i need new headphones

heretoinform

My old headphones for my Zen are screwing up, and I think its about time that I buy some new headphones. The thing is, I have absolutely no idea as to which headphones I should buy. I mean, I've been relatively happy with the pair that came with my Zen.

Some things to consider:

+I don't mind whether they're the big and bulky kind or the ones that go in my ear.

+The most I'll spend is $100.

+I pretty much only listen to classical music, so I want headphones that will make Beethoven's Fifth sound amazing.

Thanks.

Iruka

As a brand, I highly recommend sennheiser. They're 40-100 dollar pairs are quality, and though inevitably you get the quality you pay for, My 30 buck over the ear head phones from them are easily the best I've had in that price range.

snarks

Sennheisers are definately the way to go.
Here's two that I would recommend that fall into your price range. They are closed ear headphones, so they cancel out outside noise real well and you won't bother anyone else with your music.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Professional/dp/B000065BPB (Best)

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD201-Headphones/dp/B0007XJSQC (Damn good for being so cheap)

Cowboy-Bebop

Grado SR 60s are consistently reviewed as the best headphones for under $100.

wasted pixels

I'll second the Grado SR60 as a cheaper solution, for $70 cans, they're fantastic. If you've got good ears, though (you mentioned an affinity for classical music), you might appreciate something more neutral-sounding like the Sennheiser HD280s. I've used a set of 280 Silvers for a couple of years now for pro audio purposes, and I've never found a more even set of headphones at such a low price point ($80 to $100). They're insanely comfortable, too, I've literally worn them for days at a time with no discomfort.

If possible, grab your MP3 player and hit a few audio shops (and music supply shops, Guitar Center is actually a great place to find pro-quality headphones at below-list prices) and try a few pair on. A set of headphones that sound amazing and fit funny will be a set of headphones you never wear (looking at you, Sennheiser HD595s).

TheGreat2nd

Either HD595 or HD 555 or HD 280 Pro.
All awesome headphones.

snarks

Ultimately, you need to consider what sort of environment you are going to listen to the headphones in. If you are going to listen in public (i.e. bus, train, whatever), open air headphones like the HD-5** or SR-60s won't cancel outside noise and everyone around you will very clearly hear what you are listening to. The HD-280s form a good seal around your ears and prevents noise from getting in or getting out.

On the other hand, if you are just listening to your music at home, the HD-595 (which I have and recommend) and the SR-60s (I haven't tried these, but every review I have read is glowing) would probably sound better overall.

Morinoko

You got great advise right there.

I own both of the suggested headphones: the sennheiser hd280pro and the Grado SR60. Both are great, some consider the Grado better, but i think that's a matter of preferences.

I you go the Grado route, be prepare to have an adaptation period with them. Right out of the box they are really uncomfortable and itchy. I bought a pair of foam paddings to replace the one that came with my phones, and they were also very itchy. Sometime down the road something happend: or i got used to them, or they stop being itchy by themselves... the thing is: i'm listening to Dave Matthews on the Grado as i type this, and they sound great.

The sound is really good with the Grados, good bass and very clear sound (in my opinion). They are open headphones, that mean that they "spill" some audio to the outside of the person listening (people around you will listen to what you are listening, even if it's not too loud).

I also love the Senns 280, they are comfortable, but a lot of people think they are too tight. They are closed headphones: they completely isolate you from outside noise; you can't hear almost anything from outside the phones, and people can't hear what you are hearing on the phones. This can be a nice feature, or somehow inconvenient if you are on an office environment and people start talking to you. One thing: the strap on these ones have a really weird shape, and it goes on a perpendicular angle on top of your head. Long story short, you will look really funny / strange wearing these headphones, not fashion at all.

I also own some In Ear Monitor (IEM), Shure E2C and JVC Marshmallows (FX33). I can't recommend the Shures just yet, i'm not used to the sound of them, i guess they are less "bassy" to my other 2 headphones and i find that to be less fun, for me at least. Maybe they are more accurate, who knows?

The Marshmallows are considered to be an exception: they are very cheap earphones ( $15 - $20 ), but they sound extremely well for their price. Take note: they don't sound as good as previously mentioned phones, but for their price, they sound good. There are a lot of mods you can do on them, like using Shure's foam tips instead of the ones that come with them. I think you should consider them anyway, maybe as a pair to use when exercising or when you go outside and don't want to look like some crazy DJ.

So, i would recommend, on order of $

JVC Marshmallows - $19
Grado SR 60 - $60
Sennheisser HD280 - $80

You should also consider lurking a little these forums: Head-Fi (http://www.head-fi.org/forums/). You will see amazing set ups and budgets. You might at least check out this topic:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/headphone-buyers-guide-271258/


Good luck, and sorry about your wallet.

