• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Recommendations: Canal Headphones?

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Originally posted by: keeleysam
In that range, pick up the Shure E2Cs. The best price can usually be found on eBay.

Personally, I just went from the E4 to the E500 series, and wow, just wow.
I wouldn't recommend the E2C's at all - I felt they had no bass at all... I was just completely dissapointed listening to them and wouldn't bother to be honest.
 
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo

I was actually looking at Closed Supraaural options available out there. I haven't heard many of them and so I'm really looking for guidance as to what would be better than my E3C's. I've heard a lot about the AKG K81DJ's and certainly like the price point, but because of the fairly significant price gap between those at my E3C's, I'm wondering how they'll actually be.

I'm looking to sell my E3C's and move into something larger, not canal headphones.

Well, as far as closed supraaural goes, the K81DJ is probably one of the best sounding cans out there, especially in the bass department. There aren't very many good closed supraaural cans out there...hell there aren't even that many supraaural cans to begin with, aside from Grados. The only other headphone I can think of is the Sennheiser HD25-1, which has everything you need but I'm not really sure about the sound as I haven't heard it for myself (though I hear it has pretty good bass response). A friend of mine owns the K81, and from a bass standpoint those things are pretty damn nice and are a steal at ~$50.

Is there any reason you can't get a circumaural can?

Just be aware that you're not going to get isolation that's anywhere close to the E3C.
 
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
Originally posted by: keeleysam
In that range, pick up the Shure E2Cs. The best price can usually be found on eBay.

Personally, I just went from the E4 to the E500 series, and wow, just wow.
I wouldn't recommend the E2C's at all - I felt they had no bass at all... I was just completely dissapointed listening to them and wouldn't bother to be honest.

Yoww...if you thought the E2C's had no bass, you've definately got a very bass-heavy taste in sound...

Anyway, after reading your edit, I think you should really consider some circumaural cans - they are better than supraaural in comfort, isolation, and usually sound quality.

The specific cans I would recommend are the Beyerdynamic DT770 if you can handle full-sized cans - they are a staple in headphone history as one of the punchiest yet still-good-sounding closed cans you can get.
 
Originally posted by: Mrvile


Erm...if your ears can't handle regular earbuds, I don't know if canalphones or IEMs are for you...they definately do take some time to get used to, comfortable or not.

Well I can take earplugs(drum line, etc) and my roommate has some emtymonics and they look just like ear plugs and fit him pretty well, it is just that the solid regular earbuds don't fit my ears on the outerpart and since they are firm there is no ability to conform.
 
Originally posted by: Mrvile
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
Originally posted by: keeleysam
In that range, pick up the Shure E2Cs. The best price can usually be found on eBay.

Personally, I just went from the E4 to the E500 series, and wow, just wow.
I wouldn't recommend the E2C's at all - I felt they had no bass at all... I was just completely dissapointed listening to them and wouldn't bother to be honest.

Yoww...if you thought the E2C's had no bass, you've definately got a very bass-heavy taste in sound...

Anyway, after reading your edit, I think you should really consider some circumaural cans - they are better than supraaural in comfort, isolation, and usually sound quality.

The specific cans I would recommend are the Beyerdynamic DT770 if you can handle full-sized cans - they are a staple in headphone history as one of the punchiest yet still-good-sounding closed cans you can get.
Those look nice - wondering if I can hear them locally at all. I don't mind checking out circumaural sets at all actually, it's just that I had been looking around at the AKG's quite a bit and so that was what was in my head. You're right, circumaural has a lot more choices and I think I'm going to look into those.

How does isolation for something like the DT770's compare to E3C's?

Oh, and just for the record, I do like my bass 😀

Now, here's one more important factor I thought I'd throw out there - when I hear drums rolling or snare drums in a drum set being hit, I want it to be heard clearly almost like it's attacking me. This does not imply loud sound levels, but just that it's heard just as it would be in person. I feel my Paradigm's do this very well, but haven't had good luck with my limited experience in headphones so far searching for this. Maybe I should browse head-fi.org a bit more to see if I can demo some of this stuff a bit more before buying?

