Which headphone for a newb?

[abhiroopb 0]

Not yet I'm afraid. I'm waiting to get some time of. Maybe end of the month!

[rTwin 0]

It should fit your needs..

 

You should be able to try them out at either Jaben or Stereo

[abhiroopb 0]

Where is Stereo? I know Jaben is at Adelphi (close to where I work) so I may just go there.

 

How much is it? IT does look a bit big though.

 

They don't seem to isolate very well (from what I've read)

[blackmouth0 0]

stereo got 2 outlet. one is at woodlandsa, causewaypoint.

another one is at town, plaza singapura. Since you are working at town area, give the Plaza Singapura one a try.

 

[abhiroopb 0]

Thanks for the info!

 

By the way I was at Wheelock Place yesterday and went to the apple shop.

 

They had the AK ES7 for 248. Good to know that you weren't ripped off. Haha!

[xtn32 0]

haha! yeah . . . anyway, I've seen the ES7 @ other shops @ Funan going for the same price . . . but no freebies . . . so i guess the deal @ stereo was quite sweet

 

after burning for 50 odd hours during the weekend, this thing's sounding even better! . . . i also did the "bend mod" on the headband and it's much comfortable now

 

anyway, do check it out when you have the chance . . . i didn't try the AD700 as i didn't really liked how it looked, heh

Edited January 18, 2010 by xtn32

[abhiroopb 0]

So, I'm planning on going to Stereo (in Plaza Sing) this weekend. Before I do I'd like any final comments/thoughts on my headphone purchase.

 

To sum up this is where I stand:

 

The Sennheisers HD25 – seems the most ideally suited for me but on the expensive side

 

ATH ES7 – much cheaper and as has been suggested by xtn32 it is also a solid model.

 

My requirements (top is most important):

 

1. Sound isolation (I don’t want anything with batteries, but, I want to not be able to hear ANY external noise even at low volumes)

 

2. Portability (this is quite important especially in Singapore as if I wear large headphones my ears/head will get hotter faster, but, I’m not looking for something tiny. Something that rests comfortably on my ears is ideal)

 

3. Look and feel (mainly interested in a solid build quality)

 

4. Punchy bass (this is quite “general”. I listen to songs like “Ain’t no sunshine” by the Lighthouse Family and good quality speakers/headphones make the opening sound amazing).

 

If you notice “sound quality” is not really one of my requirements. The reason is that for the most part, in my opinion, headphones above 200 have pretty good sound generally. I’m also not looking for something that can differentiate all 300 instruments in an orchestra! Good sound obviously is something I want, but, as long as it’s decent I’m not too fussy. Having said that I do want to know if a headphone I am interested in has particularly BAD sound.

 

Anyway I’d appreciate comments by Saturday morning as I’ll probably be going in the afternoon.

 

[Antz 0]

I used to have the ES7 and now ESw9. IMO, the earsuits tend to get hot and sweaty for me when i am out. I used to listen to music on the go as i spend quite some time commuting( 1+ hour to town for work and 1+ hour back home to b-batok). They are good to have definately, but usually after about 30min or 45min it starts to get hot as they sit on the ears. .so now its either used in office or at home in an air-con environment but not for on the go. Its comfy after either you get use to the clamping force or it stretches, but its still hot.

 

I have d1001k which is very comfortable and does not get hot as fast (unless i have them on for very long). Unfortunately they dun sound like closed cans...(which i thought at 1st pointed to the sound sig!...Yipee...open can sound + good isolation of closed cans)...which after awhile realising it means that-literally and got irritating cos of the commuting noise ...so another can for home listening.

 

So now..i have no phones on the go and going 1/2 nuts waiting for my reshelling to come back(ya, cant stand the noise,...i prefer beautiful noise->music than ambient noise). Might go to check out hd201(supra) or hd228 for a cheap solution on the go at the moment at stereos. If you find those sitting on the ears uncomfortable then u can try hd201. Hope it helps.

 

P.S. I have tried the RX700 and a500 on the go and they do a good job of isloation though not as good as IEMs, but not as portable.... ...thats how nuts i can be...lol.

[abhiroopb 0]

Thanks for the info!

 

No to keen on IEMs.

 

What about the HD-25?

[Antz 0]

Thanks for the info!

 

No to keen on IEMs.

 

What about the HD-25?

 

The rx700 and a500 is not IEMs, but headphones. i agree with epicality that the A series from ATH is great sound. rx700 is really bang for buck if you dun mind the size and carry it on the go....but like i said...i was irritated by the noise of commuting so just whack something on before out of the house and back....

