Great Earphones at Great Prices

yimrsg

I've gotten no luck setting up my account with Zococity, I can't seem to get a valid postcode no matter what I try. I emailed them earlier about it but don't expect to recieve a reply this late in the day.

How did you get your account set up? I've tried using all sorts of Valencia addresses and keep getting "The postal code does not match the chosen region in the billing information".

I know I'm probably doing something wrong but can't figure out what.

Brian

Man FedEx are useless... according to their tracking page they attempted delivery the last two mornings but "Customer not available or business closed". Granted my apartment complex has a keypad to get in, but there's also a dialer to call the intercom in my apartment and they also have my mobile number.
Not only that but there's several hundred people living in my complex, this can't be the first time FedEx have tried to deliver there. They should know the drill. Now I can't get my earphones until Monday at the earliest, when they've been in Dublin since Thursday.

Ceefax

Phew!!!!!!!!

have just read this entire thread. Some great info.

Looking for advice.

A pair of in-ear phones. 50e max.

I was going to go with Sennheiser CX 300-II Precision.

They seem standard for the price.

Any suggestions for a better set at the same price gratefully appreciated.

Ceefax

Forgot to add above that noise canceling is valued.

What's that like with those Sennheisers?

Brian

Have a read of some of the recent threads in this forum and see that quite a few people are unhappy with the CX300s. A popular upgrade is the SoundMagic PL30s.

Ceefax

I was looking at those Soundmagic phones. I see you can get them from a company in Dublin(Sutton)

Have you used them? Nice sound?

Comfy? They look a tad bulky.

I've read the negative posts about the cx300, but are you going to get better for a similar price.

Anything of similar price could be worse.

Saw these too..http://www.currys.ie/Product/PHILIPS-SHE9622-Inear-Headphones/298634/383....much cheaper. Any thoughts?

Jackobyte

I don't want to create a thread of my own so I hope it is alright to put it here. I'm looking for a decent pair of over-ear headphones (Don't have to be groundbreaking, just decent sound/comfort) for as cheap as possible. Maximum 30€. I'm currently doing a video project and would like them for use during this project so I don't have time to do proper research myself. They don't have to be portable. I would only be wearing them in the house and maybe in the car with my mp3 player/laptop. What pairs fit this criteria?

Thanks in advance,
Jackobyte.

Brian

Koss PortaPro

yimrsg

I was going to start a new thread but thought I'd ask here instead. Firstly, I'm well impressed with them haven't been able to listen to them at their best (poxy ear infection has reduced one of my ears to 40-50% of normal) but they sound amazing in my one good ear and pretty good in my bad one.

The soundstage is definitely an improvement on my re0s, I'd swear I could hear parts of a song swirling around my the outside of head and I got goosebumps on first listening. Also there is almost no microphonics even without a clip.

Isolation wise it's very good (excelling my shure se110 with olive tips), I've only tried the set it comes in it but will give the others a try once my ears are 100%. It's a little awkward to get the perfect position for the best sound just right but from reading up complys or shure triple flange are meant to be the best. They're also much more comfortable than my other IEMs once in, combining perfectly the smoothe plastic of the shure and the small size of the re0.

I can't judge the sound signature very well just yet but it feels very good, I'm not a bass head but it does feel a little light at times but that could be me only hearing 50% of it. The highs and mids are just right to my ears, I said to a friend that the re0 adds half a star to a song whilst I'd stick my neck out and say that this could add the full star.

So Baza210, James_M & anyone else who got them, what's your take on them?

Jackobyte

Baza210 wrote: »

Koss PortaPro

Any pairs that will completely cover your ear rather than sit on it.

Brian

Jackobyte wrote: »

Any pairs that will completely cover your ear rather than sit on it.

Meelec HT21

yimrsg wrote: »

So Baza210, James_M & anyone else who got them, what's your take on them?

FedEx failed to deliver for the fourth time today.

Jackobyte

Baza210 wrote: »

Meelec HT21



FedEx failed to deliver for the fourth time today.

Is their own site the best place to buy?

Any circumaurals for that price?

Brian

JVC HA-RX700 perhaps.

