Top 10 Headphones Reviewed
Here is a list I have compiled of headphones that I have used over the past two years. I have owned at one point or another all of these headphones at one time. As most web designers know it is very very important to have good headphones seeing as more often than not it’s just you and your laptop plugging away with html, php, flash, etc. So without further adieu here is what I have experienced with each of these bad boys.
(To see the a more comprehensive list of headphones as composed by comments here and on the digg post see Top Headphones Remastered.)
Bose Triport
Price: $149.99
I’ll confess when I first saw these headphones I thought, how could these cone looking headphones produce good sound at all. However, I decided against my first instinct and bought a pair. Along with being Bose, as most audio gurus will tell you is slightly overrated in terms of sound, I had my own doubts. However I was pleasantly surprised. First off they are ultra comfortable on your ears because they are so lightweight and the padding they use is soft and not too suction-like. Secondly, unless you have unusually large ears, they earphones should fit around your entire ear which blocks out quite a bit of sound and produces very good sound quality.
Sound Quality:
On the Alicia Keys song that I used, if you’ve never heard her sing she has a very rich voice that covers a tremendous range, these headphones performed excellent against her raspy voice, trebles were good, bass was good, mid-range was sweet sounding. I’d say you can’t go wrong with these headphones at all.
Cons:
If I had to point out one design flaw with these headphones I would say that the plastic ring connecting the two earphones is not extremely durable. Bose did make an improvement over their first Triport which just had cheapo plastic, and added a nice neoprene sleeve over this new edition Triport which gives a more quality feel and increases durability.
Dorkiness Factor:
I’m not sure these headphones would exactly get you girls but you won’t be made fun of either. I mean if Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat can sport them on national TV why can’t you (oh, wait I’m not in the NBA and shoot I’m not famous either, crud).
Recommendation:
For all the reasons I listed above, I do believe that for the money these are a great pick and you can’t go wrong with these headphones. If you want to be blown away with the sound I’d recommend listening to Brian McKnight with this pair of phones.
Bang & Olufson A8
Price: $159.99
Perhaps my favourite headphones of all time these are the perfect low profile headphones that fit easily into your pocket with amazing sound quality. Trust me I’ve owned all of these headphones and this one is by far the one I would take with me if I could only take one. The best song to listen to with these headphones is “The Blower’s Daughter” by Damien Rice, first of all this song is one of the best songs of all time, second you can even hear the background studio noise because the headphones are THAT good. I would venture to say that Bang & Olufson makes the best sounding headphones. If they ever came out with a noice canceling headphone it would blow the water out of everything out in the industry right now.
Durability:
I’d say they are more durable than most headphones because of the metaal earbands with the rubber lining. The only problem that I have had with them is I once dropped them in water and they stopped working for awhile, so as long as you don’t do something like that I think you’ll be fine.
Design Aesthetics:
The A8’s are low profile so no worries there. I’d say the only time I felt most like a dork was when I kept telling people to listen to my headphones and compare them to their stock ipod headphones.
Recommendation:
One of the two pairs of headphones that I use pretty much everyday, the A8’s are perfect for my walk to work (through downtown San Francisco) and are perform just as well at home. If you want a high performing, great sounding, durable campanion to your IPOD I would get these hand’s down.
Bose Quiet Comfort 2 - Acoustic Noice Canceling
Price: $349.99
Before I go onto my review of these headphones and everyone goes on to talk about how great these headphones are I must say that I too think they are GOOD headphones as well. Here is a statement that I’ll standby 100%, the Bose Triports that only cost half the price of the Quiet Comforts have a much better sound than these headphones. Most people will contest that these phones sound better but the way to actually test the sound quality is to sit in a quiet place and listen to both the Triports and the Quiet Comforts, the difference is staggering. From the trebles to the bass the Triport is just able to produce a crisper sound, you can just feel the singer’s voice and the vebratto.
Durabilty:
These headphones will stand the test of time. They are much better constructed than the triports and will be able to take a beating. The head band that connects the two earphones is about 3/4 of an inch wide and very very durable, you definitely get the same tough/industrial feel that you get with the Sony DJ headphones reviewed here as well. The only part you will be changing out is the batteries most likely.
Sound Quality:
As discussed before, for the price, the sound quality is a bit lower than expected. I believe that people often confuse good quality sound with the noise canceling that the Quiet Comforts provides. The Quiet Comforts do provide excellent noise canceling, I can testify to this, as I wore them on an airplan and couldn’t hear the engine or that typical airplane buzz at all. If I were looking into the market to buy a pair of noise canceling headphones I would definitely go with these bad boys.
Recommendation:
Don’t get me wrong I like these headphones for noise canceling I just have a hard time recommending the Quiet Comforts just based on sound quality. I would say if you are traveling in airplanes, trains, or on a whole in noisy environments a lot then these are actually really good headphones to buy because of their effectiveness blocking out sound. I would say if you are a consultant that hops on a plane more more than 4x a month this would be my pick for headphones.
