8/12/2010
Johnson C. says:
Whee - headphone discussion! From a headphone junkie, some tips I usually give headphone shoppers:
1) Don't buy into marketing hype - I cringe whenever I see someone sporting a pair of Monster Dr. Dre Beats.
2) Trust your ears - don't depend on reviews. If possible, find a store that has store demos (i.e. HiFi on Seymour) and bring your iPod and listen to the a set of challenging songs across the demos. Or find a store with a good return policy, give the cans some time to break-in and then see if you want to keep them. The reason I say this is because everyone has different musical tastes - some like their headphones to sound neutral, other hear a coloured/boosted bass line and prefer that.
3) Once you decide on a pair you like, try shopping online - like most electronics, headphones are usually much cheaper in the US. My Grado SR60s retailed in Vancouver for ~$140 CAD, but I was able to get it shipped to a US address for $70 USD. Another place to try is NCIX (local computer store) - they carry Sennheisers and Koss headphones.
$150 is a pretty good budget to work with - more than enough for decent and energy-efficient set that your iPod can power (without a headphone amplifier). But if you're a person that has a tendency to lose/break your headphones, something cheap and cheerful would be good too.
If sound isolation is important, I think you should go for earbud/canalphones. Open-air (a.k.a. earpad) headphones sound great but generally leak sound. I dislike closed/'full'/circumaural headphones since I find them uncomfortable when you are using them for extended periods (ears heat up) and for the poor bass response. I know a few friends that swear by Shure canalphones - maybe give them a shot?
I think for sub-$100 quality headphones, the most popular are open-air headphones (much more natural sound, IMHO). Here's a few popular options you should look into if you live with the lack of isolation:
Koss Portapro - $57 - Strong bass in these (good or bad, depending on your music/preference) and the design is dated, but I usually has my top recommendation for most people - lifetime warranty:
http://ncix.com/produc...
Sennheiser PX100 - $65 great all-rounder, neutral sound, conservative design - I have a pair for travel and they are great since they fold up and come with a case - still sounds good and takes a beating - 2 year warranty:
http://ncix.com/produc...
I personally swear by Grado headphones even though their distribution system screws over Canadians - I have a pair Alessandro MS-1s ($99 USD shipped) which are 'upgraded' Grados and they ship to Canada. However, everyone within a 10 foot radius will be listening to what you listen to and a lot of people don't dig the WWII-era code-breaker styling. But my god, do they sound good - great out of the box and if you chose to amplify them, they will sing.
Happy hunting.
