In-ear style headphones

fldsfslmn

excremental futurism
So I'm thinking of replacing the standard white earbuds that came with my iPod. I thought, "why not?" I was in A&B Sound yesterday looking at some different models by Panasonic and Sony. I'm willing to pay about $50 CAD (which I guess is like £50, when you think about it), and the models I am looking at are all pretty comparable to the "upgraded" iPod headphones (which are $50 at my work). I was looking on the back of the box for the Panasonics and it said that the top end of the frequency response was 25,000kHz ... So how can I somewhat objectively measure the sound quality of headphones that will reproduce sound way above the threshold of hearing? I want to be fairly scientific about how I choose my new headphones.
 

xero

was minusone
dunno about the science but I got a pair of sennheiser mx500 in ears for £20 and they are the bees knees
 

Jesse D Serrins

Well-known member
Pretty much any piece of technology will threaten to bug out as you push it to the limits of its capacity, so if the headphones can handle much higher frequencies, they'll be more comfortable dealing with the frequencies within your range of hearing.
 

Gerard

Well-known member
Throbbing Ear

Given you'll be listening to compressed files on your pod, why spend big money on 'phones? My 20 quid Senheisers have coped well for 4 years and counting.

For me comfort is the big issue. Every configuration of headphone I've ever tried has resulted, after an hour or so of listening, in nagging low/medium level pain about the ear. I do have large (and growing) ears, mind. I'd pay for comfort first, aural niceites second.

It's also worth noting that an emininent ENT surgeon in my ken says "Never stick anything smaller than your elbow in your ear".
 

sufi

lala
gerardo said:
"Never stick anything smaller than your elbow in your ear"
that sound awfully familiar ;)

d'you live in a high crime area, fldsfslmn?
those iphones are very distinctive
 

fldsfslmn

excremental futurism
sufi said:
that sound awfully familiar ;)

d'you live in a high crime area, fldsfslmn?
those iphones are very distinctive

I was just came back to this thread, and it reminded me how white headphones are getting perilously close to being in the MAJORITY on campus. It is amazing how many people (affluent suburban teens and twentysomethings) who only own 12 CDs and generally lack the technical skill to download music have got iPods now. I'd love to have a look at these near-empty hard drives... What's on them?

What possible use could the philistinic teens filing out of the Faculty of Business building this afternoon make of all that hard drive space? Or is the solitaire just better with a clickwheel.

"I've got Dance Mix '94, Dance Mix '95, Dance Mix '96, Dance Mix '97, Dance Mix ...."
 

turtles

in the sea
fldsfslmn said:
"I've got Dance Mix '94, Dance Mix '95, Dance Mix '96, Dance Mix '97, Dance Mix ...."
LOL!! Don't know if non-Canadians are familiar with the brilliance that is the Dance Mix series put out by muchmusic (=Canadian MTV) here in canada. All the biggest "dance" tracks for a given year (dance = cheesy dance-pop) get put on a cd and then advertised to death on muchmusic. I actually have dance mix 93 sitting around somewhere, bought when i was 11. which now that i just dug it up, actually looks kinda sweet: house of pain, snap, technotronic, 2 unlimited, the klf, tag team, C+C music factory, bobby brown....

nevertheless, that's a hilarious charicature. i too am starting to get pissed off at the massive ipod fad that is also heavily occuring at my own campus. now i will just imagine them all listening to 2 Unlimited and not feel quite so angry...
 

fldsfslmn

excremental futurism
I know a touring rock band from out your way that keeps a copy of Dance Mix '94 at their merch table for utility purposes.

If I was interested in pursuing this sociological phenomenon a little further, I'd ask some of the students to participate in an iPod "show me yours and I'll show you mine." Then I could notate the findings and post them on Dissensus. Could be fascinating. Maybe.
 

Ness Rowlah

Norwegian Wood
My problem with in-ear ones have always been a good fit. So I have two recommendations
for you (having been through 6 or 7 pairs of in ears).

Sony MDR-EX71s in Black (so you don't look like a jerk). GBP 35 or so (also at Dixons:
I recommended them to a guy standing in front of the baffling array of headphones and he
was genuinly pleased to receive a recommendation).
I had mine for a over year now. Comes with soft rubber ear pieces in 3 sizes: so one will fit.
Good sound, fantastic comfort (read the reviews at Amazon -
I've got nothing to add to those). I think there is a new set called 81 or something as well,
supposed to be even better. I've got all sort of problems with Sony (when it comes to DRM) -
but these headphones are worth the 10 quid extra.

If you can bear using white ones try the Etymotic ER6is (around 120 USD if ordered from the US).
Sound is fantastic, but more cumbersome to use (flanges you will have to fit, skin
coulored so they tend to get dirty). I only use these in an office environment and got them
after I was playing some old New Order to loud with the Sonys. The Etymotics totally isolate you -
no noise is getting in (so you do not hear anything but the sound) or out (so co-workers/commuters
do not hear those cymbals).

So the Sonys for all round use, the Etymotics for even purer hifi.
 
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