Good Headphones (1 Viewer)

[KyleC]

First off I apologize if this is not in the correct forum but the description mentioned MP3 players so I put this in here. Feel free to move if incorrect.

I'm leaving for Australia in two weeks. I'm going to purchase an Iriver HP-120, and I also have a Gameboy Advance SP. This is going to be a VERY long plane ride so I want some nice headphones that will block out the noise and also not bother others. I was looking at some Sennheiser's but wasn't sure which ones were good. One model in particular was the PX 200's. Has anyone had experience with these?

I really want to be able to get decent bass and turn it up kinda loud but still not bother people. If you have suggestions please do. Thank you.

 

[SteveBro]

PX 200's are not noise-canceling headphones. The PXC250's, however, are. I've tried them and they do a very good job. They're also lightweight and quite comfortable, which would be a plus on your plane ride.

 

[Danny Tse]

I have the Sennheiser PX200 (and PX100 too) and they do sound really good. I just came back recently from a trip to Hong Kong/China with the PX200 and they are OK on the plane. The main thing about the PX200 is that the ear cups need to form a tight seal around your ears in order to perform good since they rest on top of your ears. So, the shape of your ears will determine whether they are right for you. If the ear cups and your ears don't seal right, forget about them.

 

[KyleC]

Wow the PXC250's are expensive. I don't think I want to spend that kind of cash on a pair of headphones.

 

[Julio H]

The PX200's are very nice headphones. I've been using them with my iPod. The bass is decent, nothing too special but it beats the hell out of the little plugs that came with the iPod.

 

[chung_sotheby]

If you don't mind the size and weight, I couldn't recommend the HD280's more highly. They are designed mostly for pro applications (DJing, mixing, etc) but have some pretty good noise canceling ability (~30-40dB, if I remember correctly). They are extremely comfortable, evn given their size and heft, and sound really, really good. Also, a good deal cheaper than the PXC250s.

 

[Page]

I second chung's recommendation. I've used my HD280's on plane flights and noisy gyms. They do a fine job of keeping the music in and the outside noise out. Also, you might want to look at a pair of Sony V-6s. They're a nice isolating headphone with a decent sound. They fold up into a "ball" and are lighter and less bulky than the HD-280s.

 

[KyleC]

Page I couldn't find the V-6 but what about the MDR-NC5?

 

[Danny Tse]

The Sony V-6 is no longer officially available from Sony. However, it's still available directly from Sony at www.my.sony.com for $80.00 + 1,000 points. You need to become a member, after which Sony will send you e-mails notifying you about new hardware, software, and promotions. You earn points for clicking on things. I already got over 6,000 points and I haven't purchase anything.

 

[Page]

On the West Coast they are readily available at an electronics store called Fry's. (They have a Web site called Outpost.com which carries them http://shop1.outpost.com/product/120234.)

I've also seen them for sale at many Tower Records stores (but the price is substantially higher.)

I'm not so sure that they are discontinued. Be careful that you don't pick up the V-600 or v-6000 or whatever because they're crap. Check the link which I posted above to make sure you get those specific Sony headphones which are a truly good set of cans for the money. They are not noise-cancelling headphones, but are closed. (They do a pretty decent job of keeping the noise out and the music in.) They have a good range and the bass is quite strong. They are quite easy to drive from a portable source such as your HP-120. (I looked at them, but went with a Rio Karma. Back on topic...)

I have over ten pairs of headphones (ranging from somewhat high-end to low-end) and the Sony MDR V-6s were my headphones of choice for plane travel until I switched to the Sennheiser HD280s. (The 280s have a tighter seal and block out more outside noise, not as comfortable as the Sony's, but with a good range and a deep bass.)

(Edit: I tried that link I posted and it comes back with an error from Fry's server. The headphones are there. Try inputing "headphones" into Fry's search engine instead. You'll get a listing and the second item is the one that you want--"Sony MDRV6 Headphone".

 

[KyleC]

Aren't they bulky for travel?

