I have been testing a bunch of different headphones and earbuds lately and will answer in a completely unbiased way any questions posters may have about any of the setups.
I have been doing extensive listening with all these different setups lately.*
To tell what kind of listener I am, I was in the high end/audiophile *stereo business for over 10 years. I also sold/installed competition grade car audio.
I have a fairly musical ear from all that, but I am absolutely NOT an audiophile. *I am no different than a good majority of posters in that I like loud rock music with plenty of bass and a bright high end. *I am NOT looking for the most accurate sound (that is boring to me), I want my headphones to ROCK. *I used to sell $4000 electrostatic speakers and when I listened to them I always wanted to crank up the bass and treble, it drove the "true audiophiles" crazy LOL
I have tested and own:
Headphones:
1. V-Moda Crossfade
2. Bose QC 15
3. Beats Studio
4. Beats Solo
Earbuds:
5. *stock Rezound ibeats
6. Beats Tour
7. Ultimate Ears TripleFi
8. Kicker (don't know the model, they came free with some car speakers)
9. Senheiser CX300 ll
10. Etymotic ER-4 Micro-Pro
Right now, my daily driver at work are the Bose QCs but it's not because I am overly impressed with the sound (I'm not). *The battery powered sound isolation in the QCs is absolutely amazing and I work in a noisy environment. *This is great for me, but my son says the sound isolation feature makes him nauseous so they are not for everyone. They are also very light and comfortable (but the build quality sucks for the price, they remind me of the build of a galaxy nexus)so I can wear them all day.
My favorite headphone sound wise are the beats studio (which also use battery sound isolation but it is not even close to as effective as the QCs) although they are overpriced. *I got them from the monster outlet store for $199 and the site said they where "refurbs" but they sent me a brand new pair in a sealed box. *The studios have much stronger bass than the Bose and it doesn't break up when i push the volume like the Bose do. *I tried to wear the Studios for work, but they are a lot heavier than the Bose and gave me a headache after a few hours.
I like the beats tour a LOT, *they are much better than the ibeats and are also available in the monster refurb store.
The TripleFi's are awesome (as well they should be for the price), the senheiser sound absolutely amazing for the $30 price.
The Etymotics are much too accurate for me and I hate them and they are really expensive.
The V-Moda are a great deal for the $100 eBay price, sound really good and are very comfortable. They sound a little "hollow" at times, but I don't object to it.
The beats solo are $200 and they sound awful to me plus they hurt my ears after a while.
I recently sold a pair of Klipsch M40s also, I thought they where much too heavy and way overpriced.
Think you should check out nuforce. Their earbuds are 70 $ and destroy all of what you have listed.
I much rather listen to my B&W P5s but I didn't like B&W's earbuds so I got the nuforce.
Also...$4000 dollar electrostats are not audiophile grade. Not even close. I to work in high end audio, and you start hitting audiophile grade electrostatics at 13K or so.
Plus, your never going to get car fi bass outta a two channel stereo setup for what you said, it is accurate and real sound.
I am guessing you never go to concerts? You wouldn't like those either because they are to accurate lol.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA App
nosympathy said:
Think you should check out nuforce. Their earbuds are 70 $ and destroy all of what you have listed.
I much rather listen to my B&W P5s but I didn't like B&W's earbuds so I got the nuforce.
Also...$4000 dollar electrostats are not audiophile grade. Not even close. I to work in high end audio, and you start hitting audiophile grade electrostatics
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No argument from me about the nuforce, I have a set of NE-700x sitting right here but haven't really had a chance to check them out yet.
I agree that $4000 is certainly at the low end for electrostatics, but we didn't stock the higher priced models -those where just a demo set.
I am not in the business anymore, but I was the top B & W dealer in our area for a few years.
Where is your business??
jmorton10 said:
No argument from me about the nuforce, I have a set of NE-700x sitting right here but haven't really had a chance to check them out yet.
I agree that $4000 is certainly at the low end for electrostatics, but we didn't stock the higher priced models -those where just a demo set.
I am not in the business anymore, but I was the top B & W dealer in our area for a few years.
Where is your business??
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I actually work for a Magnolia Home Theater right now in cincinnati. One of the few salesmen who hasn't been corrupted by best buy yet. Trying to leave for that reason. Best buy has been ruining everything they touch.
We are the only B&W dealer in like 100 miles. The other company that was, started discounting B&W to steal our sales and B&W found out and pulled all their products from them.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA App
I don't have enough experience with headphones as I used Skull Candy buds in the past which sounded ok to me and were cheap (which is why they don't last long) so these headphones are my first set of quality buds.
I would like something with a bit better sound, however, I would like to also maintain the buttons which are useful on my long commute to/from work. Do any of the buds you have used maintain the use of the buttons?
