Stock earbuds

I returned the $24 Altec-Lancing earbuds to wally world.  They were REALLY bad.  Decided to use the stock earbuds for a while longer.  Finally got some of my good classical stuff on the Fuze (ripped at 320) and I like the mids and highs with the stock earbuds.  The horns and flutes just blow me away!  I am hearing things in the music I’ve never heard before.  Granted my antique sound system ain’t the best but I never knew what earbuds could do.  I like the sound much better than with my $50 headphones (good on base but not the higher stuff).

Once I’m more settled in with this technology I’ll probably go to Best Buy and get a pair of Shure or Sennheiser once I get an idea which models I might like. 

I wish to thank everyone for their help and tolerance.

There is no specific earbuds that we can suggest as long it is convenient to your ear and hearing if you want I have hear a link where you can check earphone with specification so you can choose. :wink:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/headphone-buyers-guide-271258/

Hope this helps. :wink: 


I’ve had the Head-Direct RE2’s for a while now (based solely on the great reviews it gets… check em out of head-fi) and now they are on for the cheapest I’ve seen them yet.  $39US + shipping.  These are shipped from Hong Kong.  I like 'em, although the cord is a little noisy for sporty purposes. 

http://head-direct.com

As you can see over at head-fi, you can  keep escalating on the quality and price of earbuds and headphones.

But earbuds in general are not going to be as good as bigger, over-the-ear phones–which of course are not as portable. 

You have to decide what your budget is, but if you do decide to pay some serious money for headphones, look at the Shure SE series of IEM (inner ear monitors–a tighter, more noise-reducing seal than earbuds) phones or, if big ones are OK for your use, the Grado line. Best $110 I ever spent on eBay was for a set of Grado SR125 phones. They could not look dorkier or sound better for the price. 

Message Edited by Black-Rectangle on 08-14-2009 06:20 PM

For classical music I’m going to recommend the Meelectronics AIM-9 for about $20 from newegg or overstock.com.  They might be my favorite iem’s right now.  They have great detail, really forward mids and clear highs.  The negatives are slightly muddy bass (ringing, high bass not punchy) - and a narrow soundstage.  They improved a fair bit with 50 hours of burnin.  Don’t just take my word for it - read the many reviews on head-fi.org.

Since you mentioned the Sennheiser’s - my flagship iem’s are CX500’s which I bought for $62 on sale a year ago.  They’re much more balanced with equivalent detail, but the mids and highs are less forward - less colored.  Still good or great mind you - but not so “in your face”.  The advantage the CX500’s have in comparison to the Meelectronics is really good, tight bass.  For me, the volume control has been useful while running.

Overall, you can get many great reviews on the IEM forum on head-fi.org.  Here’s the link to the forum:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/

Edit - I agree with the above poster above Grado headphones if you’re not looking for earbuds/iems.  I have the entry level Grado SR60’s which I’ve enjoyed for the last 3 years.  But I’d recommend at least the SR80’s because of the superior pads, which I’ve used to upgrade my SR60’s.  The SR60i’s (i is improved) are about $69 and the SR80i’s are about $89.  Both of these will sound better than iem’s two to three times their price.  But they leak sound - so if your volume is high, your neighbors might hear it.

Message Edited by PolloLoco on 08-14-2009 09:24 PM

@black_rectangle wrote:

As you can see over at head-fi, you can  keep escalating on the quality and price of earbuds and headphones.

 

But earbuds in general are not going to be as good as bigger, over-the-ear phones–which of course are not as portable. 

 

You have to decide what your budget is, but if you do decide to pay some serious money for headphones, look at the Shure SE series of IEM (inner ear monitors–a tighter, more noise-reducing seal than earbuds) phones or, if big ones are OK for your use, the Grado line. Best $110 I ever spent on eBay was for a set of Grado SR125 phones. They could not look dorkier or sound better for the price. 

There’s a general love/hate thing with Grados…I’m on the love side. My SR60i’s are wonderful! BR- do you have the bowl pads or the “comfy” pads on those?

“There’s a general love/hate thing with Grados…I’m on the love side. My SR60i’s are wonderful! BR- do you have the bowl pads or the “comfy” pads on those?” 

