[Twin Turbo]

I've decided to change my headphones.
Currently I use Sony Wireless headphones in the office. They're very handy, but not very "professional looking".
I've never had much luck with in-ear phones before. Dunno if my ears are too small or what, but they never sit right and always fall out...the phones, not my ears!
Anyways, I've been looking at these Bose, and these B&O A8's. I'm a bit of a brand snob, so these are the two that immediately sprang to mind. The Bose seem to sit right into the ear, and the A8's hook around the ear, so that should take care of the falling out thing. I'll probably be buying an ipod or something in the not too distant future too, so they'll be used for that as well.

So what do ye think guys? Am I mad to be looking at them? Are they're other better sets around?
All opinions and advice taken on board.
Thanks.

[dodfaefife]

Hi there.

I've had a few earphones (inc the B&O A8) and am now on my second pair or Shure E4c (www.shure.com). They come with a big bag of different ear buds to help you find the right fit and sound great. I don't think they make them anymore but I'm looking forward to trying their replacement. I liked the B&O but nothing beats that in-your-head sound stage created by in-ear buds. Granted, it takes a little getting used to but once you do you'll never go back. Especially the first time you're on a plane and can't hear the wailing baby or engine roar. If it helps, my girlfriend moaned at me constantly "I could never jam those things in my ears" until I convinced her to try them – now she has her own. They're also great for cycling/gym as they go round your ears and down your back instead of swinging in front. Also I've returned a pair under warranty, (cheeky as I'm sure I broke them) expected a repair and instead received a brand new set.

Sorry to sound like a fanboy but it's just nice to buy something comparatively expensive and find it doesn't disappoint but instead, excels your expectations Not saying there aren't others just as good but cheaper/dearer out there.

G

[Twin Turbo]

Thanks dodfaefife.
Have you any idea what their replacements are? Or maybe not their replacements, but an equivalent/better pair from the Shure range?

TBH, I've not heard much about Shure before. And because I've not heard of them, their prices seem fairly steep. I'm assuming you pay for what you get, yeah?

[dodfaefife]

I'm guessing the SE310 or SE420. I haven't looked into it closely yet. My girlfriend has the E2g which are also discontinued and they were cheaper than mine (closer to the B&O price). I thought they were good but lacked some base and clarity compared to mine. It's a tough choice because you can't really 'try them out' anywhere to see if you like them. You could maybe pick some up on ebay and trade up if you like them.

As for Shure as a brand, they've been making stuff for a long time. Chances are you've been seeing their microphones and audio kit on stage at gigs and on TV for years. In fact, their range of in-ear earphones grew from their professional in-ear monitors that you see musicians fiddling with. Shure used to do a service where you could get custom,molded earpieces for your earphones – for the perfect fit. It's hard to say how far they've strayed from that level of detail as the products became more 'consumer' orientated but I like them. Guys like BOSE and B&O are better marketing companies these days than they are makers of finest sounding kit. While there's no denying the quality of B&O in terms of build (I have a couple of their Hi-Fis) you can buy better/as good sounding gear for the same/less cash.

[Reano]

Also Try Westone UM2. Very similar to Shure. I think you have to get to the shure e500 or equivalent to beat em (my opinion of course).

Unless you have a reason for not getting the in ear e.g. need to hear stuff in work, etc then they are the best to get.

I may try those bose ones (for times when I need to hear things around me) see if they beat the sony 21 or better still the audio technica c7 (similar to B&O)

[tredders]

Originally Posted by Reano

Also Try Westone UM2. Very similar to Shure. I think you have to get to the shure e500 or equivalent to beat em (my opinion of course).

Unless you have a reason for not getting the in ear e.g. need to hear stuff in work, etc then they are the best to get.

I may try those bose ones (for times when I need to hear things around me) see if they beat the sony 21 or better still the audio technica c7 (similar to B&O)

Totally agree re: the Westone UM2s, I've been using mine for a year now and they are fantastic. Sound quality is immense. For some reason (and I know I'm in a minority here) I've never got on with Shure in-ear phones. I trialled the e500's for a couple of days and didn't rate them anywhere near as highly as the UM2s.

It does take a minute to put the phones into your ear, and can be a pain if you're using in an environment where you need to hear what people are saying to you (as the fit is so good it isolated a lot of ambient noise), so for 'casual' listening (i.e. with the iPhone when I get a couple of mins), I have the Bose in-ear phones, too. They're actually pretty good - nice and comfy and can be easily put inserted and removed. Only thing is, they can be a little quite.

Hope this helps

Mark.