Headphones

[DudeAsInCool]

I was at the airport recently and tried on the Bose noise reduction headphones and lower-priced Triports - the sound was amazing. So tonight, I decided to do some research and see how the Triports stacked up - and the results were surprising - they don't rate according to the expert who wrote the Amazon review below. Looks like I'm going with the inexpensive

Grado SR60s

Bose Triports/Headphones Review

Criminally overpriced - please audition other gear!, March 15, 2005

Reviewer: Owen Oyer "q3catscratch" (NJ aka Hellhole)

Well, you may not necessarily believe that, with all the hype that surrounds Bose, these headphones would be anything other than stellar. They are, unfortunately, very subpar. In truth, these are rather cheap headphones, utilizing very light construction with a predominance of plastics, and very cheap diaphragm materials. The "Tri-Port" technology is nothing more than a plastic shield over the diaphragm with three asymmetrical cutouts that capture the sound at different parts along the diaphragm. I suppose that this does help in making a very cheap diaphragm sound better, but it is not a substitute for better materials and higher-quality construction. I expect the Triports cost no more than $20 to make.

Many consumers walk into the local Best Buy, try these headphones out, say "hey, they're great!" and walk home with a brand new pair. Why is that? Because most people haven't heard higher-quality systems, and compared to what is commonly available at Best Buy, yes, these are a notch above. However, there are several things you should know:

1) There are much better sounding headphones that are much cheaper.

2) The Triports are defective. The headband design is very flimsy, and is almost guaranteed to break after several months of use. I several friends who own these, and their headbands ALL broke after a few weeks.

3) Most of the phones to which these are compared are really terrible. The Sony MDR-V700, against which the Triports are often compared, is a very poor quality phone that isn't designed for home use - it's designed to offer DJ's lots of bass without any regard for detail and clarity. Saying that the Triports are better than the V700's isn't saying much at all.

I don't want to tell you that you're all wrong and that I'm all right. I want to say this: use your own ears. Audition real, high-end headphones before you spend $130 or whatever on these, and then decide for yourself what you want to buy. You owe it to yourself to get the best when spending this much money.

Here are a few models that I urge you to look at instead of these:

1) Sennheiser HD555, 590, 595, and 280 Pro. The HD580, 600, and 650 receive a lot of well-deserved praise, but they need expensive amplification in order to shine, and are in a different league that the Triports, hence, comparing them directly is unfair.

2) Sony MDR-V6. Not the MDR-V600! These are very different phones. The MDR-V6 is an older, discontinued model with different drivers that sounds fantastic, unlike the V600, which is very subpar.

3) Grado SR-60, SR-80, SR-225. All Grado headphones sound exceptional. The SR-60, at $69, will blow the Triports out of the water.

4) Audio-Technica ATH-A500, A700, and A900. These are exceptional Japanese headphones. They're hard to find in the US, but online you can definitely buy them. They compete directly against the Triports, and offer stunning sound quality for the money. They're also very well built and reliable, if slightly bulky.

5) If you can, listen to a Stax system. Granted, these systems cost as much as $3,000 for the headphones alone, but this will tell you what a hi-fi pair of headphones SHOULD sound like. Stax headphones are some of the best.

For portable headphones that will be used with mp3 players, I suggest that you look at:

Etymotic Research ER-4P, ER-6i; Shure e2c, e3c, e4c, and e5c; Westone UM2; Sharp MD-33; Sony MDR-EX51 and EX71; Audio-Technica ATH-CM7 and CM7ti; Koss KSC-35, KSC-75, and PortaPro; Sennheiser HD-25, PX-100 and PX-200; and last of all, Stax SR-001 Mk II, which while hard to find and expensive ($239 Japanese street price), is the best sounding portable available, period (and is the only portable electrostatic headphone in the world). Keep in mind that it needs a mini-to-mini interconnect, since it requires the use of an amplifier (which is included).

Use your own ears! I've told you where to start research. Please take the time and finish it. You will be rewarded with a quality product, and you will be grateful for the time that you spent researching the information.

For questions, please look at www.head-fi.org. It is an excellent source of information on anything and everything headphone-related.

I sincerely hope this helps.

Grado SR60s

[DudeAsInCool]

Bump... No one uses headphones?

[method77]

I only use the small ones with my mp3 player

[DudeAsInCool]

I only use the small ones with my mp3 player

The grados will work with mp3 players, stereos, laptops and desktops... Do you use headphones for any of those?

[method77]

no

[KiwiCoromandel]

Bump... No one uses headphones?

i use them a lot dude..mainly for listening to music loud and late at nite..that sort of thing..... :)

i`ve got a pair of Sony Stereo Headphones - MDRXD100..quite cheap but very good....a lovely sound up loud...nice LONG real rubber (not plastic) coated cord....good reviews on amazon.... :)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0007TB...ce&n=560798

[Umma]

Same as method... I only use small in ear ones when I'm out walking. Those big headphones give me a headache and sweaty ears. No need for headphones in the house anyhow.

[method77]

yes I prefer blasting my music in the house

[DudeAsInCool]

i use them a lot dude..mainly for listening to music loud and late at nite..that sort of thing..... :)

i`ve got a pair of Sony Stereo Headphones - MDRXD100..quite cheap but very good....a lovely sound up loud...nice LONG real rubber (not plastic) coated cord....good reviews on amazon.... :)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0007TB...ce&n=560798

Thanx for the tip. 10 seconds of listening at the airport has made me a converter - never have I heard such great sound...and according to the reviews, the headsets I was listening to were way down the list...

[DUTCH-ONLINE]

:P i hate headphones, and if i not will hear whats around me , i use easy earplugs :P :P

[DudeAsInCool]

Ryan at Apartment Therapy rates their top ten headphones...

"We have tried many headphones over the past little while and it is always interesting to see what others have to say about your personal favorites. A quick search had us stumbling across the Headroom's Top 10 headphone list. We have tried 6 of the 10 on this list and must say that we agree with what has made an appearance. If money is no object, the Sennheiser HD 650 is definitely one of our top picks while the AKG K 26 provides nice sound in a small and affordable package.

• Small and affordable with big bass: AKG 26 P

• Ideal MP3 player headphone upgrade:Sennheiser PX 100

• Unfashionable yet solid sounding: Grado SR 60

• Sealed (i.e. noise blocking): Sennheiser HD 280

• In ear: Shure SE 310

• Extremely comfortable Sennheiser HD 595

• Retro styled:AKG k-701

• The Sennheiser flagship:Sennheiser HD 650

• Top end Shure canal phones: Shure SE-530

Ok, it is more like the Top 9. It seems the headroom has a thing for the Shure SE 310's as they have listed the black and white versions individually. Anyone have others to add?

[Umma]

INTERESTING FACT ABOUT THE EAR: Wearing headphones for an hour can increase the bacteria in your ears by up to 700 times.

[method77]

:o

btw the above headphones are way too expensive