# Recommended earphones for iPod?



## snaxo

All,

I'm looking into options for a decent set of earphones for the iPod (the supplied ones aren't great). Anyone else done this?

Currently I've tried the Bang & Olufsen A8 earphones which looked and felt great, but actually did not represent much of an improvement (though admittedly they were def a bit better) over the supplied buds and at Â£90 represented very poor value for money (unsurprisingly).

Currently looking at these:

Shure E2C http://www.shure.com/earphones/eseries_e2c.asp
Shure E3C http://www.shure.com/earphones/eseries_e3c.asp

I've read a number of unanimously glowing reviews on these. I like the sound of the E3c but they are damn expensive (can't really afford it for earphones) and I am wondering if they are too good for an iPod. i.e. either the relative poor quality of MP3's / AAC's will be extra revealed or, there simply will be no real performance advantage over the E2c because of the quality of the source.

Not sure where I can try before I buy with these !?!?

Thoughts?

Damian


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## jam

try a search here mate, just did a google search for you and you can locate Shure stockists in surrey

http://www.shuredistribution.co.uk/haendler/haendler.htm

cheers

James


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## QuackingPlums

If you're on a budget (or have realised that the relatively low quality of MP3/AAC doesn't warrant Â£100+ earphones) then the new Apple in-ear 'phones aren't too bad. 
They come with 3 different sized rubber cups to fit the insides of your ears, and I've found that on the tube, they cut out enough external sound that I can turn the iPod volume down to about 70%, whereas previously I could barely hear anything even when whacked up to 100%!
By the way, I also have a set of the B&O ones, which although I do like for their distinctiveness, they aren't really that great for comfort or sound, especially if you wear glasses.

If you want the high-end equivalent of the Apple in-ear 'phones, I can also recommend these: 
http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6.asp


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## snaxo

Cheers Jam - only problem being finding one of these places that stocks consumer earphones - most of them I suspect stock Shure's professional musician type quipment. I'll have to call around.

QuackingPlums - yeah I've just been on iPod Lounge actually and seen the ER6's mentioned quite a bit. Seems to be them vs the Shure's in the high-end stakes.

Then again, a lot of peole seem to be saying the Sony MDR-EX71's aren't bad and very good value.

Hmmm. One thing that concerns me with in-ear phones is comfort. After about 30 mins with the standard apples one's my ears are hurting !

Damian


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## QuackingPlums

I know what you mean! 

It took ages to get used to my Apple ones, but after a while you learn to stop jamming them in so tight! 

The ER6s are actually designed to be inserted "wet", and the resulting suction keeps them in (and sealed) much better than a rubber gasket alone.

I have the problem of not having the little flap of cartiledge on my ears that hold in "normal" earphones, so I have had to stick with the B&Os, or the latest fad of in-ear phones. I haven't investigated the Sony EX71s, but reports seem to indicate that they're a bit more comfortable than the Apple equivalents. There's a high-end version of the Sony units that include a noise-cancelation device, but that puts too much weight on the wires in my opinion, and I'm back to square one with them falling out all too easily.

I'll let you know how my ER6s feel in a week or two


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## ronin

I use the Sony MDR-EX71 in my ipod when i run, never fall out and zero discomfort. They sound so much netter than the supplied ones and at Â£30 you can afford to bin em after a while and get another set. The increase in bass and volume is phenomenal.


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## moss

ronin said:


> I use the Sony MDR-EX71 in my ipod


using these too [smiley=thumbsup.gif]


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## garyc

snaxo said:


> All,
> 
> I'm looking into options for a decent set of earphones for the iPod (the supplied ones aren't great). Anyone else done this?
> 
> Currently I've tried the Bang & Olufsen A8 earphones which looked and felt great, but actually did not represent much of an improvement (though admittedly they were def a bit better) over the supplied buds and at Â£90 represented very poor value for money (unsurprisingly).
> 
> Currently looking at these:
> 
> Shure E2C http://www.shure.com/earphones/eseries_e2c.asp
> Shure E3C http://www.shure.com/earphones/eseries_e3c.asp
> 
> I've read a number of unanimously glowing reviews on these. I like the sound of the E3c but they are damn expensive (can't really afford it for earphones) and I am wondering if they are too good for an iPod. i.e. either the relative poor quality of MP3's / AAC's will be extra revealed or, there simply will be no real performance advantage over the E2c because of the quality of the source.
> 
> Not sure where I can try before I buy with these !?!?
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> Damian


Damian I too hate the std white phones supplied and have been using my trusty Sennheiser HD600s which sound great but sort of defeat the object of portability!

