Headphones and Earphones
BlackRX was happily reviewing the different types of headphones at HMV a week ago. He happily noted the wide range available including the high-end ones costing several hundred dollars. He told me that he could never find these at the local store in the USA. He's somewhat of an audiophile. Of course high end audio equipment including the likes of high-end headphones are just not going to be easily available in every medium-sized city in the USA.
6 comments:
The series of Shure and Etymotic Research in-canal earphones are quite badly priced (expensive) and unless you're very much into sound (it's flat, no incidental bumping up the lower freqs to enhance bass) they don't offer value for money. They are not as comfortable as Sennheiser headphones or the Bose Quiet Comfort 2. Even the B&O stylish A8 is more comfortable. In-canals take some getting used to. Shure and Etymotic are selling at both Apple Centres/Stores in town and Funan. There's a audiophile-ish shop at Esplanade with Shure earphones too. But if your friend is going for Shure, get them from Bluetin.com. Much cheaper than your average stores. Worldwide delivery.
yes, Shure earphones are sold at places like Best Buy, but the pricing is exorbitant, often costing more than a decent Sennheiser headphone. (I am quite strict about how I use earphones and headphones: the former for portable devices, and the latter for home hifi equipment only when absolutely necessary, preferably with a headphone amp. Under most conditions I do not like using headphones with hifi equipment; I avoid amps with headphone jacks like the plague; I never buy amps that allow adjustment of bass, midrange and treble (e.g., amps from NAD). The in-your-ear, exaggerated two-channel kind of audio separation in ear- and headphones gets a bit artificial for me at times.)
The electronics store named Best, at Plaza Singapura, for example, carries a wide range of Audio Technica earphones. Some Sennheisers as well. All for far less than the Shure E3, E4 and E5 series.
For the MSRP of those Shures, I could buy a really decent used pair of bookshelf speakers.
Thanks LittleFish, I think BlackRX can speak on this with a lot more authority.
My impressions of Bose and B&O products are that they are overpriced lifestyle products which offer mediocre audio. Hence, I am sceptical. As for Apple, I think the less be said the better...
BlackRX, do you have any experience and impressions of the headphones Little Fish has mentioned?
I'm using etymotic in-canal earphones. =)
I'm certainly no audiophile, not even close. hence i was talking primarily on the comfort and price side of things.
stopped using the denon hifi at home after dad stopped his vinyl collection and i think we sold the set away...
Littlefish, you certainly seem to know what is out there. And you can remember the models and the types available. That impresses me as I can never remember them.
You have an inkling of the different products.
Speaking vinyl, do you keep vinyl?
I used to. I have several hundred 12-inch singles stored. And some 7-inch singles too.
Post a Comment