Rezound ibeats plugged into an Beats Audio HP laptop with tweaked settings. Beyond amazing! If only I could get the same beats quality sound from my laptop on my Rezound. Beats on Rezound arent as good.
Marcismo55 said:
Do any of the buds you have used maintain the use of the buttons?
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The beats tour do, but like most buds they are set up for an iPod/iPhone. (same with all the headphones Listed)
I use an app called "headset button controller" to make the control compatible with Android.
as far as just listening to music(no mic) goes, i have these Sony sport earbuds i got from Best Buy for like $45 - $50... model #: MDRAS40EX.
they have about as much bass as the beats + sound cleaner. i got them because the beats kept falling out of my ears when i was working out. i don't have that problem anymore.
LOL, that's quite a sig you got there bro.........
I use a $20 set of Skullcandy buds.
The Beats headphones that come with the phone sound pretty good, but ergonomically they are complete crap. Too long and too heavy, they simply will not stay put in your ear, and as soon as they shift out of position even slightly, the bass and sound quality go to ****.
Because of the weight and length, they get a ton of leverage and unless you are sitting perfectly still, they work their way loose no matter what cushions I use. And they are too long to fit inside a helmet, so I got a set of Skullcandy buds and they sound almost as good, and they stay put and work really well inside a motorcycle helmet.
Yea, inside a motorcycle helmet presents a whole new set of problems.
I have ridden a motorcycle for years (& I owned a biker bar for 20 years) so I know all about that.
The Senheiser & the Kicker buds I have work fine under a helmet, others like the Ultimate Ears or the Beats Tour definitely do not.
EDIT: if you think the ibeats are too long, you sure don't want to try the Beats Tour -those are like twice as long...LOL
I just recently have been trying to use the stock ibeats for when at the gym and I can tell you that they just don't work for me. I can't seem to find the right fitment so they are always falling out.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
I know a lot of audiophiles absolutely hate Bose, but I've got a pair of IE2s, and I personally think they're the best headphones I've ever used. The ear pieces do not come out, and they're comfortable, so that's a plus.
They're extremely clear and they handle the bass really well. (although probably not as well as a pair of Beats.)
godsmacked4653 said:
I know a lot of audiophiles absolutely hate Bose
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Right, they all hate Beats/Monster stuff too.
It is the hip/sophisticated snob attitute to say that kind of stuff.
The fact is Bose & Beats stuff put out exactly the kind of sound a lot of normal guys (not audiophiles) really like. I love the sound of my Beats Studio headphones. Are they accurate?? Absolutely not, they have too much bass & the high end is too bright but that is exactly what I like about them.
The high end Klipsch cans I had ($350 a pair) where more accurate for sure, but I sold them because I like the Beats better.
marksde said:
I just recently have been trying to use the stock ibeats for when at the gym and I can tell you that they just don't work for me. I can't seem to find the right fitment so they are always falling out.
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That is a problem with a lot of earbuds.
My UltimateEars TripleFi solve that problem although they are expensive. The UEs have a stiff bendable wire section of the cord right after the ear part. That wire can be bent to wrap around the back of your ear & hold the buds so there is NO WAY they can fall out.
One thing I have found out lately is what a HUGE difference in the sound a different set of ear tips can make. I must have gone thru 12 different sets of tips on the UEs thinking the whole time that "these things don't really sound all that great especially for the price".
Then, I tried a set of Moster gel tips that just happen to also fit the UEs & all of a sudden it was "WOW, these things sound absolutely awesome"
jmorton10 said:
Right, they all hate Beats/Monster stuff too.
It is the hip/sophisticated snob attitute to say that kind of stuff.
The fact is Bose & Beats stuff put out exactly the kind of sound a lot of normal guys (not audiophiles) really like. I love the sound of my Beats Studio headphones. Are they accurate?? Absolutely not, they have too much bass & the high end is too bright but that is exactly what I like about them.
The high end Klipsch cans I had ($350 a pair) where more accurate for sure, but I sold them because I like the Beats better.
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I completely agree. Most people fail to realize that audio is subjective, and "if you don't like what I like, you're wrong."
godsmacked4653 said:
I completely agree. Most people fail to realize that audio is subjective, and "if you don't like what I like, you're wrong."
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It's a lot more objective than you claim. It's more like "The further you get away from the sound coming from the monitors when the final mix was made, the more you're wrong."
Just sayin' - I know some people simply don't care about what the artist intended to be heard. But then again, there are the Enid Lumley's, who say they can hear a difference in the sound when they point a flashlight at the speaker.
mike.s said:
It's a lot more objective than you claim. It's more like "The further you get away from the sound coming from the monitors when the final mix was made, the more you're wrong."
Just sayin' - I know some people simply don't care about what the artist intended to be heard. But then again, there are the Enid Lumley's, who say they can hear a difference in the sound when they point a flashlight at the speaker.
