Searching for small foldable decent sounding foam type headphones

[jimsocal]

I was looking at the Senn. PX-100 BUT I would really like a smaller footprint for carrying purposes.

I realize I am probably not going to get anythng that sounds as good as the PX-100 for foam over the ear style SMALLER portable phones, but I don't have to have hi-fi sound for my purposes (using them at work where I have to hear what is going on around me). So I want something "open" style but also Comfortable which is why I tend to like the Sennheiser style over the ear foam types.

So what is out there that sounds GOOD (if not great), that is comfortable for long time use, and has a very small footprint when folded. As I said, the Senn. PX-100's are a bit bigger when folded than what I want.

Anything out there that might fit my needs?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions. Please rate them on a 10 star basis, if the Standard IPod buds are a 5 or 6 and Sennheiser PX-100's or your favorite under $150 earphones are an 8 or 9, something like that...

Oh, and obviously I don't want to break the bank on these small foldable headphones since they'll be taking a beating and I'm not looking for the highest fidelity. Like under $50 would be good, but I'd go up to $100 if I thought they were going to be worth it and fit all my needs as above.

[jimsocal]

I was looking at the Senn. PX-100 BUT I would really like a smaller footprint for carrying purposes.

I realize I am probably not going to get anythng that sounds as good as the PX-100 for foam over the ear style SMALLER portable phones, but I don't have to have hi-fi sound for my purposes (using them at work where I have to hear what is going on around me). So I want something "open" style but also Comfortable which is why I tend to like the Sennheiser style over the ear foam types.

So what is out there that sounds GOOD (if not great), that is comfortable for long time use, and has a very small footprint when folded. As I said, the Senn. PX-100's are a bit bigger when folded than what I want.

Anything out there that might fit my needs?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions. Please rate them on a 10 star basis, if the Standard IPod buds are a 5 or 6 and Sennheiser PX-100's or your favorite under $150 earphones are an 8 or 9, something like that...

Oh, and obviously I don't want to break the bank on these small foldable headphones since they'll be taking a beating and I'm not looking for the highest fidelity. Like under $50 would be good, but I'd go up to $100 if I thought they were going to be worth it and fit all my needs as above.

Bump...
Guess the PX-100's are the smallest decent foldable headphones around.
Unless I hear from someone I guess I'll have to settle for the PX's. I know they are great headphones, I just wanted something with a smaller footprint.

[hyroboarder]

The iGrado's are pretty small, they don't fold up as the px-100s do but you will get phenomenal sound on the grados for the price. They're behind the neck and open designed. I think the small trade-off of size will be hugely offset by the sound difference.

[jimsocal]

Thanks for the tip.

I think I am going to have to try to find someone who sells both the Grados and the Senn's to compare them side by side.

Amazon's reviews show way more positives for the Sennheisers, and some say the Grados are not comfortable. The Senns seem to be a little lighter too.

When you speak of the sound difference, what do you hear as the sound difference? In what way are the iGrados better? That might give me something to look for when I get around to comparing them.

The thing about headphones is it's hard to go by reviews because people's ears are different, physically, as well as hearing differently.

Some people may lack high frequencies so need a headphone that boosts those, some may prefer more bass, some may prefer a "flat" sound, etc.. It also depends on the device one listens through. Some headphones require a lot more juice to get the same sound (my Sony in-ears require a lot more juice than the standard IPod buds for example).

Guess I'll have to find a place that sells both and compare where I can hopefully plug them directly into my IPod for comparison.

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely consider these.

[tortygu]

Koss Portapro ultra foldable headphones. Worth auditioning it.

[hyroboarder]

Thanks for the tip.

I think I am going to have to try to find someone who sells both the Grados and the Senn's to compare them side by side.

Amazon's reviews show way more positives for the Sennheisers, and some say the Grados are not comfortable. The Senns seem to be a little lighter too.

When you speak of the sound difference, what do you hear as the sound difference? In what way are the iGrados better? That might give me something to look for when I get around to comparing them.

The thing about headphones is it's hard to go by reviews because people's ears are different, physically, as well as hearing differently.

Some people may lack high frequencies so need a headphone that boosts those, some may prefer more bass, some may prefer a "flat" sound, etc.. It also depends on the device one listens through. Some headphones require a lot more juice to get the same sound (my Sony in-ears require a lot more juice than the standard IPod buds for example).

Guess I'll have to find a place that sells both and compare where I can hopefully plug them directly into my IPod for comparison.

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely consider these.


Good luck finding someone who carries Grados. I know one place fairly close that has them. Look for a boutique speaker shop and they might have them.

As for sound, the iGrados use the same drivers as the higher end model, the sr 60 which is pretty much the most awarded headphone in existence. The way grado manages to keep the price down on the igrados is by having them assembled in China, whereas the higher end grados are hand assembled in NYC.

Sure, everyone's taste in audio varies. You may certainly like the sennheisers better. Having used both, however, I find that the Grados provide better bass response as well as much better clarity than the senns. Many people praise Grado for their "warm" sound, and this kind of holds true with the iGrados, but what can you expect for 50$? Good luck choosing.



