This thread serves as a Q&A section for all new/existing audiophiles seeking advice on their new headphone purchase. The rules are simple, no flaming/bashing and try to not to spam (posting irrelevant post).

You may ask us any headphones/earphones related questions, and all of us in headphilers in this forum will gladly assist you. Don't be shy!

When asking, please remember to STATE YOUR BUDGET. Give EXACT NUMBERS... "not so expensive la" is not a considered a budget

Other infos like the following will also be helpful to get faster and more accurate responses.
- what you currently have (mp3 players, amps, soundcard etc)
- what type of usage (movies/ gaming/ music etc)
- source (i.e. flac, mp3 etc)
- type of music listen to (classical, jazz, metal, etc)
- personal requirements like type (closed, open, cirumaural, IEM etc).




Best of luck on your headphones/earphones purchase.





Previous threads for reference....
Recommendation Thread V1

Recommendation Thread V2

Recommendation Thread V3

Wow.. new thread already

wah cepatnyerrrr

V4 luu...

cheerr.....

wow! first check audiophiles got new thread

yesterday bought a pioneer earphone for my humble creative zen micro
reasonable price for a high quality sound...
initially wanna buy the JVC but the promoter recommend pioneer for me, but at last no regret...
PIONEER sound quality really good high clarity with heavy bass

PIONEER sound, vision, soul

Looks cool. How much and where you bought it?

If you can get a used good pair of Philips HP890, you will not be disappointed.

True dat. lol

Too bad it's already been discontinued. The successor SHP8900 is just not as hot-looking (for my taste) and not as comfy (according to some).

heard quite some Pioneer around here in Tokyo, but didn't really got to try it, still a little doubtful bout it....

hi guys..can you recommend me one headphone for own use. Currently, i have mylar bijou but i found it uncomfortable for long duration use. My budget is about RM200-300. i will be using it on my laptop. The music file i normally play will be mp3. It's mainly for music and movie. Thanks for helping me.

This post has been edited by kevin88: Sep 29 2009, 07:53 AM

Guys,
what u thk about Audio-Technica M50?...issit a good headphone?...Im just new and try to get a headphone...Thanks

Try Shure flagship monitoring headphone, SRH840. Heard good reviews on it so far. Foldable and close cans, just like M50. Price wise, around usd150-200.

Close cans mean wat ar...hehe...newbie here

Btw, Shure not just good in earplug?

bijou v3 or pl-30? which one is the best for bass. ?

get

Audio Technica M30 ( RM220-230 ) akabane@jackal ( it's great for movies and music.. )
Audio Technica FC700 ( RM230 ) Walabies ( it's great for both + it's portable headphone! )

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Added on September 29, 2009, 2:17 pmsince u r a basshead... i would recommend u go for hippo boom RM150 + FREE fiio E3 from walabies ( another bass booster and portable amp ) ^^ it's DAMN Bass according to xandman's review...

This post has been edited by moniqee: Sep 29 2009, 02:17 PM

PL30 is not quite bass heavy IMHO. Good bass, yes; bass heavy, not really.

Hippo Boom recommendation seconded, even if sorely on bass quantity (supposedly, haven't tried it yet).

Also, at around the same price point, the Music Valley SP1 is great if you want good, tight bass (just don't expect oodles of it like you get from the Bijou or the Hippo Boom - it's much clearer then the Bijou IMHO). If you don't mind ordering online and waiting, there's also the NuForce NE-6, the king of sub RM200 budget bass (at least according to Head-Fiers).

But really, how does one define good bass? For most people, flabby, boomy bass that covers everything else is what they call GOOD BASS. I blame Sony and Megabass.

also can get from me.cheaper
(sorry,promote a bit aa )

hello fellow audiophiles...i am planning to buy new headphone so i would like to ask for advice...

my budget : rm250 max
soundcard : onboard souncard...realtek HD
usage : movie mostly and listening to music (mp3)

prefer the headphone to be comfortable...tq for advice and if got fellow lyn members selling the headphone do pls let me know....tq again

Was wondering where can i purchase this ear canal in Malaysia?

