yh_mn wrote Beats headphones are like what a Bentley is to cars; luxurious, high quality and worth every penny. Don't hate

Oh please. Come back once you are able to recognize true class.

loserga wrote

vb4life wrote Budget: 150ish...

Music preference: lots of dubstep, dnb, some rap/hiphop

Type / form factor and portability:on ear

Open/Closed (Not for in-ear): closed

Source(s): ipod or other mp3, laptop

This forum is EXTREMELY helpful! Actually a mom here, stumbled across this researching gift for soon to be 14 year old. He thinks he wants Beats and I was willing to spend the money for solos, but a little research obviously convinced me this was not the way to go. Listening to music is his life and I want to get him really good headphones (for the budget I have). Not in-ear because he always leaves them in his pocket in the wash...but need to be somewhat portable so I guess that's on ear? I've read a ton of these posts and it sounds like Ultrasone DJ1 Pros or AIAIAI TMA-1 would be good - but Ultrasones look like they fold up nicely and in the pics, the AIAIAI's don't show that? Any other suggestions?

Another question - you talked about ipods not even being the best for sound output. He has an ipod touch that is fully functional EXCEPT where the headphones plug in. From reading some earlier posts, it sounded like he might be better off to buy something like the Sansa Clip+ and saving a ton of money over replacing the ipod touch and use the sansa for music and the touch for everything else? Any other mp3 suggestions? It sounds like I can get him really good headphones AND a new mp3 player for the cost of replacing his ipod touch or buying Beats....

Thanks again!!

Quick edit - The Ultrasone DJ1's are in my price range - the Pro's obviously more - what are the major differences?

Looks like your son's a bit rough with his equipment... I wouldn't recommend anything more expensive until he appreciates their worth. IMHO there's no point in buying an expensive player for your son. Most people won't be able to tell the difference anyways. If you buy him the Clip+ and he comes back complaining that it doesn't sound as good as before, that's when you can consider spending a bit more on a quality player.

From my experience though, while the Sansa Clip+ arguably offers the best sound in its price point, I've heard better. Most enthusiasts buy it just because they could install the Rockbox firmware, which offers much more settings and options than the average user would even hear of. Though neither is my Walkman supported by Rockbox nor is it able to play FLAC files, I'd take it over the Clip+ anyday because of the sound, interface, and battery life. That being said, I don't think the Clip+ would sound better than the iPod that it'd replace, as recent models have improved a lot over earlier generations. Apple is getting serious about sound quality in their iProducts, and it shows. I can tell the difference between my Clip+ and Walkman, but I can't tell much of a difference between the Walkman and my friend's iPod.

Thanks for the input on the player - he actually has taken good care of the touch - he's had it for 2 years but recently something's gone wrong with the headphone connection and it just sounds awful. It's those little white apple earbuds that have gone thru the wash (twice).

Still looking for feedback on headphones - thanks!

vb4life wrote

loserga wrote

vb4life wrote Budget: 150ish...

Music preference: lots of dubstep, dnb, some rap/hiphop

Type / form factor and portability:on ear

Open/Closed (Not for in-ear): closed

Source(s): ipod or other mp3, laptop

This forum is EXTREMELY helpful! Actually a mom here, stumbled across this researching gift for soon to be 14 year old. He thinks he wants Beats and I was willing to spend the money for solos, but a little research obviously convinced me this was not the way to go. Listening to music is his life and I want to get him really good headphones (for the budget I have). Not in-ear because he always leaves them in his pocket in the wash...but need to be somewhat portable so I guess that's on ear? I've read a ton of these posts and it sounds like Ultrasone DJ1 Pros or AIAIAI TMA-1 would be good - but Ultrasones look like they fold up nicely and in the pics, the AIAIAI's don't show that? Any other suggestions?

Another question - you talked about ipods not even being the best for sound output. He has an ipod touch that is fully functional EXCEPT where the headphones plug in. From reading some earlier posts, it sounded like he might be better off to buy something like the Sansa Clip+ and saving a ton of money over replacing the ipod touch and use the sansa for music and the touch for everything else? Any other mp3 suggestions? It sounds like I can get him really good headphones AND a new mp3 player for the cost of replacing his ipod touch or buying Beats....

