Headphones!!!

[uva_ted]

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does everyone hate the bose noice cancelling headphones?

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yes

[daryn]

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does everyone hate the bose noice cancelling headphones? ive had mine for like a year and a half, and i like them a lot. very comfortable for long periods of time.

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you're in the wrong place man, this thread is for audio-snobs only. as far as i can tell bose has a very bad reputation amongst them.

i have shure e4c's but i don't really think they are that good. is it because i'm listening to crappy mp3s? they don't sound bad but i don't know, i just don't feel that they sound much better than the earbuds that come with the ipod. what am i doing wrong?

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

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does everyone hate the bose noice cancelling headphones? ive had mine for like a year and a half, and i like them a lot. very comfortable for long periods of time.

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you're in the wrong place man, this thread is for audio-snobs only. as far as i can tell bose has a very bad reputation amongst them.

i have shure e4c's but i don't really think they are that good. is it because i'm listening to crappy mp3s? they don't sound bad but i don't know, i just don't feel that they sound much better than the earbuds that come with the ipod. what am i doing wrong?

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There's a decent chance you're not inserting them far enough inside your ear and getting a good seal. You can actually stick them in farther than what might seem like is all the way in. This might sound like I'm suggesting you're an idiot of some sort, but I'm not. Give it a shot.

[daryn]

i use the ends that are made of that squishy earplug type material, if you know what i mean. maybe the seal isn't the greatest, but it seems good. i'll try again, maybe i'll try some of the different attachments also.

[niquewon]

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does everyone hate the bose noice cancelling headphones? ive had mine for like a year and a half, and i like them a lot. very comfortable for long periods of time.

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In general Bose has a bad reputation among most audiophiles and their headphones are no exception. I personally don't hate the Bose headphones, I just think they don't offer a great bang for the buck. I think there are lot of other headphones out there which sound better for less money. Also their build quality for their pricepoint is very suspect. Really the only scenario where I'd recommend the Bose headphones is if you need isolation and find IEMs to be too uncomfortable to wear over a prolonged period of time.

Daryn, check the bit rate of your mp3s. Generally speaking the higher the bit rate, the better the sound. There is also a chance that the Shure sound isn't your cup of tea, though I suspect even if that was the case you'd be able to appreciate the upgrade in sound quality without loving the Shure sound.

[TheWorstPlayer]

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i use the ends that are made of that squishy earplug type material, if you know what i mean. maybe the seal isn't the greatest, but it seems good. i'll try again, maybe i'll try some of the different attachments also.

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daryn,

push them really all the way in. like to the point that you feel a little funny. it will kinda feel like the way your ears feel when you're underwater. if you do it when you're listening to music - SOFTLY - you'll notice that it will sound like the volume has turned way up when you push them in all the way. that is how you should be listening to them. if you don't find that tight seal comfortable with one type of attachment, try another. i think most people find the yellow foam things to be the most comfortable (but they get dirty and you have to clean them occasionally or replace them - replacement packs of 20 aren't that expensive).

- TWP

[Evan]

Diablo,

I've had the e2c's and now I have the e4c's. I love the e4's but they're really not worth the difference in price (I'm not an audiophile, like yourself). I don't know if the difference in price really matters to you. If it doesn't, get the 4's because they are better for sure, but the 2's are very good also and a lot cheaper.

Daryn,

In my experience you can't really get a good seal with those tips. The clear or black ones are much better.

[JaBlue]

I have the e4cs too and they rule. I use the foam plugs. Its annoying to keep buying them but the other kinds suck.

RJ,
What do you think about speakers? I would like to get a real nice set for audio probably to be plugged into a laptop, but possibly for home theater sometime down the road. I already have a $250 5-piece with a nice sub and I don't need a new setup to be louder than my old one. Is it even worth spending more? The current setup sounds pretty good. How much would I have to spend to really notice a difference?

And what would you say is the optimal price range for speakers? That is, the price range where you are getting the most per dollar?

What is the minimum you would advise someone to spend who wants a great sound system that will last a while?

[PITTM]

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I owned a pair of Er-6s about 2 years ago. I had a problem with their lack of bass and somewhat tinniness and sold them to another head-fi member. I certainly saw the many benefits though and i know tons of people love those things.

As far as an amp goes. I have the absolute PERFECT amp in mind but its probably a bit too expensive. The Ray Samuels Tomahawk($295):

It is designed for IEM's(in ear monitors) like the ER6's. FWIW, the amp i have is the ray samuels hornet, which is almost identical cosmetically but was designed with full sized headphones in mind. For me, Ray Samuels blows other amp makers out of the water. The only other makers even in the same league are Tyll Hertsins of Headroom and Phil Larocco at larocco audio. Ray just finished making what looks like a piece of art and what is now probably the best consumer headphone amp in existence, the B-52($5,350):

I have tremendous respect for Ray's work and think it is the best in the business.

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Have you ever heard the chance to check out a Singlepower amplifier? IMHO Mikhail at Singlepower is the absolute best in the business.

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I've met Mikhail and i feel silly for having left him off the list. he makes incredible amps. I listened to a Singlepower Supra and my friend thought it was the best at the meet, i loved it, mostly because tube electronics sound amazing.

[PITTM]

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does everyone hate the bose noice cancelling headphones? ive had mine for like a year and a half, and i like them a lot. very comfortable for long periods of time.

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The headphones i have pictured at the top are probably some of the most comfortable headphones ever built. All the top of the line headphones are v comfortable except grado really. But yeah, for closed, sound isolating headphones, sennheiser doesnt have a real solid competitor yet, so i dont mind the quiet comforts because they do their job, even if they deliver fairly crappy reproduction of sound. holla.