Headphones for around €150?

Jackobyte

Any opinions on these for €99? I know the minors are just repackaged urbanears but I think that the Majors are meant to be Marshall made.

Brian

There are plenty of great headphones available for €100, why take a gamble?

Jackobyte

Baza210 wrote: »

There are plenty of great headphones available for €100, why take a gamble?

Throw out a few names there. I'm looking for a pair, that have an interchangeable cable (~1.5m and ~5m) so I can use it with the tv(gaming without microphone/movies) but also with my Walkman when I'm out. And that I can plug into my guitar amp. This BOSE pair come with a 1.5m cable but I contacted them and they said a 5m cable for it would be £10 so I could swap the cables when I needed to.

(The Marshall pair do not offer this. I'm not looking at them anymore.)

Brian

Well if you're willing to spend €150 on Bose then buy the Sennheiser HD 25-1 II. That's that solved.

Jackobyte

Baza210 wrote: »

Well if you're willing to spend €150 on Bose then buy the Sennheiser HD 25-1 II. That's that solved.

Do they offer the dual cable size though?

54kroc

Jackobyte wrote: »

Do they offer the dual cable size though?

That cable they offer is an extension that will work with all headphones, so get the Sennheiser's and use an extension if you want.
http://www.bose.ie/IE/en/home-and-personal-audio/headphones-and-headsets/acoustic-noise-cancelling-headphones/quietcomfort-accessories/6m-extension-cable-for-bose-headphones/

Jackobyte

cork45 wrote: »

That cable they offer is an extension that will work with all headphones, so get the Sennheiser's and use an extension if you want.
http://www.bose.ie/IE/en/home-and-personal-audio/headphones-and-headsets/acoustic-noise-cancelling-headphones/quietcomfort-accessories/6m-extension-cable-for-bose-headphones/

I presumed that since the headphones cable could be disconnected from the headphones that the cable would be of the same sort, replacing rather than extending.

54kroc

Jackobyte wrote: »

I presumed that since the headphones cable could be disconnected from the headphones that the cable would be of the same sort, replacing rather than extending.

Would it be that big a deal using an extension? why the bose, have you had a demo of them, imo you best bet is to pop in town and try a few set's to see which one's you prefer, perhaps you like the bose set but you might find another set that you like more.

Jackobyte

cork45 wrote: »

Would it be that big a deal using an extension?
No, but it'd be tidier without having a connection mid wire.

why the bose, have you had a demo of them?
Ya, tried a display set on there last week.

IMO your best bet is to pop in town and try a few set's to see which one's you prefer, perhaps you like the bose set but you might find another set that you like more.
Where can you demo headphones? I've only ever seen Beats on display in CompuB and this set on display in Savin's (music store, Limerick). What type of shops would have demo models?

^^

pleasant Co.

split this to it's own thread

Jackobyte

Mactard wrote: »

split this to it's own thread

Sorry. I hadn't meant this to drag on. :pac:

RonyPonyBah

Bose are a great marketing company and that's about all ! Lets leave it at that.

For in or around 100 - 150 Quid the best would be

AKG K 272

SHURE Shure SRH840

SENNHEISER HD 518

SENNHEISER HD 555/595

AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-RE70

GRADO SR-80i

I myself would recommend the AKG or the 595's !

54kroc

Given how the op would be using them I think the Sennheiser HD 595's would be a very bad choice, he'd be much better off going with the Sennheiser HD 25-1 II as previously recommended by bazza.

Jackobyte

cork45 wrote: »

Given how the op would be using them I think the Sennheiser HD 595's would be a very bad choice, he'd be much better off going with the Sennheiser HD 25-1 II as previously recommended by bazza.

Why is that, just out of interest?

Brian

The HD595s are too large to use in a portable scenario, and they are open-backed which means they will leak sound and let in environment noise.

Jackobyte

I'm after buying a guitar for 120 so my budget is now down to 30. Any cheap recommendation?

