Posted by >500
Im looking to buy some new headphones for my w900i. What do people think are the best ones for the w900i or any of the other walkman phones?
Whether it be sony,sennheiser,koss,panasonic etc etc i dont mind as long as they are good quality.
And i dont want big dj style headphones, i want the ones like the standard w900i ones which go in your ear.
So if people can reccomend brands and model name that would be great...
cheers
[ This Message was edited by: ads1107 on 2006-06-21 05:28 ]
Posted by Rifqi_Aziz
What's wrong with your HPM-80 pal?
I think HPM-80 is good enough for your W900.
Posted by >500
i know. But id like something of more quality...
Posted by batesie
you want high quality?
for in the ear headphones, Sennhieser CX-300 are excellent.
for closed cans, get Sennheiser HD25's and a pocket amp like a CMoy/ChuMoy
Posted by >500
yeah i was looking at them. White ones would go well with my w900
Posted by >500
how about these? anyone used them?
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/SONY-M[....]goryZ88761QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
or these?
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBa[....]VI_ReBay_Pr4_PcY_BIN_Stores_IT
[ This Message was edited by: ads1107 on 2006-06-21 17:28 ]
Posted by sapporobaby
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Simple:
Etymotic ER-6i's or Ultimate Ears Super.fi's. Each are about $120 but there are complete isolating and blow the Sony's out of the water. The Sony's are good enough for most people that do not know better, but the Etymotic's and Ultimate Ears are probably the one's you see on artists on stage at concerts. These are serious headphones for serious people who are serious about listening to their music.
Hope this helps.
Cheers.
P.S. Please note, hearing and headphones are relative. What sounds good to me might not sound good to you, and vice versa. If you can, test them with your phone and music to see what you really like.
_________________
"Einstein was right. Einstein was probably one of them" - Close Encounters of the Third Kind
*edited on a Mac PowerBook, of course. Mac: There is no substitute*
[ This Message was edited by: sapporobaby on 2006-06-21 17:27 ]
Posted by >500
thanks for that mate, i dont want anything too extravagent.
And i prefer in ear if that helps.
cheers
Posted by sapporobaby
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These are both in ears. You have to wet the tips to get them to really seat, and once they do, they give you a nice little pop that lets you know they are in place.
www.etymotic.com and www.ultimateears.com
_________________
"Einstein was right. Einstein was probably one of them" - Close Encounters of the Third Kind
*edited on a Mac PowerBook, of course. Mac: There is no substitute*
[ This Message was edited by: sapporobaby on 2006-06-21 17:40 ]
Posted by >500
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i just noticed they both were in ear. I will see if any stores have them in Melbounre, otherwise its off to ebay maybe. Though the first head phones you listed are ugly!
Posted by sapporobaby
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Ugly but they sound soooo beautiful.
Posted by goldenface
I think I must have funny ears.
Whenever I use any earphones they just drop out - regardless of whether they are the pads or the buds.
Can anyone recommend some nice light, compact over the ears headphones?
The HPM are making my ears sore with trying to push them in.
Posted by bustamo
can ne tell me where i cud get a replacement or better earphones for ma bros N80?
Posted by Hlcn Twst
Etymotic ER-6i's or Ultimate Ears Super.fi's. Each are about $120 but there are complete isolating and blow the Sony's out of the water. The Sony's are good enough for most people that do not know better, but the Etymotic's and Ultimate Ears are probably the one's you see on artists on stage at concerts. These are serious headphones for serious people who are serious about listening to their music.
I LOL whenever I read a recommendation for ER-6i's. I bought a pair and couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry: $120 for the tinniest-sounding, most uncomfortable bits of plastic junk ever made! They were so bad, I exchanged them for a 2nd pair, thinking the first were defective. I even received different eartip designs direct from Etymotic, which were little help.
They have no bass whatsover. None. Zero. Less than zero, even. The ear flanges are hard and their edges are sharp - since the sound won't make your ears bleed, I guess the physical design will. They're almost impossible to pull out of your ears, too. And the materials and build quality are crap.
I'm saving my money and sticking with Sony. I have a pair of MDR-EX71SL for the gym - well-made, extremely comfy, a little "boomy" but otherwise good sound. Outside the gym, I was using MDR-EX81SL - just as sturdy and comfy, with more balanced sound. I've since upgraded to the MDR-EX90SL - almost as comfy as the 81's, even better quality, with the most balanced sound yet, as well as slightly improved volume.
(If you crave color, check out the MDR-EX85SL's.)