I know Chicago has some more selection and so I'll look around for stores there, I might have more luck there finding stores that carry what I'm looking for.
 
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
Those look nice - wondering if I can hear them locally at all. I don't mind checking out circumaural sets at all actually, it's just that I had been looking around at the AKG's quite a bit and so that was what was in my head. You're right, circumaural has a lot more choices and I think I'm going to look into those.

How does isolation for something like the DT770's compare to E3C's?

First thing's first, the DT770's are not going to isolate anything close to the E3C's. There really aren't any headphones out there that isolate as well as a canalphone or IEM would, it's just the nature of headphones. Being circumaural, they will isolate better than, say, K81's, but don't expect too much.

Guitar Center has DT770's on display and you can demo them, I don't know if you have any Guitar Centers out where you live but that's one place I know they'll have them.

If you do end up choosing them, you'll probably find out that there are many, many versions of the DT770 out right now. The one you want is the 2003 DT770 Pro 80ohm. It offers the best sound for the cheapest price. You'll have to fish around for these, Guitar Center has them for $200 but you could probably find them for cheaper. Add $50 and you can get the 2005 version, with a different headphone design but virtually the same sound.
 
While we're on the topic of DT770's and other circumaural sets, how does Bose get their $300 set of headphones to cancel noise so well?

Yes, I'm very uneducated in this area, however I believe I read that there is a different in isolation and cancelation. Do the DT770's and others compare to the Bose offerings in terms of cancelling/isolating noise or are those a completely different line of headphones?
 
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
Now, here's one more important factor I thought I'd throw out there - when I hear drums rolling or snare drums in a drum set being hit, I want it to be heard clearly almost like it's attacking me. This does not imply loud sound levels, but just that it's heard just as it would be in person. I feel my Paradigm's do this very well, but haven't had good luck with my limited experience in headphones so far searching for this. Maybe I should browse head-fi.org a bit more to see if I can demo some of this stuff a bit more before buying?

I know Chicago has some more selection and so I'll look around for stores there, I might have more luck there finding stores that carry what I'm looking for.

Jeez you're always adding something after you post...

What you're looking for is impact...bass for the lower drum sounds and treble for the snares and cymbals. I dunno if you know anything about frequency response graphs, but the DT770 has a "V-curve," meaning emphasis in the bass, recessed mids, and emphasis in the highs. This makes for a very forward, aggressive, and impactful sound with which you can really feel your music without having to turn it up too loud.
 
a friend of mine has those sennheiser's and they sound pretty good to me. About as good as my e2c's. I'm not an audiophile so i dont need anything over 100 and i had managed to get my e2c's for 60 bucks during a sale. I think they're a great bang for buck headphones if you're not obsessed about sound and feel the need to describe it with a thesaurus of ambiguous adjectives.

And if it means anything, my e2cs are giving out and these cx300s are my next purchase
 
In that price range, you can't go wrong with the Altec Lansing im716. It's said they use the same drivers as the Etymotic er4p, but it's not comfirmed though... I've heard they're the best canalphone you can get for the price range you're looking at though. If you're into cheap canalphones though, the JVC Marshmallows (can be found at walmart, their model number is the FX33) aren't bad at all. You might give it a shot, it's got good bass and might do what you want for under $20 🙂
 
Originally posted by: Mrvile
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
Now, here's one more important factor I thought I'd throw out there - when I hear drums rolling or snare drums in a drum set being hit, I want it to be heard clearly almost like it's attacking me. This does not imply loud sound levels, but just that it's heard just as it would be in person. I feel my Paradigm's do this very well, but haven't had good luck with my limited experience in headphones so far searching for this. Maybe I should browse head-fi.org a bit more to see if I can demo some of this stuff a bit more before buying?

I know Chicago has some more selection and so I'll look around for stores there, I might have more luck there finding stores that carry what I'm looking for.

Jeez you're always adding something after you post...

