rdewald's Journal: Query the Circle: Personal audio monitors (headset variety)

I stepped on my ear-buds that came with my iPod while taking my cup of coffee from the bar over to the sugar/milk area in Starbucks last week. I usually toss them over my shoulder during my brief interactions with the outside world (like ordering a Venti Americano with room), they fell off, I had a computer in my other hand, I wasn't paying attention and I discovered that Apple did not engineer these for being stepped on by 370 lb men, no matter how good-looking they may be.

My other set of headphones got run over by a NYC bus, no joke. I was exiting the rear door of one of those mammoth double-length crosstown buses, which stopped right up against a parked car, so I had to squeeze past the door to close it, the headphones came off, fell in the path of the rear wheels of the bus, and I discovered these cheapo around-the-back-of-the-head personal audio monitors were *also* not engineered for being run over by massive City buses.

Engineering failures. Damn them.

Anyway, I need new personal audio monitors and before I go down to the Apple store and pay a lot for earbuds that were okay, but not great, I thought I would ask you friendly people for suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

It's up to you

[ellem]

but I find the 9.99USD Sony [radioshack.com] headphones the ones that wrap around your ear to be great. Plus I don't care when they break.

These kill too [amazon.com]

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Some people

[Oculus Habent]

Robtlzu2 has some good ones...

I believe those are from Etymotic [etymotic.com]

apple in-ear

[blinder]

you know... the apple in-ear monitors, i've experienced anyway, are the ones that provide the flatest most transparent response. yes, a lot of people complain about "bass response." but then again, these are the people who don't understand how low frequencies work in music... they want to be "moved." ugh. what they want is distortion and a whole slew of other wonderful frequencies canceled out by their bass.

hell... i've found that my apple in-ear monitors have a response similar to my fostex t-20's (profess

Plugs

[marc_gerges]

Hello --

Go and get Koss Plugs http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/p?openform&p c %5Eeb%5EPLUG [koss.com]. They are designed to squeeze into your ears and shut out the world, like hearing protection. First time you use them you'll have to fiddle around a bit, but once they're in the sound is great (well, great for 14.99. There is a difference to those 150$ Sennheisers...).

They are reasonably sturdy and great for airplane trips etc, because they dampen outside noise so well. I have mine for 2 years and they sure

Being courtly

[Ethelred Unraed]

I discovered that Apple did not engineer these for being stepped on by 370 lb men, no matter how good-looking they may be.

Sounds like grounds for a lawsuit.

RDEWALD
Your honor, it is clear that any pair of headphones not able to withstand being stood on by good-looking 370-lb men are a hazard to health and a general menace to society.

HIS HONOR AND EMINENCE LORD ETHELRED [on the bench]
And what of the 370-lb men who are not so good looking? And may I just say, rowr!

RDEWALD [bashfully blushing]
Well,

I like the Sony sport ones that I have...

[johndiii]

These. [sonystyle.com] Earbuds tend to fall out of my ears, particularly when I am exercising, so I like the over-the-ear clips. These are comfortable, and the sound is great (as far as I can tell :-), though I would defer to blinder on questions of that sort). Water-resistant, too. :-)

The made-in-China special

[turg]

I got a pair for a buck from the dollar store that are as good as any walkman-style headphones or earbuds that I've ever used. I think the cheap crap is better than it used to be -- unless you're looking for audiophile quality, it probably doesn't matter much what you get.

Shure ear buds...for the audiophile in you...

[Em Emalb]

http://www.shurestore.com/earphones/index.html?ban nere2c=home [shurestore.com]

They are teh hawtness. Of course, I don't actually have an Ipod. Nor do I really want one. I'm refusing to adjust :)

I've always used some cheap RCA

[lab16]

earphones that came with a walkman many a year ago. I like them because they clip over the ears and the other kind that go in the ears fall out easily when I'm working.

I don't think you can buy those anymore though. Whenever I can't find a certain pair I go and grab another from the shed. I have at least 20 of them that came from various musical devices over the years.

little yellow SONY fold ups are my favorite

[YTYTYTYTYTY]

They have excellent frequency response and are not very expensive. They are more cumbersome than the Apple buds but you can rest them around your neck or fold them up and put them in your pocket.

Personally...

[arb]

I like the Apple in-ear jobbies, though they took a little getting used to. (The first couple of days they kept falling out, but they're fine now.)

Though for some reason, I've been using the regular ear-buds that came with my new iPod even though they don't match the colour. (Why couldn't Apple have made the ear-buds black to go with the new iPod video?) When I use the regular ear-buds though, I snap on a set of Griffin EarJams - great improvement in the sound for very little extra cost.

So I'd suggest eithe