your ears, unless you keep them at whatever volume you were using it before.

Same here.

Judge Joe Brown

Negrodamus wrote: »

Dracil wrote: »

Pastoriusk2 wrote: »

Don't get ear buds or any kind of in-ear headphones. They are bad for your hearing. I would go for something like what Gorilla Salad recommended. Since you like Sennheiser's, grab these.

Why? I find I can lower my volume several levels lower (e.g. from 80% max volume to 10% max volume on my cellphone) because I can block off so much external noise with an earbud. Don't see why *lower* volume would be bad for your ears, unless you keep them at whatever volume you were using it before.

Same here.

Uhhh volume isn't comparable across different headphones/buds

Different power requirements

Larger driver = higher volume level due to not being as efficient for same true volume

TheMorningStar

I just ordered these with my iphone rebate: http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-515-Audiophile-500-Headphones/dp/B0001FTVDG


Does anyone here have any experience with these? I got 'em on a whim since they only cost my $7.75, and there was nothing else on apple's damn site that I wanted.

Wyborn

I'm thinking about getting a set of over-the-ear headphones for use with my laptop. The Logitech USB headset I have now is pretty nice but the quality could be better and the ear-pieces are small enough that they press into my ears instead of fitting around them, which sucks. I really want some that fit over my ears comfortably.

Any recommendations?

mts

i have a pair of skull candy smokin buds. very nice, fit nice, only 30 bucks. Been happy with the quality etc

Bullio

Earbuds are fine as long as you don't crank them extremely loud, although the same can be said for any kind of head/earphone. I personally prefer earbuds myself because of the lack of external noise. I always wear hats and have a hell of a time keeping headphones on comfortably while wearing one. Earbuds are small and easier for me to pop in and out (and easier to hide from professors during boring lectures) when I need a quick fix. For around the house I have a set of Sony MDR-V600 stereo monitors that I use for the PC, music, and for silent guitar practice. They're expensive and not very portable, but they have amazing sound quality.

Pastoriusk2

Dracil wrote: »

Pastoriusk2 wrote: »

Don't get ear buds or any kind of in-ear headphones. They are bad for your hearing. I would go for something like what Gorilla Salad recommended. Since you like Sennheiser's, grab these.

Why? I find I can lower my volume several levels lower (e.g. from 80% max volume to 10% max volume on my cellphone) because I can block off so much external noise with an earbud. Don't see why *lower* volume would be bad for your ears, unless you keep them at whatever volume you were using it before.

Good, you are using them responsibly. Most people crank them to block off outside noise and don't notice how loud it actually is. Say you're on a train, you gotta crank those tiny ass drivers pretty high to even hear something, then you're just shoving a really high sound pressure level directly to your ear. You might not notice how loud it is at first to due to the muscles in the ear that attenuate really loud sounds up to 20 dB for about 5 minutes, but after that, it's doing some serious damage, and most people don't realize. Compared to a regular over the ear headphone, I would say that earbuds cause more hearing damage overall. But of course if you don't crank the volume more than about 60% and don't listen for longer than an hour at time, then your hearing shall be saved.

Jasconius

I swear by these

http://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBusiness/DisplayModel?id=52568

Durable, excellent sound, comfortable.

Wyborn

Jasconius wrote: »

I swear by these

http://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBusiness/DisplayModel?id=52568

Durable, excellent sound, comfortable.

Very sexy. Do they fit over the whole ear?

Jasconius

Yes, unless you are an elf or a vulcan.

They wrap nicely all the way around the top of my ear. The only part of my ear that is touching the outer padding it the bottom part of the ear lobe.

Wyborn

Jasconius wrote: »

Yes, unless you are an elf or a vulcan.

They wrap nicely all the way around the top of my ear. The only part of my ear that is touching the outer padding it the bottom part of the ear lobe.

Sold! When I get some money.

Regulat0r

Pastoriusk2 wrote: »

Dracil wrote: »

Pastoriusk2 wrote: »

Don't get ear buds or any kind of in-ear headphones. They are bad for your hearing. I would go for something like what Gorilla Salad recommended. Since you like Sennheiser's, grab these.

Why? I find I can lower my volume several levels lower (e.g. from 80% max volume to 10% max volume on my cellphone) because I can block off so much external noise with an earbud. Don't see why *lower* volume would be bad for your ears, unless you keep them at whatever volume you were using it before.

Earbuds have been proven to have much higher chances of causing hearing loss. They do not block external noise hardly at all, you think you do, but they do not. That's what the main idea that people think when using them, but they're very poor.

To the OP, best thing to get are some noise cancelling headphones, usually you can get some average ones from best buy for $50 like these http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&partNumber=MDRNC6
Those are commonly sold at best buy, does there job. Won't fuck up your ears either unless you have them on for 8 hours a day.

Dracil

If they're that bad at blocking sound, then why am I able to just use them as earplugs not connected to any audio device in various situations, like at a loud concert?

scootch

Pastoriusk2 wrote: »

Don't get ear buds or any kind of in-ear headphones. They are bad for your hearing. I would go for something like what Gorilla Salad recommended. Since you like Sennheiser's, grab these.

all head sets are bad for you hearing.... not just in-the-ear sets.

scootch

Dracil wrote: »

If they're that bad at blocking sound, then why am I able to just use them as earplugs not connected to any audio device in various situations, like at a loud concert?

because he has no clue what his talking about. when you create a seal, you block out external noise.. I make hearing aids for a living and on our free time we rip out earbud components and make custom earbuds. acoustic seal plays a huge role in controlling outside noise and noise from the device from escaping. the problem is people use the same volume on a ear buds as they would on a headset.. they should use lower volume when using ear buds as they are much much louder because of the seal and being closer to ear drums.

Regulat0r

scootch wrote: »

Dracil wrote: »

If they're that bad at blocking sound, then why am I able to just use them as earplugs not connected to any audio device in various situations, like at a loud concert?

because he has no clue what his talking about.

I just DJ as a hobby so I wouldn't know jack about headphones I guess.

Don't take my advice, won't be my problem.

scootch

Regulat0r wrote: »

scootch wrote: »

Dracil wrote: »

If they're that bad at blocking sound, then why am I able to just use them as earplugs not connected to any audio device in various situations, like at a loud concert?

because he has no clue what his talking about.

I just DJ as a hobby so I wouldn't know jack about headphones I guess.

Don't take my advice, won't be my problem.

and I make hearing aids.. you use your for entertainment, I provide heathcare.. hmmm..

Regulat0r

Like I said, not my problem.

FanciestWalnut

Regulat0r wrote: »

I am infact a jackass.

TheMorningStar

And I make ears!


Anyways...I could ever wear ear buds. They hurt my ears.

FanciestWalnut

Grado overear's are awesome!

Spoit

Ignoring the whole In-ear hearing loss junk, I'd suggest: http://www.amazon.com/Shure-E2c-Sound-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B0000CE1UO/
Not quite as good as a lot of the other ones mentioned, they lack bass and don't have the quality of the $100 headphones. However, for $40 with free shipping, you'd be hard pressed to find better price/quality.

EDIT: At least from a quick google scan, the reports were mainly criticizing the ipod-like, non-canal, earbuds, not the IEMs we're talking about.