What you're looking for is impact...bass for the lower drum sounds and treble for the snares and cymbals. I dunno if you know anything about frequency response graphs, but the DT770 has a "V-curve," meaning emphasis in the bass, recessed mids, and emphasis in the highs. This makes for a very forward, aggressive, and impactful sound with which you can really feel your music without having to turn it up too loud.
Hehe, sorry about bugging you 😉

Where can I read more about frequency response graphs? Only ones I've really looked at somewhat closely are for subwoofers, which honestly wasn't that much in itself. Most of my decisions to this point have been based on demoing products in my local area. The subwoofer was the only part I did not compare much and just went with SVS because of their excellent reputation.

Again, sorry if I sound new to all this, is head-fi where I should be reading?
 
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
While we're on the topic of DT770's and other circumaural sets, how does Bose get their $300 set of headphones to cancel noise so well?

Yes, I'm very uneducated in this area, however I believe I read that there is a different in isolation and cancelation. Do the DT770's and others compare to the Bose offerings in terms of cancelling/isolating noise or are those a completely different line of headphones?

Bose's headphones like the QuietComfort are driven by a battery operated sound-attenuator, which basically adds an "anti-sound-hum" that physically cancels out soundwaves. I'm actually just making stuff up, but it's pretty much the concept. I don't know if you've ever heard active noise cancelling phones before, but there is always a slight hum when you have the noise cancelling on. I personally hate this (most people find it annoying) and thus need noise isolating phones instead of noise cancelling.

Plus, Bose sound quality sucks for the premiums they charge.
 
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
Hehe, sorry about bugging you 😉

Where can I read more about frequency response graphs? Only ones I've really looked at somewhat closely are for subwoofers, which honestly wasn't that much in itself. Most of my decisions to this point have been based on demoing products in my local area. The subwoofer was the only part I did not compare much and just went with SVS because of their excellent reputation.

Again, sorry if I sound new to all this, is head-fi where I should be reading?

If you really want to get into this, check out Head-Fi and look around. There are a lot of knowledgeable people there, which also means that there is a ton of technical crap, so take your time learning.

There are also some sites I use for reference...namely http://www.headphone.com and http://www.headphonereviews.org - along with Head-Fi, of course.

Headphone.com (named HeadRoom) has FRG's and other technical specs for most of the cans they sell.

Watch out though, headphone audio is a very fickle beast who is always very hungry for more money.
 
Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
I think at this point I am narrowing it down to the Sennheiser CX300s and the Altec Lansing IM716s.

wow the im716s are quite a bit pricier
 
Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Originally posted by: EngenZerO
i like my e2cs

Reading the reviews on Amazon, many put the Sennheisers at the same level or better than the Shure E2Cs for half the price.

check out headfi.org... nevertheless, i would still opt for e2cs...

i have owned e2cs for over 2 years now and they still rock...

also, i love the warranty... i destroyed a pair last year and i sent them in and they sent me a brand new pair no questions asked...
 
Originally posted by: Mo0o
Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
I think at this point I am narrowing it down to the Sennheiser CX300s and the Altec Lansing IM716s.

wow the im716s are quite a bit pricier

They didnt use to be 🙁

I bought mine from amazon @ 65$
 
Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: Mo0o
Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
I think at this point I am narrowing it down to the Sennheiser CX300s and the Altec Lansing IM716s.

wow the im716s are quite a bit pricier

They didnt use to be 🙁

I bought mine from amazon @ 65$

those headphone seem a little scary, like i could scratch my brain if i pushed them in just a little more
 
Originally posted by: Mo0o
Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: Mo0o
Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
I think at this point I am narrowing it down to the Sennheiser CX300s and the Altec Lansing IM716s.

wow the im716s are quite a bit pricier

They didnt use to be 🙁

I bought mine from amazon @ 65$

those headphone seem a little scary, like i could scratch my brain if i pushed them in just a little more

😀

Triflanges are fun like that.

Actually they come with a few different tips, including foamies, plus you can cut the triflanges down to biflanges if you need to.

GTaudiophile, I would go for the IM716. Its sound quality is definately on a higher level than both the CX300 and the E2C. It comes with a "bass" and "hifi" switch which makes the sound much bassier or much more analytical, respectively. It's like having two phones in one! 😛
 
Back
Top