So I'm in the market for a good pair of headphones that will serve a dual purpose: 1. Use at the gym while working out (weights and treadmill) 2. Use on the subway and on my walk to and from work every day. I've tried wired ear buds, bluetooth headsets, and everything in between. Nothing seems to work. Withink 6-12 weeks all of the headphones just slowly start to crumble. Usually it starts with one bud/side no longer functioning... and then I sputter along using it until the other bud/side stops working. The other problem is I've never tried noise-cancelling headphones because of the price. But with my ear buds and bluetooth headphones, I can't hear over the outside noise of the loud subway or the damn music being blasted in the gym. I'm concerned about dropping a ton of money on good noise-cancelling headphones, only to have them crap out on me in a few months - which is what I've experienced with EVERY other set of headphones I've owned in the last 4-5 years. I've googled this topic and often the suggestion is to drop $400-$500 on the "top of the line headphones" du jour. This seems like an outrageous price to me. So basically - can anyone recommend some good headphones that I can use everyday and won't crap out on me... and will allow me to actually hear my podcasts and music over the noisy subway and damn techno music in the gym?
I agree. Go with the earbuds if you just want them for workouts. I have some some Akg k141 and they are great. I would recommend them but you might look a bit ridiculous wearing these over- sized headphones while working out. If your looking for some cool looking headphones then go with the Skullcandy headphones . They come in all sort of colors.
Close-Back headphones http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Sennheiser-HD280-Pro-ClosedBack-Headphones?sku=242411
Well, first you've got to get your terms straight. Do you want: Earbuds - sit within the ear Earphones - sit on top of the ear Headphones - surround the ear completely If you're seeking complete noise isolation, you're looking for headphones. They might be a bit bulky to use while working out, however. I, personally, love Sennheiser headphones, and have several pair of differing quality and price. Sennheiser 202 http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-202-Supra-Aural-Headphones/dp/B000065BP9/ Low cost ($24.99) Sennheiser HD428 http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD428-Closed-Circumaural-Headphone/dp/B002DGTGNG/ Moderate cost ($55.00) Sennheiser HD555 http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD555-Professional-High-Quality-Audiophile/dp/B0001FTVDQ/ Higher end ($115.00) Anything above that price range, you see a steeply diminishing return on your investment.
What do you call inexpensive? I have a pair of Audio-Technica headphones that I really like that cost a little over $100 dollars. http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-ANC7-ATHANC7-Noise-cancelling-Headphones/dp/B000OMKR8E I have a pair of Sony headphones that I got for about $50 that were useless. I borrowed different model of Sony headphones from a friend and they worked well though. I don't remember the model numbers of them off the top of my head. For working out I like the earbuds that wrap around your ear to keep them in place. http://www.p4c.philips.com/cgi-bin/dcbint/cpindex.pl?slg=en&scy=gb&ctn=MHS1100/00
I've got some old cheap ones that work fine and I've had them for years. What in the world do you do you do to them?
Thanks. I just really want a set of headphones that will last a long time and allow me to hear over outside noise. I really don't care if they are buds or big and bulky - I'm looking for functionality as opposed to aesthetic appeal... I don't mind being the dork who wears huge headphones at the gym - as long as they work. I stopped caring about appearances a long time ago. Just recommend me something that meets my 2 needs and is not $500. If I have to get 2 sets of headphones - one for the gym and one for walking/subway... I can do that . I'll look into Sennheiser... but please keep the recs coming!
Dude I used to be just like you. I would always try to get "cheap" quality headphones only to be disappointed when they would break down on me a few months in. I would use them for the gym as well as the commute just like you. I have tried skull candy, koss, sony, and others. I finally did something smart and invested in these: http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-IMAGE...LPT4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286827390&sr=8-1 It took me a while to give in to the price for a pair of headphones for the gym but I thank every day that I did it. These babies are the only pair you will ever need and they with BLOW AWAY anything else within that price range. If you don't believe me check this out... http://reviews.cnet.com/best-earbuds/?tag=contentMain;contentBody;pm I have had these for over a year and not one complaint. They are confortable, very small and convenient and are top quality. Go for it. DD this is for you too.
I wish I could tell you. I use them daily... they get sweat on them from cardio workouts... but I always by "sweat resistant" brands from Sony, et al. I've probably dropped at least $1,000 over the last 4-5 years on headphone/earbud/whatever replacements. It is ridiculous, and I'm just sick of it.
One word about Sennheiser: steer clear of their earbuds. They aren't terrible, but they aren't great either. I strongly suspect they don't manufacture them themselves, but rather rent out the company name to a 3rd party.
Interesting that you bring that up. I just noticed that the ear piece I was given at work to use for listening to online training videos is a Sennheiser... and I've been fighting with it for weeks b/c it doesn't want to stay in my ear. Hmm...
Sony has been my prime nemesis in this department. I've tried every pair of their buds/headphones I find at Best Buy and they always crap out faster than any other brand. I think I'm done with Sony.
I've gone through about a dozen ear buds in the past 2 years. My last pair only lasted 4 weeks. I am going to invest in some higher quality headphones that won't brake down so easily.
Sony used to make decent, low priced cans...back in 2000. They are junk now. All bass, no finesse. And the build quality is much lower, as well. I agree with you: steer clear of Sony.
