Spec me some headphones

joeyjojo

joeyjojo

joeyjojo

Soldato
Joined
2 Dec 2005
Posts
5,513
Location
Herts
Hello SC,

I've been given the task of finding some headphones for a friend. They need to be

- Good value (cheap)
- Closed
- Circum/supra-aural (I wasn't familiar with these terms - basically over- or on-ear)
- Suitable for jogging (lightweight)
- Suitable for use with portable device eg. ipod

Cheers :)
 
Goldring NS1000s from Superfi (definitely not Play!), at £60 you won't find anything better, infact anything under £100 won't touch it. Just keep a stock of AAA batteries or buy an E5 headphone amp; these headphones really need amping otherwise they sound a distorted mess.

I have to say though as a headphone user, the NS1000s are light enough to get away with some activities but I haven't yet found a pair of headphones which I can use for jogging, here IEMs really are king I'm afraid.
 
NS1000 (goldring) as above said, from superfi, mine work perfectly.....when I replace the battery :p

they have a nice feel to them as well, I don't think they are made badly at all.
 
Thanks guys - those goldrings seem to be all the rage.

They are out of her budget though - is there something cheaper? Say < £30.
 
+1 for the Porta Pros.

How anyone could shout NS1000 after the guy listed out his requirement is beyond me. Everytime someone wants headphones all you see is NS1000 a million squillion times.
 
Oh - the PX100 and Porta Pro aren't closed, that would be the only issue. At any given price point though, you're generally going to get worse sound quality from a closed headphone than an equivalently priced open or semi-open design.
 
PX100's are great, but are open. PX200's would be a better buy being closed, although they aren't as good as the PX100's. I think they are very hard to find now they have been superseded by the mark II's. The PX200 II's are a definite improvement, but are not cheap, at £40 or so. Shame really, they'd be a great buy if they were £25-£30.

Porta Pro's are also superb, and a steal really at what they cost. Being open, maybe not the best choice for outdoor use.
 
Thanks chaps. The porta pro did come to mind as I know a friend has them - thanks for identifying them for me.

Sorry again for being unclear on budget and open/closed. I personally use Sennheiser 595s and 600s, which really are open, and I know she doesn't want anything that leaky!

Marsman - you're suggesting the porta pro aren't suitable for outdoor use?
 
Sweeping statements such as "there's nothing better under £100" are a bit ridiculous. Blatant NS1000 fanboyism around here!

Because its for a girl, I recommend the ATH-FC700. Yeah, they are over budget slightly (£50) but they come in pink. :p
 
Last edited:
joeyjojo said:
Marsman - you're suggesting the porta pro aren't suitable for outdoor use?
Click to expand...

Only because they are open. It's not that they can't be used outside, but if in areas where there is a lot of noise, the listener wont be doing much listening. Not to music anyway.
 
Shamrock said:
Sweeping statements such as "there's nothing better under £100" are a bit ridiculous.
Click to expand...

Prove me wrong.

Seriously for under £100 you won't beat them, I had to buy some Beyer DT770s to best their quality and even then not everyone thinks they are worth the extra. There is a reason why the NS1000s are recommended time and again on here.
 
I don't have to prove you wrong. Your statement implies you've heard every headphone under £100 and that everybody has the same preference in sound signature to you.

I don't have a problem with people recommending the NS1000 based on their positive experiences with it, but forming subjective opinions on headphones you haven't heard is just silly.

Anyway, this is off-topic.
 
Personally I hated the NS1000's when I had a pair and dumped them within a month of owning them.

Also the NS1000 are certainly not lightweight and I can't imagine anyone going running while using them :/
 
Compared to most headphones I've used the NS1000s were light, but I agree I couldn't imagine running with them, but I mentioned above I couldn't imagine doing any serious activity with any cans, hiking is fine but too much movement makes my head feel 50kg heavier...
 
Fubsy said:
Personally I hated the NS1000's when I had a pair and dumped them within a month of owning them.
Click to expand...

+1

after all the recommendations on here i got some but i did not like the sound of the ns1000 at all, i replaced them with the sennheiser hd238 and now much happier with my choice :)
 
Senn HD25-II. Don't leak at all, great sound isolation and very robust, don't need an amp to sound great.

I havent heard the cheaper SP variant but some second hand one will probably be in the price range.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom