Ok, maybe not so quick - first a quick hello... It’s been a long time since I've been on here - Life caught up with me and has been nipping at my heels for about 10 months now. I must be getting slower at running from life as I get older

Anyway, on to the question…

I just bought an iriver H140 HD MP3 player (http://www.iriveramerica.com/products/H140.aspx) and the headphones that come with it are the little round ear bud gigs - and every time I have used headphones like them I get a headache. In fact, every time I have used ANY pair of headphones I get a headache. Something about the way it pins my ear to my head, or who knows what...

Anyone have good experience with or some kind of recommendation as to what earphones, ear buds, or otherwise I might want to try?

I'm all ears

-ZeN

How much are you willing to spend?

For the budget class, the clear leaders (in my book) are the Sennheiser HD-497s. These, for about $50-60 USD are pretty capable, and they sound much clearer than their HD-500's which retail for 1.5x the price. Some also think that the Grados in that price range are good, but they are too harsh for me until you move up really high in their lines. Up at about $80-100, if you are able to find the old Sony MDR-V6, they are an incredible find. Be sure it's a V6, not a V600, though. The V600 is a disgrace (again, in my opinion), and many people often mistakingly call the V6 lacking in bass and treble because they are really referring to the 600. The bass clarity and tightness in these headphones beats that of any I've heard before. It's all boring from then on up until you hit around $350, at which point you can get the Etymotic Research ER-4s (don't go for the p or b models, though). These are generally regarded as one of the top 5 headphones, regardless of price (#1 being the impossible to find $12k Sennheiser Orpheus).

Hope this helps.. If you give us a budget range, we could probably help a bit more .

I agree with the HD 497s at their price point they are hard to beat.I also had the HD500s and to me they sound like crap.I got rid of those and now have the HD570s and am pretty pleased with them.I run the 570s off of a Creek Obh11 headphone amp.

If you're going to be using these on a commute (train/bus NOT car! ), then I recommend the Sennheiser PX250 noise cencelling. They work really well with the noise cancelling on, sound great, etc. However, they sound terrible without the noise cancelling on. They're closed, so you won't bother people around you, until you start singing along.

I've also got the Sennheiser 570s, and I love 'em. My wife objects, because the sound comes through loud and clear to her when I'm wearing them, so that's a little downside.

I get the same thing from the wife while useing the 570s.She complains that she can still hear the music.O'well thats the only down side as far as I can tell.

Thanks for the replies... I suppose cost hadn’t crossed my mind

Anything within reason really, say, under $200? They will primarily be used at work and while exercising. Maybe 2 different sets are in order?

-ZeN

Get the PX250s. You won't be able to hear anything. If you work in a noisy/annoying office like I have occasion to, they're a lifesaver. "No, I can't get the phone. I didn't hear it." "Ah, I finally don't have to listen to the hold music playing (volutarily!!) through someone's speakerphone." "No, I don't have to listen to my coworker who should be getting me something to do selling ink jet cartridges to some shmoe off the street."

Oops, sorry, a little frustrated with work there...

This is a good place to check out some different headphones.

Rik! You're my hero!

Thanks all... Where would one find these? I went by BestBuy and they got nuttin, haven't hit Fry's yet - I'll get there on the way home.

Is this an "easier on the internet" thing?

-ZeN

Yup.

Theres no shop around me that even has any phones.Internet is the way to go.

I was going to reccomend the Grado sr125's for your pricerance, but those would be too cumbersome for excerising and too loud for work. so id have to go with the Etymolic research phones. They are small earbuds which go in the ear canal and are supposed to be really comfortable and block out a good percentance of sound because of the way they seal into your ear. I think the cheapest ones run about 120 bucks.

I think he was trying to stay away from earbuds.

I can't wear them - guess my aural cavities are too small or my treggis is too large or something.

Could be worse... we were testing out a smaller set of headsets this summer - instead of a full single or double muff with headband and a rigid mic, they had a little secret service-type over the ear setup with a wire lip mic. Ambient noise blocking was MUCH less than desired and one of the shooters asked for an earplug for the other ear and to have this thing gaff-taped to his head, so I made a big production of waving around the black tape, then as he turned his head, I slapped a big X over his ear with hi-viz orange safety tape and sent him out. The confused look when he stripped it off 3 hours later was priceless.

Bren R.

I hate earbuds too, they make my ears very sore after a while and just arent comfortable at all. Supposobly those Etymolics are different. I havent had a chance to try them yet but there are people who swear by them.

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or my treggis is too large or something

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I think you mean the tragus, and that just gave me a funny mental picture... You know how some women (for some STRANGE reason) decide they want to pierce that part of the ear? I just thought it would be funny seeing you with a pierced tragus and 1980s style earrings trying to fit in some ear buds - heh.

Edit: now this is just plain scary...

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I hate earbuds too, they make my ears very sore after a while and just arent comfortable at all.

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They just don't fit in my ears. If I have to do any quick field audio I usually either grab the pair of Sennheisers out of the kit bag (which float to the top of the bag when you don't want them, and to the bottom when you do or there's something heavy in the bag that's likely to crush them), not sure of the model - accidentally walked out of one of the local venues with them on my neck and never brought them back or I snag bro's folding 16-ohm Sonys out of his pouch.

Both are good enough for a quick monitor of wild audio but I wouldn't mix a CD with them as reference.

And I stand corrected on the spelling of tragus.

Bren R.

Yesterday I got a free iPod Mini from a vendor during a sales cold call. IT business must be looking up.

I just ordered some Sony MDR-EX71's because a couple of friends recommended them, and they were only $30....I was going to order some Etymotic ER-6i headphones, but they are $130 and I figured I would just let upgradeitis deal with that.

That's sweet!

I was recently paid for participating in an hour-long website usability study. I got to critique a website for an hour on my lunch break at work and got $125 for my troubles.

I didn't buy headphones with it, though.

Cool...

The sales call only took 30 minutes of my time, and it was actually a good meeting. He kept the iPod on the table...so I kept getting distracted.

Free iPod's rock! I ended up buying the MDR-EX71's and am actually very happy with them. The only downfall I've found so far is they are quite quiet - though with the way they block out external sounds, its just fine. Very clean highs and darn good bass.

Well worth the 26.90 I paid for them

-ZeN

They are "quite quiet".
Thats odd, because I like loud and I can turn them (mdr-ex71s) up way louder than I can stand.
I wonder if its a difference in Ipods?

I think ZeN has just lost some hearing from playing his M80's too loud.

I'm actually listening to them on my computer right now through the speaker jack on the front... My iriver hasn't arrived yet

Whats that you say Curtis?? I cant hear you??

Honestly though, I've had them at work for 3 days now and I don't think I've ever been able to stand any headphones, ear buds or otherwise, for this long. That combined with the fact that they sound very nice for the money I'm feeling very good right about now! Hooray!

-ZeN

I just got my mdr-ex71s and have them hooked up to my iPod. They definitely take a little more to drive, but they sound good...a nice upgrade.

Now I wonder how those Etymotics would sound.