Head Phones

[david and julie]

Sorry its not boat related - but it is a product we probably all use aboard.

 

Following a mishap last night I need a new set of headphones for use with a laptop or Ipod. I'm not that keen on the in ear versions and was thinking of the type where others can't easily hear what your listening to(noise reduction?)

 

I had in mind about £100 or so, but would go higher for something really good. Problem is that I'm not a great techy person and realise that sometimes cost isn't always a good guide.

 

Has anyone any personal recommendations?

[Barry]

My son is a DJ in his spare time and insisted on SENNHEISER when he replaced his headphones recently

 

I have a pair for my music system too - not because I know they are good but because they were recommended to me by the people I bought the system from - I wanted the best I could get for my money - I have the HD 202 which I've just googled and they aren't expensive - there are some reviews on Google too

 

There's a recommendatation from two independant sources

 

Sennheiser clicky

 

It seems as though a hundred quid might be plenty of money - even the most expensive on that site are less than 70

[twocvbloke]

I have some nice Sony headphones, they're not noise reducing ones, but the sound quality is amazing!!! They're the MDR-XD200, about £20-25, and last well, except the cable if you have young teething cats around, then the cable doesn't last so long (I replaced the cable and added a microphone myself on my first pair, which are still working perfectly). They have a little slider thing on them which opens up a vent in them for "Movie" and closes for "Music", but I leave them open for everything as you get better bass tones (something the late Jerry Goldsmith knew very well for the Star Trek: The motion picture music) that way...

[bottle]

Second vote for Sennheiser

 

Of course the more you pay the more you get, in theory, if you are only using them on the computer then you do not need the top grade.

 

The ones you need, so that others cannot hear are the 'enclosed' type not the 'open' ones but I found that the enclosed ones made me sweat perspire and became uncomfortable.

 

Edit: Was just going to add............................ but Robbo has said it for me.

Edited January 25, 2009 by bottle

[Robbo]

Sorry its not boat related - but it is a product we probably all use aboard.

 

Following a mishap last night I need a new set of headphones for use with a laptop or Ipod. I'm not that keen on the in ear versions and was thinking of the type where others can't easily hear what your listening to(noise reduction?)

 

I had in mind about £100 or so, but would go higher for something really good. Problem is that I'm not a great techy person and realise that sometimes cost isn't always a good guide.

 

Has anyone any personal recommendations?

 

I have the Sennheiser HD25's, recommended. But I strongly recommend you go down to a decent Hifi shop with iPod (and tunes you know and like) in hand and do some listening. Different ears, different music = different phones!

 

Where abouts are you located? if near Huddersfield - I suggest Huddersfield HiFi.

 

Edit to say, your looking for a closed type for people not to hear what you listening too. Noise reduction is for what you hear (or don't want to hear!), and keep away from the electronic noise reduction as most are poo.

Edited January 25, 2009 by Robbo

[Jim Lae]

I have the Sennheiser HD25's, recommended. But I strongly recommend you go down to a decent Hifi shop with iPod (and tunes you know and like) in hand and do some listening. Different ears, different music = different phones!

 

If you are only using a laptop , howabout these .

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=35853

[Robbo]

I have the Sennheiser HD25's, recommended. But I strongly recommend you go down to a decent Hifi shop with iPod (and tunes you know and like) in hand and do some listening. Different ears, different music = different phones!

 

If you are only using a laptop , howabout these .

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=35853

 

 

Example of some phones to keep away from me thinks...

 

Reduces background noise by over 70% (12dB)

 

12dB! A pair of headphones alone does that! My canalphones cut sound by 35-40dB!

[Natalie Graham]

I had in mind about £100 or so, but would go higher for something really good.

 

If you want something really good then Ergo Model 2 come in about £85 above £100. They also make you look like a Doctor Who cyberman when you wear them. My best friend who is rather a connoisseur of audio equipment and used to DJ professionally reckons they are the best you can buy for under a thousand quid.

[Night Hawk]

Though not a fan of 'in-ear' 'phones, I bought a pair of 'mid-price' Sennheiser in ear 'phones for around thirty quid. Am now a convert and am amazed just how much outside noise they cut out!