Thanks again!!

Quick edit - The Ultrasone DJ1's are in my price range - the Pro's obviously more - what are the major differences?

Looks like your son's a bit rough with his equipment... I wouldn't recommend anything more expensive until he appreciates their worth. IMHO there's no point in buying an expensive player for your son. Most people won't be able to tell the difference anyways. If you buy him the Clip+ and he comes back complaining that it doesn't sound as good as before, that's when you can consider spending a bit more on a quality player.

From my experience though, while the Sansa Clip+ arguably offers the best sound in its price point, I've heard better. Most enthusiasts buy it just because they could install the Rockbox firmware, which offers much more settings and options than the average user would even hear of. Though neither is my Walkman supported by Rockbox nor is it able to play FLAC files, I'd take it over the Clip+ anyday because of the sound, interface, and battery life. That being said, I don't think the Clip+ would sound better than the iPod that it'd replace, as recent models have improved a lot over earlier generations. Apple is getting serious about sound quality in their iProducts, and it shows. I can tell the difference between my Clip+ and Walkman, but I can't tell much of a difference between the Walkman and my friend's iPod.

Thanks for the input on the player - he actually has taken good care of the touch - he's had it for 2 years but recently something's gone wrong with the headphone connection and it just sounds awful. It's those little white apple earbuds that have gone thru the wash (twice).

Still looking for feedback on headphones - thanks!

Haha, it's cool to see a mom posting here!

The iBuds' jack is not so great and people are rough on them, so it's likely to get frayed and lose connection pretty quickly. Odds are the actual jack on the iPod is fine, but if it is not, the Clip+ and Clip Zip are top notch players. You could also use line-out cable/dock (LOD) with a cheap and small amplifier, like the Fiio L9 and E6, to get sound out of it. It's not terribly complex and actually improves sound quite a bit for headphones that benefit from it. Headphone amplification is another matter entirely that very few people need or want to get into, especially at relatively lower budgets like this.

You do want to get a Micro SD card with the Clip, though, because that's where their value is. I would also get the Zip over the Clip+, since the price difference is very low and the Zip is better in many ways, such as a larger screen and fewer quirks. I'm getting a Zip and a 32GB SD card myself in the near future, and this is the card I'm getting.

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I'll wait for a better price somewhere else or until the 64GB cards reach reasonable prices, though. Look for less than $1 per gigabyte and AT LEAST class 4. Lower than class 4, and it just takes too long to do basic operations. It's a much better experience with a faster card. Also, read reviews, particularly those with speed tests, to make sure the cards perform at or above their rated speeds. I've seen class 10 cards performing like class 4s, so those numbers can be deceiving. Tell me if you need any help with media players or storage in the future!

Headphones. Instead of the DJ1, I'd get the Ultrasone HFI-580 or HFI-780. The difference is not huge between the two, and whether it's worth the extra money to get the 780 over the 580 is questionable. Still, I would get them over the Aiaiai TMA-1 since they do fold and will be much more comfortable and better-sounding. I was relatively unimpressed with the TMA-1, but that's probably just because I didn't like the signature. People in search of a bassy sound will be all over them, though, as they will with the Ultrasones. The full-size Ultrasones are even more portable than the TMA-1, simply because of the folding design. The Ultrasones are far more versatile as well, however the TMA-1 does have a removable cable, a feature I really like.

There is another option, though. The Audio Technica Pro 700 Mk II is a serious bass cannon, and with a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M50 pads is even better. My friend stole mine off my M50s because they really are a necessary upgrade. The stock pads are pretty terrible, but usable. The Pro 700 Mk II has a removable (and quite durable) cable, a folding and versatile design, and it's built like a tank. You can really be rough on these, so they might fit the bill for what you want. If he has friends with Beats, they'll be regretting their purchases!

yh_mn wrote Beats headphones are like what a Bentley is to cars; luxurious, high quality and worth every penny. Don't hate

Beats are more like Land Rovers than anything, but without any of the redeeming qualities like decent off-road capabilities. Instead, you get this perception that they are really nice, and whoever owns them must be pretty classy! You want one yourself! I mean, look at all these Land Rovers you see around, they must be great and they make you cool!

