Ok, this is kinda dumb, but… i have now managed to break my favorite headphones - both pairs. ^^;; I can still use them, but they aren’t… really right anymore, and i really need to think about getting a new pair or two.
I’m a little bit weird about heaphones. I don’t tend to like the same kind of heaphones others like, and i’m really particular about what i’m comfortable wearing. For instance, i really dislike heaphones that don’t have an over the top of the head headband (like the standard I-pod headphones). Also, i don’t like the kind of headphones that cover the ears - i like to be able to hear things going on around me. In fact, i tend to listen to music in my left ear only. Yes, i know, thats kinda weird, but i hate it when people try to talk to me and i can’t hear them, and hate it when people do it to me. it’s a habit that comes from years of working in architecture offices.
The weird thing is… a few months ago, the right side of one of my pairs of headphones stopped working. Thats ok, i usually only listen to the left anyway. I still had a ‘good’ pair that was good for ’stereo’ listening. Yesterday i discovered that the cord to the (once again) right side of my GOOD headphones was… severed.
Oy veh. Yeah, both pairs are still technically usable for me, but… come on, i have to have a nice pair of stereo headphones to listen to Kozue-cha–
er, right. Anyways, the pairs in question are both Sony MDR-A34 headphones. In the ear, folding, black and simple. Nice standard, nice Sony headphones. I’m not even sure if these are still available - probably not. So, that being the case, i’m looking for recommendations. I tend to use them listening to my ipod and my computer (both my desktop and my laptop). Personally, i think the standard ipod headphones don’t sound that good - i’d like something that has decent quality but doesn’t have to be Sennheisers or anything… or maybe i shoud? I dunno…
suggestions welcome 
- pirotunes: Small Life Form - Small -
There is a pair of Sony MDR-A34 Headphones on ebay…no bid on them yet either.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=88761&item=5776127787&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
I don’t know if it helps but these guys list stock being avaiilable.
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/hogwildstore/personal-audio-headphones-vertical-headphones.html
These are kind of cool… You may like the Earhuggers TV-6000:
http://www.hififorless.com/showProduct.php?productid=60599&PHPSESSID=59d2b182c7c6d77a4ec1ed6bdcf0491d
hey these are teh dope…and teh cheap..
http://inktomi-cnet.com.com/COBY_CV_H42_headphones/4014-5_9-30822636.html?tag=uord&rvwtp=4852-5_9-30822636&orderby=90&sort=
Urk! A pair of “nice”. “in ear” headphones…. I agree about not being able to hear people easily, but that’s almost asking the impossible. Maybe one of the single ear kind that usually comes with an attached mic??
Anyway, I would recommend looking at AKG’s catalog. I use a pair of “AKG K240 S” headphones that are worth every penny. While these aren’t really what you seem to be looking for, their precision and clarity are really wonderful. If you have a chance to compare these headphones with some music you know well in a quiet space, you should really try it.
There are Sony’s MDR-A44L, which look similar to the MDR-A34. No idea what the differences are.
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=MDRA44L&Dept=audio&CategoryName=pa_Headphones_LightweightSportVertical
As far as headphones go, for quality sound I would vote for AKGs (I loved mine, need to scrape up the money to replace them) and I see that they are making (going to make) a set of mini over the ear folding headphones, the K24P, and K26P, depending on if you want open back or closed back. “2-year parts and labor warranty. Their low impedance and high sensitivity are perfect matches for portable audio devices and laptop computers. The combination of compact size, light weight and superior sound makes any of the new AKG offerings an excellent upgrade for serious listeners using iPods and other portable music players.”
Of course these don’t fit the in the hear, over the head type that you have now…
I personally would reccomend the Sennheiser PX100’s. They are DJ style (over the top of the head) and fold into something about the same size as a glasses case. They DO cover the ears, however they are open, so you can still hear people talking to you easially. My opinion is probably somewhat biased though. I own a pair of the Noise Cancelling version and they are some of the most comfortable, best sounding heaphones I’ve ever used.
