5 ms·

Ask HN: Best headphones?

4 points by martian 16y ago

Headphones are a hacker staple. What do you use? (I'm in the market for a new pair)

jawngee 16y ago
Bowers & Wilkins P5's. Absolutely beautiful. Best headphones I've ever owned. http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/display.aspx?infid=4571 http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/display.aspx?infid=4571
bjg 16y ago
I have some Grado 225's that I've had for the past 2 years. They sound amazing, slightly expensive, but they will last forever if you take care of them. http://www.gradolabs.com/product_pages/sr225.htm http://www.gradolabs.com/product_pages/sr225.htm
- _delirium 16y ago
  For a lower price range, the Grado line is also a good choice imo: the 60s aren't quite as good as the 225s, but great for an $80 headphone. (However, none of the Grado line is particularly good for an office setting, unless you have a real office with a door and such, since they're open-backed.)
  - prodigal_erik 16y ago
    How long can you wear them? I've thought about some model of Grado for home, but I've heard they can be uncomfortable.
    - _delirium 16y ago
      They initially bothered me due to the fairly strong pressure from the headband, but it got a bit less tight over time (you can leave the headphones held open around a box or something to speed that up). Now I find them pretty comfortable.
andrewf 16y ago
I'm very happy with my ATH-A900's. http://headphones.com.au/psingle?productID=143 http://headphones.com.au/psingle?productID=143 Different people want different things out of headphones. What was important to me was good isolation (I can't hear my officemates, and they can't hear my music) and sound quality. I didn't really care about portability. I find circumaural (Princess Leia-sized pieces that fit entirely around your ears) most comfortable.
grinich 16y ago
I really like the Beyerdynamic DT 880 PROs. Semi-open, good clear bass, and very crisp highs.
grinich 16y ago
What kind of music do you listen to?
d0m 16y ago
http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-audio/cat-headphones/product-MDR7509HD/ http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-audio/cat-headphones/produc... <-- having tried a lot of headphones, this one is really the best I know.
there 16y ago
cheapies: sennheiser 238 - http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/home_en.nsf/root/private_headphones_hifi_wired-headphones_502763 http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/home_en.nsf/root/privat... at the desk: sennheiser 280 (i really wish they didn't have a coiled cable) - http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/home_en.nsf/root/private_headphones_dj-headphones-hd-280-pro?Open&path=private_headphones_dj-headphones http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/home_en.nsf/root/privat... on the bike/plane/train: etymotic er-6i - http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6i.aspx http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6i.aspx i recommend headroom for buying/research (http://headphone.com/ http://headphone.com/). they review most of their products and will tell you which ones are junk (even ones they sell) and which aren't worth the high price tag.
- prodigal_erik 16y ago
  I also like the Sennheiser 280. Very comfortable, great at blocking out conversations (which electronic noise reduction doesn't), amazing sound compared to the junk I used to wear. A lot of brittle plastic in the headband, but even so mine are only now starting to crack after quite a few years' heavy use (and one of my coworkers has duct-taped the hell out of his).
- edlucas 16y ago
  I love using the HD280s at work. They replaced a pair of Sony headphones which stopped emitting audio when the active noise-cancellation circuitry died. The Sennheisers block more of the mid and high level conversation noise (32db attenuation) and sound much better. Additionally, since they are "pro DJ" headphones, Sennheiser offers replacement cords and earcups.
_delirium 16y ago
For opinions from an audiophile-leaning perspective, you might look through the head-fi recommendations thread: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/recommendations-best-headphones-market-new-old-13417/ http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/recommendations-best-headph...
newobj 16y ago
Assuming you're a normal person and don't want to spend more than $100 on headphones, your best bet is the Grado SR60's.
fmw 16y ago
In the last three years I've bought two pairs of headphones. Sennheiser PC 350 as a headset and Sennheiser HD 650 for regular use. I wouldn't go for budget headphones if you can avoid it. If you use them as much as I do getting a high quality product constructed from solid materials is worth every penny. If you compare the cost of a good pair of headphones to that of speakers on a similar level they are a bargain anyway. On the cheap end the Koss PortaPro is a classic. Literally, as they have been around since 1984. If you're looking for in-ear phones Shure is getting pretty good reviews. If you're like me and don't want to spend over $1,000 on something really spectacular your best bet is comparing some reviews of products like the Sennheiser HD 650, the Beyerdynamic DT 880 and similarly priced models from AKG and Grado. I'm no audiophile, so for me a large part of the decision was how the products looked and if they seemed comfortable. The construction and materials mattered to me as well. I'm clumsy and drop them on the floor a few times a day. My headphones have survived the ill treatment I've given them for several years now, so I must admit I'm pretty happy with them. If you're going to buy something over $100 you should read reviews to find out what works best for the sort of things you want to listen to. Different headphones are better for different kinds of sound. The ones I use don't have the best reviews for classical music, for example. Classical music sounds pretty great on them to my untrained ear, but if that is your favorite kind of music there are better options out there. Obviously, your input system matters as well. A really high-end product is a waste of money if you're going to listen to MP3's. The hardware is really important as well, so models that cost more than a few hundred dollars are probably going to cost you much more than that if you want to get an audio system that does justice to them.