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My point was that what headphones sound good to one person don't sound good to another. Whether the artist intended for you to max out the bass when you listen to their music doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong. It's the same reason why people like band A but dislike band B.
godsmacked4653 said:
Whether the artist intended for you to max out the bass when you listen to their music doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong..
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Whoosh.
If the artist wanted more bass, they'd put it on the recording, not expect it to be added in playback.
Related
Just sold my ibeats for $75 today. I like the base and quality of the earphones but couldn't stand the cheap flimsy cord and weak highs and mids. I'm looking for another set of earphones and am down to four. I would like audio controls on the cord but it's not a necessity since I prefer sound quality over audio controls any day of the week. Which set do you prefer and why? Your comments would be greatly appreciated and really helpful. If you have another set of earphones in mind, well please feel free to post a comment about the. Thanks!
Sent from my HTC Rezound
quikfinger00 said:
Just sold my ibeats for $75 today. I like the base and quality of the earphones but couldn't stand the cheap flimsy cord and weak highs and mids. I'm looking for another set of earphones and am down to four. I would like audio controls on the cord but it's not a necessity since I prefer sound quality over audio controls any day of the week. Which set do you prefer and why? Your comments would be greatly appreciated and really helpful. If you have another set of earphones in mind, well please feel free to post a comment about the. Thanks!
Sent from my HTC Rezound
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I'd recommend these SOUL by Ludacris SL150CB for the perfect sound quality. I'm amazed by how clean these sound. They are more expensive than those you're looking at and they're over-ear. Just a friendly suggestion. Plus they have in-line controls with a mic. (They actually come with 2 cables, one with the in-line and one without it).
As for in-ear, I haven't used any of those, but would recommend the Bose based on past experience with their products. Generally they just have a cleaner sound. I might recommend the SOUL in-ear headset also. I'm not sure if they have the in-line control, but they should have some with it. The headphones I have are very clean sounding with just the right amount of bass for everything. Just a thought
If you are lucky you can still find Klipsch X5 for under $100 still, bass is clear with instrument that is better than the others listed here. Its actually a $225+ iem that are on sale for under $100 now. The S4 is a bit sibilant vs the others, but bass production is solid for the price.
I would also say really take a look at the Monster Turbine line, may not be as flashy or what not as the Beats, but they sound better for the same price as the Beats(after all Monster is the company that made the Beats line). Trust me these are way better than the iBeats and the Beats by Dre, at the same price.
For all things headphones - http://www.head-fi.org/
I should sell mine too, I have a pair of Etymotic ER-4's I've been using for a couple years now.
quikfinger00 said:
Just sold my ibeats for $75 today. I like the base and quality of the earphones but couldn't stand the cheap flimsy cord and weak highs and mids. I'm looking for another set of earphones and am down to four. I would like audio controls on the cord but it's not a necessity since I prefer sound quality over audio controls any day of the week. Which set do you prefer and why? Your comments would be greatly appreciated and really helpful. If you have another set of earphones in mind, well please feel free to post a comment about the. Thanks!
Sent from my HTC Rezound
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I had the Shure SE215, and sold them, I thought the sound was very weak. I DO however have the Shure SE530s and these are the best in-ear phones in existance, bar none!! Assuming you're not in the market for $350-$400 earbuds, however, for ~ $75 (they were $55 when I got them) the klipsch s4s sound fantastic. I compared them against the bose, and thought they (the klipsch) sounded much better. ymmv
If sound quality is more important to you than bass, I go with the Etymotic MC2s. They include a mic and volume controls. I owned the Klipsch Image S4, and while they were good, they were a bit heavy on the bass. Etymotics are cleaner with less bass distortion.
My vote for the best over the ear headphones goes to V-Moda Crossfade. Nearly half the price of Beats and the sound is amazing. Plus they come in a variety of colors to satisfy whatever vibe your going for.
Rogueharvest said:
My vote for the best over the ear headphones goes to V-Moda Crossfade. Nearly half the price of Beats and the sound is amazing. Plus they come in a variety of colors to satisfy whatever vibe your going for.
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My vote goes here too. The Crossfade LP can be found for a little over $100 on eBay and sound great. They also have amazing build quality and look frekin sick. Check them out, you won't be disappointed if you buy a pair.
Well i appreciate everybody's input. Those all seem like good pics but i ended up going with the bose mie2 and etymotic research hf5. Im going to do an extensive test on both and return the one that i dont want. Im leaning more towards the etymotics though due to its earbud inserts.