Ghost Train

Baza210 wrote: »

Koss PortaPro

Got these recently on amazon and really enjoy the sound, good bass too. Because of the design It's easy to wear with glasses

Baza210 wrote: »

JVC HA-RX700 perhaps.

Was considering these went with the RX900 in the end, haven't received them yet though. The RX700 get good reviews for the price

James_M

yimrsg wrote: »

So Baza210, James_M & anyone else who got them, what's your take on them?

Well, unfortunately I haven't had much chance to use them (new baby). I'd agree with you on the soundstage. Some music I listened to had moments that really took me by surprise. These produce excellent clarity.

I am also wondering if the bass could do with a little more but that might be just me.

One thing I wanted to mention that I haven't seen much focus on though - how long will they last? I am concerned that the twisted cable build will encourage fraying. Seeing as these are fairly new on the market they have yet to stand the test of time. Hopefully my concerns are unfounded though!

My alternative would have been IE8's. I do like that the Sennheisers have changeable cables and a bass "tap", both great advantages to me (I lost my Shures to poxy cables) which these do not have BUT with such a price difference I am very happy with my purchase.

Brian

Top-line IEMs all use braided cabling- it's tougher than the normal straight kind.

Jackobyte

Sorry again but opinions on these?

Brian

Meh.

Better: http://www.amazon.co.uk/JVC-HA-RX700-Deep-Bass-Headphones/dp/B0019H7S44/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297208459&sr=8-1

yimrsg

James_M wrote: »

Well, unfortunately I haven't had much chance to use them (new baby). I'd agree with you on the soundstage. Some music I listened to had moments that really took me by surprise. These produce excellent clarity.

I am also wondering if the bass could do with a little more but that might be just me.

One thing I wanted to mention that I haven't seen much focus on though - how long will they last? I am concerned that the twisted cable build will encourage fraying. Seeing as these are fairly new on the market they have yet to stand the test of time. Hopefully my concerns are unfounded though!

My alternative would have been IE8's. I do like that the Sennheisers have changeable cables and a bass "tap", both great advantages to me (I lost my Shures to poxy cables) which these do not have BUT with such a price difference I am very happy with my purchase.

Baza210 wrote: »

Top-line IEMs all use braided cabling- it's tougher than the normal straight kind.

The cable is twisted not braided, plus it's unsheated. I know other people have commented on the potential for something to get in between the cable and potentially damage it.

http://www.head-fi.org/products/fischer-audio-dba-02

Typically with earphones you get a cable that has some kind of sleeve on it but this one is different. It almost looks like a DIY cable. From the split down you have 3 cables being twisted (2 black, 1 white) and above the split there are 2 cables being twisted (1 black, 1 white). Although it is built well I would rather the cable be some kind of braid instead of just being twisted as I could see a potential problem. If something gets caught on it there is a chance for some heavy damage but that is pretty much only possible near the plug as there are tiny holes there since the twist isn't done as well.

If I was to break them at the audio jack (that's what I usually do unfortunately) I'd change the jack for a right angle one and put some heat shrink on the lower cables up to the Y splitter and stop any potential problems down the line.

I often read that the IE8s are bass heavy and this graph shows it. They'd probably complement the DBA-02 very well, but would have very different sound signatures.


Another IEMs with changeable cable:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/panasonic-rp-hje900
This one is thought of as being the strongest IEM
http://www.head-fi.org/products/audio-technica-ath-ck10-portable-in-ear-headphones

It's a 12 month warranty with the DBA-02, but they do have very strange limitations on that warranty:

(e) circumstances out of control of Fischer Audio, including without limitation, fires, storms, earthquakes, floods, stupidity or maniacal stubbornness.
Failure caused by the acts of God, fall of asteroid, Martian attacks, hungry piranhas and/or swallowing by Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal, is covered by Fischer Audio if such accident has been proven.

corcaigh07

are these good, the a-jays One? 20 pound with a 4gb usb thrown in. im used to Cx300s and i like them but they are fairly old and kinda fancy a change

http://www.mymemory.co.uk/In-ear-Headphones/Jays/Jays-a-Jays-One-Isolating-Earphones-%2B-SanDisk-4GB-Cruzer-Blade-USB-Flash-Drive---FREE

Brian

Jays in general have a good reputation but I'm not familiar with that particular model.

corcaigh07

from what Ive read, they are nearly the same as the Jay twos, just slighty worse. the threes are meant to be slighty better than the twos.

