JoeDavola Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Recent Sonos thread got me thinking; I'm no audiophile but I'm tempted to buy a really good set of headphones to keep in the flat to provide the best possible listening experience when I want to sit and listen to something new. Admittedly I'm listening to Spotify premium through an iPhone which probably limits the experience. Any recommendations? I'm guessing there's a law of diminishing returns when it comes to headphones, and that £100-ish should get me something decent. I'm also assuming over-ear headphones will have the best sound quality, although I generally prefer the feel of in-ear ones. In ear would also make them useable in the gym too - I'm not leaving the flat with big headphones on like some hipster spaz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeDavola Posted December 27, 2016 Author Share Posted December 27, 2016 Amazon deal of the day; down from £350 to £200: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-HD-600-Monitoring-Headphones/dp/B00004SY4H/ref=gbph_tit_m-3_1772_7985f423?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_p=f83306d5-debf-4a67-bc67-5f9aa9181772&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=118857031&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=FCYJD1HYEGPCWBM2ANC3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Discussed here: http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/amazon-sennheiser-hd600-deal-day-2586753 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StainlessSteelCat Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 I can't speak to the quality of any of the above, but I suggest going for ones which have replaceable cables if you are after something you want to keep for a long time eg http://amzn.to/2idlt9L I have a set of Sennheisers from the mid 90s which are still in use because the cables were removable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeDavola Posted December 27, 2016 Author Share Posted December 27, 2016 5 minutes ago, The Masked Tulip said: Discussed here: http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/amazon-sennheiser-hd600-deal-day-2586753 Not only is he a pervert, he also has his ear to the ground when it comes to discussing headphone deals! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeDavola Posted December 27, 2016 Author Share Posted December 27, 2016 4 minutes ago, StainlessSteelCat said: I can't speak to the quality of any of the above, but I suggest going for ones which have replaceable cables if you are after something you want to keep for a long time eg http://amzn.to/2idlt9L I have a set of Sennheisers from the mid 90s which are still in use because the cables were removable. Yep I've just read that a big plus with these Seinthingys is that most of the parts are replaceable and easily obtainable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeDavola Posted December 27, 2016 Author Share Posted December 27, 2016 Very tempted to buy these and then investigate a good amp that I can stream spotify from. Cause, ya know, I'm worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 6 minutes ago, JoeDavola said: Not only is he a pervert, he also has his ear to the ground when it comes to discussing headphone deals! Cheers! A good pair of headphones is vital for when you plant the listening bugs in their bedrooms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpectrumFX Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 5 minutes ago, JoeDavola said: Very tempted to buy these and then investigate a good amp that I can stream spotify from. Cause, ya know, I'm worth it. I've got an older model of those (580 rather than 600) and they're very good. One thing that may be an issue is that they're "open" rather than "closed" headphones That means that they aren't any good for private listening because they're not designed to contain the sound. If you live alone and are just after sound quality then that's not a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeDavola Posted December 27, 2016 Author Share Posted December 27, 2016 1 minute ago, SpectrumFX said: That means that they aren't any good for private listening because they're not designed to contain the sound. If you live alone and are just after sound quality then that's not a problem. An important point. I currently live alone, and if we assume that I'd always be using these in a separate room, i.e. relatively quiet & private listening, then the 'open' design shouldn't be an issue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgul Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Headphones for listening aren't the same as headphones for having music on -- you'll have different needs. For listening at home, in the quiet, big over-ear open-back will be nice and comfy and will have good sound. For the office, over ear, but closed-back, to give you some isolation. For the gym, in ear probably best. ----- As you've already said you like in-ear, why not get some decent ones? Etymotic seem to review well, but I've not used them myself. If you want to spend loads get them custom-moulded -- much more comfortable. Personally I go for over ear, open back (an old Quart design is what I use most), which sound great and are comfortable - they don't suffer from that 'sounds comes from inside your head' effect that most headphones seem to suffer from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpectrumFX Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 1 minute ago, JoeDavola said: An important point. I currently live alone, and if we assume that I'd always be using these in a separate room, i.e. relatively quiet & private listening, then the 'open' design shouldn't be an issue? It's fine. There's not a massive amount of spill, but I wouldn't wear these to listen to something while my wife was in the same room watching television for example. In a different room you should always be fine, unless you move in with my mother who can hear a pin drop at 500 paces and is offended by all noise. When I was a tennager she'd shout up the stairs for me to turn my guitar down because she could hear it over Coronation Street. Which is a bit difficult when you're playing as softly as you can on an