Sent from my HTC Rezound
I looked up the x5's but i couldnt find a legit and good pair anywhere. Seems like the chinese are making tons of x5 and x10 knockoffs.
tbaker077 said:
If you are lucky you can still find Klipsch X5 for under $100 still, bass is clear with instrument that is better than the others listed here. Its actually a $225+ iem that are on sale for under $100 now. The S4 is a bit sibilant vs the others, but bass production is solid for the price.
I would also say really take a look at the Monster Turbine line, may not be as flashy or what not as the Beats, but they sound better for the same price as the Beats(after all Monster is the company that made the Beats line). Trust me these are way better than the iBeats and the Beats by Dre, at the same price.
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Sent from my HTC Rezound
I got mines at Frys, but price went up to $150 now. And from what I was told there is no knock off of these, but there is of the pricier X10.
I would ask around to see how legit it is, but you can now get the X10 for pretty cheap on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Image...HFBK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1329122892&sr=8-3
I have the Audeo Phonak PFE 012's.
http://www.amazon.com/Audéo-Perfect...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1329123911&sr=1-1
They are amazing, very strong bass.
Reviews:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/496179/phonak-aud-o-perfect-bass-earphones-new-models-pfe-012-022
DIncLover said:
I
I DO however have the Shure SE530s and these are the best in-ear phones in existance, bar none!!
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I thought that too until I got a set of Ultimate Ears TripleFi's. Now I never use the 530s anymore.
jmorton10 said:
I thought that too until I got a set of Ultimate Ears TripleFi's. Now I never use the 530s anymore.
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Which ones? I see several Amazon links :
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Triple-fi-10-Pro-Roadie/dp/B000JFHELE
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Ears...arphones/dp/B0019RBJOE/ref=dp_cp_ob_e_title_0
DIncLover said:
Which ones? I see several Amazon links :
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Triple-fi-10-Pro-Roadie/dp/B000JFHELE
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Ears...arphones/dp/B0019RBJOE/ref=dp_cp_ob_e_title_0
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Well, I guess this is a very ymmv thing. Based on your recommendation, and the excellent reviews the Triplefis get, I ordered a pair and lived them a week. I don't care for them, thought the bass was boomy and the imaging not as good as the 530s, so I returned them. I know all about requiring a good seal with earbuds, so that wasn't my issue.
But I'm always searching for a less expensive alternative to the Shures (I know the cable's going to tear off one of these days).
I highly recommend Etymotic headphones. I have the mc5's. They have great bass without muffling mids like beats and excellent sound isolation. Etymotic.com also check out head-fi.org for rank and reviews
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA App
love my klipsch s4, the controls are nice too
rezound said:
love my klipsch s4, the controls are nice too
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I too have the Klipsch S4i. There are better sounding earbuds, but not for less than twice the price. These are about the best sound and comfort per dollar. IMHO
I just bought a set of X10's from Amazon to compare to my Ultimate Ears TripleFi & my Etymotic E4p's
I use a Fiio E11 headphone AMP & the X10's should sound awesome from that I would think (all my other headphones kick a** from this setup)
The X10's I received are defective, one side works fine, but the other side crackles & rattles like the driver is shot.
What I'm wondering is if it's worth getting another set, or is the quality not all it's cracked up to be with these things???
jmorton10 said:
I just bought a set of X10's from Amazon to compare to my Ultimate Ears TripleFi & my Etymotic E4p's
I use a Fiio E11 headphone AMP & the X10's should sound awesome from that I would think (all my other headphones kick a** from this setup)
The X10's I received are defective, one side works fine, but the other side crackles & rattles like the driver is shot.
What I'm wondering is if it's worth getting another set, or is the quality not all it's cracked up to be with these things???
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I personally never liked the klipsch headphones a whole lot as the highs kill my ears. But that is personally preference. I have never liked overly bright speakers.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA
nosympathy said:
I personally never liked the klipsch headphones a whole lot as the highs kill my ears. But that is personally preference. I have never liked overly bright speakers.
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I know exactly what you're saying, I have a set of Klipsch S4's & they are way too bright, but I figured the X10's might be more accurate than the cheapy S4's.
Do all Klipsch earbuds emphasize the highs like that??
I love my s4s. Lol. You don't like good quality? Their highs are great. Maybe you listen to bad music.get a higher bit rate like 320 kbps
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk
hopesrequiem said:
You don't like good quality?
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If I didn't like "good quality" I wouldn't be using what are generally regarded as the two best earbud sets ever made & a headphone AMP. If you read any of the opinions on Hi-Fi.org you would see the TripleFi's are always rated as one of the best earbuds ever made (they originally sold for $399 although I don't know anybody that actually paid that).
All my rips are 320 (or .wav files), I owned a high end stereo shop for 10 years & I definitely appreciate good quality. The Klipsch S4's are way too bright, but this is not always a bad thing. Personally, I am not looking for a super accurate sound as I also like bright highs & too much bass up to a point.
