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Maybe a little OT but I'm looking for earphones and would like the sound (especially highs) as close to my 803D's as possible (I know apples and oranges but please humor me). I really want the highs to have that natural crystal clear sound that my 803D's have. Use Shure E4c (and E3C) but don't really care for the highs. The overall sound qulity is very good with excellent bass, a detailed midrange, and a wide sound stage. However the highs remind me of the way a plastic dome tweeters sound. Looking at the new Shure E500 but afraid it has the same "too smooth" plastic sounding highs. Ultimate Ears has a soon to be released 10 Pro that may come closer. Does anyone have any UE earphones and how do the SQ (highs) compare to B&W D and/or S's? I bet diamond would make a fantastic driver for earphones. If only B&W made them.
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That's a difficult question. B&Ws are very airy speakers and headphones just have that enclosed signature to them. Out of headphones that I've owned, the most open and airy headphone that I've ever heard was the Sennheiser HD590. Beautiful sound. However, if you spent an hour or more listening to them, as soon as you play the music on your B&Ws, you get the feeling that the headphones seemed 'trapped'. I had a pair when I owned B&W 600s. And even though the Sennheiser gave great details and smoothness, after taking them off and listening to the B&W 600, there was suddenly a big open and airy feel compared to the headphones. My current and favorite headphones are my Audio Technica ATH-500, but they're closed cans. Like I said I think this is a difficult question because of the traits of headphones, open or closed.B&W 804S/Velodyne SPL-1000R/Anthem MRX720 -
I personally prefer in-ear phones like the ones from Shure. The sound is phenomenal!Comment
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Mind you! earphones can do damage to your hearing not only when you playback loud, but even when you use them for a long time ....cause inner ear cannot "breath" properly. So one should use them with causionComment
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I've had the Sony SA5000 ($500) and the Sennheiser top of the line HD650 ($500)... and I will tell you none of them will sound like your BW, especially the D tweeter.
It's a very different experience, so it is very difficult for me to put in words what the differences are.
I bought a $800 HeadAmp Class A headphone amp for my headphones so I could push them to their potential limits and I still couldnt enjoy them as much as I did with speakers.
If you're really serious about headphones, go to a forum I used to frequent:
Dont say I didnt warn you.. but those guys are worse than us speaker guys.... they are nuts.
Oh and if you do go to that site, sorry about your wallet.
:TAnalog: VPI Scoutmaster w/ Steel Delrin clamp + Dynavector 20XH cart
Digital: SB3 + PS Audio Digital Link III DAC
System: Cary Audio SLP-98P Tube Preamplifier w/ Sylvanias -> Plinius SA102 Class A amplifier -> Martin Logan SUMMITS/Strata Minis -> 8O (me)Comment
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Please keep in mind I'm looking for earphones and not headphones. They are used for running and weight lifting and need to be in-ear and noise isolating.Originally posted by audioquesoComment
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I have been lurking there off and on for a while and just joined a few days ago but yet to post. It is amazing at the amount of people that are so passionate about headphones/earphones. 8O I just wanted to post here first to see if any B&W owners had a preference for certain earphones that remind them of their B&W's.Originally posted by Joey_V...If you're really serious about headphones, go to a forum I used to frequent:
Dont say I didnt warn you.. but those guys are worse than us speaker guys.... they are nuts.
Oh and if you do go to that site, sorry about your wallet.
:T
Also how can you say "...go to that site, sorry about your wallet" after what B&W has done to it? :BComment
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If you're looking for earphones, then Etymonics would be my choice. Out of the box decent isolation and good sound quality. You can have a mold made of your ear to have them fabricate a custom ear piece for better isolation.Comment
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Ah, didn't catch the difference. Sorry about that.Originally posted by WilliamB&W 804S/Velodyne SPL-1000R/Anthem MRX720Comment
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If earphones, then UE10 is the ultimate. Nothing is better than those $1000 suckers.Analog: VPI Scoutmaster w/ Steel Delrin clamp + Dynavector 20XH cart
Digital: SB3 + PS Audio Digital Link III DAC
System: Cary Audio SLP-98P Tube Preamplifier w/ Sylvanias -> Plinius SA102 Class A amplifier -> Martin Logan SUMMITS/Strata Minis -> 8O (me)Comment
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I'd say UM2, lot more confortable than shure E5 and sound more natural to me. UM2 could be found for 299., retail is 499.Sony AT 150" 16x9 screen
PSB T6,
Velodyne SPL 1000R
Rotel RSX-1057
Rotel RB-1070
OPPO 103
Apple TV[Comment
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If you want to go with something cheaper just to try out, they sound nothing like the 800's with the D tweeter but they can be picked up for like $20. The Sennheiser MX550's... I look at it as they are cheap so if you lose/break them no biggy....-JoeComment
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I want the hadphones your Avatar is wearing! (;Originally posted by joetamaComment
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Uhh well I don't know Oddball might not like you taking his head phones.....-JoeComment
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I would definitely go for Beyerdynamics if you want as much highs as with B&W's. That is what I use at work and they are very detailed. Need a good enough headphone amp to drive them (like I use the Rega EAR).
