No sound cards are not a great investment.

A good pair of headphones is the main source of good quality audio.
Headphones and headsets are 2 different things.

• Headphones = no microphone.
  
• Headset = with microphone.
  
  Adding a microphone to a headphone makes it a headset, it generally increases the price but also often equals in worse audio quality.
  Also most "gaming headsets" are terrible. Razer, SteelSeries, Corsair, Logitech, etc..
  So most people that know anything about good quality audio, always recommend a headphone with a separate microphone.
  There are a few exceptions for decent / good quality headsets. I will list them down below
  
  ---
  
  Your motherboard actually got good on-board sound. So you won't see a big improvement when you get a sound card.
  this long video talks about sound card myths. No need to listen to everything, but I would say the first 8 minutes are fairly okay and good to know. This should make you turn away from sound cards.
  
  Good sound absolutely starts with a good pair of headphones (or headset).
  If you buy a $500 sound card or $2000 DAC/AMP and use a $15 amazon basics headphone, it will not sound amazing at all. Sure it will probably sound a bit better, but I hope that you'll get my point.
  
  "budget" quality headphones generally start around the $100 mark. With the slightly better ones hovering around the $120-200 mark and above this you can find some awesome stuff, but also some pretty.. not amazing stuff.
  
  Audio is also very different for every person.
  First off all; what music, games, movies do you listen to / watch?
  A hardcore, drum&bass music style, action game/movie type of person will prefer a much different pair of headphones compared to..
  A classical, rock, metal music style, MMO/adventure games/movie type of person.
  
  Some people prefer bass, while others rather prefer clear mids (vocals) and highs.
  So I can't pick out a headphone/headset for you until I know what you prefer.
  
  ---
  
  

  A couple of solid gaming headsets:
  

  
  

  Model|Review|Price
  

  ----|:----|:----
  

1. Kingston HyperX Cloud | Review | $76/78
   
2. Sennheiser PC G4me One | Review | $150 (Price went down a lot!)
   
3. Logitech G633 | Review| $120
   
   ---
   
   

   A couple of amazing headphones:
   

   
   

   Model|Review|Price
   

   ----|:----|:----
   Sennheiser HD518 | Review A bit more bass. | $69 This is a steal..
   Sennheiser HD558 | Review More balanced | $94 Also a steal..
   AKG K240 semi-open | Review | $69
   AKG K240 MK II open | Review | $109
   Audio Technica AD700x | Review | $100
   
   These are all amazing headphones as well as headsets.
   
   Headsets:
   I listed them in order, this would be my picking order if I was forced to decide between a headset.
   Note that the Kingston Cloud got different color options. The Cloud Pro is the exact same headset but black and red.
   The Cloud II got somewhat the same color options. Black & red, Black & grey, White & pink.
   The difference between the Cloud I & II is 7.1 virtual audio. This is a feature I personally never really recommend. You have 2 ears, when you place a headphone on your head you'll have 2 positions where sound comes from. Your brain actually is very cool and complex.
   If you've got some earbuds or a 2.0 headset/headphone.. Listen to this virtual barber shop & close your eyes! This sound clip is amazing and also a bit educational.
   
   Headphones:
   I personally am a fan of Sennheiser, because the music that I listen too works very well with these headphones. I've got the HD598s.
   But Audio-Technica, Beyerdynamic, AKG & a few other brands are also capable of making very high quality headphones.
   Honestly, I can talk a lot about headphones here, but I will spare you this.
   
   Here is a great source list with awesome headphones. The # numbers behind the short explanation gives you a review.
   
   ---
   
   ####Sound cards / DAC&AMPs:
   
   As the video explained in the above video. Sound cards is something you want to avoid.
   When you want to increase the audio quality. We have to start spending a bit of money.
   
   

• Sound cards, DAC & AMPs explained
  
  A external DAC/AMP (Digital to Analog Convertor / Amplifier) is the next step into great quality sound!
  
  My currently favorite company for DACs & AMPs is Schiit. Yes that really is their name. Their Schiit is bananas!
  They are absolutely not the only good audio guys in the industry. But I just love them. They're a small start-up company that started over on head-fi. The website I used a lot for reviews.
  
  Their entry level DAC/AMP combo will cost you about $240. The Schiit Stack. They've upgraded and revised this stack a couple of times already since the review. They're now selling the Uber 2 versions, which costs $150 each. I hope to be able to actually obtain this stack this year.. I hoped to get it in 2015, but well.. I don't schiit money sadly xD.
  But yes, I know that this is expensive. Luckily this company created a less expensive DAC/AMP combined unit.
  The Schiit ..Fulla. Yes their naming is hilarious, please reverse the brand + model name when you refer to this product!
  It's an impressive device and will destroy ALL sound cards that you can pretty much get. Here is a detailed review.
  
  ---
  
  Gosh, sorry for the bomb of information again!
  Hopefully this answered your questions.

I've purchased 5 new pairs of earphones this summer with prices for being between $60-$130 per pair. Below are my reviews for all 5 pairs. Some are noise blocking and some are not. Some are good for exercising while others are good for travel. Some are great for if you love heavy bass music and some are good for listening to talk-radio or podcasts. All of them are in-ear style earphones. I consider myself somewhat of an audiophile, and over the past 5-6 years I've cycled through countless different brand and models of earphones.

V-Moda Vibrato ~$130 : Sound quality is not good enough for this price, bass levels are a little too high and drown out other sounds, and V-moda has a reputation for their cords breaking at the ends and from the buds within a very short amount of time. I previously had the Vibe first and second generations, and although they look stylish, they had these design flaws and the cord broke within a couple months. They won't block outside noise. Don't buy V-moda earphones. There are far better brands out there and you can get much better quality for less money. 6/10 - this rating is quite generous but its because their lower end earphones are much worse.

Klipsch S4 ~$65 : For the price, these are a good pair of earphones. I use them for traveling because they won't be too much trouble to replace if something bad happens to them. They are nice-looking from a design perspective, and they will block a good amount of outside noise. The sound quality is pretty good for their relatively cheap price, and the bass levels are high, but its never going to overpower the other tones. The cord seems a bit thin and flimsy, but I've had no issues with that so far. These are also great for exercising, and can be worn in two ways on the ear: the normal way or you can flip them up and wrap the cord over and around the back of the ear for a more secure fit. I really like that aspect about these, and the only other pair that I'm reviewing that has this options are the Shure SE215's (see below). They also come with a nice selection of tips and a good carrying case. 8/10.

Etymotic MC5 ~$60 : I had heard and read a lot of great things about this company, so I decided to grab one of their pairs. They are known for their 3-flange tips. For me, these type of tips are nothing special. Actually, the small and medium tips didn't even fit in my ear (with every other company the small or medium tips fit me best) and their large ones barely fit. Thankfully they came with some foam tips that did fit but they are not smooth and are rather coarse and uncomfortable. There was only one pair of tips that worked well in my ears out of the 3 types of tips, and there was only one pair of the style that worked for me, while the others had 3-5 pairs. Anyway, with any type of their tips, the earbuds stick out farther than any other earphones I've had, so I didn't like the way they sat or looked when I wore them. Sadly, I was also disappointed with the sound they produced. There was almost no bass levels whatsoever, and their volume level is the lowest I've ever experienced... you need to have the mp3 player probably 30% louder with the Etymotic earphones compared to any others to have the same noise level. The only reason I kept them is because with seemingly nonexistent bass, they are good for talk-show podcasts and when I listen to NPR. The cord seems decent and sturdy enough, and they come with a nice case. Maybe their higher-end earphones don't have these issues, but for me, they were a huge disappointment. 4/10

Bose IE2 ~$100 : These earphones are perfect for not blocking all outside noise. I use them for exercising and running outside, and at work so I can listen to music or the radio while still being able to hear if someone is talking to me. These are their second generation and a design improvement on the tips makes them stay really secure in your ears while doing any activity. The sound quality is quite crisp with a nice range of tones and good bass levels too. They've got a stylish design and a unique black-and-white striped cord. They stay comfortable and secure in your ears for long periods of time are are well worth their price. The cord is durable and they come with a good selection of different sizes and styles of tips and include a nice carrying case. I think these are the best non-noise cancelling earphones available for a $100 budget. I'm very impressed by these. 9/10

Shure SE215 ~$100 : Saving the best for last. These are the nicest earphones in terms of sound quality, durability, and for blocking outside noise. These are perfect for any situation where you don't want or need to hear anything outside your music. Great for airplanes, long car rides, loud public places, studying, etc. I'll even use them to fall asleep when my roommates are still partying or being loud when I'm going to bed. When exercising, you can wear them pointed up, and have the cord wrap over and around the backside of the ear for a more secure fit. I like to use the foam tips: they're like the earplugs that you squeeze and put in your ears, and then they expand to the shape of your ear canal and block outside noise. As a company, Shure supply's almost every big name musician and performer at large large venue shows with both their high quality earphones and microphone equipment. They far exceed every other brand in terms of sound quality produced. For noise blocking earphones on a $100 budget, there's no reason to get anything other than the SE215's. They'll even replace them for free if you keep a receipt, and they've done this for me and other people I know with their earphones that have broken long after a 2-year period. I had the first generation model for a while and the cord malfunctioned and they upgraded me to the newer model at no cost. With this current model they've deigned the earphones so that the cord detaches from the buds at the base of your ear, so that if and when the cord breaks, you don't need to go buy a whole new pair, just replace the cord. This is also great for if and when you want to upgrade to their higher end models like the SE315, SE425, and SE535 (each higher number is about $100 more than the previous) because the cord works for all of the current SE series earphones, just swap out the buds on the same cord. Once you try any model of Shure's earphones, you will never want to buy another company's earphones. They come with a few styles of different tips, each in small, medium, and large, and their carrying case is quite nice. Ask anyone you know with Shure earphones and they will gladly tell how how awesome the earphones are. 10/10

TL;DR: for the best earphones on a $100 budget, either get the Shure SE215 earphones (blocks outside noise) or the Bose IE2 earphones (does NOT block outside noise).

TL;DR

Experiment with mic placement

GAIN STAGE

Arranging is the best mixing tool you have

When EQ'ing, always cut before boosting

----------

Experimenting is key! Don't be afraid to try new things, even if they may not make any sense.

In terms of recording, gain-staging is the first thing you should be looking at. Having as loud a signal as possible without clipping going to the front of your interface is one of the best things you can do to save headaches later on, as your noise floor will be much lower and you have a lot more free reign over dynamics in the song without having to worry about that dreaded buzz.

When it comes to micing up guitar amps in stereo like you want to do, I would say make sure you get two isolated signals. This will give you a lot of flexibility later on when mixing. If it's possible, mic the two amps up in separate rooms. If that's not feasible, just make sure the mics are pointing away from each other, not towards each other. If you want the phase-y sound, you can either mess with the phase switches in your DAW or you can just manually move one of the mic tracks out of phase with the other. Your choice :P

Experiment with mic placement on the cone. The mic should be right up on the grill. When recording cleans I personally like the sound of placing the mic near the outer rim of the speaker, but that is entirely a preference thing. Like I said before, experiment! In general, you get more bass as you move closer to the center of the cone.

The SM58 is essentially an SM57 with a different cap, so you'll still be able to get that nice dynamic sound that has turned into an industry standard. Since it is a dynamic microphone, I would recommend double-micing the amps with a pencil condensor (there should be a matched pair in your friend's drum mic kit) as they tend to capture more of the high and low end extension while the SM58 will capture a lot of the midrange. It covers a lot of ground, but can introduce a little more work when mixing them all together. Whatever works for you!

This is a general production trick, but just remember that the arrangement of the song has a huge impact on the energy and dynamics of the song. Leaving parts out in softer sections will really make those louder sections pop out more, and this is especially important in a dynamic genre like dreampop! It can be very easy to fall into the habit of adding parts that don't need to be there, and that will reduce the dynamic of the piece overall.

In terms of mixing (I'm just going into general mixing knowledge here) less is almost always more. For example, many people will open up a project and say "the bass isn't loud enough" and just turn up the bass. In reality, this will only muddy up the low end more, since it will be interfering with the low end of the guitars, etc. In general, it's a good practice to apply a high-pass filter up to about 130 Hz on EVERY track in the project EXCEPT for the bass guitar, the kick, and anything else that mainly sits in the low end. That frees up a lot of low-end headroom for the things that really need it (i.e. not guitars). You can apply this principle to basically anything else in the track, such as cutting high frequencies out of tracks to leave room for the cymbals, etc. When you feel the need to boost a track up in the mix, ask yourself whether you can cut frequencies out of other tracks first.

Oh, I almost forgot. Make sure that you have a good way to monitor your mixes. If you can't afford a decent set of monitors, get a decent pair of open-back headphones. If you're on a super tight budget, I would personally recommend the AKG k240 Studios (http://www.amazon.com/AKG-240-Semi-Open-Studio-Headphones/dp/B0001ARCFA). They're like, $60 now and they're the best bang for the buck headphones imo.

Mix in-the-box. You and your wallet will thank me later.

I could go on forever, but there are a plethora of great mixing resources out there. One that I really like is Recording Revolution (look it up if you've never heard of it). Just keep experimenting and never give up! There are no shortcuts to getting great mixes, you just have to practice! Good luck!

Okay. What I am going to recommend is two sets of headphones. One for nice, comfy, multi-hour home listening in front of the computer, and another set for when you're on the go. All of these sound good without any amplification.

Full-Size, Home Listening

• Audio Technica ATH-AD700 - nice, mid-level offering. Wonderful, open sound and definitely the #1 most comfortable headphones I have ever owned. These are fairly large, this is what they look like on me. They are reasonably light, and the design is completely open. You will hear sounds around you and if someone is sitting next to you, they will hear some of your music (or all of it, if you have the volume cranked). The pads are fuzzy and comfortable. Highly recommended for electronic music, chamber pieces, acoustic guitar and piano... well, just about everything. (~$100)
  
  
• Sennheiser HD-280 Pro - These are the heavyweight champions of the $50-$100 price range. Headfi (a major audiophile community) loves these things. So do I. Comfortable, with fantastic bass response and great isolation. Built like a tank - I DJ'd for quite awhile and my set is still going strong despite being dropped, stepped on, thrown in road cases, etc. The ear cups also rotate reasonably freely to allow them to fold "flat" and be tossed in a backpack. The pads on these are that pleather material which could cause a little bit of sweat, but nothing to really complain about. Excellent sound, overall, but particularly suited to drum n bass, dubstep, industrial, goa and other genres of trance and electronic dance music. My pair is actually in my lab at work, at the moment, so no photo of them, sorry! (~$90)
  
  
• Audio Technica M50S - Foldable, easy to toss in a bag. These are what I moved to after using the 280 Pro's for several years. Very smooth sound with a pretty surprising bass range. Definitely out-performed the 280's in some pieces of music when it came to the low range. Again, smooth, balanced sound overall. Great isolation on par with the 280's. The soundstage isn't as good as the AD700's, since these are closed headphones, otherwise I'd totally recommend these, flat out. These beat the Monster Beats Studio, hands down, for a third of the price. <3 Bass (~$120)
  
  Portables
  
  
• Koss Portapro - These things are classics for a reason. Very, very highly recommended by a ton of people. Comfortable, portable, built well, and excellent sound for the price bracket they are in. Unique styling. Those temple pads you see keep the pressure from the earpieces from becoming fatiguing on your ears. I've forgotton that I was wearing them on several occasions and tried to put on my hat over them. If you're cool with the style, I really recommend these. (~$40)
  
  
• Grado SR60i - I love Grados. They have a really classic look, they are very comfortable, and they have solid sound. More suited to articulate, dynamic music. Not a ton of bass. Would recommend these for home use as well, actually. If you want, you can step up to the SR80i, but I don't feel like you will hear too great a difference, out of an iPod or an onboard soundcard. (~$70-$100)
  
  
  Note: the Amazon links above are using my affiliate ID. What this means is that if you purchase a set through those links, Amazon gives me 4-6% of the purchase price as a commission. The price you pay is not affected in any way - that commission comes out of their end. You don't have to use those links, you can search Amazon for any of the models above. And by all means, you don't have to buy through Amazon.

Yeah, those aren't really the best for gaming, I agree. But I suggested them just in case because I have definitely seen people use them for gaming before.

In general I don't think I'd recommend IEMs heavily for gaming. If you're gonna use 'em outside as well as inside, then yeah, maybe it would be better than a pair of open back headphones. But well, anyway, I've not heard much of that particular pair, and they don't seem incredibly well regarded from a quick check.

With IEMs for gaming it could get more expensive depending on how much soundstage you want or need. Imo, with IEMs, you should either go relatively cheap or just start plunging in, because there's not much amazing in the middle. There are some incredibly good cheap IEMs like the Xiaomi Piston 3s. I have this pair, and I can vouch that they do not sound like $20 IEMs in the least, there is $100 sound in these. The catch is they are often faked, so if you buy a pair, make sure they're real by checking online, but well, it's Amazon, so there should be no issue if they're faked if you buy fulfilled by them, you'll return em easy. But they sound really good, especially for the incredibly low price, and I've tried gaming with them and they do fine for it, though not as great as headphones.

In the middle there is an incredibly well recommended IEM called the Shure s215. Are they good for gaming, well, I've never heard them so I can't fully say. They should be fine, but not amazing.

What will really do you best is a pair of IEMs with incredibly good soundstage, but you'll unfortunately be paying a lot more for really good soundstage in an IEM. I recommend just plunging in and spending a lot if what you want is IEMs, something like the Sennheiser IE80s. These are well known for very wide soundstage and clarity, and they'd probably do you best for gaming because of it. But the price is up there compared to a pair of headphones as you can see.

For noise cancelling I don't know much admittedly. I think Bose is still well recommended for noise cancelling, but I also think I've heard cheap Bose headphones aren't amazing. I've heard of the Bose QC25s as being good I think? But again, you're paying a premium for the noise cancelling. I would suggest IEMs over noise cancelling personally.

Fidelio X2s need a headphone amp which will run you some good extra money besides the price of them alone, I don't recommend them unless you're willing to shell out at least an extra $100 besides their price. The HD 598s are amazing at their price point for everything, probably the single best all around headphones at the price range, and the best ones for gaming imo. They're the ones I recommend most.

I'm sorry I've written you a novel here by the way, but I hope I helped a little!

I'm going to go ahead and link to a bookmarked post i have for playing live. Great great advice from /u/champaignthrowaway. His original post that can be seen here is locked, but toss him an upvote for the great guide if you see him around.

> Nutshell guide to IEMs for drummers:

> The most affordable way into it is a pair of Shure SE215s. They are inexpensive, sound very good in comparison to any normal consumer earbud on the market, and the generic fit actually does work 90% as well for most people. I use the foam tips on mine and they isolate completely and have never fallen out. They don't sound quite as good as full blown, custom molded, dual/triple/quad driver IEMS, but stuff like that is more in the $400-800 range and these are a measly hundred bucks. These come in clear or black, but obviously clear is the only real option since it looks so much more expensive and professional (haha).

> Moving into the custom realm, things can get pricey very quickly but it is absolutely worth it if you're going to use them a lot (bear in mind as well that you can use these for just listening to music and stuff too). The most affordable custom option that I'm aware of is taking your pair of Shure SE215s and having Sensaphonics make a set of custom sleeves for them. To get them made, you need to have impressions taken either by a local audiologist (any doctor who makes hearing aids can do this for you for a low fee) or by actually going into Sensaphonics in Chicago for a consultation. They'll take the impressions, help you figure out what you want exactly, and do a very extensive hearing test for you.

> Custom molds will fit well for anywhere from 3-10 years from what I can tell. Your ears do actually keep growing throughout your entire life. If you're a teenager you'll probably have to have them refitted after a few years. If you're older, the growth is very slight and they'll probably fit comfortably for a very long time.

> InEarz and 1964 are other popular companies that make a good product. Personally I prefer Sensaphonics because they are, as far as I know, the only company making them with 100% silicone, which is extremely soft and comfortable. The downside is that Sensaphonics is a bit more expensive than most other options. You honestly can't even feel them in your ear after a few minutes. Generic fit IEMs and custom molds made from harder materials usually get uncomfortable after thirty or forty minutes.

> If you want to use them live, there are some things to keep in mind. Firstly, it is of vital importance to have some sort of body pack with a volume control and a built in limiter. You are putting these things inside your freaking ears and giving some stranger behind the board control over what sound they make. If you have no safety measures in place and the engineer brainfarts out and grabs the wrong aux send, you are going to have a very, very bad night. You can seriously hurt yourself that way. Most sound guys wouldn't even agree to give you an IEM mix without you having a personal limiter of some sort, but it's worth mentioning because there are some idiots out there. I recommend the Behringer P1 bodypack. There are nicer options out there, but the P1 is cheap, simple to use, and will get you up and running.

> Secondly, it will be a bit of an awkward adjustment period especially if you are not in a position where your band is running it's own monitor mix (and if you are in a band like that, you're probably not reading this because you already know all of this stuff). Some engineers will know how to deal with IEMs and can give you a good mix complete with ambient/crowd noise, some will just throw everything up to the same level and leave you in some weird sounding isolated freakish space. At smaller venues that don't mic everything you'll obviously be missing some stuff. Not having overheads is weird - unless you get a lot of cymbal bleed through your other mics you might tend to over crash. Some live engineers like to gate the hell out of all the mics as well, which exaggerates the problem. It just takes some getting used to. You know how vastly different a show feels when your monitors and stage sound are good compared to when they are shitty? Yeah, well your monitors are now inside your freaking head and everything is even more exaggerated. So communicate a lot with your sound guy/girl and hopefully they will do you right. Oh, and at least once you're going to stand up and walk away from the kit without remembering to unplug and you'll probably knock something over or damage a cable. Live and learn, haha.

> * Last small thing - if everything goes right you'll have an awesome IEM mix at your show. That's awesome. That also means you'll probably hear every single mistake your bandmates make. So be ready for that, so that you don't get thrown off or make a funny face when the guitarist botches a note or the singer is half a step off.

> edit: Thanks for gold, kind stranger. If the mod/s want this in the sidebar or something that's fine by me. Somebody let me know if that happens and I'll clean it up a little bit.

> 1More Triple Driver

For $65, I rather opt for the Zero Audio Carbo Tenores.
I think those sound better than the overhyped 1More Triple Drivers.
Don't get me wrong. The 1More Triple Drivers are great. It probably has a bit more detailing than the Tenores. But the Tenores man. The Tenores. They are tuned in just 'perfectly'. This thing is legendary.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/665111/zero-audio-zh-dx200-carbo-tenore-zh-dx210-carbo-basso-carbon-aluminium-iem-thread

They sound 'lax' while having all the detailing you need. I have listened to the Shure SE846 and have the Noble 4/CKR9Ltd/JVC FX-850/Tenores/Yamaha EPH-100/etc. etc.
And I had the opportunity in my life to listen to a crap ton of iem in my life.
And to this date, I do not think there is any contender for the Tenores in the tuning of the mids. Sure it's definitely nowhere as 'good' technical wise as the upper range products like the Noble 4/CKR 9ltd/JVC fx-850/Dunu 2000/Shure SE846/Yamaha EPH-100 but.... just cause it isn't as clear as those super $$$ does not imply it is bad.

