[TheEnigmaUK]

I bought a pair of headphones the other day and the cable was too long, 2 metres I think. What brand of headphones are really good, but also have a shorter cable?

Also, are beats by dre a rip off? I have head that Sennheiser HD 598 were really good, and the reviews for them are 4 1/2 stars out of 5.

I just want some I can plug into my mp3 player without the cable hanging out down to my knees.

[Gofre]

(Original post by TheEnigmaUK)
I bought a pair of headphones the other day and the cable was too long, 2 metres I think. What brand of headphones are really good, but also have a shorter cable?

Also, are beats by dre a rip off? I have head that Sennheiser HD 598 were really good, and the reviews for them are 4 1/2 stars out of 5.

I just want some I can plug into my mp3 player without the cable hanging out down to my knees.

The headphones with really long cables are almost usually open-back headphones designed for home and studio use, not for portability. Headphones with outdoor use in mind will typically have a shorter length.

Yes, Beats are a horrific rip off, don't go anywhere near them or any other celebrity fashion headphone. The 598s are a lovely set, but they are an open back design. This means isolation is virtually non-existent, meaning noise will leak in and out, so not something you should be buying for use out and about. The cable is also 3m long.

As for the best set of headphones for you, there are a few factors to consider;
-What's your budget?
-Where will you be using them?
-What music do you listen to?
-Would you prefer in-ear, on-ear, or over-ear?

If you can answer that I'll try and provide some suggestions (:

[simoncino]

(Original post by Gofre)
The headphones with really long cables are almost usually open-back headphones designed for home and studio use, not for portability. Headphones with outdoor use in mind will typically have a shorter length.

Yes, Beats are a horrific rip off, don't go anywhere near them or any other celebrity fashion headphone. The 598s are a lovely set, but they are an open back design. This means isolation is virtually non-existent, meaning noise will leak in and out, so not something you should be buying for use out and about. The cable is also 3m long.

As for the best set of headphones for you, there are a few factors to consider;
-What's your budget?
-Where will you be using them?
-What music do you listen to?
-Would you prefer in-ear, on-ear, or over-ear?

If you can answer that I'll try and provide some suggestions (:

Sorry to hijack this thread, but I was wondering if you had any recommendations for me :P

I previously had a pair of RHA CA-200's; and these were truly excellent. However I put them in my bag and one of the cup holders seems to have snapped off. I was going to simply buy another pair, but if you had any recommendations then I would be very interested!

- Basically, up to £100
- On train journeys, walking around town, airplane journeys
- Hip-Hop, RnB, Rock (Bass is essential)
- Over or on ear

Thanks

[TheEnigmaUK]

(Original post by Gofre)
The headphones with really long cables are almost usually open-back headphones designed for home and studio use, not for portability. Headphones with outdoor use in mind will typically have a shorter length.

Yes, Beats are a horrific rip off, don't go anywhere near them or any other celebrity fashion headphone. The 598s are a lovely set, but they are an open back design. This means isolation is virtually non-existent, meaning noise will leak in and out, so not something you should be buying for use out and about. The cable is also 3m long.

As for the best set of headphones for you, there are a few factors to consider;
-What's your budget?
-Where will you be using them?
-What music do you listen to?
-Would you prefer in-ear, on-ear, or over-ear?

If you can answer that I'll try and provide some suggestions (:

My budget is around £120-150.
I will be using them mainly when travelling, walking around town, going to work, mainly outdoor stuff.
I listen to Dancehall, hip hop, r'n'b that kind of thing.
I want over ear headphones

[Gofre]

(Original post by simoncino)
Basically, up to £100
- On train journeys, walking around town, airplane journeys
- Hip-Hop, RnB, Rock (Bass is essential)
- Over or on ear

Thanks

I'd go for either the Audio Technica ATH-WS55 or the Phillips Citiscape Downtown. The WS55's are what I use as my portable set at the moment, and sounds pretty great. Bass response is very nice, being big and upfront when it needs to be without leaking into the mids. However the Downtowns are a new headphone I haven't got to try, but they've been getting rave reviews for a sub $100 headphone from several audiophile sites. Either are a good shout for around the £60 mark. A final alternative, depending on how much bass you like, are the Sony MDR-XB700. Bass presence in these things is massive without compromising the upper frequencies too much, definitely one for the bass heads out there. However they're enormous (Take a look) and very odd looking, so that could be off-putting.

(Original post by TheEnigmaUK)
My budget is around £120-150.
I will be using them mainly when travelling, walking around town, going to work, mainly outdoor stuff.
I listen to Dancehall, hip hop, r'n'b that kind of thing.
I want over ear headphones

It has to be the Audio Technica ATH-M50, widely regarded as the best headphone in this price range by quite a margin. Cable length is technically 3 meters, however the majority of it is tightly coiled resulted in an "effective length" of the standard 4ft. Alternatively there's the ATH-Pro700 mk2, which bring a lot more bass (SOme reviews compare them to strapping sub-woofers to your head) at the cost of slightly recessed highs, meaning they won't perform as well in genres that you haven't mentioned like acoustic and rock music, but the cable is completely detachable and replaceable, giving you the option to find one at your ideal length. Both are great, I'd personally go for the M50 though [=

[simoncino]

(Original post by Gofre)
I'd go for either the Audio Technica ATH-WS55 or the Phillips Citiscape Downtown. The WS55's are what I use as my portable set at the moment, and sounds pretty great. Bass response is very nice, being big and upfront when it needs to be without leaking into the mids. However the Downtowns are a new headphone I haven't got to try, but they've been getting rave reviews for a sub $100 headphone from several audiophile sites. Either are a good shout for around the £60 mark. A final alternative, depending on how much bass you like, are the Sony MDR-XB700. Bass presence in these things is massive without compromising the upper frequencies too much, definitely one for the bass heads out there. However they're enormous (Take a look) and very odd looking, so that could be off-putting.

Thanks so much man. I was just wondering what your opinions were on the Sol Republic on ear headphones?

EDIT: Why the neg? lol

[h2shin]

maybe sync? wireless with optional cable?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/SYNC-By-Over...3191283&sr=8-1

[philistine]

I have some black Skullcandy headphones. The cable is quite short; not sure exactly how long, though it's perfectly okay to use out and about.

[Gofre]

(Original post by simoncino)
Thanks so much man. I was just wondering what your opinions were on the Sol Republic on ear headphones?

From what I've heard they've got the stereotypical "fashion headphone" sound signature, with gobs of bass but recessed mids and highs. I'd avoid them, personally.

(Original post by h2shin)
maybe sync? wireless with optional cable?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/SYNC-By-Over...3191283&sr=8-1

They're double his budget and are notorious for sounding worse than Beats, which is an achievement in itself.

[h2shin]

(Original post by Gofre)
From what I've heard they've got the stereotypical "fashion headphone" sound signature, with gobs of bass but recessed mids and highs. I'd avoid them, personally.



They're double his budget and are notorious for sounding worse than Beats, which is an achievement in itself.

haha.. didn't read enough to know he had a budget... I've been hearing good things about it though...

[Gofre]

(Original post by h2shin)
haha.. didn't read enough to know he had a budget... I've been hearing good things about it though...

Virtually every reputable source I've come across has really ripped into them, so I'd take positive reviews with a pinch of salt unless they're knowledgable.

[scherzi]

(Original post by Gofre)
It has to be the Audio Technica ATH-M50, widely regarded as the best headphone in this price range by quite a margin. Cable length is technically 3 meters, however the majority of it is tightly coiled resulted in an "effective length" of the standard 4ft. Alternatively there's the ATH-Pro700 mk2, which bring a lot more bass (SOme reviews compare them to strapping sub-woofers to your head) at the cost of slightly recessed highs, meaning they won't perform as well in genres that you haven't mentioned like acoustic and rock music, but the cable is completely detachable and replaceable, giving you the option to find one at your ideal length. Both are great, I'd personally go for the M50 though [=

M50s are great but I wouldn't use them outdoors, although OP might not mind the size/appearance. That said I can't think of any good alternatives, except maybe some Denons

[Stratos]

(Original post by Gofre)
I'd go for either the Audio Technica ATH-WS55 or the Phillips Citiscape Downtown. The WS55's are what I use as my portable set at the moment, and sounds pretty great. Bass response is very nice, being big and upfront when it needs to be without leaking into the mids. However the Downtowns are a new headphone I haven't got to try, but they've been getting rave reviews for a sub $100 headphone from several audiophile sites. Either are a good shout for around the £60 mark. A final alternative, depending on how much bass you like, are the Sony MDR-XB700. Bass presence in these things is massive without compromising the upper frequencies too much, definitely one for the bass heads out there. However they're enormous (Take a look) and very odd looking, so that could be off-putting.



It has to be the Audio Technica ATH-M50, widely regarded as the best headphone in this price range by quite a margin. Cable length is technically 3 meters, however the majority of it is tightly coiled resulted in an "effective length" of the standard 4ft. Alternatively there's the ATH-Pro700 mk2, which bring a lot more bass (SOme reviews compare them to strapping sub-woofers to your head) at the cost of slightly recessed highs, meaning they won't perform as well in genres that you haven't mentioned like acoustic and rock music, but the cable is completely detachable and replaceable, giving you the option to find one at your ideal length. Both are great, I'd personally go for the M50 though [=

I just got myself a downtown headphone, you better not be lying to me!

[Gofre]

(Original post by scherzi)
M50s are great but I wouldn't use them outdoors, although OP might not mind the size/appearance. That said I can't think of any good alternatives, except maybe some Denons

The M50s aren't that big or ugly, at least not compared to some of the monsters you see out. This is one of the many things Beats need to answer for, making aesthetics a larger consideration than audio for a lot of people =P

Although if the OP does want a more fashionable set, I would go for the V-Moda M80. They won't sound as good as the venerable M50s, but they're still meant to put out some pretty decent audio and certainly look the part.

(Original post by Stratos)
I just got myself a downtown headphone, you better not be lying to me!

