Headphones for an Ipod?

Chaps,
Any recommendations on a pair of cans for my Ipod, assuming that I have upto say £100.
I have a pair of MX500, but frankly they're not much better than the standard pair that came with the unit.
The only good side is that sound quality is so poor, that I can't tell the difference between heavily compressed files and the non-lossy version, meaning that I can squeeze more onto the hard drive.

 

Shure E2c, E3c, ETYmotic ER6

 

Can't fault the Sony's

Hiya there,
I have to say, having tried lots of different 'phones from Sennheiser and Shure on the 'Pod, and after it all I have ended up with a pair of Sony MDR-EX71's. I can't fault them, and I honestly don't think that you can get anything better sounding for under £100... and they are only £25, and you can get them in iPod white!

The Sennheisers and Shures seemed to have better build quality and look like they would last longer, but the Sony's are really light, sound great, and are cheap. If they die after a couple of years use (although mine have lasted well thus far), just buy some new ones...


The Moog

 

I'm quite content wih my Sennheiser PX 200's. Unless you fancy in-ear phones, I think anything more expensive is overkill.

 

Another vote for the Sony EX71s allthough if your budget is up to £100 it might be worth trying the Etymotic ER6s. They're also available in "Please rob me I've got an iPod" white

Ety's are very highly regarded allthough I've never tried a pair myself.

Michael.

 

I have a pair of ETYmotic Hi-Fi ear plugs and they certainly sound good. The silence is far better!

Nah seriously they are good, they don't effect the tonality of the sound but still cut the level down.

I haven’t tried the ETYmotic headphones but I have heard very good things about them from headphone fans.

 

I recently broke my old Sony 71 equivalents.Gutted. Listened to a mate's Shure E2c and decided to go for the Sony again. Haven't heard any of the better Shure or Etymotics though. Ultimate Ears product get good reviews as well.

 

Another vote for the PX200 - depends if you want in ear or not I guess
Donut

 

I've got a pair of Etymotic ER6's here,and would say that they don't suit the iPod well...a number of others have commented on the impedance mismatch between the iPod op-amp's requirements for a relatively high impedance and the lowish impedance of the ER6.

In any case,whilst the ER6 is a very good in-ear phone,and it works very well with some other portables I have,it requires the iPod's volume pretty well up,and distortion does set in quite early(not the ER6s...the iPod),and I now use a more expensive option...Stax SR001s which arent exactly as portable,but much better match and overall quality result.

For a good in-ear phone which matches well,the Shures should be a decent choice,in the lower-mid price bands.

 

Been using the Shure E2 and E4 with my Iriver to good effect. The E2 should come in well under budget. The "pushing against your brain" fitting isn't everyones cup of tea though.

 

I have compared Sure E2c (which I own) with Etymotics ER6 and found the E2C more balanced and musical and especially better suited to the iPod, because of its higher sensitivity. It has a less edged sound with fuller bass, but also less detail and 'air' then the ER6. You might want to consider the ER6i though, have not heard it...

Sennheiser PX100 I also compared with the E2c and it sounds more coloured. It also is an open back design, so you bother others more and you have to turn the volume up to counter any background noise, which puts strain on the iPod headphone amp, it's batteries and your ears... In-ears are the way to go!

 

Might be worth pointing out that the PX200 is a closed back design as opposed to the PX100 open backs.

 

I've got some Shure e3 jobs for my iPod and I don't really find them that comfortable. I also find it hard to keep them in place - even with the soft grey plugs which are the only ones that fit my apparently non-standard ears. The sound is a ton better than those provided by Apple though.

Also. Beware of wearing them when crossing the road. Some ambient spillage can save your life !

 

The fit of my E2c is VERY tight with the smallest rubber sleeves, but nit extremely comfortable (which in-ear is with the standard plugs, you need custom molds if you want real comfort). I find the foam sleeves less effective, which is contrary to what most people find.

 

I'm a dedicated foam bung man myself- very effective for my lugs.

 

Bang & Olufsen A8's - £95 or £80 if you happen to be flying with Virgin Atlantic any time soon!

Great sound quality and the over-the-ear bracket is ideal if you're like me and can't get ordinary in-ear jobs to stay in.

Leather carrying pouch is quite nice too.............

 

Try Westones

If you really want to push the boat out try the Westone in ear phones. I have the UM2 model which are sort of 95% of the sound quality of my Senheisser HD600's and that sort of quality from a portable set up is pretty remarkable! I paid 165 quid for these off e-bay. The UM1 which is the next model down is within your budget (new) but I have not listened to these myself.