Dazzle Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 First off, I am not the most knowledgeable on this subject and I am just strictly a fan with a few earphones, not a sound engineer. But from my experiences and from other people's, it is very important to get a pair of earphones/headphones that offer something more than the crappy stock earbuds that get bundled with every single music player that you can think of. They are good if you don't have anything else but if you do, don't use them! Apple earbuds do not cut it. For $30 dollars as a replacement, these earphones are not only fragile but produce poor sound quality. Most of the impact/detail of the music is automatically missing as soon as you play your music. Not to mention the sound leakage is notoriously bad. You could most definitely get something better at that price, or a little bit more. So, do you guys/girls use earphones and/or headphones or both? If not, which ones have you tried? So far, I own: Etymotic ER4P These ones offer superior clarity. The vocals and instrumentals on it are outstanding. The bass is something people complain about, and admittedly, I don't feel it is appropriate for listening to electronica songs that have a focus on bass. But it is AWESOME for rock, pop, classical - basically most other genres. One thing about these earphones is that they have not been changed by Etymotic for over 10 years. They're old but they still hold up! Replaceable cables, but would need to send to manufacturer for them to do it. Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5 Pro These are much more bassy than the Etymotic ER4Ps. Pretty good clarity. I think it's an all-around excellent earphone. It's pretty much good for any genre, though I still think the ER4Ps are much more subtle and better for Rock/classical/instrumental songs. Replaceable cables, which can be purchased online quite easily. Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10 (in blue) These are awesome earphones. SO clear - listening to songs is heavenly. Bass is really strong, but tight and controlled. Good soundstage. Instrumental separation is pretty amazing on these. Replaceable cables, just like above. Which ones do you currently own? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wetcoaster Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Koss PortaPro's were outstanding in 1984 and they remain so today. Oh yeah and a lifetime warranty. CNET review http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/koss-portapro-with-case/4505-7877_7-32897197.html http://www.amazon.ca/Koss-155491-PortaPro-Headphones-Case/dp/B00001P4ZH/ref=pd_bxgy_ce_img_b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schlaBAM Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 I have green studio beats (selling, least favorite of what I own) I also have Sony XB700s, which are literally the most comfortable things I have ever placed on my head (mind you, not against) Although there is no noise cancellation on these, they cancel out noise better than the beats (which must take batteries, huge flaw). The new model of these that Sony is currently selling is quite ugly, yet the specs are still incredible. For snowboarding, I use Bose Triport earbuds. Bass is powerful for earbuds and are quite enjoyable to ride with on the mountain! Clarity is incredible too. I'm a little bit of an audiophile, I love music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
لني Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 I had the Shure 535s but i left them in Singapore. I have to get them couriered to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lx Birdie xl Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 When travelling I use what ever sony earbuds that came with my cheap sony mp3 player. When at home I use my turtle beaches(connects to both my consoles and pc) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pasific Coluseum Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 It looks like these IEM manufacturers have dressed up normal earphones with fancy ear tips and transparent wires to justify the premium prices. I seriously doubt there`s any difference between normal apple earbuds and these souped up riced out IEMs. Companies just hoodwinking unsuspecting consumers is more like it! Ill stick with my $1 stock earbuds which sound fine and do their job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve23 Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 I've had a few that have come and gone Headphones: Grado HF-2, MS2i AKG K701 Beyerdynamic DT880 Sennheiser HD600, HD800 (current) Denon D2000, D5000, D700 Audio-Technical AH-AD2000 IEM: Klipsch image s5 Shure e2c, e4c, sh-535 JH Audio JH13 (current) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzle Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 It looks like these IEM manufacturers have dressed up normal earphones with fancy ear tips and transparent wires to justify the premium prices. I seriously doubt there`s any difference between normal apple earbuds and these souped up riced out IEMs. Companies just hoodwinking unsuspecting consumers is more like it! Ill stick with my $1 stock earbuds which sound fine and do their job Erm, no. The drivers are incredible on the earphones. The TripleFi 10 for example has three drivers - designed to handle the low-end, high-end and mid-range of music differently. The UE900 has four drivers. But it is not always the number of drivers that determine if they''re better than others or not. The quality of the drivers are obviously of most importance. One driver can do it if it's made well. (Etymotic ER4P for example) Furthermore, it is not the bass of the earphones that make them "quality". The whole point of listening on good earphones is to hear the entire song, including instruments. You don't want earphones to drown out vocals or instrumentals. The Apple earbuds are not good earphones. They are most likely bass-driven to fool consumers that it is quality, while neglecting the instrumentals. Honestly, until you've actually tried wearing them, you will never know - Just go to a headphones store and try them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schlaBAM Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 It looks like these IEM manufacturers have dressed up normal earphones with fancy ear tips and transparent wires to justify the premium prices. I seriously doubt there`s any difference between normal apple earbuds and these souped up riced out IEMs. Companies just hoodwinking unsuspecting consumers is more like it! Ill stick with my $1 stock earbuds which sound fine and do their job I'm just going to go out on a limb here and say you're completely wrong, apple earbuds are completely terrible. Of course you wouldn't know the difference in quality, as you've apparently never picked up a set worth more than 30 dollars. If apple's name wasn't on the earbuds, they would probably sell for 10 dollars. That's how cheap they are: there is no clarity, bass, or and crisp sounds whatsoever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzle Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 I have green studio beats (selling, least favorite of what I own) I also have Sony XB700s, which are literally the most comfortable things