The two pairs of in-ear headphones that I bought were the Shure E3C’s and the Ultimate Ear super.fi 5 Pro’s and though I don’t like to bash another product I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that the Ultimate Ear’s and miles better than the Shure’s. There is definitely a reason that 90% of the professional music community uses the Ultimate Ear headphones. Though I’m not a huge fan of in-ear headphones if I had to recommend a pair of headphones it would be the Ultimate Ears. Ok, ok but this is a review of the Shure E3C’s, they are cheap. Quite simply, these headphones, at the E3C level, are Sony Fontopia’s for a higher price with a better in ear foam bud, and I might argue that the Fontopias are better. I once again used the Alicia Key’s song “If I ain’t got you” as a good song to test these headphones out. What I found was that the when her pitch got higher the E3C’s sounded very tinny and almost hurt my ear from the badly balanced treble. I chose a song with a lot of range because on a whole it is unfair to judge in-ear headphones on their bass performance, it’s just not going to be there with any of them.
Recommendation:
If you work out don’t buy these headphones. The main reason I say this is because when you’re running if you hit that wire at all it will reverberate back into your headphones and will be very disturbing. Though this is true with most in-ear headphones, in fact if you’re working out just buy cheapo headphones or if you want better sound go buy the Bang and Olufson’s they will work perfect. In fact I can’t recommend these headphones at all in light that the Ultimate Ears are available and are exponentially better in my opinion.
Sony MDR-EX71SL Fontopia Headphones
Price: $49.99
If you’re looking for the most bang out of your buck and a good trooper of a pair of headphones these are it. For in-ear headphones they are very good. These headphones aren’t tinny and handle bass very well when I tried playing some 50 cent on them while working out. Probably the second most important characteristic about in-ear headphones asides from sound quality is the foam earbuds that come with the earphones. The Sony Fontopia’s come with 6 pairs and they should fit most people’s ears comfortably, if you can handle in-ear headphones without headaches. Sidenote: check to make sure that you can handle in-ear headphones before you buy them, it is a very different feel than regular headphones you may be used to. Most people that don’t like in-ear headphones either get headaches when they wear them or the ear foam buds don’t fit in their ears.
Recommedation:
Buy if you are looking for those headphones to get your from point A to point B. Perfect for the train ride commute that is less than an hour. Don’t buy if you are planning on using these guys for hours on end while doing homework or web designing it’ll give you a headache or your ears will start throbbing…ok yours might not but mine did. This isn’t a Fontopia thing, it’s an in-ear headphone thing, though like I said in-ear works for some people just not me and I’ve owned some pretty good in-ear phones which right now my sister is enjoying (she loves in-ear headphones and CAN wear them for hours on end). Good buy if you like in-ear headphones, not super expensive and provide good value.
Sony MDR-700DJ Studio Monitor Series
Price: $149.99
This is a pair of headphones I hold near and dear to my heart. Always by my side, the MDR DJ700’s were made famous by the 1000’s of DJ’s that swear by these headphones. Don’t believe me, go out this weekend to your nearby club and see what headphones the DJ is sporting, it’s the 700’s guarnteed. These headphones are quite simply a perfect balance of sound quality, durability, design aesthetics, comfort, and overall feel.
Sound Quality:
This time I gave these headphones the full test. When I first bought these headphones it was because of the incredible hype around them that existed, but still I waited awhile, a long while. Finally after a particular hard day at work I broke down and ordered them off of Amazon ($83 bucks right now) and I wasn’t disappointed. The sound is incredibly rich. When I say rich I mean the bass is complete, soft when the drums are lower, crisp when it’s a cymbol, just nice and balanced. You will never flinch because the sound is too high-pitched or uncomfortable with these phones. I guess I can’t say more than these headphones are just balanced, however if you do buy them make sure to use the extra adapter and listen to them through your receiver. Oh, now that is amazing, the extra power that using the 8mm brings is such off the hook.
Durability:
By far the most durable of all the headphones reviewed. Double enforced head band, metal components, half the reason that DJ’s use these headphones is because they are soo durable. You can throw them around (did that), sit on them (that too), and overall do everything you aren’t supposed to do to them and they will keep on ticking.
Recommedation:
For anyone that will be listening to music for longer than an hour at a time. That’s calling all you engineering students out there, web designers, programmers, and anyone else that spends more time on their computer than they should. As far as design aesthetics these headphones are beautiful, we’re talking the Jessica Alba of headphones. I know that there are now more expensive new generations of this headphones and better DJ headphones out there, but there is a reason these headphones have become a classic.
Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 Pro
Price: $249.99
Best in-ear quality headphone brand out there. Great fit with the foam pads (very important with in-ear headphones), great sound quality. I love the range of the super.fi 5 Pro’s and would definitley recommend giving a bit more money to but this version over the cheaper version. I know easier said than done, I had to skip a few meals and eat to ramen for the month of September, but I can now say it was worth it. Ultimate Ears was a brand started by a sound engineer in the music industry and it shows in pretty much the entire product. If you are into heavy bass or trebles these headphones will cover the range of music easily and well. To test the bass out I listened to a lot of down tempo, drum and bass, stuff and can say I could easily pick out snare drums and different bass drums. Surprisingly, also, after wearing these headphones I didn’t have a headaches because the fit with the foam pads was so secure.
Recommendation:
Yep, I recommend these headphones as an alternative to noise canceling headphones and as the best in-ear headphones around for the money. If you are debating between Shure and Ultimate Ears I would recommend the super.fi Pro 5’s, or just Ultimate Ears in general.
Apple In-Ear Headphones
Price: $39.00
Don’t buy these headphones. Ok now that I’ve gotten that out of the way let me tell you why. I bought these headphones so that I could use them to work out but they performed so terribly that I had to return them the day after. First off the ear buds don’t fit correctly, and though I did manage to get them to fit for a second of two they will definitely fall out during a short run. In addition the sound quality is no better than your typical Apple Ipod stock headphones and realistically I wouldn’t even accept these headphones as a gift.
Bang and Olufson Form 2
Price: $99.99
Aesthetically I’m not sure about these headphones at al as they are black and someone spaceship like, however musically they perform very well. Since you can try these out at the apple store, to test the sound quality, I would first listen to the Alicia Keys song “If I ain’t got you” any of the other headphones and then listen to these headphones. Eventhough they may not block out the sound very well because of their ear phone design the quality is top notch.
Recommendation:
I’m not sure I can recommend this as a buy because for $100 this is a bit over priced. I see this pair of headphones as a tweener between a really good pair of headphones and your stock headphones. I would suggest you save your money and buy the Bang and Olufson A8’s or the Bose Triport’s if you are thinking of spending this kind of money on headphones.
Apple Ipod Ear Phones
Price: $29.00
The stock ear phones that come with ipod are actually probably the best stock ear phones that you will ever get. They are stylish durable, produce decent sound, and overall are a good pair of headphones if you don’t want to spend anymore money. They will however not block out any sound and if you do ride the train or are in an airplane your music will be competing with the outside noise and airplane engine.
And that concludes my headphone review (I swear I thought this article would never end, I just about wore out my keyboard). If you found this article helpful I’d be much appreciated if you would digg this article.
Gadgets Headphonesshare this story
October 3rd, 2006 at 6:09 pm |
[…] Lord knows, we couldn’t survive those long flights without a decents set of cans, but which ones? Do you pose with your Bose Triports? or snuggle in a den of silence with some Shure ear buds? EIther way, if you are shopping for a new pair, or simply want to ugrade, then go ahead and look this list over, its a pretty comprehensive list of the top palyers on the market today. Personally, e3’s rock. Check out webpodge’s article here […]
October 3rd, 2006 at 10:29 pm |
So where do you get your opinions on which headphones are good? If you go to any audiophile website you will get a completely different list from this. In fact they will probably ban you from their site if you put those bose headphones up there.
October 4th, 2006 at 1:22 am |
gotta get some grado’s man… the rest of these are pretty much junk - well assuming you aren’t traveling.
October 4th, 2006 at 1:28 am |
Man, you are so biased… Try reviewing things without putting so much PERSONAL opinion into the reviews. Especially on the Shures… I work out with those everyday and there’s no problems with pulling on the chord and hearing it in your ears… Chillax.
October 4th, 2006 at 1:32 am |
I am sorry, but your review is not accurate.
The Sony DJ headphones are VERY BAD in durability. All you have to do is read the reader reviews on amazong and elsewhere. THEY ALL had these headphones CRACK between 12 and 18 months!!!
And you did not review the BEST music headphones in the market today for the price! The Sony MDR-XD400.
October 4th, 2006 at 1:33 am |
You obviously do not do anything with pro audio.
October 4th, 2006 at 1:33 am |
You recommended the Bose Triports, that was my first clue that you have no idea what you’re talking about. My second clue is that you didn’t mention any of the great headphone makers. Grado, Sennheiser, Etymotic, and Beyerdynamic are all highly recommended.
Go check out headphone.com and head-fi.org for people that actually care about good sound.
October 4th, 2006 at 1:34 am |
the pictures of the Bose Quiet Comfort listed are actually the Bose Quiet Comfort 2, not the new 3s. i have a pair of the Bose Quiet Comfort 2 and i love them, but i HATE the feel of the new ones. i also feel that the sound is bett in the 2 because it cups your ear like the triport ones. just wanted to clear that up.
