Audiophiles Unite!

[karsonwithak]

Looking to move to a new set of headphones and I have been using the Sony MDR 700's for years. I doubt they are the best audio quality but I love that they cover my entire ear, the cord stretches (in case I step on it) and they are very light. Thinking about moving to the Bose Ear Buds. Obviously, I wear them about 40 hours a week at the station and I would also like them to work as headphones for my iPhone.

Guess I want my cake and to eat it as well.  (The smiley's are back?!)

Thoughts?

[newsbot]

Probably your best bet would be to head over to Headphone Reviews or Head-Fi.org for this question.  The thing about the MDR-700 are that they have exaggerated bass response as they were designed to be used in clubs.  Personally I have stuck with the industry standard MDR-V6 though the ear pads tend to disintegrate over time.  Fortunately replacement pads are fairly cheap.  Also, some wearers have comfort issues with these 'phones.  Beware the MDR-V600, which is definitely NOT equivalent to the V6.

[karsonwithak]

Yeah, before radio I was a club DJ and the Sony's were pretty standard so I guess they just moved with me into the on-air studio. Thanks for the links.

[NHRadio]

I just bought the Bose Quiet Comfort 15's and love them. Cord is a tad flimsy but easily replacable. A tad bass heavy but very good.

[Signpost]

Sony's "Professional" headphones are fine when they work.    I usually get about a year before the flimsy connector craps øut on me.

BTW Karson - since you're calling on us audiophiles - can you get your engineers to pull back on the fatiguing processing on your station?     It makes it very difficult to enjoy the music on Mix 1041.      The processing on that frequency was perfect before the switch.

[LA_Guy]

The Grado SR-60 is BY FAR the best sounding headphone available under 100 dollars-and you can make them sound even better by cutting a hole right on the center of the earpads the size of a quarter.

[bigtom101]

Looking to move to a new set of headphones and I have been using the Sony MDR 700's for years. I doubt they are the best audio quality but I love that they cover my entire ear, the cord stretches (in case I step on it) and they are very light. Thinking about moving to the Bose Ear Buds. Obviously, I wear them about 40 hours a week at the station and I would also like them to work as headphones for my iPhone.

Guess I want my cake and to eat it as well.  (The smiley's are back?!)

Thoughts?

Get the MDR-7506 for in studio - and whatever comfy earbuds you like for the iPhone. The iPhone won't have enough juice to drive a good set of headphones - plus with it playing back compressed audio, it doesn't matter.

Bose headphones are decent, but not for the pricetag IMHO.

[Tom Wells]

I have the same Sony MDR V6 phones I bought maybe 20 years ago. 
Had to change out the plug 5 years ago, repair the "yoke" on the left side where I cracked it, and yes, the pads are
getting  ratty. I'll have to order some if they are available.  I've yet to hear another set of phones which have
such a natural and pleasing response.  I remember thinking they were too expensive at the time, but they are responsible
for for my good opinion about Sony, and probably why I bought a Sony LCD TV last year.
I've seen that there are some other Sonys that look about the same, but did not realize that they are "bass heavy" or
otherwise not the same in response.

If I were going to buy something other than regular 'phones, I might try the Shure ear buds. They are expensive enough to
sound good, but I still have my doubts that they can be rugged enough to last more than a year.

As long as we're talking phones, how bout them old Koss phones  in the 70's that weighed about 4 pounds?
For all the magnet they must have had in 'em, they sure didn't sound very good.
They had very wide frequency response, but somehow made everything sound weak and thin.

[carmen]

yeah MDRv6 still too. bought em @ J&R in nyc about 12 years ago

[carmen]

b&h has the pads - beyer makes them