Good Headphones?

jenniewb

Catherine_Johnson wrote: »

Surely the best thing to do is to go along to a store and listen to a selection. Any decent store will let you do this.

Recommendations are fine, but would you really buy something just because someone else liked it? Get along there and listen to as many pairs as you can. Ideally take along your own CD so you're familiar with the music that you're listening to.

Sadly not so easy!

New headphones take a few hours to 'burn' in, at first they sound a bit tinny and harsh but after a few hours (when I say a few hours, I'm talking more like 48 hours of play) they mellow and the sound changes and will sound a lot better to listen to.

Being that most headphones on display do not play music until someone picks them up and messes with them most on display are damaged way above anything listenable (snapped, cables pulled out so they don't work in one ear, dropped/smashed....) by the time they have gotten enough play to sound good they are long gone and a new pair is out. (If not they just are too broken to be listened to properly).

I'd check the reviews on CNet and other Audio forums, the tech staff at some stores can often help.

I had to get a pair of headphones to replace my in-ear set not so long ago as I had an ear infection and needed it to recover before putting anything back into my ear canal (they are fine now and I'm back to in-ears) hence having found out the above, if I'm spending money on anything it needs to be well spent!

I bought the JVC Carbon Diaphram's which are around the £30 mark and they aren't bad for the price either, had wanted a far more expensive pair (Audio Technica ES W9 or ES10) but just couldn't budget that amount unless I had a lottery win!

[Deleted User]

jenniewb wrote: »

Sadly not so easy!

New headphones take a few hours to 'burn' in, at first they sound a bit tinny and harsh but after a few hours (when I say a few hours, I'm talking more like 48 hours of play) they mellow and the sound changes and will sound a lot better to listen to.

Being that most headphones on display do not play music until someone picks them up and messes with them most on display are damaged way above anything listenable (snapped, cables pulled out so they don't work in one ear, dropped/smashed....) by the time they have gotten enough play to sound good they are long gone and a new pair is out. (If not they just are too broken to be listened to properly).

I'd check the reviews on CNet and other Audio forums, the tech staff at some stores can often help.

I had to get a pair of headphones to replace my in-ear set not so long ago as I had an ear infection and needed it to recover before putting anything back into my ear canal (they are fine now and I'm back to in-ears) hence having found out the above, if I'm spending money on anything it needs to be well spent!

I bought the JVC Carbon Diaphram's which are around the £30 mark and they aren't bad for the price either, had wanted a far more expensive pair (Audio Technica ES W9 or ES10) but just couldn't budget that amount unless I had a lottery win!

Myth. It's your ears adjusting to the sound they produce. There is precious little evidence of this theory being reality. However some hi-fi buffs will try and convince you otherwise. Ask them to prove it.

jenniewb

charles_w wrote: »

Myth. It's your ears adjusting to the sound they produce. There is precious little evidence of this theory being reality. However some hi-fi buffs will try and convince you otherwise. Ask them to prove it.

Really? I can hear the difference in my mates old pair of shures and the ones in ths shop, they just have a really shallow mid tone, sort of like too many cymbles crashing but on the older pair I can hear different. Is this just him having a better set then the shop then?

steveeeee

Having used AudioTechnica ATH M40fs cans for many years, I can recommend them as decent budget studio monitors. Comfy enough for long sessions, nice flat response, and excellent bass extension. If your budget can stretch to them, look at the ATH M50 model as well.

Mic2904

RHA - made in Glasgow. Not too well known though, but i love mine.

Link

jase1

jenniewb wrote: »

Really? I can hear the difference in my mates old pair of shures and the ones in ths shop, they just have a really shallow mid tone, sort of like too many cymbles crashing but on the older pair I can hear different. Is this just him having a better set then the shop then?

All new electronics 'bed in', but the timescales involved are nothing like the claims in the hifi press. Usually of the order of a few minutes. (I've built a fair few amps etc over the years -- you can see the response change on the scope sometimes -- that said this will have been done during QA testing so most of the time there is no bedding in at all for the customer).

The shop demo sets will be well broken in!

As for the original question, how far do you want to go? I have a set of AKG K701s, which I managed to snag on a fatfingered ebay auction for £90 (RRP £350). Very good cans (they want to be at that price lol).

I'd add AKG to the list of 'good' manufacturers

s_b

koss4 Pro4aa for me originals of course not those new copies
i did some testing for seinheiser in the 70's when they were doing their open type headphones they were really good but i still like the full spectrum and they w ere bass low
still a hi fi nut but stuck in the 70's and anyone who tells you speakers dont get better as they are used knows nothing