Looking for one of the above for use when wife is watching TV and I am using my note 12.2 to watch instructional videos. Mostly voice dialogs but some music in background.
I think it's mostly up to you what you prefer...
Do you want it to be as simple as plug wired headphones in?
Do you want to charge your BT headphones when battery dies?
Do you use any case on your tablet that blocks the headphone jack for wired ones?
What prize you are looking them for?
What kind of headphones you want, in-ear or normal?
What quality you want headphones to be?
..
..
If you are using them while laying on couch, why need of wireless headphones - but do you want that plug sticking out from side of your tablet (if holding tablet at hand) and cables laying on you?
So I'd say it depends where and how you use them, how often and what you like most
I got Sennheiser HD 598 headphones and I think they're great. Just can't use them for listening music while laying bed, since if I rest my head, headphones will fall off.
Second Spere's comments. Not giving any specific requirements leaves things wide open.
My son took over my Bose QC2's so I'm looking for another set of headphones. Right now what's on my radar is the Audio Technica ATH-M50X. They seem to be well regarded and not too pricey.
Normal plug in types would be acceptable. Over ear preferred to block out unwanted noises. Price: Less then $100. I have a Optimus plug in earphones for my laptop that work on the laptop that cost me $20 new but I am unable to get them to work with this note pro. It has two plugs one for video and one for mike.
I'm using these: http://eu.akg.com/akg-product-detail_eu/k323xs-a-black.html
They're in-ear, but they're so tiny and light they are the only in-ear headphones which don't give me migraines. As for noise cancelling, they managed to block out the 13 police cars that passed by with all signals on without issue. I use them on the train during the rush hours to watch films, I always end upmissing the announcements xD
Shadow Lee...those look really nice. Their website doesn't have any prices but has a link to dealers. What did you pay?
For a stop-gap measure I have located a really cheaply made set of headphones from one of my really old (40 years old) transistor small pocket radios. They work but no noise cancellation.
treetopsranch said:
Shadow Lee...those look really nice. Their website doesn't have any prices but has a link to dealers. What did you pay?
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€47 at Saturn Essen.
How about the capability of blocking loud human conversations?
petercohen said:
How about the capability of blocking loud human conversations?
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Trust me, lots of people on a train during rush hour are loud. It can't filter it out completely (Only over-the-ear soundbarriers can do that), but with audio sufficiently high they're almost unnoticeable. As I said, I end up missing the PA announcements meant to go over the ambient noise.
I own a set of Plantronics Backbeat Go (OG) Bluetooth ear buds and have been very pleased with them. Great for bike rides, outdoor chores or activities, or indoor use. Sound isolation is pretty good.
Just my $0.02,
Eric "GuitarEC"
I'm considering getting these when they launch.
http://www.bragi.com/
*Omnipresent* said:
I'm considering getting these when they launch.
http://www.bragi.com/
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Those look awesome!
I'd be terrified about losing them though, as earpods have a habit of falling out of my ears. (My earcanal is really small so none of them fit as they're meant to. These things are always designed for big (male) ears!)
One would hope that having a women demo the product, would mean that the smaller sleeves would be more accommodating to small ear canals. They sell a cable/leash that would help keep you from possibly losing them accidentally. Unfortunately, they are not cheap and do not come included with the dash. I guess that's part of the figurative and literal price we pay for being early adopters of high tech
Grabbed a pair LG Infiniums from Verizon today on sale. Nice BT speakers.
Here's what I did with my Shure ear buds, got some radienz diy ear plug kits off Amazon
https://instagram.com/p/037ktqpWp8/
They are amazing, I can be running on the treadmill in a noisy gym and not much gets in and so you use less volume
JimmyDingDongs said:
Here's what I did with my Shure ear buds, got some radienz diy ear plug kits off Amazon
https://instagram.com/p/037ktqpWp8/
They are amazing, I can be running on the treadmill in a noisy gym and not much gets in and so you use less volume
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Whoa, haven't seen those buggers in a long time..
Those are the exact same things I got from the otolaryngologist at the hospital to avoid getting water in my ears for almost a decade. I had tympanostomy tubes from age 2 till 11. God I hated those things...
ShadowLea said:
Whoa, haven't seen those buggers in a long time..
Those are the exact same things I got from the otolaryngologist at the hospital to avoid getting water in my ears for almost a decade. I had tympanostomy tubes from age 2 till 11. God I hated those things...
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Ya I had tubes a bunch when I was little, these are comfy though and serve to isolate you from noise very well and only hear music. Noise cancelation makes my ears hurt and does weird things to me. All the ultra high end ear buds require custom molds for good reason.
Hi Y'all.
At the moment I'm using B&O H8.
Extremely satisfied with wearing comfort, sound quality and control interface.
They're an on-ear model and as such noise cancellation is so-so.