 

My only concern on spending a big chunk of cash on 'audiophile' quality 'phones is that with the iPod compressing the audio signal, will the sound source do the 'phones justice? There's no point in having 'phones with a frequency response down to say 10Hz if your iPod's lowest frequency is 25Hz!

 

I guess the best advice is to audition your purchase at a decent hifi shop...then save a small fortune and buy the same item on eBay!

[chris w]

My only concern on spending a big chunk of cash on 'audiophile' quality 'phones is that with the iPod compressing the audio signal, will the sound source do the 'phones justice? There's no point in having 'phones with a frequency response down to say 10Hz if your iPod's lowest frequency is 25Hz!

Compression doesn't work like that by "compressing" the bandwidth (frequency range) of the signal. Having said that, a few high frequency, low amplitude frequencies are removed, but this is a minor part of the compression algorithm. In simple terms, it is done mainly by reducing the signal-to-noise ratio in places where it doesn't really matter viz: on louder passages. ie: removing music that would not have been heard anyway because it is masked by louder sounds.

 

Dolby (analogue) sound compression does work by playing around with the amplitude and restricting frequencies but iPods/MP3 players only record digital not analogue signals.

 

Chris

[DHutch]

Another Sennheiser vote.

- I use the CX200 inear phone myself, but all the products are good, and sensable priced imo.

 

 

Daniel

[Moley]

Though not a fan of 'in-ear' 'phones, I bought a pair of 'mid-price' Sennheiser in ear 'phones for around thirty quid. Am now a convert and am amazed just how much outside noise they cut out!

 

My only concern on spending a big chunk of cash on 'audiophile' quality 'phones is that with the iPod compressing the audio signal, will the sound source do the 'phones justice? There's no point in having 'phones with a frequency response down to say 10Hz if your iPod's lowest frequency is 25Hz!

Thank you, I'm glad someone has raised that point.

 

I use an iPod at work. I tend to listen to music which my immediate sidekick would not tolerate, so I like a discreet in-ear 'phone. My volume level is set such that I can hear someone talking in the same room, or a telephone ringing, but it cuts out the majority of machine noise. I must have a relatively small outer ear as most in-ear -phones simply don't fit comfortably, and so I prefer a 'bud' type 'phone which fits inside the ear canal. Mine are currently starting to break up, so I must invest in some Sennheiser.

 

If you are listening to mp3, is there much point buying expensive 'phones? .mp3 files are compressed in the order of 8 times from .aif files and something has to be lost in that compression. However, I am unable to distinguish a difference. Like it or not, hearing deteriorates with age. I don't know how lower frequencies are affected but my kids have super-high pitched ringtones on their mobiles. To them it sounds like an extremely annoying mosquito but I simply cannot hear it. I understand that hardly anyone over the age of 25 can hear it, therefore it's totally pointless for me to buy 'phones which claim response to 40khz if I can only hear to 20khz.

[Robbo]

Thank you, I'm glad someone has raised that point.

 

I use an iPod at work. I tend to listen to music which my immediate sidekick would not tolerate, so I like a discreet in-ear 'phone. My volume level is set such that I can hear someone talking in the same room, or a telephone ringing, but it cuts out the majority of machine noise. I must have a relatively small outer ear as most in-ear -phones simply don't fit comfortably, and so I prefer a 'bud' type 'phone which fits inside the ear canal. Mine are currently starting to break up, so I must invest in some Sennheiser.

 

If you are listening to mp3, is there much point buying expensive 'phones? .mp3 files are compressed in the order of 8 times from .aif files and something has to be lost in that compression. However,

 

If you have decent ear/head/canal phones rerip your CD's with AAC Lossless, or at least at 256, (you'll notice the difference even when no longer a youngster!) I have some Eytmotic (spelling!) canal phones (I use the foam ends) and with the music off I can hardly hear someone talking when there stood next to me. I don't use them for work for this reason! Brilliant for trains though.

Edited January 27, 2009 by Robbo

[djangobole]

I vote Sennheiser HD25's.