In fact, I think in its price range, there is nothing that can compete with these iem for music lovers. Sure these are almost 5 years old but this is 1 heck of a legendary iem.
If you want your ears to truly open up to premium range sound, opt for the Tenores. Sure the 1More might be nicer (I did not test them but heard much praises) but from my listening career from free earphones to $1000 iems, the Tenores have like a special place in my heart (along with the EPH-100).
https://www.amazon.com/AUDIO-ear-stereo-headphone-Tenore-ZH-DX200-CT/dp/B0093VVP0Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482964790&sr=8-1&keywords=zero+audio+tenore

The only issue is the chord. But as long as you don't abuse your earphone, it should not be of much issue.
That said, don't believe most hypes of earphones/iem. Most 'top class' earphone/iem under 100 sound like the BEST under 100. No more no less. I heard some outrageous things in my life in headfi like the Tenores competing with 500 dollar products and 1More competing with 2500 dollar products.
Truth is, they don't.
That said, I must say, the 1More has a far better design and better boxing. The Tenores is just straight out only for sound. However, give it a try if you can. I think it can be the best $40 you ever spend.

Also little biased view here but.... run away from bluetooth earphones like a plague if you can. Those really have bad sounds. They sound like 10 dollar products in general. I'm sure you have a phenomenal bluetooth iem but but it seems the specializers of the iem markets don't really care to invest in bluetooth earphones. Bluetooth iems are mostly conquered by the 'fashion' brand of earphones. The sound quality including the Jaybirds... are atrocious once you start comparing to true audio iem like the Tenores. (And quite noticeably)

Budget ~150-200$

Source - Pixel 2 / Macbook Pro

Requirements for Isolation - Some. Not a huge priority, but nice to have for public transit.

Will you be using these Headphones in Public? Yes

Preferred Type of Headphone - IEMS or portable over-ear. Possibly bluetooth if there are good options.

Past headphones - MEE audio M6 PRO Liked the sound quality, but they didn’t fit very nicely in my ears, despite trying all of the tips that came with the box.


Brainwavz Delta Black IEM
Again, liked the sound quality, but the buds themselves seemed to be too fat to fit into my ears, even with trying all the tips they gave me.

[Panasonic RP-TCM125-K] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E4LGVUO/ref=psdc_172541_t1_B00L2459ZO) Really liked the fit for these. If possible I’d love to find something similar to these in fit, but perhaps a higher quality build or sound quality.

https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-598-Cs-Headphone/dp/B01JP436TS Also really like these, but I’ve found that they are too bulky for general portable use.

Preferred Music - Wide range. A lot of quiet female vocalist indie music, as well as a lot of fast and loud ska/punk music. I also listen to a fair amount of spoken audio, such as podcasts and audiobooks. I listen to hip-hop as well, but not as much as the above.

What would you like to improve - As stated in the past headphones section, I am looking to improve the fit of the IEMs that I get. The panasonic ones fit so well compared to the other IEMs I’ve had in the past, so I am looking to get something with a similar fit, but with a better sound stage. Also, I’m looking to try Bluetooth IEMs if anything comes to mind with these requirements, but if not, regular IEMs / over-ears are fine for me.

____

I’ve been eying these: https://www.amazon.com/Jaybird-Bluetooth-Headset-iPhone-Android/dp/B01M7NCT5O and these: https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Bluetooth-Headphones-Controller-RP-HJE120B-W/dp/B071R6VX9Q for bluetooth iem options, but as far as I can tell the reviews for them do not seem completely stellar.

I was also looking into ATH-M40Xs as a portable over ear option, but I’m not sure if I want to sacrifice having a microphone on my main pair of portable headphones.

This is going to sound contradictory, but my personal choice would be the Bose SoundSport Free Truly Wireless, if I was going to use it for the gym. Only because Bose's tips are ridiculously comfortable and the only one that fits in my ears. You can get this off the Apple Store for $200.

However, if your girlfriend is a normal person unlike me, most earbuds should fit her, and you can get something much cheaper. If I were you I'd be pretty pissed at Apple so I would get a $300 item from their store and sell it for like $250 or so, then use that money to buy two things for the lady, something for sports and something nice for home use.

I've personally been using the Philips SHQ1200/28 ActionFit for years now, they're cheap, sound fine, and somehow survived being accidentally thrown in the washing machine twice. I'm not recommending this for you because they don't have a mic, but just listing as example that budget options can last for a long time and imo are more worth the money if you're only using them to work out. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Headphones-Waterproof-Sweatproof-Cancelling/dp/B01G8JO5F2/ might be worth taking a look at, if these fit my ears it's exactly what I would look for if using them for running. I do run, and personally prefer something easy to use, light, stays in my ears, doesn't get in the way, isn't hot, and sounds good. I'm recommending this one because it fits all the above requirements, but mainly because the cable is just a cable and doesn't have controls lined on it, unlike most wireless earbuds. This means I won't feel the annoying tap of a weight on my shoulder or neck as I'm jogging up and down. You should ask her what she likes and go from there.

I'm more of a headphone person though, so if you're here for good sound and durability, I feel like she would love the V-Moda Crossfade M-100. They're tight enough that you could use them for running, though I personally wouldn't (too hot). But you could buy this one and then Senso's and that would be pretty cool. If you don't want the wire you can get the V-MODA Crossfade Wireless, cheaper and wireless, but the sound quality won't be as good.

If she's cool with exercising with the Senso's and using the headphones for commutes and a better music experience and calls (basically everything that doesn't include exercise) then I recommend the Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT. Or, if you think it's too much work haha, just grab the Bose ones. :P

i have a few recommends!

http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=8323 it seems insane, but these cans honestly outperform every other pair i've used under $100. i use them a ton for work and leisure. easily my most used pair. the only downside is that since they are closed and isolating, while they have wonderful bass response for working in the sub frequencies, the sound stage is also a little bit tight. i recommend replacement pads: http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=11949 (they come in grey, white, and red as well) as they're a bit better quality and easier on the ears/head.

next in line: http://www.amazon.com/AKG-240-Semi-Open-Studio-Headphones/dp/B0001ARCFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449285605&sr=8-1&keywords=k240 the akg k240s are a standard for work and leisure for many people. huge, wide sound stage and a great flat frequency response. they're pretty open, so you will hear everything around you, and everything around you will hear you. but they do kick a lot of ass.

aside from those, if you want something strictly to listen with, http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Buckle-Headphones-microphone/dp/B00FBNAD7Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449285685&sr=8-1&keywords=polk+buckle the polk buckle is a wonderful pair of headphones with HILARIOUSLY overblown bass response. a joy to relax and dig on some bass-heavy audio with. great for watching films too!

hope this helped! if you can try cans before you get em, try em! everybody has hearing preferences. but i think the monoprice closed-back cans and k240s combined are a great and affordable way to work and have nice flat audio reproduction. love 'em. i almost entirely work on headphones and will end up referencing whatever i make on my hifi and any other speakers i have in the house once i'm done. i have cheap m-audio monitor speakers hooked up to my work machine, but i don't use them for actual work all that often.

Budget - £100 Hard Limit

Source - My computer, asrock z97 pro4 onboad audiocard. I'll probably buy a better one soon, also, I'm not looking to buy an amp.

Requirements for Isolation - Little, I'm only going to be using these at home but I don't mind if there's none, or a lot.

Will you be using these Headphones in Public? - Not likely.

Preferred Type of Headphone - I would like on or over ear. I really want to try open back too.

Preferred tonal balance - Ideally I'd like a balanced set of Headphones but I'd like a fair bit of bass.

Past headphones - Nothing worth noting. Just some Sony, HTC and Apple IEMs.

Preferred Music - A lot of Rock, Post-Hardcore, Music with a lot of Screaming, Metal, Hip-Hop, a bit of Chiptune and music like Crystal Castles, You Love Her Coz She's Dead and Kap Bambino

What would you like to improve on from your set-up - I'm not sure where I'm going after this, this is my first step into better headphones and potential audiophile territory. I will use the pair of headphones recommended to figure out what I will look for next.

I've already done a bit of research and have found a few sets of headphones that I am interested in but I lack the knowledge of if they're good or not.

Grado SR80e - From what I've heard, these headphones are very well received and liked but lack good bass which concerns me. I also LOVE the look of these headphones, they are probably my favourite.

AKG K240 MKII -
These headphones are my second favourite however, I'm concerned that I may need an amp to make these work to their full potential. I was also looking at the regular 240s but heard these were an upgrade.

Finally, the AKG K271 MKII - As with the K240s I've heard a lot of glowing reviews on these pair but I'm worried that I require an amp. I also really love the fact that the two sets of AKGs have detachable wires.

I'm open to recommendations, but if any of the headphones I'm interested in would be good for me then all the better! Sorry if this has been long winded!

Blue snowball is certainly the best for good recording, while the Samson Meteor is great too. Usually the Samson is a lot cheaper than the blue snowball, but seems like it's not the case here.

Go with the Blue snowball. It'll last you a long while for sure!

Another thing, why would you get an headset if you already are using an Mic? That is now-a-days the only benefit over an headphone.

Headphones have overall much better specifications for better prices. Here are a few to check out:

• Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro. It's a great headphone for gaming. It has an open back, which gives you a much better soundstage, which you want for gaming.
  
  
• Audio Technica ATH-M50(X) is another good option although it is more of a bassy headphone. So hearing clear footsteps will be harder, but listening music on this thing is a lot more enjoyable for sure.
  
  
• Takstar HI 2050. this is not a known headphone and I haven't personally used this headphone. But seeing from specs and topics from other poeple this headphone has very clear and detailed tones with a decent soundstage, which makes it a good choice for gaming. Not so much for music.
  
  
• AKG K240. Is another decent option although the more expensive K550 would be more enjoyable to listen to.

I would say that if you want to commit, you need to spend some money on gear so you don't just quit in a couple of months (nothing keeps you motivated like knowing you will have just wasted a couple hundred dollars if you give up).

Here is the minimum professional-quality kit you need (these are brands that I've seen being used by the Chemical Brothers, Orbital, and others) to buy in order to start playing around with enough equipment to keep you learning for at least a couple of years:

• 110$ MIDI Keyboard + Controller - Novation LaunchKey Mini
  
• 100$ DAW Software - Ableton Live Intro (FL Studio is also good, but the basic version costs 200$)
  
• Free Subtractive Synth VST - Tyrell N6
  
• Free Effects package VSTs - Melda Plugins
  
• 60$ Monitor headphones - AKG K240
  
• 270$ Total, for a high-quality basic kit.
  
  Ableton Live Intro is a fantastic DAW to learn: It has enough features to give you a year or two of productive learning before you might want to upgrade to the standard version. 16 tracks is enough to make a lot of good music.
  
  And don't be fooled by the price of the Tyrell N6: It's a full-featured professional synthesizer that's in the same league as the Minimoog, Prophet 5, and the Jupiter 8. It can make all of the same sounds of any of those synths, and you could spend a few months mastering its use.
  
  Once you get the hang of using those for a few months, you might want to upgrade your audio output quality, and also start recording real-life sounds, such as vocals and musical instruments. In that case you'll need an audio interface and a microphone:
  
  
• 200$ Audio Interface + Microphone - Focusrite Scarlett Solo bundle
  
  And one thing to keep in the back of your mind: Professional music production is complicated There's a lot more to it than hitting record and playing some nice notes. Here is a list of all the different skills that are required to become a great musician. If you want to make and sell music, you'll need to either get good at, or get someone to help you with, the following:
  
  
• Instrument playing (keyboard, guitar, drums, flute, etc)
  
• Rhythm (beat, timing, syncopation, etc)
  
• Music Theory (chords/scales, melody/harmony, etc)
  
• Arrangement (song structure creation, progression, tension/release)
  
• Effects (ambience, reverb, compression, filters, guitar pedals, etc)
  
• Mixing (EQ, compression, pan, volume)
  
• Mastering/Recording (EQ, compression, limiting, tape transport/splicing [analogue], or copy/paste and file management [digital])
  
• Releasing (album compilation, performance, DJing, music distribution, etc)
  
  You could honestly spend at least a few months learning each of those skills. And the following two skills are necessary for some types of music:
  
  
• Instrument/effect construction, modification, customization, VST programming
  
• Writing lyrics
  
• Singing
  
  Good luck! And may the god of music be with you!

Klipsch Image s4 - $56 - recomended these to a coworker and he loves them. edit: forgot to mention said co-worker is 6'3" so I know the cord on these is long enough.

HiFiMan RE0 - $79 - Phenomenal sound but will require a small amp like a FiiO E5 to get the best out of them, otherwise you'll think they lack bass. I own them and keep them at work. Cord is pretty long, longer for sure than my panasonic hje900's or Audio Technica CK10's.

Shure SE115 - $69.99 - I haven't tried these but I have owned Shure e3c's in the past and love them, and can attest to their quality.

Shure SE215 - $90 - These are quite popular and the price is fantastic. They're the direct step up to the SE115 and have the added bonus of a detachable cable. Shure usually bundles nice accessories with their headphones, multiple tip styles, a case...

Etymotic ER7 - $75 - Great sound, clear and well defined. They've also got inline ipod/iphone controls if you have that. Decent bass. Nice accessories and extra tips, 2 year warranty.

But also check the IEM's reviewed link. That's a TOME and has almost every earbud worth talking about covered.

IEMS ONLY

Budget - $10-$50 (Lower the better, sales too) $51-$75 is really pushing it

Source - Phone(iPhone6), laptop, PS4 controller

Requirements for Isolation - Moderate or full isolation, Plan to use outdoors, indoors, home, public transpiration(NYC transit is loud)

Preferred Type of Headphone - Comfy IEMs, Mic, long lasting

Preferred tonal balance - Balanced, clear/crisp and a bit towards the bass side

Past headphones - Top earphones I've used from the past from best to worst.

1)I can't find the exact model but [These] (http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-II-Precision-Enhanced-Earbuds/dp/B001EZYMF4/ref=pd_sim_23_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=31F3zlJecaL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0ZC2CA08ZMJG2XXZ138J) The one I had a volume slider. It was one of the best I've ever used Handsdown. The sound was so rich with the perfect amount of bass Felt good(sliped a couple of times), great sound, Volume slider. | Bad wire, lacks mic and button(s)

2) [JVC Marshmellow] (http://www.amazon.com/JVC-HAFX32B-Marshmallow-Earbuds-Black/dp/B00DVH265G/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1463378188&sr=1-1&keywords=jvc+marshmallow+earbuds) Good overall sound, felt great in the ear, rarely fell off | Cheap, lack of mic and buttons

3)JBL J33 Good sound, great bass w/o compromising the clarity, mic.,good wire | big af, heavy, not comfy at all.

4) Skull candies. Hate em.

Preferred Music - I listen to a wide range of music. Rap/hip-hop (Kanye, Future,Chance, Drake) Electronica (Crystal Castles), classical, and relax/chill Something to keep my head bumping (Bass)
Some Links, enjoy!

Affection

Saint Pablo

Aloha

At Home

What would you like to improve on from your set-up
Something that feels good in the ear (can listen to music for hours without my ears or head hurting is a must), has a mic/button(preferred) . Something similar or better than the ones I used before. Crisp rich sound with moderate or medium high bass

I was thinking

Klipsch X4i,MEE Audio M6 PRO,Zero Audio,Etymotic Research MC5





Thank you.

Hi and welcome to /r/headphones!

Glad to see that you want to make the step towards trying something new, although hopefully you don't fall into the rabbit hole like many of us have in this hobby :-)

The IE2 is an okay IEM from my memory, definitely not worth the retail price ($100~ i believe?) but ok at $49 in terms of sound. For your budget, the RHA MA750 is a very solid pair, especially if you're looking for a deeper audio profile. RHA's customer service team is very good and their 3 year warranty is quite sound; along with their actual sound too!

>if better options will cost me double the price of the replacement, but not double the quality.

How about something that's less the price of the replacement, but with better quality? The RHA S500 is a fantastic relatively new IEM that's extremely good value right now. It boasts a clear and detailed sound and a small form factor, in contrast to its larger sibling the MA750 (which has a warmer and more bassy sound).

The Meelec M6 PRO is also a great IEM at a low price. Detachable cables means that "replacing" them when they break is a lot cheaper and more simple, as the cable is the most common breakpoint in IEMs.

Hope that helps!

Alright, incoming rant.

Let's start off with the difference of 5.1 vs 7.1, shall we? The logitec set is only $10 more expensive and it's full 7.1 not just 5.1, surely it's got superior sound quality! Well, no. No it does not. Why? It's a pair of headphones, and this particular pair is powered by two drivers. Now this raises the question, what the hell is a driver?!? Put simply, a driver is the speaker cone, it makes the sound. Technically, it's a piece of <material> ringed with <metal> with a small disk in the middle, with a high powered magnet behind it, that's where the power consumption is from. The magnet receives anywhere from 44.1 thousand to 192 thousand on/off signals per second, depending on your sound card's settings and capabilities.

But back to that 5.1/7.1 thing. The logicec set decodes the audio in 7.1, which means if you play back something in 7.1 out of the computer, it will not be converted to your setup at that stage. The feature of 5.1 or 7.1 is strictly a *marketing gimmic. Any headphones made by almost any company other than sennheiser, audio technica, shure, head-direct, or <other makers of fine small driver gear> will be only meh sounding, and importantly, only powered by 2 drivers.

So, what exactly does 5.1 vs 7.1 mean in this case? Well, it means jack shit. At the driver level, both of them convert to 2.0, meaning two channels, left and right. Typical 7.1 would be front center, front left, front right, rear right, rear left, right, left, bass (bass being the 0.1). 5.1 is the same without the dedicated left and right outputs. The problem here? I just told you these headphones only have two outputs, and will only ultimately read to left and right. Sure, logitec vied for the chip that costs an extra $2 so they can write 7.1, but that means nothing here.

Understand that the 7.1 vs 5.1 is meaningless now? Good.

-----

Thermaltake has stuck to the more technically relevant specs in their listing, terms like "diffuse-field equalized " and nominal ohms mean nothing to the end user, and again, with only two drivers will make no difference at the end of the day.

What you should take form this is that both sets have the same reproduction range (high to low / vice versa) and have the same impedance (sound dampening/time treating, nothing to be worried about, 32ohms is normal.) Your Ohm count only needs to be raised when doing mega-scale amplifying, because high frequency sound moves faster than low frequency sound and you might get audible "tearing" without adjusting it on the ultra-loud end. Again, nothing to worry about, this doesn't matter here.

----

So, blah blah blah rant rant rant, what do I recommend? Well, I recommend getting a good pair of headphones, and a cheap mic. This is the internet and your voice is being transmitted at anywhere from 16 to 84 kilobits per second (your music is probably being played at 128 or 320kbps), in short, studio mics won't have studio level performance for this.

So, recommendations.

Do you want in-ear headphones (some are called earbuds, what I will recommend here are IEMs, in-ear monitors [a monitor is an expensive driver/speaker cone])? Or do you want over-ear headphones? Over-ear phones typically have better quality, but can be uncomfortable. Likewise, in-ear phones will be more convenient, but probably sound a bit worse and have a bit less bang for your buck, while possibly being less comfortable.

IEMs:

1 - Absolute sonic clarity, across the board even and neutral reproduction: HeadDirect RE0's + Zalman mic - total: $95.09 - These babies sound much more like the dramatically more expensive IE8s than otehr ~$100 headphones, top notch recommendation. The average listener would probably miss bass, however.

2 High bass - Bose IE2 + Zalman mic - Total: $111.05 - This is your best bet if you want the best sounding headphones at face value, the drivers in these are pretty damn bass heavy and will sound amazing to the common man, an audiophile would want something with more neutrality and better across-the-board sound quality. Additionally, the stayhear tips are surprisingly effective, if you wanted to take them out with you. Jogging, riding a bus, in a car, they won't fall out.

-

Over-Ear's

1 -best quality Sennheiser HD555's + Zalman mic - Total: $116.07 - worth every penny.

Just a heads up, my suggestion is going to be double the upper end of your budget. I'll give you my reasoning for it though, but TL;DR: I own them and love them.

These are made by Shure. I absolutely love them. I have had them for a few years now (3 going on 4). The sound quality is a huge step up from the earbuds that come with an iPod, and when paired with triple flange sleeves they block out an incredible amount of sound. They are also great for running and working out because they literally will not fall out of your ear.

Why would I would suggest paying 100 dollars for these? They last. If they break, Shure is a great company with really great customer service. I've returned older models to them on a few occasions, and each time they have sent me brand new earphones, not refurbished, but brand new, in retail packaging earphones. If they are out of warranty and Shure won't replace them, the cable is detachable and can be swapped out for pretty cheap (20 dollars or so). So lets say you buy a new pair of earphones every six months, which isn't too unreasonable. That's 40 dollars a year- in two and a half, you're breaking even with a pair of Shures. Getting 2.5 years out of them isn't unreasonable either. Add in how much better the sound quality is and I really think it's a good deal. Like I've said, I've had mine for going on four now and haven't had any problems with them yet.

A own a few:

Sennheiser HD518 Amazon.com Link

Amazing headphones for games. Not costly at all but have fantastic range and are incredibly comfortable to wear. I have yet to see any headphones near the HD518's that are equally as good. I have worn these for hours on end day after day.

Sennheiser PC330 Amazon.com Lniky-poo

Tried to get into the whole "Headset" deal. Was not impressed, the earcups on the 330's are aweful compared to the HD series. I really should have gotten the next level up for the better earcups. The microphone is decent quality and comes through clear without any interference. So that's a plus.

AKG K40's McLINKATHON! - (amazon link)

Probably my oldest pair of headphones. Got these guys when they were hip. They are a fantastic set and are excellent to listen to all day, Although the earcups are kinda "flat" compared to the others. So I can feel the earcups against me. It creates a better listening environment but after long sessions you may get irratation on the sides of your ears


After Boxing day I will probably be hunting for another sale. The Sennhieser Game Ones use the same HD series earcup, The new corsairs Voids are out which I would love to try. Of course Audio-technica's are always really pretty.

An overview of all submitted deals will be collected in this sticky comment. If you find that one of the deal has run out please let me know. Off-topic top level comments asking what to buy will be removed, deals that are missing some of the info will not make it to the list. I have changed the the suggested sorting to "new".

