very good thread.

fwiw, i've owned the Westone UM-1 for a couple years now and love them. i like the UM-2 more but i'd rather spend $300 on other things.

interesting thing about the UM-1 is that all the non-audiophile people that have tried out my pair fall in love with them: siblings, relatives, friends.

so definitely check them out if you haven't yet. the UM-2 are better in the bass department.

At what price range for in-ear brands like Sennheiser and Etymonics does improvement in quality loss stop making much of a difference on a laptop w/typical onboard sound (Conexant HD audio card)? Basically, just using it to listen to music (FLAC/WAV/320kbps quality) and some video editing...

Same question for 320kbps music on MP3 player/iPod?

How much of a difference is there between sound quality between the various MP3 players? Is there a particular brand you guys recommend?

HiFiMAN

...in the <$100 range

keep in mind I am no expert but here is my 2c:

I would think that in most cases it wouldn't make a difference, but I suppose in theory the TV circuit could add some 'noise' to the signal that you could hear. If your amp has line outs you could run from the DVD player to the amp then out to TV.

You could try DVD-->AMP-->TV, DVD-->TV-->AMP and see if you can tell a difference either in the headphone sound or the sound from the TV, though I doubt the headphone amp would be polluting the signal.

Could someone please point me in the right direction for noise-cancelling headphones to use with an ipod? I just want something in the $100-$200 price range to use at the casino.

FYI! (I've ordered from there before and had a good experience.)

SoundEarphones
Dont forget about our Super Bowl Savings Sale! Use 15SB to receive 15% off your order. http://*******/aVT4pR

I am about to now move on to my 4th pair of se530s (a loose connection at the jack again)

do shure keep doing unlimited warranties ?

my friend has the 800's. didnt get a chance to listen w/ them much but from the little i did theyre really sick

Picked up some 595's and am really enjoying them. Does anyone have any opinions on Dolby Headphone? It's time for me to upgrade to the new HD audio codecs and I want this feature but it will cost a little extra to get a receiver that has it (was looking at the Marantz sr5004). I'm wondering if it's worth it?

I also had a pair of Audio Technica ATH-ANC7 Headphones. I liked them until the plastic headband cracked. Audio Technica does not repair broken plastic after warranty, which is only a year.

They were nice while they lasted, but I won't buy their next generation. Probably go with Bose.

I bought the QC15s on my trip to US, and they're awesome compared to <$50 headphones that me and my non-audio friends have ever used. I'm surprised at the quality difference and how noticeable it all is.

Quick headphones trip report:

I just bought the Sennheiser PXC 350 noise cancelling headphones off amazon for 170 bucks. I already own the Bose QC3s and was pretty disappointed with them: the noise canceling was great, but overall sound quality was muffled and distant. Also, the headphones would not work if the battery ran out or you leave it in the charger like I tend to do. Stupid design and bad sound.

I just did a side-by-side comparison and it is not even close: the sennheisers sound phenomenal. There is a difference in EQ between active and passive mode (battery on or off), but either option is miles ahead of the QC3s. I need to try them on an airplane, but they perfectly eliminated the ambient noise in my backyard. I haven't worn them for long periods of time, but they seem comfortable.

Hope this helps, and if you have any other questions, I'll try to answer them.

Hey audiophiles. I'm looking for a pair of headphones for running and traveling. Comfort, and construction are most important but I'm a music college grad so I'm pretty particular about sound. My price range is around 200. I prefer large over ear and have never found in ear that I liked.

I've owned bose noise canceling over ear and found the construction to be ****. I don't think grado 225 will be comfortable or good for running.

I run everyday and take a few long trips a year. What is everyones thought?

I have read the thread and done some research but not found the answer.

Oh, and has anyone tried bone conduction headphones? Reviews for my purposes?

sennheiser px 100-ii

probably shouldn't listen to them on an airplane though as they are open and others will be able to hear your music. it's far below your 200 price range as well, sub 100 actually.

you could try an iem but i wouldn't as just about every iem has microphonics, meaning if the cord gets bumped while u run u can hear it in the phone.

i'm also seeking the perfect running phone and have yet to find it. the px 100 is highly recommended pretty much everywhere as a great portable phone, and comfortable too. try it it out, that's the only way to know.

want to get new earbuds, is the consensus pretty much SE530s?

Ok, after reading through this thread I've purchased some ear buds already, but now am curious what my options are for a headphone amplifier. I'm not looking to spend a ton, and hope to use it with my ipod and laptop.

Just ran into this thread and figured I would recommend some for running/gym stuff. These work amazing for that purpose- http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-J10-H...5712014&sr=1-7

The sound quality probably sucks (what do I know) and they aren't the most comfortable, but they're only $10 and they never ever fall out. And I know over-earphones typically look dorky, but these don't look half bad.

I'm hearing good thing about "Beats" by Dre. I listen to Techno/House and Rap mostly so Bass is going to really important to me but I also want good sound quality.

Are there any cheaper, but better or roughly the same quality headphones?

Yeah they pwn. My brother had them and I thought they were definitely better than my ER-4P. If you want to go higher end get the custom-molded JH-13, which is an IEM.

Denon AH-D2000

Which ear buds do you have? Depending on that, an amp may not make much of a difference. A lot of people like Pico's, and there's a new model being released for some $349 pre-order or $399 regular: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f38/he...quests-459464/

Has anyone heard heath and allen xd 53?

These are more expensive than Beats by Dre..

and i guess you have to buy a special soundcard too? i have no idea which one i have now, but i had a custom one build in for like 100-150e 1.5 years back. So its not onboard. Kinda ssucks to buy an expensive headphone and not being able to enjoy it fully