October 4th, 2006 at 1:37 am |
I dont know, I think the Shure E3C’s are the most accurate earphones next to the E5’s out there. I think one of the best bang for the buck earphones are the Altec Lansing im616’s. I picked up a pair for $45 and they run circles around the Sony 71’s and 81’s. Remember, the Altecs are Etymotics at heart…
The Apple in ears are absolutely the worst thing to come from Apple since the Lisa. The pack-ins are probably the best standard headphones to come with any product with the Sennheiser MX500s (500s right?) with a close second.
I tried the Ultimate ears and they are good but seem to amplify the bass more than the music required. They are SUPER comfy though.
All in all, i think you need to emphasize, your opinions are all going to vary based on your ear canal and your preference. I think we can all agree on that.
Great reviews! I want to try the bose triport (1st)…
October 4th, 2006 at 1:41 am |
have you tried any Audio Technica headphones.. they definitely out-performs lots of Sonys I’ve used.. if you get a chance give ‘em a try.
October 4th, 2006 at 1:43 am |
So… why is there a picture of the E2C next to a review of the E3Cs…?
October 4th, 2006 at 1:46 am |
Funny how all of these are sold by Apple.
Get a clue- those are not “top” at all.
They are mid-range at best.
And Bose is all marketing fluff that no audiophile takes seriously.
October 4th, 2006 at 1:50 am |
bose? sony? where the hell are the sennheisers.. this really doesnt deserve to be on digg
October 4th, 2006 at 1:52 am |
Top 10 headphones, and you haven’t mentioned the Shure e500, Superfi 10 Pro, Sennheiser HD650, AKG K701, BeyerDynamic DT990, Grado GS-1000 or RS-1. That is of course not to mention the Classics like the Stax Omega 2, Sennheiser HE90, Sony MDR-10 and a vast array of headphones that would make any one on this list lie down and beg not to be thrown out. Perhaps you should listen to some real headphones companies before you make statements such as “Top 10 Headphones Reviewed”
October 4th, 2006 at 1:58 am |
Wow…you picked some of the WORST headphones as Top 10.
This post just makes me want to cry….
I can’t believe you picked Sony V700DJ, Bose Triport, and Bose Quietcomfort…
THEY ARE KNOWN AS AS THE RUBBISH!!!
Well technically, they might have some reasonable sounds, but considering their prices, they are way overvalued..
Oh, and Apple in-ear earphones, B&O A8, UE superfi, Sony EX71SL and Shure EC3 ARE NOT HEADPHONES!!!
They are earbuds!!!! or at max, In-ear/Open earphones.
Seriously, you need to visit and spend some time @
www.head-fi.org
Your “Perpective” towards “BEST” headphones will change 10000%.
October 4th, 2006 at 1:59 am |
Great review. Thanks. What about Sennheiser earphones and headphones? I have a pair of earbuds that came with my iRiver and they are awesome for the price (free) but I contacted them and they said the MX 550s were about the same quality. You can get them at CurcuitCity for about $30 I believe….
thx
October 4th, 2006 at 2:00 am |
What are you joking!!!?? Bose triports, MDREX71 and MDRV700s are far and away some of the most over-priced headphones in existence
please please… spend some time with a Sony MDRV6/7506, Beyerdynamic DT770, DT250, Grado SR80, Alessandro MS1, AKG K501, Sennheiser HD580 / PX100, Koss portapro … before publishing such rubbish.
I hope no one reads this, taking it too seriously. The writer probably has not been exposed to TRUE audiophile grade headphones in the under $150 class.
Readers… please surf over to www.head-fi.org before spending your hard earned $$$.
Peace
October 4th, 2006 at 2:00 am |
How does the Sony MDR-700DJ compare against the Grado SR-70 or SR-80 in terms of quality?
October 4th, 2006 at 2:00 am |
If thats your top 10 head phones then you really need to google terms such as L3000, Quilia, R10… Need I go on?
October 4th, 2006 at 2:01 am |
Oh, by the way, this review is a DISGRACE to head-fiers. Period.
You should seriously consider erasing the so-called “Review” you put down, and spend some time wandering about at head-fi.org, and then think about writing up a NEW review…Sigh..
October 4th, 2006 at 2:06 am |
Crazy article. Ima pick me up some Bose Triports, methinks.
October 4th, 2006 at 2:09 am |
You forgot about Grado. The SR-80 are about $90 and have some of the best sound for
October 4th, 2006 at 2:12 am |
Top ten headphones. Mmm, right. You’ve sidestepped from the big boys of the headphone world such as the OmegaI/II, HE90, HE60, etc (the amp and the headphones together can costs tens of thousands of dollars). That’s understandable. But I get the impression you don’t actually know what you’re talking about. When you say that the Triports are, and I quote, “… for the money these are a great pick and you can’t go wrong with these headphones”, you’ve got some serious homework to do.
www.head-fi.org
Start your foray into the world of Audiophile headphone quality with something cheap like the Koss KSC75, and you’ll begin to see just why this list is, really, completely incorrect.