Official Manufacturer Sales

CIEMS

• 64Audio: 20% discount on selected custom In Ear Monitor models with code "BF2017"
  
• Alclair: 20% discount on (C)IEMs with the discount code "BLACKISBACK17"
  
• Cleartune: 20% discount on universal & custom In-Ears
  
• Empire Ears: 20% discount on all custom and universal IEMs
  
• InEarz: 25% discount on Custom In Ear Monitors with code "BF2017"
  
• Noble: 15% off all Custom IEMs
  
  Headphones
  
  
• hifiman: He400i for $219 and several other options
  
• beyerdynamic (GER/AU/CHE only): DT880/990 Manufaktur for the price of regular models 199EUR and several other options
  
• Status-Audio: 30% discount on the CB-1 with code "PREBLACKFRIDAY", Amazon.com deal with similar price
  
• V-Moda: Crossfade Wireless for $180
  
• Monoprice: Monolith M560 for $150 and Monolith M1060 for $250
  
• Audeze: Selling off B-Stock, all deals are 2nd hand factory refurbished units
  
• 1MORE: 30% discount on all models with code "HEARMORE30"
  
  Amplifiers and other peripherals
  
  
• FiiO: Special deals on selected DAPs and portable Amps
  
• Violectric / Lake People: 12% discount now 25% on headphone amplifiers with code "BLACK-25"
  
• Plussound: 20% discount BT cables on Massdrop and on everything from their store
  
• Bottlehead: Everything but parts, gift certificates and repair service will be on sale at 15% off on Friday, November 24th. Forum Announcment
  
• JDS LABS: Discounts on the entire line up of DACs and amps.
  
• WOO Audio: 10% Discount on all Audio Electronics and free shipping within CONUS
  
• Mayflower Electronics: 10-25% discount on all items
  
  

  Audio Stores
  

  
  

• Romania: AV Store 10-30% off of headphones, speakers and amps
  
• USA: Musictek 10%+ discount on various Shanling DAPs and high-end universal IEMs
  
• China:Shenzen Audio Black Friday 2017 tons of deals...FLC-8S for $269 and much more
  
• China: Taobao: Boeing 747 for $24000000 (only one left) self pick-up only.
  
• USA ALO audio: B-Stock sales of Campfire Audio universal models
  
• USA MusicDirect: Audioquest Nighthawk for $300
  
• Singapore: NullAudio has discount on cables and AAW universal IEMs.
  
• Canada: Hivemind Cables ZMF Atticus for $899(USD) and deals on all ear-pads and cables
  
• Ireland: Hifi Hut: Open Box Hifiman HE400S / He400i and He560 -50%
  
• Sweden: Inet has the Plantronics Backbeat Pro for 899kr
  
• China: Penon Audio tons of deals
  
  

  Online / Retailer
  

  
  USA
  
  

• Amazon: Brainwavz HM5 ear pads in various colors for $13
  
• BestBuy: Jaybird Freedom F5 for $50
  
• Various: Sennheiser HD4.40 for $99 at Amazon and for $99 at BestBuy
  
• NewEgg: beyerdynamic DT990 Limited Edition for $125
  
• BestBuy: Audio Technica DSR7BT for $130
  
• Amazon: Audio Technica ATH MSR7 for $149
  
• ebay (buydig): beyerdynamic DT990 (600 Ohm) Chrome Edition for $140
  
• buydig: beyerdynamic DT880 (600 Ohm) Chrome Edition for $150
  
• Amazon: Sennheiser HD1 (different versions) for ~$250
  
• Various: Sennheiser PXC550 for $300 at BestBuy, B&H Photo, Amazon
  
• Amazon: Sony MDR1000X for $228 and WH1000XM2 for $298
  
• Adorama: Shure SE535 Clear for $299 and Shure SE535 Red for $349
  
• Amazon: beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro for $499
  
• Adorama: Audeze LCD2 variants for $650
  
• Amazon: NAD Viso HP50 for $170
  
• Amazon: Beyerdynamic A20 for $299
  
• Amazon: Sony MDR-1A for $198
  
  CA
  
  
• NewEgg: Philips SHP9500S for $60
  
• BestBuy: Sennheiser HD4.40 for $100 see page 41 for all headphone deals
  
• Amazon: Sony MDR100AAP (black) for $126
  
• Amazon: NAD Viso HP50 (white/red) for $198
  
• NewEgg: Hifiman He400i for $282
  
• Amazon: Sony MDR1000X for $330
  
  GB
  
  
• Amazon Status Audio CB-1 for £42
  
• Amazon: Meze99 Classics (Maple) for £199
  
• Amazon: Sony MDR1000X for £250 now down to £190
  
• Amazon: Sennheiser PXC550 for £290
  
• Amazon: Audio Technica ATH M50X (gunmetal grey) for £99
  
• Amazon: Sennheiser HD579 for £70
  
  GER
  
  
• Amazon: Bose QC25 for 170€
  
• Amazon: Anker Sound-Buds (BL) for 15€
  
• Amazon: Audio Technica ATH M50X (gun metal) for 119€
  
• Amazon: Sony WH1000xm2 PREORDER for 299€ item will ship on Jan. 18th, 2018
  
• MediaMarkt: Sony WH1000XM2 for 299€
  
  ES
  
  
• Amazon: Sennheiser HD1 (Momentum 2) for 155€
  

Grado. I've been rocking the 125i's for 5 years now. I once needed some super glue to stop the headband from disconnecting from the ear cup (I think it comes apart so people can swap out the headband if desired) but other than that I can't imagine these things going bad any time soon. I think they sound better than ever actually after a few years of solid use to really loosen the drivers. To be honest I take care of them and don't typically wear them outside(The cable is long and heavy more on that later) but I'm certain that these will hold up if my pair has anything to say about the company. Grado is a small family owned American company and their headphones are well worth the price if you are interested in high quality audio.

When I first bought them, I saw the kinks in the rubber cable and though that they were fragile. Now I realize how thick the actual cable is compared to cheap ear buds. The cable before the split is as thick as a pencil. This is for sound quality but it also greatly helps durability. Also to note, if you like heavy bass like beats they might not be for you. Personally I appreciate the brightness and accuracy in the high and mid end that allows everything to sound so clear. They really make you appreciate quality album production because every note sings. Sorry if this comes off as biased. I love my Grado's. I understand there's lots of good headphone choices though.

For your consideration, here's the introductory model. http://www.amazon.com/Grado-Prestige-Series-SR-60i-Headphones/dp/B0006DPMU4

hey guys, hoping to get some quick help on buying. Coming from an iPhone and the standard apple earbuds, I'm now using a Google Pixel and need a pair of decent, cheap-ish earbuds. I have a pair of OE Bose for more stationary listening so just looking for something small, portable, and decent to good quality. Went through the stickies on sound signature & usage, etc, so for reference:

• looking for IEMs (no over-ear or on-ear)
  
• using them primarily for my commute to/from work (~30m to and from + some street/walking time) and for short to medium drives
  
• need a mic for phone calls
  
• would love for them to be bluetooth but not required
  
• neutral sound sig - I listen to a range of music, podcasts, and calls on my phone so they need to be able to handle all 3 fairly well
  
• somewhat noise-canceling
  
• not really picky on over-the-ear vs straight down fit; whatever provides more value
  
• In Toronto, so you know... cold winters if it matters
  
• ~$50 budget
  
  I'd like to keep the price within $50 but I'm willing to spend a bit more if the value is that much better. Based on articles I've read and comments from others the Mpow Swift,MEE audio M6 PRO, ADV M4, and Brainwawz Deltas all seem like recommended, decent buys.
  
  Are the ones i've linked to fairly well received here? Are there any other recos anyone can give?
  
  Really appreciate any help. Cheers

I used to commute and work in Chelsea, that being said, might I recommend two purchases, given your budget? Also note that we listen to similar genres, I'm Hispanic so I grew up/love salsa mostly (do listen to some bachata and merengue but it's not my people's main thing..), but have since branched out quite a lot. I do think it's important to get recommendations from people that listen to similar stuff though.

I think you'll really appreciate an IEM (in ear monitor/earbuds) for your actual commute and an over ear set of cans for the office (though I actually still mostly use IEMs since people talk in my office and we have some loud fans, etc) Over ear cans provide some isolation, but nothing that can really stand up to NYC commute noise.

I think that if you really want over-ear then I would suggest a budget IEM that has served me really well, the Soundmagic E10 (http://www.amazon.com/SoundMAGIC-Isolating-In-Ear-Earphones-BlackGunmetal/dp/B005HP3OB0) they don't break the bank and will blow your apple earbuds out of the water. I use them whenever I'm in a noisy environment. They've become my primary driver whenever I go to NYC for work since they're also very comfortable.

I will defer to others here to give you recommendations on over-ear cans. The only closed backs I have are the ever so popular ATH-M50 which were my first official headphone. I really like them, but you can really get better given you're willing to spend a lot more than I initially was.

One last note, your iphone is a great source. If you find that your laptop sucks in comparison, may I also suggest the audioquest Dragonfly DAC? Available for around $150 on Amazon, it will improve your laptop's sound quality and is extremely portable. I never leave the house without it as the PC I use in NYC has the most terrible soundcard ever. If your laptop is a MAC, you're probably fine (though some will argue the Dragonfly is still a worthy purchase and I would agree)

Lastly, "En barranquilla me quedo" by Joe Arroyo is a super fun track to try out new headphones with. I can't speak eloquently as far as its "properties" go, but just listen to it and you'll understand what I mean. Good luck, happy buying!

Fiio FH1
MSRP: $75
Amazon link


Shure SE215
MSRP: $99
Amazon link

I have had the SE215s for around 3 months now--first impressions here-- and got my FH1s around three days ago--first impressions here. I bought the FH1s to use at my workstation and for on-the-go listening and had bought the SE215s to just try out IEMs with a earhook design.

SE215 vs. FH1


In terms of comfort, I feel that the FH1 are way better than the SE215s, majorly because of the ear hooks on the cables. The hooks on the SE215s just jut out and do not go around the back of my ear as much as securely as I would like them to, whereas the ones on the FH1 fit perfectly.

The eartips of the FH1 seem to go all the way inside my ear, while those on the SE215s do not. This makes for a better seal with the FH1s, making the isolation much better for me. Do keep in mind that everyone’s ears are different, hence this might not be true for your ears.

Now that we have the comfort discussion out of the way, let’s talk about sound quality. This is where the SE215s justify their $24 premium over the FH1. The separation of the instruments was way better on the SE215s, I could clearly make out the different instruments in the track while using the SE215s, but with the FH1 they just seemed to be overlapping to some extent.

The sound seemed to be warmer on the SE215s compared to the FH1s. As for the bass, the FH1s are the clear winners there. The bass on the FH1s is clear and does not leave a rattle.

Disclaimer: I am using the cables and the ear tips that came with the products. Both headphones were tested using my MacBook Pro.

TL;DR: FH1s better than the SE215s in terms of comfort, while SE215s are the clear winners in the sound quality department and justify the $25 premium over the FH1s.

Hope this amateur review is of use.

I just looked up the venue, wow what a beautiful place to see a show! That pit really is tiny, looks like you're right on the money with your estimate of its capacity. Honestly that could either make queuing tougher or easier; tougher because people may be more competitive about getting a spot, easier because there's fewer people to deal with. Impossible to tell which way it'll go until you're there.

I feel you on not being very social, I've got anxiety issues so being around strangers is really difficult sometimes. Best I can suggest is to keep in mind that people are generally good, and that everyone you see is there for the same reason you are. Having that common ground can make it easier to chat with folks. I'm not sure what Thom/Radiohead fans are like IRL (I've somehow missed RH every time they've toured since becoming a fan in 2005) but if this sub is any indication it seems like they're a goofy, nice bunch. Even if you don't wind up befriending anyone people will probably still look out for you so long as you're polite & do the same for them, it's part of the comraderie that naturally forms when you queue together all day.

Bathroom runs are usually no big deal, I just ask the people around me to watch my spot & it almost always works out even if I haven't talked to them. If the queue is unstable (people drifting around a lot, walking up from the back etc) I'll leave behind my snack & water bag as a physical marker for my spot too. No one will mess with it, if only because there are other people around.

Couple other things I forgot that're worth keeping in mind:

• Don't bring a bag if you can avoid it. I usually bring a couple bottles of water & some snacks in a disposable plastic bag so I can just throw out whatever's left when doors open. Everyone's gonna get patted down after their tickets are scanned but having a bag that needs to be searched will slow you down.
  
  
• If you're not already planning to, wear ear plugs. I wish I had done this when I started going to shows 15 years ago, not using ear plugs at every show has noticeably messed up my hearing. Protection aside a good set of ear plugs can also make the music sound clearer, especially if you're up front. The cheap foam ones are OK but I'd recommend something like these, they're not too expensive & are a good deal more effective, plus they're more comfortable & you can use them for years.
  
  
• Lastly, try not to leave the queue about an hour before doors open. It doesn't always happen but that's when people are most likely to get antsy & push up or otherwise undermine the established queue. Also venues will sometimes relocate the queue which can shuffle people around, or on very rare occasions they may even open the doors a little early. After a full day of queuing last minute hiccups can be stressful but it's important to stay positive & not get discouraged. Even if you wind up further back in the line you still have a good chance of getting to the front so long as you bee-line it to the stage.

Having an pci-e sound card might introduce some sound artifacts like cpu noise bleeding into the signal flow but it's a great start and gives you some great entry level sound. Especially with heavier headphones.

So what I'd upgrade if I were you would be the X1's. Form my experience gaming headsets usually are very boomy in the low mids and bass and you usually get fatigued by them. Especially by headphones with closed caps.
Open headphones will get you a more open, airy sound and won't hurt your ears as much during prolonged listening sessions. I'd recommend something like the AKG K240 studio or the HD 600's. These are however Reference/Studio class headphones and won't get you the hyped super bass heavy sound that is popular with gaming gear.


About the microphone. If you want something that's "audiophile worthy" it would probably be in your best interest to get a Blue Yeti and a separate pair of headphones or something like that.

Budget - less than 50 bucks

Source - Computer/Phone

Requirements for Isolation - Prefer a bit of isolation

Will you be using these Headphones in Public? - Yeah, looking for a multi-use all purpose set of headphones

Preferred Type of Headphone - IEMs

Preferred tonal balance - Able to properly deliver bass but not too crazy, nothing super bright, I tried my friend's Audio Technica M50x's and liked the sound on those if that means anything

Past headphones - Sony MDREX10LP (sounded okay, just needed some cheap IEMs at the time), Steelseries Flux (Good sound but Microphonics were very obnoxious on these, would not buy again), Sony MDR-V6(Borrowing from my Dad for the time being, not really a fan though because they seem pretty heavy on the mids/treble)

Preferred Music - Rap/Hip Hop, Electronic Music and pretty much all of it's various subgenres (anything from Flying Lotus or Four Tet to some of the harder stuff like G Jones or RL Grime.)

What would you like to improve on from your set-up - Well, I don't have any working headphones right now so anything is an upgrade

Ones I'm looking at at the moment - The SoundMAGIC E10s look pretty nice but at the same time I've been seeing some good reviews for the Xiaomi Piston 3s and the price difference is pretty crazy so I don't know if I should jump to the higher price or not, or if it's even that much of a sound difference between the two. Would you guys recommend of these for my preferences or is there something better for the prices here? Also which of these two would offer the most comfort?

Welcome to the club. :) Really glad to hear you're loving the Vita. Tell all your friends. :)

If you dig around through this sub some, you'll find that most people (myself included) love the CTA Digital case and others like it. It's very much protective enough and does exactly what I want from it. I have had my Vita for about 7 months now and still don't have any physical game cartridges so the case only having four game slots hasn't become an issue for me at all yet.

Edit: I do also have the official Sony Vita headset and keep it in the case with my Vita all the time. It's not bulky at all and fits perfectly.

I'm kinda boring, so I don't have anything hanging from the loop on my case. If you find anything awesome, please do share. :) Hopefully that helps!

Budget - $100-$150 (although my max is $200 if they're that good)

Source - iPhone 5s

Isolation - Sound can't leak because I'll be using them in school. They're going to be my go-to for being in public so this is pretty important.

Type - IEM

Past Headphones - NAD Viso HP50. Love these headphones but I need something I can use in public since they look a little silly. Sound wise the're great although I'd like it if they were a little warmer. I also have the apple ear buds but they're extremely uncomfortable and always pop out of my ears when walking. Also, they don't sound that great.

Preferred music - I'm really into hip hop right now (Kendrick, Kanye). I like alternative music as well and some rock when I'm feeling it.

Additional Info - After checking around on reddit and innerfidelity I've narrowed it down to the Shure SE215 and the RHA MA750. I like that the 215 has such good isolation and base (plus they look cool) but the 750's seem to have better sq overall. The build quality is important too since I can guarantee they'll be seeing some abuse. I'm really looking for a fun IEM so if there are any better ones in my price range please comment and let me know. Thanks for the help!

I need a pair of IEMs for use outside of the house.

Budget: ~120 CAD. That's 92 USD. Budget is somewhat flexible.

Source: iPod Touch 5th Generation, Nexus 5, occasionally my computer.

Requirements for Isolations: Lots.

Public Usage?: They will be used almost exclusively in public.

Type of Headphone: IEM

Tonal Balance: Neutral

Past Headphones: Sennheiser CX 2.00, Sennehiser HD360, Sennhsier HD449, Sennheiser HD558 (The headphones I use at home currently)

Preferred Music: I listen to basically everything, from classical to punk rock, with the exception of pop country.

Location: Canada

I've been looking at the Massdrop for the HiFiMAN Re-00 and from what I can tell that's my first choice as of right now. I'm slightly nervous about the build quality, although considering that they improved the cable and they come with a case I think they're probably find (although please correct me if i'm wrong).

I'm curious about the Sennheiser Momentum In Ear, but don't know much about them so if anyone could tell me their tonal balance and whether you think they're any good or not that would be great.

I'm also curious about the Zero Audio ZH-DX200-CT. There was a thread talking about how great they are , but similar to the momentum's know nothing about them. So if anyone could tell me their tonal balance as well as any information about them that would be great!

If there are any IEM's that I've missed and you would recommend I'd love to know, but if not I just would like to know which of the three above you would recommend the most.

Also just in case I go with the RE-00 which cheap temporary pair of IEMs should I get until they're delivered. The JVC HAFX40B High Quality In-Ear Headphones or the Panasonic ErgoFit In-Ear Earbud Headphones RP-HJE120-K ?

I need to adjust my exemptions, I've owed the last two years and probably will this year.

However, if I can give you some unsolicited advice, don't get Beats headphones. To be blunt, they're overpriced garbage. Sure, they sound good, but you're primarily paying for the brand, not quality. Personally, I'd rather pay for quality than the brand.

If you're looking for headphones, you can't do better than the AudioTechnica M50X headphones for the money. If you're looking for earbuds, I highly recommend the Shure SE215 earbuds. Both of them sound amazing, though if you really want to hear how good they sound, a headphone amp like the FiiO E07K "Andes" will really bring out what the headphones can do. Creative makes some great portable headphone amps as well, though I found that the FiiO (which is surprisingly hard to find now, was easy a year ago) gets digital audio from my iDevices, which is fantastic.

Full disclaimer, read through the sub but know very little about headphones.
I'm looking for a pair of over the year headphones with isolation and maybe noise cancelling. Currently in betweent TH-M40X and AKG K240.

• Budget - Around £70 but will stretch, no more than $120 or so.
  
• Source - My android phone/macbook.
  
• Requirements for Isolation - Yes please. London commute, open plan office, bedroom by a noisy road. I need to be able to switch everything off. They sounded crap, but being able to switch the noise cancelling on/off on the Souls was pretty dope.
  
• Will you be using these Headphones in Public? Yes yes yes
  
• Preferred Type of Headphone - Over-ear
  
• Preferred tonal balance - I'd love for it to sound rich and to be able to pick up different detail/tonality. I know it sounds odd but when I hear music on friend's who knows about this shit set-up everything sounds enhanced and creamy. I'm a bit sensitive to high-tones. I lived with musicians and often, after a few hours of listening to music/guitar it literally scratches my ears...
  
• Past headphones - I tried to look for the exact model but it's not available anymore, it was basically a mid-range, Skullcandy earbud set. Wasn't a huge fan to be honest - super fragile, broke really quick and their customer support was dreadful. Sounded nice enough but I'm looking forward to hearing what a half-way decent pair of headphones can do.
  
• Preferred Music - Shit, I do listen to a lot of different stuff. I guess mostly house, ambient and similar electronic, but then throw in some bossa nova, samba and rock in the middle.
  
• What would you like to improve on from your set-up - As much as I love music its just not a facet of my life I spend a lot of money on. Sound wise, I want an upgrade from the bare bones, with isolation/noise-cancelling if possible so I can switch off my commute/coworkers and busy road by my bedroom. A solid noob pair that will keep me happy for a while and is sturdy and preferably somewhat portable.
  

save a bit more and get a pair of M50 Audio Technica. I'm not a huge AT fan, but those are really good. If you don't mind "open" headphones - Grado SR60i is the headphone to beat in that price range. Grados are awesome but they are "open" and others can hear your headphones...

save EVEN more and check into some Sennheiser 25 1 II -- the number 1 DJ headphone on the planet, and fully replaceable everything.

Save more than that and you are in a whole new price point where there are tons of choices. after senn 25 1 II I really like what I have at work - Vmoda M100. Serious bass, and they sound incredible.


Headphones are a tricky one because, it can get CRAZY expensive very quickly. There are headphones in the 1000s of dollars...so it comes to "what do you want to spend"

you can often find good buys on those 25 1 II -- and those are very good. The M50 - also excellent. Weirdly enough the unit that is a step up from the 25 1 II, the Amperior - the older model (the blue caps) is selling for less than the 25 1 II. if you see the amperior cheaper, and you want the 25 1 II, get the amperior.

