Headphone/earphone/s buying advice

[himeshj]

Need to buy the above for two purposes.

1) I fly quite frequently and am sick of the crappy quality of the head/earphones provided by the airlines. What is the most economical option? Haven't really thought of a budget but was thinking 3-4K. Do I hear you laugh? Needless to say, portability would be a good to have. Are noise cancelling headphones very expensive?

2) Also like to run long distance and the ipod earphones are a lousy fit and keep slipping out, though I'm not too bothered with the sound quality while running. Waterproof/resistant earphones are desirable as I work out quite a sweat.

So good people, what do I buy?
Do i need to buy two or is there an in-between compromise available?

Am travelling to Singapore in January so can buy from there if you can point me in the right direction.

 

[iaudio]

In between would be a compromise, as you yourself have put it.
Better buy a full size portable can that is comfortable for portable use and a rugged iem for jogging.
If you want noise cancelling, look at Audio Technica anc7. If you can live a with a noise isolating iem, you have lots of options in the3-4k budget depending on what sound signature/ flavor you want.
For jogging get a cheap iem like soundmagic pl21/jvc marshmallow.

 

[esanthosh]

H2O Audio makes some water-proof IEMs : Waterproof Sport Headphones and Headsets

Surge review here: Multi-IEM Review - 130 IEMs compared (Monster Beats Tour & Lil' Jamz added 12/29) - Head-Fi.org Community (Search for 3A29)

These are said to be good for the price: H2O Audio Flex In-Ear Waterproof Headphones (Black) CB1-BK B&H

Other choice could be Senn PMX680 earbud: Sennheiser PMX-680: Surprisingly a lot of fun! | Headfonia

 

[himeshj]

Thanks for the response, esanthosh, iaudio. iaudio, saw that you sold an anc7 at a great price. Missed that bus, didn't I? Will decide finally after some more research. Keep the advice coming, folks.

btw, what is better for inflight entertainment - isolating or cancelling? Heard somewhere that isolating type can get uncomfortable after a couple of hours. But these do have the advantage of being lightweight, right?

 

[abhi_jollyguy]

Thanks for the response, esanthosh, iaudio. iaudio, saw that you sold an anc7 at a great price. Missed that bus, didn't I? Will decide finally after some more research. Keep the advice coming, folks.

btw, what is better for inflight entertainment - isolating or cancelling? Heard somewhere that isolating type can get uncomfortable after a couple of hours. But these do have the advantage of being lightweight, right?

what is the source u are gonna use with IEMs?

Also tell me ur sound preferences

If ur source is gud(eg., clip+) so better buy Brainwavz M2 - Just listen to this and forget all the IEM's which is costing till 4-5khyeah:

 

[himeshj]

what is the source u are gonna use with IEMs?

Also tell me ur sound preferences

If ur source is gud(eg., clip+) so better buy Brainwavz M2 - Just listen to this and forget all the IEM's which is costing till 4-5khyeah:

Thanks Abhi, my source will mostly be iphone/ipod as I'd use it mostly while jogging. I listen to all sorts of music Rock(but nothing too bass heavy), ghazals, Indian classical, filmy and so on...). Where can I buy/audition Brainwavz M2 in Mumbai??

 

[saurigr8]

I am using Klipsch S4I & Skull Candy.... Klipsh perform better than Skullcandy ... Also some time i used my sony ( Old School Headphone ) bought the same in 1998... Still it's perform very nice and far better than Skullcandy .. .

 

[aashish351]

Have a mint condition Shure E2C Noise Isolating In-Ear Headphones which I am planning to sell... Excellent noise blocking (not cancelling)... they have hearing aid kind of fit... sits snuggly inside the ear lobe. very neutral monitor like sound... vocals sound excellent. It was a $200 pair at that time.... bought in 2008, from London.

 

[Rupam]

If you want IEM then you can go for MEElectronics M9
They are a steal @ 1200/-

review (3B3) MEElectronics M9 source Multi-IEM Review - 232 IEMs compared (Fischer Audio DBA-02 mkII added 03/25/12)





Details: Meelecs high bang/buck contender in the $20 range
Current Price: $17 from amazon.com (MSRP: $24.99); $23 for M9P with microphone
Specs: Driver: Dynamic | Imp: 16 ? | Freq: 18-20k Hz | Cord: 4 45-degree plug
Nozzle Size: 5.5mm | Preferred tips: Stock single-flanges
Wear Style: Straight down or over-the-ear

Accessories (4/5) Hard clamshell case, shirt clip, single-(3 sizes) and bi-flange silicone tips
Build Quality (4/5) While the old version had known build issues, the new M9s are very solidly constructed out of metal using the same cables as rest of the range striped silver on the silver version; dark grey on the black version
Isolation (3/5) Longer housings and included bi-flange help achieve deeper insertion and greater isolation despite the vented design
Microphonics (4/5) Low when worn cable down; nonexistent otherwise
Comfort (3.5/5) Shallow insertion and fairly light weight make these quite comfortable for long term use but bi-flanges may be required for the best sound. The sound is very sensitive to insertion depth so all of the tips are worth trying

Sound (5.3/10) The M9 share their general signature with the Meelec M6, which happen to be my favorites from the entire Meelectronics lineup. The soundstage is fairly wide and they sound quite airy much more so than the top-of-the-range M11. They have great extension at the top end and very strong bass. The bass is sometimes excessive in quantity and tends towards boomy. The mids are slightly recessed and a bit dry, just like the M6. Though clarity is great all-around, they can be overwhelmed a tiny bit by busy tracks and there is some upper-end harshness. Treble is strong and sparkly, boasting surprising detail and extension for a $20 earphone. Of note, the sound they put out is very fit-dependent; experimentation with different tips may be necessary to get the best out of them.

Value (9/10) The sound of these is easily worth the price of admission. Clarity and detail are superb and the sound is more airy than any of Meelecs other models. Its very hard to compete with the detail these are capable of producing at such a low price point. Meelectroncs excellent customer service deserves a nod here too.

Pros: Excellent accessory pack, excellent sound at the price point, good build quality, very low microphonics
Cons: Can be difficult to wear over-the-ear, bass may be too strong/boomy for some