Haha it's not me, I'm just the messenger! But seriously, they did win the "best in show" for lower end headphones at CES this year from the editors at audiophile sites headfi and inner fidelity, both of whom are pretty respected on the interwebs.

[Tokyoround]

(Original post by Gofre)
The M50s aren't that big or ugly, at least not compared to some of the monsters you see out. This is one of the many things Beats need to answer for, making aesthetics a larger consideration than audio for a lot of people =P

Although if the OP does want a more fashionable set, I would go for the V-Moda M80. They won't sound as good as the venerable M50s, but they're still meant to put out some pretty decent audio and certainly look the part.



Haha it's not me, I'm just the messenger! But seriously, they did win the "best in show" for lower end headphones at CES this year from the editors at audiophile sites headfi and inner fidelity, both of whom are pretty respected on the interwebs.

Not to hijack the thread but how are the Philips Uptowns compared to Downtowns? http://www.philips.co.uk/c/headphone...5905bk_10/prd/

Seems like they are over-ear as opposed to on-ear and a bit more comfy? I'd like a pair but I don't know much about headphones and my dad says Philips have poor build quality.

[James A]

whilst im at it, does anyone have a solution to long headphone cables?

[simoncino]

Thoughts on aiaiai TMA 1's?

[XO*]

(Original post by Gofre)
The headphones with really long cables are almost usually open-back headphones designed for home and studio use, not for portability. Headphones with outdoor use in mind will typically have a shorter length.

Yes, Beats are a horrific rip off, don't go anywhere near them or any other celebrity fashion headphone. The 598s are a lovely set, but they are an open back design. This means isolation is virtually non-existent, meaning noise will leak in and out, so not something you should be buying for use out and about. The cable is also 3m long.

As for the best set of headphones for you, there are a few factors to consider;
-What's your budget?
-Where will you be using them?
-What music do you listen to?
-Would you prefer in-ear, on-ear, or over-ear?

If you can answer that I'll try and provide some suggestions (:

I see you on every single headphone thread criticising beats. Have you actually listened to them, or are you just jumping on the bandwagon which consists of many people who can't afford them and are jealous (not saying thats you).

Yes they may be overpriced, but forgetting about the price ask any audiophile and they will tell you they're a good headphone for the rap/hip-hop genre.

[Gofre]

(Original post by Tokyoround)
Not to hijack the thread but how are the Philips Uptowns compared to Downtowns? http://www.philips.co.uk/c/headphone...5905bk_10/prd/

Seems like they are over-ear as opposed to on-ear and a bit more comfy? I'd like a pair but I don't know much about headphones and my dad says Philips have poor build quality.

I haven't heard much in regards to comparisons between the Uptown and Downtown, just that the entire line of Citiscape headphones got tons of praise from audiophiles at CES. One thing I did find while looking around is that the Editor-at-large at Head-Fi, arguably the biggest audiophile forum on the internet, is currently using them as his primary portable headphone. Considering he previously said he alternates between a £180 set of Sennheisers and a £230 set of Beyerdynamics, the fact that he finds a £60 pair good enough to use as his daily headphones is praise enough for a lot of people. I can't speak for Phillips' older products, but the new lines of headphones have been noted for great build quality (Although one of those lines were built from the ground up to be ridiculously sturdy), and the Downtowns are supposed to be very durable so I assume that follows into the over-ear variant (:

(Original post by simoncino)
Thoughts on aiaiai TMA 1's?

They're designed from the ground up to be a dedicated DJ headphone. For that they're great, for standard listening, not so much. They supposedly have a very exaggerated sound signature, with lots of bass while the higher frequencies roll off very early to emulate what crowds in a loud nightclub would be hearing. In short they don't make for a particularly good headphone for personal use, but then again they were never meant to be =P if that's the kind of design you're after then I'd recommend saving up a bit extra and going for the Sennheiser HD25-1 ii, they're an extremely popular portable headphone (Arguably the most popular) and sound incredible from the brief time I've had with them.

(Original post by James A)
whilst im at it, does anyone have a solution to long headphone cables?

What do you mean, like a way to use them on the go more comfortably?

[Tokyoround]

(Original post by Gofre)
I haven't heard much in regards to comparisons between the Uptown and Downtown, just that the entire line of Citiscape headphones got tons of praise from audiophiles at CES. One thing I did find while looking around is that the Editor-at-large at Head-Fi, arguably the biggest audiophile forum on the internet, is currently using them as his primary portable headphone. Considering he previously said he alternates between a £180 set of Sennheisers and a £230 set of Beyerdynamics, the fact that he finds a £60 pair good enough to use as his daily headphones is praise enough for a lot of people. I can't speak for Phillips' older products, but the new lines of headphones have been noted for great build quality (Although one of those lines were built from the ground up to be ridiculously sturdy), and the Downtowns are supposed to be very durable so I assume that follows into the over-ear variant (:

Think i'll take the plunge and get the Uptowns. I like their look and if the sound quality is as good as reviews say, should be a good purchase. Cheers bud