October 4th, 2006 at 2:15 am |
Yeah, those Sony DJ cans are great, but they are NOT recommended to be worn for a long period of time. DJ headphones are designed to fit TIGHT on your head, so they don’t fall off when mixing. Also, DJ headphones have a huge bass boost for easier mixing - some might not like that.
+1 to Sennheiser HD280Pro headphones. Around the same price, and MUCH better for listening.
October 4th, 2006 at 2:17 am |
Nice write up, but for the love of god use a spell check or proofread.
October 4th, 2006 at 2:19 am |
i want to puke all over this article…..are you sick in the head. please visit head-fi.org
October 4th, 2006 at 2:21 am |
What a staggeringly dreadful collection of headphones. I seriously hope people don’t go out and buy any of them based on your recommendations.
October 4th, 2006 at 2:25 am |
Check out the KOSS portapro headphones.
http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/p?openform&pc%5Ept%5EPORTAPRO%5EY
I’ve been using them for quite a while, they’re so good the design hasn’t changed in 12 years.
I think they’re ugly as all hell, but they fold up nice, sound amazing and they only think I’ve ever had to change was the foam pads.
Cheers,
Sean
October 4th, 2006 at 2:36 am |
Where are the Grados and Sennheisers?
October 4th, 2006 at 2:39 am |
You review only the big-name, heavily marketed “prestige” brands and nothing an audiophile would seriously consider and still call this a “top 10 headphone” article? Top 10 of what? Where are the Grados, Alessandros, Sennheiser’s, Ultimate Ears, etc? Even adding one mention of the entry-level Grado SR60’s on this list would show that the reviewer has _some_ idea what he’s talking about. Get a clue… I mean, _Bose_? With all due respect, unless your target audience is gullible Sharper-Image catalog readers, this is a joke…
October 4th, 2006 at 2:39 am |
I would certainly agree with having the Shure ear buds up here, but I cannot believe for one second the Grado SR60 headphones aren’t up here. They are by far the best bang for your buck, just ask any real audiophile, and thats the low end model….
Shame that wasnt recognized on this list
October 4th, 2006 at 2:44 am |
Top 10 Headphones? Forgetting for a moment that there aren’t 10 listed here - No Sennheiser, No Grado, and no AKG? Anything made by any of those companies tops anything on this list. Bose Triports? iBuds? You’re kidding, right.
October 4th, 2006 at 2:45 am |
You forgot one of Bose’s major competitors:
Sennheiser PXC-250
October 4th, 2006 at 2:46 am |
[…] Here is a list I have compiled of headphones that I have used over the past two years. I have owned at one point or another all of these headphones at one time. As most web designers know it is very very important to have good headphones seeing as more often than not it’s just you and your laptop plugging away…read more | digg story Filed under: Gadgets by — TechManager @ 02:46 […]
October 4th, 2006 at 2:48 am |
great article
any suggestion on how to decide between the triport and the 700’s?
October 4th, 2006 at 2:59 am |
[…] read more | digg story […]
October 4th, 2006 at 3:01 am |
I was wondering if you’ve tried any of the Grado models? I’m considering a headphone purchase very soon, but would like to know how they stack up to the others.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:02 am |
the picture of the shure e3c’s look like shure e5’s not the e3’s… might want to correct that.
-neil
October 4th, 2006 at 3:04 am |
What…, No Sennheiser??
October 4th, 2006 at 3:11 am |
[…] Here is a list I have compiled of headphones that I have used over the past two years. I have owned at one point or another all of these headphones at one time. As most web designers know it is very very important to have good headphones seeing as more often than not it’s just you and your laptop plugging away… read more | digg story […]
October 4th, 2006 at 3:18 am |
Great review, some excellent info, but I feel a little jipped. I would really like to see some Sennheiser headphones hit the review list, as they are really fantastic headphones.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:32 am |
Please don’t think that these are “Top-Ten” for overall sound quality and manufacturing. DJ and popular choice doesn’t make a great headphone. A great deal of your list is a joke to authentic, quality audio, and unless you happen to fall into the majority category of persons on this planet that would rather have a quantity of badly recorded, poorly written audio over the intrinsic experience of music, I suggest going some place else to research your cans. http://www.headphone.com/ is a good start. Research for quality. Listen for accuracy. Enjoy for your own tastes. My two cents.
