Recommend me some Headphones.

[Kingfisher]

I've got some Shure noise reducing earphones/buds which are great for planes and other noisy places, but I'm on the lookout for a nice pair of headphones for round the home use on my iPod. Something with a nice rich full bass which you can't get on little earbud types...

Dosen't matter if they spill any noise, they are not for the train or bus use etc. On the ear or over - it don't matter as long as the sound is great. Looking at a price range up to $150 or £110.

 

[buickid]

I'm a fan of the Alessandro MS-1 headphones, $110 shipped.

Made by Grado for Alessandro, its been a while since I did my research on them, but I chose them over comparable Grados because they were reviewed as "smoother" sounding than the Grados, not as "bright". Not a wide soundstage that you'd get from big cans, but very nice sound. You can get them online from Alessandro.

 

[Russ/TN]

+1 on the Grado Labs phones.

 

[pistolsnipe]

if you need another addiction, i guarantee that head-fi.org will help you out

 

[Vball]

I've got a pair of Grado SR80s and the ipod doesn't push them that well. So I really like my Koss porta pros because they are still portable and sound great or I hear the Sennheiser PX100s are nice as well. both are only around 40 bucks.

There is an easy mod for the Porta pros that brightens them some if you feel they are to bass heavy. They also have a break in period so if the bass is a little muddy at first don't panic it should smooth out in a short time. They also have a very good lifetime warranty. Just pay shipping and Koss will fix them or replace them free. I have done this. It was a pretty quick turn around less than a month & I had a brand new pair.

I would stay away from any of the fullsized cans because the weight of the cord will put alot of stress on your ipod jack. The Koss and the Senns were two of the best rated portable on the ear phones out there when I was looking a couple of years ago. I love my Porta pros and have not found anything even close to them for twice the price.

Good luck with your search, Vball

 

[PharmerMike]

I've had a pair of AKG K 141 headphones for almost 30 years. The new version is the 142, but they are essentially the same.

Online retailers have them for as low as $120 USD.

 

[Darvis]

Grado Labs all the way.. Although I agree that the Ipod may have trouble driving them. The compression limits of the ipod files will become more obvious as well since you'll be driving the phones a bit harder, especially if you choose to run the ipod thorough any type of pre-amp. I really notice the swishy highs more on the Grados.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have had great luck with sennheiser (as also mentioned above) not a bad alternative and the 100 series unit that I have folds right up for travel.

 

[Notsure Fire]

Grado Labs indeed. Amazon seems to be running decent sales on them.

 

[qguy]

if your looking to add an amplifier in between your ipod go for the Grado's if not a high efficiency headphones like the AKG K420, K430, K450 or even the 81Dj will do you nice.. got awesome bass too !!!

I've got some Shure noise reducing earphones/buds which are great for planes and other noisy places, but I'm on the lookout for a nice pair of headphones for round the home use on my iPod. Something with a nice rich full bass which you can't get on little earbud types...

Dosen't matter if they spill any noise, they are not for the train or bus use etc. On the ear or over - it don't matter as long as the sound is great. Looking at a price range up to $150 or £110.

 

[JohnR66]

I have a pair of Sennheiser HD530 phones that fit around the ear with a very soft padded cloth. They feel so light and comfortable I forget that I am even wearing them. I don't know how they stand up in the world of hifi audio, but they sound fine to me.

I can't stand the ones that push on the earlobe. After a while my earlobe starts to hurt. A big part of the listening experience is being comfortable.

 

[Paul6ppca]

Sennheiser PXC 250-II Active Noise Canceling Headphones are what I use for ipod, I used them on the train and they are way more comfortable than my Etymotic earbuds.I think they sound great!I like all of the Sennheiser line too. Ithe Ipod can drive these headphones very well.

As someone before mentioned you may want to look at headphone amps for driving full sized headphones.

For ultimate ipod listening look at Stax earspeakers with their headphone amp.Really nice.

 

[NonSenCe]

and i was thinking to be odd and the only one to offer the grado/alessandro headphones as i think they are great..

but looking at the answers it seems i am not that odd choosing them myself. COOL! hahah.

althou. it is true that they do work better with more power than ipod gives.

 

[Kingfisher]

Thanks for ALL the info guys, I will try most of your recommendations out - but some are only available online, so I won't be able to get my hands (or should I say ears?) on them before I buy.

The Grado's seem highly recommended in all my other browsings elswhere, but I never considered the heavy cord with an iPod - so a big thanks for that Vball. Iv'e never been a Hi-Fi expert, but have loved music since as long as I can remember.

 

[Colorblinded]

Grados are popularly recommended and I have owned and listened to a number. I'll put it nicely and say they're not for me. Performance wise they're ok, build quality wise they're cheap feeling and looking. That said I'd still recommend checking them out, particularly their more affordable models.

My most used these days are Sennheiser HD650s, Audio Technica ATH-AD900s and Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10s.

Head-fi is interesting. Be careful what you read over there, many seem to have no concept, understanding or desire to learn the science behind their hobby or passion and say some completely ridiculous things as a result.

 

[Vball]

Your welcome glad I could help!!!

If your interested in the Koss porta pros they have them at Best Buy for 29.99 right now and they come with a new improved cloth covered cord. Hard to pass up for the price. I'm sure you could use them as a knock around pair or gift in the unlikely event you don't like them.

I use my for watching movies, gaming & music. The 3D effects are really good with these better than the Grados even.



Enjoy what ever you get and keep us posted,Vball

 

[pck50]

Klipsch S5i The Only Way to go!

 

[guyg]

Bose IE2 buds. They produce excellent sound from an Ipod. My non noice cancelling Bose take a lot of push from the Ipod. They have several sets of tips to fit your ear properly. I bring this up at this late date as they are on sale for $89.

 

[EnduringEagle]

I would put forward the Etymotic ER4's. this company makes hi-end hearing aid parts and their headphones are used by leading audiophiles and recording engineers. I have a pair of these and they are nothing short of stellar.
Link to ER4: http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er4.html

 

[cdrake261]

I'd go with the zune premium headphones, only cost $50 USD and provide plenty of bass with my iphone and ipad

 

[eightbitpotion]

I love Grados, but they don't meet what you're looking for. You want deep rich luscious bass? This is not a Grados headphone until you hit the RS series, and until you hit that series they sound a bit 'harsh' with some music, so these aren't good all around headphones imo, plus they have a very narrow soundstage. If you don't mind looking like a goof, you can get some Sennheiser HD555s for a reasonable price that blows low-end Grados out of the water and sound fantastic even unamped. If you check ebay or some etailers you may be able to score a pair of Sony EX-90s for a good price which you can Kramermod them which blows UE Triple.fi 10s out of the water. The Koss KSC-75s sound fantastic too, and are around $20- these sound like a delicate Porta Pro with more intricate detail.

There's a funny thing about fidelity and definition- you don't know what you're missing until you first experience it. It'd be like how we thought DVD was really awesome, but then we saw BluRay. It's a slippery slope, so be careful.