
Ask HN: What headphones are you using? - skippednote
What headphones do you use when working?
======
gadders
Given that my in-ear headphones normally last 6 weeks at most, and I'm no
audiophile, I normally just buy what looks good at TK Maxx in the £5 price
range.

However I have shelled out for some "Iron Buds" on KickStarter:
[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/legendary/earbuds-
time-t...](http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/legendary/earbuds-time-to-
change-the-status-quo)

and they are due to arrive any day. These are basically strengthened ear buds
with interchangeable cords and ear pieces, making them less disposable and
more rugged.

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actsasbuffoon
My favorites are Etymotic ER-4s. The sound reproduction is incredible, to the
point where it makes anything under 200kbps completely unlistenable.

They're so clear that I could even hear a metronome quietly ticking in the
distance during a guitar solo on Meshuggah's Catch 33. I'd listened to that
album many times before, but I'd never noticed it until I listened with my
Etymotics.

That said, the frequency response is very realistic. You're not going to get
scooped mids with huge, muddy bass out of them. If you're planning on
listening to hip-hop or dubstep then you'll probably want to look elsewhere.
Shure and UltimateEars have some stacked driver designs which offer most of
the benefits of the Etymotics, but with more bass. I haven't heard the
UltimateEars firsthand, and I've only listened on a $100-ish pair of Shures.
The mid-price Shure's are okay, bet they don't hold a candle to my Etymotics.
Then again, the they're 1/4 the price, so that's par for the course.

The ER-4s also have phenomenal sound isolation. They're almost as effective as
a pair of earplugs, even when you're not listening to music.

My only complaint is that the pair I had was a bit flimsy. One of the ear
pieces actually snapped off in my ear (though I was drumming at the time, so I
may have been asking for it). Etymotic repaired them free of charge, but they
still feel a bit plastic-y to me. For the price, I'd really like them to feel
solidly built.

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fabiandesimone
This: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_MDR-V6>

Best headphones price-quality, hands down. Got them because a recomendation
from a friend. Best recomendation ever made.

Even headphones in the multiple hundreds can´t compare to them at 60$. I
actually bought a spare one ;)

------
ophio
Beyer-Dynamic DT-770 Pro 80 ohm.

They are very comfortable, even with glasses on, for any period of time. They
are very effective at blocking outside noise, regardless of whether they're
being used as headphones or earmuffs. They've lasted about three years, while
all other headphones I have used didn't make it past the two year mark. I
bought them for non-DJ use, but now use them for everything. DJing, Pandora,
White Noise, movies, gaming (with a $7 Zalman clip-on mic), you name it.

headfi.org is probably the best place for advice, if that's what you are
looking for. Nothing beats trying on headphones for yourself though.

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lsc
AOsafety brand "worktunes" - nothing says "don't bother me, I'm working" quite
like giant yellow hearing protectors.

Also, the noise dampening comes in handy in the data center. I mean, it's not
so loud that short periods of time are going to kill your hearing, but over
the years? yeah, I could see problems.

Also, I find I don't get fatigued as quickly in a data center with hearing
protection.

But I use them for office work, too; it's not like I have 'golden ears'
anyhow; these things are perfectly fine for listening to MP3 quality audio. I
have clipped off the antenna; reception is shit most of the places I work.

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eostyx
I used to wear headphones regularly. But now I only used them sometimes at
work.

My favourite phones would have to be Brainwavz HM5

Very clean and unbiased. Avoid these if you like overly harsh, bright, flat or
the patented Sennheiser 'heavy mud bass .' Don't have much of an opinion on
earphones, though. Just that they make me feel like an 80 year old with how
little they give in terms of clarity & depth .

Edit: I also used to use Alessandro MS1, basically the Grado 125. If you like
metal/rock, get these. My favourite brights. Not for the faint of ears...

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cstross
Ultimate Ears SuperFi 10's.

I had issues with Shure's SE530s, and stumbled on a one-day special on Amazon
for the SuperFi 10's for 20% of list price: never looked back. As in-ear
phones go, they're the best I've ever had. I gather newer units have some
manufacturing quality issues, but I've had mine for over two years and
although I'm on the fourth cable (they're user-replaceable) and _n_ 'th set of
foam tips, I'm very happy with them.

(Which is a good thing, because triple-driver in-ear phones generally cost an
arm and a leg!)

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toyg
Currently some basic Philips for sports. They're nothing special but at least
they don't fall off -- hurting my ear-skin a bit though.

I had a pair of cordless Philips with Bluetooth, again for sports, which were
very handy; sound quality wasn't excellent though, they were bulky and would
fall off too easily, so eventually I lost them.

My ideal headphones would be cordless, good for sports, noise-reducing, small
and adjustable, fitting my ears without hurting.

------
ayers
Sennheiser HD 202

I have had them since the end of 2003. These head phones are very good value
for money. I have travelled with them and use them most days. Recently I
replaced the leatherette ear pads but apart from that they are still going
strong.

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jaz
Sennheiser HD 380 Pro.

I use them every day at the office to muffle out background
noise/conversations. They're also great when traveling, I commute into Boston
once a month and they muffle out the engine noise of the bus pretty well.

------
fluxon
Switch between Sansa buds, which are $10/3 pairs, and Bose QC15 noise
cancelling over-ear, which save my nerves on all flights and anywhere I can't
sleep.

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huragok
Good ol' factory Apple earbuds morning, noon and night.

~~~
trueneverland
This. Although I've gone through several pairs of headsets already. This is
probably my fifth pair of Apple buds (just had a bunch of buying many Apple
products) and I went through a couple Sennheiser branded ones too. I also
owned a few over the ear headsets and realize I hate all of them (earbuds only
moving forward). Will probably pick up another brand/set soon.

------
dholowiski
Standard ipod white earbuds for day to day use and abuse (I mostly listen to
podcasts) and Shure 530's for when I care about what I'm listening to.

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ereckers
Sony MDR-V6 Studio Monitor. Rock solid, nice long extensible wire, less bass
then it's related model. I think they look great too.

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electrichead
A pair of Sennheiser in-ear headphones I got over 5 years ago. They are rock
solid and have phenomenal sound.

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Lockyy
Bose IE2 for earbuds that I use with my phone and laptop. Roccat Kave headset
for my desktop headset.

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kristianp
AKG K-55, they are a closed-in design, good for masking external noise,
comfortable and sound great.

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salman89
Have some Beats (Studio) that I got as a gift, but if its for working I would
aim for comfort.

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astrojams
Sennheiser HD 800's. Best headphones I've ever owned but cost a fortune:
$1350.

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malandrew
I recommend you just head over to head-fi.org for this discussion.

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mmwanga
Sennheiser HD595 with fiio e11 portable amplifier

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tqh
Goldring NS1000 noise cancelling headphones

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PaulHoule
Plantronics wireless headphones

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wnscooke
Sony MDR-7506, for everything.

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mauricesvay
Sennheiser HD25-1 II

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schoash
Grado Labs SR80

~~~
rektide
Great phones, on my second pair, but not open-workspace friendly.

My last Samsung in ears sounded good but the cords kicked it in no time.
Picked up two pairs of Sennheiser CX 495s as replacements. Good phones, seem
more rugged, only wish I'd gotten phones with a mic too.

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murrain
Klispch S4

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lexbryan
just a Sennheiser hd201

