back to article Ten... on-ear headphones

Here we go again with another headphone roundup. This month we're looking at on-ear models, your everyday portable friends that cover the lugs and don't get coated in wax by sitting inside them. That could mean flat-panel heaphones, or ones with small cups that don't completely enclose the ears. These guys are generally built …

COMMENTS

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  1. JeffyPooh
    Pint

    Sony MDR-XB700

    3Hz low end. Three hertz. Three.

    And no, I've not measured it myself. And yes, I understand 'blah blah blah'.

    But the bass *is* amazing and incredible.

    On sale for Cdn$100 with free shipping. Y price MV.

    1. Milkfloat
      FAIL

      Not on ear

      This review is for on ear headphones the Sony MDR-XB700 are not.

    2. Some Beggar

      You might not be able to hear 3Hz

      but it'll give you a nice ear nibble to accompany the sultry vocals.

  2. Some Beggar
    Thumb Down

    At risk of banging the same old drum ...

    http://forums.reghardware.com/post/990522

    And no, I don't know which of these headphones will make the same old drum sound "warm" and "authoritative".

    1. Anton Ivanov
      FAIL

      Same here

      Do not see the point when a sub-20£ Maplin does a comparable job (posted on the same thread there).

      By the way - I do have <20hz - >20Khz hearing which most of the so called "audiophiles" do not.

  3. thecresta

    Where to buy the RHA SA-850

    Any ideas?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Badgers

    Baffling omission

    Slap bang in the middle of the price range here, sounding fantastic, sturdy, comfy as hell, light, and all parts replaceable as a spare are Sennheiser HD-25 II.

    Why are these not included? They are the overwhelming obvious choice. They sound great on a portable player, as well as being the current de facto cans for location sound reinforcement, monitoring booms and are even hugely popular in the DJ booth.

    Seriously, you include Skullcandy and Phailz By Dr. Dre, and not these? You strange people :D

  5. jai

    what's with all the can-love?

    there seems to have been a never-ending string of Headphone reviews.

    when will we get a decent earphone reviews? i don't want to walk around like a throwback to the 70s with big heavy cans on my head, i want some nice lightweight in-ear-phones that give reasonable sound and also the y shape lead that goes around the back of the neck (which seemed to be the only style available in the 90s) and not the Y style that seems to have come back into fashion despite it's prevelance for getting caught in thinks and pulling the 'phones sharply out of my ears

    1. Goat Jam
      FAIL

      "caught in thinks "

      <groans>

  6. dodge

    Terminology, guys, please

    As Some Beggar bangs on about, these reviews are close to useless as they only use subjective language. Please study up a little on audio. Something may sound "cystal clear on the high frequencies" because of non-linear distortion (some manufacturers even design for it, as it makes highs seem "brighter", good for the department store quick listen, but quickly gets fatiguing for longer listening).

    At the very lest get terminology right - a speaker or phone is not "louder" than another (which is a function of how much power you're putting into it), a driver is more or less "sensitive" than another (i.e. efficient at changing electrical energy into mechanical energy into accousitc energy), measured in dB/W/m

    1. Some Beggar
      Thumb Up

      I'm just replying here

      because the thumbs up on the 'like' button isn't big enough.

  7. bertino

    How about a review of bluetooth cans?

    I would like to purchase a set of cans that connect via bluetooth. Is it worth it sound quality wise? How long would the battery last? Easy to connect to mobile/PC/tablet or anything else with a bluetooth connnection....?

  8. Andy Farley
    Paris Hilton

    Umm...

    I thought lower impedance = less sound as less power is being dropped across the drivers. Although I guess that would imply the same amperage. And if the amperage isn't set, then it would change in relation to the impedance so wouldn't have an effect on volume.

    I'm very probably wrong, it's been a long time.

    Paris, because I'm now feeling a little thick.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Eeep... expensive stuff

    Some of these cans are in the same price range as the DT100 and DT250. Bet none of them are a) as easily repairable or b) practically bombproof.

    Though I will admit, you would look a right plonker on a train wearing them!

  10. b-a-r-k-i-n-g-m-a-d

    Sub £50 - really...?

    The review says you can get the Grado SR60i's for under £50 by shopping around - all the new ones I saw were more like £80-90?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      re: Sub £50 - really...?

      You're absolutely right, you can't.

      If you do a Google Shopping search, you'll get results showing that several retailers do them for under £50 - but click on these and you're taking to a product listing for cables. I suspect Mr Cox just did a Google search and took the results at face value.

  11. David Hicks
    FAIL

    I got as far as "oxygen-free headphone cable"

    Before laughing and skipping straight to the comments.

    Superstitious audiophile nonsense.

  12. Fading

    Waiting for the next best thing....

    Do any come with an inbuilt waveform generated for tinnitus nulling? Or did I just dream that....

  13. Richard Gadsden 1

    Any chance of a review of clip-ons?

    I can't wear in-ear headphones (not just the in-ear-canal ones, but the basic in-ear ones) but I'd rather not wear something with a headband either.

    My current headphones - Sony MDR-Q66 - are about to give up the ghost (the cord-retraction spring gives up eventually) and a review would be nice before I just go and buy the MDR-Q68s.

  14. Cliff

    Sennheiser HD202

    Do yourself a favour, have a look at the Sennheiser HD202 cans too - lightweight yet ballsy and just over twenty quid. Put it like this, in many edit suites they keep a stack of HD202's for everyone to use, not £100+ cans...

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