Best Earphones

KJK1LL3R · 23-01-2007, 3:01 PM

Which earphones are genearlly regarded by the majority of people as the best money can buy? I always listen to my ipod on full volume so i need earphones that can handle this without breaking. The last 2 pairs that I have had one of the earphones stopped producing sound. I also use earphones whilst I go to the gym so they need to be able to deal with sweat dripping onto them or sweat inside my ears. Thanks!

StevieDvd · 23-01-2007, 3:53 PM

What budget and what form of headphones?

IEMS's can be up to £700 for custom fit but you may not want to take them into a gym. Universal fit ones come with different tips and almost approach the customs but not quite.

The outer ears come in 2 forms, around the ear (circumaural); over the ear (supra-aural). Also, come in closed or open design, the closed means that the sound is isolated for you and less likely to disturb others.

if you narrow down your preference and budget I'm sure some comments will be forthcoming.

Steve

fu510n · 23-01-2007, 4:49 PM

In Black

In White

I paid £30 when i bought mine and can honestly say they're the best earphones ive ever used, plus, theyre only a mere £17.99 now which is a lot less that similar Sennheiser and Shure ones

dood · 23-01-2007, 5:26 PM

Are you kidding? I listened to those Sony's and couldn't stand them, way too bright.

**Steven** · 23-01-2007, 5:31 PM

If you carry on listening to your iPod at full volume, you won't be able to enjoy music for much longer

You only have one set of ears, look after them. Trying iPods out, I can't turn them above 60% - that's with open cans, not IEMs. If you have it at 100% and you can take the pain, you've already damaged your hearing. And I'm talking EU volume limit removed here.

Now, if you're going to the gym, I wouldn't spend more than £30. Sweat, potential to get caught in equipment or trodden on. If its only treadmill, fine, but I still wouldn't spend more than £30. I'd get either the Senn PX100 (£25, play.com), clip ons Koss KSC75 or for canalphones, the Senn CX300 £25. Search for reviews

If you want expensive cans for non-gym use, that's a different topic imo

BTW, while you can't expect greatness at the budget end, Sony EX71 are atrocious. Sure if you're a Sony fan and used to the Sony sound, you may like them. But they even add bass to songs that don't have it! Bass is too bloated and uncontrolled and the highs are non-existent. Possibly the worst phones you can pay for and certainly I paid for.

fu510n · 23-01-2007, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dood

Are you kidding? I listened to those Sony's and couldn't stand them, way too bright.

Bright?

NicolasB · 24-01-2007, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJK1LL3R

Which earphones are genearlly regarded by the majority of people as the best money can buy?

The best money can buy? Well, the Sennheiser Orpheus system is apparently stunning, but I think it may have been discontinued.

Headphones plus the driving electronics costs about £10,000.

If you can't find a set of those then a Stax Omega II system is also very good, and a lot cheaper at ~£2,500.

However, you might not want to wear those to the gym.

NicolasB · 24-01-2007, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fu510n

Bright?

"Bright" more or less translates to "emphasises the high frequencies more than it emphasises the middle or low frequencies". So, if you have a recording which contains a series of notes from very low to very high and, in the original recording, all of the notes are supposed to be the same volume, a "bright" system would make the high notes sound louder than the low ones when the recording is actually played back.

All audio systems introduce some kind of distortion compared to a theoretically perfect playback; the question is what types of distortion, and how annoying any specific listener finds them. Some people actually quite like a "bright" system, others can't stand it.

*Reano* · 26-01-2007, 9:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJK1LL3R

Which earphones are genearlly regarded by the majority of people as the best money can buy? I always listen to my ipod on full volume so i need earphones that can handle this without breaking. The last 2 pairs that I have had one of the earphones stopped producing sound. I also use earphones whilst I go to the gym so they need to be able to deal with sweat dripping onto them or sweat inside my ears. Thanks!