I have ever placed on my head (mind you, not against) Although there is no noise cancellation on these, they cancel out noise better than the beats (which must take batteries, huge flaw). The new model of these that Sony is currently selling is quite ugly, yet the specs are still incredible. For snowboarding, I use Bose Triport earbuds. Bass is powerful for earbuds and are quite enjoyable to ride with on the mountain! Clarity is incredible too. I'm a little bit of an audiophile, I love music. Nice earphones and headphones! I like the (stainless steel? or aluminum?) finish of the Sony up above. Looks very strong and sturdy. Interesting colour on the Beats! It seems that the other two earphones/headphones are better than the Beats. I had the Shure 535s but i left them in Singapore. I have to get them couriered to me. Nice earphones! Yes you should! I've had a few that have come and gone Headphones: Grado HF-2, MS2i AKG K701 Beyerdynamic DT880 Sennheiser HD600, HD800 (current) Denon D2000, D5000, D700 Audio-Technical AH-AD2000 IEM: Klipsch image s5 Shure e2c, e4c, sh-535 JH Audio JH13 (current) Pretty sweet collection of earphones/headphones. JH Audio! Pretty pricey! Definitely a lot of recognizable names and model numbers! When did you start getting into earphones/headphones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzle Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 I'm just going to go out on a limb here and say you're completely wrong, apple earbuds are completely terrible. Of course you wouldn't know the difference in quality, as you've apparently never picked up a set worth more than 30 dollars. If apple's name wasn't on the earbuds, they would probably sell for 10 dollars. That's how cheap they are: there is no clarity, bass, or and crisp sounds whatsoever. Exactly. It's difficult to describe how the wide variety of earphones/headphones are better than the Apple earbuds in ways where he could actually hear the difference. It's not like he can hear a sentence and comprehend why Apple earbuds are inferior. There's a reason why they are a throw-in whenever you buy a player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wetcoaster Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 It looks like these IEM manufacturers have dressed up normal earphones with fancy ear tips and transparent wires to justify the premium prices. I seriously doubt there`s any difference between normal apple earbuds and these souped up riced out IEMs. Companies just hoodwinking unsuspecting consumers is more like it! Ill stick with my $1 stock earbuds which sound fine and do their job And repeating advice given by others in respect of this poster... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzle Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 Koss PortaPro's were outstanding in 1984 and they remain so today. Oh yeah and a lifetime warranty. CNET review http://reviews.cnet....7-32897197.html http://www.amazon.ca...d_bxgy_ce_img_b These earphones look pretty good! I'm going to read up on them. Thanks for the link(s) Hmm.. it is interesting that they decided not to change them at all. That's very intriguing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wetcoaster Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 These earphones look pretty good! I'm going to read up on them. Thanks for the link(s) Hmm.. it is interesting that they decided not to change them at all. That's very intriguing. Best part is the lifetime warranty... http://www.koss.com/...anty_and_repair Also they have updated the headphones with the Koss Touch Control (KTC) remote and microphone technology for iPhone, iPad and iPod. http://www.koss.com/...n_Ear_Headphone It also works with other smartphones as well and if not there are apps to allow android phones and tablets to access the KTC. https://play.google....XRidXR0b24iXQ.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurnabyJoe Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 It looks like these IEM manufacturers have dressed up normal earphones with fancy ear tips and transparent wires to justify the premium prices. I seriously doubt there`s any difference between normal apple earbuds and these souped up riced out IEMs. Companies just hoodwinking unsuspecting consumers is more like it! Ill stick with my $1 stock earbuds which sound fine and do their job I appreciate being frugal, but buddy you're deaf. It's because of you people we have the loudness war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schlaBAM Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Nice earphones and headphones! I like the (stainless steel? or aluminum?) finish of the Sony up above. Looks very strong and sturdy. Interesting colour on the Beats! It seems that the other two earphones/headphones are better than the Beats. The Sony headphones are very sturdy. The leather started to peel (they're two years old now) but I think that was partially because I got a bit of cologne on them, and I fall asleep with them on from time to time hahah. They've done me well, and are still comfy. The stainless steel finish is nice too, as they wont scratch as they rub up on things so that's a plus as well. The beats are very fancy; that being said, they have the worst quality of the 3. It's more of a fashion statement than a music appeal, which is why they're bashed on so much. They aren't terrible, but for 350 bucks you can get a lot more (the Sonys were 179) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugemanskost Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 I highly recommend Marshall Major FX headphones. I got a pair last Christmas and, for $125, they are amazing. Decent bottom end, very good mid range and decent highs. Comfortable. 1/4 inch adapter. In-line remote. I've heard headphones that cost three times as much not sound so good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzle Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 I appreciate being frugal, but buddy you're deaf. It's because of you people we have the loudness war. I appreciate being frugal, but buddy you're deaf. It's because of you people we have the loudness war. LOLOL.. it's so true. I'm commuting on buses and I always hear some dude headbanging to music that leaks out to the environment. OH YEAH, blow those eardrums out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzle Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 I highly recommend Marshall Major FX headphones. I got a pair last Christmas and, for $125, they are amazing. Decent bottom end, very good mid range and decent highs. Comfortable. 1/4 inch adapter. In-line remote. I've heard headphones that cost three times as much not sound so good. Great recommendation! Always great to hear brands that outperform their more expensive competitors at a lower price. It'll be nice reading Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Alexander Cody Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 I might try those Marshall headphones.. And against popular opinion, I might just invest some money into Dr. Dre beats. I know I know it's terrible but I like em and I can get em for a good price so it doesn't matter to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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