Morinoko

Oops, i forgot about these 2:

Sennheiser CX300 (in ear) - $30
Sennheiser PX100 (they look like 80's walkman headphones) - $33 - $50

I don't own neither, but i have a coworker that own both, and loves them. I have also read a lot of good reviews of both of them.

I also forgot: with all headphones, you need to do some "break in" with them; out of the box they don't sound as good as they are supposed to. On head fi, people recommend to leave them plugged to a sound source, playing some music or pink noise for about 100 - 200 hours (on an average volume). You will start hearing a difference after the first 10 hours. This process is called burn in.

Snarks, Wasted Pixels: how's your experience with the Senn 595? I have those on a someday/maybe wishlist. I hear they sound great without amplification (plugged directly to an ipod or laptop).

contraband

I'll put in another vote for the SR60s. My pair have served me well (and for a great price!).

NovaRev

I have the Sennheiser CX300 earbuds and love them. They're comfortable, they block out a pretty good amount of background noise, and they sound great.

wasted pixels

Morinoko wrote: »

Snarks, Wasted Pixels: how's your experience with the Senn 595? I have those on a someday/maybe wishlist. I hear they sound great without amplification (plugged directly to an ipod or laptop).

They sounded great. Nice, even response across the spectrum, tight bass, smooth highs, a bit warm on the lower end, but overall they offered up a very neutral, crisp sound. Just uncomfortable as fuck, they really dug in to the tops of my ears after a couple of hours, and I need a set of headphones that can work a twelve hour day with me.

I'm not sure how they sound unamplified, my cmoy may as well have been glued into my output jack at the time.

musanman

wasted pixels wrote: »

Morinoko wrote: »

Snarks, Wasted Pixels: how's your experience with the Senn 595? I have those on a someday/maybe wishlist. I hear they sound great without amplification (plugged directly to an ipod or laptop).

They sounded great. Nice, even response across the spectrum, tight bass, smooth highs, a bit warm on the lower end, but overall they offered up a very neutral, crisp sound. Just uncomfortable as fuck, they really dug in to the tops of my ears after a couple of hours, and I need a set of headphones that can work a twelve hour day with me.

I'm not sure how they sound unamplified, my cmoy may as well have been glued into my output jack at the time.

I love my 595s, they fit pretty well on my ears though. I recommend them a ton if you're going to be by yourself.

That said, I often have my headphones on and am sitting next to my wife, and they're open ear headphones so she can really hear every song I'm playing. So if you have a roomate or something nearby you might want to try something that's closed.

Now I also recently purshed some Shure Earbuds for $100. These things are also the fucking shit. I highly recommend them as well. I cut the grass with them in and can't hear the lawnmower, it's amazing. The downside to this is, of course, that you are completely isolated from the outside world (if that's a downside).

Morinoko

musanmann: what model are those Shure earbuds?

snarks

Morinoko wrote: »

Snarks, Wasted Pixels: how's your experience with the Senn 595? I have those on a someday/maybe wishlist. I hear they sound great without amplification (plugged directly to an ipod or laptop).

They do sound great. Some people might think the bass is weak, but most people tend to overemphasize bass and I think the bass response is pretty good (i.e. neutral). They are extremely comfortable and won't clasp to your head as tight as the HD-280s will. As mentioned, they are open air and extremely loud to people around you.

musanman

Morinoko wrote: »

musanmann: what model are those Shure earbuds?

http://store.shure.com/store/shure/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.105432000

I got them for $100 at best buy.

Morinoko

I just want to recommend this website; it has tons of headphone reviews, sorted by brand:

http://www.headphonereviews.org/

You can also use the "sort of wizard" to pick a headphone most suitable for you.

Kalkino

I purchased a set of the Sennheiser PX200 a few months back for my ipod and so far so good. They are lightweight but with reasonable sound quality and a moderate amount of external noise blocking. I think they are about $50+ US by the looks on Amazon.

Willeth

I used to have a pair of the JVC Marshmallows, which I found to be quite fragile. Excellent buds though.

saggio

My Sennheiser HD555's make all of my music sound amazing. Particularly Karajan's cycle of Beethoven, which I'm sure you have as well.

Hewn

The Sony MDR-7506 need to be mentioned. Or MDR-V6 (Same headphone, retail version, tad cheaper, lacks professional warranty is all).

I was in the market for headphones in the $100 range and these won out. If you want a closed headphone that will block out noise, the Sony's do the trick. They also fold up quite small so they travel well. Extremely comfortable over extended periods. And they play music as it was intended, quite natural sound, no bass boosting or other such. Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1219602643&sr=8-1

Another advantage is that these perform well plugged straight into a source with no driver. In my experience, they perform better than the Sennheisers in this circumstance.

But ultimately, whether you pick the Grado, Sony, or Senn's - you're going to be pleased. They are all a huge step up over stock headphones.

Kate of Lokys

Hewn wrote: »

But ultimately, whether you pick the Grado, Sony, or Senn's - you're going to be pleased. They are all a huge step up over stock headphones.