 

[Page]

No. But compared to what? Compared to ear buds or canal phones, yes.

I'm looking at them right now...they fold up into them themselves. Folded they are roughly the size of a softball. Not bad for the sound quality you're getting.

I'm a member of Head-Fi.org. Check out their website if you REALLY want to know everything there is to know about headphones. (But be careful! Collecting headphones can be an addictive and expensive hobby!)

 

[Zen Butler]

In response to your inquiry on the PX series, I've only tried the 200's and thought the contruction was pretty fragile. Funny, I haven't seen those here, my friend has some, but got them in Germany.

I too have several pairs of headphones. For my metro trips and for use with my iRiver, I simply use the Sennheiser MX500 earbud, for light travel. Also, to hear things around me.

For backbacking, I will load up my HD515's which I don't worry so much about. These are a good reasonable headphone, but bulky. A comparable headphone at half the price would be the Koss Pro, which I experienced at work and they are pretty damn good for the price.

For a long plane ride to Australia, I would think comfort to be very important. Sacrifice a bit of storage space. The HD515, although a bit bulky, will provide nice comfort. The Koss Pro Titanium, that I mentioned, were very comfortable. Watched a 3 hour presentation at work, and they were suprising.

For planes rides, I except nothing but my HD595's. Comfortable, and the best headphone I have ever used(owned).


So true.

 

[dpippel]

The HD595 is an open 'phone and the poster was looking for something closed or noise cancelling. Doesn't using an open headphone on the plane bother the people around you?

 

[Len Cheong]

What about the $500 Shure E5 bud style headphones with dedicated tweeters and woofers? Could be worth checking out.

 

[Brian L]

I too have the PX200's, and IMHO, the SQ is outstanding.

On top of that, they fold up nice and neat and have a cool little case. Someone said the bass is nothing outstanding. Hummm. Don't know about that. These phones, to me ears, have outstanding low end extension. But, everyones ears are different, so I guess you would want to try them out.

In the minus column, while I am thrilled with the SQ, they do not block out much noise. On an airplane, I find I need to crank things a bit, which sucks if the recording has wide dynamic range (Dire Straits, Telegraph Road, for example). One minute, you boost the volume to hear the quiet parts, the next, your head is blown off when the band kicks in.

I too am looking at some nose cancelling phones. Not sure that the 250's will do it, as they appear to have a similar ear cup design to the 200's. I think 1/2 the battle with noise cancelers is passive attenuation, and if the cups does not fit the ear well, you are already behind the eightball.

At the risk of turning this into a Bose bashing fest (I know, you can not mention the name "Bose" around here without doing so), I am actually contemplating the Bose noise cancelling phones. I have used them on airplanes before, and they work very, very well indeed, and are extremely comfortable.

Brutally expensive, then again, having just forked out $500 for a 40g iPod, whats another $300 for phones, right?

And as someone said, the earbuds that come with the iPod are not the best. To get them to seal right in my ears, and thus get decent bass, I need to jam 'em in there, which then hurts my ear after 30 minutes.

I am just not a "stick it in your ear" kind of guy, which disqualifies all of the top shelf inner-ear phones from Shure, Eytomic, etc.

BGL

 

[KyleC]

Sorry there's absolutely no way I am paying $500 for headphones.

 

[Page]

Ah, come on. It's only money. You can't take it with you. :p)

Seriously, if you don't have the bucks, buy the best your wallet can afford and enjoy them for years to come.

What's your budget?

 

[Julio H]

I always thought the lows were a bit muddy on the PX-200


Should've waited. New iPods are coming out this week and the 40G version has a $100 price drop.

 

[Brian L]

Well, my prognostication skills are somewhat below par, and failed to provide this information to me when I bought in February:frowning:

Then again, I have been enjoying it for 5 months now, so I can't really squawk, can I

I suppose similar dynamics apply to ANY piece of HiFi technology that one would buy. As you whip out the Amex, the successor to your new cutting edge toy is already waiting to appear, and crush your heart with better performance and lower price.

BGL