earphones

[praetorian2000]

i'm considering buying a pair of sennheiser cx 300 earphones from amazon for about $17. i always like to have 2 sets of earphones for when one suddenly breaks down. i mainly use them in the gym (which is 99.99% of the time). and i'm in there about 5 days a week for 90 minutes. and because i work up a huge sweat, the volume control has become corroded by the sweat.

i want good sound and wouldn't mind extras like bass boost and volume control, but i'm wondering if i should get the sennheiser or if i should opt for a cheaper brand that's been highly rated by amazon users. i go through headphones like shoes, about one pair every year. and it's always because a wire breaks and the sound shorts out. i can be rough on earphones.

what do you think?

 

[wimbouman]

I found these Boses a great alternative:

The sound is fantastic, great definition and they are robust.
They are a bit more expensive, some 40 euro I think, but they last a lot longer.

YMMV, of course ;-)

 

[danek]

Those Bose are great, and also do a very good job of keeping outside noise out (not sure if they actually "cancel" noise) which makes them great for travel. They are, however spendy, around $100 or so.

 

[praetorian2000]

as much as i love bose, they are way out of my price range. in doing more research, most people are saying earbuds tend to fall out while exercising. i noticed i had similar problems with my earbuds falling out and thought it was the earbuds themselves or the fact that i sweat a lot.
anyone else with this problem? if so, maybe i should consider the kids that hooks onto the ear while the earbud is in the ear.

 

[bythbook]

I'd suggest Koss Portapros - or the headbandless version... the KSC-75 (sportclip).

great sound, cheap, on-ear but light.


can be easily modded for even better sound, or are great out of the "box."



.

 

[Kratos]

I have some Sony MDR-AS20J that are great. Good sound, they will NOT fall off, and they are sweat-resistant. No noise cancel, but the block outside noise well enough, and have 4 ft of wire. Only $20 or so. They aren't hooks, but rather loop around the ears.

 

[MCsommerreid]

JVC Marshmallows. Perhaps the best $20 range headphones ever.

I tend to just burn through headphones, (my last pair of Koss lasted a month, Sony tends to last two months, Sennheiser 3-4 months), but every pair of Marshmallows I've owned have lasted at least 6 months (last pair held out for a full year, and used the foamy bits from them with my Koss replacements).

Plus the sound is amazingly great for the price, with plenty of bass and less tinny treble. Incredibly comfortable too, I've worn them for nearly 18 hours straight, with zero ear pain.

 

[chris456]

Cant go wrong with Sennheiser IMO, I have a pair of px-100's and I love em.

 

[WhosYerBob]

I use Etymotic Research ER-4P in ear headphones, which I customize by covering with ultrahigh density ear protection plugs. The best sound I've been able to get so far.

 

[strat1117]

i'm considering buying a pair of sennheiser cx 300 earphones from amazon for about $17. i always like to have 2 sets of earphones for when one suddenly breaks down. i mainly use them in the gym (which is 99.99% of the time). and i'm in there about 5 days a week for 90 minutes. and because i work up a huge sweat, the volume control has become corroded by the sweat.

i want good sound and wouldn't mind extras like bass boost and volume control, but i'm wondering if i should get the sennheiser or if i should opt for a cheaper brand that's been highly rated by amazon users. i go through headphones like shoes, about one pair every year. and it's always because a wire breaks and the sound shorts out. i can be rough on earphones.

what do you think?

If you really want great sound, you're going to need to spend a lot more than $17. Sennheiser is a great brand, although I am more familiar with their over the ear headphones (my preference). Shure and Etymotic Research are the best bets if you like in the ear type cans (as opposed to over the ear), but a decent pair will set you back at least $100. On the other hand, if they are just a disposable for you, then don't spend a lot, and just get the most robust pair you can find.

Enjoy!

Enjoy!

 

[Sweeney Todd]

I splashed out some cash on Shure E2cs 4 years ago and liked them so much I bought some Shure E4cs. I still use either pair daily and they are great.
Like other posters I was going through $50 sets of other brands every 6-12
months, not with the Shures - they last! And the sound isolation and quality is excellent.

 

[praetorian2000]

On the other hand, if they are just a disposable for you, then don't spend a lot, and just get the most robust pair you can find.

Enjoy!

Enjoy!

that's what i was thinking. if they're probably going to get damamged from almost daily use in the gym, mainly due to sweat and possible tugs on the cord, no need to spend a lot.
BUT, if a more expensive brand is more durable and will stand up to sweat and sudden pulls, maybe that's the route i wanna go.
a pair of headphones lasts me about a year maybe a bit longer.
i'll keep looking. i had already added Sony MDR-AS20J to my amazon save for later list. i'll check out other recommendations.
also, i don't want cruddy sound but i don't need studio perfect sound either. one reviewer on amazon said he or she compensates for the sound by using the eq on the mp3 player. after today's experience of the ear bud not wanting to stay in for the last 45 minutes of my workout, i think i might need to do that and not worry so much about sound.

you know, this problem could be eliminated if the bands i wanted to listen to would play live...the songs i want, in the order i want, on my cue.