I would say this: if you have the money for the Marshalls, wait a bit longer and save more to get a much better pair.

here's some links:

Grado SR60i

http://www.amazon.com/Grado-Prestige-Series-SR-60i-Headphones/dp/B0006DPMU4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1395205203&sr=8-3&keywords=Grado+sr

Audio Technica - M50

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B000ULAP4U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395205266&sr=8-2&keywords=audio+technica+m50

Sennheiser 25 1 II

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD25-1-II-Closed-Back-Headphones/dp/B000TDZOXG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395205301&sr=8-1&keywords=sennheiser+25

Sennheiser Amperior (the higher model of the 25 1 II)

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Amperior-Blue-Headphones/dp/B0070U6N6I/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1395205355&sr=8-4&keywords=sennheiser+25

Vmoda M80

http://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-Crossfade-On-Ear-Noise-Isolating-Headphone/dp/B005HSDLCO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395205401&sr=8-1&keywords=vmoda+m80

Vmoda M100

http://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-Crossfade-Over-Ear-Noise-Isolating-Headphone/dp/B00A39PPCG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395205438&sr=8-1&keywords=vmoda+m100

There aren't any solid solutions that will be both device agnostic and inexpensive, unfortunately. If you end up sticking with the X360, my favorite has been the XBox 360 Wireless Headset. Alternatively I had an extra set of Plantronics M Series earloop and eartips that I stuck onto the 'set and I find them to be much more comfortable / better at remaining in place. In all, with the optional kit, can run you from $25-$40 (sometimes you'll find a dirt cheap sale on the communicators somewhere, especially for like the MW3 edition). Personally I wouldn't go any higher in cost for an X360 solution, unless you go full-blown with an Astro Mixamp Pro and a favorite, high quality headset (expect to spend anywhere from $200-$500 altogether, or higher if you go really nuts).

A solid, dollar for dollar, PC / PS4 solution would be to get the SteelSeries v2 paired with an adapter like this ($60-$80 solution, depending). The DS4 has a 3.5mm jack that will support in-game sound as well as chat. The downside to it is it's a little underpowered. A lot of people don't have issues with it, but I'm rather picky. Thankfully the SteelSeries v2 only has a 32 Ohm impedance and an accompanying low-ish sensitivity level. So they don't take much to drive, but still -- to me the sounds for anything on the DS4 are a little muddy. To forego it, you would need to spend a little more money. Next step up, which works great for the PS4, would be the Sony Wireless Gold for around $80, but while it's a great solution for the PS4 I find it subpar on the PC. To get better sound out of the PS4 you would have to go the Astro Mixamp Pro route.

For PS4 you could also go the opposite direction in pricing and get the $12 PS Vita Earbuds and just shove those in the DS4 jack. While still an inline mic (will be picking up a lot of ambient noise) these are far better than what you can get out of the packaged earbud / mic with the PS4. If your soundcard doesn't support mic input via the headphone jack and only has the separate 3.5mm, can always use another adapter that goes in the reverse. Or just simply save up for a different headset for PC.

Been looking again for a Christmas treat. The gaming headphones thread in the OP just didn't seem to hit the spot on what I need.


Budget - $0-$50
Source - PC
Requirements for Isolation - No isolation required.
Preferred Type of Headphone - Full-sized or on-ear. As long as they are comfortable, I'm not picky.
Preferred tonal balance - These will be used for gaming, so I'm thinking midrange or balanced are probably the best candidates.
Past headphones - I've had wireless headphones in the past, and I do not want that again. I'd rather just plug them in than have to worry about charge. A microphone would be nice, but is not necessary. And in-line audio controls are awesome to have as well, but not necessary either considering I probably won't find that for this price.
Preferred Music - My preferred music regularly changes, but I'll just give you some examples of some favorites from each of my favorite genres.
Klangkarussel - Sonnentanz
Good Charlotte - Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous
Pegboard Nerds - Self Destruct
Hot Chip - Playboy

Please tell me if there's anything else you need to know.

Edit - Did a tiny bit of research. Do you guys recommended either of these as a good buy for my needs?

http://www.amazon.com/Superlux-HD-681-Professional-Monitoring-Headphones/dp/B00CAG1ZG0/ref=pd_rhf_cr_s_cp_11_H2D5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1QJ14ZRAKBJV44TGM2T1

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001ARCFA/ref=psdc_172541_t3_B004444O46

Reviews say they are good and they seem like they would do me well, but I know very little about headphones and audio in general, and I'm somewhat stingy with big purchases. I just want extra verification.

Budget < $150 US

Source: surface pro 3, ipod

Isolation: Passive - Want to be able to sit with a study group and not be distracted by annoying people.

Public: yes

Preferred type: IEM

Balance: neutral/warm

Past headphones: Shure E2s from 2006.

Sennheiser HD 570

Preferred Music: Jazz and classical for studying. Also rock, folk, etc. Not much of a basshead at all but if there is bass in the song then I want to know it's there.

More info: Looking for a durable set of headphones that can survive being carried around in my backpack, so if it comes with a small case that is a plus. I've had the shure e2s since '06 and the right ear wire is finally splitting, and shocking me. They were pretty awesome headphones for the time and have held up wonderfully over the past 10 years.

I'm currently trying to decide between the Shure SE215 and the Ety HF5. I was sold on getting the shure until I saw they were bass heavy. Then I saw the HF5s which have good reviews but it looks like they have weird ear plugs which I don't know if they would fit.

I've looked through some of the links at the top and it's a bit overwhelming. Any suggestions to push me towards the se215 or the HF5, or a different set all together would be super helpful. Thanks!

This is a fantastic write up!

On the ear plugs thing I wish I had worn earplugs from the beginning cause the hearing in my right ear is pretty fucked with tinnitus so now I use these and they work great! They lower the volume without ruining sound quality.

The standing point is really good as well but I’ve been to some pretty small venues where it doesn’t hold up as well, one of my favorite venues is a place called sound bar in downtown Orlando but the entire floor turns into a pit there’s nowhere you can stand except out at the bar where you can’t see the stage that you aren’t either in the pit or getting hit by people in the pit. It’s a ton of fun but maybe a little too intense for a first timer. A few of my favorite moments have happened at this place though, somehow someone got a hold of a floor fan and was moshing with it not hurting anyone but just holding it up in the air and moshing it was hilarious(I’ll try and find a picture) then the singer of one of the opening bands stage dove later in the show and surfed all the way from one end of the place to the front door.

Going alone to concerts is one of my favorite things to do I can go where I want and not have to worry about finding them at the end, a lot of times there are bands I want to see the are under the headliner but I’m not actually interested in the headliner and if I go by myself I can enjoy the bands I want to see and leave when I want.

Budget - $100 - $150

Source - iPhone 5 primary and PC (schiit vali+modi).

Isolation is preferred

On the go headphones

Location - Arizona USA

More interested in universal IEM's.

Past headphones - ATH M50. They sound okay. I would like them to have more deeper bass. DT 990 Pro. Overall sound is great. Sharp highs and mid. Bass is accurate present but not deep. Soundstage is great.

Indie rock, indie pop, electronic music, EDM, deep house, hip-hop, alternative rock, technical heavy metal.

Preferred tonal balance - Warm and clean sounds. Present and somewhat deeper bass. (Not overpowering bass like beats tour) Do not like sharp highs.

Headphones I've discovered so far that might help fit my profile.

Shure Clear SE215 CL The clear body looks awesome but not completely necessary.

RHA MA750i The microphone is a plus.

Budget - max 250€
Source - Android Smartphone, Computer
Requirements for Isolation - Not necessary, but would be good to have.
Will you be using these Headphones in Public? Yes
Preferred Type of Headphone - Over ear
Preferred tonal balance - Balanced with a good bass.
Past headphones - JVC HA-FX1X-E Xtreme Xplosives for Android, Logitech G430 for my Computer
Preferred Music - I listen to a lot of different things, this is my current playlist
What would you like to improve on from your set-up - Overall better sound quality.
Location: Germany

Would also be nice to be useable in the gym.

Other Information: I was in an electric store a few hours ago (german media markt) and I tryed a pair of headphones for a minute and had to go after that because my train was about to arrive. I had to pair them with my phone to test them and the linked device was the Bose AE2 SoundLink, they were really comfortable and sounded really nice to me. They were 329€ in the market tho and this is what I found on amazon, it doesnt say Ae2 tho, only around ear. I'm not sure if it is the one I tested. Maybe you guys know.
Something around the sound range of these would be very fitting for me.

Hey Guys! I think I've narrowed down my choice in wired IEM to these two.
Sennheiser Mometum IEM vs Shure SE215. I'd love to hear your opinions! Information about what I'd like below. Also, if you know of a better option than these two that fits my needs I'd love to hear it! Thanks!

Budget - Below $200 (The two I'm deciding between are ~$130)

Source - iPhone X

Requirements for Isolation - Some, to a lot. Using in gym/university, decently loud areas.

Will you be using these Headphones in Public? - Yep.

Preferred Type of Headphone - IEM (see above)

Preferred tonal balance - I wouldn't go as far to say I'm a basshead but I like my metal to hit hard and my hip hop beats to feel deep.

Past headphones - I had a pair of Senn IEM's for like. 8 years. Loved them. Cable broke. Don't know the model, but paid like $80 for em.

Preferred Music - Metal/Hiphop/Prog/Everything else. (sorry, this is no help)

What would you like to improve on from your set-up - I just have to imagine that a bit more in spending + 8 years in technology changes means I have to be getting a better sound with these, no? That and I'd love it they last as long as my last pair.

Currently rocking some of these sennheisers and they're pretty sick. Only complaint is the cords is SO long. I catch it on fucking everything. Like when I bend over to tie my shoe or some shit the cord will catch on my knee when I stand back up. They sound great though. You can also get them in black/silver if you don't want that metallic red (I went with the black).

I used to have these Bose ones and dude, they are honestly the best headphones I ever had. Unfortunately mine got stolen and now that exact model isn't made anymore. The ones they sell now are the same headphones plus cellphone functionality and they're like $30 more or so.

I know people talk so much shit on Bose and how they're a rip off and I believe some of it (hence why I went with the often praised Sennheisers for my next pair), but honestly those Bose were the best 'phones I ever had. Maybe they just fit my ear perfectly but they had amazing bass, very clear sound, they were so comfy I would forget I had them on and that rubber wing looking design keeps them in your ears no matter fucking what. You think it will look stupid but that whole thing is invisible inside your ear so they look fine. You can run/jump/dance/anything with them in and they won't go anywhere. Very happy with my Senns but I will never not miss those Bose ones I had.

EDIT: I now understand you were looking for proper closed headphones, not in-ear. I prefer in-ear myself and if you ever want a good pair around the $100 range, check those 2 out^^

Ok, I use Bludio Victory as my main (£150) but if you're looking to stick around the £50 limit I'd have to suggest either...

• Bludio UFO which is slightly over £50 but I can promise you'll be happy with them, easily best in its range.
  
  
• Bludio F2 Can't speak much about these as I've never personally used them, but knowing bluedio's performance in the higher tiers I can reccommend these with good faith. These are under £50.
  
  Bluedio are fantastic tbh, other than the above I'd say the T4 model is also a good shout but they have quite a few models ranging from £10-150+.
  
  As for In-ear I'd go with Sound Magics E10's they have an S variant with a mic aswell. These are only £35.

If you're willing to accept permanent hearing damage just because you don't want to be teased then by all means go ahead, I would strongly advise against it but it's your choice at the end of the day. Who are the people who tease you? I was having way more fun at the show with hearing protection than the people without it, everyone around me was sitting still and recording with their phones like zombies. I could care less what those people think of me while I'm at a show for a band I love. On the topic of hearing loss, I listen to 1000+ hours of music per year and I'd like to keep doing so as I get older without having impaired hearing. Shows are very fun but the music quality is never as good as through a nice pair of speakers or headphones at safe listening volumes. Our ears aren't meant to hear things at concert volumes and there are tons of great hearing plugs made for concerts.

https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-High-Fidelity-Earplugs-Standard-Packaging/dp/B00RM6Q9XW/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1549145291&sr=8-3&keywords=etymotic+earplugs

Budget: sub 80$

Source: PC, sometimes smartphone.

Requirements for isolation: prefer open, since they are more comfortable, but open to compromises.

Will you be using these Headphones in Public: no.

Preferred type of headphone: full size preferred

Preferred type of balance: balanced, but i think at this price point I'll take what sounds best.

Past headphones: Reloop RH 10. Liked them very much in terms of sound, but they turned out to be very fragile.

Preferred Music: EDM

Location: Ukraine, but the purchase itself will be probably within the US. Might look at the EU, if the deal is right, not familiar with the market though.

Potential headphones: shp9500(s), OB-1 (really nice price on this one on Amazon 50 bux only), maybe ATH-M30x. Open to new suggestions.

Edit: also looking at AKG K 240 and LyxPro HAS-30, but design wise LynxPro looks like my former reloops, which turned out to be not very reliable. Certified refurbished ATH-M40x deal looks nice, but I've had no experience with this type products.

Thank you for your help in advance :)

Alright, here are my two options:

1. The Audio Technica ATH-AD700X are my current headphones. They're $100 but they're worth every god damn penny. Gaming feels you're there, music feels like you're in the band. They won't sound much better than regular headphones if you connect them to a cell phone but if you use them at your computer then you will be surprised.
   
   
2. I ALWAYS recommend headphone amps since I started experimenting with them. But they're not cheap at all, they are the same or even more expensive than the headphones themselves. Here's a good combo though: The AKG K 240 are just cheap enough that won't hurt but also good company enough to trust them. They're semi-open so they won't be as situational as the Audio Technica would but the sound stage is still good (Sound stage means when you can tell where a sound "comes" from. Like hearing a bullet or explosion to your left, of actually hearing the guitar on the front and the bass to the back of the track). If you do get these then I'd recommend one of the cheapest headphone amps the FiiO-A1.
   
   I'd obviously recommend you spend a little more to get the Audio Technica AND the amp, but I understand if you don't want to spend that much.

Shit is getting expensive here. I managed to buy my pair of m50x for 120 not that long ago on amazon.ca. But I doubt you will be able to find them for that price now.

I can list a few options for you based on popular products.

Closed headphones:

Sennheiser HD 280 PRO
They are 112 right now, so a good deal. The only thing with them is that they are super analytical, so they have a very flat response.


Audio Technica ATH-M40X
The little borther to the m50x. Still a good pair of cans. A little less bass but still have the same sound stage as the m50x. Going for 130.

Open Headphones:

Audio Technica ATH-AD500x
These are a no brainier if you want them for gaming. Open sound stage really makes for good location accuracy. Still great sound quality for other uses. They are super open, so they won't be good for walking around. 130.

In Ear:

RHA MA750
No one will argue with these. They sound amazing, come with all the tips you could want. Have a great sound stage for in ears. A little pricey at 150 but so worth it.

Shure SE215
I loved these. I used them until they fell apart, then I upgraded to the MA750. Warm mid forward sound. I would recommend getting some comply tips for them. They go for 125.

Type: Wireless in-ear

Budget: around $100

Source: Nintendo switch (via bluetooth adapter), PC, phone

Requirements for Isolation: it would be nice but not critical

Will you be using these Headphones in Public: yes, public transportation and such.

Preferred tonal balance: balanced, a little bit of bass wouldn't hurt.

Past headphones: in-ear cheap skull candy wired did the job

I've been looking over a few options and i've stumbled upon these:

$37 SENSO Bluetooth Headphones - great reviews

$130 Jaybird X3 - recommended by a friend, quite pricey

$80 ADV Sound Model 3 - hardly any info online though

I'd love to hear your opinions and other recommendations :)

Thanks!

K I actually thought your ears had been ringing a few days or a week. 2 hours is not too bad. But I do think you were born with weak ears... no offense. A lot of us on this subreddit were. lol.

But I do think if you go to that concert no earplugs it will almost certainly come back.

Go to a music store and talk to the guy about getting a nice set of musician ear plugs. They will cost anywhere from 15-40 dollars. Don't be cheap, your ears are worth 40 dollars. Tell him you want one that leaves the music clear but also lowers it a good amount. You can even do a bit of research online to figure out which one you want. I have these Vater drummer ones but I was thinking of trying these out https://www.amazon.ca/Etymotic-High-Fidelity-Earplugs-Standard-Polybag/product-reviews/B00RM6Q9XW/ref=dpx_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1 or these ones https://www.amazon.ca/Musicians-Earplugs-JamPlugs-Transparent-Reusable/dp/B01IA3S42Y/ref=pd_sim_121_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VTQ1Y25H0Y6KZG7GQYAK

Musicians ear plugs and foam ear plugs are a world apart. Musicians ear plugs should leave the music pretty crystal clear, it is just like you turned the volume down on your stereo. Foam muffles everything.

Also make sure you take that break for 5 minutes to walk around the concourse a bit. Maybe you can find a song mid-set that you are just so-so on and take at least 5 minutes off.

If anyone asks about your plugs, tell them you survived an explosion and have to protect your ears now ;)

But yeah just doubling on going to see the doctor. He might notice something in your ear that you can't see. And tell him about your plan to get a nice pair of musicians ear plugs and go.

Also don't stand close you a speaker. They can actually rattle your head/jaw bones and irritate your ear. It is called bone conduction. Or it could be so loud beside it, that the earplugs can't reduce the sound enough to protect you.

Using correct format:


Budget: £60, its a bit flexible


Source: Onboard PC Motherboard, iPhone, Nexus Tablet


Requirement for Isolation: Reasonably, most likely won't be used in too quiet of enviroment


Preferred Type of Headphone: Wireless with option to be wired, microphone


Preferred tonal balance: Balanced


Preferred Music: Leaning preference to dubstep/ electro but pretty much everything


Location: UK



Extra stuff:

I've never been a big Audiophile, I enjoy my music/ movies/ game sounds generally with these cheap speakers


and use these earphones more on the go but also to plug into the speakers if I'm playing games late




What I am looking into getting is a decent pair of headphones, good sound quality, microphone, wireless, ability to be plugged in (would that improve the sound?, also for non Bluetooth devices), the bluetooth is not a required feature but I haven't found wireless headphones with a microphone.

I'm looking at these headphones and was wondering if anyone had an opinion on these or has a better option?


Also I'd be running them off of onboard audio and a bluetooth dongle if I get a bluetooth one


I'm not looking to spend too much on them, maybe up to about £60. Any help would be appreciated!

You're welcome!

The peripherals you selected are not bad, it was just that the overall price was too high for the core components.

> I'm leaning towards the Corsair cause it has the "Silent Mechanical".

The keyboard I selected would be the wrong one for that, with its blue and clicky switches. MX Silent on the Corsair Strafe is the right direction. There ought to be a cheaper chinese alternative to the MX Silent switches and thus a cheaper keyboard option, but I don't know of one. /r/MechanicalKeyboards might give some options there, if you don't just get the Corsair, which you certainly could do with those requirements.

> Though I couldn't care less about the RGB; I just like having a backlight that shifts into the red spectrum for night typing.

I always felt like a simple white backlight is always the right color. Just to consider :)

> threw the headset in there to replace an intermittently dying one and that one came up on all my usual tech feeds that also keyed up there in "affordable audiophile" space.

The moment the word "audiophile" is used in a review in a positive way you know you are overpaying :) I saw in your other comment that you already have a microphone, that opens up many cheap and good options like the (very nice, I used it for years, the one drawback is that it is not very comfortable if used too long without changing the ear cushions) Superlux HD-681 B or something like the AKG K240 Studios. Depends a lot on what type of headphones you are searching.

I've seen these headphones highly recommended and they're just a bit less than the ones you're looking at...http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001ARCFA/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_7?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER. Also, I recently got the Project Carbon Debut DC but upgraded with the built in SpeedBox and acrylic platter. It was $150 more, but the pieces would cost more to upgrade later if buying independently so I thought it was a better deal. Good luck, and don't listen to all the hate on new TTs, a lot of veteran vinyl lovers don't understand wanting a new unit. Aesthetics, warranty, and availability made my decision to go new easy, and I fucking loving the sound I'm hearing and that's what it should be about. Please your ears my friend, and enjoy the new hobby/obsession.

Budget - $120 slightly flexible

Source - iPhone, PS4 controller, PC

Isolation - none

Public? yes

Preferred Type - Never used IEMs but from some googling it seems to be better than earbuds?

tonal balance - balanced because I'll be using it for gaming as well as music

Past headphones - HD 598. Loved everything except bass was slightly lacking and they are basically unusable in public.

Preferred Music - Don't think it matters since I'll be gaming with these earbuds too. I don't listen to bass heavy music but I do need an acceptable amount of bass for shooting and explosions while gaming.

improve on from your set-up - I have no other earbuds to compare iphone earbuds to so pretty much everything. Comfort is really important because I'd like to be able to fall asleep on my side with the earbuds on.


Thanks in advance.

EDIT: Thinking of getting the Shure SE215. Is there anything as good or better with a mic?

I have them and they're alright, but I'd recommend you save your money and skip over them to get something better. They have a pretty dark sound, and the clamping makes them get a bit fatiguing. They also don't have much soundstage.

I really like my AKG K240s, because they're kinda the opposite of everything I listed as a shortcoming of the M20Xs. They sound bright because they have more mids and highs, although you may not prefer this (most producers I've met are bassheads LOL). They're not bass heavy by any means, but I've heard that the bass gets much better if you use an amp. I wouldn't know, I'm a pleb with no amp. They're 55 ohms so everything can drive them, but they'd probably be better with more power. They're also really, really light, and have great soundstage.

On Sweetwater

On Amazon

I'm not an audiophile, but i have also been on a quest for a good set of IEM's that are reasonably priced. I first tried the Shure E215. They sound good and have great noise isolation. They're almost like having in ear plugs. The build quality is also great. I listen for long periods of time @ work (6-8 hours per day) and i found them to get uncomfortable towards the end of the day. Not terribly uncomfortable, but not pleasant to wear.

Next I tried the Focal Sphear IEM's. These sound great! I love them. They blow away the Shure E215 IEM's. The bass signature is very tight. I've never understood what people mean by muddy or booming bass, but after hearing the Focal IEM's i think I have a better idea. The sound overall is very clean. Makes me want to listen to all my music over again. They are very comfortable to wear, but don't have the noise isolation that the Shure IEM's have, but they sound much better IMO.

Again, I'm no audiophile so I probably don't know what I'm talking about!

http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-Vita-In-ear-Headset/dp/B006PP3ZK6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375857733&sr=8-1&keywords=vita+headphones

Here are some ~$11 (marked down from $20) sony ps vita branded headphones. I cant recommend these enough. Ive ought 2 pair, cat chewed up the first pair.

Nice in ear buds, multiple silicon ear fittings to match your fit, AMAZING sound quality (the soundtrack to hotline miami KICKS with these buds) inline mic, sony build quality.

Ive had headphones/earbuds that cost +7x the price that didnt sound half as good. Check those earbuds out if you happen to be in the market for headphones/earbuds. They work great on my iphone, 3ds (gasp!) and everything I plug them into.

TL;DR
http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-Vita-In-ear-Headset/dp/B006PP3ZK6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375857733&sr=8-1&keywords=vita+headphones

Amazing vita earbuds: ~$11, sound amazing even at 5x the price, inline mic, fit great. These are the earbuds I recommend to everyone for everything.

It sounds like you have not actually ordered yet, so here's a suggestion for Bluetooth earbuds:

Anker Soundbuds Slim are very similar to the ones you are looking at, but they support aptX HD (So they will sound better and have lower latency) and are cheaper. I have the Soundbuds Curve which feature a slightly different design. They are super comfortable and sound great, so I expect the Slims will work just as well. Lots of people recommend both styles in any thread asking for Bluetooth suggestions.


I really like this wall charger. Bluetooth headphones that charge via USB-C are basically non-existent, so this lets me charge the accessories while also charging my phone at full speed.

The Whitestone Dome is good, but they have awful customer service if you have any issues. Especially since you are going through a forwarder, taking weeks to get a resolution if you have an issue might be a deal breaker for you.

Alright, Also do you consider yourself a big fan of sub-bass? I'm thinking about recommending the classic Schiit Magni 2 amplifier and Modi 2 DAC combo with the Sennheiser HD-600s. These are for home use only as they require a USB connection via your computer for the DAC, and the amp is definitely not portable haha. Those are a fantastic pairing, but the Sennheisers are a little bit lacking in the low end. Absolute magic in the mids and treble though. This is an endgame combo for many people.

Those Senns are open back, so they leak sound but provide a better soundstage compared to an closed-back pair. When it comes to closed back headphones, (Isolated - doesn't leak sound) I really, really recommend ZMF Vibros They are quite a bit more expensive, but an absolute endgame pair of planar dynamic closed back cans. The bass response is unreal on these pairs and work very, very well with hip-hop, electronic music, and pop. The Schiit amp and dac above would drive these just fine.

For the gym, I'd just get a pair of these MEE Audio M6 Pro In-ear monitors, or a good old pair of Koss Porta Pros if you don't like the IEM style. Both of those would be fine options, as they aren't super expensive but still sound great, and are durable. Just plug into your phone and you're set.

For any case though, do try to audition headphones before you buy anything! This will give you a solid idea of what kind of pair you're looking for.

I have no experience with noise canceling headphones, but when I used to ride BART, I picked up a set of sound isolating, in-canal ear buds and love them. I have the Shure SE110, which they do not appear to make anymore, so this link is way overpriced. When I bought them they were $100. I believe the SE215s would be the current equivalent.

If you aren't used to that style, they take some getting used to, but once you get accustomed to getting them fit right in there, the sound is fantastic. You just need to make sure they're all the way in, or the bass will be non-existent. I knew I loved them when I was standing on the BART platform, just behind the yellow line, listening at half volume while looking down at my MP3 player, and the train managed to sneak up on me as it pulled into the station. They also blocked out the transbay howl pretty well. I used them for music and playing games on my PSP. I credit them for keeping me sane for those two years...

Ok, so based on the suggestions you've gotten so far, my suggestion might be too expensive. Having said that, I'd still like to make the case for them.

The headphones you should buy are the Shure SE215s.

Now, before you look at the $99 price tag and completely balk at them, let me explain why you should consider them.

First, comfort. Shure manufactures several sizes and types of cushioned ear tip sleeves. This means that you can find a size and type that works best for your ears and gives you the most comfort with the best possible seal. If you're anything like me and you live in your headphones, this is massively important.

Second, sound quality. This is a professional pair of headphones. Sure, they're definitely on the entry level side of things if you're talking to an audiophile. But if you're coming from Apple headphones they will reveal parts of your music that you've never heard before and might be good enough to shatter you emotionally for a while.* If comfort matters, then so does the actual quality of the thing you're listening for.

Finally, and most importantly, the cable is detachable, replaceable, and damn near indestructible. This means that while your initial investment is higher than it would be for a pair of skull candies, you make up for it by actually being able to repair the headphones long term. Additionally, you shouldn't have to replace the cable that often, it's kevlar reinforced and can survive almost anything you throw at it. The pair I currently own I've had for almost 3 years now, and I've only had to replace the cable once (which I did for ~30 dollars).

If your goal is to buy it for life, I honestly can't recommend the SE215s enough.

Yeah! These are what I like to use, but I'd only recommend them if your grandma is technologically-inclined since they are bluetooth connection only. I like the bluetooth/wireless option because I am constantly changing positions trying to get comfortable, so no cords = no hassle. I can use them in any position, even when I'm laying down on my side with one ear on the pillow they are still comfortable for me. If you think she is more likely to use the headphones while sitting up/not laying down, the kind that go over your ears with soft ear cups are what I'd go with, but I don't have a recommendation for that style since I don't have a pair. You could try researching over at /r/headphones, I'm sure they know much more than I about headphones/earbuds, especially regarding price vs quality and things like that. Best of luck!

Jesus that TWS Dacom...

The video doesn't exactly encompass a lot of the true wireless stuff on the market but I think it does get it's point across that the Airpods aren't that bad as an overall package for the features although you could definitely do better and cheaper if sound quality was your only concern.

I would have liked to see him include a few more semi wireless IEMs like the Anker Soundbud IE20 or Taotronics stuff, more true budget wireless earbuds like the QCY 29(rebranded here) or Syllable D900 mini.

I think bluetooth earphones will see a large swing by the consumer market in the next few years and I look forward to trying a few of the true wireless products out this year. Whilst it won't be replacing my daily drivers, I've already made the switch at the gym to sport bluetooth IEMs like Jaybirds and find them indispensable.

Just a good set of headphones for around $100 CAD on Amazon?

I've owned Grado SR-60s. They're open backed, so you can hear surroundings better, but others can hear them as well. They're not the most comfortable, though.

For something small and light, I've owned both the Koss PortaPros. I've also used the similar Sennheiser PX-100s, but the only ones I'm seeing on Amazon.ca are overpriced. Anyway, good sounding, light headphones for workouts, walks and the like.

I've never owned a pair of AKG K240s, but they've been ubiquitous in studios for a long time. Well, at least the last time I was in a studio; it's been a while. Other popular ones are various Sennheisers like the HD280s and Shure SRH440s, but I'm not seeing them at least on Amazon Prime in Canada. If you'd like to look, here they are at Sweetwater in US prices HD280s and SRH440s.

Hopefully there's something there you like.

Hey people! I'm new to the headphone game and I'm trying to upgrade. I've been looking at these four, but I'm still not sure if these are my best bets:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AIO8XVA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001ARCFA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A34VCPZVL7E6XQ

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BDX1IVW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A30DTQ2AMNXSE

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00001WRSJ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A13BNE3P7C8THK

Here are my specs below. Are any of these good bets, or is there a better one I'm not listing:


Budget - $80 USD or under, preferably around $50

Source - iTunes on iPhone, corded

Requirements for Isolation - I'd prefer a little but not super important

Will you be using these Headphones in Public?- Yes, at work mostly

Preferred Type of Headphone - On ear

Preferred tonal balance - Probably balanced, but I'm open to anything

Past headphones - Audio-Technica ATH-M30

Preferred Music - Very varied, I try a little of everything. Lately I've been into Elvis Costello's Get Happy!! and the Hamilton soundtrack.

Improvement- I would like to upgrade a little bit, but not a ton. Very budget conscious. I'd like these to last at least a year or two.

Budget - $75-300 (hard limit Is $300 – around $200 would be great but I’m flexible if I can find the right headphones)

Source – Dell laptop computer E7470 (work). At work I’m usually using the high quality stream/download from Spotify. I also use Soundcloud for DJ mixes, and Apple Music.

Requirements for Isolation – I prefer at least some. I work in an office where some people are fairly loud

Will you be using these Headphones in Public? – Yes, daily at work. It is possible I would take these on flights, but I wouldn’t be using in any other public area.

Preferred Type of Headphone – Full sized is preferable, but I would consider on-ear or even in-ear if all other criteria could be met.

Preferred tonal balance – I prefer balanced. I could deal with a little bit of bass enhancement as long as everything else is balanced and the bass isn’t overdone (which usually seems to be the case when bass is enhanced).

Past headphones – Right now I’m using cheap Skull Candy earbuds at work. I previously used Shure SE215-K at work. I recently lost these on a trip when I left them on a plane. I did like the Shure headphones. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004PNZFZ8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. I used to use Sony MDR V700 headphones for club DJ’ing (house music).

Preferred Music:

• Electronic (house, downtempo, trip-hop, drum and bass): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEMiwEn-cwk and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTFrCbQGyvM
  
• Hip-hop/Rap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUC2EQvdzmY , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkGwI7nGehA , and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK-EZwZviv8
  
• Alternative, Rock, County/Alt-country: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fCknJQpLjw , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEr9gMYdkHI , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u57d4_b_YgI
  
  What would you like to improve on from your set-up – I prefer over the ear/full size headphones. I feel like in ear headphones often ‘hurt’ my ears after prolonged use (maybe it’s just the crappy ones I’m using?). I’m looking for a cleaner, more balanced sound. I know that won’t be hard to find considering I’m using Skull Candy earbuds. but here’s the kicker… I need something that won’t give me “headphone hair.” I work in a fairly professional office and often have meetings with executives. I prefer not to go into those meetings looking like I’ve been dj’ing for 6 straight hours. I’m not sure if there are models that the headband part can easily be turned towards the back of my head or can be extended and still stay on my ears.
  
  Thanks for any help that can be provided. I greatly appreciate it!
  
  edit: formatting
  

Heya! I was looking for some IEMs for work and general use and I'd love some advice.


Budget - Something around 50€

Source - Computer or Android Phone

Requirements for Isolation - Would be super helpful a lot of isolation to make calls in public but also be comfortable at home.

Preferred Type of Headphone - IEMs

Preferred tonal balance - I've read that Balanced is the best for conversations, but I'd like to listen to some music and play games with them.

Preferred Music - Prog Rock and Metal

Location - Spain. Would love to use amazon.es


I made some research and those are my current options:

• Xiaomi Pistón 3
  
• Brainwavz M1
  
• MEElectronics M6 Pro
  
• SoundMagic E30
  
• SteelSeries Flux

I have a pair of Razer Carcharias

I had a few cheap sets over the years, and was frustrated by lack of quality of them being uncomfortable. I picked these up after reading many reviews, and on the recommendation of a guy I worked with (he later decided to upgrade to the Megalodon's, but returned them because he didn't feel the difference in quality was worth the increased price.)

These things are very comfortable, the quality of sound is good, and the microphone produces high quality voice. The one downside is that the sound tends to be a bit 'boomy' - there is some exaggerated bass.

I do use them for everyday listening as well as gaming, and they sound quite good. However, for a more 'accurate' listening experience I also have a pair of Grado SR60s which are more portable, but honestly the Razer set sounds just fine.

I'd also recommend looking into some of the Sennheiser sets - I've seen them get great marks, but I don't have any personal experience with them.

> It's just a habit that I've formed from having good speakers, otherwise I'd probably be just like you.

No I get that, I also desire good sound quality.

The place where we differ is the in my phone bit, for me if I want good sound quality I am either going to plug in my over-ear headphones that cost a few hundred dollars, my in-ear earbuds that cost a hundred, or connect it to one of my portable bluetooth speakers.

No matter how good you get the sound coming from a phone it is never going to get to the level of sound-quality that you can get from a decent pair of headphones, (and it kind of has too, since if they went full-audiophile the price would go up like crazy and few people would buy it) and it is always going to be less... immersive? I guess? because it is coming from a single-source rather than surrounding your ears like good headphones or larger speakers can do, so if I am looking for sound-quality I am going to be looking for an external solution regardless, making the in-phone speaker quality more or less irrelevant.

I currently carry my Shure SE 215 K's (Not the best quality available, but I consider them the best at the price-point I am willing to pay for something I am going to shove in my pocket) in my pocket basically everywhere I go, they are small enough to be basically unnoticeable with my phone in the same pocket. and having heard the sound from some of the audio-focused smartphones I can honestly say that I still prefer my headphones, and that covers 99% of the situations where I only have the stuff in my pockets available rather than other speakers. If I were really worried about being stranded somewhere without a way to play music for multiple people I would just start carrying one of my portable-speakers in my car.

So while I understand the desire for better audio, I still think that getting that audio through the device's included speakers is just a gimmick. (though obviously that doesn't mean you can't appreciate it yourself, I have a Nintendo Switch that I love to bits while still admitting that it is gimmicky as all hell).

I am new here, but I'm looking to get some iems, and heard the Carbo Tenores were pretty great. I found these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0093VVP0Q/ on amazon, but heard that they are usually like $50 and didn't want to end up with counterfeits.

The order is fulfilled by amazon, so I'm not sure if that makes the seller any more reputable, but if anyone has any experience with this seller, I would like to know what it is.

Thank you for the help!

Hey, I can actually make a solid recommendation! This must be my lucky week for posting here.

I've got a pair of AKG K240 mkII's I love very much. I got them at a good deal on Amazon when I ordered the old version and they sent me the new version either by accident or through trying to phase out the old version. In short, they sound fantastic. They're pretty flat in terms of frequency response, but being over-ear they still have pretty deep-sounding bass. I've found them really nice for recording and mixing.

The only downside I can think of is they can get pretty uncomfortable over long periods of time, but this is definitely a personal thing, as I have pretty weird-shaped ears that have bits of flesh sticking out everywhere.

If you can't afford the the $110ish pricetag (I couldn't when I got them), it appears Amazon still sells the original version for around $70. They are (according to what I've read) almost exactly the same headphones in terms of drivers/construction, just with less padding and fewer accessories (the mkII's come with a second replaceable cable, a different set of ear pads, and an 1/8" to 1/4" adapter). I have no doubt these would also be an excellent investment if they in fact are the same headphones as the ones I own. Here are the originals.

Hope this helps!

I purchased a pair of AKG Q701 for my studio and are the most comfortable headphones I have ever owned. The ear cups completely surround your ears (unless you have fairly large ears I guess) so you don't have parts of your ear hurting from the blood being squeezed out after long periods of use. While these headphones are out of your listed price range, AKG makes headphones in all price ranges and if the other models are as comfortable as these, you will be in sonic heaven.

--

Let's see what we can dig up (hope you don't mind Amazon links):

K-240 -$99 -- Same design as the Q701, but different ear cup material. From the reviews, they don't appear to cause any uncomfortable ear sweating. NOTE: These are open-backed so sound will escape into the real world without a care. Maybe hearing your death metal opera trance as they approach your desk will help people to realize you don't want to be bothered. ;)

K99 - $62 -- These don't seem as comfortable as the 240s, but the reviews seem to generally state otherwise. I would think these are only good for a couple of hours at a time before they become uncormfortable.

K77 $50 -- Based on reviews, these are bad for glasses wearers and they have some sound leakage from the outside. They can also make your ears sweat if it's hot. For $50, these are some good work phones, but you may wish you had shelled out a little more in the long run.

--

Sorry for only pumping AKG, it's the only brand I can really vouch for at this point. There are plenty of other headphones out there if these are not your style. Sennheiser makes some really good phones, as does Sony. If you decide to continue your search: Open-back is great for long listening sessions, but allow noise out. Closed-back can get hot but are usually the best at cancelling out noise. You are going to want something that can cup your entire ear without touching/compressing any part of the lobe.

Good Luck!

Hmm. If you were in the NY area, you could stop by the Head-Fi meet next Saturday.

Looks like you just missed a recent Head-Fi meet in Ohio. Keep an eye out for meets near you.

Other than that, I would say try out good cheap headphones (and IEMs), and if you end up enjoying any of their qualities, there are always logical upgrades.

For example:
1.) If you purchase the Koss PortaPro and enjoy the warm tilt and thick bass, the HD 650, LCD-2 and ZMF Omni are logical upgrades.

2.) If the RE-400's or Carbo Tenore's neutrality floats your boat, give the HD 600 (smoother with less sub-bass) and HE-400i (brighter with more sub-bass) a spin.

Learning to read measurements is a great help as well. Lots of great stuff available for cheap (especially with IEMs), if you look around. =)

If you really do grow to love this hobby, you can make a habit out of buying and selling headphones, amps and dacs used to keep things fresh. /r/AVexchange and Head-Fi's classified section are reputable places to do this, although I have no experience with them.

Hi! first time posting, looking to buy a new pair of earphones, im not very fond of IEM but i think thats what i'll get since i plan on using it for music mainly, to follow the format

Source: ipod classic

Budget: up to 35$

Genres that i listen to: synth-pop, chiptunes, alternative rock and podcasts

i've been searching for one that is confortable and affordable, i dont expect to get the best experience, but i'd love to get the most out of my budget.

After looking at the lists the JVC HAFX1X seems like the one im looking for but im not sure that is the best for me.
Some background: i love my Sennheiser HD205 but after breaking the wires twice i've decided i need a smaller set of headphones/earphones to use it in the bus.

I cannot account for the SE215's durability for snowboarding and working out, but I think they will fit your music pallet very well. I love the bass response that they have. For me, they fit in my ear very comfortably. And they are only $100.00 USD.

http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SE215-K-Isolating-Earphones-MicroDriver/dp/B004PNZFZ8

You might want to look into the SE215 blue's. I have heard that they are a lot more prominent in the bass region.

http://www.amazon.com/Isolating-Earphones-transformer-graphics-SE215SPE-A/dp/B00A16BT4E/ref=pd_sim_MI_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=1SH8Y3X4WTFBFBX1C7FQ#customerReviews

Hope this helps make your decision!

Currently in the market for a new pair of headphones and wondering which pair would be best. I'm quite a noob in the headphone department, (currently owning the Cloud 1s). I have no idea about the high/lows and specs of those headphones so i would love if you could enlighten me :D. For reference, I listen to a wide variety of headphones but i personally love deep house and Rap.

I spotted the following headphones that would possibly interest me. I would take the Fidelio x2's but they are way to costly in Canada.

1-http://www.amazon.ca/Technica-ATH-A700X-Audiophile-Closed-Back-Headphones/dp/B005TPOED0/ref=sr_1_90?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1451434116&sr=1-90

2-http://www.amazon.ca/Technica-ATH-900x-Audiophile-Closed-back-Headphones/dp/B005TCZIQA/ref=sr_1_122?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1451434140&sr=1-122

3-http://www.amazon.ca/Beyerdynamic-Custom-Headphone-Accessory-Microphone/dp/B00PK2LJ4E/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1451434158&sr=1-2&keywords=beyerdynamic

4-http://www.amazon.ca/AKG-240-Semi-Open-Studio-Headphones/dp/B0001ARCFA/ref=sr_1_12?m=AUJBRIGYRJ3Q8&ie=UTF8&qid=1451434191&sr=8-12&keywords=beyerdynamic

5-http://www.amazon.ca/AKG-Pro-Audio-K240-MKII/dp/B0016MNBAM/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0DFSA1DA0ZAR3XQ4RF0P

Sorry for the wall of text and I hope you can help me

Sorry for my poor english, I am from Quebec in Canada so please bare with me.

Open/Closed I have had some of both in the past and loved either one of them. I have closed headphones and find my ears getting a bit sweaty with time and i also wear Gunnars when i'm on my PC so I think open might be a better idea but if u have any must-have suggestions with the closed-back type headphones, please give me them :D

The prices are in CAD, max i could go is around 250 cad

I'm the thrifty kinda guy.

Refurbished Denon receiver, 2 Micca bookshelves, a Micca center channel, and a Bic America subwoofer. About 700 bucks total. Sounds good enough for me. I know much better is out there but it's hard to justify the costs.

My Sennheiser HD598SE's are great ($150), and I have a FiiO E10K ($75) that they plug into at work, and at home I just plug them in directly since the onboard soundcard isn't too bad surprisingly on my motherboard. I have a Sony SRS-X5 bluetooth speaker plugged into the back of it as well. I have those cheap-ass sony ANC headphones (20 bucks at the time I bought them) and they get the job done at a cheap price for planes and for the AC unit blasting in my office (I know... killing me, 80db of white noise all day long).

I have a friend from work that spent 50,000 bucks on his setup. It sounds great, and it's worth it, but I couldn't spend that much on it.

I'm more of a headphone kinda guy. My next upgrade would probably be going all out on headphones. A pair of Sennheiser HD800's probably. That's in the far future, I got stuff I want to do around the house first.

These are my workout earbuds

They are a great value.

Hi, I think what you're looking for are called musicians earplugs. They lower volume without muffling sound quality. The ones I have are called
Earasers
https://www.amazon.com/Earasers-HEM001-Musicians-Plugs-Medium/dp/B00E2D9HAA/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487460400&sr=8-1&keywords=earasers+earplugs

I find those work pretty well, my only gripe about them is they sometimes wiggle loose (but not fall out). They arent the ones that go inside your ear like a qtip or something, they're like the old ipod earbuds.

The other ones I have are called Etymotic earplugs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RM6Q9XW/ref=sr_ph_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487460473&sr=sr-1&keywords=etymotic+earplugs

I like these ones because they actually go inside your ear so they don't get loose. Personally, I wear the etymotic more often but the Earasers are more comfortable.

Lmk if you have any questions! Always happy to help. I have a ton of earplugs but those two are my favorite. Protect your hearing!!!!

you'll want a second controller with a stand-alone charger like this: http://amzn.com/B00ENFVJJO. battery life is super short on PS4 controller and this will help him play if he forgets to charge one controller.

second: you'll want to replace the stock headset with something affordable like this: http://amzn.com/B006PP3ZK6 headset that comes with ps4 is not good. not good at all.

third: give him subscription to PS+. it is a similar service to xbox subscription. it will allow him to play online.


sounds like your kid likes sports games. Playstation has the single best baseball game ever made called "MLB the show" keep an eye out for it. it is very very good game. even many non-sports game players play it.

I live in Canada, and am looking to purchase my first pair of quality headphones. My budget is around $100CAD (~$76 USD.)
I'm looking for headphones that are good all-rounders, because I listen to a lot of music, edit a lot of video, record my own music (singing, trombone, and guitar), and some gaming, so I need whatever headphones I buy to be able to handle multiple use cases well. I don't really know how I would describe it in audiophile terms, but something that has a fairly neutral sound (like studio monitors) would obviously work.
As far as open vs closed, I would strongly prefer a closed set if I ever take them traveling (I usually use earbuds/IEMs,) but I can go for an open set as well.
Since I like to consider myself fairly style-conscious, I would like these to not look butt-ugly, but not over the top as well. A simple, functional design is really what I'm looking for. In specifics, I could either go very retro or very modern (see this or this)
In other words, a solid headphone within said budget. Thanks in advance!
Oh, I also have glasses and would thus prefer an over-the-ear set as opposed to an on-ear solution. Thanks again!

I have a pair of m9's and they are great headphones. They're built very well and produce a great sound. My only beef with them is the bud sleeves tend to pop off easily so you may have to buy replacements. Other than that, their build quality is awesome. I would say they're even better than the Sennheiser cx 300's I had owned. MEelectronics also frequently have sales, making the deal even better.

OP, if you're willing to dish out about $80 you'll get better sound out of a pair of Grado SR-60i's than any similarly priced earbuds. If you want to spend less than that you're probably better off sticking with buds.

Budget - $150 - $200

Source - Desktop -[Spotify/Youtube/Games]

Requirements for Isolation - Moderate amount would be good, Have roomates.

Preferred Type of Headphone - Over ear would be more prefered but I'm alright with on ear

Preferred tonal balance - I have more preference towards bass, so anything that has more emphasis on that would be great.

Past headphones - SteelSeries Siberia FROST (These were perfect, but they just died so fast), Currently using the Koss KSC75 and they are great but its time to move one.

Preferred Music - I listen to many things, Rap & JPop being the main, then Pop punk and other sorts.

Currently looking at http://www.amazon.com/AKG-240-Semi-Open-Studio-Headphones/dp/B0001ARCFA/ref=sr_1_9?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1417038791&sr=1-9

and http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Momentum-On-Ear-Headphone-Black/dp/B00DKPXU9A/ref=sr_1_10?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1417038791&sr=1-10

Thanks for any help :)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01G8JO5F2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_PaFMAb80PRERV
These are Amazon's choice for Bluetooth headphones. Pretty sure they're the most ordered pair of sport Bluetooth headphones especially available on Amazon. So far they've blown me away on how good they sound for the price, they're IPX7 water resistant, have a mic, $30, and on Amazon prime. I'd definitely recommend them, and already have to a couple of friends and they love them as well. Happy hunting!

Hey there! Looking for some advice.

I'll be visiting the States in a couple weeks time and have been wanting new ear buds for a very long time.

I've heard many good things about the 215's sound and value, and the BlueBud's sound and convenience. Currently on Amazon, the BlueBuds X is $116USD whilst Shure 215 is $89USD. Is $27USD worth the difference?

Source: PC/Phone
Location: USA/AUS
Budget: $75-150 ---> Mostly looking for value
Isolation: Because I'll most likely be using it whilst I ride, isolation shouldn't be a lot, maybe some. Not a big deal
In public? Yes, not like a shopping center, more like a school classroom.
Preferred Type of Headphone: IEM's
Preferred tonal balance: Not an audiophile, preferably balanced - an all rounder
Preferred Music: I just listen to the radio's songs because im lazy :p
What would you like to improve on from your set-up: Just looking for a reliable, value orientated and excellent sound out of an IEM.


I am planning to use them few times a week for leisure listening and riding my bike. I'm also not a huge audiophile, just a guy looking for excellent sound and value.

Any advice/opinion would be appreciated!

I have cauliflower ear from wrestling, so finding earbuds to stay in my ear has always been difficult, but last year I bought bose IE5 inear headphones with my credit card rewards points. They are pretty pricey at $90, and most will say they are overpriced, but they've never fallen out, even when running and playing sports, and I think the sound is great. They even come with three sizes of gel earbud inserts so you can see which size works best.

AKG-K240. They're $67 right now!

What I love about them:

• Been using my pair for +3 years, they still work! (albeit with replacement cushions/cable)
  
• open back, but still covers the ears. You can have a conversation with these on.
  
• the cable disconnects at both ends! meaning if it frays, you can replace it without replacing the whole thing. It also means you can get longer cables, coiled cables, etc. if your habits change. This may seem like a small thing, but trust me - buying an extra cable is a helluva lot cheaper than shelling out dough for a whole other pair of headphones with longer reach.
  
• I find it gives more mid/low range than most other monitoring headphones. Which makes for a more pleasant listening experience, but it isn't so much that you can't tell what's going on or anything. Just means you can kinda listen to regular music in them and still have a good time (which by the way, is highly recommended for learning to mix in headphones anyway)
  
  The one potential disadvantage to open-ear headphones would be that if someone's recording vocals on them, you might get some bleed from the backing track into the recording. But I haven't found that to be a huge issue.
  
  Personally I've tried the MDR-7506, but I gotta say I'm not a huge fan of the general fit or sound. Completely a subjective thing though. At the end of the day you'll have to learn to listen through them, like with any pair of headphones.

If you don't mind IEMs (In Ear Monitors), I highly recommend the SoundMagic E10's, available for $32.97 on Amazon at the time of writing. I'm no audiophile but based on what I had read about them on head fi (which is a great resource for everything on headphones) I picked up a pair about two years ago and they've been my go to ever since, bringing great sound at a great price.

Of course I've had to replace them a few times, more often than not due to my own mistreatment of them, but I've had my current pair since March of this year and they still work and sound great, for music, general use on my computer, plugging them into my controller when on my PS4, everything.

Hm, I can't speak to that mic as I've no experience with it. Personally, if it works and it's not outrageously priced I'm a fan of it!

As for headphones I'm a big fan of these 280s I have, great value for the price. I rotate between the 280s, these AKG k240s which are another great headphone for their price, these Grado SR80e for some music. Once upon I time I read a ton about entry level audiophile headphones and those were on a few lists. Bought them and have enjoyed them over the years.

I have more expensive headphones and audio set up but honestly after years of listening it's been an experience of diminishing returns for me so I really do praise lower-priced, great sounding headphones.

so here's what i have been using till now;

https://www.amazon.com//dp/B005HP3OB0 (wired earbuds)

https://www.amazon.com//dp/B003V9RWEO (wired around ear headphones)

good clear sound, but both could use more base boost.

after getting a new smartphone, i decided to try bluetooth;

https://www.amazon.com//dp/B01DWHPRAU

range is good, battery holds a charge well,
BUT THEY SOUND TERRIBLE,
like some artificial base that muffles the midrange.
i tried them off my pc and my phone,
both sources sound awful.
I'm sure I'm using the right Stereo drivers for it.

I also own a nice bluetooth speaker, and that sounds fine
so I'm not sure if it's the wireless or these buds just suck.
my friend tells me wireless headphone should never be
compared to wired - they can't possibly sound as good.

is he right? i don't know because i'm a wireless audio virgin.

I need to know because I wonder if I should live with this suck
or get a different one or something better - if better, then what?
I don't want to spend a fortune - these $50 buds were my budget.

Many console headsets and some PC headsets (like the Razer Krakens) have decent sound quality but the microphone sounds very tinny, cheap and just generally garbage.

I would recommend getting a pair of earbuds and then attaching the Antlion Modmic to your headset. It sounds super good in comparison to all the other headset mics I've ever tested.

In terms of earbuds, literally any will be fine, as long as they're not like $5 SkullCandy ones. The ones that come with your phone are ideal. My personal choice is the SoundMagic E10 earbuds (Amazon UK, Amazon US). They are a little pricey but I love them so much.

I hope this helps you make an informed decision! :)

Curious – the Mi Piston IIIs are usually pretty good. Did you have issues with them?

Zero Audio's ZH-DX200 are pretty good in terms of durability. Have pretty great sound isolation as well for their price and pretty comparable to Piston III in general.

Usually recommend the Piston II, the Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear (too expensive for you) or the Zero Audio for what you're looking for (more details on all this here and here)

>Headphones

I'm tempted to get a pair of Axent Wears, but I'm nowhere stylish ^^nor ^^cute enough to pull off the look.

Honestly, "gaming" headphones aren't renowned for sound quality. IMHO, it's better to get an affordable pair of audiophile high quality earphones like the MylarOne Bijous/Westone UMPro10s/Shure SE215s and then get an attached microphone (Zalman and Modmic are good choices for those). This is purely my opinion though :)

Regardless, Black Friday is coming up, so keep a lookout on Amazon for good deals!

These RHA earphones come with a 3 year warranty. I've used the MA600 version - I can't find any direct comparisons but I assume they're fairly similar (at least they look basically the same). The build quality is solid and they sound great. Ultimately mine broke because I was an idiot and would always yank them out downwards, which over time pulled the cable out of one of the ear pieces. I didn't use the warranty but I probably could've. (edit: they also make these which I think are newer but I don't have any experience with them. Worth looking into though)

Lately I've been using these Soundmagic earphones which come in just under your budget as well. Not sure what their warranty policy is but the build quality I feel is a little better. I've had them for about 2 years and no sign of any issues yet. Sound quality is similarly great.

Realistically earphones aren't going to last forever but you can get a long life out of them if you take care of them (which you say you do). Just remember to take them out sideways (don't yank them down like me), coil them sensibly (don't scrunch them up) and put them in their case when you're not using them. Another thing is to make sure if you have them plugged into something in your pocket that the audio jack isn't pushing into your pocket and getting bent, although if you're just using them on your laptop you shouldn't have to worry.

And if you can afford it I would recommend shelling out for some high-end, well built headphones. I have a couple of pairs of Beyerdynamics (770s for work, 990s for home) which are really solidly constructed and will most likely last decades (though the earpads might need replacing every few years or so). I picked them up for about £100 each which I don't think is too bad. I guess head to /r/headphones if you're interested and follow some links in the sidebar, there are plenty of other options too.

I was looking at the AKG K240, and they look good to me for a basically first pair of good headphones.

Budget: About $100 Canadian

Source: PC

Requirements for Isolation: A lot, as there is usually a furnace running close to me during snowy months (Canada, so half the year), and my MX Green keyboard is pretty loud.

Public: Nope

Type of Headphone: Over Ear, so full sized I think?

Tonal Balance: Doesn't matter much to me, so probably balanced.

Past headphones: Sennheiser HD 429, and some generic Sony ones before that. They were my first pair of semi-decent headphones, so I don't know what really stood out to me.

Preferred Music: I don't listen to music much at all on my PC, I mainly play games and watch YouTube videos. I do listen to a lot of podcasts while gaming though, does that help?

Improvements: Better fit, more isolation, more comfort, better looks. Also I feel like my current HD 429s might break soon, knowing my history with them.

Canada BTW, and I am a huge gamer so these headphones will be mostly used for that.

Would they be recommended by /r/headphones here to someone like me?

Also, an amp. Would I need one for those headphones? I don't feel like getting one personally, as I am a broke teenager.

If I'm going to work, I roll up my hi-vis vest and stuff it into my helmet with my gloves and put it in a locker at work. Out in public, I lock my helmet to my passenger peg with a pistol bore lock. Forgot what video I watched that someone used it, but it's been a life changer not having to carry a helmet around or leaving it unsecured on the bike. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MJ2Z322/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_YW2BzbK65F9WK

Also, I'd recommend some earplugs if you don't want to listen to music or if you're making a short trip somewhere. These are what I use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001V2SS9G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_pV2BzbM5W9MEA

If you do want to listen to music, a pair of Shure 215's are great if you don't want a communicator. They're considered monitors, so they have passive noise canceling and foam eartips to block outside noise. Plus they sound amazing, so when you're not on the bike, you have some quality headphones to listen to music with. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004PNZFZ8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_602BzbPVGC44Q

Those three things have made riding and commuting more enjoyable. And, they all fit in a small 5.11 pouch I have attached to my battery cover. Hope all this helps.

There are really a ton of factors to consider. Where are you using them? Are you active at all? Are you historically tough on your headphones?

Personally, I am a huge fan of IEM's. You can use them everywhere. Walking, School, Gym, Bus, Computer, Phone, ect.

Like you said, IEM's break. Often. I like my investment to last, and seeing as 99.95% of all broken IEM's are a result of broken/busted cables and the IEM being completely fine, I like to get a set with modular cables. (AKA replaceable cables.)

I own two sets with replaceable cables, the Shure SE215's (~90$) and UE 900's. Both are amazing. I have had the SE215's for a number of years. I use them at the gym, out running, hiking, and basically anything active. I have gone through probably 4 different sets of cables over the years and the IEM's are still going strong.

If you are willing to shell out 100$ I wouldn't buy anything else.

http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SE215-K-Sound-Monitor-Black/dp/B004PNZFZ8

If you want a over the ear set, I'd get the ATH M50's. They are usually ~140-150$, but you can often find them on sale for about 125$. Easily the best set at that price range in terms of sound quality, comfort, and build quality.

If you are dead set on <=50$, the Monoprice 8323 are a nice set of budget cans.
If you are willing to look in the 50-100$ range, I'd also take a look at the Creative Aurvana Live (60$), Grado SR-60i (80$), and the ATH-AD700 (100$).

The ones that I've tried and I was really impressed with were these: http://www.amazon.com/Edition-Wireless-Headset-PlayStation-3-63089006306200/dp/B0087OZ5FG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371555012&sr=8-1&keywords=sony+pulse+wireless . I know that they are way more than 50$ but it's a good investment if you also have a PS3.

Also tried these ones and they are quite good for their price: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDRZX100-BLK-Series-Headphones/dp/B004WODP20/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371555090&sr=8-2&keywords=sony+mdr-zx100 .

But the ones I use most of the times are the headphones from my Galaxy S3 because I find them to be the most comfortable: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-EH64AVFWE-Premium-Stereo-Headset/dp/B007C5S3AU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371555156&sr=8-1&keywords=galaxy+s3+headphones .

EDIT: and straight from the frontpage: http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-Vita-In-ear-Headset/dp/B006PP3ZK6/ref=pd_sim_vg_20 . Have not tried them but the price is great for an official product.

Budget - $50-$100

Source - Android phone/Sansa Clip+ (also might be interested in a portable amp if necessary and that would be a separate budget)

Requirements for Isolation - The more the better. Used in public transportation, driving, gym, noisy work place when on lunch or break.

Preferred Type of Headphone - IEMs

Preferred tonal balance - I prefer overall balance with maybe a hint of focus on bass or highs depending on mood and what I am listening to.

Past headphones - Recently purchased the monoprice 8320 variant that came with extra tips. Over all I did enjoy the sound they produced, but the fit and isolation regardless of what tips I tried (even 3rd party) left a lot to be desired. The 8320's cord is also very terrible when it came to tangling, but I do feel like the cord itself is very durable because of the material. Before the 8320 I had some skull candy inked that fit into my ears really well and I liked the isolation, but they were very bass heavy. Headphones that I use now at home on my desktop are Sennheiser HD595. I love the sound I get from these overall, so if there was an IEM that had a similar sound I would not be opposed.

Preferred Music - I listen to a little bit of everything I suppose. In current order of frequency as of late (most listened to least listened): Rap, hip hop, rock, alt, pop, electronica, classical, country.

I was looking at the following as well, but decided to look into maybe spending a bit more money for better quality.

MEElectronics Sport-Fi M6

VSonic VSD1

VSONIC GR02

Klipsch Image S4 -II

No headphone is BiFL, especially workout headphones that will get wet/bumped. That being said...

Just picked up these JayBirdx3 knockoffs - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GNYFT8E/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_22?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2KUZVNQ9LP7N9

So far, they are the best bluetooth headphones I have owned. Sound is amazing, they are very secure while running/working out, there is a magnet on the end of each one so they clip together when not in your ears, and they claim to be waterproof and from what I have seen I am not doubting that. They are also noise cancelling, which is a great feature in an already solid product.

Had them for just over a month, 23 workouts/30 runs and still working perfectly. If they last 6 months, at $40 that is a great value in my opinion.

>Holy smoke! That price :D

I understand completely, it's a big investment for something you jam in your ear holes. If by chance you did talk yourself into it, I can vouch for the sound quality of these things. Where most earbuds emulate a noise that's kinda bass like, these things deliver actual bass.

They do it so well that I can't turn up my MP3 player past a volume level of 2 with them in. The shure earbuds I can comfortably listen to at 6-8.

Heads up, don't follow any product links from that amazon page, or you're gonna find out that $180 in the world of high end audio is hardly even an entry price.

>Atm my main plan is though Sony MDR EX650AP but just an idea atm, do you know if their good?

My only experience with Sony products in the last 10-15 years is in regards to their monitoring headphones for mixing.

I've owned the MDR-V700DJ, and the MDR-V900's, I have no complaints about either set, and would recommend them, but I don't imagine that info is much help in your want to know about sony earbuds.

Shure makes a pair around the same price point as your Sonys, and they make great stuff.

The only thing I would say about Shure is that the bass definition leaves a bit to be desired, but the overall fidelity is amazing.

Another cool thing about Shure earbuds is that you can replace the cable if it gets jacked up. You pop off the drivers, and a new cord plugs right in, no tools needed.

Hey guys hopefully you can help me decide on my first good pair of headphones
Budget - $200,somewhat flexible
Source - iMac, Android smartphone
Requirements for Isolation - I will mainly use these at home, but I would still like a good amount of isolation
Preferred Type of Headphone - full sized
Preferred tonal balance - I am really not sure what I want; I enjoy bass and mids, but if I had to choose, I'd rather have clear vocals over bass.
Past headphones - JVC HAFX1X -  http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004S7Q8CA?pc_redir=1413179178&robot_redir=1
I found them bass heavy but lacking a lot of clarity.

Sony MDRZX300 -  http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005GXDDVO?pc_redir=1413200557&robot_redir=1
I found these to sound somewhat boring.

Preferred Music - I mainly listen to alternative, indie, rock, and pop. Some artists I listen to are: imagine dragons, AFI, two door cinema club , capital cities.

Location -US
Other notes :
I have heard a lot of good things about the ath m50x, and Beyer custom one pro. I definitely need removable cables.

I have had many high end sets of headphones, but my current favorite right now would have to be my Bose in ears. (I bought them for 75 I think.)

To be honest the sound quality isn't fantastic, but the rubber molds that go in your ears are FANTASTIC. I couldn't care less if these were Bose headphones, but someone had a good idea and brought it to fruition. =)

I think that Bose headphones tend to be pretty solid, its their stereo speakers that really get to me. They just sound so small and lack depth of sound. Bose headphones are understandable. Bose speakers...eh.

I'd suggest saving up, to be honest. The next step down is the 518s but those cost £99. In the US, 518s and the Siberias would be the same price.

If you absolutely need headphones for under 80 euro, I'd probably suggest either the

• Grado SR60is
  
  
• Sony V6
  
  Both should have better soundstage than Siberias, but are just a little out of your price range. Grados are open, so they should have good soundstage. They're apparently amazing for more acoustic type music. V6's have been around for a very long time and are very, very, very accurate. They won't color your music, but you'll get very high levels of detail.
  
  Anything below that, and I'd say Siberias. 558>518>Grado/V6>Siberia
  
  Zalman's a pretty good choice. Clear sound, but don't expect it to block out background noise.
  

I got these TaoTronics a couple of months ago and really like them.

https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Headphones-TaoTronics-Earphones-TT-BH07/dp/B06ZYX6Y1T/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1510196518&sr=1-3&keywords=taotronics+earbuds

I have a hard time with ear buds staying in my ears, but these stay in pretty good. They come with different size rubber pieces to help them fit better. They are also magnetized so when you take them out, you can just wear them around your neck. Highly recommend.

I'm actually using my workout buds.

http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-BackBeat-Fit-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B00KJLMBQQ

They actually work out beautifully. You would think the Vive cable would mess with the back of the headphones where it goes around your neck but it never actually does since the Vive wire goes straight down and your neck is in further than that.

I'm used to my headphones like my HD800 and high end IEMs and I was not at all unsatisfied with the sound quality from these buds.

I just do not like extra wires for VR and I like they I can lift up the HMD without having to worry about my headphones.

These are also good at letting you still hear your friends during a VR party and also they work fine through the wall as my PC is actually in the next room over.

Sounds like the Klipsch S4 would be good on the less expensive end of your range, and the HiFiMan RE-400 would be good on the upper end of your range. I also think highly of the Etymotic MC5, MC3, or HF5. Then there's the trusty Shure SE215, but I don't think it'd go as well as some of the others according to your music taste.

Of all of those in your price range, I'd recommend the RE-400s or HF5s. Both are great IEMs. The RE-400 is highly recommended around this subreddit.

If you're willing to stretch your budget, there are also the Rock-it R-50s, which have great mids and highs, which I recommend for rock/metal/indie/classical.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06ZYX6Y1T/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1503682794&sr=8-2-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=taotronics+bluetooth+headphones&psc=1

Not to sound like an advertisement, but they have great sound quality and pretty good battery life as well. I love them.

Hey there!
I think that in that price range the combination of small and cordless is rather hard to find. However, I do happen to know two in that price range with good ratings. The first: Plantronics BackBeat go 2.
What I like about them is the price, and the fact that they have above average rating. In Europe the will cost you 60 Euros but in the USA (I checked the wallmart site) they only cost $34 (how unfair! :P)
I also checked Amazon and found a certified refurbished pair for only $19,99! There is also a version of the product with an included charging case, but in the case of wall-mart the price doubles, so that's a choice. The charging pack is actually a sachet with a build in powerbank... so you can get that cheaper.

https://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-BackBeat-Wireless-Earbud-Headphones/dp/B0100XAH7M/ref=pd_lpo_107_lp_t_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PTRST0JTF45ZE6G7BA0Y

Second: TaoTronics Bluetooth Wireless 4.1 Magnetic Earbuds
I have heard great things about these! They get an excellent rating, and they cost almost the same as the plantronics. On amazon they go for 37,99, they look in my opinion pretty good, and they look smaller in comparison to the plantronics.

https://www.amazon.com/TaoTronics-Bluetooth-Headphones-Wireless-Earphones/dp/B01GNYFT8E/ref=sr_1_2?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1484083139&sr=1-2&keywords=TaoTronics+Bluetooth+Wireless+4.1+Magnetic+Earbuds

I owned a pair of jaybird x2's but they broke and I got a refund, but now after doing some research for you I am genuinely thinking about getting a pair of TaoTronics!

I hope all of this helps!

I generally only use in ear headphones while I'm at the gym, at work (driving the ball picker at the driving range which gets loud) or walking to class. I like enough isolation to get rid of the sound of say, riding a lawn mower, but after that I prefer awesome sound. I'd say isolation is my top because I hate hearing outside noise. That being said I'm looking to spend around $150 for a good pair of headphones. But I am willing to go up to $300 for an amazing pair that'll last me awhile.

I also have the soundmagic e10 which I love for the price. So if you know any headphones that sound good for me let me know! Thanks

Budget - 150$

Source - Laptop mostly

Requirements for Isolation - A must have. Will be using at home when it's really loud most of the time.

Preferred Type of Headphone - Conflicted between IEM and full-size right now. I want the portability and isolation of the IEMs but I feel like I can get so much more from regular headphones at the same price point.

Preferred tonal balance - Nothing really preferred since I'm new to all this

Past headphones - Cheap 20$ hand-me-down from a friend

Preferred Music - All sorts

What would you like to improve on from your set-up - I want something durable that'll last for a good while. Need isolation above all else though.

I've been looking at the Shure 215 and the RE400 as my top picks so far. But I can get the ATH m40x for the same price as the 215s. Any advice?

Edit: The m6 pros look like a nice cheaper alternative too.

I know not everyone here knows every headphone just from sight, so I included the box in my picture. Just in case, they are the Shure SE215's

I know the picture quality is crap, but the only camera I have is my phone since the only thing I take pictures for is stuff for reddit.