Best of all, the models ending in "SL" have a short cord (with included cord extension), making them perfect for the HPM-70, HPM-82, etc
Posted by Dogmann
Hi Jedi-Master,
Up to now i have been using a pair of Sony MDR-EX71SL and have found them excellent but have just bought a pair of Shure EC2's in black for £39.99 delivered, still waiting for them to arrive but these are meant to give great performance and sound.
I think whilst talking about upgrading headphones it is important to remember the weakest links in your devices sound, first is the connector if you are going to use a 3.5mm connector IMO it is worth the extra to buy an original or the highest quality you can find and as cheap connector will bring down the overall performance more than even bad headphones IMO.
The choice of headphones is large and unfortunately i haven't found anywhere where you can actually try before you buy so it is a bit of a gamble all you can do is choose what looks pleasing to you and has had good reports. But IMO this combination is far superior to any of the included headphones with the devices but then they are free and a good set of headphones is £20 plus. But like most things in life you only get what you pay for.
Marc
Posted by >500
i was looking at getting the ex90's recently... worth it? can u post a pic of them please, am yet to see a live pic
also, was looking at v-moda and the new bose in ear set, any one used either?
cheers
edit: thanks for that doggman, would u say the hpm-70 3.5mm jack connector is good enough quality?
well this thread is old, i ended up buying Panasonic hje-70's for $120aud. nice pair. but since sold them and bought the hbh-ds970....
but am on the look out for a new set now for my w880i....
_________________
formerly known as ads1107... now, may the
be with you![ This Message was edited by: jedi-master on 2007-04-02 17:09 ]
Posted by Dogmann
Hi Jedi-Master,
I would think any real OE connector should be good enough just don't think a couple of quid adapter from Hong Kong or China is going to last or be that good. Personally although i have a Stereo Bluetooth headset and i think i actually prefer using a real connector and wires for quality purposes which is just my preference nothing more and nothing less. I just bought an extra 2gb card and new headphones as decided this was going to be my preferred solution for Music.
Marc
Posted by >500
thanks dogmann....
i was looking at these headphones:
http://www.bose.com.au/site/i[....]rl=PG&pfid=10&pgid=109&t=specs
any one had any experience with them, or know any one who has a set?
and was also checking out sony's ex90 series
Posted by Spindizzy
You know I use a $20 pair of Koss Sparkplugs which I love but also have the issue with the cheap Hong Kong connector breaking within a month or so. Where can I get a quality connector that doesn't have a mic but is just Fastport with a short cord and 3.5 adapter?
Posted by >500
@spindizzy
dogmann is refering to them adaptors. try not to by cheap ones from ebay and the like. buy one from an electrical store or something like that if you can. or use the hpm-70 one....
Posted by arien617
On 2006-06-21 18:04:02, batesie wrote:
for in the ear headphones, Sennhieser CX-300 are excellent.
They won't make a hole in your pocket either, amazon sell them for £17.64.
_________________
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I
my 
810i
SAVE ORIENTAL CITY
[ This Message was edited by: arien617 on 2007-04-03 20:43 ]
Posted by >500
think i might go bose, or sony ex90, or vmoda.... hmmm.....
Posted by Dogmann
Hi Jedi,
I was seriously considering either the Bose or the Shure E2C's until i found the Shure @Amazon under £40 and in Black. Just waiting for Amazon to deliver but at least with Amazon if you don't like something you can send it back for a full refund. I do like my Sony MDR-EX71SL'S but they are getting old and the wire is really thin so decided an upgrade was called for and I'm just not as enamoured with Sony product's as i used to be.
Marc
Posted by >500
ive been looking at Shure for a while, but something just turns me off them
the Bose seem a good buy... ill read up on some reviews first.
Posted by Hlcn Twst
@Jedi-Master: I can wholeheartedly recommend you avoid the EX90s at all cost :cuss: They're painful to wear and don't block enough outside noise. They do provide a crisp, clean sound... But that sound is lost in noisier environments (bus, train, plane), and adjusting the fit to get that sound will create sore spots inside your ears.
Mine are going back, to be replaced with some black MDR-EX81's. I had white ones for my iPod, and they were great, especially for their supreme comfort and perfect (for me) noise isolation. And, they sound 90% as good as the EX90s for 50% of the price.
Posted by Sammy_boy
Are those Koss Sparkplugs good then, and also are they comfortable? I have a problem with a lot of the 'in ear' earphones, they are either uncomfortable or just fall out, and it's damned annoying!
Any other comfortable earphones in that kind of price bracket?
Posted by Hlcn Twst
Sony MDR-EX71 and -81 (not -90) are easily the most comfortable. They're just like the 'buds that come with the W810 and HPM-72.