I have Senn HD650's but those filter the highs to sound more warm/soft, very far from B&W sound although I like them alot. Sounds great with my MCD201 SACD/CD player because it's headphone amp is very analytical (well for a McIntosh).Comment
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I don't see where Beyerdynamics makes any earphones. What am I missing?Originally posted by jim777Comment
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What do you mean? Check the DT-990 PRO for example. Sorry I can't link it, there are some "[" and "]" in the URL..
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All I see are headphones. I don't see any earphones. Are they on another site?Originally posted by jim777Comment
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Sorry, my wrong. I didn't understand that you wanted great SQ with little ear buds in your ears
As tbooe said, Shure have a great reputation for the sealed in-ear kind. I think you can get tons of bass from them (without the thump in your body of course!).Comment
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Headphones have a band or strap that goes over your head and they are supported by your head.Originally posted by jim777Sorry, my wrong. I didn't understand that you wanted great SQ with little ear buds in your ears...
Earphones are usually separate and are supported by you ear.Comment
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Yeah, I know, I should read better
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What are you playing the headphones with? iPod? CD Player?-JoeComment
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iPod Nano, Apple LosslessOriginally posted by joetamaComment
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how disappointing
i bought the shure e2's upon the recommendations here
in short the free ipod headphones sound better
the shures are fatiguing and lack highs
the bass is not as prevalent in the cheap freebees but clearer and tighter
not to mention cumbersome and uncomfortable feel of the e2
id be open to the idea of spending even more on the e3 or 4's if anyone could state a difference other than size
what hype!Comment
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My experience with earphones, particularly the sound-isolating variety is good when you're stationary (such as sitting in an airplane or on the subway) but bad when you're moving (like walking around). Basically I find that with body movement, the earphones nudge ever so slightly in your head but this small movement translates to a fairly large sound that detracts from whatever you're listening to. I've tried this with the rubber ear plugs and the foam variety as well and the results are generally the same - movement pretty much destroys the listening environment of sound-isolating sets.
Earbuds on the other hand work much better for movement but they don't offer the sound isolating qualities. (I have to add, the ones that come with Apple iPods are remarkably good considering the price point.) I like the sound quality of my Bang & Olufson A8 earbuds best though.
For true movement and sound isolation together though, I find that nothing beats the over-the-head headphones such as the Bose series. While cumbersome, I find they offer the best sound quality. Obviously though you wouldn't want to use these while working out.Comment
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The e3 and e4 are balanced armature units (e4 supposedly ported)... e2 is a dynamic driver. I have the e3 and the bass is a bit weak although I got them yesterday so they are not broken in yet.
The mid-range is pretty good on the e3... One thing though that is seems to suffer from is that the e3 is really fussy about fitment... If it's too tight and you pressurize the airspace between the driver and the eardrum you lose sensitivity if it's too loose and you don't get a air seal you don't get any bass response.
I can't compare them to anything else because I am mostly using them for sound isolation and have them turned way down (although they work better at low volumes then any other earphone I have used).Comment
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i ordered the koss "spark plugs" for $13 as this is realy all i need- a comfertable earplug style that doesnt hurt or fall out for working out.... 100 was a streatch but 200 to maybe have that and sq is getting silly considering my shuffle only plays 128kb/s for some reason (if anyone knows why let me know)Comment
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Make sure the earphones are properly seated in your ear. They should create a prett good seal, blocking out a lot of ambient noise.Originally posted by peterSComment
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they do, and do it well... seems you either love or hate these from reviews on circuitcityOriginally posted by tboooeComment
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Bringing an old thread back....
Any of you guys have something new to add? I'm in the market for a new set and wanted to pool the masses....-JoeComment
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I ended up buying the E500's and I'm quite happy. Shure also has by far the best customer service in the world bar none.Comment
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