Over the ear headphones

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JHZR2

JHZR2

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I guess thats the term... Ones that completely cover your ear, so nothing stuck in the ear canal or pressing down on ear cartilidge.

No gimicks. No royalities to rap stars, no active stuff that requires batteries. Not overly huge either as this is for a travel kit.

I saw a set I kind of liked at Costco. Sony ones (they did have switchable noise cancellation ,granted), maybe $139 but I think the sale is over. I didnt pull the trigger because at lowest volumes they seemed muffled. I play my music or other media at very low levels, so would like to have quality then.

The in-ear high end (e.g. shure) headphones can sound really good (to me) at really low volumes, but they get uncomfortable after an hour or two.

I dont use headphones a lot, but for travel they would be nice. Again, this is a travel kit, so im willing to spend some bucks on comfort, but they could get lost/stolen/crushed, so that $139-ish level is about the max.

Id also prefer that the part that contacts the skin be replacable/common and of a long-lasting material, like silicone or leather. I had some that were pleather on a cloth backing, and when it started to break down and flake off, it made a huge mess.

Recommendations?

Thanks!
 
If you want something that completely covers your ear lobes, it's not going to be small, so you'll have to decide: do you want full size cans, or do you want portability. Pick one.


I'm really happy with the sound quality of my Audio Technica ATH-M50, and I find them rather comfortable, too, but we all have different heads and different size ears. Not sure about durability. I've had them for about 5 years, but don't use them a whole lot. They're too big to take on trips or on the plane. They still look like new. You can get them with either coiled or straight cable.

There is an updated model out there now (ATH-M50x), but it doesn't look much different.

As far as sounding muffled at low volumes, I think this will end up being the case with most headphones and even speakers. It takes certain amounts of power to deliver strong bass and treble. At low power, you mostly hear mid frequencies. To certain extent, I think that's how human hearing operates. That's why some amps have a "loudness" feature that boosts bass and treble at low volumes.
 
Neato, I may get one of thsoe to go along with the atwater Kent Im getting soon...


Regarding size I know these things are bigger - not earbuds... But some are HUGE, while some are just big. The Sony ones I saw were reasonable...

I know that it takes some power to drive these things, Im not as concerned with power as something optimized not quite as much for total bass or SPL, and something a bit more efficient, so I get clearer sound at lower volumes, even if Im driving more power from the device.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Neato, I may get one of thsoe to go along with the atwater Kent Im getting soon...


Regarding size I know these things are bigger - not earbuds... But some are HUGE, while some are just big. The Sony ones I saw were reasonable...

I know that it takes some power to drive these things, Im not as concerned with power as something optimized not quite as much for total bass or SPL, and something a bit more efficient, so I get clearer sound at lower volumes, even if Im driving more power from the device.


Then you need something like this, That has a basic EQ on it.
http://www.amazon.com/Bravo-Audio-Valve-...4713&sr=1-8
 
I have a pair of Sennhieser HD 203 and I got'em for about $20 something new. I like them very much especially for the money!
 
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I like my Blackbox M14s. They do have active noise cancellation, which works amazingly well during air travel. If i take them off while still in flight after watching a movie, I have been so isolated from the background noise that it is almost overwhelming when reintroduced. The output with the noise cancellation turned off (passive mode) is a bit low, to be honest. The good news is that they only take a single AAA, and it lasts a long time. My set came with a case, and the earpieces pivot so the set folds flat for storage. I just checked their site, and it looks like the M10 is the current equivalent.
 
JHZ I know you said you don't want ear buds because of the comfort level...I had the same problem...I listen to headphones while I ride a bike for hours at a time. My ears would be sore until i got the Klipsch S4's ....the ear buds themselves are anatomically correct. They are not just round. I can now listen to these buds for 4 hours straight and my ears are not sore. Just a thought.
 
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I have a pair of Sennhieser HD 203 and I got'em for about $20 something new. I like them very much especially for the money!


Similar here, I've got the Sennheiser HD 201 and used them for a few years now, lots of use, held up well. They're not as stylish as the 203. Yeah, I paid something like $20, a good value, comfortable, I like the sound.
 
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Sennheiser HD-25 ii are built like tanks, have excellent sound, and good noise isolation.

And they're not made in China.
 
Sennheiser always has excellent sound. I do not own a pair but Klipsch Image Ones would be worth a look too if there anywhere as good as my Image S4 in-ear phones. I absolutely love listening to those.
 
I just bought these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008POFOHM/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They sound incredible! Made in Germany and each piece is user replaceable if you ever need to replace anything. I use them for drumming personally, but also for normal listening now since they sound so impressive. They are also very comfortable and lightweight on the head, I think.

I know they are above your budget a bit, but maybe you can find a deal on eBay or something (or if they have cheaper product line). They isolate very well.
 
^ I have the 80 ohm version of the Beyer DT 770 Pro
Got it modded with a detachable cable
smile.gif

It's best when amped, but even wihtout an amp, it sounds really great. I can recommend both ATH M50 and Beyer DT770 - DT770 has a slight edge in refined-ness, I guess, but the ATH M50 is a great buy, too.



 
Originally Posted By: 97tbird
^ I have the 80 ohm version of the Beyer DT 770 Pro

Any particular reason why one would choose the 80 Ohm version over the 32 Ohm one? Wouldn't the 32 Ohm version be easier to drive?
 
Yes it would be - I tried the 32 ohm at a store alongside with the 80 ohm, and although the 32 ohm was easier to drive, certain sounds seemed a bit too 'forward' sounding to me, and at times a bit unnatural. The 80 ohm, which is almost as easily driven as the 32 ohm (but not quite), gave me the perfect balance in the type of sound I like - absolutely no listening fatigue, even when played very loud, and vocals sounded more natural and overall slightly better mid-range than the 32 ohm. (I must admit i noticed the differences only in certain tracks, and the differences themselves were not hugely apparent unless one paid attention)
 
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