Headphone adivice.

[apple91]

Should I buy the :
Sony Fontopia MDR-EX71SL (Japanese version)
Griffin EarThumpers
Aural NewYork

I'm leaning towards the Aural becasue they look the most original, but then again, that means a bad fit. What do you guys reccomend? Your opinions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[Jackonicko]

None of the above, unless bass power alone is more important than anything else.

If you're on a tight budget then I'd recommend the JVC HA FX55 or Panasonic HJE50

If you can afford a little more, Panasonic HJE70 or Sennheiser CX300

[apple91]

the only reason i chose those headphones were because they were black :]
i'll check out the ones you reccomended though. Thanks

[Jackonicko]

CX300s are available in black. Philips She 9500s come in black, HA FX55s are very dark grey, HJE70s are aluminium with black cords, so suit a black iPod very well.

[apple91]

yeahaa, ive checked them out, I think I'm going to go with the Panasonic HJE50.
Thanks for the advice.
And if you can answer this why exactly do you reccomend the Panasonic HJE50 over the ony Fontopia MDR-EX71SL??
Thanks

[apple91]

Also Jackonicko, I read on another thread that you said the JVC HA-FX55 didn't have the same chord length. I was wondering if you knew if the Panasonic HJE50 had equal chord length.

Thanks alot.

[Fitzpatrick]

the HJE50's come in silver or white.

the MDR-EX71SL's, in addition to being poorly constructed and costing too much, have bad, uneven sound.

The HJE50's do not have equal cord length.

[apple91]

Hmm, these Panasonic HJE50 i found from like Hong Kong or China are black. But anyways, its not even chord length!
Ah, I think its wierd to that but...eh
Do you know of any black headphones equal in chord length? haha
Thanks.

[Jackonicko]

Very few in ear phones of any colour have equal length cords, because few people want to wear them with the wires dangling and meeting under their chins.

Like most people, I thought that uneven cords were odd until I tried them. Having got used to the idea, I'd now prefer uneven cords.

I recommend the HA FX55 and the HJE50 over the EX71 because their fit and comfort is just as good, and because their balance (FX55) and balance and sound quality (HJE50) is MUCH better than that you get from the Sony, with much better reproduction of highs and mids, and with better 'definition' and clarity of bass. If you have a rapid double beat on the bass drum, the EX71 will just give a long, lound THUUUUHMP, whereas the others give a more accurate THU-THUMP or even a THMP-THMP.

Since last year, the EX51 and EX71 build quality has also been poor.

[apple91]

okay, thanks alot for all your advice.
and how do you know so much about headphones??? lol

[iMonster]

look around

toooons of people(audiophiles?) are so into headphones they spend thousands of dollars on 'em! I just spent $91(with s+h) on mine and feel crazy, but I'm so excited I finally got some. Ordered the RP-HJE70's finally ^_^

they come in a wicked cool case here are links to a few pics of 'em

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/7910/662159388d9f3f25018he.jpg
http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/9594/hje703kw.gif

http://www.flickr.com/photos/minami/54784032/in/photostream/

http://www.mac4thai.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=43

[fk51785]

out of the three listed, go with sony ex71s ...

if you have more $ and want better earphones go with
shure e2c or etymotic er6i ... both around $70~80 ...

[Jackonicko]

Apple 91,

I have bought the EX51/70/71 (five sets), JVC HA FX55, Panasonic HJE70, Shure E2C and Sony 888, and others, and have been given ER6i, HJE50 and She9500 (today!) for review or as ex-review samples by friends working for a 'well known UK hi fi magazine'. I have listened to Shure E4s, Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5s and Sennheiser CX300s and am waiting for a pair of each to arrive for review.

You don't need to know much to know how poor the Sonys are, or how uncomfortable the Shure E2s are, you just need to have tried them alongside competitors. The difference is really that stark. Why do I post my opinion? Simply that for many young iPodders these represent a big investment, and I hate to see people waste their money and end up angry, frustrated or disappointed.

[Aceospades1250]

I agree with Jackonicko, if you value comfort greatly then stay clear of the Shure e2c, those will make your ears bleed.

The Ultimate Ears super.fi line looks a bit over your price range, but if you are willing to spend a bit more those are an incredible step above the Sony MDR EX51, which are unbalanced and muddy. the only thing I can find about mine versus the Ultimate ears is the Sonys are more comfortable, but by a small margin.

[SilleeString]

Hey Jackonicko, I was just wondering if you'd tried the CX300 yet, if so what are your impressions of them? I was seriously considering picking them up. Thanks!

[Jackonicko]

Too early to tell, but so far they fall short of the HJE70

[SilleeString]

Hmm...well ok. I've tried a bunch of headphones in the price range of $30 (Sony 51, Panasonic 50 and currently the JVC in-ears), and I was thinking about moving up a level (I couldn't in my right mind spend the extra scratch on Shures or UE's so that's not happening).

Anyway, and this might be a stupid question so I apologize but, how do the Senns compare to the JVC? Well thus far anyway, I'm sure burn-in has to take place to get a full idea but any input's welcome.

[Jackonicko]

So far, I'd certainly still recommend the HJE70, which are WAY better than their modest price might suggest, even without the beautiful design, precision engineering and titanium case. Much nicer to listen to than horrible flat ER6is or uncomfortable E2Cs, WAY better and more comfortable than UE3s.

The Sennys are better than the JVCs, I think.

[iMonster]

I can't wait to join you in your praise, Jack!

I keep checking my email like mad woman to see if it's gone to "shipped" yet.

[apple91]

I just bought the Panasonic RP-JHE50 via ebay. LOl, i wanted the black color.

cgi..com/PANASONIC-RP-HJE50-ipod-Earphone-for-sony-mp3-cd-PSP-b_W0QQitemZ5860398492QQcategoryZ15056QQrdZ1QQcmdZV iewItem

add "http://" in the front and "ebay" between cgi.-.com

its a hong kong version??
hopefully its the same, ill post my novice opinion when i recieve them.

thanks for all your advice!