yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[General Accessories] boborone:
1: Budget:

2: Genres/Musical preference:

3: Type of headphone:

4: Functionality: (Mic needed? cable over ear vs. Straight down? Open/Closed back if v full size headphones, etc)

5: Your player/setup:

6: Source material (mp3, flac, stream, etc.):

7: Area of highest importance:

I read the OP.

1) Ok budget. 20 to 30 dollars including shipping. I know that can't buy me much. But some great deals can be found on the net. I think I found a couple. (links later)

2) I listen to everything. Seriously I listen to it all. But mostly these will be used to listen to rock, techno (trance mostly), NPR public radio and podcasts, and sound from movies off computer and phone.

3) In ear is what I'm looking for. I want maximum portability. Something I can wad up and put in my pocket. Which comes to a major point of tangle free wires. That's a must and holds just about as much importance as them working in the first place.

4) A mic would be nice, I don't use my phone when driving. But not all a necessity.

5) Player would be my N5, N4, and computer using VLC media player. Nothing special at all.

6) Streaming podcasts, lots of pandora, mp3, mp4, and mkv. I usually download movies with cutoff a/v just to save space on my hard drive. But I want what is there to sound good.

7) Biggest importance is durability and not sounding like a tin can. I don't want fake bass, but to have some lows is pretty needed. Have a couple headphones I never use cause they don't hit lows at all. And having tangle free wires is a must.

So with that said, I had a question. I looked on Amazon and found a few that caught my eye. JBuds J6M, J4M Heavy Bass, And J4 Heavy Bass, and the Sennheiser CX 300B MK II Precision Enhanced Bass earbuds. The Sennheiser and J6M don't have tangle free wires, but for some reason I can't kick them off the list. They are all the same price +- 2 bucks. I was wondering if the J6M had that much of a difference in build/sound quality over the J4(M) that makes them any better.

Well dammit. Maybe I just brought myself down to the J4 or J4M. How's this for a question? What is the difference between the two cause I couldn't find any in the decriptions or reviews, and/or do you know of any better options given my number 7?

---------- Post added at 03:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:26 PM ----------

J4

http://www.amazon.com/JBuds-Earbuds...=UTF8&qid=1385887744&sr=1-50&keywords=earbuds

J4M

http://www.amazon.com/JBuds-Earbuds...=UTF8&qid=1385890802&sr=1-92&keywords=earbuds

J6M

http://www.amazon.com/JBuds-High-Fi...=UTF8&qid=1385887679&sr=1-30&keywords=earbuds

Sennheiser

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Pr...e=UTF8&qid=1385887605&sr=1-2&keywords=earbuds
[General Accessories] jRi0T68:
[MENTION=2180828]boborone[/MENTION]

I'll try to look into those and give some advice. You should also look into LG Quadbeat 2.

I will say that a bigger concern if you intend on shoving them in your pocket could be the strain reliefs on the cable (at each ear piece and the jack). That will cause wear against poor strain reliefs and you'll lose sound from one of the channels over time.

Excreted from my Nexus 5

[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
[General Accessories] boborone:
I kinda dig them. Thanks for the suggestion. Maybe even the controls will work with the N5. Thing that sucks is I've only found them for sale on ebay. I don't shop on ebay. Me and paypal and their way to load money on your account don't get along. Know of any other sources to buy from. Amazon only sells the first quadbeat.

And not too too worried on a channel going out. If they last 4 - 6 months. I'll be happy. I know I will abuse them. Just don't have much to spend now, so down the line I can invest in a better set.

---------- Post added at 09:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:41 PM ----------

Or maybe do an in store pick up on these for 15 bucks at best buy

http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/meelectronics-m6-clear/4505-7877_7-33963646.html
[General Accessories] jRi0T68:
Those Meelectronics are well respected in their price bracket.

I think if you look up the Quadbeat 2 by model number it shows more sites that carry them. I'll check on that.

So are the Phillips 3590's, though, and I've seen them at office stores for $15.

Excreted from my Nexus 5

[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
[General Accessories] boborone:
Well ****. Pulled the trigger on them to ship to store and won't be available till next wednesday. I'm leaving to meet the gf"s folks next tuesday. I was looking to get a pair for the plane trip and nights at her parents house. Guess I'll wait till we get back. Would be nice to have some earbuds for work when I'm in the back cooking by myself. Oh well, now I have an excuse to invest in a good pair. Thanks for the help. Glad there's people like you on xda.

