Recommend me some earphones please!

[MitchT]

I’d like to upgrade my iPod earphones. Can anyone recommend something that sounds really great? One of my main gripes with ear/head phones is that you have to physically hold them in to get a decent amount of bass. Is there anything on the market that delivers great bass without the user having to do this?

I have no idea what budget to specify as I don’t really know what’s out there – I wouldn’t want to say £50 and as a result not be told about something that’s £75 but ten times better, so just let rip with the suggestions! I suppose I’m realistically looking at circa £100 tops, but I can stretch if there happens to be a huge jump in quality just above that price.

[Don1]

Go for the B&O ear phones. Cool, and a good sound.

[gingerpaul]

This is pretty subjective I think but what I will say is that my Shure se210 earphones are pretty good for the money. The trick, as with a lot of this style of earphones, is getting a good fit. Once you've got that sussed you're away. If you flick through the reviews on Amazon every other person will tell you they have poor bass. They don't, they've just not put them in properly. As a result you can't hear anything going on around you so it's worth considering if you want this or not.

[MitchT]

gingerpaul said:

The trick, as with a lot of this style of earphones, is getting a good fit.

I'm sure you're right... but how is a good fit achieved? Can anyone get a good fit on any 'phones by inserting them correctly, or do different 'phones suit different people? I can't see many retailers allowing me to unpack the things and shove them in my ears in the shop before I decide which to buy!

gingerpaul said:

As a result you can't hear anything going on around you so it's worth considering if you want this or not.

Not a problem. It's just for listening to my iPod when I'm sitting at my desk at work. I don't listen to them at all when I'm out and about as even relatively poor fitting 'phones make me feel too cut-off from my surroundings to feel totally safe.

Edited by MitchT on Wednesday 5th November 20:49

[gingerpaul]

My Shures came with 6 or 7 different pairs of ends so you'll get a good fit out of at least one of them. You have to try them all though. I've found the smallest rubber ones work when they're coming in and out regularly but if I'm on a long drive in the Dax then the small foam ones are the way to go because they're comfier. They're more of a pain in the arse to fit in the first place though because they're just like foam ear plugs.

[deevee]

MitchT said:

I’d like to upgrade my iPod earphones. Can anyone recommend something that sounds really great? One of my main gripes with ear/head phones is that you have to physically hold them in to get a decent amount of bass. Is there anything on the market that delivers great bass without the user having to do this?

I have no idea what budget to specify as I don’t really know what’s out there – I wouldn’t want to say £50 and as a result not be told about something that’s £75 but ten times better, so just let rip with the suggestions! I suppose I’m realistically looking at circa £100 tops, but I can stretch if there happens to be a huge jump in quality just above that price.

Mitch - You're right. The ipod earphones are a) st, and b) the most uncomfortable things you will ever put in your ears. (I don't know you, but am assuming no weird sexual/aural peccadillos!).

So, what you want is earbuds - the in-ear phones with the interchangeable soft rubber caps to ensure that you get a perfect fit. When you look into this, you can go for multiple options, from many manufacturers and spend any amount of money you like, up to £500 on a high-end set of Etymotics. Whilst you're undergoing this 'paralysis by analysis', get yourself a set of £25 Sennheiser CX300's to tide you over.

When you've heard them, ask yourself if you really need to spend any more of your hard-earned cash!

[MitchT]

gingerpaul said:

My Shures came with 6 or 7 different pairs of ends so you'll get a good fit out of at least one of them. You have to try them all though. I've found the smallest rubber ones work when they're coming in and out regularly but if I'm on a long drive in the Dax then the small foam ones are the way to go because they're comfier. They're more of a pain in the arse to fit in the first place though because they're just like foam ear plugs.

Cheers - I'll have a look at the Shures.

deevee said:

Mitch - You're right. The ipod earphones are a) st, and b) the most uncomfortable things you will ever put in your ears.

I wouldn't go quite that far - they don't sound too bad and they're reasonably secure and comfortable if you happen to have the little pads that stretch over the earphones - I have some left over from my first first gen. iPod which I use on my iPod touch earphones - otherwise they just fall straight out... but the pads are getting really stretched now and are past their best.

deevee said:

I don't know you, but am assuming no weird sexual/aural peccadillos!.

I don't even know what a peccadillo is! I'm picturing an Armadillo, but about the size of a Mouse!!

deevee said:

So, what you want is earbuds - the in-ear phones with the interchangeable soft rubber caps to ensure that you get a perfect fit. When you look into this, you can go for multiple options, from many manufacturers and spend any amount of money you like, up to £500 on a high-end set of Etymotics. Whilst you're undergoing this 'paralysis by analysis', get yourself a set of £25 Sennheiser CX300's to tide you over.

When you've heard them, ask yourself if you really need to spend any more of your hard-earned cash!

Thanks, that's interesting advice which I'll take with me along with gingerpaul's suggestion of Shures.

[Finlandia]

For £100 I would try to get a good deal on Shure SE310, or at cheaper try the Sennheiser CX95 or Ultimate Ears super fi 3.

All of these will blow any stock buds clean away.

[Thudd]

deevee said:

get yourself a set of £25 Sennheiser CX300's to tide you over.

£17 on Amazon.

[deevee]

MitchT said:

deevee said:

Mitch - You're right. The ipod earphones are a) st, and b) the most uncomfortable things you will ever put in your ears.

I wouldn't go quite that far - they don't sound too bad and they're reasonably secure and comfortable if you happen to have the little pads that stretch over the earphones - I have some left over from my first first gen. iPod which I use on my iPod touch earphones - otherwise they just fall straight out... but the pads are getting really stretched now and are past their best.

The problem with the ipod buds and their like is that they are round hard plastic, and you have to try and make them fit/stay in your ears as best you can using the foam covers. Main problem with this is comfort over extended periods and that fact that they don't provide an airtight fit, you lose out on all your bass frequencies (as you have noted, by having to hold them into your ears to get a decent sound out of them).

The Sures and Sennheisers et al are a different design that are designed to fit deeper in the ear - actually in the ear canal. You swap the latex end pieces to get the ones that fit the diameter of your own particulaer ear canal and, hey presto! The sound and comfort is in a totally different league to the ipod buds. Two things to consider though, you may be one of the people who doesn't like having things stuck relatively deeply into their ears! Advice here is to persevere. Secondly, as they will give you an air-tight fit, they also do a pretty good job of cutting you off from the outside world too. Fantastic for musical appreciation, but maybe not so good on safety grounds if you're planning to use them jogging/cycling etc.

MitchT said:

deevee said:

I don't know you, but am assuming no weird sexual/aural peccadillos!.

I don't even know what a peccadillo is! I'm picturing an Armadillo, but about the size of a Mouse!!

Thudd said:

deevee said:

get yourself a set of £25 Sennheiser CX300's to tide you over.

£17 on Amazon.

At that price, the Senn's are a real bargain! Don't spend a hundred quid if you don't need to!