K.O.Kiki

Sennheiser HD-201, you can find them for about €20-25 even in shops.

Jackobyte

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

Sennheiser HD-201, you can find them for about €20-25 even in shops.

They were what I was looking at with the argos catalogue out in front of me. €26.99.

K.O.Kiki

Peats in town should have them for €25: http://www.peats.com/cgi-bin/catalog_v2.cgi?id=9107&type=product

Other shops to check would be HMV (unless they're gone?), Virgin & Tower Records.

Brian

They're not good at all. Koss PortaPro or Meelectronics HT21s would be better and more portable.

Jackobyte

Baza210 wrote: »

They're not good at all. Koss PortaPro or Meelectronics HT21s would be better and more portable.

Any closed backs?

rabbitinlights

Baza210 wrote: »

Well if you're willing to spend €150 on Bose then buy the Sennheiser HD 25-1 II. That's that solved.

Massive fan of the HD25s, they sound amazing, are super strong and each part can be replaced if needs be. The are very understated, to the passer-by they look like they cost €20 which is a plus point in my books.



Just to note, ipods and other mp3 players will not be able to drive the HD25-1 II fully, they will sound good but no where near their full potential. A small headphone amp like the E5 will do wonders for them.

yimrsg

The budget has been reduced:

Jackobyte wrote: »

I'm after buying a guitar for 120 so my budget is now down to 30. Any cheap recommendation?

Your search should start here:
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/433318/shootout-84-portable-headphones-reviewed-fischer-audio-fa-004-koss-ur55-added-06-06

These fall into your price range:
Panasonic RP HTX7
Equation Audio EP3-70 (discontinued so will be hard to track down)
JVC HA-S700

Jackobyte

yimrsg wrote: »

The budget has been reduced:




Your search should start here:
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/433318/shootout-84-portable-headphones-reviewed-fischer-audio-fa-004-koss-ur55-added-06-06

These fall into your price range:
Panasonic RP HTX7
Equation Audio EP3-70 (discontinued so will be hard to track down)
JVC HA-S700

Looking at that list, a few catch my eye.

*Creative Aurvana Live!
*ATH-M50
*Denon DN-HP700

Think I might pick up a pair of PortaPro's until I save enough to buy a big set.

yimrsg

Jackobyte wrote: »

Looking at that list, a few catch my eye.

*Creative Aurvana Live!
*ATH-M50
*Denon DN-HP700

Think I might pick up a pair of PortaPro's until I save enough to buy a big set.

Yeah there is just so many in the really tempting headphones up to your original 150 euro price range that you're spoilt for choice. I reckon that getting the portapro and then save your money till you have enough again to get something that will be hopefully be a jump in quality and suits your needs best. Ask yourself, is it small enough to be portable, how long is the cable, is it coiled or straight, is it changeable, is it open backed or closed backed, whats the clamping force like, is it over or on ear, does it isolate well and what sound signature does it have, what genres of music work best with it and does it need an amp?

I've an open back Alessandro Ms1i that's not very portable so to complement it, I'd be looking for a closed back headphones that could be portable. But I might just get another open back and use my earphones instead. Though saying that I could just get another open model that tickles my fancy.

My imaginary headphone shopping list for that price range includes:
sennheiser hd25/555/595
ath-m50
german maestro 8.35
fischer audio fa-004/003/002
superlux hd668b
beyerdynamic dt770
shure srh440/840

Good luck with the hunt.

Jackobyte

Ok. I was talking to someone last night and I'm now sold on ATH-M50's. My parents have said they'll give me 100 towards it as a reward for my academic success this year so budget is boosted again. Now, I'm trying to find where to buy a coiled set from. Amazon have a straight set (£122) but one of the marketplace sellers, StoneGuard, have a coiled set (£129 + shipping) but you lose out on the Free SuperSaver shipping then as I want to buy the e5 as well. I'm waiting for a quote for shipping from them.