I'm listening to this on my sennheiser headphones and can only hear where bass is supposed to be, can't hear it though, just the empty high pitched hum of what should be bass.

[YOUTUBE]BaeNelsAOGo[/YOUTUBE]

---------- Post added at 11:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:47 PM ----------

Just picked up a pair of those off bestbuy's site from another seller other than best buy for 11.36 with free shipping. Supposed to arrive in a couple of days. Sweet dude, thanks. That is freaking awesome. Can't wait. Getting a new phone and some earbuds for the trip. Just hope all makes it hear before we leave.
[General Accessories] jRi0T68:
Glad to help.

Excreted from my Nexus 5

[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
[General Accessories] boborone:
Wow, just noticed this isn't in OT. I owe you button slaps my friend.
[General Accessories] jRi0T68:
I'd highly recommend that when you decide to spend more on headphones, you add removable cables to your "must have" list. It makes even warranty replacement easier.

Excreted from my Nexus 5

[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
[General Accessories] DowntownJeffBrown:
That's gotta be my favorite feature of my Sony MDR-1Rs. Didn't even think about it when I bought them but quickly learned what a great feature it is :thumbup:

>^.^< Sent From Meow G2
[General Accessories] jRi0T68:
I was cooking in the kitchen with my Shures in, snagged the cable on a drawer knob, bending the jack. I sent the cable back to Shure (2 year warranty) and since that was the mic/remote cable I just put the original cable back on until I got my replacement. No going without them.

Excreted from my Nexus 5

[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
[General Accessories] DowntownJeffBrown:
:D:thumbup:

>^.^< Sent From Meow G2
[General Accessories] BraydenLarwill:
I don't know if anyone's recommended these yet, but for the past 3 or 4 years I've been using JLab Audio headphones. You can buy some of the older models on Amazon for anywhere between $5 and $30 and they're all pretty amazing headphones. I'm currently rocking a pair of the brand new Epics and I'm in love with them so far. Big 13mm drivers and insanely gorgeous sound quality. Check them out!
[General Accessories] boulder96:
JDSLabs comes to mind :p

[MENTION=3571411]jRi0T68[/MENTION] How's the sound out of the headphone jack from the nexus 5?
[General Accessories] jRi0T68:
It's not impressive. Missing in richness, clarity, disappointing bass. But that's off the top of my head and a jaded view as I'm used to sound going through my E11. I'll try to get a comparison done between it and my (unamped) Rockbox'ed Clip Zip. I think that's pretty fair, and given how cheap those clips are, may be useful information to someone.

I can predict the winner, though, as I prefer my clip to my voodoo sound enabled vibrant.

Excreted from my Nexus 5

[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
[General Accessories] boborone:
What about this?

[YOUTUBE]wIXZUTz2yXg[/YOUTUBE]
[General Accessories] jRi0T68:
[MENTION=2180828]boborone[/MENTION]

I've used viper before on another phone, and it helps, but isn't the solution to the problem.

The problem with audio on most phones isn't software, it's hardware. The DAC used is typically of lower quality, the amp is usually insufficient, and the signal is usually just noisy due to parts not being sufficiently shielded from the noise from the cellular radio, etc.

You have a few solutions, for various budgets and portability needs. These are just a few.

1: A dedicated DAP (digital audio player), usb DAC (digital-to-analog converter) and separate amp. This can run maybe as low as $500, and up beyond what I'd care to imagine.

Pro: Best audio quality, easily able to tailor sound signature to your tastes

Con: Expensive, and you end up with a big brick of an audio stack to carry around.

2: A combo USB DAC/amp to plug into your phone. This sends the signal digitally from the phone to the DAC, eliminating virtually everything except possibly some cellular interference. Fiio E18 is under $200, I believe. Vectron has done a superb review in a separate thread.

Pro: smaller stack than above, still a cleaner signal, superior amplification. E18 even includes playback buttons and can charge your phone.

Con: Still a bit more money out of pocket than many may like, and requires you to both use your phone as a player (a problem with limited storage on a Nexus), and keeps you leashed to your phone.

3: What I personally use: Sansa Clip+ or Clip Zip (mine is the latter), Rockbox installed (a custom audio firmware) $35, feeding into a Fiio E11 amp $60.

Pro: physical controls, very clean audio signal, nice volume knob on the E11 (also present on E18 above), Clip accepts microsd, relatively small size, relatively cheap. Even the clip by itself is better than most phones (including a voodoo'ed vibrant, IMO).