Heh, I know this post wasn’t directed to me, but I’d just edited to add my experience to the Grado comments - when I saw your post.

I love my SR60’s which I had for a couple of years before I decided to replace the pads.  Putting on Bowls was a PERFECT upgrade for me.  The sound was greatly improved, and my ears are such that they fit within the bowls for perfect comfort.  The only drawback for me after hours of listening, is slightly sweaty ears.  Based on head/ear shape - you may not have the same experience.

Message Edited by PolloLoco on 08-14-2009 09:27 PM

@polloloco wrote:

“There’s a general love/hate thing with Grados…I’m on the love side. My SR60i’s are wonderful! BR- do you have the bowl pads or the “comfy” pads on those?” 

 

Heh, I know this post wasn’t directed to me, but I’d just edited to add my experience to the Grado comments - when I saw your post.

 

I love my SR60’s which I had for a couple of years before I decided to replace the pads.  Putting on Bowls was a PERFECT upgrade for me.  The sound was greatly improved, and my ears are such that they fit within the bowls for perfect comfort.  The only drawback for me after hours of listening, is slightly sweaty ears.  Based on head/ear shape - you may not have the same experience.

Message Edited by PolloLoco on 08-14-2009 09:27 PM

What’s different about the sound with the bowls? I have wondered this for a while, and didn’t want to spend the cash on the bowl pads without an idea. I have read that the bowls are uncomfortable for some people, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with you.

Bowls on the SR125.

After clicking over to head-fi just now, I saw a $99 special on RE0 on the current page. Those things got great reviews, and if they even come close they would live up to the original poster’s needs. 

Classical listeners are a minority. The premium is on clarity and spaciousness–not the giant bass oomph of headphones made for current rock/pop/hiphop. A bass fiddle is not a club subwoofer. But a lot of cheaper phones are made for bass-addicted listeners, and they are not going to show classical recordings to their best advantage.  A classical listener would probably do well to go for phones touted or denounced as “analytical”–which means they are not going to pump up the bass.

@black_rectangle wrote:

Bowls on the SR125.

 

After clicking over to head-fi just now, I saw a $99 special on RE0 on the current page. Those things got great reviews, and if they even come close they would live up to the original poster’s needs. 

 

Classical listeners are a minority. The premium is on clarity and spaciousness–not the giant bass oomph of headphones made for current rock/pop/hiphop. A bass fiddle is not a club subwoofer. But a lot of cheaper phones are made for bass-addicted listeners, and they are not going to show classical recordings to their best advantage.  A classical listener would probably do well to go for phones touted or denounced as “analytical”–which means they are not going to pump up the bass.

For what it’s worth, since Head-Direct’s country of production and production methodology has changed; their 'phones are just OK now.  Nothing special.  I wouldn’t go out of my way to get any of their products again, but that’s me…

@marvin_martian wrote:

 

What’s different about the sound with the bowls? I have wondered this for a while, and didn’t want to spend the cash on the bowl pads without an idea. I have read that the bowls are uncomfortable for some people, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with you.

The mids and highs become more detailed and more forward.  It seems the pad material between the drivers and your ear canals is actually muffling the sound - if you can believe it.  For a long time, the preferred mod was to put a quarter on your existing pads - and cut around them with an exacto knife to release the sound.  After two years of listening to them stock - for $15, it felt like I had whole new headphones.  Though it’d be uncomfortable, you could preview the sound by taking off your pads altogether to get a sense of the possible improvement.  With the bowls, the drivers sit flush against your ear - supported by the bowls (which in my case, don’t crush my ear - a bigger ear might have problems).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?ci=0&shs=grado+l-cush&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=jsp%2FRootPage.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t

Actually - there’s been a long term debate on head-fi.org that the only difference between the Grado SR60’s and the more expensive SR80’s, is the pad.  Since the price difference has usually only been equivalent to the price of the pads purchased from Grado.  The opposition believes there’s better bass from the SR-80 - but that hasn’t been verified analytically.  Others believe that Grado wouldn’t create separate drivers for their two low end headphones.