So you're driving your new Land Rover. Couple weeks in, and you hear some scraping and squealing every once in awhile. A few days later, boom. Transmission is out. The first of many. You dutifully have it fixed, and it costs you a pretty penny. You could have bought a new car with that money you just spend on a new transmission alone.

It's British, so the electrical components begin to fail. You have a light out, a wiper's wonky, and the radio is no longer grounded to the car. I know, right? This sucks! Should have bought a real car. But sucks for you, you have the Range Rover.

On your way to the dealership to be, again, gouged, your transmission locks up and you're stuck on the side of the road. But your car is still the best! You know why? Because it was YOUR money you wasted on it! If only you had decided to maybe do a little research and buy a good car instead of this piece of garbage that you think makes you look cool. In reality, you're not the type for the Rover, anyway. You don't do any off-roading. You are not a member of the Country Club. You live alone, for now (surely women will be attracted to my new Rover!!!). You are not a pimp.

OK, now I'm just bashing Land/Range Rovers. This has nothing to do with Beats, or even headphones, and I've explained my stance on Beats in the OP. You've just witnessed procrastination at it's finest!

Hello, I know this will be extremely vague!

But my friend wanted to get a pair of headphones like Dre beats studios, as i have a pair already (WHICH I REGRET!) I advised him not to get some!

He said he would pay between 100-250 for them (pounds). They have to be over-ear and he is pretty picky about how he looks, so they cant be ugly, can you comment with a suggestion?

I realise you haven't got much to go on here, but any suggestions are better than none

P.s, he is into rock, metal, screamo and dubstep? if that helps Thanks, +rep now, and after you reply

Zooks wrote Hello, I know this will be extremely vague!

But my friend wanted to get a pair of headphones like Dre beats studios, as i have a pair already (WHICH I REGRET!) I advised him not to get some!

He said he would pay between 100-250 for them (pounds). They have to be over-ear and he is pretty picky about how he looks, so they cant be ugly, can you comment with a suggestion?

I realize you haven't got much to go on here, but any suggestions are better than none

P.s, he is into rock, metal, screamo and dubstep? if that helps Thanks, +rep now, and after you reply

If he likes the design of the Ultrasone Pro 750, they're exactly what he's looking for. The bass is to die for, and the highs are very nice. However, mids are recessed. It's a pretty interesting sound, and if it's not for him, he can get something else. If they are for him, then there's nothing better! What's more, I think they're incredible good-looking headphones. One of my favorite designs.

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If those are not his cup of tea, then the V-Moda M80 might do it for him. They're another one of my favorite designs out there, and the sound should suit him perfectly.

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There are plenty of other options that would suit him well, but I must be off. If he wants to know how Beats compare to either of these, they don't. The Beats can't hold a candle to them.

r00t_b33r wrote

yh_mn wrote Beats headphones are like what a Bentley is to cars; luxurious, high quality and worth every penny. Don't hate

Beats are more like Land Rovers than anything, but without any of the redeeming qualities like decent off-road capabilities. Instead, you get this perception that they are really nice, and whoever owns them must be pretty classy! You want one yourself! I mean, look at all these Land Rovers you see around, they must be great and they make you cool!

So you're driving your new Land Rover. Couple weeks in, and you hear some scraping and squealing every once in awhile. A few days later, boom. Transmission is out. The first of many. You dutifully have it fixed, and it costs you a pretty penny. You could have bought a new car with that money you just spend on a new transmission alone.

It's British, so the electrical components begin to fail. You have a light out, a wiper's wonky, and the radio is no longer grounded to the car. I know, right? This sucks! Should have bought a real car. But sucks for you, you have the Range Rover.

On your way to the dealership to be, again, gouged, your transmission locks up and you're stuck on the side of the road. But your car is still the best! You know why? Because it was YOUR money you wasted on it! If only you had decided to maybe do a little research and buy a good car instead of this piece of garbage that you think makes you look cool. In reality, you're not the type for the Rover, anyway. You don't do any off-roading. You are not a member of the Country Club. You live alone, for now (surely women will be attracted to my new Rover!!!). You are not a pimp.