IHarmonix IHX Platinum ev-Series

Link : http://www.headphone.com/products/headphon...m-ev-series.php

get

Audio Technica M30 ( RM220-230 ) akabane@jackal ( it's great for movies and music.. but have great sound isolation and great sound details as it's a monitoring series )
Audio Technica FC700 ( RM230 ) Walabies ( it's great for both + it's portable headphone! )
Audio Technica AD300 ( RM230 ) akabane@jackal / walabies ( it's open can so great soundstage but not so sound isolated )

Any particular reasons as of why? Haven't heard much news about these babies...

As for where you can buy em, I really have no idea... Try search garage sales or bulk?

Though, for that price I'd say get a Music Valley SP1 (if you want bass) or the Soundmagic PL50 (if you want balance/vocals), although both these plugs lack the IHX's volume control (which adds distortion/is prone to breaking most of the time anyhow).

Good luck!



This post has been edited by Eiraku: Sep 29 2009, 07:10 PM

oh, thanks for ur all great suggestion.
my budget normally around less than rm200.

from what i see in forum, ear bud pl-30 build for deep or clean bass. but if compare with bidou v3. the bass is more clearify.

if do u all meant
from the best to poor categories
hippo boom > pl-50> bidou v3 > pl-30

Okay let me see if I get this right... I'm no real audiophile either, just an enthusiast. Lets break down the IEMs in your list into catagories (based on my limited knowledge anyway):

In terms of bass quantity (from most to least):

Hippo Boom/Bijous > NuForce NE-6 (just adding here for comparison) > SP1 (again adding here for comparison) > PL30 > PL50

In terms of bass quality (from best controlled to most flabby/boomy - inderectly influences clarity.):

PL50 (not that much bass to control to begin with) > SP1 > NE-6 > PL30 > Hippo Boom (according to Xandman anyway) > Bijous

If you want a lot of good quality bass that rumbles deeply in your ears WITHOUT covering up every other sound on the track, I'd suggest you try the Music Valley SP1. Given the right tracks, and the right EQ adjustments (I need to add bass a a little in EQ myself), it will blow your socks off (Markus Schulz's "Cause You Know" and "I am" comes to mind - the SP1 is very well suited to Electronica/Trance but works ok with a lot of other types of songs). It's also within your budget at RM180.

However, if you need EXTRA amounts of consumer level bass ("boom boom" rather then "thump thump"), you probably would be better off with the Hippos or the level 4 (or is it level 2, for extra bass) Bijous. They have more raw amounts of bass compared to the SP1 IINM.

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Sep 29 2009, 07:41 PM

tq for the reccomendation

hi,need some audiophilers guide... I am going to buy either AKG701 and Beyerdynamic dt880...any suggestion?

btw, dt880 was semi open and akg was open... other than what you guys can tell

u can try audio technica pro5v - RM270 +- . quite good for music. to my ears. warm and neutral sound . clarity is good and not ear piercing.

btw i have to ask are these headphone delivers enough bass to listen to music such as metallica? not really a bass lover but it's good to know that it's there...rite now i'm using quite powerful bass speaker...klipsch gmx 2.1

for pro5v to me the bass is normal, cant compare with sub woofer . but u still can feel the bass there

How about Audio Technica M30 and Audio Technica A300 bass performance? any user's opinion?

m30 bass out of the bass really great.tight and punchy.but not "boom" type.really nice.but after 200 hours,the bass tame down,so much that i didnt even recognize it.not a bad thing at all,just i tamed a lot.

a300,no idea.but i suppose m30 must have more bass right?as its a monitor headphone.

read a lot of great review of m30....90% sure gonna buy m30 now thank you all...

anyone can tell me the main difference between ath-m30 and Beyer Dynamics DT231 ? thinking which to buy.. or is there any better option with the same price range?

i cant really say,but when i wanna buy a m30,somebody ask me,"what ur music taste?",
i said "metal,rock and a bit of dance"
then he said,"go for dt231 instead"

so maybe u can get the rough picture here.he also mention dt have more bass.

ps:i still bought m30.coz i dont like the look of dt231

This post has been edited by amon_meiz: Sep 30 2009, 09:23 AM

Hey guys I'm looking for a pair of in-ear earphones. I listen mostly to rock, indie and some pop, film scores, electronic, but I'm not a basshead, so I'm looking for something neutral with a good balance of everything. Budget is RM200 - 300.