Check then out here —> http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/productdetail.asp?transid=005206
Wraith 11
(Please excuse the spelling, I haven’t slept properly in a while)
they probably are’nt you’re style (judging by the post), but i would’nt feel right if i did’nt pimp off Zalman theatre 6’s. there’s nothing like the feeling of 5.1 surround sound strapped to your skull. they sound better than real life. when i got mine, i don’t think i took them off except to work and sleep for the first two weeks or so.
Nice to know I’m not the only one who just listens to the left ear to still hear other things, heh.
Thank you very much for all the reccomendations.
I did a little poking around myself, and right now i really like the look of the Sennheiser PX100’s, and i am going to check out some of what AKG has to offer. The only thing i’m not sure about with the PX100’s or any of these slightly larger headracks is if my ipod would power them without draining the battery faster than normal (in other words, i don’t really want to have to get a headphone amp)
Well, it might be too late, but i would recommend Koss. They have amazingly light heaphones that have really good quality. And they’re compact for easy travel. So if you’re interested it’s just http://www.koss.com . My personal favorite is the Porta Pro because they just rock and they have a lifetime warranty.
Hey, Fred!
I was going to recommend the Sennheiser HD 497, but the PX 100 very decent, especially if you’re willing to sacrifice just a little sound quality for much better portability.
As for draining power, I wouldn’t worry too much about that. Headphones these days are quite efficient, and unless you’re using some kind of high resistance cable (pretty silly to do unless you’re hooking up tons of wires to some kind of high output machine), you won’t find much difference in natural volume level between headphones designed for use with portable machines, no matter what size you go with.
Speaking of which, if you’re looking for a nice set of at-home headphones for your computer, may I recommend the HD 500 Fusion or HD 550? (These two headphones are optimized for digital media). If most of your MP3s are at 192 to 320 kbps (or better) and you have a nice soundcard (the Create Audigy 2 NX or ZS are quite good), you’ll get some REALLY great sound reproduction. I’ll tell ya right now, listening to the Last Exile or Wolf’s Rain soundtrack with a really good set of headphones is nothing short of Complete Aural Bliss. I have a pair of HD 500s myself, and they are MUCH better than other headphones I’ve bought at similar prices. : D
Anyway, (I probably don’t need to say this) but no matter what you go with, make sure you go with open-air technology over noise-cancelling if you’d like to hear other sounds in the room. One bit of warning, though: open-air headsets tend to project more sound as well, which means that other people in the room can clearly hear what you’re listening to.
Well, happy heaphone hunting! : )
Oh, one thing I should probably mention: out of the Sennheiser products I’ve tried, most seem to value natural sound reproduction over crazy bass or a wider frequency range (not necessarily a good thing), or whatnot. So, if you absolutely have to have native hardware bass boosts, you might want to look elsewhere (Sony?)… otherwise, yeah, you’re probably right to go with PX 100s or something else in their portable series.
But don’t take my word for it! (or anyone else’s for that matter!) Do make sure to go to the store and try out a bunch of different sets from different companies before you buy. And don’t let those darn annoying salespeople pressure you! Listening to music is a very personal thing, and since you’ll use ‘em a lot, audio equipment shouldn’t bought based on word of mouth and hearsay alone.
Word of advice: stay away from COBY headphones. I have 2 pairs of those. The yellow CV-H47 doesn’t work in the left ear, and the behind-the-head style CV-220 doesn’t work at all.
I personally reccomend Panasonic headphones. I don’t know the exact product, but it’s the kind with the little “remote” halfway down the wire. The remote only works for the CD player, but the phones are solid and they have great sound quality.
One thing to watch out for when comparing speakers of any kind (headphones or not) is that whenever you compare two, the second almost always sounds better, and the louder one almost always sounds better.* So if you (or the salesguy) have some kind of unconscious preference based on a pretty design, or high priced nameplate, you (or the salesguy) will find a way to make the one you want “sound better”. Note that differences in impedance and efficiency will change actual volume levels even if you don’t fiddle with the knob.
The evil truth is that there isn’t much difference between headphones (or speakers) once you get beyond the dirt cheap range. Fit, comfort, useful features that aren’t sound related, those matter. Go for those. But sound quality? Eh. Most speaker/headphone drivers are mass produced in the same set of factories just like semiconductors.**
R.