V-Moda Vibes are supposedly comfortable and "fun" to listen to. But they are pricey - $80 from Amazon.com, $101 from the manufacturer. I'd get some, but I prefer the Sonys because they're available with short cords that are perfect for HPM-70 and HPM-82.
Never use Etymotic ER-6is. I expected to find blood on those whenever I took them out of my ears. Not at all due to the wimpy sound, and entirely due to the miserable eartips and sharp plastic unit bodies.
Posted by masseur
for wired headset I also use the EX71 for many years and recently the 81's though the wrap over the ear style of the 81's took me a while to get used to.
they were also what I successfully used with my regular flights until I finally decided to get some Sony noise cancelling headphones
for general music use though I still prefer the HBH-DS970
Posted by Dogmann
Hi all,
The HBH-DS970 ear buds are very similar to the EX71SL's ear buds so are extremely comfortable and yes the fact the cable can be made short is perfect for connecting to a 3.5mm port. The thing i like about the Shure's are the fact they come with so many options for the ear bud covers and fitting them to your ears.
Marc
Posted by rabmozzer
I recently was in the market of buying earphones myself. I looked everywhere to suit my needs for my ipod nano, archos 604, and last but not least my k790a. It came down to either Shure e2c, Etymotic er6i, and Vmoda Vibe. I counted out Shure e2c because they were the most expensive out of the three. The Vmoda Vibe were bass heavy and I occasionly listen rap, r&b, and hip hop but i dont frequently. So my choice were the etymotic er6i. I chose the er6i not because ones better than the other but purely on my taste in music. I listen to Morrissey, The Smiths, The Cure, New Order alot of 80s and 50s and also punk.
The genres i listen to don't need exaggerated bass and Im cheap that is the reason why i chose the er6i. I also but the ds970 for my k790a. But like I said at the end of it all its the music that you listen that depicts your purchase.
Hope you find what you are looking for...btw the er6i do not hurt your ears that bad. They also come package with foam tips which are really affective.
[ This Message was edited by: rabmozzer on 2007-04-03 23:34 ]
Posted by >500
i do have the hbh-ds970. they are great, but sometimes with the medium tips i find they hurt sometimes a little. The hpm-70 with medium tips fit perfectly and are comfy, but i think the ds970 just has a bigger actual tip (not the rubber caps, the actual headphone) so thats why its a little painful some times. and im guessing the hpm-70 are just the ex-71 or some other sony headphones but
branded....
i dont think i like the sony ex-81, dont like the wrap around ear style. The bose ones i posted above earlier are looking more and more suitable for me....
Posted by rabmozzer
I was actually looking at the Bose ones as well but recently Bose came clean on there flawed design...
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/pe[....]ffers-free-upgrades-242897.php
I'll stick with my etymotic er6i...
Posted by >500
not hard to replace. Bose are giving a free upgrade anyway..... and besides, by the time i order, they would have already upgraded them most likely with the new tips.... the current tips look like the etymotics though... ie, something i dont like.
edit: that offer is limited to usa and couple countries only. But again im sure they will start shipping world wide with the new tips. any one know what the new tips look like?
_________________
formerly known as ads1107... now, may the
be with you![ This Message was edited by: jedi-master on 2007-04-04 06:49 ]
Posted by Spindizzy
@Sammy Boy
The Koss Sparkplugs are great. They never fall out and they a long tube which drives the bass deep into your head. I love em, but then again I'm no true audiophile.
@Jedi-Master
Those cheap ebay connectors are crap for real but I've not had any luck finmding a quality adapter which is just a Fastport with a 2 inch cord to 3.5 without the mic. When I'm really desperate I'll use the included HM-70 or whatever it's called but the mic is terribly heavy and awkward. I hate it. If anything I pull off the earbuds and connect my Koss Sparkplugs and then wrap the excess cord around my phone like a dork.
Posted by max_wedge
On 2007-04-04 02:42:18, jedi-master wrote:
im guessing the hpm-70 are just the ex-71 or some other sony headphones but
branded....
I think you are right there. For my money, the included headphones that come with HPM-70 are the same things as Sony's mid range MDR-EX71's, though I've never had the chance to do a back to back test. But for the cost of mdr-ex71's they are pretty much what you'd expect SE to market with the HPM-70/82. They are good quality, full range, decent bass response, in ear headphones that will show SE music phones in a good light without being over the top quality.
Hence my guess they used a basic middle of the market headset like the MDR-EX71 as the basis of the HPM-70. Though the MDRNX1, and the new Bluetooth headset DRBT20NX, have identical looking ear buds to the HPM-70 ear buds, I think these both followed the introduction of the SE HPM-70 and are probably borrowing their styling from the HPM-70's.
