Quality Headphones?

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snatchel
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Quality Headphones?

#1

Post by snatchel »

I'm not sure if any of y'all are big music fans or whatever... But Mrs. Snatchel and I have built up on obscene amount of rewards points on our AMEX from using it for school (then paying it off with the Financial Aid and GI Bill). Mrs. Snatchel knew I have been looking for some quality headphones from makers such as BOSE, Kenwood, etc. Turned out that AMEX was offering these in the rewards catalog and she ordered them for me.

I don't listen to a lot of hip-hop, mostly Rock, and was afraid that these would be all bassy and sound funny. Looks like Monster and Dr. Dre actually put some thought and work into these. Sure, they look great--but they are comfy and sound fantastic. I wouldn't spend $200 on headphones personally, but can recommend these.

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Re: Quality Headphones?

#2

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snatchel wrote:I'm not sure if any of y'all are big music fans or whatever... But Mrs. Snatchel and I have built up on obscene amount of rewards points on our AMEX from using it for school (then paying it off with the Financial Aid and GI Bill). Mrs. Snatchel knew I have been looking for some quality headphones from makers such as BOSE, Kenwood, etc. Turned out that AMEX was offering these in the rewards catalog and she ordered them for me.

I don't listen to a lot of hip-hop, mostly Rock, and was afraid that these would be all bassy and sound funny. Looks like Monster and Dr. Dre actually put some thought and work into these. Sure, they look great--but they are comfy and sound fantastic. I wouldn't spend $200 on headphones personally, but can recommend these.

[ Image ]
I didn't think they made earphones anymore that didn't fit INSIDE the ear... :smilelol5:
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snatchel
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Re: Quality Headphones?

#3

Post by snatchel »

sjfcontrol wrote:
snatchel wrote:I'm not sure if any of y'all are big music fans or whatever... But Mrs. Snatchel and I have built up on obscene amount of rewards points on our AMEX from using it for school (then paying it off with the Financial Aid and GI Bill). Mrs. Snatchel knew I have been looking for some quality headphones from makers such as BOSE, Kenwood, etc. Turned out that AMEX was offering these in the rewards catalog and she ordered them for me.

I don't listen to a lot of hip-hop, mostly Rock, and was afraid that these would be all bassy and sound funny. Looks like Monster and Dr. Dre actually put some thought and work into these. Sure, they look great--but they are comfy and sound fantastic. I wouldn't spend $200 on headphones personally, but can recommend these.

[ Image ]
I didn't think they made earphones anymore that didn't fit INSIDE the ear... :smilelol5:
Yeah, they are actually making a HUGE comeback. I see guys and gals walking around campus with these headphones on all the time. I actually talked to a guy about em once b/c I was looking for some. Once he pointed out that they were endorsed and named by rapper Dr. Dre, I pretty much wrote them off as a star-endorsed expensive piece of plastic. I think I may have been wrong. We will see... they need a burn in... I'll update once they are good and broken in.
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Re: Quality Headphones?

#4

Post by WildBill »

I have always liked headphones. First of all you can play them at a high volume and they didn't bother my parents. Also, for the price, you get much better sound quality than similarly priced speakers. My first good pair was Koss Pro 4a. From there I graduated to Nakamichi and then to Sennheiser electrostatic headphones.
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sjfcontrol
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Re: Quality Headphones?

#5

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snatchel wrote:
sjfcontrol wrote:
snatchel wrote:I'm not sure if any of y'all are big music fans or whatever... But Mrs. Snatchel and I have built up on obscene amount of rewards points on our AMEX from using it for school (then paying it off with the Financial Aid and GI Bill). Mrs. Snatchel knew I have been looking for some quality headphones from makers such as BOSE, Kenwood, etc. Turned out that AMEX was offering these in the rewards catalog and she ordered them for me.

I don't listen to a lot of hip-hop, mostly Rock, and was afraid that these would be all bassy and sound funny. Looks like Monster and Dr. Dre actually put some thought and work into these. Sure, they look great--but they are comfy and sound fantastic. I wouldn't spend $200 on headphones personally, but can recommend these.

[ Image ]
I didn't think they made earphones anymore that didn't fit INSIDE the ear... :smilelol5:
Yeah, they are actually making a HUGE comeback. I see guys and gals walking around campus with these headphones on all the time. I actually talked to a guy about em once b/c I was looking for some. Once he pointed out that they were endorsed and named by rapper Dr. Dre, I pretty much wrote them off as a star-endorsed expensive piece of plastic. I think I may have been wrong. We will see... they need a burn in... I'll update once they are good and broken in.
Seriously? I can understand cars, and to a lesser extent, guns, but earphones? :headscratch
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Re: Quality Headphones?

#6

Post by 77346 »

I have a pair of Bose QuietComfort 15 and I love them. I used to travel quite a bit on business and the noise reduction worth the $299.95. The sound quality is also superb.
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Re: Quality Headphones?

#7

Post by snatchel »

sjfcontrol-- Apparently headphones sound gets better with a "burn in." I'm not exactly sure what this entails--
77346-- I think those are the one's I was also considering. If the beats weren't free, I would have gone with them.
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Re: Quality Headphones?