I was also thinking of the Shure E2/3Cs - although they seem hard to track down. With the dollar as it is buying from the US seems attractive. Trouble is I don't know anyone who has actually heard them, so it is hard to discern whether iPod can make most of the E3Cs.

Need a guinea pig. Get yer credit card out.


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## Matthew

I too have ear problems! One of my ears is fine but with the other no matter what in ear units I get I just can't get a good fit and the thing keeps falling out. The Shure ones and the Etymotic ones look like they may well do the trick. I just hate the idea of them going in "wet". Yeeurgh!

I have some Bose Noise Cancellers which are great for on the plane but a real no no for when you're in the departure lounge - I'd look a right twat walking about with those on.


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## QuackingPlums

In a surprise move (I must be more careful of what I bookmark on my home computer) I was bought a set of Shure E2cs for my birthday yesterday!

They come with a big bag of alternative sized fixings - from "memory sponge" to rubber caps - designed to fit different ears in different ways. The memory sponge is meant to be squeezed down, inserted, and held until it reforms to fit your ear, whereas the rubber ones are the usual push-em-in-until-they-get-lodged affair. No mention of "wetting" them first, unlike the Etymotic ones.
The phones themselves are also designed so that the wire wraps over the back of your ear, thus removing the amount of "weight" on the unit itself.

So far so good - much more comfortable than the v2 Apple in-ear phones, and I had my iPod at about 50% volume on the tube this morning.


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## PaulS

ronin said:


> I use the Sony MDR-EX71 .


Same here - almost - I have the EX70's - using them in my Archos AV340. Best sounding pair of small earphones I've owned. I might give the Shure's a listen. For the home hi-fi I use Grado SR125 headphones - highly recommended.


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## sonnyikea

Damian,

I use the Sennheiser PX200. They aren't in the ear phones but the improvement over the standard buds are amazing. Highly rated by quite a few magazines and at around 40 squids you can't go wrong. Many places sell them so you could take your Pod down and try them out.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Cheers

Craig


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## snaxo

Cheers Guys. Good info.

Gary - hey that's what I was looking for - a guinea pig !! :wink: Though demo'ing myself would be even better.

Nice one Quacking - how fortuitous - give us an update in a few days to see how you are getting on.

Craig - I think I should be considering the PX100 and PX200 fo sure. In terms of comfort - they may actually suit me best. The PCX250 appeals too, and I've listened to them and they are good, but I'm not sure I will use the noise cancelling bit enough to justify the cost. The noise cancelling module adds a lot of weight as well.

Hmmm

Damian


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## whirlypig

Given the recommendations I've gone and splashed out on some Sony MDR-EX71's for my iRiver player. Bought them through Amazon as I had gift certificate outstanding. Amazon reviews fairly favourable and Â£26 compares well with the competition. I really wanted some inner-ear phones, I find the standard earbud type are a little uncomfortable and prone to falling out, hope these fit the bill :wink:


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## snaxo

keep us posted on what you think of them Whirlypig !

Damian


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## jam

whirlypig said:


> hope these fit the bill


and your ears too :wink:


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## giles

Can't remember the exact name of them, but the ones you want are the Sennheiser in-ear phones. Brilliant.


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## whirlypig

Sony MDR-EX71SLBs arrived this morning courtesy of Amazon, Â£26, available through all good web browsers.

Initial impressions are positive, the inner ear fitment is much more comfortable and has a noticeable exterior noise cancelling effect to the point the missus was screaming at me to get the door and I genuinely couldn't hear her, didn't have to pretend like I usually do.

Quite a neat and discreet set of phones, included are 3 sets of rubber flappy buds; small, medium and large - would liked a couple spares, medium preferably. Also included are a very cheap plastic case, a cable extension and a pouch/purse for keeping the money you saved on the Shure phones.