unplugged electric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 8 minutes ago, JoeDavola said: An important point. I currently live alone, and if we assume that I'd always be using these in a separate room, i.e. relatively quiet & private listening, then the 'open' design shouldn't be an issue? Yes, but at some point you might want / need to take them out with you and then closed ones will most likely be preferable. I am personally against the idea of using headphones if possible, but suggest going for a good pair if you are going to go for them. I rate Sennheiser but Sony and others also make quality ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeDavola Posted December 27, 2016 Author Share Posted December 27, 2016 2 minutes ago, dgul said: As you've already said you like in-ear, why not get some decent ones? Etymotic seem to review well, but I've not used them myself. If you want to spend loads get them custom-moulded -- much more comfortable. I'm assuming, perhaps wrongly, that the sound quality in over ear headphones will be better. I'm not going to spend big money on earphones that I take places, as they always seem to break after a few months - cable breaks or one of the ears goes dead. Which is ok if you've spent £20 but horrific if you've spent £200. Like the idea of replaceable parts, hopefully a good pair can do me 10 years plus. Will check out Etymotic though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StainlessSteelCat Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 If you are considering earphones, perhaps take a look at some bluetooth ones? A godsend if you are a serial cable tangler/breaker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Generation Game Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 My Sennheiser HD 202s are still going strong after 7 years. People complain about the cable being too long but it makes them more versatile in my eyes. They were £18 off amazon and sound quality is great for that price. Only downside to them for me, and it's quite a big one, is that after a few hours you feel like you've had your head in a vice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 42 minutes ago, The Generation Game said: My Sennheiser HD 202s are still going strong after 7 years. People complain about the cable being too long but it makes them more versatile in my eyes. They were £18 off amazon and sound quality is great for that price. Only downside to them for me, and it's quite a big one, is that after a few hours you feel like you've had your head in a vice. I misread that as a "voice in the head". Sennheiser go up to a loopy price for the posh ones. Also I reckon Audio-Technica might be good, similar price and quality. People wear these things in studios for many hours a day. Or maybe have you considered it's the you that has the odd shaped head Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canbuywontbuy Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Joe, the headphones in your avatar look good enough - I would stick with those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgul Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 46 minutes ago, MrPin said: I misread that as a "voice in the head". Sennheiser go up to a loopy price for the posh ones. Also I reckon Audio-Technica might be good, similar price and quality. People wear these things in studios for many hours a day. Or maybe have you considered it's the you that has the odd shaped head Beyerdynamic also heavily used in studios (well, the ones I've been in). If you want to wear headphones for a long period then Beyer 150s or AT M50s. Both comfortable and sound good. But be careful with impedance if buying anything designed for the studio -- generally, if there is a choice of impedance, studio = higher impedance, consumer = lower impedance, unless you've got some fancy headphone amp, etc. Sennheiser used to be reliable, but the fancy ones are a bit pointless. I still use an ancient pair of HD25s that I stole from a place when it shut down years ago. You can still get them new -- and get new parts for them when they wear. But the 201 (202s similar but more expensive) are fantastic headphones for the price -- no point in buying anything else if spending < £50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlyme2 Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 I bought a pair of California headphone company ones, metal, round ear padded. Really like them and were not expensive £50/£60 I think. Company gone bust, go figure. I would try first to at least work out what you find comfortable, I find the press on ear types really uncomfortable after a while and prefer the enclosed design sound too. Try some, can be a very personal taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Yes dgul. Look for comfort as well as audio quailty. If studio people wear them for hours a day, you won't get "crushed head syndrome! If you do, you won't put them on.. As for blue tooth, a novelty of convenience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexton Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 I thought my ears were shot till I got Sony MDR1 heaphones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_renting Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 For me, the point of closed headphones is not that people can't hear what you are listening to. It's that they cut out ambient noise so you just hear the music. Maybe I have odd-shaped ears, but i can't cope with the little in-ear bugs. A whopping great closed headset suits me fine. If people think I look daft, I don't care. I cant hear them calling me names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlyme2 Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Also ideally any sort of premium priced headphones should have a removable/replaceable lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The XYY Man Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 2 hours ago, happy_renting said: If people think I look daft, I don't care. I cant hear them calling me names. What if I encoded the name-calling in ASCII..? 59 4F 55 20 43 55 4E 54 58 59 59 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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