#8

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Just found this concerning "burn in" of headphones..... Interesting.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-20061153-47.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm sure there are a few music people on here that can weigh in. For example, I have a buddy who is a HUGE guitar artist. He plays acoustic and electric... anyway, I remember a few years ago (still in the military) he bought a new amp for one of his Gibson guitars he used for sets. He bought this big half-stack amp and started playing on it immediately. He swore that this amp took several hours of play time before it broke in, but wouldn't use it for the first month or so he had it for his gigs.
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Re: Quality Headphones?

#9

Post by gigag04 »

Beats by Dre are kind of like Bose to me - all marketing.

Most people never experience studio or audiophile level headphones so they are impressed by the mass marketed ones.

For half that price you can get better, less fad, brands.

That said, if I got a pair free I wouldn't refuse them.

This also accurately depicts my thoughts on Kimber...
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Re: Quality Headphones?

#10

Post by teri »

We got the Dr Dre headphones for my son for Christmas a couple years ago. He had them on his list and I told him if he wanted those he wasn't getting ANYTHING else, not even stocking stuffers. He uses them all the time and they still work great. He had me try them out once and I didn't want to give them back. They are great at blocking out all sounds but what you are listening to. He is in college and they come in handy at the library and in our noisy house of 2 under 11 yrs and 4 dogs. I think you will be happy with them.
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Re: Quality Headphones?

#11

Post by WildBill »

gigag04 wrote:Beats by Dre are kind of like Bose to me - all marketing.
:iagree: Bose has mostly quality stuff, but it is waaaaaay overpriced. Much more so than even Kimber. Bose equipment is marketed to the home decorator [read wife] rather than the audiophile.
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Re: Quality Headphones?

#12

Post by snatchel »

gigag04 wrote:
That said, if I got a pair free I wouldn't refuse them.

This also accurately depicts my thoughts on Kimber...

Haha. Yep. Pretty much sums it up for me too.
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Re: Quality Headphones?

#13

Post by Songbird »

77346 wrote:I have a pair of Bose QuietComfort 15 and I love them. I used to travel quite a bit on business and the noise reduction worth the $299.95. The sound quality is also superb.
I bought my husband these for Christmas a few years ago. They are AMAZING! Wish I had some too. They're worth the $$$. No comparison to "plain ole headphones".
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Re: Quality Headphones?

#14

Post by flb_78 »

gigag04 wrote:Beats by Dre are kind of like Bose to me - all marketing.

Most people never experience studio or audiophile level headphones so they are impressed by the mass marketed ones.

For half that price you can get better, less fad, brands.

That said, if I got a pair free I wouldn't refuse them.

This also accurately depicts my thoughts on Kimber...
WildBill wrote:
gigag04 wrote:Beats by Dre are kind of like Bose to me - all marketing.
:iagree: Bose has mostly quality stuff, but it is waaaaaay overpriced. Much more so than even Kimber. Bose equipment is marketed to the home decorator [read wife] rather than the audiophile.
So what do you 2 audiophiles recommend? :bigear:
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Re: Quality Headphones?

#15

Post by WildBill »

flb_78 wrote:
gigag04 wrote:Beats by Dre are kind of like Bose to me - all marketing.

Most people never experience studio or audiophile level headphones so they are impressed by the mass marketed ones.

For half that price you can get better, less fad, brands.

That said, if I got a pair free I wouldn't refuse them.

This also accurately depicts my thoughts on Kimber...
WildBill wrote:
gigag04 wrote:Beats by Dre are kind of like Bose to me - all marketing.
:iagree: Bose has mostly quality stuff, but it is waaaaaay overpriced. Much more so than even Kimber. Bose equipment is marketed to the home decorator [read wife] rather than the audiophile.
So what do you 2 audiophiles recommend? :bigear:
I am not sure I qualify as an audiophile, but I recommend that you listen and find out what you like. I can't recommend many particular models or brands, because I haven't listened to many of the newer headphones because I have had mine for many years.

First all, let me say that my comments refer to "serious listening", i.e. not mobile or casual listening. Unless I am posting to the "What Song Says Something" thread or editing a CD I don't listen to music through my computer. Unless it's on a DVD I don't listen to music through my AV surround sound system and I don't own an iPHone, iPod or other mp3 player. Most of you can probably stop reading at this point.

I prefer headphones that seal around the ear, but most people can't stand them. The Koss Pro 4AA is a good example. At $100, they are relatively inexpensive, but they have excellent sound. They are very heavy and the seal around the ear can become hot and unfortable after wearing them for a long time.

For more open headphones with foam pads, I like the Sony MDR-V6. For the price, they are pretty good. I don't use bud type earplugs. I have never felt comfortable or liked the sound. It may be like choosing a gun and hoslter combination.

When I used to travel a lot I considered the Bose noise cancelling headphones, but never got to try a pair. I also had the concern that the noise-cancelling would also alter the sound of the music. There are always compromises when designing something.

It also depends on the type of music you listen to. Many people seem to like a lot of bass in their music. I don't. I prefer a cleaner sound in the mid to high ranges. I have a pair of Magneplaner speakers. The heavy rock people don't like them because they don't have a bone crushing bass. I like them because they have a clean and transparent sound from the mid-range to the high frequencies.

As Gigag04 says you don't know what good sound is until you have something to compare it to. It's eating and McDonald's all of your life and then having a real hambuger.
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