I'm more than happy with the headphones that come with the HPM-70
Posted by Hlcn Twst
Based on sound quality, I would say the
buds with the HPM-70 are more like Sony's MDR-EX51. The 71's have much better treble response. (The 81's are better still, and with tighter bass and better midrange, too.) The freebies with the HPM-70 are dull and muddy.
Again, if anyone knows of a set of in-ear headphones with a short cord (like Sony products ending in "SL"), let me know. I really want to use the V-Moda Vibes, but the extremely long cord is a big turn-off.
playback is already a tangled mess, with the HPM-70 or HPM-82 + earbuds.
Posted by >500
@hlcntwst
Panasonic hje-70. i had a pair, were very good..... short cord too, comes with a 1m extension cord should you need it....
Posted by max_wedge
On 2007-04-05 16:48:47, Hlcn Twst wrote:
Based on sound quality, I would say the
buds with the HPM-70 are more like Sony's MDR-EX51. The 71's have much better treble response. (The 81's are better still, and with tighter bass and better midrange, too.) The freebies with the HPM-70 are dull and muddy.
Again, if anyone knows of a set of in-ear headphones with a short cord (like Sony products ending in "SL"), let me know. I really want to use the V-Moda Vibes, but the extremely long cord is a big turn-off.
playback is already a tangled mess, with the HPM-70 or HPM-82 + earbuds.
Hmm, okay, if that's the case I'd be interested in trying a pair of MDR-EX71's then. I'm still happy with the existing hpm70 headsets, and while it may be "dull and muddy" compared to 71's and 81's, it's still reasonable (it's all relative). One thing I'll say, if you buy $5-10 cheapies, you'll be letting yourself down. Any cheap headphones I've tried with the HPM-70 sound awful compared to the ones that come with.
Posted by antz88c
Shure E2c user here, for my w880i and ipod.
Posted by Dogmann
Hi all,
Well Amazon have been good enough to deliver my Black Shure EC2'S and all i can say is WOW, i thought the Sony MDR-EX71SL's where good. But this is just a whole different ball game they are very light and comfortable and the sound is just so much better. The first thing i noticed was that the cable is much thicker than on the Sony's and does it make a difference although I'm sure that's not the only difference. Best upgrade i have made so far and IMO for £40 a bargain get a highly recommended from me anyway.
Marc
_________________
Nokia Black N93,2gb+ 2gb SanDisk, TomTom 6,Fring for Skype, AD-46 with Black Shure EC2g. Nokia 8800 Special Edition & BH-500 Stereo bluetooth Headset & Black Shure EC2g
[ This Message was edited by: Dogmann on 2007-04-11 19:07 ]
Posted by >500
congrats dogmann
i think im going to hold off on getting new headphones for a little bit though.... got some other things to buy..... so will stick to my ds970..... maybe a set of Bose in ear later or mdr-ex90's or what ever they called from sony or some v-moda's
Posted by esame
The Sennhieser CX-300 is a "sound" investment. I got one and am using it with my Sony Ericsson W880i, which I bought 2 weeks ago, and I truly have no complaints about it.
Posted by wrecked_porsche
I typed a freaking long post and IE just had to crash on me.
Anyway, what I wanted to say is give this thread a look:
http://www.esato.com/board/viewtopic.php?topic=127939#post1729325
In that thread I recommended the Philips SHE9500
Also the Creative EP630 is a good buy.
These two are good canalphones and produce nice tight bass. They are for bass-heads.
Anyway, I realized how crap the
phones were once I got a good pair of headphones.
I've now dumped the
and went back to my Creative MuVo2 and I'm using it with the awesome Audio Technica ATH-ES7 headphones which I got just last week.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that the source is just as important as the headphones, so don't waste your money on Shure or Etymotic when all you're gonna do is just play it from your phone. The Philips SHE9500 or Creative EP630 is good enough. If you're not a bass-head get the EP635.
If you're gonna get a Shure/Ety/Audio Technica/Sennheiser, then get a good mp3 player like Creative and you'll be blown away. The
phones just don't cut it.
Just my 2 cents.
Posted by below24
I use the shure E4C's and they are perfect.
Posted by max_wedge
On 2007-04-14 14:52:30, sanjeevjaya wrote:
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that the source is just as important as the headphones, so don't waste your money on Shure or Etymotic when all you're gonna do is just play it from your phone. The Philips SHE9500 or Creative EP630 is good enough. If you're not a bass-head get the EP635.