-RT
October 4th, 2006 at 3:37 am |
You missed the Sennheiser line. I own a PX 100 and love them, they’re cheap and sound DAMN good, balanced and rich. They’re small, but you need to take care of them.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:42 am |
Is there any reason why you left off all Sennheiser headphones from your list? Without a doubt their top line headphones are some of the best out there, and their mid-low level models have some of the best bang for the buck. It’s surprising that such a reputable brand would be left out.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:43 am |
Top dynamic headphones in current production:
1. AKG K701
2. Sony SA5000
3. Sennheiser HD650
4. Top Beyerdynamic model
5-10. Not worth mentioning.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:43 am |
So essentially, you went to the Apple Store and just picked the most expensive ‘phones they had?
Time to head on over to www.head-fi.org bud. You’re fumbling wildly in the dark here.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:45 am |
I’d be curious to read your thoughts on super.fi vs. Etymotic Research earphones. I’ve been using Etymotics for a few years and love them, great customer support too.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:56 am |
this uninformed reviewed should really be wiping his mouth with toilet paper. head in over to head-fi.org and enligten yourself
October 4th, 2006 at 4:01 am |
…This has got to be one of the most egregiously misinformed headphone reviews I’ve ever read. There’s about 100 headphones within or below the price range you’ve covered that’s much, MUCH better than most of the headphones you’ve listed. The IEMs (Shures, UEs) you’ve listed are all right, but Bose? Bose makes the most overpriced, bloated sounding headphones I’ve ever heard, aside, of course, from the MDR-V700DJ. They’re nothing but bass cannons. Muddied mids and highs galore, and sweaty pads. Try out the AKG K81DJ, which is cheaper, and you’ll get infinitely better sound. Heck, try out the Koss KSC75 for 9.99-24.99 on Radioshack depending upon their sale weeks, and you’ll beat every headphone listed here in sound quality. Sounds like a joke, but give ‘em a shot if you don’t believe me.
October 4th, 2006 at 4:04 am |
What about Skullcandy?
October 4th, 2006 at 4:07 am |
If it has no highs and has now lows, it’s Bose.
October 4th, 2006 at 4:10 am |
The Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 Pro are the only decent headphones on your list…yeah…
I’m not saying that you have to pay big bucks for headphones, though I do suggest that you change the title of your article to “The Top 10 Worst Value Headphones”.
No one who reads this article should consider it seriously! Go to head-fi.org if you need some advice on purchasing headphones.
October 4th, 2006 at 4:25 am |
perhaps you should call it the list of the top ten most popular headphones, but best? seriously? mdr 700dj? there are brands other than b&o, sony, and bose. the shures and the super fi are the only two decent pairs you have there. where’s sennheiser? where’s grado? you are doing nothing but perpetuating the myth that stylish items are quality items. such a shame…
October 4th, 2006 at 4:43 am |
MDR-V700’s are actually not used that much. They were all the hype because they were silver and intentionally over powering bass. They’re DJ performance headphones. Sound quality - pretty crap. V900’s, and the profesional series monitors are a quality headphone. The V700’s repeatedly broke at the swivel cup. No one would be caught dead with them these days. Well, you might see trance dj’s wearing them or some midwest dj that’s 5 years behind. You’re a bit behind the times my friend on the dj side, but something tells me you’re neither dj, promoter, nor industry in the nightlife scene so no worries.
October 4th, 2006 at 5:19 am |
So what kind of cut did you get from Apple to “review” and market their “top 10 headphones”?
October 4th, 2006 at 5:35 am |
Oh my god, reading that list made me cringe. Please at least say that those are the headphones that you tried and you have absolutely no idea what good headphones even are, let alone what the best are. There are a few good suggestions, but not only are a lot of the others not the best, they’re actually really bad and horrible for the price. Please, please don’t post things like this and go make people buy bad products based on a misleading review.
October 4th, 2006 at 5:37 am |
Been there tried them all, but this top 10 list is bogus. Go check out “real” headphone makers like Sennheiser, AKG, and Audio-Technica. You can lecture me all you want only after you check out some of those…
October 4th, 2006 at 5:52 am |
Try the Senheiser PX-100… good sound, light, foldable, probably the best in it’s price range…
Man, you’re nuts…
October 4th, 2006 at 6:18 am |
this article makes the author look like a spoiled rich kid who only shops at the apple store. anyone who actually knew headphones/personal audio playback systems would know you can’t really compile a top 10 just because of the different factors that go into each individual headphone purchase. i have sony 7506s at my office that my boss bought for everyone - they sound great and were perfect choice for in the office. i have super.fi’s for headphone listening at home from an ipod, grado sr-325s (which i really don’t like all that much, but admit they do sound good…really used for critical listening) and some older senneheiser hd535s for amp listening from a good source, as well as a few pairs of sub$50 phones for gym listening/rugged use. each purchase was seriously contemplated and researched, and treated as a “top-10″ purchase. they are each top 10 phones in their own right.
a middle schooler, high schooler, college student, middle aged, and senior listener will each fall in love with completely different headphones. there is no universal top 10 headphone list, as “top 10″ is just way too broad.
