dear lazyweb: headphone recommendations

[rwx]

Hey Folks,

So, I'm doing a bunch of work over the next several months in a relatively loud environment compared to most of the places that I've worked in the last 10 years or so. I've got an ipod and a pbook that are both full of mp3s, but I need a good pair of headphones to go with them.

Any recommendations for headphones? The key things for me is:
1) they should do a good job o blocking environmental noise
2) i have a really big head
3) they should be of somewhat high quality. I have good, but somewhat damaged hearing. I like to play music at a low volume, so I can hear the details better.

Comments

[springstreet.livejournal.com]

I'm going to send a link to this post on to Garth. I'm sure he will have advice.

[springstreet.livejournal.com]

And he says ...

"Sony 7506. Or better yet, go to the accordion store and try a bunch out.
Sennheisers are supposed to be really good."

The accordion store is Petosa, on 45th just on the Wallingford side of I-5. They have more than just accordions, and I guess they also have very good customer service.

[rwx.livejournal.com]

Or is it just that an accordion store is a good place to check out noise dampening qualities?

[dwenius.livejournal.com]

< a href="http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-manufacturer/etymotic-research/etymotic-er-6.php">Etymotic ER-6.

These are "in ear canal" headphones. The really big head part doesn't matter. They also block more than 20 dB of environmental noise. You can score ER-6s on a well known auction site for just under $100, shipped. They are better in almost every way than, for example, the Bose noise-cancelling cans that you see all the hype about, at 2/5 the price.

[tanjent.livejournal.com]

I have a pair of the ER4s that I used to use for work a few years back - I don't recommend them. They do block lots of noise, but inserting and removing them multiple times a day left my ears sore.

I've been using these for about 3 years now -

http://www.headphone.com/products/headphones/all-headphones/beyerdynamic-dt-25080.php

I wear them every day for hours at a time, and they still look like new. Good sound, fairly good noise blocking, very comfortable. The cord was the only slightly annoying thing about them (coiled cord connected to a big plug on the left earpiece) but I've gotten used to that - I love them to death.

-tanjent

[tanjent.livejournal.com]

Oh, I run them off a Total Bithead, which is rather pricey but awesome.

If you're looking for a cheaper option, the Headroom guys seem to like the Sennheiser HD 202, and I trust their judgement.

-tanjent

[wisn.livejournal.com]

I've never heard anybody complain about Etymotics' noise dampening or sound quality, but some have a problem with their fit -- even the more expensive custom-mould models -- so it's probably worth borrowing a pair or finding a dealer who'll accept returns.

I have experience with a few good headphones, but none of 'em have more than minimal noise-reduction quality, so instead of recommendations I'll note that Grados are really nice but are entirely unlike what you're looking for.

[rwx.livejournal.com]

do you have any recommendations for outside of the eardrum earphones? i've got a partially blocked ear canal on one side, so i suspect i might have trouble with these.

[wisn.livejournal.com]

Bose stores and some third-party stores (Brookstone, for example) have demo kiosks where you can toggle the Bose 'phones noise-canceler on and off to compare. I found the effect non-subtle and the 'phones were pretty comfortable. Personally, I like boomy headphones to compensate for the lack of physical bass, so these are fine by me, even though they're just OK rather than great in terms of sound quality. Bose started in the headphone business making noise-cancelation headsets and helmet inserts for aviation, and they strike me as having a better idea of what they're doing than most companies.

And all this talk reminds me of Arthur C. Clarke's "Silence Please", a short story about the tragic consequences of suppressing sound energy.

[omarius.livejournal.com]

I've heard folks (Neil Gaiman is one) brag a lot on how wondemous those Bose noise-reduction headphones are. NG was especially pleased with how well they cancel the noise of flying on an airplane.

I cannot speak from personal experience as I've never owned a pair of headphones worth more than $25.

[kbuxton.livejournal.com]

My dad bought some awhile back for airplanes (and airports) and loves them. I'm not sure exactly which model though.