PC Peripherals Suggest a headphone or earbud

Yamaraj

Adept
Purpose - Music (Rock, Classic, Pop and Metal)
Quality - Not exactly an audiophile I am, but clarity and bass is desired.
Budget - 1.5-2k max is enough for a non-audiophile like me. ;)

A few points to be noted:-
1. In case of headphone, metallic headband is a 'must'. I've broken a few el-cheapo plastic ones easily.
2. Must be comfortable and not cause any hearing loss.
3. Wireless (no bluetooth[1]) is preferred, or at least long cords.
4. Build quality is an essential deciding factor.
5. Attached mic is an added advantage, but not necessary. Doesn't have any say in final decision.

[1] - My ThinkPad has bluetooth, but I don't want to take any chances as
bluetooth audio support in not very good in Linux, and not at all in Solaris.

I hope to get good and practical suggestions for this purchase. :eek:hyeah:

- Yamaraj
 
the philips SBC HP 840 fits your budget, but dunno abt the features tho. if you want to get sennheisers, here is the price list :) but mind you, the prices are a bit bloated
 
1. In case of headphone, metallic headband is a 'must'. I've broken a few el-cheapo plastic ones easily.

The metallic headband is a real limiting factor, since I cant think of any :huh: (plus I guess there wouldnt be many at that price range). IMO, the Senns which have plastic headbands are still pretty solid !

3. Wireless (no bluetooth[1]) is preferred, or at least long cords.

Wireless i.e. RF or IR, usually starts around the 3k range for both Sony and Philips. Had a Sony wireless set (MD-IF230K IIRC) that had a plastic headband and was quite flimsy that it broke - so i guess you might want to avoid them. Most decent headphones come with pretty long cords.
 
I definitely have Sony Fontopia earbuds in my list, but I think earbuds pose
more threat to our hearing capability than headphones do. Also, Philips SBC
HP840 is somewhat an old model that isn't available at many places now.
AL502i is pretty average IMHO, and Sennheisers are criminally overpriced for
their performance. If HD202 is good enough, there is no problem stretching
my budget to meet its requirements.

@Eddy,
Yes, metallic headbands are not common, but there are quite a few ones with
two metallic rods(lack of a better word) with the usual plastic band, which makes
them somewhat more reliable.

BTW, do you think that earbuds are better for a non-audiphile, one who is sort
of an expert at breaking plastic headbands?

Wireless headphones are generally not as good as wired ones, AFAIK. Expensive
ones like those from SONY or Philips are useless for me for the same reason.
If I were an audiophile, I would surely have alotted enough dough to include
thses options. Cheaper ones like from Frontech etc are not as good (ok, nowhere
as good) as the above mentioned, but they do the job while costing a lot less.

But I'll settle for a good and non-destructive wired headphone or earbuds.
Keep the recommendations rolling, please!

EDIT:
Two Philips headphones are available with a local dealer.
1. SBC HP250 - 945/- (Website retail price)
2. SBC HC130 (Wireless) - 1500/- (Website retail price)

There're not the best, but good enough for the price. I request the more experienced
of us to take a look at them.
 
^ I don't want the Zalman. It's only good for gaming and movies. Besides, there
is no support for it in my laptop, and it would only work in regular stereo mode.
 
I definitely have Sony Fontopia earbuds in my list, but I think earbuds pose more threat to our hearing capability than headphones do.

When choosing between earphones and headphones portability should be your bigger criteria. If you intend a lot of portable use, the earphones would be more convenient to wrap up and carry; if you would just use them at home, the headphones would be a better option. (an annoying factor with earphones is that apart from the canal type ones, most start slipping out of your ears)

About earphones posing a threat to hearing capability - true they are closer to the ear drums, but they are not as loud as outer ear headphones :)

If HD202 is good enough, there is no problem stretching

my budget to meet its requirements.

The HD202 is quite good - for an entry level budget model. The indian pricing however ruins that VFM factor by selling it for as much as 3K at places (international pricing ~ 30$). If you can manage to snag them for 2K, then they would be a nice buy. Has a plastic headband but i can tell from experience that they seem very solid. How it compares to the Philips 805 or 840 though, I have no clue :hap5:

The HD201 again seems a nice buy and is priced well around here (saw it for 1.7k on indmall.com), however the sensitivity is a little low on these headphones - which means it will not play too loud with weak powered sources like laptops, portables; and that indirectly reflects on its bass which comes off sounding a little weak.

Also note - both the above mentioned 'phones are Closed-ear headphones.

Wireless headphones are generally not as good as wired ones, AFAIK. Expensive

ones like those from SONY or Philips are useless for me for the same reason.

If I were an audiophile, I would surely have alotted enough dough to include

thses options

Absolutely! Even audiophiles with plenty of dough would still give wireless a pass - the technology just isnt upto mark yet.
 
^ I don't need much portability. But I easily get annoyed with wires, especially
thin wires that tangle and twist. That's why I included cordless option in my list.

Yeah, you're right about Sennheisers being overpriced here. I mean HD201 and
HD202 sell for ~$18 and $24 on Amazon. Piggy-greedy-Indian-sellers be damned.
I'll surely get HD201 or HD202, if and if only I get to pay a justifiable price for
them. Besides, I would also like to compare with available Philips or SONY models
here. I looked at AL AHP712i, and its noise-cancelling features sound good enough
for me. But some of the reviewers complained about the average build quality
and easily breakable body. Pfft, this is exactly what I dislike.

There must be a place besides indmall.com with HD202 available with a sane
price. I'm definitely not going to pay twice as much what Yankees get to pay.

@Anish - Any idea where HD202s are available for 2.2 or less?
 
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