If you're gonna get a Shure/Ety/Audio Technica/Sennheiser, then get a good mp3 player like Creative and you'll be blown away. The
phones just don't cut it.
Just my 2 cents.
Maybe, yet I notice a definite imrpovement when using my sennheiser's compared to my HPM-70 ear buds, so I think the walkman sound quality is atleast good enough to reveal differences between high end and mid range headphones.
Posted by Dogmann
@sanjeevjaya
I don't think i can wholly agree with you as now most if not all Music players are of a more than decent quality in most mid to top range phones.
What i think is important to remember is that the sound you will get is reliant on the two weakest links and these IMO will effect the results more than any other factor. The first is how you connect the headphones to the phone as a lack of quality in this will really drag the overall performance down, so a cheap connector off E-Bay or the like really is a waste of money IMO.
The second of course is the headphones i was quite happy with the performance of the Sony MDR-EX71SL but the wires are very thin which does not do the performance any favours. Seeing as the Shure EC2's were only £40 i don't consider that outrageously expensive for what they are. Also my last headphones have lasted me a good couple of years so an upgrade every couple of years is quite reasonable I think.
The first thing i noticed on getting them was just how much thicker the cable is plus of course the overall feel of the construction an upgrade to the next level up of Sony's would only of saved me about £10 and personally i think the increase in quality was well worth an extra £10 as the resulting performance really is quite amazing IMO.
The other factor is the bit rate at which the Music is encoded but as memory cards prices have continued to fall i always encode at the best quality and highest rate as in AAC @ 160kbps this still only averages at 4mb per track so am able to get plenty of albums on a 2gb card.
There really isn't only one choice as everyone's preference's will be slightly different dependant on the type of music they listen to for how long and in what environments and of course the budget they have.
Marc
Posted by wrecked_porsche
@Dogman and max_wedge
Yes, what you guys are saying is also true, however, what I meant is that if you get high end canalphones, you won't be making full use of them.
@max_wedge, of course there will be a noticable difference, I didn't say the
was thaaat bad or did I? 
In fact I agree when you change headphones there will be a noticeable difference, hence my sugestion of the Philips SHE9500 or Creative. The HPM is crap anyway.
About changing the headphones and noticing the difference, the same thing applies to what I said, just as you would notice a considerable difference in SQ when you change headphones, so will you when you change from a
phone to a better Mp3 player. I hope you understand what I mean? I'm just saying no point in going high end if the phone is gonna be the limiting factor.
@Dogman, I'm just saying that the
isn't one of the best out there, I'm not saying its the worst, just that is not up to par with the best of mp3 players. But its not bad for a phone.
Maybe its because I hang around Audiophile forums too much. I've crossed over to the dark side.
I wasn't picky about the
SQ, but now I am.
Just my 2 cents.
BTW, a little OT, but anyone know the SNR of the
phones?
Posted by max_wedge
sanjeevjaya, I accept that there are going to be better mp3 players out there. I once had a creative muvo, the first version (128MB, without lcd) but never did back to back tests against my phone (a K700 at the time). Basic impressions where that it was much the same but with slightly higher volume output. But then K750 has better volume output than K700 also. And I never did proper testing with higher codecs.
A device like the early Muvo I owned won't be as competent as the latest ones from creative though I'm sure.
Dogman - itunes, nero, db poweramp etc can rip aac vbr at higher than 160Kbps. Perhaps you are thinking about ABR codecs?
Posted by Dogmann
@MaxWedge,
Actually for ease of use i use Nokia Music manager as in all honestly i am lazy and like things to be as easy as possible. So just put a CD in the drive and it converts automatically for me one click and it and transfers to the memory card. I have found 160kpbs AAC to both give small file size and great quality so if it ain't broke i ain't gonna fix it. LOL As i said even 50% of volume is very loud and I'm closer to 50 than 40 so am sure my hearing is not as good as it has been. I also don't doubt that a dedicated Music Player would quite possibly give better results but there is no way i would carry another device and then have the problem of not knowing when my phone was ringing. Oh yes and sorry i should of pointed out i am not using a Walkman phone but my N93.
Marc
_________________
Nokia Black N93,2gb+ 2gb SanDisk, TomTom 6,Fring for Skype, Nokia SU-8W Keyboard, AD-46 with Black Shure EC2g. Nokia 8800 Special Edition & BH-500 Stereo bluetooth Headset & Black Shure EC2g
[ This Message was edited by: Dogmann on 2007-04-15 02:28 ]
Posted by max_wedge
That explains it dogman, and you are right, 160Kbps is pretty good, pretty much on par with 192Kbps in MP3 format.