Quote:
Originally Posted by JJxiv1215
-Preferably Noise-canceling
-Around <$100
-Still Able to Reproduce details in Movies/Music - (I don't want to say something like "audiophile-quality", lol)
That's it. I was looking at the Sennheiser HD515 and HD 280 at the moment - does anybody else have other recommendations from personal experience?
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Between these two, I'd choose the HD 280 Pro(
http://goodcans.com/HeadphoneStore/i...products_id=13 ).
By "Preferably Noise-canceling" I take it you mean closed headphones( Passive Noise Reduction ) & not actual Noise Reduction Headphones( Active Noise Reduction )?
Here are some resources that may prove helpful:
http://www.avguide.com/headphone-buyers-guide
( excellent honest reviews here )
http://goodcans.com/HeadphoneStore/
http://www.goodcans.com/HeadphoneRev...ionreview.html
from: http://www.goodcans.com/
Noise Reduction Headphones.
Sometime in the early 90's, ANR headphones began to be marketed primarily to airplane travelers. ANR refers to “Active Noise Reduction,” (as opposed to Passive Noise Reduction which is just blocking sound with a bulky, closed headphone, or use of earplugs in the ear canal). If you’re in an environment with a steady, low droning sound, (like an airplane engine), ANR headphones can be helpful because they produce an opposite sound wave to the ear which in effect, lessens the loudness of the offending droning noise. The result, the offending noise is reduced and you now have the means to listen to music or movies through headphones at a normal volume, (FYI, turning up volume in headphones to drown outside sounds is not good for the ears).
Some points about ANR headphones to remember:
-- Random noises are "NOT" reduced! Talking, banging, babies crying, etc..... not reduced by the ANR circuitry.
-- Sometimes erroneously called "Noise Cancellation" headphones.... they reduce one offending noise, not cancel!
-- $300 ANR headphones, even from self boastful famous audio manufacturers, do not sound as good to an audiophile's ears as does a $79 Grado SR60i. Besides being closed which affects sound quality, the ANR circuitry introduces some hiss.
-- If you travel a lot, by all means, spend some money on some good ANR headphones. But if you only travel occasionally, opt for the less expensive ones for traveling and buy some regular headphones for all other uses.
Sennheiser makes some very high quality ANR headphones which we are liking and recommending. We are also liking one from an independent company called the
PlaneQuiet headphones. -- Or, you may want to consider an IEM, as they can passively block outside noises, (see below).
IEM's, In-Ear-Monitors, In-Ear Earphones, Canal Phones...
In-Ears are a tricky product to recommend.
So much depends on the fit in the ear for both sound quality reasons and for noise blockage reasons. And everyone's ears are different, so what works for one person, may not work well for another! Plus, some people can't stand sticking the things deep into the ear canal, while others seem to get used to it, and love the intimacy of the sound. Etymotic and Shure kind of led the way in this category. But given the popularity of the iPod, (and other portable players), and the not-so-good earbuds that come with them, IEM's are getting more and more popular and many companies are jumping in with me-too products. Even Grado now has some in-ears! Unfortunately, the better ones are quite expensive, ($200 and up). As mentioned above, we are really liking a newer one from Sleek-Audio. It has a unique feature in that it's sound is adjustable by changing out various ports. You'll find a full review in our reviews section. In the under $100 category, we've often been disappointed with the sound quality from most companies and they really hold back, (many in the lower price ranges are lacking in detail or bass).. But now, Grado has one for under $100, and we're quite pleased!
Due to the portability factor and the noise blocking factor, I've enjoyed some in-ears for several years now. They sound better to me than earbuds which I don't find fit my ears very well, (and sound inconsistent as a result). And I find besides being super portable, IEM's can block outside sound out quite well so I use them a lot when traveling. And a maybe not so common use... I often use them when going to sleep at night, (which rules out some of the bulkier designs that protrude from the ear). One thing I want to point out. Good IEM's can produce very clear detail. But when it comes to headphone sound, I feel a full sized headphone gives a larger sound and it's hard to compare with an IEM which produces a sound that is totally inside your head. In other words, I'm not gonna give up my Good Cans!
I use a pair of
$99 Etymotic 6i Isolator Earphones(
http://www.etymotic.com/errormsg/def...ephp/er6i.aspx ) for noise free listening on the go( with iPod ) & at home( with receiver-music & movies ). They seem to do a better job blocking out noise than closed headphones.
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Yet Another Headphone Recommendation Thread
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