Which headphones should I buy?

[Daithio]

I'm not entirely certain if this is the right section of this forum to post in, but I suppose headphones qualify as speakers. I thought some of you guys might be able to help me out in my decision.

Ok, what I'm looking for:

1. I want good sound quality, and I'm not too bothered about the price.

2. I want in ear headphones. I normally use the sony bass boost ones, and these fit in to my ears really well. Most other makes fall out really easily, I think I have strange shaped ears, and the ones that go quite deep into the ear generally suit me better.

3. I am quite worried about damaging my hearing, so I'd like noise cancelling headphones if possible. I bought a pair of the Sennheiser PXC 250's, but I much prefer in ear headphones so want to return to these. I've had a look at the Shure e5c's, but it seems like they wouldn't suit my needs really. I travel alot when listening to music, and by the sounds of things (no pun intended) these do not travel well.

So to sum up, I'm looking for a good quality set of earbud headphones with some sort of noise cancellation system so that I don't end up deaf before I'm 30. The Shure's aren't out of the question, I'd just like some reassurance that they can be used for jogging, walking etc without too much hassle. Thanks for your help.

 

[cornelius]

I like the etymotic ER-6. They're inexpensive (there is a higher priced version too ER-4) but sound really good. They definitely cancel a lot of ambient noise - I've used them on planes, as an in-ear monitor on stage with bands and as headphones when I practice on the drums. They allow you to listen to music at a quieter level. I also think they work much better than the Bose cancellation headphones because the etymotics cut out all frequencies, vs. the Bose which mostly concentrates on mid-range frequencies - plus, sizewise they travel a lot better.

 

[jonnythan]

My buddy has a pair of the Shure E3C sound-isolating headphones and they rock.

I use a very similar pair of Sonys - the MDREX71SL - and they are a very close approximation. They both have this neat "rubber cup" that seals inside the ear that does a very good job of blocking external sounds. They even come with different size ear cups.

I run with them every day and they feel great.

 

[3x10^8]

If price is not an issue, I own a pair of the Bang & Olufsen earphones and I really like the way the sound. Also, they perfectly adjust into your ears and block out a tremendous amount of ambient noise.

 

[Pursuitest]

Only one.

You will find many opinions here on headphones. You'll just have to try as many different ones as possible. My preference is Grado or Sennheiser, especially Grado. Many here find them bright, but they are almost perfect to me.

 

[AzN_plyR]

www.head-fi.org

 

[AndrewLyles]

I've owned a pair of the Shure e3c's for a little over a year now and absolutely love them. They come with a hard plastic case if you're going to throw them in a suitcase or anything, but I carry them arround with wrapped around my iPod most of they time.

I opted for the Shures over the Ety's mainly because of construction. To me the Shures looked like they could take a beating more than the Ety's, and I can tell you I haven't been that easy on mine. My brother loved them as well and ended up getting a pair a few months ago. Every one who puts them in is pretty much blown away by how good they sound, though not all of them are audiophiles either.. so take that as you will.

I've been looking at the new E4c's which were released this year and drool everytime I think about them. Canalphones typically have less bass response than Cans but the E4s have an added bass port while still remianing sound isolating. Seems tantilizing to me. Oh one more thing, my co-worker just bought a pair of the Sehiens earbuds for like $60-$70 (I can't spell I know) and we swapped for the day at work. He fell in love with my Shures and I must admit that his were quite muddy sounding in comparison... constantly boomy and less friendly I thought.

One more quick plug for the Shures, mine came with a 30 day, money back guarantee from the company incase I didn't like them. I dream about those E4c's.... good lord.

~Andrew

Edit: I should mention that I use mine at the gym all the time. I've found that the over the ear and behind the back configuration actually helps keep the cord out of the way and the buds from sliding out. So lets see... sounds great, tough, sound isolating(does amazing things on NYC subways), and comfortable(they come with 7 different sets of sleeves to fit different preferences)... oh yeah I think you can have them customized to fit your ear canal if you really want to get geeky with them.... I think I hit all of the hipoints.