iPod Headphones

Archive for January, 2008

Review: Shure SE in-ear sound isolating headphone range

Published on January 31, 2008 in Headphone Reviews and Shure Headphones. 0 Comments

Shure Earphones

If you’ve decided you like in-ear sound isolating earphones it’s quite likely that you have come across the Shure SE range. This round-up is a brief review summary of Shure’s range of ear canal headphones.

Shure have a long heritage of designing microphones and earphones for the professional audio industry. Shure’s build quality is normally excellent, you get good value for money and their headphones come with a reassuring 2 year Shure warranty. Shure’s previous range of ear canal headphones (EC2 and EC3) were generally very well regarded and the SE range is the evolutionary next step.

So let’s see what they have to offer…

Shure SE110 and SE210 - entry level

Currently the entry level in-ear headphone is the Shure SE110 sound isolating earphone. The SE110 is a very worthwhile upgrade from standard iPod headphones. You will be able to hear detail in your music that you simply could not hear before. Saying that the SE110 does lack the bass punch that many listeners expect when upgrading to a more ‘expensive’ pair of headphones.

Shure SE110 earphone

Shure SE110

The Shure SE210 earphone adds another layer of definition and a small amount more bass response than the SE110. For the modest difference in price it really is worth upgrading to the SE210’s.

Shure SE210 earphone

Shure SE210

Both the SE110 and SE210 earphones are very sensitive and you may find that you have to watch the volume levels. For example when listening to an iPod Nano I found that anywhere over half volume is too much for extended periods. With the standard iPod headphones I regularly listened upto 75% volume. This is partly due to the fact that they are sound isolating and your music is not competing with the sounds around you, but is also due to the sensitivity of the headphones. It’s unlikely you will want a headphone amp with either the Shure SE110’s or SE210 headphones.

Shure SE310 - midrange

The Shure SE310 earphone is still just a single armature driver design, but the sonic clarity is absolutely spot on. The single speaker design gives the SE310 the advantage that it’s smaller than it’s bigger brothers (the SE420 and SE530). This mid-range offering from Shure has quite a bit of competition, including the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro, but holds it’s own with the best of them.

Shure SE310 earphone

Shure SE310

While the SE range are ideal iPod headphones you will only really get the best from your headphones when listening to uncompressed (e.g. AAC and FLAC) digital music. If you try listening to poor quality, low bitrate MP3’s you may be disappointed by all the sonic artefacts you can hear in your music, e.g. normally resulting in a ‘crunchy’ sound. If uncompressed audio is not possible then 192Kbps is really a minimum when listening with good quality in ear sound isolating headphones.

Shure SE420 - audiophile quality with twin micro-speakers

This is the first in Shure’s range to introduce the idea of more than one driver within the earphone, much like a multi-way speaker. The Shure SE420 earphone utilizes a dual armature driver, with the lows driven by one driver and the high frequencies driven by another dedicated speaker. The result is an extra clean punch to the bass and a slightly more accurate response across the board than the single driver SE310. Compared to the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro the SE420’s bass response is stronger and overall slightly warmer sounding. If your preference is for clean and accurate response then you may prefer the UE 5 Pro.

Shure SE420 earphone

Shure SE420

Shure SE530 - top of the range

The flagship in-ear-monitor from Shure is currently the spectacular Shure SE530 earphone. Whilst not cheap, this headphone really is the pinnacle of consumer ear canal headphone technology. The earphone utilizes three tiny micro-drivers, just like a three way HiFi speaker. The end result is an extremely accurate, dynamic earphone with deep, powerful bass response.

The fact that the Shure SE530 headphone contains three speakers does increase the size a little, but the earphone is very comfortable to wear for long periods and is as easy to fit as the other Shure models.

Shure SE530

Shure SE530

The bottom line is that the SE530 is one of the best in-ear headphones you will find. The SE530’s sound absolutely stunning, with accurate response across the full frequency range and when called for a deep powerful bass response.

New “Headphone Buyer’s Guide” by the experts at HiFi Headphones

Published on January 21, 2008 in Headphone Buying Guides and HiFi Headphones News. 0 Comments

STOP PRESS!

We’re proud to announce that the HiFi Headphones Store now has a brand new Headphone Buyer’s Guide with lots of expert advice from the experts at HiFi Headphones. This area of the website currently holds a headphone selection guide with a subsection for each of the main types of headphone and earphone. The guide can be found at the following link:

Headphone Buying Guide

We plan to include additional sections to the buyers guide in the coming months, including some headphone reviews (by type) and a selection guide by application, e.g. DJ Headphones, iPod Headphones, Travelling Headphones, etc.