 

Have not tried the HD-25, so i cannot comment

[Antz 0]

Went to plaza branch for 1st time as i was in area to finish up some stuff. Usually i will go woodlands branch as nearer to home.

 

I find that today is good time to audition the headphones. what luck! they had some karaoke competition in the podium. If i cannot hear the music or noise, thts the one i will pick.

 

 

Tried

HD228 - sounds good, but dun like the isolation

PX200-II- better isolation but dun like the sound

HD201 - good isolation but tinny bass

mx 60vc?( i think thats the model name) - could not find it to fit even though they say its twist to fit thingy

 

then i op to try these cos they definitely isolate better though they may not have the big sound of headphones.

denon-c351 - good bass, dun like the high

denon-c452 - tighter bass, slighter better highs

 

ckm50 - overall nice sound, highs not for me

ckm55 - wowee!...finally ( and i just read on head-fi, that there was a comment that ckm5x has smoother highs than ck7? )

 

 

Kudos to the chinese guy, i think his name is chen zhan...if i remember correctly, who is so friendly as well as the other stuff. Not familiar with PS store as i usually go woodlands.

 

Now make me and thinkin to try ckm70 and ckm90...

Edited January 28, 2010 by Antz

[abhiroopb 0]

Everyone on the this thread is going to murder me, but, I am now the proud owner of Westone 2 IEMs .

 

I went to Stereo at Plaza Sing today and I first asked for the Senn HD-25. Unfortunately, they were out of stock. I had a wonderful salesman named Brian show me a number of other headphones. I gave him my requirements and he pointed out that the ATH ES9 seemed like the best fit. Priced at S$399 they were definitely at the top end of m price range. The fit was amazingly comfortable. But, I could still clearly hear the karaoke going on outside (best way to test noise isolation!). I told him that I didn't want anything with batteries but I needed something that would keep out the most noise. So, he pointed me towards the Westone 2.

 

The only earphones I've had have been the Bose in-ear and since using those for about 3 years I've had a bad taste in my mouth. I hated in ear because they just didn't immerse me in the sound (note my early posts in this thread). The Westone 2 BLEW me away. I could hear a little bit of the noise outside when the music was off and at about half volume I was in my own world.

 

Short Review:

 

Build, etc.

The quality of the headphones are OK. I mean they don't feel cheap, but, the problem I find with IEMs is that because they're small they just feel a little flimsy. Naturally having big cans is a huge difference. The Westone 2 feels quite solid and the cord seems very durable, but, again they are IEMs so while they may be good I'm going to have to be careful with them. I don't think I can just throw them in my bag. Fortunately, the package comes with a solid case which is small enough for your pocket.

 

The fit in the ear is VERY snug and it was almost as though it was molded for my ears. Again a huge difference from my earlier Bose which almost always felt like they were about to fall out. The seal in the W2 is incredible, nothing leaks out and very little comes in. The selection of tips also means I can use whatever is comfortable (using the medium sized silicone ones now).

 

Sound

Naturally, the sound is amazing. There are things I was hearing in songs which I'd never heard before! For example a little bit of heavy breathing in a Jazz peice by Lee Ritenour. These earphones have opened up a whole new world for me and it is wonderful!

 

I'm not a really discerning audiophile so my knowledge in these matters is limited. Mostly, it's black and white. It sounds good or it doesn't. Indeed I didn't opt for the more expensive Westone 3 (S$550) simply because I couldn't really tell much of a difference.

 

I must say though the bass isn't as "thumping" as the Bose. However, it is much clearer, sharper and crisper.

 

Anyway there isn't much I can say about the sound since I've only listened to it for about an hour in total. In the MRT I couldn't hear anything which means my main goal has been met!

 

If anyone else has used these headphones I'd like to hear our opinions. Does it require any burn in?

 

Thanks for all your help guys! I kind of feel bad that I did so much research on the headphones and I just went with IEMs in the end. Oh well, guess how these things work out.

 

Oh and the price was $350.

[kchew 0]

Congrats! No need to feel bad if you're enjoying your purchase. No need to burn in your Westones since they use balanced-armature drivers.

[abhiroopb 0]

Thanks! No not feeling bad, just that I told everyone who mentioned IEMs that I wasn't interested. Haha! Funny how things work out.

 

What does it mean that they have "balanced-armature drivers"?

[kchew 0]

Balanced armature drivers are smaller than your typical earphone drivers, and many such drivers can be squeezed into an IEM for more accurate sound. The Westone UM2 has 2 balanced armature drivers, UM3X has 3 and the UE11Pro has 4.