*There’s actually some pretty neat perceptual psychology behind this that I won’t bore you with.
**Yes, there are some “hand-crafted” speakers, etc. made in North America and Europe. But the quality is basically the same or worse for ten times the price.
I found those sony headphones just go to
http://search.ebay.com/Sony-MDR-A34_W0QQsojsZ1QQfromZR40QQsatitleZSonyQ20MDR-A34Q20
Hahaha what’s the big deal with headphones newayz?? O.o as long as they have a good sound and dont fall of my head..thats the basic needs..i guess..
Grado. SR-80. Bigger, more oldstyle, over the head band. What they call “open” style, so you can hear through them pretty well, even with the volume up. They’re also super easy to drive, almost by an order of magnitude over Senns, depending on which models you’re comparing. Best cans for $100 you can get, my opinion. Don’t bother with the SR-60s, a bit weak in the bass. Don’t bother going any higher up the scale, unless you’re going to drop $500-$700 for RS-1s or RS-2s.
And that listening out of the left ear thing . . . glad to hear its not just me
Peace.
Kensai
Here are some nice head phones from sony. They don’t have an over the head band, but they are inexpensive and fairly nice. They have a good sound and do not transmit the sound out side your ear. if you want to be able to hear people, all you do is only put one side in.
One other thing, they block out everything when both are fully in you ears. the fully part is in there because i tend to pull it out slightly and can hear stuff then. also, the length of cord that has a little slight adjuster for length.
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?CategoryName=pa_PADepartmentAccessories_Headphones_h%2eear&ProductSKU=MDRJ10%2fBLUE&Dept=audio
Kensal is absolutely right, Grado is the way to go. Except, because it seems like you’re not very discerning in quality, you would be more than satisfyed by the SR-60s. They’re only $70 and you simply cannot find better headphones at that price. I have a pair, that I like, and the bass is actually satisfactory. And hell, if you’re not satisfyed with it, you can just EQ your iPod or computer to compensate.
sorry that was my little brother earlier hehe
Whoa, I didn’t know Grado even made headphones that cost less than $300 a pop. : P
ha! got you beat! last summer, my headphones broke before i went on vacation, then they broke on vacation, then a watermelon fell on ‘em while the glue was drying!
they’re in the trash. then my mom’s headphones stopped…working. i think the cords got messed up. They were sonys too. Hope ya find a new pair P:
Try audiocubes.com - they have lots of fun ‘phones that we don’t get on this side. When my Sony MDR-D33s finally give out on me, first stop will be audiocubes to get a pair of the 66SLs.
Ok, yes, two posts in a row, but Audio Cubes has the newer A35 model of the ones you broke:
http://www.audiocubes.com/category/Headphones_Casual/product/Sony_MDR-A35SL_Stereo_Headphone.html
they’re expensive, but if you want to be l337 about it get the new Bose Noise Canceling Headphones. I wear them and i can’t hear anything but music. Very nice.
Note about the Grado SR-60 headphones… make sure the iPod can actually drive these headphones if you consider purchasing these since the nominal impedance on Grados is 32ohms.
I would be carefull with buying Senneiser supra-aural headphones if you intend to use these on the move. The performance of the open headphones tends to degrade quite a bit when there’s moderate ambient sound and the supera-aural interface doesn’t help, though it’s very good for listening in quieter environments. Also, some of their older headphones (HD 490/495/etc) do not have great power efficiency so you’ll end up draining your iPod battery faster. Otherwise open supra-aural headphones have exceptional characteristics.
On the subject for noise cancelling… stay away from these like the plague. The consumer grade hardware is pretty bad right now relying very heavily on psychoacoustic effects.
I use Sennheiser HD 490s most of the time, which have an increase in frequency response below 200dB causing them to sound a bit heavy in bass, but is quite a great deal better than many headphones. The increase is significant, but somewhat smooth so the distortion is not noticeable except for a bit heavier bass. I would stay away from the PX 100s since they have significant sharp peaks in frequency response at around 2.8KHz and 7.2KHz (10 to 15dB). The 2.8KHz peak is pretty noticeable since human hearing is somewhat more sensitive near this frequency, and you cannot compensate for this on an iPod since there is no equalization. I haven’t listen to the PX 100s too much, but I couldn’t really notice the 7.2KHz peak.