BTW in terms of impedance, (I think that's the term) the iGrados are MADE for the ipod. The engineers tested the phones on ipods to get the most efficiency and best sound that is capable on the ipod. Don't worry too much about phones that can't be driven by an ipod, anything small like the two pairs you're comparing won't have any problem. (It's just that the igrados were designed specifically for the ipod :D)

[jimsocal]

Thanks for the replies. I live in a big city and still am having trouble finding anyone who lets you test headphones! I was surprised that even the Apple store doesn't let you test their stuff.

I may have to just take a chance and order something...
Actually was actually interested in the Sennheiser 435 even though they're not foldable, because they have an in-line volume control which I think I'd find very handy, but I hate the red design... I wonder why they chose red of all colors! Yellow, okay, but blue and red I can't handle...

So I just happened to be in Ross discount clothing store today and I just happened to see some headhpones in there. They were foldable, JVC, sponge-type over the ear... just what the doctor ordered and for only $5 closeout price. AND with in-line volume control!

I figured "Oh well, I'll probably have to bring them back or throw them away, or save them for parts (spongy foam headphone pads), but I'll give 'em a shot..." Guess what they sound great! I mean, not just okay but really good. Super light and comfortable and they'll definitely do until I get around to finding a place that will let me try out some Senns, Grados and what not. And meanwhile I can test out how much I need (or at least want) the in-line volume control feature.

In the end I may still buy the Senn PX-100's but they seem to be on sale everywhere for $40 so I'm not going to rush into this.

Thanks for the tips.

[hyroboarder]

A quick tip: Any break in the connection between the 3.5 jack and the headphone causes sound degradation. Unless stated by the company with a guarantee, there is. Good find on the JVCs , now you could save your money and buy a decent pair of at-home headphones.

[tortygu]

Thanks for the replies. I live in a big city and still am having trouble finding anyone who lets you test headphones! I was surprised that even the Apple store doesn't let you test their stuff.

I may have to just take a chance and order something...
Actually was actually interested in the Sennheiser 435 even though they're not foldable, because they have an in-line volume control which I think I'd find very handy, but I hate the red design... I wonder why they chose red of all colors! Yellow, okay, but blue and red I can't handle...

So I just happened to be in Ross discount clothing store today and I just happened to see some headhpones in there. They were foldable, JVC, sponge-type over the ear... just what the doctor ordered and for only $5 closeout price. AND with in-line volume control!

I figured "Oh well, I'll probably have to bring them back or throw them away, or save them for parts (spongy foam headphone pads), but I'll give 'em a shot..." Guess what they sound great! I mean, not just okay but really good. Super light and comfortable and they'll definitely do until I get around to finding a place that will let me try out some Senns, Grados and what not. And meanwhile I can test out how much I need (or at least want) the in-line volume control feature.

In the end I may still buy the Senn PX-100's but they seem to be on sale everywhere for $40 so I'm not going to rush into this.

Thanks for the tips.
Goosh! I must be lucky that in Singapore ( very small country ) we have a few well-stock headphones / earphones retailers that allow auditioning with fantastic service and knowledge. That's how I was tempted to spend abt 1200USD for the Ultrasone ED9.

[jimsocal]

A quick tip: Any break in the connection between the 3.5 jack and the headphone causes sound degradation. Unless stated by the company with a guarantee, there is. Good find on the JVCs , now you could save your money and buy a decent pair of at-home headphones.

Already have a great pair of at home headphones - the Sony MDR 7506 Studio Monitors. My only complaint is that they are a bit heavy.

What I'm still looking for is a better pair of travel phones (not buds), and now I'm adding in-line volume control to the list of desired functions.

I wonder why so few companies that make headphones - and especially ear buds - for portable players do not add in this very convenient function. Especially with open style headphones, it gives you the quick ability to hear your environment completely without having to remove your headphones. I really think ALL headphones should have this feature - just put a lock on it so that if the user does not choose to use it, he doesn't have to.

I'm still considering the Sennheisers and the JVC Porta-Pros though for their foldability, and I used to love my old Senn 414's so I am leaning towards the Senn PX-100's. Depending on which reviews you read the JVC PortaPros are either great or not that good in terms of sound quality. And they seem to have issues with the fact that they have to be re-adjusted each time you put them on, according to reviews.

The Senns seem more universally praised for sound quality, unless you're a bass hound (I'm not, in fact heavy bass gives me a headache.) But again, I am waiting to find a place where I can HEAR these various phones and compare them to each other. There was a store not far from here that had all these for auditioning.... and it just went out of business... ;-(

[hyroboarder]

You could always buy the Shure PTH device. It plugs into the headphone port on the ipod and it has another headphone port on it to connect the headphone itself. I'm pretty sure it has inline volume control on it, and a nice little thing it has is a microphone so when you want to hear someone without taking your iem's out of your ears, you click a button and that microphone turns on which transmits whatever noise is around to the headphone. Check it out on shure.com

[jimsocal]

You could always buy the Shure PTH device. It plugs into the headphone port on the ipod and it has another headphone port on it to connect the headphone itself. I'm pretty sure it has inline volume control on it, and a nice little thing it has is a microphone so when you want to hear someone without taking your iem's out of your ears, you click a button and that microphone turns on which transmits whatever noise is around to the headphone. Check it out on shure.com

Good product, it seems, but PRICEY! Yikes, that little thing costs more than many fine headphones.

Again, I don't know why the headphone companies - especially the ones made for portable devices - don't just put a little volume controller on the cable with a lock on it. My little $5 close-out JVC's have it and it's a great feature.