I've been recommended the following:
1. Crossroad Mylar Bijou
2. Hippo Boom
3. Soundmagic PL20 / PL50 / PL30

Are these suitable for me? And how does the Shure SE102 compare?

This post has been edited by QuickFire: Sep 30 2009, 10:44 AM

i strongly suggest PL50 for your balanced music preference. raving reviews all over.

I see. How much is it? And where can I get it?

Yeah, ratings seems solid and if there are somehow available in Malaysia, i would like to give it a try.

Thanks for the recommendation, but where can i look for SP1 and PL50?

main differences?

brand
name
design
sound signature.

end of story... ^^ i also prefer M30's design compared to DT231 as i used to have one similar design n it broke easily...

http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=1167985&hl=SP1
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=976470&hl=SP1
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopi...0&hl=soundmagic
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopi...8&hl=soundmagic

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Added on September 30, 2009, 4:26 pmI've nvr tried the IEMs you mentioned above, but I've 2 gd entry lvl that can match the Shure SE102 which is the MusicVAlley SP1 and JBL 220. The SP1 is kinda strong in bass(sometimes too much), the JBL wise is more balance(last time selling for RM50 New one, not sure how much is it now xD)

This post has been edited by chingwooi: Sep 30 2009, 04:26 PM

Noob here. I am using notebook (dell inspiron 1520).

Can I by buying good earphone able to increase the boom sound while watching bluray movies?

If yes,
-what kind of earphones to buy (i prefer small earphones, not those big types that covers the entire ear)? my budget RM150 to RM300?
-where to buy the suggested earphones?

If no,
-I will just have to use normal earphones and don't waste money.

This post has been edited by auhckw: Sep 30 2009, 06:11 PM

iem ar?

1. Crossroad Quattro RM269 *walabies* ( got 3 sound signature for u tweek - it's like getting 3 diff Bijou of diff level)
2. Crossroad MYlar Bijou RM170 *walabies / yuheng*
3. Hippo Boom + FREE Fiio e3 RM150 *walabies* ( for basshead )
4. Soundmagic PL21/50

Headphone
1. Audio Technica M30 RM220-230 akabane@jackal ( great sound details + closed can + long cables )
2. Audio Technica AD300 RM230 walabies/akabane@jackal ( open can + great soundstage )
3. Audio Technica FC700 RM230 *walabies/akabane@jackal* ( closed can + great bass + portable headphone )
4. Beyerdynamics DT231 RM230 *walabies* ( fun can )

nid some recommendation for IEM..

currently own a pl20(lack of bass@@) and I will buy a pl50 soon,bundle with E5..

but then i wanna buy anth iem for jogging purpose..

wat i nid is bass n comfortable, easy to stuck into my ear & wont easily fall down....

did pl21 or pl11 suit my request??

n in term of bass, pl21 or pl11 better??

This post has been edited by busyman: Sep 30 2009, 07:32 PM

try Hippo Boom + FREE fiio E3 RM150 *walabies*

it's for basshead like u.. ^^ plus u can read xandman's review on it here... it's quite a bargain for a bassheads...

d price is too expensive for me... (budget better below 80)

i'm no nid E3 as i got E5 soon..

Jogging better use clip-on. KSC75, nice clip-on headphone.

i wan to buy 1, but i think here only jiaxun sell it..

but he take long time to restock=.=

@ busyman, maybe you can check bass IEM here...
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=1111995&hl=

For bass quantity PL11 > KSC75
If have a good souce to tune the bass, KSC75 > PL11

Both of them are very comfortable.

never early early say ur budget... how i know? >.< since u wan cheapo then go for

Creative EP-630 ( RM55 only )

mayb ksc75 is a good choice for me, but jiaxun did not restock yet..sigh.

---

Added on October 1, 2009, 3:31 pmhaha, sry that i 4get state my budget..

btw most probably go for ksc75 as d clip is more suitable for jogging

This post has been edited by busyman: Oct 1 2009, 03:31 PM

i want to get a new headphone, for music purpose.
budget around rm150, max is rm200...
can recommend me the best headphone at this price range?
i tried hd201 and is pretty good already...any other headphone?