At your intended use they'd do nicely but maybe you prefer in-ear.
Personally I can't stand having anything in my ear canal. But that's just me.
Regards
ELO
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium HD app
I currently use Sol Tracks.
They were just under $100, and are some of the best midrange headphones I've ever had.
They are on ear, but work almost as good as over ear ones. Great sound quality and nice bass.
And the on cord volume control/microphone also makes it great for VoIP or phone use!
Another vote for the Plantronics Back Beat Go. I have a pair and love them. I don't care for the wire running to my tablet or phone. These are comfortable, sound good, and won't break the bank.
Can anyone recommend a good set of noise canceling headphones? I use some regular Bose freestyle ESR buds currently. I want something to cancel out the obnoxious people I'm around at school all day. I go for engineering and I hate it when you have find a quiet place to work during the day. I was thinking shut getting the Bose QC 25 over ESR headphones because I've read good things about them, but I wanted to see what other people would recommend. I'm not a big audiophile as long as it sounds as good as my Chevy l current headphones I'll be happy. I was thinking about something like on ear headphones because they would probably work better?
Thanks in advance.
I have the Bose QC15 (over the ear) noise cancelling headphones and they ARE amazing (The QC25's have replaced them). They are a little bigger, but they do a great job of noise cancelling.
Now, if you want an IN EAR version .. don't rule out the Bose QC20i's. I have those as well and they are equally amazing but because they are "in ear" they are smaller and a little more discreet.
I personally love the Bose hardware, so it just comes down to size and what you are looking for. I use the QC20i more, but that is because they are more portable. YMMV
I just bought these: http://www.amazon.com/Harman-Kardon-NC-Cancelling-Headphones/dp/B00A4A3SNW
I don't have them yet, so I can't comment on how good they are, but I have always liked Harman sound.
wattsja said:
I have the Bose QC15 (over the ear) noise cancelling headphones and they ARE amazing (The QC25's have replaced them). They are a little bigger, but they do a great job of noise cancelling.
Now, if you want an IN EAR version .. don't rule out the Bose QC20i's. I have those as well and they are equally amazing but because they are "in ear" they are smaller and a little more discreet.
I personally love the Bose hardware, so it just comes down to size and what you are looking for. I use the QC20i more, but that is because they are more portable. YMMV
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If they had an in ear version with android controls I would probably get that over the regular headphones. I might wait and see if they update it by next year (15 days or so).... The QC25's are big but I feel like they might sound better because of the bigger driver. Then again I am used to my smaller Bose freestyle in ear ones so I may not notice.
Pilz said:
If they had an in ear version with android controls I would probably get that over the regular headphones. I might wait and see if they update it by next year (15 days or so).... The QC25's are big but I feel like they might sound better because of the bigger driver. Then again I am used to my smaller Bose freestyle in ear ones so I may not notice.
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I've had mine since just after they were released (10/13) and I opted for the iPhone version. Since the ONLY difference is that the Android/Windows versions are missing the control buttons, my though was this:
they are the same price and having the buttons will make no difference to Android; However, If I do connect them to my iPod, then I can use the control buttons.
My logic has served me as I use them on my nano at work quite a bit .. and I am able to use the control buttons and pressing the buttons when connected to Android .. does nothing.
wattsja said:
I've had mine since just after they were released (10/13) and I opted for the iPhone version. Since the ONLY difference is that the Android/Windows versions are missing the control buttons, my though was this:
they are the same price and having the buttons will make no difference to Android; However, If I do connect them to my iPod, then I can use the control buttons.
My logic has served me as I use them on my nano at work quite a bit .. and I am able to use the control buttons and pressing the buttons when connected to Android .. does nothing.
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Yeah only the middle button works on mine. I know it has to do with how they set up the resistors inside of the headphones. I'm still debating on which ones I want.
Do both the in ear and over ear cancel noise just as well for those who have both?
Pilz said:
Yeah only the middle button works on mine. I know it has to do with how they set up the resistors inside of the headphones. I'm still debating on which ones I want.
Do both the in ear and over ear cancel noise just as well for those who have both?
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The active noise cancelling seems to be equally as good in-ear or over-ear. You will get a better passive noise reduction with the over-ear ones due to the fact that it covers the whole ear.
wattsja said:
The active noise cancelling seems to be equally as good in-ear or over-ear. You will get a better passive noise reduction with the over-ear ones due to the fact that it covers the whole ear.