I'm not an audiophile but IMHO sound quality is excellent. Noticeably different to my supplied iRiver phones; being in-ear the noise cancelling effect is probably most responsible for the difference, significantly more bass, no distortion though and rest of the range is clear and crisp. Tweaked the EQ and SRS settings and perfect - it's early days but I'm very happy - cheers for the recommendation :wink:


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## Gren

Agree on the Sony '71s. Best set of decent and/or small earphones I've ever used and very comfortable.

Use them to listen to MP3s on my PDA and the better fit means you can turn the volume down and save your batteries.

Gren


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## raven

The Sennheiser MX500s are fantastic. And not too expensive. I got mine for less than Â£20 from http://www.superfi.co.uk


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## kingcutter

yep just been to buy the sony phones from selfridges,the ended up costing me a bit more though,i happened to see a set of jbl creature two's now guys i suggest you go and pair a set of these speakers for your pods in white as well.
what a sound from such small speakers.


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## R6B TT

There may not just be sound benefits - in the Times today there is an article on people spotting the white iPod earphones and then mugging people for their iPods.


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## QuackingPlums

That article is in everything - The Sun, Metro, etc... thing is, what's the likelihood of the same muggers spotting the more expensive earphones and guessing that the owner will have an iPod or other similar expensive device? Pretty high I reckon...


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## clived

I went for the B&O A8's. I'd not normally pick B&O from a "hi-fi" point of view (i.e. I'm not in the "ooooh, B&O, that's pretty, it must sound good" camp) but I tried them, the fitted nicely and sounded good, so I went for them.

See http://www.audioreview.com/Headphones/Bang & Olufsen,A8,Earphones/PRD_126024_2750crx.aspx#reviews & http://gear.ign.com/articles/306/306255p1.html

Cheers, Clive


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## snaxo

After mucho research and some auditions - I went for the Sennheiser PX100's. Very impressed. And for the price (Â£25) - a veritable bargain.

Quite warm sounding but with plenty of air around the instruments, nice crisp percussion reproduction. Very comfortable over long periods.

Damian


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## raven

QuackingPlums said:


> That article is in everything - The Sun, Metro, etc... thing is, what's the likelihood of the same muggers spotting the more expensive earphones and guessing that the owner will have an iPod or other similar expensive device? Pretty high I reckon...


My Sennheiser MX500s sound great but look cheap as chips.


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## sonnyikea

Damian,

Are they the outside the ear and round the back of the head type? I saw them the other day and thought about buying them as well. The PX200's are good for sound but I'm not too keen on the look. Being the fashion victim I am 

Cheers

Craig


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## snaxo

Fraid not - PX100's are similar in look to PX200's - i.e. over the head types.

However, they are open back rather than closed back. I found this gave an airier sound as described in many reviews. Slight downside is that they bleed sound a bit so can be heard by others in a quiet environment.

Damian


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## sonnyikea

You know when you read something and don't take in the words and then blurt out a question based on the words you thought you read? :?

Well thats what I just did - I know the PX100's are the same as the 200's so why did I ask the question? 

Apologies.

Glad you got some that you are happy with.


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## snaxo

LOL we've all been there 

I dont really use the iPod on the move - I usually use it while sitting at my desk at work.

I don't really walk about / cycle / listen to on train / bus etc - if I did, then I don't think I'd want to wear the PX100's for that either.

Damian


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## Neil

Will probably be getting the Sennheiser MX500 or the Sony 71's myself. 2 questions for anyone that's got either:

1. are they both the same "style" as the Ipod ones, in terms of they don't have the bit round the back of your neck? (so that you can drape them round your neck when you're not playing them presumably?). My old Sony ones have that, and I hated it :x

2. I want a "small" case to carry them in - the Sennheiser one obviously looks pretty small, but I can't get a pic of the Sony case that is the same scale as the headphones, and it potentially looks like it could be quite big? Does anyone know?

Thanks.


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## whirlypig

With regards the Sony phones:

1. Not sure what the iPod phones are like, I have the better featured and cheaper iRiver player   However do you mean the cable on the right phone is longer so you drape it round your neck, in which case yes.

2. The Sony case is a tiny cheap plastic thing, about 1 inch and a bit long and about as fat as a hamlet cigar. I've seen the instructions and can get the phones in the case but still not workied out how to wrap the cord. It's not rocket science I know but I've only tried once, it was dark, I'd had a few drinks, etc.
You also get a little pouch/purse which seems to serve little purpose other than storing small amounts of change.

Hope that helps :roll:


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