I had wanted to get a computer speaker for my laptop because the laptop speaker is really bad, and while I have a decent AKG earbud it gets annoying to have to fumble around with it, find the right ear, and put it on. So I am thinking of getting a good enclosed earphone (you know the big ones that audiophiles/DJ’s use)
Can anyone recommend a good earphone? I am willing to pay for quality. I am actually looking at the AKG K240 Mark II or K 271 Mark II (both made in Austria, not the Chinese ones)
I am looking for an enclosed headphone, for home use. I already have a pretty good earbud for ipod/mp3 player use but I hate messing with it since the wires just likes to tangle. Is the Grado any better than any other open headphones? I do like some isolation to maximize sound quality to be honest…
It’s a misconception that closed headphones always give better sound quality. If you think about it, having them open means the drivers can move more freely, improving the response. The Grados are very warm and involving, but the SR80i is a bit more neutral and precise than the SR60i. For a few thousand NT, I don’t think you can get better sound quality in any headphone. Read the reviews, or just try them out in the shop. I’ll try and dig the address out if you like.
I’ll have to check it out… do they sell it at Nova near Taipei main station? if so which store sells it?
Also, I want to know are headphone amps required, or do they improve sound quality at all, especially if it’s just hooking up to my laptop? What about USB headphone amps?
I’ve had my Senheiser HD600’s for five years now, and I highly recommend them. I don’t know what newer models have come out since, but I’d give Senheiser a listen if you want some high-end headphones. When I bought mine they were much cheaper in Hong Kong than in Taiwan, BTW.
Namahottie, you need something like this to go with it shopping.pchome.com.tw/?mod=item … 2892&c=A15
I’m sure there are nicer versions, but that was the only one I could find online here.
[quote=“Taiwan Luthiers”]I’ll have to check it out… do they sell it at Nova near Taipei main station? if so which store sells it?
Also, I want to know are headphone amps required, or do they improve sound quality at all, especially if it’s just hooking up to my laptop? What about USB headphone amps?[/quote]
Not in Nova… this is audiophile stuff. The shop is on or near Bo’ai Rd. I had a quick look for the name card but it’s buried somewhere in a box - moving house at the moment. Will have another look soon.
A headphone amp can help improve the sound but it’s not necessary. I don’t use one. The guy in that shop has a decent one he can hook up and let you try.
[quote=“Joesox”][quote=“Taiwan Luthiers”]I’ll have to check it out… do they sell it at Nova near Taipei main station? if so which store sells it?
Also, I want to know are headphone amps required, or do they improve sound quality at all, especially if it’s just hooking up to my laptop? What about USB headphone amps?[/quote]
Not in Nova… this is audiophile stuff. The shop is on or near Bo’ai Rd. I had a quick look for the name card but it’s buried somewhere in a box - moving house at the moment. Will have another look soon.
A headphone amp can help improve the sound but it’s not necessary. I don’t use one. The guy in that shop has a decent one he can hook up and let you try.[/quote]
I have seen a lot of audiophile shop at Boai road, but sometimes I feel intimidated going there because I am afraid they’d laugh at me if I have less than 100,000 nt to drop on a component. In fact sometimes I hate going to any store in Taiwan because I always feel intimidated there…
[quote=“Taiwan Luthiers”][quote=“Joesox”][quote=“Taiwan Luthiers”]I’ll have to check it out… do they sell it at Nova near Taipei main station? if so which store sells it?
Also, I want to know are headphone amps required, or do they improve sound quality at all, especially if it’s just hooking up to my laptop? What about USB headphone amps?[/quote]
Not in Nova… this is audiophile stuff. The shop is on or near Bo’ai Rd. I had a quick look for the name card but it’s buried somewhere in a box - moving house at the moment. Will have another look soon.
