[Chron Article] Music fans, do you think high end headphones worth it?

I'm by far NOT the biggest music listener in the world... I can't see paying $100 or more for anything other than very specific headphones for very specific purposes. Meaning, if you are going to sit and watch show [x] or listen to x, y and z while mixing some music on your own on the computer... then, ok. But if you are just a casual, everyday listener. On the subway, when jogging, when walking, etc, than it doesn't make sense to me.

 

I think if you can afford it, it is definitely worth it. The difference between my earbuds and my Beats is amazing, it makes me hear parts of the song I did not know existed. The sound quality is great, but I definitely think it also depends on what kind of music you listen to. If you listen to something bass-heavy like rap or hip hop, of course the headphones make a big difference. They are released by rappers after all.

 

^ I see your $100 and "raise" you $50. I'm just a cheapskate like that. I will not pay more than... even $25 for "headphones"... unless I worked as a musician or recording producer/director/editor/etc.

 

I have Beats and though they aren't the best on the market (Bose quiet comfort), it's a different experience to listen to music with them on rather than earbuds or general laptop speakers.

 

Steve Guttenberg (not the actor, but the audiophile) says that Velodyne's new vPulse earbuds are outstanding for $89 bucks (they also come in black). http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57350757-47/audio-trends-for-the-new-year/?tag=mncol;cnetRiver



He's also excited about the new V-MODA V-80's. which are "on ear" headphones, for $199 (at Amazon). I may get the V-MODA's simply because this chick is wearing them.



http://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-V-80-T...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1321698507&sr=1-1

 

what does he mean high end??? I consider non-crappy headphones (ie. not the iPod earbuds everyone has) to be totally worth it.

If you listen to any music for an extended period of time at all, at least spend $20 at the minimum for some better sounding buds. I spent $45 on my earbuds and I love them, they sound great and were totally worth it for me. Some people might not care that much about it and listen to 128 kbps music still.

I would not buy Beats by Dre because they are overpriced by a lot, Bose is the same except it's been out longer than Beats. I'm currently in the market for full-sized headphones that will be more comfortable to wear when I'm at home, and am looking at Sennheisers which are a good brand.

 

I think noise isolating IEMs are worth it for everyday usage because you can take them anywhere. My Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10's are great and weren't very expensive.

I doubt full size cans are worth it for most people because they are large, heavy, and useless if you don't have to watch volume in your home. I still like mine though.

 

You can get good headphones for under $100. They may not look very stylish or feel like pillows but hearing the full range of whatever music you're listening to is all that really matters.

However, if you don't care about hearing all aspects of the music then you can get by on a pair worth under $25.

 

Sennheisers are excellent. I've had 2 or 3 of their headphones over the years.

 

I finally got some Beats recently and I love them so far. I have been going through so many headphones over the past few years, it added up to well over an expensive one. I figured I should make an investment and see if these actually last more than a few weeks.

 

Absolutely worth it, but the two sets of cans I listen to the most are both under $150. My earbuds are more expensive, but I've had them for three or four years, and they still sound great. But plugging expensive cans into your iPod isn't going to do everything...you really need a good DAC and headphone amplifier (and you can find ones that aren't much bigger than your cell phone).

All that being said, most of the music sold (or stolen) today isn't going to improve on a better system. Too many Phil Spector disciples who have dumbed his ideas down even further trying to appeal to the least common denominator.

 

Depends on how much ambient noise you have to deal with while listening with your ear buds.

 

I will always pay for headphones if my income allows it. At a minimum I'll always have a Koss Porta Pro around me. The difference between stock ipod headphones and one of those is the same one between a Johnnie Walker Red label and a Black one.

Now, the only drawback to this is that you will get used to them so the magic you feel at first goes away, but the quality stays there. Having good gear is essential if you're a music lover.

 

I listen to these two the most:

http://www.head-fi.org/products/fischer-audio-fa-011/reviews


http://www.head-fi.org/products/audio-technica-ath-m50s-monitor-headphones

 

iPods and mp3 players can't properly drive the high end headphones without an extra amp. It would be stupid to hook one of those players up directly to my AKG cans. I have good earbuds for portable players and then a couple of big guys for bigger listening through amps and such.

Most of the cans referenced in that article sound like marketing symbols as opposed to good products. Are any of these "designer" cans made by companies that know what they are doing?

 

Rimbaud...when did you graduate high school? (if you don't mind me asking)

 

another drawback once you get used to a certain level of high quality headphones is that you can only move up from there, there is no downgrading in your headphone quality, you are just going to hate yourself and hate listening to music if you do so.

 

Good headphones make a huge difference as long as you have a good amp pushing them. The D/A conversion, if you're listening to anything digital, plays a big part as well.

I prefer beyerdynamic, sennheiser or akg.

 

That goes with anything audio related. One of the main reason I had to start listening to talk radio in my car.