I've been looking at other sites and DV247 has caught my eye. They usually charge €15 shipping to Ireland but the "Free Shipping on Audio-Technica" means it may be free. I've contacted them as well.

Xmusic.ie is €170 for the cans so I'll be staying away from them.

Ebay have this set for €150. Link.

Any other sites I should be checking? The "where to buy" thread seems fairly limited in terms of sellers.

yimrsg

You're not going to get them for much cheaper than what you've found there. In the states people have gotten them for 100-120 dollars but the demand for them has increased prices to around 140.

Just tried googling them there with Ireland and got this:

http://camerakit.ie/products.asp?cat=449

I've no idea about the company or what delivery might be but it could be worth investigating.

Jackobyte

yimrsg wrote: »

You're not going to get them for much cheaper than what you've found there. In the states people have gotten them for 100-120 dollars but the demand for them has increased prices to around 140.

Just tried googling them there with Ireland and got this:

http://camerakit.ie/products.asp?cat=449

I've no idea about the company or what delivery might be but it could be worth investigating.

THis is looking like my best bet atm.
link

EDIT: Warranty invalid outside US.

Brian

ATH-M50s are exceedingly difficult to source for a decent price, this side of the Atlantic.

Jackobyte

Baza210 wrote: »

ATH-M50s are exceedingly difficult to source for a decent price, this side of the Atlantic.

150 is starting to look better and better.

Jackobyte

Jackobyte wrote: »

150 is starting to look better and better.

The best I could find short of shipping from America was €155 shipped from an Amazon seller in the UK. In the end I ordered from xmusic for €165 shipped. I'd rather keep the money in Ireland and if anything goes wrong and I have any trouble with the cans, there is a brick-and-mortar shop to return them to. Also, won't complain about the faster shipping either.

Overpriced I know, but they are what I wanted. My first step into audiophilia. :P

Brian

Why didn't you go for the HD 25-1 IIs? They seem more suited to your needs - smaller, lighter, replaceable cable, roughly the same price here and there...

Jackobyte

Baza210 wrote: »

Why didn't you go for the HD 25-1 IIs? They seem more suited to your needs - smaller, lighter, replaceable cable, roughly the same price here and there...

The M50's just appealed to me more.

And the HD 25-1 IIs were more expensive again.
189 on xmusic, 180 on amazon. 165 was already pushing the budget.

yimrsg

Congrats on the choice, the hd25 and m50 are both great headphones so had you gone with either I doubt you'd be disappointed with your choice. The sennheiser isn't as easy to drive as the audio technica but it is less bulky and parts are easily replaced. Was the coiled cable a major reasoning in your choice?

The only problem now is you'll have a nagging feeling to try another one.

Brian

http://www.musictechnology.ie/proddetail.asp?sid=250&id=109
http://www.thomann.de/ie/sennheiser_hd251_ii.htm

Jackobyte

Baza210 wrote: »

http://www.musictechnology.ie/proddetail.asp?sid=250&id=109
http://www.thomann.de/ie/sennheiser_hd251_ii.htm

That Thomann website is +€15 delivery to Ireland.
Can't buy from that musictechnology website and store pick-up isn't exactly suitable.

Jackobyte

yimrsg wrote: »

Congrats on the choice, the hd25 and m50 are both great headphones so had you gone with either I doubt you'd be disappointed with your choice. The sennheiser isn't as easy to drive as the audio technica but it is less bulky and parts are easily replaced. Was the coiled cable a major reasoning in your choice?

The only problem now is you'll have a nagging feeling to try another one.

I liked the coiled cable alright. It made sense since I wanted to use it as both long and short cabled. The coil meant I could have both in one, no messing around swapping cables.

Oh, I know. I already want to buy the Superlux HD668B that Baza mentioned in the "share your kit" thread.

rabbitinlights

In case anyone is looking for the HD25-1 II and is not bothered about the extra ear cups & bag look for the "Basic version" which are around £139

http://www.chemical-records.co.uk/sc/servlet/Info?Track=SEHD251IIB

It's still the full spec headphones, just without all the extra stuff.