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I need to test those out at a boss store. I really like my ear buds, and I used to have seen OE2's before I broke them so a change is nice.
http://www.psbspeakers.com/products/headphones/M4U-2-Headphones
We sell these at my work and they are very good sounding and great at noise cancelling.
bose QC 25
i have the QC25 and i love them. so comfortable! and the active noise canceling is amazing. I am also an engineering student and i can have it on even at the loudest part of the library and not bothered by the people around me. I wear them hours at a time and my ears doesn't get fatique like i would with the in ear headphones. definitely worth the investment over the Beats.
hoaindao said:
i have the QC25 and i love them. so comfortable! and the active noise canceling is amazing. I am also an engineering student and i can have it on even at the loudest part of the library and not bothered by the people around me. I wear them hours at a time and my ears doesn't get fatique like i would with the in ear headphones. definitely worth the investment over the Beats.
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That's good news, I've always liked Bose headphones and their QC line is perfect fit what I need. In going to test then out before I buy them to see if I want the QC 25. Or QC 20's.
Try westones. The triple drivers.
Shamu
I use my bose qc15 when im at home and i use monster inspiration when on train and busses. They are good if you like bass heavy music.
I just bought the QC 25's and they live up to the great reviews. I can't hear my TV when its extremely loud if Im playing music. This is the perfect way to say dont bother me
Pilz said:
I just bought the QC 25's and they live up to the great reviews. I can't hear my TV when its extremely loud if Im playing music. This is the perfect way to say dont bother me
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Good. I am using my hearing aids bluetooth paired to my phone. Excellent noise cancellation on those Phonaks. For 7K they darn well better be.
I wonder, though, if the wired sound from the Bose is better than the bluetooth. I would need a good equalizer as I have severe hearing loss on mid & higher frequencies.
Your thoughts?
wtherrell said:
Good. I am using my hearing aids bluetooth paired to my phone. Excellent noise cancellation on those Phonaks. For 7K they darn well better be.
I wonder, though, if the wired sound from the Bose is better than the bluetooth. I would need a good equalizer as I have severe hearing loss on mid & higher frequencies.
Your thoughts?
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What do you mean for 7k? The Bose QC 25's are 299$
Also I have mild hearing loss from being in the military. (I was am engineer so demolition was my thing) I think these sound great, and I have 2 other pairs of Bose headphones. I'm not partial to their brand, but after trying others I always come back to Bose. They are wired and I don't mind that at all. The cord is completely detachable and they have a great carrying case. I'm not by any means an audiophile so I can't tell you how the highs and lows sound comparatively speaking. The sound is very even and clean and much better than the POS beats that I have tried. I can post some pictures if you want.
Pilz said:
What do you mean for 7k? The Bose QC 25's are 299$
Also I have mild hearing loss from being in the military. (I was am engineer so demolition was my thing) I think these sound great, and I have 2 other pairs of Bose headphones. I'm not partial to their brand, but after trying others I always come back to Bose. They are wired and I don't mind that at all. The cord is completely detachable and they have a great carrying case. I'm not by any means an audiophile so I can't tell you how the highs and lows sound comparatively speaking. The sound is very even and clean and much better than the POS beats that I have tried. I can post some pictures if you want.
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The Phonak HA's were 7K. Just need to decide if the QC 25 wired sound would be that $300 better /more convenient than the bluetooth link to my hearing aids.
wtherrell said:
The Phonak HA's were 7K. Just need to decide if the QC 25 wired sound would be that $300 better /more convenient than the bluetooth link to my hearing aids.
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I would say give it a try the worst that could happen is that they don't work for you. BB has them locally soi would give or a try
If you're really interested in the QC-25's, remember that you can customize the colors of them too (for a price of course). Get them painted to match your style. I've seen the paint jobs in person, and it's top notch. Not to mention it's done by a Bose partner, so they have Bose's warranty as well.
Colorware QC-25
Pilz said:
I would say give it a try the worst that could happen is that they don't work for you. BB has them locally soi would give or a try
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OK, guess it's worth a try.
Thanks, guys.
tatonka_hero said:
If you're really interested in the QC-25's, remember that you can customize the colors of them too (for a price of course). Get them painted to match your style. I've seen the paint jobs in person, and it's top notch. Not to mention it's done by a Bose partner, so they have Bose's warranty as well.
Colorware QC-25
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So they came today!
I literally went to the registration site at 12:03 (17/10) and put in my phone and supplier details. Got confirmation of the freebies and they have arrived.
Not bad for a 14 day cooling off period.
Ok time for some hard truth.
I'll tell you why they are giving these things away.. It's because they don't really give you higher than 44khz well at least that's what I'm getting from the Dev BT debug info. which keeps reverting to 44khz 16bit.
They DO sit very snug though almost feel like you're wearing nothing. If they could shrink these down to just sit in your ear canal without the extra hardware then that would be something.
AAC @ 44100 which I'm guessing the AAC makes up for in the highs and lows.
I can't force the audio quality to go any better than this. I've tried just setting up to only 2 Bluetooth audio devices but doesn't seem to make this any better.