October 4th, 2006 at 6:49 am |
That list is a joke, with the exception of the UEs and Shures, but they’re not even headphones. They’re IEMs, which stands for Inner Ear Monitors. Go to HeadFi.org and begin your audiophile education. You should take a flamethrower to those other headphones.
October 4th, 2006 at 7:18 am |
Bad Article…
I own a pair of Triports and while I think they are very comfortable they dont sound like a pair of $150 headphones should. Like all Bose products the bass is under powered and or faked. the sony DJ series reproduces bass and other frequencies much better. Now I dont know much about these other headphones people are talking about but the apple standard headphones are adequate (for free that is). It looks like most people agree with me on the worthlessness of your review but it should be known that i paid $75 for the bose triports but surely would not pay $150.
October 4th, 2006 at 7:25 am |
Boy, whoever wrote this sure wasted a *ton* of money on mediocre headphones. I guess he just didn’t know any better. But he could’ve asked *somebody*, don’t you think?
But now some poor sap is gonna go out and waste money buying some way over-priced stuff, just because this joker said it was good. I hope he doesn’t give advice on other topics that he’s ignorant about.
October 4th, 2006 at 7:41 am |
Beyer DT250s for home recording and serious listening, and Sennheiser CX300 earbuds for knockabout commuting. Bliss.
October 4th, 2006 at 9:18 am |
You spelled “Dwyane Wade” wrongly
October 4th, 2006 at 9:36 am |
Lol this is definately a waste of time to look at. The fact that Sony rates is a sure sign…
You want to check out some real headphone reveiws go to and audiophile web site.
Sennheiser & BeyerDynamic - read up on these!
(I realise Grado are good but they aren’t really comfortable at the low price range).
October 4th, 2006 at 11:46 am |
[…] read more | digg story […]
October 4th, 2006 at 12:25 pm |
[…] Here is a list I have compiled of headphones that I have used over the past two years. I have owned at one point or another all of these headphones at one time. As most web designers know it is very very important to have good headphones seeing as more often than not it’s just you and your laptop plugging away…read more | digg story […]
October 4th, 2006 at 12:29 pm |
I’ll second the calls for some Grados. The SR-80, for under $100, is the best value in headphones period. The difference between Grado and $500+ Senheisers is slim, they sound that good.
October 4th, 2006 at 1:22 pm |
I just got somme Sennheiser HD25s. I was gonna get some Behyer DT150s but when I tried out the Sennheisers - bloody hell. They’re the most damn comfy headphones in the world! and the sound is just…..
October 4th, 2006 at 1:29 pm |
[…] 1. A more accurate article title would have been 10 reviews of headphones that I have owned at one time or another. I tried to give as broad an overview of headphones from top to bottom as I could given my experience. Most people will tell you that to truly know if something sounds good, you must listen for yourself. […]
October 4th, 2006 at 1:32 pm |
The one headphone that I recently purchased that needed to be included in the review is the Denon DN-HP1000. You can’t beat it with a hammer and expect it to be in one piece, but blows away all the Shure, Bose, and Sennheiser headphones I auditioned before I made my decision.
October 4th, 2006 at 1:38 pm |
Yikes, bad advice galore. Looks like a lot of people beat me to the punch on pointing this out, though. If you’re looking for a good ~$100 headphones, try the Audio Technica ATH-A500. Get a good headphone amp, and you’ll be in musical bliss.
October 4th, 2006 at 2:38 pm |
DEAR…LORD…
are these TOP 10 Good cans or Bad cans?
October 4th, 2006 at 3:20 pm |
Er..sorry dude, you ever heard of this thing called the AKG 701s or the Ultimate Ears UE10 Pros?
October 4th, 2006 at 3:25 pm |
OK my friend 8^)
I wouldn’t call your article outright wrong, in the sense that these are the 10 best headphones you have personally owned. Consumers should be alerted however that there are more…. WAY more options for less money than what they see on the shelf at circuit city, Best Buy or Sharper Image.
Lets turn this around, and make it a positive learning experience for you 8^). If you’re near the San Jose CA area, the big National Head-Fi meet is coming up in April 07′ It would be a GREAT opportunity for you to demo all kinds of headphones, amps, sources, cables, ear monitors and earbuds.
The industry BIG Guns will be there for certain, and many will have booths set up to demo their products. I for one LOVE going to meets and plugging my Grado RS1s into $30000 tube amps and $2000 CD players, and its a lot of fun meeting people who are so passionate about music.