A headphone amp can help improve the sound but it’s not necessary. I don’t use one. The guy in that shop has a decent one he can hook up and let you try.[/quote]
I have seen a lot of audiophile shop at Boai road, but sometimes I feel intimidated going there because I am afraid they’d laugh at me if I have less than 100,000 nt to drop on a component.[/quote]That’s the great thing about headphones. You can get very good sound quality for 3-4,000 NT. You needn’t feel intimidated (though you might want to try out the 20,000 NT Grados just to see how they are – very very good, but not worth the extra 16,000 NT for me!)
I was given some Bose in-ear w/mic headphones for my birthday. Really comfortable, come with different adaptors for various mp3 players and small medium and large buds. Cost about 6-8k from the Bose shop in 101.
I’m no audiophle but these are good for my purposes
Another vote for Grados. Sound is very warm. Downside is they are uncomfortable as hell (for me). You can change out the ear mufflers with something more pleasing, but the rest of the construction is kind of a love-it-or-hate-it thing.
If you like a more neutral/clinical sound, some of the more professional-oriented Sony offerings are reported to be also quite good for the value. One example that can be readily found in some electronics stores (in the US) is the MDR-V6. This model is actually the consumer variant of a professional product. Also, unlike the open-back Grados, many (most?) Sonys are closed-back, so this may be preferable if you frequently listen near other people.
I was using Grado SR-40s that a friend gave me, but I had to give up on them due to discomfort (thick non-flexible cord, ear mufflers that didn’t “breathe” causing sweatiness, the funky metal-wire can attachments, etc). Now I listen at home on a pair of budget (well, around $80) gaming Sennheisers. They look kind of like this one, except more around the $80 range. The sound is warm and spacious but most importantly I can wear this thing practically forever comfortably.
Has anyone tried the AKG K-240? I kinda like its design because it only has one cable that disconnects. One of my biggest complaint with headphones is fumbling with cables that seems to tangle automatically, and with closed headsets, sweat.
That is almost as important to me as sound quality.
The good old Koss Porta Pro is a great set of affordable headphones that are comfortable to wear, even if you have glasses thanks to a fairly unique design. They might not be in the same class as Grado, but for the money the sound is great and you don’t have to worry about breaking them, as they’re not a fortune to replace shopping.pchome.com.tw/?mod=item … 5238&c=A10
That headband looks uncomfortable to the max. Also, I have my doubts as to how much the design can alleviate eyeglasses discomfort, since the cans still have to press against the ear, which will press against the eyeglass loops that are hooked between the earlobe and the skull. Even my extremely forgiving Sennheisers (which practically float against the earlobe) still causes temple/upper jaw discomfort when used with glasses over an extended period.
I take it you’ve never tried a pair?
Yeah, I know they look like shit, but they have a few tricks up their sleeve so to say.
First of all they’re foldable, so easy to carry around with you. Secondly, if you look closely above the ear pieces, you’ll notice two foam cushions, they rest against your head, just above where the arms from your glasses touch your ears. Look even closer and you’ll see a little switch with three modes on it. This allows you to adjust the pressure on your ears and instead of pressing against your ears, the foam pads pick up the pressure and places it on the side of your head instead.
They’re in fact so comfortable to wear that the only time you notice they’re there, is when your hair get stuck between the metal bands. That kind of sucks, but it doesn’t tend to happen that often, at least not in my case.
It’s an old design, the Porta Pro’s have been around since 1984, but that got to prove how well they work and they’ve sold in the millions. They used to be a lot more expensive than they are these days too. Koss in the US also sells extra foam covers, although I haven’t seen them for sale outside of the US.
I just bought the Grados… I went to a shop near Ximen and tried the Grados, liked the sound. Then I asked if I can try the AKG K-240 and I must say while the K-240 have slightly better definition, the bass is very weak compared to the Grados. Also the AKG costs over 5000nt while Grados SR-60i only set me back 2600 nt.
It doesn’t feel too comfortable and the cable is bulky, but hopefully this translates to better longevity.
Can anyone tell me about headphone amps, do they improve sound quality or are they only required with headphones with very high impedance? What would you recommend for laptop listening?