That being said the quality of the audio is a factor. Find some HQ dolby atmos audio demos and you might be able to apreciate these. You need HQ audio files and not MP3
The Audio is very good don't get me wrong but if you are expecting to get 96Khz at 32bits out of these then forget it.
So Dolby Atmos it is then.
DSEE HX is only for Wired Headphones.
Stick with Wired Headphones if you want true high fidelity. I'll keep you posted once I start walking around with these outside (praying not to get mugged for wearing these) to see just how good the noise cancellation is. Seems to overcompensate in a quiet room so you just need to turn this off or down otherwise you'll hear noise.
and the most no go at this set is u can't change the volume at the speakers....u always have to take out your cell phone and change volume with the phone only
I don't use nc on mine. Or ambient. I crank em up anyway.
I use mine everyday for walking the dog, had em some time. I will say, for my small ears, I surely feel wearing them when walking. And need from time to time to resnug em in, not that I'm afraid I'll loose one, I just loose snugness. This I'll compensate by wearing a beanie. No issues then.
I'll guess, this would eliminate the chances of being muged. Even though, not even worth stealing imo. Way to expensive, to what it is. So being a thief for this, is stupid. ????? So the question is, who would mug you?? Lol whoever must be stupid. ?
What did you pay for the bundle?
In Denmark it was 3336,- Dkk / 495,- US / 445,- EUR with carrier deal ofc. Phone Xperia now alone is stunning 830,- US in Denmark, with a following 300,- us wf 1000 mx3 that's 1100,-+ us. Wtf. Pretty glad got it all for under 500
One of few. Comes from Japan.
DanielMode said:
and the most no go at this set is u can't change the volume at the speakers....u always have to take out your cell phone and change volume with the phone only
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Well u don't have to take it out, as button layout is pretty easy,even in case and through pocket. This is one of my least concerns. Why on Earth no LDAC codec for bt. As is Sony's own standard. Hi-res? They got the apple part. And released a Android. Makes sense. On the other hand. The mh version, as this is supposed to mimic, is oem but is far superior, and nothing alike to this iem. With a similar pricetag. I'll even go to my 950n'1s if it came to features. And real life buttons, no touch. Volume controll is the least missing. ? And I'll actually prefer em to my mh, I'd admit, imma basehead, the 950's for oem
Wired I'd use my ah-d7100 but then I gotta carry a dual set fiio combo besides. They are mostly just for looks at the desk. Lol
And I can only use the left one alone. Unless I start paring both. Besides. If I leave on the table, yes I'm like that, don't really care, then the left one will shut off, in 5 min, as supposed if not wearing. The right one will stay alive till draind. Is this just here?
They a supposed to connect to the box, and to what ever. Problem is, I think, they do not. As I can easily leave my case behind.
Sony broke their own codec this time around. ? It was a bundle. ??
No LDAC/ no hi-res
No auto shutoff
No individual listening.
To heavy if not dumbo the elephant
To expensive
Not even starting on the phone it self, ****less fpc. No impressive sound. Dolby atmos. Right. No dark mode on pie??? Like Huawei???? So it continues. Unfortunately.
You can get around. Sure. But it's surely not otb
Still might overall be the best iem nc bt. Or they are. So much room for improvement.
But all this before Volume controll. Hi-res listner has an amp. You'll never controll unless its by hand. ??
But all together, top tier for what's possible, and do count on like 100hours Play in.
Why hate. Sony is true underdog, but not for any fun.
These headphones are some of the best i've ever used. The noise cancelling works great. They don't seem to be suited for heavy music, like Metal, but i haven't played with the EQ yet. But listening to something like Pink Floyd or Steely Dan they sound amazing. They play every detail.
I highly recommend these, good for office use if you want to disconnect from your surroundings for a while.
pookiethebear said:
These headphones are some of the best i've ever used. The noise cancelling works great. They don't seem to be suited for heavy music, like Metal, but i haven't played with the EQ yet. But listening to something like Pink Floyd or Steely Dan they sound amazing. They play every detail.
I highly recommend these, good for office use if you want to disconnect from your surroundings for a while.
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Surprised to hear that. I find the sound quality underwhelming. Even my old HTC wired earphone sounds better.
I bought it for the noise cancelling though.
maybe not the best but I'm pretty satisfied with this headset,especially the durability of the battery
davidletterboyz said:
Surprised to hear that. I find the sound quality underwhelming. Even my old HTC wired earphone sounds better.
I bought it for the noise cancelling though.
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Sound reproduction is a personal thing however I sincerley fail to see how you find these "Underwelming" I have been buying high end hifi for nearly 50 years and can safely write the Sony's are outstanding and only 'bettered' by the much more expensive Sennheisers. Wired headphones are in a different catagory all together from wirelss. unwise to compare apples with oranges.