Con: May feel cheap. Requires a separate audio rig. Plenty of room for audio improvement for a more discerning audiophile. 2 more devices to charge.

4: Viper4Android + Neutron audio player $5. Neutron is worth the $5, as it provides the best audio quality of any android music player, IMO.

Pro: Cheap. Keeps your setup small. Most convenient. Nothing to return if you aren't happy with it.

Con: Limited to phone's storage. Audio quality leaves enormous room for improvement, but a casual listener may be fully satisfied.

Excreted from my Nexus 5

[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
[General Accessories] boborone:
I'm actually surprised to hear you say you like things over the first galaxy. That got lots of great reviews from audiophiles.

Thanks for all the info.
[General Accessories] jRi0T68:
Vibrant with voodoo sound is great. Just I much prefer a Rockbox'ed Clip, and adding in an E11 amp with a 3 level bass boost switch, it'll both rattle my head and leave me in awe of the beauty in the music.

Excreted from my Nexus 5

[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
[General Accessories] ffp.:
I didn't knew where to post and don't want to start a new thread just for one question, so here i go:

I want to change my stock smartphone headset, but i want to keep the mic+button to answer calls and change/pause music. So i need a earbud with this features, but as my smartphone is "old" (Xperia neo, 2011) it isn't CTIA, but OMTP and the majority of headsets with mic won't work.

So i bought a very cheap adapte (the only one i could find...) like this:

(not exactly this one)

And i pretend to use it with a nice quality earbud to have both the controls and a good sound. So I'm planning to buy the ATH CKM500, since it have an extension and i can just use the upper part with my adapter and be happy. Now my two questions are:

Will the sound quality be significantly reduces by this cheap adapter? I think the answer is no, since 99% of the quality of the sound is related to the speakers, am i right?
[General Accessories] boulder96:
I think you are most likely right, unless the wire is so badly made that it has a very high impedance, or it distorts the analog signal from the phone

99% of the sound quality comes from the music file you use, the DAC, the amp, and the earphones themself. Sound quality can also depend on the music player, but not as much as those I just listed

By the way, the CKM-500 were my first "audiophile" earphones. I think its sound signature is extremely "v-shaped". Very strong and powerful bass and also plenty of treble.
[General Accessories] CappoAdvance:
Thanks man :)
[General Accessories] boulder96:
Glad to report that the Galaxy S4 (INT) works flawlessly with a usb dac without uarp, running official cm11 nightly :victory:

Btw, [MENTION=3996566]vectron[/MENTION], I saw your review on the Fiio e18, and was wondering if it sounds better than the x3. I feel that the e18 would sound better than the x3. I think that the x3 is only more expensive due to the screen, cpu and storage. What do you think?
[General Accessories] boborone:
Amazon deal of the day is some headphones

http://www.amazon.com/gp/goldbox/ref=pe_36900_79999680_pe_gb_email_explore
[General Accessories] 0b095:
: Budget: 0-20$ ( I expect a good deal for example it would be 70$ but with a discount... 20$ )

2: Genres/Musical preference:I want clear, sharp, explicit voice.

3: Type of headphone: IEMs

4: Functionality:Mic needed

5: Your player/setup:Phone(nexus 5) / PC

6: Source material: Youtube videos, mp3

7: Area of highest importance: Price/Performance comparison and from http://www.ebay.ca/

thanks
[General Accessories] mo976:
great thread!

So after rwading through this great thread and learning about the endless possibility's I need some suggestions...

1: Budget = $50 range

2: Genres/Musical preference = pop/rock/classical/jazz

3: Type of headphone = IEM

4: Functionality = with mic

5: The audio rig as whole = Nexus 5/7 (no mods other then standard CM DSP Manager)

6: Source material = mostly streaming radio (128k) and high bitrate mp3's

7: Build Quality = sturdy is better

I first tried some of the Sennheiser IEM's in the $40-50 range about 2 years ago or so but was left mostly unimpressed both by build quality and sound quality they both broke within months, I also cant stand the unequal length wire style... for the past year +, I have been using the Klipsch S4 for "android" while I am pleased with the sound quality and even the build quality/comfort the in-line mic doesn't work with any android phone I have (HTC One S, Nexus 4/5) that and I know that there is probably something better for about the same price point... I checked into the Sony MH1 recommended here in the thread but the unequal wires are a deal breaker. How about the brainwaves R1 or other model? or Soundmagic but which ones? Any others to consider, I would be ordering to the states so availability is not a limiting factor.