 

[delmonte]

My brother has the cx-300s. I think soundwise they would suit your purposes, they are pretty bass-heavy but are also quite clear and sound pretty good. However, I personally hated the ear tips. They are very floppy and flimsy -- they need some firmness in my opinion to stay secure in the ear and to block out the most amount of sound, and these just don't have that. Of course, every ear is different, but I think if you use these in the gym, they'll fall out. Also, for some reason, one side has a much longer chord than the other, so the cable is always hanging lopsided which is weird. I think you should be able to find something for around the same price, or maybe a little bit more, that would be better for use in the gym.

If you have the patience, check out www.head-fi.org. Lots of useful info there.

 

[LittleJon]

My brother has some Shure ear phones here's some on Amazon
I think he has the middle priced ones ($69 I believe) the sound is great and the cables are alot thicker than the normal lower end head phones.
They fit in ear via a suction so they stay in your ear pretty well.

 

[VR6ofpain]

Bose is overpriced crap (do a little research and you will find out it is all marketing). Don't waste your money.

A nice cheap seat of IEM (in ear monitors) are the Etymotic ER6i's. They offer excellent sound and fit on a budget (I picked them up from Amazon a while back for $50 shipped.
They now sell for ~$75.

You can also get a white version if you want it to match an iPod.

 

[fleshdunce]

i'm considering buying a pair of sennheiser cx 300 earphones from amazon for about $17. i always like to have 2 sets of earphones for when one suddenly breaks down. i mainly use them in the gym (which is 99.99% of the time). and i'm in there about 5 days a week for 90 minutes. and because i work up a huge sweat, the volume control has become corroded by the sweat.

i want good sound and wouldn't mind extras like bass boost and volume control, but i'm wondering if i should get the sennheiser or if i should opt for a cheaper brand that's been highly rated by amazon users. i go through headphones like shoes, about one pair every year. and it's always because a wire breaks and the sound shorts out. i can be rough on earphones.

what do you think?

I'd highly recommend the Sennheiser CX300's. I have a pair that sound and work great..and I have had them for a couple of years now. They also aren't too pricey and if you tend to break your earbuds it is definitely not worth getting something more expensive.

 

[withoutink]

Grado sr60i

The best headphones Ive ever bought under $100 dollars - period.

 

[s1mp13m4n]

Hello there. Here is what I would say take a serious look at....again value to me is the key and for the money...these headphones are very hard to beat. Remember I am in to quality not huge bass, metallic sound, or looks...I am in to sound quality.

ER-6
PX100
PortaPro

I love the Grado SR60's but they are home stereo geadphones, big and bulky. Not good for the gym. Stay away from anything Bose. It is masmarket over priced junk period.

Also do some looking @ Headroom I have been dealing with them for 15 years on and off. I know you are looking for headphones...but just so you know, I have two amps from Headroom and headphones is all they do, so chat with them, email them, ask their tech for advice as well. I hope this helps out a bit.

 

[dpm802]

Back in July, I opted for a pair of Sennheiser PX-200, a $70+tax+shipping pair of closed headphones ... I got it for about $44 shipped free from Amazon.

Prior to this, I was wearing $21 Sony headphones ... decent, but it lacked the "Oooooomph" I was looking for.

On a scale of 1~10, The PX-200 deserve about 8.5 for sound quality ... you have to fiddle with the head placement to find the "SweetSpot where all the music is. Prior to finding the SweetSpot, sound rated about a 6.

The main reason I chose this pair over the PX-100 (cheaper and better sound) is that the 200 has closed ear pieces. I wanted to seal out what was going on around me, whether at work, at the mall, at the library, at the supermarket. That's why I bought my Zune in the first place ... so I could insulate myself from the outside world.

They are extremely comfortable. I can wear them for hours with my Zune tucked into my pocket and go about my tasks.

They fold up for compact storage, but IMHO, this is a moot point. You can get a similar pair of Sennheiser phones that don't fold for $20 less.

There is some visible wear on one on the ear-cups. the leather cover is torn in a couple of places. I don't think a product should begin breaking down like this after just 3 months, but so it goes. The earpiece damage is strictly cosmetic and does not affect either the comfort or the sound.

All in all, a good value ... well worth the price and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another pair of Sennheisers.

 

[strat1117]

Grado sr60i

The best headphones Ive ever bought under $100 dollars - period.

These are great headphones for the $, but not apporpriate for wearing to the gym.