Give AT-M30 a try

+1.
Not saying hd201 not good,but m30 is a better deal for that kind of budget

This post has been edited by amon_meiz: Oct 2 2009, 12:40 PM

yea...i'm so tempted with AT-M30, but if i buy AT-M30 i can't buy new mouse hehe. any good headphone with cheaper price? thanks

Hi all,
I'm going to buy a circumaural headphones to be used with my upcoming new phone, with budget of +-RM250
Mainly for music, and surely, i'd like it to have good clarity. i love good quality bass too

Any suggestions from you guys? I'm quite new with this~
And please do suggest me where to buy it, i'm from KL.

thanks for your help

This post has been edited by yan5619: Oct 2 2009, 03:23 PM

Philips SHP2700.

You can get it for less than RM100. Good sound for its price. Offers good comfort as well.

ATH-ON3 RM100 *walabies*
ATH-FW3 RM150 *walabies*

---

Added on October 2, 2009, 7:40 pmHeadphone
1. Audio Technica M30 RM220-230 akabane@jackal ( great sound details + closed can + long cables )
2. Audio Technica AD300 RM230 walabies/akabane@jackal ( open can + great soundstage )
3. Audio Technica FC700 RM230 *walabies/akabane@jackal* ( closed can + great bass + portable headphone )
4. Beyerdynamics DT231 RM230 *walabies* ( fun can )

This post has been edited by moniqee: Oct 2 2009, 07:40 PM

which one better, Audio Technica M30 or Beyerdynamics DT231?
which one is good for any type of music?

evening to all, just wondering is there a earphone that like have a mic feature that allows you to choose whether to shut out the rest of the world or to turn on the mic and hear it again?
it would be so cool....

I'm sorry, but what does fun can mean? i know wat's an open/closed can, but never seen fun can before..
and isn't dt231 supraaural?

thanks

Hey guys =)

need your expert opinion as well

Cheapo headphones [not earphones] (comfy + doesn't sound like crap)
budget : below rm50
usage : movie mostly and listening to music (mp3)

Ah, Shure makes an attachment that does just that. Its called PTH (push to hear)... Sadly it costs as much as a decent mid-range IEM (RM4xx)...

Hmmm, below RM50 it's kinda impossible to find a decent headphone actually... AVF brand may be?

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Added on October 3, 2009, 3:12 amThat's basically noise-cancelling no?

This post has been edited by chingwooi: Oct 3 2009, 03:12 AM

i got that description from walabies about DT231... ^^ he means like... it's fun to listening using DT231...

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Added on October 3, 2009, 8:37 amwell Audio Technica M30 is analytical headphone where u can listen music/movie at great detail.. but dun expect heavy bass frm it... ( it has a great bass punch right out of the box... but after burning it... the bass become very tamed... loss the punchiness )

DT231 is a fun can whr u dun have great sound detail... i guess if u r a basshead... i would recommend u go for it... ^^

This post has been edited by moniqee: Oct 3 2009, 08:37 AM

thanks

This post has been edited by rook-ie: Oct 3 2009, 02:13 PM

[QUOTE]QUOTE(zachyEnWaykins @ Oct 2 2009, 10:38 PM)
evening to all, just wondering is there a earphone that like have a mic feature that allows you to choose whether to shut out the rest of the world or to turn on the mic and hear it again?
it would be so cool....
*



That's basically noise-cancelling no?




yes, but it has a mic which can allow normal conversation while listening to music.... well it cancels the need of plugging out the earphone...
saw it on a shure or something..

hi..

Looking for earphones with budget of max rm200,wouldn't mind adding abit more if really worth it

-use for music n movies

-clear sound and n good bass

-preferable good noise canceling



cheers

This post has been edited by fadzlin: Oct 3 2009, 01:56 PM

some Noise-Canceling earphone/headphone do have the Monitor function which temporarily disable the NC function (some mute audio as well) so you can listen to conversation or so.

