Return The Gift
You're back at work, or you're stealing time from overbearing aunts at your dysfunctional family reunion; either way, congrats kid -- you've made it through the tough stuff of holiday season. We hope the gift fairies got you sweet stocking stuffers to enrich your musical lives. And if so, what was the best gift you got? Sending anything back for exchange? What did you give? (Hope y'all didn't let Tower employees convince you that "store credit" was a good option.)
We know this comes a day late, but before Xmas we meant to suggest the perfect gift for your iPod obsessed cousin: headphones! The MP3 format compromises fidelity and most of us gladly take the hit in service of convenience and easy-hoarding; but that don't mean we can't appreciate how fucking amazing Kid A sounds coming out of sound-isolating, premium phones. Or that we can't appreciate how awesome it is to effectively drown-out yapping subway car companions without causing permanent eardrum damage. It's the perfect gift for kids of all ages!
Starting at the bottom, then. The standard headphones that come with iPods are that sweet compromise of horrible sound and shit fit, and the Apple in-ear upgrade is no better (let's just say using 'em on a treadmill can be a shocking experience). After Apple, our experience is with the Bose noise-cancellers and the awesome Shure in-ear sound-isolators. The Bose were good times, but bulky in that over-your-ear-for-all-to-see sorta way. The Shures, they're compact and fantastic.
Dropping over $200 on headphones ain't for everyone, we know. But if you're looking for something to wrap around your Nano with rich bass, pristine treble, and detailed sonic reproduction, go Shure E4. (We got 'em last year, had puppies eat 'em, and replaced 'em the next day; that's how hot these things are.) We thank the gods of audition with each listen. Maybe one of you could help fill in the gaps on the midrange headphone market. What's a good buy at less than $100? Never too early to start figuring gifts for '07 -- or things you could have bought with that Tower store credit.
Posted at 2:15 PM
I see your Shures and I raise you my Sennheisers, which are $50 and pretty goddamned incredible.
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-CX-300B-CX300-B-Earbuds/dp/B000E1FYQA/ref=pd_ybh_a_36/104-0650974-3205537
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if you're willing to spend $200 on headphones, get the grado sr-125 for $150 and feel awesome about yourself.
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I see your Shures and raise you my Sennheisers. $50 and they're pretty goddamned incredible.
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-CX-300B-CX300-B-Earbuds/dp/B000E1FYQA/ref=pd_ybh_a_36/104-0650974-3205537
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I like the Grado's as well. The Seventy Dollar ones are nice too. They're open ear, so when you take them off, your ears aren't hot as hell.
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Sennheiser PX-100s are nice small headphones with good sound for $40.
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Sennheiser PX-100s are nice small headphones with good sound for $40.
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the tower by me closed it's doors for good on friday...
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back when i got my ipod a few years ago, i researched forever to find a reasonable pair of headphones and settled with the sony mdr-ex71's. once you get a good seal they're great. i think i spent $55 on them, and then when my friend got an ipod six months later i convinced him to get them and i believe he paid $40. i think they're cheaper than that now. oh, the prices i pay to be a goddamned trend-setter...
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A year ago i got the Shure E2c's for xmas and love them. I got them for my buddy this year for his birthday and i don't think he has taken them off since. Not as pricey as the E4's but still tons better than anything i have ever heard.
http://www.shure.com/PersonalAudio/Products/Earphones/ESeries/us_pa_E2c_content
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never buy bose, you're paying for the ad campaign that snared you and little else. the headfi forums are a great resource for people interested in learning more about headphones: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=2 . I use the Grado sr-60 and the sennheiser hd580 and am happy with both, though there are plenty of great headphones out there. You really can't go wrong with the sr-60 though - high quality for a reasonable price. if you're looking for really cheap headphones check out the koss KSC-75.
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If you shop around you can get the Grado SR-80 for around 75. The SR-80's are the best headphones I have ever owned...the sound is amazing. I also think that they work really well for indie rock.
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glad that i'm not the only grado fanboy stereogum reader. their headphones deliver amazing sound.
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I got my cousin a pair of Sennheiser PX 100's at Target. They were on sale for $50. When he received them he told me that it was his favorite gift yet.