4 points by martian 16y ago

Headphones are a hacker staple. What do you use? (I'm in the market for a new pair)

Bowers & Wilkins P5's. Absolutely beautiful. Best headphones I've ever owned. http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/display.aspx?infid=4571 http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/display.aspx?infid=4571

bjg 16y ago

I have some Grado 225's that I've had for the past 2 years. They sound amazing, slightly expensive, but they will last forever if you take care of them. http://www.gradolabs.com/product_pages/sr225.htm http://www.gradolabs.com/product_pages/sr225.htm

_delirium 16y ago
For a lower price range, the Grado line is also a good choice imo: the 60s aren't quite as good as the 225s, but great for an $80 headphone. (However, none of the Grado line is particularly good for an office setting, unless you have a real office with a door and such, since they're open-backed.)
- prodigal_erik 16y ago
  How long can you wear them? I've thought about some model of Grado for home, but I've heard they can be uncomfortable.
  - _delirium 16y ago
    They initially bothered me due to the fairly strong pressure from the headband, but it got a bit less tight over time (you can leave the headphones held open around a box or something to speed that up). Now I find them pretty comfortable.

andrewf 16y ago

I'm very happy with my ATH-A900's. http://headphones.com.au/psingle?productID=143 http://headphones.com.au/psingle?productID=143 Different people want different things out of headphones. What was important to me was good isolation (I can't hear my officemates, and they can't hear my music) and sound quality. I didn't really care about portability. I find circumaural (Princess Leia-sized pieces that fit entirely around your ears) most comfortable.

grinich 16y ago

I really like the Beyerdynamic DT 880 PROs. Semi-open, good clear bass, and very crisp highs.

grinich 16y ago

What kind of music do you listen to?

d0m 16y ago

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-audio/cat-headphones/product-MDR7509HD/ http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-audio/cat-headphones/produc... <-- having tried a lot of headphones, this one is really the best I know.

there 16y ago

cheapies: sennheiser 238 - http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/home_en.nsf/root/private_headphones_hifi_wired-headphones_502763 http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/home_en.nsf/root/privat... at the desk: sennheiser 280 (i really wish they didn't have a coiled cable) - http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/home_en.nsf/root/private_headphones_dj-headphones-hd-280-pro?Open&path=private_headphones_dj-headphones http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/home_en.nsf/root/privat... on the bike/plane/train: etymotic er-6i - http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6i.aspx http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6i.aspx i recommend headroom for buying/research (http://headphone.com/ http://headphone.com/). they review most of their products and will tell you which ones are junk (even ones they sell) and which aren't worth the high price tag.

prodigal_erik 16y ago
I also like the Sennheiser 280. Very comfortable, great at blocking out conversations (which electronic noise reduction doesn't), amazing sound compared to the junk I used to wear. A lot of brittle plastic in the headband, but even so mine are only now starting to crack after quite a few years' heavy use (and one of my coworkers has duct-taped the hell out of his).
edlucas 16y ago
I love using the HD280s at work. They replaced a pair of Sony headphones which stopped emitting audio when the active noise-cancellation circuitry died. The Sennheisers block more of the mid and high level conversation noise (32db attenuation) and sound much better. Additionally, since they are "pro DJ" headphones, Sennheiser offers replacement cords and earcups.

_delirium 16y ago

For opinions from an audiophile-leaning perspective, you might look through the head-fi recommendations thread: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/recommendations-best-headphones-market-new-old-13417/ http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/recommendations-best-headph...

newobj 16y ago

Assuming you're a normal person and don't want to spend more than $100 on headphones, your best bet is the Grado SR60's.

fmw 16y ago

In the last three years I've bought two pairs of headphones. Sennheiser PC 350 as a headset and Sennheiser HD 650 for regular use. I wouldn't go for budget headphones if you can avoid it. If you use them as much as I do getting a high quality product constructed from solid materials is worth every penny. If you compare the cost of a good pair of headphones to that of speakers on a similar level they are a bargain anyway. On the cheap end the Koss PortaPro is a classic. Literally, as they have been around since 1984. If you're looking for in-ear phones Shure is getting pretty good reviews. If you're like me and don't want to spend over $1,000 on something really spectacular your best bet is comparing some reviews of products like the Sennheiser HD 650, the Beyerdynamic DT 880 and similarly priced models from AKG and Grado. I'm no audiophile, so for me a large part of the decision was how the products looked and if they seemed comfortable. The construction and materials mattered to me as well. I'm clumsy and drop them on the floor a few times a day. My headphones have survived the ill treatment I've given them for several years now, so I must admit I'm pretty happy with them. If you're going to buy something over $100 you should read reviews to find out what works best for the sort of things you want to listen to. Different headphones are better for different kinds of sound. The ones I use don't have the best reviews for classical music, for example. Classical music sounds pretty great on them to my untrained ear, but if that is your favorite kind of music there are better options out there. Obviously, your input system matters as well. A really high-end product is a waste of money if you're going to listen to MP3's. The hardware is really important as well, so models that cost more than a few hundred dollars are probably going to cost you much more than that if you want to get an audio system that does justice to them.