For at home listening I would suggest either the Sennheiser HD 497 or HD 500 depending on your interface preference (the HD 500 is open circumaural while the HD 497 is open supra-aural) for home or office listening, which both produce decent sound and are a reasonable price while being comfortable for hours. The Grado SR-60s mentioned by SpringBreak are nice, but I find them uncomfortable after an hour or two.
For mobile usage, I don’t really have any suggestions though the Etymotic Research ER-5i/6i in-ear headphones look quite good on paper… it doesn’t really match your requirements though since they act as earplugs.
Ok, i’ve picked up a pair of headphones, but these might not be where i stop. I went to Circuit City to look into a pair of PX100s, but they didnt have any. Cortana recomended the Sony MDR-EX71SL earbud phones, and they had a pair, so… i decided to pick them up and try them.
Actually, they arent bad. They sound good, they block out too much sound, but with the cord behind my head i can listen to the left phone only and its not too uncomfortable.
Thanks to everyone for the reccomendations, and i still think i’ll try to pick up something bigger and more audiophile for use with my desktop, to give me an option, or to leave at home. Knowing me, i’ll break these in a few weeks anyway
The biggest problem with most headphone shopping in most stores is that the damn things are in blisterpacks and you cant try them. I’ll check out some local audiophile shops where maybe i can try the senheissers, akg, grado and others. It’s kind of interesting to get a feel for what works best. Headphones are a personal choice, and its different for everyone. Im not sure i could deal with full cans, i think it’d drive me nuts, but then again, i dunno.
Oh, and i notice that STAX still make headphones, and they are still priced in the four figure range
Sheesh.
Best website I know of for Sony stuff is http://www.minidisco.com. It’s for Minidisc stuff mostly, but they carry lots of headphones, from ipod replacements to a pair simlar to yours. Your best bet for a replacement is the Sony MER-A35G, here’s a link
http://store.yahoo.com/minidisco-store/mdr-a35g.html
Maxell makes some cheap neckband earbuds that I find to be VERY comfortable (and its really comfortable to leave the right ear of them out, too…)
http://www.maxell-usa.com/Content/Pages/Page.asp?Section=Products&Department=Headphones&Line=neckbandheadbuds&Product=nbhb210
http://www.maxell-usa.com/Content/Pages/Page.asp?Section=Products&Department=Headphones&Line=neckbandheadbuds&Product=nbhb310f
Like I said, they ARE cheap…but they are comfy… Hope this helps =)
And yes, I realize these most likely arent what you had in mind, but I had to mention them.
Everyone is recommending replacements, but it doesn’t look like anyone has suggested the simplest and cheapest option: grab a soldering iron. I know Sony uses individually enameled strands in their headphone wires, but it’s still possible to pick out all the red ones from the orange ones and patch the cord.If it doesn’t work, you can cut out the failed patch section and be no worse off (other than an inch of already damaged cable) than if you hadn’t tried at all. Just remember you have leave the heat on quite a bit longer when the strands are enameled… basically use a 100W iron and just keep on it till you see smoke. That’s the enamel burning off at the joint.
If you feel like getting fancy, you could patch in some new wire to keep everything balanced, but that leaves you with four potential points of failure instead of two.
Piro, I know the feeling. I do the same exact thing, because i want to know whats going on in the world around me. Like when walking downtown, i’ll keep my music to a low so i can hear everything. Its nice, plus its like having your own music sound track.
perfect earphones for one eared listening. they’re joined together in an odd way.
not to mention they’re THUMPIN.
just a thought from a radioshack dude.
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=33-1233
If you want a durable pair of headphones for your desktop, I second (third?) the Sennheiser HD-497s. They’re one of the best-sounding headphones you can get for the price ($50-$60), and the cords are replaceable if/when they start getting frayed.
Funny coincidence. My third set of headphones in a year died exactly the same way on Tuesday. Maybe our iPod’s are cursed.