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The Alessandro music series headphones are a redone version of Grado's sr60 and sr80. They're even more open and provide a great dynamic sound.
As for earbuds, though they're annoyingly white, the Etymotic Research 6i are pretty damned amazing. A definite step up from the Sony MDR EX line and the Sennheiser PX line.
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back when i got my ipod a few years ago, i researched forever to find a reasonable pair of headphones and settled with the sony mdr-ex71's. once you get a good seal they're great. i think i spent $55 on them, and then when my friend got an ipod six months later i convinced him to get them and i believe he paid $40. i think they're cheaper than that now. oh, the prices i pay to be a goddamned trend-setter...
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I use a pair of AKG K26P's and absolutely love them. They're incredibly portable and have surprisingly good sound for the size/price.
I think my next pair will be Grado's though.
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I actually bought my mom a good pair of headphones for Christmas, to go with her IPod...
I figured, music is so important in people's lives...why not get her a gift to help her hear the music like you never thought you could...
It's the gift of making someone's favourite songs sound even better!
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Bose actually sells earbuds for 99 dollars that are pretty bitchin... Might wanna check those out.
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Some of the above comments mention the Grado SR-80 and SR-125, but even the bottom-of-the-range SR-60 are pretty kickass and only cost around $65. In fact, I strongly prefer the SR-60s over a pair of Etymotic ER4 in-ear headphones I bought last year ($150, about comparable in sound to the Shure phones). And if 65 bucks is still too much cash for you to drop on headphones, Grado also makes the iGrado ($49), which has the same drivers as the SR-60 in a more portable, iPod-styled design.
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senheiser px 100. hands down for small, portable, and right under $50.
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Disclaimer: I'm not the biggest fan of in-ear monitors. From the multiple models I've tried (including the Shures mentioned), I just can never quite get them to feel right.
Plus, I absolutely hate Bose, and those noise-cancelling headphones themselves are a crock of shit. I'm sorry, but ADDING more noise in an attempt to phase-cancel out background noise? Ain't buyin it, sucker. You can psuedoscience it all you want, but when it comes right down to it, to get rid of background noise, you need good ol' fashioned insulation.
Which is why I got me a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 pros. $100, so it's right in the middle of all the phones mentioned so far. I happen to LIKE the bulky look (call me crazy), especially since when I had an iPod, it looked absolutely ridiculous.. little white box, HUGE black headphones. I like 'em so much, in fact, that when they were stolen with my ipod, I got another pair. Still have yet to get another ipod, though....
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I have a pair of Sennheiser HD570's at home and love them to death - best headphones I've ever owned.
For my day-to-day walking around with my iPod, I currently use a pair of Sony MDR-V500 DJ headphones, and they're very good.
I have never, ever liked "noise-cancelling" headphones (I don't need more battery powered devices in my life), and in-ear headphones, let alone ear buds are even worse. Cannot stand 'em. Speakers that small do not equate to good sound.
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Andy, have you actually tried the Bose noise canceling headsets in an environment where you need noise canceled, like a plane? They DESTROY. DESTROY. I've used them before and they were really, really great. Plus, if you think about the science behind them it makes perfect sense. Sound travels in waves. Throw an opposite wave at it, and it cancels out. They're good yo.
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I just bought the $99 version of the Shure in-Ear isolators. I believe they are the EC2 model from Best Buy. I just listened to U2's Achtung Baby on my iPod and heard sounds on that album I have never heard before. I highly recommend them....and the bass is unreal! Plus you dont get "headphone hair" !!
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i love my etymotic er6i headphones - amazon has them for $80 in black and white, which is a bargain compared to $150 on their website or at the apple store (i bought multiple pairs as gifts this xmas). amazing sound, and they drown out engine/crying kid noise on planes perfectly.
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A lot of people have mention Grado's but, while they are far and away my favorite headphones, they are not practical for outdoor use. They are open headphones, so not only do you get significant sound leakage, but also they let in all of the ambient noise. Basically, you'll keep turning up the volume to overcome outside noise and that will annoy everyone around you because they will be able to hear your music. Not convenient if you want even a small degree of sound isolation. Other than that, though, the Grados are FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC!
Also, please don't buy BOSE headphones. You can do better.