ReacherCreature

Hi Folks,

Going insane looking around for new headphones.

I already have a pair of Sony MDR-V150's but am looking for an upgrade. First off, I want to get them cheap, I don't believe in spending big money as I fear I would lose them.

So I'm looking for affordable headphones, around the 20-30-40 margin. I'll be using them both indoors and outdoors so isolation would be nice. Sound quality is important too, I'd like them to cover the ear. Anyones that are good? (Yes, I'm asking an awful lot!)

I'm looking at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-HD-202--ear-Headphone/dp/B003LPTAYI/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1299164122&sr=8-5

and these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Koss-KS164129-UR-20-Stereo-Headphones/dp/B00005N9D3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299164891&sr=1-1

Any other recommendations are most welcome.

BengaLover

I bought a pair of the old style headphones in the 2 euro shop, fits my ipod and sound is great!

Brian

ReacherCreature wrote: »

Hi Folks,

Going insane looking around for new headphones.

I already have a pair of Sony MDR-V150's but am looking for an upgrade. First off, I want to get them cheap, I don't believe in spending big money as I fear I would lose them.

So I'm looking for affordable headphones, around the 20-30-40 margin. I'll be using them both indoors and outdoors so isolation would be nice. Sound quality is important too, I'd like them to cover the ear. Anyones that are good? (Yes, I'm asking an awful lot!)

I'm looking at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-HD-202--ear-Headphone/dp/B003LPTAYI/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1299164122&sr=8-5

and these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Koss-KS164129-UR-20-Stereo-Headphones/dp/B00005N9D3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299164891&sr=1-1

Any other recommendations are most welcome.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MEElectronics-HT-21-Portable-Headphones-Colour/dp/B004IORA9S/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1299179699&sr=8-4

might suit

ReacherCreature

Thanks Baza, have you had personal use with them?

Brian

Not that particular model but I have had two sets of earphones from Meelec that both performed admirably for the price, so they're a brand I'd trust. Customer service is stellar, too.

Jackobyte

Skullcandy Hesh Headphones for €54? How are these for value? A friend got a pair in America last week for $40 and I have to say they sounded amazing. I was just wondering is there anything with more bang for your buck?

Brian

Skullcandy are not the first place I'd look for value, build quality, or excellence in sound.

yimrsg

Stay away from skullcandy, I went through 5 pairs and their replacements and they all broke. I had the Gi and the Ti versions and instead of a metal head band it's plastic so will eventually break through normal usage. Probably wasted close to €200 on them.

These are much better value. I've their smaller brother the re0 and they're very good.
http://www.zococity.es/product/150/0/0/1/2/Hifiman-RE-ZERO.htm
€50+€12 for delivery is great value. A few of us have bought from that website before
Makers homepage sells it for $99 plus $10 shipping from China:
http://www.head-direct.com/product_detail.php?p=89

Reviews here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/head-direct-re-zero
http://www.inearmatters.net/2010/09/review-hifiman-re-zero-time-to.html


They include an adaptor (2 types) for the headphone to work with non balanced music players but apart from that are highly recommended.

gnolan

Hi,

I'm looking for best earphones available for around the £20/€25 mark. I'm looking for a good fit (won't fall out), good sound quality and maybe isolation. I know £20 won't get me a top-of-the-line product.

Any help would be appreciated.

gnolan

gnolan wrote: »

Hi,

I'm looking for best earphones available for around the £20/€25 mark. I'm looking for a good fit (won't fall out), good sound quality and maybe isolation. I know £20 won't get me a top-of-the-line product.