I deal with a shop in Edinburgh for work and managed to get a pair for £98, which was very handy as I had a pair stolen the week before and had all the extra stuff.

S.

marko93

Welcome Jackobyte, welcome to the world of Audiophilia!
I'd like to apologies for any harm to your wallet.

Brian

http://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/i096g/i_just_got_thesedamn/c1ztsar

Jackobyte

The Ath-M50's arrived in a nice big box at 9.45 this morning. Courtesy of DPD. Can't complain with that service, ordered at midnight Tuesday/Wednesday, arrived Thursday morn. That's about 34 hours from order to delivery.

Now, on to the headphones...

Ok, first putting them on, there was no wow factor. I didn't feel enlightened with audio freedom. I had been alternating between two IEMs, Creative EP-630 and Sony MDR-NC033. There is quite a step from the Creatives but not so much from the Sony's on first listen.


But the more I listen, the better they sound. The base is great, without overtaking the rest of the sound. And there is so much more detail. So far, I've been able to distinguish between two guitars in a song where they previously blended together, noticed a second base line in a song, been properly able to hear what was happening in a cacophony in one song (hear the instuments rather than just the noise) and i noticed A SECOND VOCAL LINE IN A SONG, WTF!? HOW DID THAT ESCAPE ME IN THE PAST?

So ya, I'm impressed to say the least. The wow factor wasn't there when you first put them on and hit play, but it is there lesser details that are now apparent. As someone once said, buying M50's is like removing a veil from your music. :P

AND they aren't even burnt in yet.

Baza210 wrote: »

http://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/i096g/i_just_got_thesedamn/c1ztsar

And Baza, I think I might need a portable amp...

evolving_doors

Jackobyte wrote: »

The M50's just appealed to me more.

And the HD 25-1 IIs were more expensive again.
189 on xmusic, 180 on amazon. 165 was already pushing the budget.

Maybe Give X-music a ring rather than going by the website price as i'm sure I saw the HD 25-1 II for around 150 in store this week.

evolving_doors

Anyone any thoughts on the aforementioned Sennheiser HD 25-1 II v's the HD 380 pro ? I've convinced myself to go for the HD 380 but have this niggling feelin (+ not many reviews on the 380).

Mainly for portable walkabout listening/ sound editing/ DJ'ing

Brian

Very little discussion of the HD 380 around, I would steer clear to be honest. Where are you finding them for sale?

evolving_doors

Baza210 wrote: »

Very little discussion of the HD 380 around, I would steer clear to be honest. Where are you finding them for sale?

Cheers.. they were in x-music ( for about 155 if i can remember correctly, i think most of their headphone prices instore seem lower than on the net), there wasn't much difference in the price with Hd 25-1 II... seems everyone swears by the 25-1 II though..

yimrsg

If you saw the hd-25-1 ii for anything near €150 that's a €25 euro cheaper than amazon.co.uk and .de and €31 cheaper than thomann.de.

To get that price online is a bargain, to get it in a bricks and mortar store is a steal. There are some lower level hd-25's without the split headband so just know there are several versions of it.

Brian

Yeah be careful it's not the HD 25-SP.

evolving_doors

Baza210 wrote: »

Yeah be careful it's not the HD 25-SP.

Cool I think i'll be paying a trip there again to check it out..so I get the feelin the 380pros are a non contender then

evolving_doors

just to follow up an old post...

Got the Senni's HD 25-1 II in the end and they are .. the Biz,

a couple of times before i've tried dictating separate instruments from recordings for score arrangements but since I got these I can hear nearly any orchestral instrument with ease. Beautiful sound.. wife loves them too for DJ'ing with Vinyl.

And they're made in Ireland too!!! (Or so the guy in the shop says)

Brian

Yep, Sennheiser's euro centre is in Tullamore. A lot of their high-end models come from there.