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A lot of people have mentioned Grado's but, while they are far and away my favorite headphones, they are not practical for outdoor use. They are open headphones, so not only do you get significant sound leakage, but also they let in all of the ambient noise. Basically, you'll keep turning up the volume to overcome outside noise and that will annoy everyone around you because they will be able to hear your music. Not convenient if you want even a small degree of sound isolation. Other than that, though, the Grados are FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC!
Also, please don't buy BOSE headphones. You can do better.
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i swear by my sennheiser px100s- good bass for such small headphones, and they let in enough of the outside world you won't get run over by a bus. heard great things about Grado (made in happy Sunset Park, Brookyln) but i'm unwilling to wear them outside.
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I got myself a pair of Ultrasone HFI-650s a couple of years back now, which I managed to nab for about £100, but should have cost more like £130. Very good sounding headphones, but they do leak a bit (only let down to them I've come across so far - but a reasonably big one if you're recording stuff).
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I think grado sr-125's are the good choice for its price!
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I had a friend who modified a pair of grado's by mounting them inside one of those ear protector muffs they wear at the airport. It sounding fantastic, and you couldn't hear any outside noise, but your ears would get fatigued fairly fast.
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those are headphones in that shot? they look like earmuffs.
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MP3 players are all about portability. Grados (or worse, Sennheiser HD series) seem kind of out of place, given that they're several times the size of the players themselves.
Still, I prefer headphones over buds. The only buds with really good sound are in-ear; I tried a pair, but I really didn't like being that unaware of what is going on around me.
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Jarrett, the science behind the Bose headphones makes sense IF it's in a perfect, ideal scenario. Yes, throwing an opposite wave (i.e. the exact same wave but phase-inverted) will severely reduce the volume of original wave. HOWEVER, the noise pumped in the headphones would have to be the exact opposite of what's around. And not all background noise is created equal.
Yes, I'll admit that I've never tried said headphones, but even if you say for the sake of argument that the noise-cancelling thing works flawlessly, if the headphones are anything like the various other Bose products I've tried (Wave Radio, various Lifestyle systems), then the sound isn't all that great to begin with.
No highs, no lows. Must be Bose.
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I'll throw in another endorsement for both the Grado sr-60 and the sennheiser hd580. But, an amp will enhance both of these to the point of aural bliss...I highly recommend spending around 60-100 on a portable headphone amp, itll make your music sound oh so nice
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By the way, Boxing Day = maybe the best reason to move to CANADA! Sorry to rub it in? Nah.
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About the Bose...I never would have bought a pair myself, but I did get the headphones unsolicited as an Xmas gift. I was surprised by how great they actually sound.
Can anyone recommend a good pair of buds under $25? I had a pair of Shure e2c but have lost them in a move. I'm looking for a decent budget pair to go to the gym with.
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About the Bose...I never would have bought a pair myself, but I did get the headphones unsolicited as an Xmas gift. I was surprised by how great they actually sound.
Can anyone recommend a good pair of buds under $25? I had a pair of Shure e2c but have lost them in a move. I'm looking for a decent budget pair to go to the gym with.
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Grados are the shit. The sr-60's are the same as the sr-125's but without the different felt pads and they are 50% cheaper. I like walking around with my grados and people in the know give you the head nod like you're in an exclusive club of audio awesomeness. I got digits from a girl for having grados' too. How many headphones can help you get laid?
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Andy,
Seriously, you've got to try the noise cancelling headphones before dismissing them outright. I can't say if they're audiophile quality if you're in a quiet room but like Jarrett says they DESTROY on a plane. I don't really care about how they work - I've put them on my head - and they work.
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grado sr225s and the senn hd580s with a decent amp own everything in their respective price ranges
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oh and forgot, under $100, the allessandro MS-1s are hard to beat
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I second the comment that while grados are awesome for home use they arent a good headphone for outdoors due to their open back.
Ive havent spent a large amount of money on in ear phones in a long time since the cabling always seems to break after a year or two of heavy use. Ive had about 10 pairs of these cheap sony ones like this:
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Sony_MDR_ED_21_LP__6368100
not sure if thats the exact model but its the ones with the bit that stick right in your ear that you want - i find them very comfortable and the sound is hard to beat for a similar price
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