Any help would be appreciated.

soundmagic pl-30 should do the job for you at that price. it comes with lots of different silicone and foam heads so you should be able to get a good fit.

this is an Irish supplier so I assume that you'd get them quicker than ordering from ebay or a chinese site.

http://lambayrules.ie/viewitem.php?productid=10

gnolan

glasso wrote: »

soundmagic pl-30 should do the job for you at that price. it comes with lots of different silicone and foam heads so you should be able to get a good fit.

this is an Irish supplier so I assume that you'd get them quicker than ordering from ebay or a chinese site.

http://lambayrules.ie/viewitem.php?productid=10

Can these be used well without the wrap-around ear things. I hate those yokes.

yep - they are not needed. I never used them. wire goes down over the ear but no need for the guides.

viv.ie

http://www.ibood.com/ie/en/
Klipsch image 1 for 82 euro shipped,good price i think!

gnolan

Thanks for the suggestion glasso, but i think i'd find the wires going up and back over the ear a bit annoying, even without the guides. Could you or anyone else suggest an alternative in the same price range? Thanks.

Brian

Believe me you'll get used to the wires. Over-ear cabling is generally considered a more desirable design as there is less "cable noise" when you are moving.

yep - you don't notice the wires at all. most good quality earphones are over the ear now due to better insertion giving better sound and better isolation.

gnolan

Ok. Thanks guys. Can you suggest somewhere to get them? All sold out at the link above...

EDIT: Got a pair on ebay from a UK seller for about £24

gnolan

gnolan wrote: »

Ok. Thanks guys. Can you suggest somewhere to get them? All sold out at the link above...

EDIT: Got a pair on ebay from a UK seller for about £24

not a bad price if includes postage.

if you can wait a few weeks www.focalprice.com is pretty cheap

BazMcG

Wondered if anyone could help me find a decent pair of bluetooth headphones. My mate has a pair of http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=106733 they are 7dayshop ones. I have listened to them and they're not bad. Just wondering if anyone knows of a slightly better pair in a similar price range

Butch Cassidy

I want a pair of headphones for watching films on DVD + blu-ray. The blu-ray player has audio out as well as the digital optical connection. Budget's under a hundred. Recommendation please?

Brian

I would investigate the Sennheiser HD555s and Shure SRH-440s, they seem to be around your price range.

As to the thread title, these are quite a bargain http://www.mymemory.co.uk/Overhead-Headphones/JVC/JVC-Precision-Sound-Stereo-Headphones, JVC HA-RX700 for £31

add £2 for shipping and you're round-a-bout €40, a solid price for headphones that are often quite hard to find this side of the Atlantic.

Butch Cassidy

Is there much point looking into these 5.1 surround sound headphones or are they a bit of a con? I was thinking of maybe getting this processor http://www.amazon.co.uk/Turtle-Beach-Surround-Processor-Headsets/dp/B003O0KICS/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302209862&sr=1-1-catcorr

(sorry if this is off-thread, if there's a relevant thread then please move my posts there)

Brian

Surround sound in headphones is a waste of time (often the case with speakers too, especially when it comes to music).

pleasant Co.

Thread closed while we decide what to do with it

pleasant Co.

Right oh, thread reopened.

Stick to the topic though - posting about great headphones at great prices, and the discussion of those headphones - if you want general headphone advice you should first have a quick search to see what past advice has been given, then if that's not enough start a new thread.

Peanut

Got a pair of Sennheiser MX-880s earphones recently from amazon.co.uk for £28 + free shipping.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-MX-880-Earphones-Bass-Driven/dp/B0034L90EO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315759749&sr=8-1

They're about €54 or so in Tower records here so it's a considerable saving.
Very good sound and great detail.

The next model down, MX-580s are also meant to be decent, £18 on amazon, I haven't tried them although a number of reviews on head-fi consider them one of the best earphones at the budget end of the market.

Jackobyte

After trying mine, a friend of mine went and picked up a pair of Audio Technica M50's in an electronic store on 5th Avenue, NY for $120. There are €170 in Xmusic and about €160 off any Amazon dealer when shipping is considered. A steal at that price for anyone heading stateside.

Jackobyte

a-Jay Fours are available through Pigsback for €30 for the next 2 days or so. Reviews seem to have a-Jays marked as pretty good, though I've no previous experience with them. £49 for the same pair on amazon.