Tangerine'd for half-truth. The V6/7506/7509HD is the gem in Sony's lineup, but the rest of the V series (notably MDR-V600 and MDR-V700) are really, really overpriced for what you get. At least, that's my two yen.

wasted pixels edit: Also, I need to check and see if Kate is still logged in before I post. >_>

Hewn

Kate of Lokys wrote: »

Hewn wrote: »

But ultimately, whether you pick the Grado, Sony, or Senn's - you're going to be pleased. They are all a huge step up over stock headphones.

Tangerine'd for half-truth. The V6/7506/7509HD is the gem in Sony's lineup, but the rest of the V series (notably MDR-V600 and MDR-V700) are really, really overpriced for what you get. At least, that's my two yen.

wasted pixels edit: Also, I need to check and see if Kate is still logged in before I post. >_>

I was referencing the headphones in my post, which are the same you just mentioned.

wasted pixels

Hewn wrote: »

Kate of Lokys wrote: »

Hewn wrote: »

But ultimately, whether you pick the Grado, Sony, or Senn's - you're going to be pleased. They are all a huge step up over stock headphones.

Tangerine'd for half-truth. The V6/7506/7509HD is the gem in Sony's lineup, but the rest of the V series (notably MDR-V600 and MDR-V700) are really, really overpriced for what you get. At least, that's my two yen.

wasted pixels edit: Also, I need to check and see if Kate is still logged in before I post. >_>

I was referencing the headphones in my post, which are the same you just mentioned.

It read like an across-the-board endorsement of Grado, Sony, or Sennheiser.

heretoinform

Thanks for the advice guys. I've been looking around Amazon and I've visited a couple of stores, and I have to say that I'm most impressed with the Audio Technica ATH-M30. Its only $50 and has gotten amazing reviews on Amazon.

Anyone have anything to say about the M30? Good/bad?

Oh, and some things that I should have mentioned before:

+I have to ride the bus on some days.

+I have a big melon head.

Hewn

Those are serviceable headphones, but you're not going to get the same quality of sound you'll get from the previously mentioned headphones closer to the $100 range.

Depends how heavily cost weighs into your decision.

Morinoko

heretoinform wrote: »

I'm most impressed with the Audio Technica ATH-M30.

Is there a brick and mortar store close to you where you could try different headphones?

snarks

If your head size is a concern and if you want to frequently listen to music on the bus, you may want to consider a pair of decent earbuds. Head size won't be a factor with earbuds, and earbuds would be more convenient than full size headphones for listening to music on a bus. I've had a pair of Sennheiser MX-300 series earbuds that were serviceable for the price, but I'd look into the CX300s that several people mentioned earlier- reviews for them seem to be good:
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-CX300-B-Earbuds-Black/dp/B000E6G9RI/

edit: if you are going to spend more time listening to your ipod at home rather than on the bus, though, I'd avoid earbuds, but I wouldn't want to lug my hd-280s or any other decent closed headphone around on a bus.

valiance

I also need new headphones and I'm probably rolling with earbuds/IEM cause the normal kind are super bulky and I really only need this set for use with my iPod when I'm on the go. I'm thinking of rolling with the Sennheiser CX-300 or the Creative Labs EP 630. http://www.headphonereviews.org/headphone.php?action=view&headphoneId=181

Chu

I personally really like the v-moda earbuds. I'm not sure of the model (the ones I tried were at the $99.99 price point, at least at the Apple store).

Lewisham

Unless you're super-cool, you'll look weird wearing huge cans on the bus.

I had a pair of Shure E2c, but they broke after 3 or so years just this week. I replaced them with Sennheiser CS-300. Anyone who tells you the sound quality is the same is a liar, but at 80% decency for 50% of the price, I'm happy with them.

Lewisham

CX-300, not CS. Doh.

Basar

I know you guys are going to beat me with a stick but I love my Bose Noise Cancelling 2 Head Phones The reason I went with Bose was because they offered 24 month 0% APR financing. I paid under $10 a month for it. Heh.

the cheat

financing a pair of headphones is pretty ridiculous.

1ddqd

Cowboy-Bebop wrote: »

Grado SR 60s are consistently reviewed as the best headphones for under $100.

I'll put in another vote for the SR60s. My pair have served me well (and for a great price!).

Also, thanks, now I'm addicted to yet another forum. /lurk

Basar

the cheat wrote: »

financing a pair of headphones is pretty ridiculous.

haha I know. i was waiting for my flight from DC to Denver at the time and i was sick of flying on planes with babies crying, old people yelling at each other, etc... so i bought an mp3 player + the headphones right there on the spot. an impulse buy

valiance

So I went with the Sennheiser CX-300s from newegg.com for ~$25.00. So I'll let ya'll know how they work out when they arrive.

Killjoy

make sure to mail sennheiser a broken pair for a few bucks off