This post has been edited by CLF: Oct 3 2009, 02:14 PM

[quote=zachyEnWaykins,Oct 3 2009, 12:09 PM]
[QUOTE]QUOTE(zachyEnWaykins @ Oct 2 2009, 10:38 PM)
evening to all, just wondering is there a earphone that like have a mic feature that allows you to choose whether to shut out the rest of the world or to turn on the mic and hear it again?
it would be so cool....

yes, but it has a mic which can allow normal conversation while listening to music.... well it cancels the need of plugging out the earphone...
saw it on a shure or something..

[/quote]

i think i've read somewhere b4 long time ago, there's a bluetooth headphone dat uses dat function where the mic can detect if there's any conversation happening, you can hear it like normal and it will reduce the volume of ur music or mayb mute it... but i dont remember which headphone is it...

This post has been edited by towkey: Oct 3 2009, 02:27 PM

so the M30 bass will be reduced after breaking in? aww too bad....and DT231 bass is good? but i heard that DT231 can break easily....is it fragile or sumthin? it will be much help if fellow headphone otai can list pro and cons for these 2 headphone...tq

cool...but the one i recall is like on of those earphones that is not bluetooth... anyone else knows of it?
it'll be cool to have one of those...
just left the need to identify it..

i wonder what people do with their headphones when they say it can break with ease. hammer a nail with it? gadgets will not break easily if you take good care of them, including headphones.

on another note, i would say DT231 outshines M30 in the bass department after both cans are given some period of burn-in.

As per above, comes with the Shure SE530 as a bundle if i'm not mistaken.

People really don't read forums thoroughly, do they?

Haha, Who the hell does? There're so many topics in LYN, it's kinda impossible to read through so many pages just to look for something, even the "search" button also rendered useless sometimes.

LOL, understand what you mean. Anyhow, my legs are trembling in anticipation for my incoming (and no update) PR2s... Ahh, faster so I can poison other people...

Also, I'm wondering why the Music Valley SP1 is not selling as well as it should (from the looks of it anyway). For the clarity AND tight bass that it has (for RM180 anyhow) it should sell like hotcakes. It has real character mannnnnn for such a (relative) cheapy...

Buuuuut, I'm partial to thinking that "normal" (non aural crazy) people over here either like boom boomy bass (the majority - bass quantity alone = good SQ)... Or high volume... Or brandedness...

Oh well... One man's poison is another man's cure!

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Oct 3 2009, 10:29 PM

i just lost (dunno where i put it / sumone might stole it) my Philips SHE9500 earphone last few days. need to buy new one...

my budget around RM100-RM150 only... i would like "in-ear" form factor.

want to use with my Nokia 5800 XpressMusic!

ps: actually, is it called earphone/headphone?

IEM , not headphone

IEM is the exact term, but earphone/canalphone/earplug can be used. Headphones = the big cans to smaller KSC75 types, Earbuds = Yuin PK2 type.

Anyhow, considering your budget, here's your choices (in my limited knowledge ah - items marked "From my readings" are based on my research and hearsay only):

1) Soundmagic PL21 (RM80) - From my readings
- Balanced bass / clarity (supposedly)
- Over the ear (OTE) /normal cable down design
- Ok isolation
- Cheap

2) Soundmagic PL30 (RM98) - FMR
- Less bass, more clarity
- Over the ear design (hard to wear normally)
- Less isolation
- Read up reviews on Head-Fi

3) Soundmagic PL11 (RM60) - Tested with 5800
- More bass, less clarity
- OTE/normal design
- Ok isolation (if you can get it, I struggled to get a good fit with the Silicones)
- Cheapest

4) Hippo Boom (RM150) - FMR
- Most bass, lesser clarity (IINM - from my readings)
- OTE/normal design
- Comes with a bundled amp (Fiio E3 - great little thing)
- Good-ok isolation (according to how deep you can stuff em in your ears)
- Had the Bijous a while back, used it with the 5800. They look the same, I wonder if they sound alike...

If willing to spend a bit more and like bassy but still clear sound: Try the Music Valley SP1. They sound great (slightly bass heavy) on the 5800 (to my ears anyway) but are largely overlooked... Of all my previous IEMS (Bijou, Quattro, PL11, SE HPM-70/75), I like the SP1 best...