OK, now I'm just bashing Land/Range Rovers. This has nothing to do with Beats, or even headphones, and I've explained my stance on Beats in the OP. You've just witnessed procrastination at it's finest!

This. Compared to most American SUVs though the Range Rover and Defender are far superior in off-roading. I'm guessing that's why people buy the Range Rover Sport, however ironic the name is. Any practical off-roader would just buy a Jeep Wrangler for about six grand less.

And then people start looking at the MB G-Class (cue pictures of IED'd G-Wagons in Afghanistan)...

vb4life wrote
Thanks for the input on the player - he actually has taken good care of the touch - he's had it for 2 years but recently something's gone wrong with the headphone connection and it just sounds awful. It's those little white apple earbuds that have gone thru the wash (twice).

Still looking for feedback on headphones - thanks!

Like r00t_b33r said, you''ll need a line out dock for that like the Fiio E1: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

The Ultrasones are probably his best bet if he wants something that folds. I'd get the HFI-780 since they'll be more "future proof" with their bright sound. The only problem is that the cups will scratch easily if your son is careless.

And the G-Class has always been strangely attractive to me, even though it's like the least sensible car ever. I've driven a Toyota FJ Cruiser and that's a pretty funky car too. But comparing Beats to Bentley's is the biggest insult to Bentley ever. The Beats aren't luxurious in any way, leave that to the Ultrasone Edition 8 or something like that. They aren't high quality; there's basically no metal reinforcements and instead use the cheapest plastic possible. And they almost aren't worth a penny.

Ishcabible wrote

vb4life wrote
Thanks for the input on the player - he actually has taken good care of the touch - he's had it for 2 years but recently something's gone wrong with the headphone connection and it just sounds awful. It's those little white apple earbuds that have gone thru the wash (twice).

Still looking for feedback on headphones - thanks!

Like r00t_b33r said, you''ll need a line out dock for that like the Fiio E1: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

And the G-Class has always been strangely attractive to me, even though it's like the least sensible car ever. I've driven a Toyota FJ Cruiser and that's a pretty funky car too. But comparing Beats to Bentley's is the biggest insult to Bentley ever. The Beats aren't luxurious in any way, leave that to the Ultrasone Edition 8 or something like that. They aren't high quality; there's basically no metal reinforcements and instead use the cheapest plastic possible. And they almost aren't worth a penny.

Same with me. The G-Class is an awe-inspiring vehicle. Just looking at it can fuel your passion. It just exudes that "you can depend on me" feeling. Bentleys are priceless in the amount of dedication that's worked into each one. TBH I'd take any one of these over a shiny Italian sports car anyday - in British racing green, of course.

loserga wrote

Ishcabible wrote

vb4life wrote
Thanks for the input on the player - he actually has taken good care of the touch - he's had it for 2 years but recently something's gone wrong with the headphone connection and it just sounds awful. It's those little white apple earbuds that have gone thru the wash (twice).

Still looking for feedback on headphones - thanks!

Like r00t_b33r said, you''ll need a line out dock for that like the Fiio E1: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

And the G-Class has always been strangely attractive to me, even though it's like the least sensible car ever. I've driven a Toyota FJ Cruiser and that's a pretty funky car too. But comparing Beats to Bentley's is the biggest insult to Bentley ever. The Beats aren't luxurious in any way, leave that to the Ultrasone Edition 8 or something like that. They aren't high quality; there's basically no metal reinforcements and instead use the cheapest plastic possible. And they almost aren't worth a penny.

Same with me. The G-Class is an awe-inspiring vehicle. Just looking at it can fuel your passion. It just exudes that "you can depend on me" feeling. Bentleys are priceless in the amount of dedication that's worked into each one. TBH I'd take any one of these over a shiny Italian sports car anyday - in British racing green, of course.

I think the G-Class looks better on the battlefield than anywhere else. Same with the Humvee/Hummer. The civilian versions are too flashy.

You guys might be interested. There's a pretty slim, but still realistic chance (%25?) that I will be able to get my hands on one of these, the Willys MB. Original WWII surplus. Long story.

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For a good price, too. It would be mine, and I would drive it, work on it, and pay for it. Not sure how this might turn out, but driving this around would be something else.