kaizr
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2008
- Posts
- 41
- Likes
- 10
I currently own Sennheiser IE8 in-ear headphones, and whilst I like the sound, I find myself wanting a more in-your-face thump, and I feel ready to move on from in-ear phones in general.
I am not an audiophile by any means, and I admit I like a lot of bass (and not just when the original recording has a lot of bass).
I require new phones for mainly commuting to work, so portability (on-ear phones?) is pretty high on the list, although I would consider full size cans if they are renowned for good bass. In addition, I will be listening via an iPhone with no additional amp, and so phones that either come with a mic/cable or that have removable 1/8 cable/connector will be required (although I could probably get by answering calls using the phone mic if there's a set of phones that will blow everything else that has a mic/cable out of the water).
So what have I already considered? To be honest, I was initially looking at the Beats Solo HD and Studio, then thought about getting the Beats Pro, but thought that these would be too heavy and bulky for commuting as I walk to work (20 mins each way), although they aren't completely off the list yet!. Main reasons for Beats... big bass and fun sound, although like most Head-Fi'ers I don't know whether they are worth blowing £150+ on. Cost aside, will the Solo and Studio's be much of an upgrade coming from the IE8's (i.e. will the sound be muddier than my current phones)?
The only other headphones I have looked into that have the phone answering function are the Senn MM450's and the AKG K450's as they look great for portability. But will these on-ear type of phones provide the bass that I am after, and again, are these an upgrade from the IE8's?
The Sony XB500's looked appealing but I was put off as they don't have the mic function or any mic compatibility and the cushions look a bit chunky, but from the reviews I have seen, these look as though they have the sound that I am looking for. However, I think I am in love with the look of the on-ear type headphones, especially the Grado's and AKG's.
For full size cans I have also looked at the Shure 750DJ's, and Ultrasone Pro and DJ lines, but they appear to use proprietary cable connectors and don't offer any mic functionality on their current cables, otherwise I would have probably opted for the Pro 550's or DJ1 Pro's. Like the Beats Pro's, these aren't completely off my list yet.
I am after the same sort of sound that my floostanding speakers give out when cranked up, with a constant subtle rumbling undertone that provides thundering bass when bass-heavy tracks are played (without any muddy mids that I get with my IE8's when playing mostly alternative rock and indie tracks). Is this possible with headphones that are small(ish), can run un-amped for iPhones and hopefully have mic compatibility? As I have only used in-ear phones, will any over/on-ear phones that are suited to my requirements be an upgrade to the IE8's?
The majority of my tunes are ripped to MP3 320kbps (LAME) CBR, and I mainly listen to alt rock, indie, some dance and some hip-hop.
Sorry to ramble on a bit, I just don't want to make a big mistake, especially as there isn't really anywhere locally that I can audition any of the headphones listed (apart from the Beats Studios at my local Apple Store).
Cheers in advance.
I am not an audiophile by any means, and I admit I like a lot of bass (and not just when the original recording has a lot of bass).
I require new phones for mainly commuting to work, so portability (on-ear phones?) is pretty high on the list, although I would consider full size cans if they are renowned for good bass. In addition, I will be listening via an iPhone with no additional amp, and so phones that either come with a mic/cable or that have removable 1/8 cable/connector will be required (although I could probably get by answering calls using the phone mic if there's a set of phones that will blow everything else that has a mic/cable out of the water).
So what have I already considered? To be honest, I was initially looking at the Beats Solo HD and Studio, then thought about getting the Beats Pro, but thought that these would be too heavy and bulky for commuting as I walk to work (20 mins each way), although they aren't completely off the list yet!. Main reasons for Beats... big bass and fun sound, although like most Head-Fi'ers I don't know whether they are worth blowing £150+ on. Cost aside, will the Solo and Studio's be much of an upgrade coming from the IE8's (i.e. will the sound be muddier than my current phones)?
The only other headphones I have looked into that have the phone answering function are the Senn MM450's and the AKG K450's as they look great for portability. But will these on-ear type of phones provide the bass that I am after, and again, are these an upgrade from the IE8's?
The Sony XB500's looked appealing but I was put off as they don't have the mic function or any mic compatibility and the cushions look a bit chunky, but from the reviews I have seen, these look as though they have the sound that I am looking for. However, I think I am in love with the look of the on-ear type headphones, especially the Grado's and AKG's.
For full size cans I have also looked at the Shure 750DJ's, and Ultrasone Pro and DJ lines, but they appear to use proprietary cable connectors and don't offer any mic functionality on their current cables, otherwise I would have probably opted for the Pro 550's or DJ1 Pro's. Like the Beats Pro's, these aren't completely off my list yet.
I am after the same sort of sound that my floostanding speakers give out when cranked up, with a constant subtle rumbling undertone that provides thundering bass when bass-heavy tracks are played (without any muddy mids that I get with my IE8's when playing mostly alternative rock and indie tracks). Is this possible with headphones that are small(ish), can run un-amped for iPhones and hopefully have mic compatibility? As I have only used in-ear phones, will any over/on-ear phones that are suited to my requirements be an upgrade to the IE8's?
The majority of my tunes are ripped to MP3 320kbps (LAME) CBR, and I mainly listen to alt rock, indie, some dance and some hip-hop.
Sorry to ramble on a bit, I just don't want to make a big mistake, especially as there isn't really anywhere locally that I can audition any of the headphones listed (apart from the Beats Studios at my local Apple Store).
Cheers in advance.
