Which headphones?

[kushtibari]

Having read the comments in Clingy's thread have decided to get myself a set of decent headphones. Never seem to be able to listen to music at a decent volume due to terraced house, wife watching Corry, kids in bed etc etc. I've got a little pair of sennheiser PX100 that are great little mobile things but never use them much at home due to small size and the fact that everybody else can hear them as well. I'm looking for decent headphones that are comfortable and won't interfere with the missus watching the telly. I'll probably budget up to maybe £100 but really after recommendations as to the comfort side as well as sound quality.

[poindextermatic]

Am in the same boat also - need some that do not let out noise, but more importantly do not let it IN (I hate corry) a mic would also be a nice addon but not essential...
Have seen some in local sound shop but they are too overpriced, I'm looking more at the £30 mark m'self...

[Theo]

For about £50-70 you can have a pair of Sennheiser HD570s. Absolutely GORGEOUS bit of kit that I can highly recommend. I think I originally bought them on the thumbsup from Zakk33 (long while ago), and I haven't regretted it since.

I run them straight from my NF7-S Soundstorm, and they sound LOVELY. Full, rounded tone, you may need to level out your EQ a little because they seem to compensate in the bass and mid-tones.

Most of all, however... they are the most comfortable thing that I have ever worn on my head. Cotton velour ear pads, cushioned headthing. Whenever I'm in my office (most of the time) and I'm doing work for Uni or whatever, I'll unplug them and keep wearing them - they're that comfortable.

[Legin76]

Have you thought about the Koss PRO-4AA's?

[Clingy]

I never really got on with headphones. Somehow they never did it for me. Year ago I ended up getting some very expensive electrostatics, but still no good .

Make sure you get a good demo and I hope recent technological advances have made the experience better.

[Zak33]

Legin's right....

http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/d...s/display.html and he's too nice a guy to punt his own products....but they're worthy of looking at. Free deliv too By all accounts, they enlocse your ear nicely too....something essential. Small cans do your ears in

My Sennheisers HD570's, as the dude Theo will testify, AND TiG who has some too, are so comfortable you'll wear them to bed by accident

[5lab]

i'd honestly go to a hifi shop and try several. i did this and came out with a set of grado sr80s on a similar budget, which are, without doubt, by far the best headphones i've ever worn. i did test some senns of the same price region but they werent up to the mark - the warmth and detail of the grados is amazing. so go in, take some of your own music, and take a listen. a good hifi shop will be more than willing to help

[5lab]

review snippits for sr60s (can normally be had for £80ish)

"The most varied group to be voted on, there was very little spread in the balloting with one exception: Grado's remarkable SR60 headphones. Both Corey Grrenberg and Sam Tellig raved about the SR60s in print. Pretty much every other writer who tried them voted for them."
Stereophile / John Atkinson Vol.17, No.12



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Grado seemed like headphones from a bygone age, but they sure as heck dont sound like it. Our 1999 award winners are classy affairs, able to deliver the full frequency spectrum with devistating ease. Base weight is great and for imaging quality, detail, delicacy and shear enjoyable musicality, the Grados are sensational."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They're made in Brooklyn, and they look as if they stepped out of a '60s music studio, with their black plastic backs and retro styling. But make no mistake; these are modern phones with the best sound of the phones we tested. Audio is lifelike and balanced, with a nice open quality to the highs and good bass. Great for iPods! For their price, they're an absolute steal.
- Mark McClusky, Mobile PC
The SR60 has won numerous product of the year honors from a variety of respected audiophile magazines and reviewers continually vote the SR60 at the top of what is a very lively pack of products. There has to be a reason for all this acclaim, and in the case of the SR60s, it's the sound, pure and simple.
- Leo Laporte, 2005 Gadget Guide
Headphones are a very personal choice, but the SR60s have amassed a cult following among iPod users for exceptional audio quality and comfortable design. The SR60s feature a vented diaphragm design with a non-resonant air chamber resulting in a deeper and cleaner bass than other phones.
- Marc Saltzman, Feature Magazine
I love my iPod but hate its wimpy, tinny earbuds. So I replaced them with a pair of Grado SR60s. They look like AV lab equipment circa 1981 yet cater to audio snobs, packing high-end quality into lightweight plastic ant foam. These can give vibrant fidelity, even at low volume.
- Stuart Luman, WIRED magazine
"The Budget Grados stand comparison with Audiophile headphones costing many times their prices.
Way Recommended!!!"
- Corey Greenberg - STEREOPHILE Vol.17, No.6
"Superb musical performance; free from the in-head lateralisation that plagues headphones."
HI-FI Chioce
"The SR60 headphones sound impressively warm, lively and detailed. For the money, there is nothing quite like them."
- Time magazine / Fred Kaplan Vol.149, Vol.19
"The SR60 is an exceptional value with no peers in its price range."
- Radio World / Bruce Bartlett Vol.20, No.9
"The greatest bargain in all of portable audio-dom are the Grado SR60 headphones. They manifest a terrifically involving, rich sound which can civilize even a cheap portable CD player."
- FI magazine / Andrew Keen Vol.1, No.7
"These 'phones are so good for their price that I wouldn't be surprised if Grado has trouble keeping dealers stocked."
- Stereophile / Barry Willis Vol.17, No.5

[Zak33]

/\ he likes Grado's....passionately...which is what Music is about.
So you can take his advice properly too...he loves them.

[Zak33]

good value too
http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/d...s/display.html

£45 top ones

[kushtibari]

Been doing a fair bit of reading and was looking at Sennheisers or the Grado SR-60's as I can source them locally for under £70. The thing is finding them locally so I can have a bit listen first (if thats allowed with headphones). I hadn't looked at Koss to be honest.

Edit: started to reply to Legin at 5pm, kids started fighting, came back, posted reply then saw all the stuff that had gone on since. Cheers, I'll read them now.

[Legin76]

good value too
http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/d...s/display.html

£45 top ones

The DJ1002's are much better

/Me slips Zak £10 for all the advertising...

[kushtibari]

Leaning towards SR60 or 80's. The 80's are on offer locally at under £80, but I'll give them and the sennheisers (can't find the 570's though) a listen tomorrow. No trace of the Koss round here or I would give them an audition as well.

[5lab]

i found the sr60 earphone pads on me dads were quite un-hard-wearing, and they wore out in about a year of heavy use - i replaced them with sr80 pads from a hifi shop i think the 80 pads are much nicer, particualrly on my piercings

good luck with your listen test. £80 is a steal.

[kushtibari]

Went with the SR-80's in the end. There wasn't much difference in cost terms from the 60's but the 80's were way more comfortable. Tried a couple of pairs of sennheisers but liked the sound of the Grado's best.

[Sidewinder]

For £25 you can get a pair of soundwise G3 which will do an exellent job. If you have a bit more to spend try shure!