As always we love to hear from our customers, so let us know if there is anything you would find particularly informative in this area of the website.

The HiFi Headphones Team

http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk

Headphone Buying Tips

Published on January 15, 2008 in Headphone Buying Guides. 0 Comments

We get to try out more headphones than most, so this article is where we at the HiFi Headphones Store share some of that experience with you.In a simple World you could buy a set of ‘known brand’ headphones at a certain price point and expect to receive a product that you can be happy with. In other words, you may think that spending a certain amount on headphones will guarantee that you get a product you will like. Unfortunately with headphones it can be a little more complex. Below is a quick summary of some of the major factors when purchasing a pair of new headphones or earphones.

Audio Quality

The first question asked by many people when buying headphones and earphones is “Do they sound good?”. It’s also often the most difficult question to answer. We human beings are very subjective creatures. What is described by one person as “precise and detailed” will be “lacking in bass and clinical” by another. What one listener likes another will find irritating.

The best advice we can give is to do plenty of research and try to understand what you are purchasing. Search the Internet for reviews of the headphones you like the look of. Ask for advice on forums where people discuss headphones such as Head-Fi or the AVForums. You will likely find plenty of information and opinions, often from different points of view. If you make your headphone or earphone purchase with good knowledge of what to expect it’s less likely you will be disappointed.

Design and Aesthetics

High up the list for many people is the looks and aesthetics of the headphones. After all you will have to be wearing the headphones you choose on your head for all to see! Unless you plan to use your new headphones alone at home then it’s likely you will be interested in how they look. Of course the quality of sound is also near the top of most lists, but with such a wide selection of good headphones to choose from it’s also likely that you will want your headphones to reflect your style.

Manufacturers such as Skullcandy have really gone to town with the styling of their headphones. While not to everyone’s taste Skullcandy have a unique look that definitely appeals to the surf and skate scene.

If you are looking for headphones that look a little more sophisticated and refined then Audio-Technica’s range of headphones are a good choice. While only relatively new to the consumer market in the UK, it’s not without reason that Audio-Technica are the market leaders in Japan. The majority of Audio-Technica’s selection of headphones look stunning and perform equally well. The Audio-Technica ATH-ES7 headphones are a highly recommended set of stylish iPod headphones with a rich, clear sound.

Ease of Portability

If you are going to be travelling or moving around with your headphones or earphones then the size, weight and ability to pack away (fold or collapse) may be important to you.

Many travellers and commuters like the in-ear earphone type as they can easily be wound up and put into a pouch or pocket. Sound isolating earphones have the added benefit that they can cut down outside noise by -20dB, which can be a godsend when travelling on a train, bus or underground. The Shure range of sound isolating earphones is a good place to start. Also worthy of mention Ultimate Ears who have a good range of the in ear sound isolating variety.

You will also find a good selection of headband headphones that collapse or fold for stowing away when needed. The Sennheiser PX100 headphones are an example of good quality lightweight travelling headphones that fold away for transporting.

Sound Isolation

When listening to your headphones will you need to block out external noise, or do you need to prevent your music from annoying others around you. Ask yourself where, when and how you will be using your headphones.

If you will be listening to your headphones in an office or on public transport you will probably want to keep your music to yourself. In this case you will want to avoid open-back ear cup designs. Although open back headphones are often sonicly superior to closed back headphones the sound leaks out and people around you will be listening to a tinny version of what you are listening too - very annoying indeed.

If you travel on buses, trains or planes you might be thinking about noise cancelling headphones, but you may also want to consider in-ear sound isolating earphones instead as they are often able to reproduce a clearer more accurate sound. The extra electronics between your audio source and your ears means that noise cancelling headphones often colour the sound and reduce the clarity.

DJs and studio engineers also have a unique set of requirements when it comes to selecting headphones. A good set of DJ headphones should normally provide maximum isolation from outside sounds, so that you can concentrate on the mix you are putting together. Whereas a studio engineer may be more interested in being able to reproduce a good stereo sound image with sonic clarity and may not be so interested in sound isolation.

Summary

When if comes to purchasing headphones there are so many options and possibilities, but at the end of the day your choice will be down to a few key factors. Factors such as budget, design and whether or not you want sound isolation may be more significant than trying to find headphones with the best audio quality possible.