Sennheiser HD218 Closed Back Headphone Optimized for iPod/iPhone/MP3/ and Music Players Review

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(More customer reviews)After struggling for a while with the average quality of a few models of closed headphones and the piercing pain in my earlobes when using them for more than an hour, I believe I've found what I wanted: A good quality, good sound, reasonable priced earphones that won't hurt my humanity. But beware audiophiles: The sound coming from these guys even if rich and clear, with realistic deep bass and sharp high notes will never match those you can get from professional headphones, nor is their intention nor their price. These are nice mid-level workhorses that do their job pretty good, so keep your expectations on that level. If you want professional sound get ready to pay three or four times more. Just be realistic
After the "disclaimer" above, I bumped into these headphones while looking to replace a pair of Sony's, my third pair of closed headphones that not only sounded average but made me ended up with swollen, red earlobes after a little more than an hour of use. I tried everything, from forcing the top bridge to open and release the pressure to using the cup in different areas of my earlobes with no success. I even tried stuffing some cotton yarn on the cups and the only result was me looking ridiculous. Then I read a review on this pair from a reputable source attending the latest CES in Vegas and I gave them a try
They are good, really good. I use them mostly for PC gaming and the sound effects as well as the music and dialogue is very clear and deep. I also tried them a couple of times on my iPod listening to classical music and they behave decently, not as good as I wanted but at this price I doubt there are any headphones that can deliver classical music with the needed fidelity. They also provide good isolation from external noises with a thick layer of foam and synthetic fiber that to my surprise doesn't make you feel that you put your ears on the kitchen range. They do warm your ears a bit, but noting you can't stand or even notice after you get accustomed to them
But the best part for me is the fit. No pain, no discomfort whatsoever. The combination of a good layer of soft material with a multiple point adjusting cups provides a very close fit yet mimic the shape of your earlobes good enough to avoid the pain other earphones can get you. If you add I use them while wearing glasses, then the result is astounding: No pressure on your head from the glasses or any ache or soreness from the cups. Overall the best pair of closed headphones I owned in a while. Five stars considering they last for at least three years at my heavy use, but that's too early to tell


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Versatile closed-back headphones

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Sony MDR-XB700 50mm XB Diaphragm Driver Extra Bass Headphones Review

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(More customer reviews)First off, there really is no way around how big these headphones are. The specs list the cushion diameter at 4.3" and a thickness of 2". While the diameter is measured spot on the thickness itself is shy of the listed measure by about 1/4". To properly visualize the diameter take a look at a standard audio CD (4.7"). The cushions are super soft and conform exquisitely to your head with an adequate amount of clamping force. The headband's padding can be considered non-existent, though this does not detract from the overall comfort as the ear pads appear to support most of the weight. And while on the topic of weight, these do tip the scales more towards a fatiguing weight.

As far as use goes, one generally wouldn't be using these for portable listening. Furthermore unless you had a headphone amp, I think many portable devices would struggle to drive these at a regular listening level. My Sansa c250 provided only muddled and unresponsive sound on bass heavy tracks, but did 'ok' on less bass intensive ones, or with the volume increased. Usage with a laptop seems ideal with the unexpectedly shorter cable which would limit the range of movement one has with a desktop computer or stereo use. These 'phones would have received a 5 star rating but this shorter cord does detract from the appeal. A cable extension can be found easily enough however.

Bass is responsive and rolling, and surprisingly is minimally fatiguing. Even at higher volumes the bass is portrayed accurately with minimal distortion. The ludacris clame by sony of the lower-end range I would argue with however. At the higher volumes with heavier bass the mids and highs decidedly take the back seat in the presentation. Considering the marketing and design intents this is expected.
These are by no means a refference set of cans, and they are far from analytical. For a pleasent listening experience where you can lose yourself in the lower frequencies these are what you're looking for.

On the negative hand they are a tad on the hefty side, rather large, and have a shorter than desirable cord for their ideal usage. Though none of these negatives should be considered a deal killer for the superb comfort, auditory warmth and richness of the bass, and the price at which they pull together. Overall I can easily see these becoming a staple of my audio listening.
Update: So here it is quite a bit later. I've had these 'phones for almost six months. I've got a collection of headphones that some might call obssesive, Including some I dropped a pretty penny or two for. I keep comming back to these Sonys. The tonal color is just perfect for the stuff I listen to, Sasha, Armin Van Buuren, Shpongle, Shastro are just a few data points here. The comfort of these headphones is unsurpassed and I can literally wear them for hours. I've even done the unthinkable and sold off some of my other cans due to lack of use. In short: I love these.

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New Extra Bass Series Headphone - 50mm XB diaphragm driver units for Big Booming Bass - Frequency response: 3-30,000 Hz - Sensibility: 106dB/mW

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Philips HE592 Surround Sound Ear Buds (White) Review

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(More customer reviews)Based on some of the reviews on this product, and the image above, I think Phillips may have listened to complaints and made some changes to the earbuds. The pair I just bought came with an entirely different set of cups than the ones pictured above, considerably narrower at the end that goes into the ear. The ones pictured here came as a separate pair of cups, unattached to the earbuds. So, it looks like Phillips made some adjustments to help them fit better for most people. I've only been using mine for the last day, but I wore them during my commute to work (which involves a fair amount of walking) and didn't have any trouble with them falling out.
The sound is satisfactory, and a bit better than I expected from a $20 pair of earbuds. I use them with my iPod and noticed that with the Phillips earbuds I had to reduce the volume from the level I used with the original iPod earbuds. As for the virtual-surround, the sound is somewhat richer than with the iPod earbuds, and more external noise is cancelled out.
My only complaint is the chord is designed to be worn around the neck, but works best if you wear your player on your left. I tend to wear mine on the right. A slight adustment, with the chord crossing in front of me took care of that, so I didn't experience any tugging.

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An ideal complement to portable DVDplayers and laptops with built-in DVD drives, this pair of ear-bud surround sound headphones simulates the home theater experience whether you're listening privately on a plane, in a hotel room, or even at the park. Each bud features a single 15 mm neodymium speaker driver with a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. But when combined, the buds incorporate Philips' patented virtual surround technology to create a rich, multichannel-like environment. Though it's not true surround sound, it's as close as a listener will get through a two-channel source, especially one that fits comfortably inside the ear canals. The buds come with a flexible, molded-rubber carrying case, along with a 3.9-foot cord that should be long enough for most applications. The cord's flexi-grip end connection lithely responds to rough handling, while its 24k gold-plated plug ensures the best possible signal transfer for a better overall sound.
What's in the Box HE592 ear buds, 3.9-foot cord, rubber carrying case, user's manual.

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