Just got them about 2 hours ago, will be doing a write-up on them within the next few days after I put enough time into them.

Some first impressions: the seal is phenomenal. I got them and then immediately went to do laundry. In a small laundry room with two machines running, I couldn't hear anything other than my music (and it wasn't the volume, I actually turned my phone down from where I normally have it). The built-in ear guides on the cables are...not my preferred choice. I would have preferred normal cables that I could thread through ear guides I already have from Ostry KC06A (which have broke, hence why I got the 215's). The sound is fantastic, definitely a basshead set of IEM's, but they aren't terribly lacking in other ways. Only thing I'm a little disappointed in is that they don't seem to have as large of a soundstage as my KC06A's, which is one of the main things I loved about them. Maybe that will change after some use, maybe not.

Overall these are a fantastic set of IEM's, even if the fit is a bit weird at first, and if you're into EDM or hip-hop I'd definitely recommend them if you're looking at something around the $100 price range

Cool project, it's kind of imitating this which would be the perfect solution for him (only other options being buy an android phone or buy a wireless headset). I don't see any other way around this.

I have a Galaxy S6 and bought a cheap pair of earbuds. They happen to be wireless bluetooth earbuds. I didn't buy them for that, I bought them because most 30$ headsets on Amazon were fake or garbage. They're pretty awesome for the price, 8 hours of battery, decent mic and audio quality.

Turns out, bluetooth headsets are fucking awesome, especially when you pair them with wireless charging. I can walk around the house while my phone is charging, and be listening to music or talking on the phone. If I walk a little too far out of range, it's very easy to pick up the phone to move with me. I'll even wear them while driving sometimes. My phone charges in the car, and I can get out at the gas stations and keep listening to my podcast without needing to touch the phone.

I thought I'd hate wireless earbuds but I ended up loving them. I have a tough decision about whether to buy wired headphones or wireless now. If your friend bought an Iphone X and Iphone 8, he should certainly have enough money to buy some Airpods or something else to solve his problem of keeping the lightning port free while moving around and charging.

This might be slightly more headphone oriented but I'm looking at getting a blue-tooth audio RX/TX so I can listen to TV/Music late at night without bothering my housemate through our thin shitty walls.

The only experience I have with blue-tooth audio is with the Sony MW600 that uses Bluetooth 3.0. I've found it has a very noticeable impact on audio quality even through Samsungs Oem headphones and my cars stock system.

Was bluetooth 4.0, 4.1, 4.2 a big jump in audio quality?

4.0 RX/TX for $24 Lacks Pass through charging so not extremely interested but still an option

4.1 RX/TX for $34 This supports pass through charging so I'm leaning towards this.

My Galaxy S7 has bluetooth 4.2 and my desktop has 4.0.

As I understand it 4.2 adds a big jump in transfer speeds but I'd imagine that my mostly 320kbps library with a few flacs, Spotify premium and the stereo output from my TV is is well under the transfer speed of even 4.0.

I'm not listening through super high end gear. Wired will be the cheap yet awesome Beteran KZ ATE w/ Mic and an inexpensive pair of in-ear bluetooth headphones like these or a also cheap but good over ear set. I need to do a little more research into bluetooth headphones but right now I'm focused on which bluetooth TX/RX to buy. Leaning towards in-ears since their more portable.

___
/r/headphones seems to recommend these $70 over ear bluetooth headphones or these $27 in ear bluetooth headphones. As far as I can tell most of those ~$25 in ear headphones are pretty much all clones of each other with mostly the same internals and user interfaces.
__
Not looking for the best bluetooth set up I don't have the money for it. But I don't want to notice and regret the drop in audio quality every time I go wireless over a 3.5mm cable as I do with the MW600.

I'm in the same boat (drummer, I assume). Recently purchased some MEE M6-PROs as they were on sale for $40 (now $48). I run a click off my phone and the monitor out from our vocals mixer at practice/my monitor mix at shows into a cheap little Behringer mixer I keep by my kit and use the IEMs out from there. Eventually I'll go wireless with it and probably upgrade the IEMs as well. For now here's my review:

Pros: cheap as fuck and seem to be of at least a fairly decent sound quality- I'm not super well versed with how good IEMs can sound, but these sound better than any earbuds or headphones I've used that cost <$100. With the provided foam tips they're significantly louder and cancel out more noise than any of the other cheap foam or rubber earbuds I had before. They're comfortable enough to wear all day at work, through a 3 hr practice, or an hour+ gig. The memory wire and wire clip keep them in place and keep the wires from danging around all over the place. They came with 2 sets of cables* (one has a mic and volume slider so you can use it for phone calls), 1 set of foam tips, multiple rubber tips, an 1/8-1/4" adapter, and a nice little case.

CONS: for some reason the 1/8 plug doesn't play nicely with other 1/8-1/4 adapters, but I've only tried with a couple and it comes with one so no huge deal. The biggest con I've found is that with one set of the wires (the set without the mic) the right side monitor is finnicky. I'm not sure if there's an issue with the leads, QC, or what, but it has a tendency to cut out and then you have to wiggle it in your ear a bit to fix it (several others on Amazon mentioned this in their reviews). I don't have this problem with the wires that have the mic, so I pretty much just use those. Again, not really a big issue for me- the sound from either set of wires seems to be identical so whatever. That said, the cables could be longer. They're a great length for using as ear-buds, but for how I had my shit set up they were too short and I had to move my little mixer table closer to my kit, again not really a big deal.

Verdict: They're definitely good enough for me, for now. The main things I was looking for were noise protection/enough volume to hear the click over drums, comfort, and cheapness. I wish that both sets of cables worked, but that's less of a con so much as a not-pro. Eventually I'll upgrade them but for now these get the job done.

I use Xtreme Xplosivs. They're easily the best quality earbud I've ever owned, and they're very reasonably priced. My old pair lasted 2 years before the left ear bud went out (probably due to the way I wrap them around my phone in my pocket without removing them from the port). They do get slightly uncomfortable after extended use - like 2+ hours of consistent listening.

I only really use earbuds because of their portability. When I'm at home, I use these Sennheisers which are very comfortable and sound great. Like you mentioned, they will mess up your hair and matt it down where the band goes over your head, but when I'm at home, I don't mind sacrificing my looks for comfort and superior sound, lol. Also, a quick ballcap usually satisfies the situation.

• Budget: Up to 100$ I'm a little flexible if I can get a great upgrade some a just a little bit more.
  
• Source: My phone. Samsung Galaxy S4.
  
• Requirements for Isolation: Not a requirement. But I do travel a lot with bus and those can be loud, not a very good experience with my previous, not isolated headphones.
  
• Will you be using these Headphones in Public?: Yes, though looks doesn't really matter. If it's possible it would be nice if they didn't leak very much sound.
  
• Preferred Type of Headphone: IEM / Earbuds
  
• Preferred tonal balance: I honestly don't know. I guess balanced?
  
• Past headphones: Bose IE2
  
• Preferred Music: Rock / Metal, EDM.
  
  Avenged Sevenfold - MIA
  
  Stonebank - Be Alright
  
  TIN - Ticking
  
  Asking Alexandra - Moving On (Acoustic)
  
  
• What would you like to improve on from your set-up: A punchy bass is really nice in my opinion.
  
  I had the Audio-Technica IM70s recommended for me, though they don't seem to be available in my country. I have been thinking about RHA MA-750 instead...

I bought these. I love these. Bluetooth with the controls on the ear peace instead of the wire which drives me nuts. Study and pairs great. Audio is great too. Best part? $20. Enjoy.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018APC4LE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hi ,

So I currently have the apple earpods , but after 1 year and half of daily usage , they're in pretty bad shape and I'm not sure if I should buy them again or if there are better choices for the same price range , so here I am !

Budget - 5-60€

Requirements for Isolation - Some isolation would be cool I guess , even though I usually use them in quiet places.

Will you be using these Headphones in Public? Yes , at the gym and at work mostly.

Preferred Type of Headphone - I've always used earbuds , I don't mind IEMs if they're better than earbuds in my budget.

Preferred Music - I mostly listen to classical , pop and rock.

I also did some research and found those two :

SoundMagic E30

Zero Audio Tenore

Not sure if they're good or better than my apple earpods , but they're in my budget , feel free to suggest something else of course !

Thank you !

I don't know much about headphones. Just lurking trying to learn, but when comes to price (via Amazon) their is a price difference. The Shure SE215 are 99.99 USD and the Audio-Technica ATH-IM70 are 130.99 USD. Why is it worth the $30 extra price tag?

You can't just say

> Because they're better

You have to list ways that they're better. And the only reason I know you're right is because I googled and found a post.

> My IM70 arrived Tuesday, first impressions are very good
> Due to the square profile they will not fit the at-hpp33 case but my Shure SE215 do so I swapped cases
> Unfortunately I broke my arm on Monday so the full SE215 vs IM70 contest will have to wait a while
> Pre burn in the IM70 beat the SE215 in detail and clarity easily the IM70 is all round a much higher quality sound
> I have run them direct from an Ipod classic which powers them easily, through my full triple stack classic-clas-fireyeHD they really lift to a higher level coming close to my Ety er4s
> Output impedance does not appear to be an issue I cannot detect any problem areas in the spectrum with the Fireye HD and it has a rated output impedance of 10Ohms
> Fit is good the included T500 are a little small but they do not seem to be overly seal sensitive I have some large T500 on the way so will report back on any difference

-Dogmatrix on Head-Fi.org

EDIT @ 15:18:01 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time): Sorry if I sound hostile.

Since most of this thread is full of people asking for headphones, there are a few nice ones around $50, which seems to be everyones "budget".

Earbuds: $36: Yuin PK3. You can opt for the PK2 if you want better quality earbuds. No one else really comes close in this category.

Headphones:
$50: iGrado

$75: Grado

$100: Audio Technica AD700

I really suggest to get the PK3 if your budget is that low (below $50). Otherwise, everyone seems to like Sennhiser, Audio Technica, Sony and Koss.

Here is a good reference to look up known good headphones. It's a little outdated, as the prices have gone up on most of these.

I have the Audio Technica M50, and my friend has the M50S. The only big difference is a coiled cord on the M50S. Good luck, and enjoy your music!

I would highly recommend these. For the money, the sound is fantastic, and they come with a variety of tips to fit your ear - some more isolating than others. You mold the wire to fit around the back of your ear and it works really well.

They also make them without the molded wire. Those are the ones I have now. I clip it to my shirt so they don't tug on my ears every time I take a step. Either way they are fantastic (I have had both). Incidentally, when my first pair broke, amazon replaced them for free, so don't be intimidated if you haven't heard of meelectronics before. Their products are fantastic.

There's plenty of DAPs that offer BT but not "hi-res" audio, whatever that means (nothing tbh, it's just a marketing buzzword).

People expecting hi-res audio most likely also expect good audio quality. They're going to receive the opposite though. Not so much because BT compresses the audio, but for other reasons:

What everyone seems to be ignoring (or not realizing) is that the sound quality degradation from Bluetooth and other wireless options doesn't come from the compression it may or may not use. It comes from the fact that to become wireless they have to move the DAC and amplifier from the source to those tiny headphones. And since wireless headphones cannot possibly fit what is inside a good desktop DAC and amp, they have to compromise. The capacitors in my desktop headphone amp alone are 3 times the size of an entire airpod, and there are dozens of them in the amp. It's just not physically possible to put something like that in wireless headphones unless you're willing to break several laws of physics. And in this house we obey the laws of thermodynamics.

Same with the DAC, you can make good sounding DACs that are rather small these days, but the really great sounding DACs are the size of VCR's. There just isn't a way around it, going wireless means you have to be willing to compromise on sound quality. Especially considering the DAC and amp are fighting with the battery over the tiny amount of space that's available in wireless headphones, and after all the battery is needed to drive everything, so it needs to be as big as possible. The DAC and amp are always going to lose that fight.

If you want the convenience of BT that's fine. But don't expect something like "hi-res audio" (which isn't actually a real standard accepted by the audiophile community). You're going to get a wireless DAP and it doesn't matter which one, they're basically all gonna sound exactly like the cheap BT earbuds you're gonna pair them with, so go for the cheapest or the one with the most features, but please stop using words like hi-res. You're not gonna get it by going wireless.

/elitist audiophile rant mode: off

EDIT: If you're looking for a bluetooth IEM that is cheap, convenient and offers much better sound quality than it should, here it is. You can get cheaper BT IEM's, you can get some with better battery life, but you won't find any with such a pleasing, mellow sound that will melt you from the inside out.

Ah I see. For a minimalist band design I would recommend the TaoTronic In Ear Neckband Piece $25. The trade off is that all the controls are now in the ear piece if you are ok with the additional weight on the bulky earpieces. Alternatively the Anker Soundbuds $25 have the controls on the cable but comes with a standard sized ear piece if that is within your tolerance. Lastly I would recommend The Phaiser BHS 750 at $50 because it is in my opinion the best sounding pair out of the three suggested. Although the Phasier ones sound the best to me, don't expect any of them to provide you the sound quality Sennheiser HD-1 in ear can give you.

I know you said you wanted "over the ear" type, but I've had a pair of Shure 215s and I love them. They're tiny and don't get in the way, like earbuds, but due to the design they don't fall out, even during activities. They do a fantastic job of blocking outside noise, which means you don't need to turn the volume way up just to hear your music. The sound quality is really good as well (disclaimer: I'm not an audiophile). I was hesitant to spend $90 but I'm glad I did.

No, unless you're used to using big over the ear headphones that require amplification like some Sennheisers, but that's a completely different league. All the Bluetooth EARBUDS I've used have had better sound quality than their non Bluetooth counterparts at multiple price points. My latest pair of jaybird x3's are fantastic for what they are, even if they were a little pricey for me ~$120. For anyone who wants to try out Bluetooth earbuds for the first time and not break the bank, grab a pair of Taotronics TT-BH07's off Amazon for 30 bucks. Best sounding 30 dollar headphones I've ever listened to, almost as good as the jaybirds even.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZYX6Y1T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_f.ylzbX93JW58

They're actually on sale right now for $24. Fucking capitalism.

I'd wager you were doing something wrong and it was simply a tech-support fail/cop out, but there's no way of knowing for certain.

I have both the BackBeat PRO and the BackBeat FIT. Neither has given me any issues with Win 7, Win 10, or Android. I'm sure the audio quality is less than in the more expensive audiophile offerings, but I'm more about form and function coupled with cost, than I am about pristine audio quality in a wireless device.

And, honestly, I didn't set out to buy Plantronics. I started shopping for a set of features in a product with good reviews and a reasonable price. Both sets of criteria led me to Plantronics products. I really thought they'd gone out of business before that.

Oh I absolutely agree! I think as long as there's a charging port that can be used for audio then that's still going to exist but you can't argue that wireless hasn't been up and coming for ages. The prices have just dropped so much over the last couple of years that it's ridiculous. I disagree to an extent with your comment on them being expensive. I have a pair of these that I got on sale for under $20. They sound pretty great! Sure, they aren't comparable to my more expensive wired headphones but for the price they are excellent for workouts.

As the prices come down I think they will become more and more prevalent. Better bluetooth standards and APTx are bridging the gap more and more for regular listeners (audiophiles certainly aren't going to be impressed) and I believe that the new standard that's going into production next year is supposed to be even better for music.

Charging them is definitely still a pain in the ass though.

I'm not sure what your version of "affordable" is (true noise-canceling headphones/earbuds can be very expensive). I currently use the Bose QuiteComfort 20 noise-canceling earbuds. I think they're pretty awesome.

I was using Shure SE215-CL Sound Isolating Earphones and Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear earbuds. I use them mostly at work after we were moved from a building with individual offices to a building with god-awful cubicles. I use them with my phone to listen to music. Even with quiet music playing, I think the Sennheiser and Shure noise-isolating earbuds are almost as effective at drowning out office noise as the noise-canceling Bose earbuds are. Without music playing through them, though, the actual noise-canceling feature on the Bose is great.

I've seen advertisements and reviews pop up recently for "high-tech" earplugs recommended for people who sleep with a snorer. The reviews seem to be great for many of them, and they were all around $25-35/pair, so they're a lot less expensive than something you can connect to a phone or other device.

These are pretty legendary: http://www.amazon.com/Grado-Prestige-SR-60i-Padded-Headphones/dp/B0006DPMU4

But these are what I love, since I like to block out all other sound: http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SCL4-W-Isolating-Earphones-Headphones/dp/B000TUZOAC/ref=sr_1_11?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1310575278&sr=1-11

(I got these for $60!!!!!! on clearance at guitar center a couple years ago...look for a good sale, or go for the cheaper model. They're all good.)


Could probably get all of these on ebay. Always look for sound deals on ebay/cragislist, because good equipment pretty much lasts forever and doesn't change over time, unlike receivers.

That's a huge reason why computer speakers are a bad move...they integrate all the components. If you buy everything separately, you can only upgrade what you need over your lifetime. There are people that will keep speakers for 20 years and just get a different amp/receiver every few years as technology gets better.

I also own these, and they sound as good as they did when I got them about 10 years ago: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-V700DJ-DJ-Style-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00001W0DH

Hi y'all.

Looking for a nice cheap pair of BT headphones, to replace my KZ-ATEs which are falling apart. Not too obsessed about sound quality, but as long as it has the same amount of detail as any "good" budget IEM, it's good enough for me.

(Side note: Tried my old turtle beach PX3s after almost a year of HD 598s. 0/10)

Anyway, I'm deciding between UrAvgConsumer recommended Aukey BT Earbuds, Anker SoundBuds, and Anker SoundBuds Sport IE20.

The Aukey seems to be the sketchiest, with many reviews having received discounts. I'm leaning towards the IE20, but reviews are pretty sketchy for all of these 3 earbuds, so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Budget - Based in the UK my budget it anything up to about £70 though there might be some wiggle room if there's a recognizable increase in quality.

Source - PC, if they're portable enough potentially a phone/mp3 player but this is not a priority

Requirements for Isolation - Don't need much, will be used almost exclusively at home(unless of course they're portable)

Preferred Type of Headphone - On ear would be my preference, not opposed to full sized either but certainly not IEM's

Preferred tonal balance - I'd prefer a balanced pair

Past headphones - I have never invested more than £15 on headphones, i'm more of a speaker / sound system guy but i figured i could use some in the dorms i'm living next year. I own a pair of JVC HAFX1X which have been perfectly serviceable as portable headphones and also recently a pair of Sony MDR-ZX100 which i found were a bit quite and didn't provide the overall quality i was hoping for.

Preferred Music - I'm a bit of an alt rock / indie guy, mainly listen to bands like the arctic monkeys, the strokes, Black keys but also a little heavier stuff in the region of Metalica.


Location - England, UK. My preference would be to order off amazon but I don't really mind.

Think thats just about everything,

EDIT: Been highly considering these Grado SR60i Prestige Series Open Backed Headphones any thoughts?

Best in-ear headphones you can but for under $50 are Soundmagic E10, trust me, I've been through a fair few pairs of others. Great sound and they last ages. Check out the Amazon reviews if you need more convincing :p

I have the PDP Trigger Grips. Be warned, if you have a "full" screen protector (Static Cling or Water applied) it will scrunch it up unless you work really hard to either trim the water applied/static cling or some how mess with the Static Cling.

---

Some additional accessories that I find useful:

Of course, a travel case. Depending on your style pick a cloth or hard case. I personally like my official Sony Travel Pouch. It's soft and has lots of room for the Vita, headphones, extra games, and a cleaning cloth. Hard cases (Usually 3rd party) are pretty good depending which. I also have the DreamGear hard case as a more travel friendly when going to another person's house. My issue with it is that the case itself fits really snugly with the Vita where it can push on the Power button.

Official Vita Travel Pouch (9.33. Free shipping with Prime)

DreamGEAR 7 in 1 Starter Gear Hard Case (12.99 Free shipping with Prime or $25+)

---

You also want a back screen protector for the back touch panel alone. That thing is very prone to scratches.

---

Thumbstick grips are also very great for the extra grip you want. Sadly, the one I have is discontinued. So I can't really recommend a product I haven't used.

Bluecell Thumb Grips

You can certainly find others. Just read reviews. Be a smart consumer!

---

A great pair of headphones is a must if you travel a bit. I would wholeheartly recommend the official Sony Vita headphones. Great sound and cheap. Has a built in Mic but I'm not sure how good that is.

Official Sony Vita In Ear Canal headphones ($11.95)

---

A handy 2A-2.1A outlet USB charger with a spare USB Vita Cable is always nice to have around traveling.

Please Note: When purchasing additional back up battery packs or charging outlet thingies. Make sure it's 2A to 2.1A (2,000 mA to 21000 mA. not mAh**) output. The vita needs at least 1.5A output to be charged while playing or 1A while off (Very slow).

I think they have 5-8 hours of life. It has a little usb plug to re-charge. I usually do that while I'm at work.

These are the ones I bought for $30, but there's a ton of manufacturers making similar-priced sets. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GNYFT8E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I think a lot of people go for the ones made by Beats, but I read those don't necessarily have the best sound.

I love these though. Even for something like washing dishes, it's nice not to have a cord dangling.

In ears are not that far out of budget, honestly. I am a drummer in a similar set up and I use this headphone amp ($50). You have to run a LINE level signal (not amplified) out of the board, so you'll need a free aux output.

next question is headphones. At first I was using my normal ear buds (klipsch S4) and those were OK - sometimes played with one in, one out. Other times I used various over the ear cans I had. Basically you just need a little extra, you don't need 100% awesome sound.

I recently got sure 215's ($90), which are awesome for my needs. they block out even more sound - which makes it more important to get a good mix.

So thats what I use, and what I'd recommend.

However, nothing wrong with using a monitor wedge, if that works better for you. I'd be most concerned about my hearing - IEMs keep lots of the sound out, and total volume a lot lower.

I mean, those work as earplugs, and will help prevent ear damage/strain, but they will drastically reduce sound quality.

It is absolutely worth getting something like these - $20 may seem like "a lot" for earplugs, but the difference is night and day. Etymotic's also has a $12 version as well, I haven't tried those, but they are supposed to be good, too.

If you want to splurge, I highly recommend Earasers, but those come in at ~$40 a pair.

I've been looking at some cheaper Bluetooth headphones, as I'd really like to use them for sports. Not having a wire in the way would be a really good improvement.

I like the Anker Soundbuds, but I'm not exactly sure on which to get:

Any advice between these two:
Anker Soundbuds
and the Anker Soundbuds NB10?