In addition any recommendation for "sports" IEM with behind the ear loops or similar to keep it in place while jogging, or perhaps a Bluetooth headset like the backbeat 903's, moto SD10's etc in the $50 range.

Thanks for the help!
[General Accessories] jRi0T68:
Sony MH1

LG Quadbeat 2

Brainwavz R1(I can vouch from experience on R1 that these are bassier, but the highs and mids are also decent. I would expect the MH1 to be a better fit for your genres.)
[General Accessories] vectron:
It's hard to say without actual comparison since I don't have X3. In theory a dedicated DAP with a quality DAC/amp and no external phone components interference would be "cleaner" than smartphone+E18. My Note 2 + E18 is a decent combo, but at the same time my Note 2 is a year old and micro-usb port starting to show wear'n'tear where sometime OTG usb cable feels loose and I can get an occasional noise (fixed by wiggling the cable).

Also, X5 is just around the corner and it supposed to be like a combination of X3 + E18 in terms of sound quality and possible interface to your smartphone (if I understood them correctly). Maybe I will get a chance to review X5, although I'm not sure yet.
[General Accessories] mo976:
The LG's didn't get great reviews.

The MH1's probably are the best fit but they have a J wire around the back of the neck design which I can't stand. They cost $60 which if the upper limit of what I want to spend... Is there anything else that comes in around that price or pushes it perhaps by a few dollars that is worth checking out?

When you say decent in regards to the R1's do you mean passable or enjoyable?
[General Accessories] jRi0T68:
Positive perspective on LG QB2:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/686412/lg-quadbeat-2-appreciation-thread

R1's have good bass that slightly muddies the mids, which are already a little recessed. The highs could use more detail, for sure. That being said, I'm talking about a $40 pair that sports dual dynamic drivers, and this is in comparison to much better headphones.

They're probably not the perfect fit for classical/jazz, but I can't see people being disappointed by them. I also don't see many better options that include a mic/remote.
[General Accessories] mo976:
Facepalm...I was looking at the og quadbeats I only find the QB2 from south Korea for about $30 on eBay but should I be worried about fakes?
[General Accessories] jRi0T68:
I haven't heard about fakes, and they're not popular enough to warrant a good market for fakes. Give it a shot.
[General Accessories] mo976:
Well I pulled the trigger they should be here in a couple of weeks.
[General Accessories] jRi0T68:
Excellent. Do post up with a quick review.

Excreted from my Nexus 5

[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
[General Accessories] sandy99707:
Want over the ear headphones for galaxy s2 plus.

Plz tell me which is better from given models

Jbl J03B

Jbl tempo J03U

Sony MDR ZX100

Sony MDR XB400

Sony MDR ZX 300
[General Accessories] p1000haha:
a good guide, just in need
[General Accessories] sandy99707:
Ok guys now i hv sony mdr xb400 grt sound with xtra bass
[General Accessories] MiguelHogue:
Anybody have recommendations for a pair of good quality in ear headphones for under $20

Only thing really needed is decent quality sound and thumping bass

Working with a tight budget

I'm using them with my note 2 that had a bunch of audio mods (Viper4Android being the main one)

I was looking at this product http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007HIT0GS/ref=aw_ls__1?colid=2GKH5QY4LB7E5&coliid=I19FQLA0GAE80F

Reviews seem pretty good

-TeaM VeNuM Like A Boss :flipoff2:

-SoA: Son's of Android™
[General Accessories] vectron:
Hi Miguel, actually based on the reviews of these JVC in-ear headphones, they only good for thumping bass, that's about it. The rest of the sound will be muddied and treble has sibilance effect (a lot of those high pitch ear piercing .ssss sounds). The top reviewer of that product listing did a very informative write up, and sibilance problem didn't go away even after 70hr of burn in. Btw, what type of music are you listening to? Will be helpful for headphone selection, Jeremy is top pro when it comes to that!!!
[General Accessories] MiguelHogue:
Thank you for the response! and the type of music that will be listened to is hip-hop.

I agree. Jeremy is a pro. Very helpful with my first selection of headphones. Sadly I lost those though lol

-TeaM VeNuM Like A Boss :flipoff2:

-SoA: Son's of Android™
[General Accessories] jRi0T68:
Lol, Miguel. That sucks.

I've seen the LG Quadbeat 2 in that range before, though it's without shipping.

