headphones advice/deals?

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xxexplosivoxx

CAG Veteran
Hey all, I'm in the market to buy some new headphones for my iPod, but I don't really want to break the bank. Ideally, I want something noise cancelling since I listen to it primarily on a pretty loud bus. What are some relatively cheap but decent headphones? I'm not looking to get Bose or anything really high end, so let's say I won't spend any more than $60. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Unless of course there is a deal out there for ridiculously good headphones at a low price...
 
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I'd go with some in-ear monitors (IEMs). Those will block out noise well, usually better than noise-cancelling earphones/headphones. Also, be careful if you plan on shopping on eBay for things like this. If it's selling new for like 50-75% off the average price, it's probably a fake.

You could look at:

Ultimate Ears 3 series - $60-72
Shure E2 series - $60-72
Etymotic ER6i - $65-75
Ultimate Ears Metro.fi 3 - $50
JVC HAFX33 Marshmallows - $10-20 (not as good as the above, but they do OK for the price and you can get some Shure foam tips on eBay for $2 to help with the isolation)

I listed the average-ish/Amazon pricing. Or, if you want more recommendations, visit the head-fi.org forum. Very knowledgable crowd, but be warned. Their motto is, "Sorry about your wallet."
 
The ER6i is hit or miss depending on your listening style. It's not a "fun" pair of headphones. They're analytical and a little bit cold. They're great for hearing a lot of live or really dense music as the details are clear but they're terrible if all you like is hip-hop, dance/techno music. They lack the Oomph kind of bass that those genre kinda rely on but the isolation is probably the best w/ foamies.

The UE Super.fi 3 is much warmers and friendlier for all types of music but the isolation isn't that great. They'll work if you turn up the volume a bit but it's noticeable when compared to the ER6is. They fit a little differently. Takes a little to get used to.

I did not like the Marshmallows. Not even for the price. I think I bought into the hype too much and came away disappointed. For the price, I'd rather buy Sennheiser HD 201 or the Koss KSC75s.

My .02s on the 2 that I've owned. Good luck and yeah. Sorry about your wallet. ;)
 
I think the KSC75 are a great choice, but seeing as how OP will be on a noisy bus, I'm not sure how they'd do. I didn't like the HD201 myself, because of their relatively large size and an amp was needed to get any substantial volume out of my iPod. Carrying around an amp ruined the portability for me. For commutes, I use the UE S.F5 or Sony D66.

If you're not getting good isolation with the UE S.F3, then you may not be getting a proper seal. I had to try different tips and the UE mod before I got a good fit. Decent for the price, but I pitched them for the S.F5. *sigh* Head-fi...

I also didn't enjoy the Etymotics because of the bass issue. And, I didn't like how far they had to go into your ears. :lol:
 
[quote name='parKer']I think the KSC75 are a great choice, but seeing as how OP will be on a noisy bus, I'm not sure how they'd do. I didn't like the HD201 myself, because of their relatively large size and an amp was needed to get any substantial volume out of my iPod. Carrying around an amp ruined the portability for me. For commutes, I use the UE S.F5 or Sony D66. [/QUOTE]

Yeah, they're not great choices due to external noises, I figured that I would comment that for the money, they might as well get a better sounding phones. :) I've never owned an iPod but I never ran into any issues running the HD201 on my Zens or my Cowon A2 unamped. They are a bit big for portable use tho.

[quote name='parKer']If you're not getting good isolation with the UE S.F3, then you may not be getting a proper seal. I had to try different tips and the UE mod before I got a good fit. Decent for the price, but I pitched them for the S.F5. *sigh* Head-fi...[/QUOTE]

I should've been clearer when I said the sound isolation wasn't that great on the S.F3s. They weren't that great when compared to the super intrusive ER6i. :lol: I too ditched my S.F3s for the S.F5 Pros. And yeah. Head-fi as well. :oops:

[quote name='parKer']I also didn't enjoy the Etymotics because of the bass issue. And, I didn't like how far they had to go into your ears. :lol:[/QUOTE]

The ER6is fit a lot better with short Westone foamies. They don't extend as far but you get the same iso. Granted it still doesn't "fix" the bass tho. I still like using them for all my live albums and classical pieces as well as talk radio since the low bass is a great thing there. :D

I also would like to add that if you're use to 128 or 192 kbps MP3s... you're going to do a lot of re-dling/re-ripping if you get some good IEMs as the artifactings pops and fizzle will ANNOY the crap out of you when you hear them in clear detail. ;) You might be upgrading that player as well and down the slippery slope of audiophiles we go. It's a fun trip tho.
 
Hmm.. thanks for all the input. I'm looking at the UE SuperFi 3's... that might be the right set for me. Don't think I'm ready to go into the triple digits for my ears yet... Thanks again!
 
I have Sennheiser PX100s, and they sound great for $40 shipped but they're open-ear. They do make closed-ear mini-cans (PX200s) as well as a version with active noise canceling but I think it's a lot more expensive.
 
[quote name='orochi']I too ditched my S.F3s for the S.F5 Pros. And yeah. Head-fi as well. :oops:[/quote] LOL. Glad I'm not alone. After I got the S.F5 I had to stop visiting Head-Fi for a while. That place can be dangerous.

[quote name='orochi']
I also would like to add that if you're use to 128 or 192 kbps MP3s... you're going to do a lot of re-dling/re-ripping if you get some good IEMs as the artifactings pops and fizzle will ANNOY the crap out of you when you hear them in clear detail. ;) You might be upgrading that player as well and down the slippery slope of audiophiles we go. It's a fun trip tho.[/quote] Excellent point. Sometimes audio gear can be too revealing. I'm not an audiophile by any means, but I did notice some of my music sounded "meh" when I got into IEMs. Re-ripping... Head-Fi... oh, the joy. lol



OP, if you're looking to get the UE S.F3, Amazon has a lower price on them right now. $60 shipped for either the black or white.

VIDEOue.jpg


Also, I'm not sure if you've ever tried on a pair before, but like orochi mentioned, they do take some getting used to as you wear the wires behind your ears. There is an easy mod that you can do though if you don't like how they stick out. Enjoy and welcome to the UE club.
 
I've been trying reaaaally hard not to splurge on the Westone UM2s myself. :lol: I buy from http://www.earphonesolutions.com/ usually because even if you can find a lower price somewhere else, they'll beat it by a few bucks as long as they're matching from an authorized dealer. I think Amazon should be one.
 
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