Here is the URL for last years meet:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=175815
Heres the URL for this year’s meet:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=185790
P.S…. If you wanted to meet up with me, feel free to send me an email and we’ll hook up some time. You can listen to my Earmax tube amp, Grado RS1/HF1, Sennheiser HD580 and Koss A250. I can see youre passionate about headphone audio, and you’ll be surprised how much better your music collection sounds through a good headphone setup.
peace,
Garrett
October 4th, 2006 at 3:34 pm |
Garrett - >
Thanks dude that sounds perfect. After reading all the comments it made me what to go buy a headphone amp and some Grados. Thanks for the head’s up on the head-fi conference, I plan on going for sure and I’ll make sure to shoot you an email before.
October 4th, 2006 at 5:28 pm |
Nice! thanks for your work.but I hate Sony.
October 4th, 2006 at 5:51 pm |
[…] Paul Koura (Webpodge) reviews top 10 headphones available in the market. Awesome write-up […]
October 4th, 2006 at 6:00 pm |
Bose are not awful headphones. They are just not good value. Most of the other phones mentioned are not very good. Any best headphone list which fails to list Sennheiser, Grado, Beyerdynamic, AKG, or Audio-Technica, is a list not worth reading.
October 4th, 2006 at 6:48 pm |
I think it is key to note that there are certain amounts of sound-quality that are personal taste.
With earphones that are obviously similarities for each type - with considerations about outside noise reduction too - some sound awful and barely reproduce what you hear at home, others fill the music with too much bass, or others lack bass entirely.
Speaker wise I preferred the sound of my Linn’s to my KEFs, and have never really been keen on B&O or B&W (hugely popular for some), this isn’t to say any are worse (or better) but that I prefer them. Often in a similar bracket of price the difference is as much personal-taste as it is quality-based.
Good review either way
October 4th, 2006 at 7:37 pm |
As for the Sony MDR700s: I agree with you for the most part. One piece has a durability problem IMO: The part of the hinge in-between the Y shaped part of the headband. I fixed mine pretty easily a few years ago by wrapping the piece in wire. See here and here
October 4th, 2006 at 9:24 pm |
[…] read more | digg story […]
October 4th, 2006 at 11:15 pm |
If you want real headphone recommendations go here:
http://www,headphone.com/
http://www.head-fi.org/
If you want to learn why Bose shoudln’t be listed as the top 10 of anything, go here:
http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html
October 4th, 2006 at 11:18 pm |
man, do you have a LOT to learn.
BOSE SUCKS. my Grado SR-60’s are way better than the triports, and they’re a ton more sturdy and only $70 new. triports suck because they’re way, way overpriced for what they can do. do more research, join some headphone message boards. i’d suggest you ask about the top 10 headphones there and i’m sure you’ll be surprised at what you can get for the price.
i’m sorry but according to accuracy, this article is crap.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:19 pm |
I have the MDR700s, and they are great, the sound quality is amazing particularly in the bass regeion, ie.
October 5th, 2006 at 5:08 am |
[…] -Top 10 Headphones Reviewed […]
October 5th, 2006 at 6:23 am |
[…] Top 10 Headphones Reviewed Just incase you need a new pair of headphones, have a look at this list of ten just to make sure your buying a decent pair! (tags: gadgets ipod mp3 music) […]
October 5th, 2006 at 9:27 am |
I really don’t think you know what you’re talking about. I disagree with almost all of your reviews, in particular your review of the Shures (do you even have the right picture there).
You also miss out lots of the more respected brands… I won’t go into details since countless people have already done so above.
In any case, this is a blog, and I respect your right to an opinion. Although I disagree with the content, you lay things out well.
October 5th, 2006 at 7:13 pm |
[…] Top 10 Headphones Reviewed [Webpodge] […]
October 6th, 2006 at 7:36 am |
Oh come on, no need to bash the man around for his selections. I admit I was a little worried seeing the Top 10 list start off with a BOSE product. Around audiophiles, BOSE stands for Buy Other Sound Equipment. Harhar.
October 13th, 2006 at 1:22 am |
[…] on: Sony Ericson’s Bluetooth Watch (CNet) Review of T-Mobile Dash Smart Phone (Laptop Mag) Libya to buy 1.2 Million Linux Laptops? (eWeek) Shelfari launches social network for books10 Windows Explorer alternatives reviewed (SimpleHelp) Top 10 headphones reviewed (Webpodge) ADDTO: […]
December 4th, 2006 at 12:34 pm |
Man do a search in google before posting such a bunch of stupid ideas, go outside and hear for yourself how far are you from reality. Get a simple Protapro frop around 50, and put all those in the garbage, this will blow your socks away…this list is simply ridiculos, even form the few good brands you have choosen the slection is really lame and ridiculous…
Listen to R-10, RS-1, HP-1000, HD600/650, K1000, SA5000, CD3000, DT880, 990, 770, L3000, and any other AT before assuring that those are the best heapdhones, if after this audition you stil beleive that those are the best, simply you are deaf…….
March 9th, 2007 at 11:49 pm |
[…] http://webpodge.com/2006/10/03/top-10-headphones-reviewed/ […]