Many people are also happy with Phillips SHE3590. You can always go with those for now, and save the difference. Choice opens up quite a bit between $40 and $60, and around $100 floods you with options.

Excreted from my Nexus 5

[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
[General Accessories] aashgaur:
can u tell me what earbuds are best for me ? i like to workout n listen fast gym songs n bass !! my budget is around 4000 INR.
[General Accessories] Lokitez:
I've had quite the experience trying to get my music listening needs met...

I subscribed to Google All Music when it was first launched, as it seemed great for someone like me, with almost no personal music collection (the only MP3s I own are the ones ripped from my Beatles CD collection). I like listening to music all day at work and when I get home, so buying a large enough collection (even sticking to my preferred genres of alternative rock and classic rock) that I'm not constantly repeating stuff would be a huge investment. Plus, Google All Music lets me download stuff to my phone, so when I go outside of internet access, I've still got tunes. I do think that this is one of the "quality bottlenecks" in my audio experience though, as at best it gets to 320 Kbps. I'm not sure what it streams at over WiFi, but probably about 320 Kbps. I also don't know what it stores music at when you download it to your device, though I'd think it would be that 320 Kbps.

As far as headphones, I tried out at least five pairs of Bose AE2. They meet my criteria of being over-the-ear (I can't stand anything in my ear and on-ear bleed too much sound for my liking). They are light, comfortable to wear, and with a little equalizer tweaking can sound very nice. The problem is, every single pair ended up with the left headphone rattling. Incredibly frustrating. Now I have a pair of Pioneer HDJ-2000 that I'm trying out. They sound good, but are much heavier (although, that also means much sturdier for shoving into my bag). The real test will come when I start a new job in the next month or so and I'll be listening when commuting on public transit instead of driving.
[General Accessories] jRi0T68:
[MENTION=4988670]Lokitez[/MENTION]

What type of budget are you looking at for over-ears?

Excreted from my Nexus 5

[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
[General Accessories] Lokitez:
I didn't really have budget constraints. I was looking to buy headphones that sounded the best with my Nexus 5... in other words, regarding quality, the phone's audio was the quality bottleneck, not the headphones.

I'm pretty happy with the Pioneer HDJ-2000 that I got for $200. They're just a little bit on the heavy side, but feel very sturdy. I'll take the durability over weight (worst comes to worst, I build up my neck muscles, heh).
[General Accessories] vectron:
If you are happy with it - it all that matters ;) Although in my personal opinion if you care about lightweight over-ear high durability design and quality sound - Audio-Technica ATH-M50 for about $100 would be the best value for the money and better sound quality. Check out my signature link to find review of it. It's #1 selling headphone in DJ category, although it's not your typical heavy bass headphones, and rather great for music production or sound engineering. Or you can get V-Moda M-80 on-ear (a bit smaller earpads though) for $150-$170 - great sound and awesome looking design.
[General Accessories] refinition:
Does anyone have any experience with the Yamaha Pro series? (e.g. Yamaha Pro 300, 400 and 500). They're on special where i live and they look pretty enticing.
[General Accessories] boulder96:
Mannnn.... If any of you had read the Android USB DAC thread on head-fi you would have seen that UAPP doesn't work as it should on my S4 running CM11. *sigh* Was expecting better sound quality from my phone :crying:
[General Accessories] Fabry1998:
1: Budget: I'll prefer staying on a €30 budget

2: Genres/Musical preference: Rap, Hip-Hop, Dubstep, Progressive house, trap and a bit of rock

3: Type of headphone: Earbuds or IEMs, it doesn't matter

4: Functionality: I'll prefer if they have a mic, but it isn't important

5: Your player/setup: I'll use them with my phone(now Galaxy Mini, but in a couple of days I'll receive a Nexus 4), even with my laptop

6: Source material (mp3, flac, stream, etc.): mp3 320kbps

7: Area of highest importance: None
[General Accessories] wyelkins:
I hesitate to post this, but I bought a cheap set of Rapoo H-6080 BlueTooth Headphones from Walmart for less than $35. Paired with my S3 on various Roms and Music Players and Podcast Apps, they do a good job for me. Got about 1000 songs on my SD card in various Genres. I use them every day on my hour and a half commute. No problems with them except when I am testing a Rom with BlueTooth issues.

I know that this means that I don't know what I am talking about. Lol. But it works for me and my budget.

I am glad that I found this thread so I can read and find out what I am missing. Or, I will find that my ears will never be able to tell the difference anyway. Hope not.

Thanks for this thread and all the contributors.