Not everyone has heard the orpheus or top range Sony, etc so majority ruling (as per your question) most have said the Grado RS1 for over the ear and the e500 with custom moulds for in ear canal (both of which I own)

I'm talking about the ratings on the states earphones websites. The Sony 71's I have heard and if you have not heard loads else they don't sound too bad but once you go to the Shure e3 and above or phones of similar quality you wouldn't want to go back

KJK1LL3R · 01-02-2007, 2:47 PM

Would those shure e500's really be worth the £400 price tag? I would hate to spend so much on them if they cannot handle the fact that i listen to my ipod on full volume. So far, thank God my ears are fine and so is my hearing. I have decided on a limit of £50 for a pair for the gym but perhaps up to £200 for a pair just for listening to my ipod at home or at school. What is the best I can buy for that sort of money? I have had the creative ep-630's and the sony EX71's and I never really felt either of them were anything special. Ididnt really feel like there was much quality from them. Plus by the end, on both of them i started getting really low sound out of the right sided earphone. So I want to know the best pair i can get for around £50 and also the best I can get for up to around £200! Thanks!

DorKnight · 01-02-2007, 3:12 PM

For £300 if you're willing to use ebay and if people will mark the goods down/you take the import risk, then I suggest you take a look at the;

Westone UM1 (for the Gym),
Shure E500 PTH

Scott_Mac · 01-02-2007, 3:51 PM

An odd statement about listening at full volume... i'd be very amazed if you do that with in ear ones as being isolated you hear a lot more sound and as such it's louder.

My personal faves are the Etymotic ER6i, designed for use with ipods and can be had for about £80 in the UK (I got mine from the US via eBay for £52 ish)

For the gym i have the Sennheiser sport ones which claim to be moisture resistant etc.. sound pretty good too.

KJK1LL3R · 02-02-2007, 11:18 AM

I have narrowed down two for me to use in the gym, which is best:

SENNHEISER MX75

or

SENNHEISER LX90

Also is there two versions of the Shure E500 PTH? I am only looking for the small earphones, not large headphones!

*Reano* · 05-02-2007, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DorKnight

For £300 if you're willing to use ebay and if people will mark the goods down/you take the import risk, then I suggest you take a look at the;

Westone UM1 (for the Gym),
Shure E500 PTH

For the e500 you can get all in for under £200 now on eBay. If you keep your wits you will be ok on eBay (500+ feedback and no bad experiences) ... I'm tounching wood! I have even brought a car costing £18,000 off eBay (did look at goods first). Highest is maybe some keyboard (music) for just under £1000. Or a G5 mac for a mate at more than £1000.

If you want really good headphones these are it, with good isolation, great sound loads of ear buds for almost all ears, etc

KJK1LL3R · 13-02-2007, 9:29 AM

Ok but could somebody tell me what would be the best sports earphones to buy for gym use? I wouldnt wanna spend any more than £50 really on a pair for the gym.

**Steven** · 13-02-2007, 6:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJK1LL3R

Would those shure e500's really be worth the £400 price tag? I would hate to spend so much on them if they cannot handle the fact that i listen to my ipod on full volume. So far, thank God my ears are fine and so is my hearing.

I assure you if you blast your iPod at full volume with IEMs correctly inserted you can kiss goodbye to music. But then a mere second or two of doing that and you will know what we all mean when we say there is no need to have it turned up with IEMs

Also when you consider that you say you always have the iPod turned up, which at full volume is the same as a rock concert, I am astounded you say your hearing is fine, though I don't think you've been to an audiologist yet. Remember at least at a concert; it is an open space and not earbuds at the entrance of your ear

For the gym, as before I think you should get on your head like the PX100, cheap but good or if you're worried about sweat, cheap in-ears like the CX300 (£15 at Amazon.co.uk right now). As long as you don't keep taking them in and out, they should be fine as humans don't sweat inside our ears

As for the E500s, FYI Shure will be replacing them with the E530 (The only 'E' model that will replace a existing model. All other models will remain on sale along the new 'E' line). The E530 is exactly the same model as the E500, but with a colour change and PTH now optional. Point is you can take advantage of sale prices as one of the informed