Budget - < 50€

Source - Phone (Samsung S6), MacBook Air

Requirements for Isolation - Decent but I still want to hear the outside world when I turn down the volume

Will you use these headphones in public - Yes

Preferred Type - IEM

Preferred tonal balance - Overall balance

Past Headphones - iBeats, JVC Xtremes, Sennheiser CX 300 II; mostly cheap-ish IEMs

Preferred Music - Mostly charts

What would I like to improve - I'd like a good and not too expensive wireless pair

I don't know if these earphones are still meme'd much around here anymore as I haven't been on here in a few months but I own the Zero Audio Carbo Tenore's which I find are pretty damn good under the $50 mark. Just make sure to treat them with care as the strain relief on some units can be slightly shoddy.

https://www.amazon.com/AUDIO-ear-stereo-headphone-Tenore-ZH-DX200-CT/dp/B0093VVP0Q/

http://www.amazon.com/Bose-327279-0020-IE2-Audio-Headphones/dp/B003XU6H8I

Bose ear buds, yes they are over $50 but under $100. I have had mine for two years and they are rock solid. They sound great and have a super sturdy cord. The buds don't ever fall out of my ears which is key, and they don't stab my ear like some other designs. One tip, I do keep them in the little zippered pouch that comes with them which could have something to do with their longevity.

I have these. They are buds but they are a bit different bc they wrap around the back of the ear. They also come with several tips so you can get a comfortable fit. I think it makes them more practical. The sound quality is absolutely fantastic for the price. I highly recommend them for that. As far as fashion, they may not be what you are looking for but I thought I should still put them out there. Good luck.

I'd recommend the Shure SE215.

It's decent for the price, it stays on pretty well even when you do exercise and in my experience, the noise isolation is pretty good.

I actually have the special edition (blue one) and I hear that it has slightly stronger bass compared to the regular black or clear ones.

EDIT: Woops, sorry, I misread the post and just realized that you were looking for headphones and not earbuds. I think in-ear earbuds are more suitable for travelling with because they're smaller and lighter, whereas headphones tend to be bulky and heavier to bring around. I'd save the headphones for home use and get a decent pair of in-ear earbuds for going to class. Headphones also tend to have a lot of sound 'leakage' when you play music, so that may be a disturbance to other people around you when you're studying in the library. In-ear earbuds have less 'leakage' when you play music, if that's something you want to consider.

Honestly it's a great phone, and unless you play super heavy games all the time, Quick Charge 3.0 takes care of your battery anxiety.

I prefer a fast charging battery than a bigger, slower one.
And the processor speed will affect everything all the time.

Multitasking is very smooth in the Mi A2 with 4GB.

People think the Poco F1 is a bargain, but the Mi A2 is the real deal, and is a much more balanced package.

If you still need a headphone jack and a larger battery the A2 Lite is there but you lose speed, camera quality and quick charge, and in my mind these are more important for a phone to keep for the next two or three years.

Just get one of these to take care of your headphone needs and marvel at the wireless glory without spending a fortune.

Hope this helps!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/JVC-HAFX1X-Xtreme-Xplosives-Headphones/dp/B004S7Q8CA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333846204&sr=8-1

These JVC IEM's are an awesome pair of headphones, only £16 and they have a ton of bass, it may sometimes be overpowering but i love them. I only really use them when i go to the gym but they are a great pair and if your looking for bass + your style of music im sure you wont be disappointed.

Zero Audio Carbo Tenore are the greatest IEM I've ever used.

https://www.amazon.com/AUDIO-ear-stereo-headphone-Tenore-ZH-DX200-CT/dp/B0093VVP0Q

They sound wonderful for all type of music, great highs and lows. Very well balanced in general. They sound like they could be $150-250, amazing quality for <$50

does anyone have a nice go to pair of bluetooth earbuds for workouts my price range is about 75-100$ but if they were a bit cheaper thatd be ok ? I want something that sounds great without blasting out my eardrums.

Or does quality not matter much anyway with bluetooth ?

https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Headphones-Waterproof-Sweatproof-Cancelling/dp/B01G8JO5F2/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1500058332&sr=8-16&keywords=bluetooth

I had these which I liked but if I could get better quality audio Id be willing to spend more.

Surround sound cans are gimmicky at best; you'll be best off with a higher quality standard stereo pair than an equivalently priced 5.1 or 7.1 pair. That said, I have a pair of Grado SR-80i's that retail for about $100 and are incredible for the price point for music. They work well enough for gaming on sound quality alone, but they're open-air which may be an issue if you are trying to block out external noise. I love the closer soundstage they offer though. There is also slightly cheaper version, the SR-60i which is ~$80 on amazon. Both are low enough impedance to work well without an amp but will benefit from one if you're that interested in getting into the audiophile music experience.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend them for gaming as a primary usage, but for music they really whip the llama's ass. They're pricier than you mentioned, but the difference in quality from $50 to the $80 sr60i is HUGE, and well worth the $30 in my opinion.

earbuds

• MP8320 :http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=108&cp_id=10823&cs_id=1082303&p_id=8320&seq=1&format=2
  
  switch the tips to more comfortable ones... gets tangled quite a bit but the bass and sound stage is alot better than generic iphone ones. I personally use these for gyms. do not throw these in the laundry.
  
  
  
  
• MEE audio Sport-Fi M6: http://www.amazon.com/MEE-audio-Sport-Fi-Isolating-Headphones/dp/B0038W0K2U
  
  
  great reviews from /r/headphones for the under 20 section
  
  
  
  over ear closed headphones
  
  
• MP8323.
  http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=108&cp_id=10823&cs_id=1082302&p_id=8323&seq=1&format=2
  
  
  I used these walking, on the train, commuting and sometimes at work.. These things pack a heavy punch for how much they cost now. I WOULD NOT BUY IF YOU HAVE A BIG HEAD. Earpads can be a bit uncomfy but you can replace them with other ones they sell.
  
  
  
  great place to start researching: https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/wiki/recommendations
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Haven't used them myself, but they seem to have gotten high marks from users on "head-fi".

http://www.head-fi.org/t/733283/new-sennheiser-momentum-in-ear/390

On Amazon they're currently selling for $99.95 so they'd be cheaper than the three I mentioned, esp. the SE315.

Some notes (sorry if you've found out this stuff about them already):

• As you can see, you can get a version with a remote that works specifically with an Android phone like your HTC.
  
  
• This review grades their noise-isolation ability 3.5/5, whereas from personal experience I'd rate both the SE315 and HF5 about 4.5/5 in this area.
  
  
• They don't come with a detachable cable like the Shure SE315.
  
  
• If you like the detachable-cable feature but find the SE315 a little expensive, the lower model SE215 is selling for about $89.00. They have good sound and noise-isolation ability too.
  
  
  

Depends on the use to be honest with you.

Crystal clear quality with a very flat response? (Very suitable for audiophiles who do studio work and/or don't need an overwhelming bass response) : Sennheiser HD280s

Great quality for over the ear headphones and that have amazing bass response (Perfectly suitable for casual listeners that like a bass heavy response but still has a great amount of clarity) : SOL Republic Tracks

Need something for athletic activities that stay in the ear very well? I use these for just about anything from running, biking, weight lifting, or just walking to class : Bose IE-2

Id likely suggest the AKG K240 its one of those classic that keeps popular 20 years later and for the price its hard to beat (44$) and it runs on 55ohm.

Its not known for its great bass, but its the natural upgrade from the Pro in cost and its easy to drive without a amp. If you got a budget of 150$ and 200 got several great options but all options with heavy base need a amp and the few wireless are expensive.

https://www.amazon.com/AKG-K240STUDIO-Semi-Open-Professional-Headphones/dp/B0001ARCFA

Heavy bass tend to be harder to drive, not tried running them from a ps4 myself but read it mixes well.

Sorry I'm a bit late to the party. I had a really good pair that lasted me 2 years(longer than any pair of earbuds ever) They were the best quality earbuds I ever had, and they stay in your ear really well, as they are designed with being active in mind.

They're usually 30 dollars, but right now are on sale for 16 on Amazon right here.

I know the name sounds sketchy and nobody has ever heard of them, but they're honestly great, durable headphones.

1. Accept that there will always be some probability of this happening and thats fine.
   
   
2. It seems like you're saying that you're okay listening to people but you'd like to express more of yourself in conversations. I think part of this is having a few things that you like to talk about. I have a few topics that I can give my opinions on or talk about my experiences.
   
   How did I get those? Partly, going and doing things or reading things. Partly, talking to myself. One great thing about the existence of cheap wireless earbuds is that it is now socially acceptable to talk to yourself while going for a walk.

I would hold off on buying the FK. If the FK1 is too big then wait for the FK2 which should be smaller whenever it comes out.

Do yourself a favor and invest more into your headset. Music is a wonderful thing and you'll be amazed at how often you will rediscover new components to your favorite songs. You really do hear things that you've never quite noticed before. As a headset my highest recommendation goes to Audio Technica's ATH-ADG1. If $100 is your maximum, I would go for either of these:

Westone UM Pro10
Shure SE215-K
*Creative Aurvana Live

The last being my last resort for you. Good luck.

Anyone considering these might also want to look at
these awesome buds from JVC, they have a fantastic range, and thanks to their huge drivers for earbuds, have great bass without having to change the sound. Highs, mids, and lows are all really clear.

Actually, the best in-ear buds I've ever used for sound isolation are Shure earbuds. My husband and I play in a hard rock band, and we use these for in ear monitors in practice and on stage. When I have them on, even if there's nothing coming through, I can barely hear anything. They are not active noise cancelling, but they are excellent at isolating sound and they are a little cheaper. Just something to try out as an alternative. :)

Edit: I also get a lot of mileage out of my ~$15 JVC marshmallow buds for office settings. They're really not bad, sound quality wise, for the price. However, they're only useful when music is on. They do muffle external sounds fairly well, but not completely.

On-ear is also an option. Koss Porta Pro is cheap and has a lifelong guarantee, and then you could just stick an AntLion ModMic on it. Both run you just about under 100$.

Btw, a Blue Yeti is decent and also usually doesn't cost 100$.

I also wear glasses, and decent headphones aren't going to be uncomfortable, they just cost more. It's an investment, but if you want something cheaper and portable I think the Koss are very decent.

ModMic: https://www.amazon.com/Antlion-Audio-ModMic-Attachable-Microphone/dp/B00R98JVVU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1525683488&sr=8-4&keywords=AntLion+ModMic

Koss Porta Pro: https://www.amazon.com/Koss-Porta-Pro-Headphones-Silver/dp/B00001P4ZH/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1525683534&sr=1-3&keywords=koss+portapro

Some other recommendations:

SoundMagic E10: https://www.amazon.com/SoundMAGIC-Noise-Isolating-Earphones-Gunmetal/dp/B005HP3OB0/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1525683563&sr=1-3&keywords=SoundMagic+E10

These will actually sound amazing depending on the hardware you run them on. The better the source, the better they sound. They can sound as good, if not better, than In-Ears that cost double as much! They're rather neutral.

Yeti Blue Snowball: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B014PYGTUQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1525683616&sr=1-3&keywords=Yeti+Snowball

(Actually only 50$ right now)

If you want just audio excellence for a reasonable price, you will NOT be disappointed with a set of Shure SE215's. I recommend them to everyone.

I bought mine to use as in ear monitors with my old originals band, and they worked wonderfully for that. Now they're my gaming ears. Excellent sound, incredibly comfortable, although if I were buying a new pair I'd probably try the wireless ones. They're incredibly durable as well. There is literally no sound you will miss with these in.

I bought the PS Gold Wireless Headset and it has been awesome - the one thing is figure out if you like the virtual surround sound or not. I really don't some people do. My favorite setting is the default bass boost #2 on the switch. Do not create your own profile and max the bass thinking it will boom-- it is too much for them and it will sound bad. - When I am not playing I hook it up to my Wii or my ps4 to have it charged up next time..

Also - yes it comes with a cable so you can use it direct connect to the controller if the battery dies.

Look for deals - I got mine for $60 new

Edit - also for a super cheap quality ear plug headset get the ones made for the ps vita.. they work great on the PS4 as well
http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-Vita-In-ear-Headset/dp/B006PP3ZK6

I just bought some Anker Soundbuds Slims. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6DC2ZE

They're fantastic, I'm VERY impressed with both the sound quality and connection strength (other Bluetooth headphones I've had are unreliable as hell).

As for removing/replacing apps, I think Moto does a good job of not putting bloatware on their phones. So most of the included apps are stock Android apps, which are pretty smooth and reliable. But to be fair, it's been a few years since I've owned a Moto (and they're owned by Lenovo now).

They are not the best headphones in the world, but I am quite happy with them and think they are just fine for working out/walking around in. They have better range than my Beats Studio Wireless headphones which I use more for relaxing & ASMR and wouldn't wanna work out in. Plus, I wouldn't freak out if I lost or broke them since they are cheaper - even though losing them is pretty unlikely with the magnetic feature.

Editing to add that I REALLY like that the Taotronics will reconnect and start playing again on their own if you leave and re-enter their range which my Beats don't do.

Also, these are the ones I have in case you wanna know! Sadly, it looks like they are a little more expensive now, but still way more reasonable than Bose.

The Grado SR-60i's won whathifi's best headphones a couple of years ago and for only 79 bucks they are a fucking steal. IMO sennheiser are the Beats by dre of the audiophile headphone market. Grado's might not be the sexiest thing out there but they are American made, if you care about that type of thing, and dollar for dollar they're the best on the market. If you're looking for over ear rather than on, the AKG K-240 has been an industry favorite for years.

A lot of people recommend Yurbuds. You sort of twist the rubbery part into your ear and its supposed to 'lock' in place, but they never really worked for me.
I have been using these Bose earbuds for over a year now and love them. A little expensive, but they are comfortable and the little rubber fin wedges into the curve of your ear and really holds them in place. I've actually dropped my iPod with them in my ear and they a) stopped my iPod from smashing into the floor and b) didn't move an inch from where they were. Plus, the sound is really great for earbuds.

Probably not aiding the bulk in any great way, but increasing the benefit by swapping out those earphones. I have the Shure SE215's, and I am very happy with them, better isolation & vastly superior sound than apple earbuds. Plus the cables detach & are replaceable.

Shure SE215
These are the ones i use daily and also in the gym. Not only do they sound great, they wont fall out because of how you wear them. You can change the Cord which is allways good.
You will also not hear a thing with these in at moderate volume. I usually have them a little above half on my mp3 player, because i dont want to damage my ears :P
The sound will be too good to only enjoy audiobooks tho, you will have to try them with some music^^ The bass is really great on those.

Sure! http://www.amazon.com/AKG-240-Semi-Open-Studio-Headphones/dp/B0001ARCFA Those should do nicely. Also, just FYI, there is no such thing as a pair of 'gaming' headphones. If they're only good for gaming and not so good for anything else - they're crap. Those will provide a fairly decent soundstage, excellent clarity and will be fairly comfortable for extended usage - they will also (obviously) be really good for music (provided you have a decent sound chip).

My go-to wired earbuds were always these: http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Headphones-RP-HJE120-K-Ergonomic-Comfort-Fit/dp/B003EM8008/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1458855593&sr=1-1&keywords=panasonic+earbuds

Super cheap and sound great.

I recently bought these: http://smile.amazon.com/Plantronics-BackBeat-Fit-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B00KJLMBQQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458855617&sr=8-1&keywords=plantronics+backbeat+fit+2

I actually like them a lot. The band that dangles backward could be super annoying because it's floppy, but I wear a headband to keep it in place. Sweat can accumulate in/around these, but I did a 10-mile run last week and it never affected the sound for more than a moment. Really digging the bluetooth/wireless aspect and I would recommend them, even though they're not perfect.

edit: it looks like the yellow Plantronics are on sale for $76 right now, great deal.

I use these. They're cheap and fairly low profile. The wire also goes around the top of your ear so they stay in place better.
MEE audio Sport-Fi M6 Noise Isolating In-Ear Headphones with Memory Wire (Clear) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0038W0K2U/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_DvJlybH4F7R52

I also use these
Comply Premium Replacement Foam Earphone Earbud Tips - Isolation T-200 (Black, 3 Pairs, S/M/L) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B003JBWYLK/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_yxJlybYM4QR02

They basically turn any set of earbuds into plug phones. The noise cancelation with them is amazing.

I ride with a sena smh10r and I absolutely love it and have convinced a few friends to buy their own. It's very enjoyable riding with others and having a casual conversation.

Just experiment with the settings until you find something that sounds good to you.

I personally use just the EQ on the "Normal" setting with the bass frequencies tuned a bit down. I don't use the other settings as I find them gimmicky. I use Shure SE-215's.

If you want truly good audio, ditch the bluetooth headphones and get a good pair of wired headphones. Head-Fi has a great buying guide for good headphones.

http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide

I actually found these on this sub, ending an exhaustive search for amazing IEMs I could afford. They are the best audiophile purchase I have ever made. The bass is deep and round and tight and powerful, the mids are strong and intricate and well balanced, the highs are lucid and crystal clear, and the soundstage is incredible.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0093VVP0Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought these to use while I ride my m/c. They stay in place under a full face helmet.

http://www.amazon.com/MEElectronics-M6-CL-Sound-Isolating-Headphones-Players/dp/B0038W0K2U

Up near the ear bud, the last two inches or so of the cord is a pliable material that you can shape around your ear for a nice secure fit. They come with 4 or 5 different tips that help give you more secure fit depending on the internal shape of your ear. Sound quality is decent but not on par with Etymotic or Shure.

If you are having issues with them staying in place, Comply Foam Tips would be another good option to try. I have replaced all my earbud tips with these.

http://www.complyfoam.com/

You roll the foam tip like an earplug and it expands in your ear to seal out ambient noise and provide a snug fit.

thats not a dumb question at all! u/cas_sj has given you some good info, so ill keep my reply short.

I use the Scosche Rhythm+ HRM. Its an armband instead of a chest strap. I love it for the most part, but I find the sweatier I get the more it loses contact with the bike. Im not sure if its a sensor issue though, so I need to look into that. I wore that together with my chest strap HRM to compare readings and it was pretty spot on.

I use that mat everyone suggests on Amazon. I cannot BELIEVE its $98! I'd watch for a restock somewhere, or get another mat that has similar dimensions.

I have tried several pairs of earbuds. Heads up that Bose DO NOT WORK with the bike. I currently use the BeatsX, but the PowerBeats and PowerBeats3 also work. I also have this cheap pair that work perfectly. I had to send back my BeatsX for warranty replacement and got these while I waited. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N6DC2ZE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hope this all helps!

Hello all, wall of text approaching.


Budget - $100-$150 MAX

Source - Retina Macbook Pro, Iphone 4s. No amps here.

Requirements for Isolation - Moderate to High Isolation. I'll use these at work with one headphone in.

Preferred Type of Headphone - IEMs,

Preferred tonal balance - Balanced with a lot of bass/sub bass. (not really balanced I know, but the rest of the tonal range is important to me)

Past headphones - Meelectronics M6P's these have nice bass, but not the best over-all sound quality. Astrotec AX-35. Picked these guys up on a recent Massdrop.The bass is a little flat on these guys, but everything sounds really nice, IMO.

Preferred Music - EDM, Rap, Alternative, Rock, etc. A lot of bass-heavy stuff.


I'm leaning toward the Shure SE215's and the RHA MA750i's. I know I'm looking for clear bass and sub-bass. But mids and highs are important to me too. Some of the pairs I've had in the past will either put bass center stage leaving the mids/highs muddy or distant, or visa versa. I like everything sounding clear with a lot of bass presence.
RHA's warranty is a big plus to me. And I know that the SE215's have been known to fail.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

I am not an audiophile of any sorts I'm the kind of person that thinks Apple's stock headphones they give with their phones are good enough. I purchase the $10 skull candy smokin buds at TJ Maxx and think they're fine. All I am looking for is some budget bluetooth in-ear headphones for running and working out battery life does not need to be long looking for something with a minimum of around 4 hours of battery life.

These are the options I've been looking at and would like any input if anyone has used these headphones or would recommend one over the other.

TaoTronics Bluetooth Headphones

Zeus Bluetooth Headphones

Hussar Bluetooth Headphones

Any help would be greatly appreciated I've been googling and looking at the subreddit didn't dig too deep, but deep enough to where it seems everyone is recommending the JayBird X2's or the JayBird Freedom and those are a bit out of budget for myself. I also saw that these Anker Bluetooth Headphones were recommended, but reading reviews on Amazon has me wary.

Interested in AKG K240 as an intro to good headphones without breaking the bank. The soundstage is appealing for listening and for gaming. I want something I can enjoy without extra DAC/amp spending to find out if this is going to become a hobby I spend more on. Is there a less expensive option to suit the same requirements, or is there a similar priced option that's better?

---

Budget - Flexible. Interested in a get-your-feet-wet <$100 set

Source - Phone, chromebook, Wii U, PS4

Requirements for Isolation - None

Preferred Type of Headphone - Full size

Preferred tonal balance - Neutral

Past headphones - ipod earbuds, LG/sony bluetooth, random over ears

Preferred Music - rock, acoustic, electronic, classical

What would you like to improve on from your set-up - NA

---

Curious about the Philips SHP9500.
I'm not too big on IEM's, but if these zero audio ones are that good for the price, I could be convinced.

Two ways to go. I will actually give you a decent headset recommendation just in case that's the way he wants to go.

Headset

Skullcandy SLYR in fact. Now of course the brand has done a good deal to gain a reputation of flashy products with low quality, but they absolutely upped their game with this one. Great sound quality, and a solid mic.

Headphones and mic.

For the mic, definitely a Blue Microphones Snowball. The Ice version is relatively inexpensive, and awesome for picking up voice for VOIP/games.

For headphones, there's a mountain of options available. Some good options however:

• AKG K240
  
  
• Superlux 668B.

Hello, I've been searching around this sub for a while, and I've narrowed my search down and come to three options for my first set of headphones. Option A [California Silverado's] (http://www.amazon.com/California-Headphone-Co-Headphones-Detachable/dp/B009F4BV8C) These are the cheapest and normally at $50, so if I get them I want to get them now while they are this cheap. Also, they are closed back so I can use them on airplanes and stuff. Option B [Superlux HD668b's] (http://www.amazon.com/Superlux-HD668B-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B003JOETX8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417944085&sr=8-1&keywords=superlux+hd668b+headphones) These are open back, so I couldn't use them with people around, but if the Silverado's go back up to $50 I would choose these over them for the open sound stage (and higher sound quality?). Keep in mind that these will be primarily used for gaming, being able to use them in public would just be a plus. Finally, option C, the [AKG K240's] (http://www.amazon.com/AKG-240-Semi-Open-Studio-Headphones/dp/B0001ARCFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417944100&sr=8-1&keywords=akg+k240df) These are above the others in price, but I would be willing to spend more if the gain in sound quality is good enough. So tell me, how does the sound compare between each of these, and would it be worth it to spend the extra cash? Thanks!