Everything else just costs more, lol...

This post has been edited by Eiraku: Oct 4 2009, 01:16 PM

- what you currently have (mp3 players, amps, soundcard etc)
*Amp(Cmoy),Ipod and Guitar Amp
- what type of usage (movies/ gaming/ music etc)
*Pure music
- source (i.e. flac, mp3 etc)
*mp3
- type of music listen to (classical, jazz, metal, etc)
*A little techno buy mostly rock
- personal requirements like type (closed, open, cirumaural, IEM etc).
*comfortable and prefer non-leather cushion

My budget is around 250-300+-
I want something that gives me oomph when listening to my music
The headphones will be plugged like this: Headphones-cMoy-iPod
It's better if the headphones is portable and can bring everywhere

Thanks

This post has been edited by azrinarizz: Oct 4 2009, 01:54 PM

@azrinarizz: hope you don't mind my copying your format yeahh? It looks clean and compelling

- what you currently have (mp3 players, amps, soundcard etc)
*Guitar Amp, Ipod, 5800, Computer
- what type of usage (movies/ gaming/ music etc)
*Music, movies and gaming (all important haha)
- source (i.e. flac, mp3 etc)
*mp3??
- type of music listen to (classical, jazz, metal, etc)
*Rock, Alternative, Piano, Country
- personal requirements like type (closed, open, cirumaural, IEM etc).
*Headphones that are comfortable even if i wear specs,preferably with cable extensions or sumn cause i like to sleep with music around my ears

My budget is around 150-250
I want a headphone that cancels out most noise and is light enough for me to walk around with it. If it's able to isolate sounds in-game like footsteps and pin drops so that i can judge where ppl are that would be awesome but i hear that surround sound like that in a headphone's not really good for music?

I'm thinking of Siberia full-size but i don't know much about this stuff. Even the siberia is pushing my budget Thanks

This post has been edited by pllx: Oct 4 2009, 02:20 PM

portable ar?

get Audio Technica FC700 RM230 *walabies*

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Added on October 4, 2009, 3:10 pmget Audio Technica AD300 or M30 RM230 *walabies/akabane@jackal*

This post has been edited by moniqee: Oct 4 2009, 03:10 PM

need recommendation here..
headphone voice-cancelling - for travel (don't want to disturb other passenger)..
nice to wear for long hour..
looks good not like princess leia..
price rm200+/- ...(duit raya dpt sikit this year )
TQ!!

if possible can use it for jogging..

This post has been edited by vaires: Oct 6 2009, 01:14 AM

er... headphone noise-cancelling u mean??

RM200 is too low, i don't think u can get it

i want to get beyer dt231 but currently no stock.
is it worth to go for grado s60? haha my budget keep increasing...

well... u can go for M30... ^^ i think it's not a bad choice... or if u wan a portable headphone then go for FC700 / ES7 / FW5

how about s60 bro?if it worth then i will consider it...hehe

not sure if it's worth it... but if it's me i rather go 4 MS1 or ES7... really worth it...

opss sorry..hehe

FC700 vs KSC-75?
FC700 can use for joggig or working out?
i like to listen to country/rock/pop...

any advise..TQ

= = ??? FC700 is closed headphone .. if you use for jogging , I cant imagine it ... ur ears will be filled with sweat ...FC700 is quite big for jogging ,it wont stay stable on ur head . the pleather pad of Fc700 will spoil faster also because of sweat and smelly too .= = better buy those sport headphone which specialized for sport , something like this http://www.amazon.com/Nike-HJ020-Lightweig...s/dp/B0000789GC ..

ksc is earclip , it is stable if u aint moving , but for jogging , cant .. unless u walk slowly, not jog

either u choose sport headphone , which wont bring much trouble in sport , sound quality not so good OR
home/portable headphone , which is troublesome is you use for sport , but sound quality good

ps: better use IEM type for jogging , easy to clean ... if you buy those got pad headphone , get dirty easily

This post has been edited by linkinawe: Oct 6 2009, 06:13 PM

how about earphone..any suggestion?..