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#1
I am a avid music lover, but someone who is always short on cash. But nevertheless, a good headphone is something which always stays on my head when I go out.
This thread is to discuss the good, bad and ugly about the various headphones/earphones/headsets available in the market.
Till now, I was using a Philips Shibuya SHL5200. The primary reason for choosing the Philips was that it came with a built-in microphone (on the cable) which enabled me to use it with my phone.
It is worth Rs. 3800/- in retail stores here but I got it in a offer from Amazon for Rs. 2100/-. Please note all prices are converted from GBP to Indian Rupees.
The earphones seemed to be of good quality and were very comfortable on the ear. Noise cancellation was great too. Sound quality was good enough for the price but somehow bass was mediocre. But overall it was a good investment, till recently it mysteriously broke into two pieces!
I wont say I have taken care of it like my baby but I have not done a strength test on it either. It was fairly well taken care of and anyways, headphones are supposed to be sturdy! This is the first time I saw a headphone literally breaking into two on it's own! I tried FeviQwik/Super Glue, but to no avail.
Time for a new headphone then. Budget as usual was tight! This time, I did not even look at Philips. I am not willing to give it another chance now. So, the contenders were -
1) Sony MDR-XB400:
This is the successor of the sweet looking MDR-XB300.
MDR-XB400 | Extra Bass & DJ Headphones | Features | MDRXB400B.AE | MDRXB400 | Sony
Price: Rs. 4127/-
2) Sennheiser HD205:
Sennheiser HD 205 - Closed Headphones - excellent stereo sound quality
Price: Rs. 4211/-
3) Audio Technica ATH-SJ55:
ATH-SJ55
Price: Rs. 4548/-
4) Audio Technica ATH-T300:
ATH-T300
Price: Rs. 3284/-
Final Choice:
Amazon was offering all these headphone for a much lesser price, approx Rs. 2500-3000/-. After reading lots of reviews and comparing specifications, I finalized on the SJ55 and the XB400. The SJ55 has a better high end clarity while the XB400 has a better low end (bass).
Audio Technica is known to make good headphones but some reviews suggested that the build quality of the SJ55 was flimsy. The last thing I wanted was another broken headphone. On the other hand, users were praising the build and sound quality of the XB400. It's flat ear cushions are comfortable on the ears, flat cords are non-tangible, would fold flat for easy storage in bags and it has a slightly better power output than the SJ55, though the latter looked a bit more premium.
In the end, I chose the Sony. I guess a Sony will complement my Sony Xperia phone well! I ordered it for approx Rs. 3000/- from Amazon. I have always wished to buy an Audio Technica. Guess I will wait for the day when I have a generous budget.
This thread is to discuss the good, bad and ugly about the various headphones/earphones/headsets available in the market.
Till now, I was using a Philips Shibuya SHL5200. The primary reason for choosing the Philips was that it came with a built-in microphone (on the cable) which enabled me to use it with my phone.
It is worth Rs. 3800/- in retail stores here but I got it in a offer from Amazon for Rs. 2100/-. Please note all prices are converted from GBP to Indian Rupees.
The earphones seemed to be of good quality and were very comfortable on the ear. Noise cancellation was great too. Sound quality was good enough for the price but somehow bass was mediocre. But overall it was a good investment, till recently it mysteriously broke into two pieces!
I wont say I have taken care of it like my baby but I have not done a strength test on it either. It was fairly well taken care of and anyways, headphones are supposed to be sturdy! This is the first time I saw a headphone literally breaking into two on it's own! I tried FeviQwik/Super Glue, but to no avail.
Time for a new headphone then. Budget as usual was tight! This time, I did not even look at Philips. I am not willing to give it another chance now. So, the contenders were -
1) Sony MDR-XB400:
This is the successor of the sweet looking MDR-XB300.
MDR-XB400 | Extra Bass & DJ Headphones | Features | MDRXB400B.AE | MDRXB400 | Sony
Price: Rs. 4127/-
2) Sennheiser HD205:
Sennheiser HD 205 - Closed Headphones - excellent stereo sound quality
Price: Rs. 4211/-
3) Audio Technica ATH-SJ55:
ATH-SJ55
Price: Rs. 4548/-
4) Audio Technica ATH-T300:
ATH-T300
Price: Rs. 3284/-
Final Choice:
Amazon was offering all these headphone for a much lesser price, approx Rs. 2500-3000/-. After reading lots of reviews and comparing specifications, I finalized on the SJ55 and the XB400. The SJ55 has a better high end clarity while the XB400 has a better low end (bass).
Audio Technica is known to make good headphones but some reviews suggested that the build quality of the SJ55 was flimsy. The last thing I wanted was another broken headphone. On the other hand, users were praising the build and sound quality of the XB400. It's flat ear cushions are comfortable on the ears, flat cords are non-tangible, would fold flat for easy storage in bags and it has a slightly better power output than the SJ55, though the latter looked a bit more premium.
In the end, I chose the Sony. I guess a Sony will complement my Sony Xperia phone well! I ordered it for approx Rs. 3000/- from Amazon. I have always wished to buy an Audio Technica. Guess I will wait for the day when I have a generous budget.
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