Recommend me some headphones...

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Recommend me some headphones...

tukapa1

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#195363 17-Apr-2016 21:32

I have some Shure in ear earphones which I quite like but am looking at trying some headphones now. After a lengthy session the Shures aggravate my inner ear a bit.

I don't have a large budget (maybe $200 max), and don't use headphones at home, so they will be mainly used while traveling or away from home.

For that reason I'm thinking on-ear rather than over-ear, but I'm open to suggestions. Of course, if I'm impressed by the change then I could possibly look at shelling out something more for another set down the track.

Any suggestions for entry level, or good deals going?

Thanks.

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#1534606 17-Apr-2016 21:51

Bose QC25 are great, but a bit out of your budget. You can compare prices here: headphones price comparison.

tukapa1

725 posts

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#1534796 18-Apr-2016 11:28

Thanks - I'm loathe to spend a heap just yet in case they're not something I end up using.

I should have mentioned that I will by mostly listening to rock, metal, punk and alternative.

dickytim

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#1534827 18-Apr-2016 12:04

I have Polk Ultrafocus 8000 that I use at work and for travel.

They are noise cancelling and one of the best sounding noise cancelling headphones you can buy.

However, they were $350 on special from mighty ape, have quite bad noise leakage, sitting under flouro lights when plugged in to my laptop there is interference and require a battery to work.

I love mine and listen to the same music as you mentioned.

tukapa1

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#1557610 22-May-2016 21:49

I've decided that I might as well get a bluetooth pair as it may be handy in the gym...

So after much humming and haaing, I went into Noel Leeming and bought this.

Now, before I rip open a box and go for gold, I have to decide which on I want to keep and which to flick off.

Bluetooth for the cheaper MDR-ZX770BN or stick with wired for the more expensive MDR-10RNC?

Anyone got experience with either or both of these? I probably wouldn't bluetooth much, but who knows....

Handle9

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#1557652 23-May-2016 07:42

I've got the MDR-ZX770BN which I bought mostly for travelling. I am very clearly not an audiophile but have found them really good and use the bluetooth quite a bit at work.

They aren't very bassy though so may not suit your listening tastes given what you are into. I wouldn't use them at the gym, the pads would get all sweaty and gross. I use cheap and nasty aliexpress in ear bluetooth headphones for running. They sound average but work OK.

qwertee

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#1557657 23-May-2016 08:01

I use the Blackbox M10, noise cancelling over ear headphones when I travel on long haul journeys.

They work even without the batteries like a normal headphone.

Its made by a NZ company and has provided excellent after sales service.

The head band broke when it was outside the 1 year warranty period, and provided a replacement free of charge

https://www.blackboxonline.com/

afe66

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#1557758 23-May-2016 09:49

I had great service from Blackbox too.

Was leaving nz in 2009, by phones stropped working on flight up to Auckland.

As I had 4 hours til leaving went to New Market where they were based to see if the could fix them or sell me a replacement.

Even though warranty had expired they were interested in the reason it failed and so have me a new set on the spot !

Mighty Ape

Shop now on Mighty Ape (affiliate link).

networkn

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#1557780 23-May-2016 10:25

Same re blackbox. I've actually had my originals since 2008 and they have been replaced with NEW, TWICE, including a free upgrade to the current version. Amazing.

Jaxson

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#1557792 23-May-2016 10:46

I have a pair of the MDRZX770BNB headphones you could have had for cheap. I've found them to be a mixed bag. At times they sound great, and not at other times. The noise cancellation works really well, but only for certain frequencies. 1 out of every 5 busses I go on it makes a huge difference, and the rest not.

Some love them though.

richms

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#1557805 23-May-2016 10:54

I have that same combo from when it was cheap before xmas and was going to give them to the cousins kids as gifts but was directed to get them something wired instead since they couldnt handle their current BT phones.

So use them for myself and they are a bit boomy bass wise, no actual bass and they try that horrible compensation thing. Bluetooth performance is the best of any headphones I have tried, and the sound on the 770 is noticibly better than the non cancelling one from the bundle.

Richard rich.ms

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#1557873 23-May-2016 11:37

I have a pair of BlackBox M10 I received from Air NZ while I had Gold Elite status. There seems to be a piece of wire inside the headband that is now moving and at almost at the point of breaking the thin leather cover...

tukapa1

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#1558035 23-May-2016 15:52

richms:

I have that same combo from when it was cheap before xmas and was going to give them to the cousins kids as gifts but was directed to get them something wired instead since they couldnt handle their current BT phones.

So use them for myself and they are a bit boomy bass wise, no actual bass and they try that horrible compensation thing. Bluetooth performance is the best of any headphones I have tried, and the sound on the 770 is noticibly better than the non cancelling one from the bundle.

They are both noise cancelling sets. One is wired only and one is bluetooth/wired.

jamesplay

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#1558041 23-May-2016 15:58

Have the Audio Technica ATH M50x and M40x. Both are great headphones although the M50x is quite uncomfortable if you're wearing it for quite a while as it clamps on your head harder than the M40x to achieve better sound isolation. Both headphones have great sound though.

Other than that the M50x comes with 3 cables, one long, one coiled and one short cable while the M40x comes with just the medium coiled cable.

richms

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#1558053 23-May-2016 16:28

tukapa1:

They are both noise cancelling sets. One is wired only and one is bluetooth/wired.

My pack had mdr10-rbt and bonus mdr-zx770bnb in it. Both bluetooth. You sure on the pack contents?

Richard rich.ms

tukapa1

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#1558124 23-May-2016 17:56

richms:

tukapa1:

They are both noise cancelling sets. One is wired only and one is bluetooth/wired.

My pack had mdr10-rbt and bonus mdr-zx770bnb in it. Both bluetooth. You sure on the pack contents?

I've just opened the outer box.

Inside are two sealed retail boxes - MDR-ZX770BNBM and MDR-10RNC/M.

Both boxes say noise cancelling, but only the ZX770 says bluetooth.

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