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Headphone Recommendations for Commuting
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miT View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Ernie Ernie wrote:

Got to agree with Mick just get a set of Bluetooth headphones for travel. I use Sony WF 1000 xm3 which allow you to kill or boost the background sound allow you to hear people while you’ve got them in listening to music. To kill the background noise you can’t get better than Bose QuietComfort 35’s.

Probably not what you want to hear but Bluetooth is too convenient to discount. Discerning listening is not really conducive with travel, mowing the lawn etc. 
While not something I would generally admit on here (Wink), I actually find aptX to be very good [for a Bluetooth connection]. I have not been able to test with a particularly decent system yet but it has proved difficult to tell the difference between aptX and a 3.5mm cable connection so far... The lesser Bluetooth codecs grate on my ears however, even on cheaper equipment so it does depend.

Active noise cancelling is good but bear in mind that I have custom moulded earpieces for my Etymotic IEMs... I literally struggle to hear someone standing directly in front and talking to me, even with no music playing. This complete isolation means that the 45-minute or so main train journeys I go on are spent bathing in musical bliss.

I guess I have been spoiled with my HD540ii due to being old school high-end; they are hard to better by modern competition (sadly at most price  ranges!) and were from an era where a higher price meant genuine quality rather than a marketing opportunity with inflated prices to exploit the small-minded public who think that costing more means they have achieved. The problem being why spend more on inferior sound quality when I know what is (/was) possible? And being the only chance I get to listen to music, I would prefer it was the best it could be within realistic constraints.
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Ash View Drop Down
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The 540ii is far from perfect in several respects but I have yet to find an alternative that beats it in every aspect and doesn't cost silly money. MS 3.1 is my only candidate but I can't recommend that...

The 540ii upper bass to low midrange area was actually better in my opinion (more precise) than that of the K1000 because it was not elevated at all. That is superb considering the K1000 costs a lot more and so does a system for driving it fully.

There may be affordable HD540II-beaters out on the market somewhere; finding them is the difficult bit.
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miT View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Ash Ash wrote:

The 540ii is far from perfect in several respects but I have yet to find an alternative that beats it in every aspect and doesn't cost silly money. MS 3.1 is my only candidate but I can't recommend that...

The 540ii upper bass to low midrange area was actually better in my opinion (more precise) than that of the K1000 because it was not elevated at all. That is superb considering the K1000 costs a lot more and so does a system for driving it fully.

There may be affordable HD540II-beaters out on the market somewhere; finding them is the difficult bit.
Agreed, although it is "more perfect" than most other alternatives. I do not believe there is such a thing as the perfect headphones (probably speakers as well); it's about getting as near to it as possible within one's own restrictions (budget, system, etc.).

That is impressive as I know how fond you were of your K1000. Although that probably says a lot about how much better your MS 3.1 must be.

Also agreed, but it may be worth the effort in the long run. Can anyone recommend any demo facilities with large selections? Hifi Headphones was great before but are there any others?
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Ash View Drop Down
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The K1000 is sonically a bit of a mess in direct comparison to the MS 3.1. The 3.1 is a significant improvement over both HD540II and K1000. It is like a refined combination of their strengths. Modular construction and neutral sound balance of the 540ii and the acoustic openness and bass weight of the K1000, with huge advancement in low bass presence and purity of the midrange and treble. The only direct competition the MS 3.1 has is possibly the RAAL Requisite SR1a Ribbon headphone. It seems to be a bass vs stereo image compromise between the two. I might have to attend a CanJam to compare.
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miT View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Ash Ash wrote:

The K1000 is sonically a bit of a mess in direct comparison to the MS 3.1. The 3.1 is a significant improvement over both HD540II and K1000. It is like a refined combination of their strengths. Modular construction and neutral sound balance of the 540ii and the acoustic openness and bass weight of the K1000, with huge advancement in low bass presence and purity of the midrange and treble. The only direct competition the MS 3.1 has is possibly the RAAL Requisite SR1a Ribbon headphone. It seems to be a bass vs stereo image compromise between the two. I might have to attend a CanJam to compare.
Wow, I did not realise it had big issues!

The official CanJam in the UK is around July or August I believe, but sadly that is now an entire year away.

Interestingly a commuter had some (Bose I think, although I would assume not NC?) Bluetooth headphones on the way home this evening. Despite appearing closed, the spilled sound was so loud that myself and another passenger were tempted to put requests in. I hadn't realised how much better IEMs are for travelling... Confused

Does anyone have any feedback about Audio Technica headphones? I remember them appearing in my original search years ago but never got to try a pair.
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discrete badger View Drop Down
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Originally posted by miT miT wrote:


The HD540ii are definitely my favourite of all my headphones, which is why I would not want to risk damaging them. If I had a second set however... You don't happen to have any more you were unable to sell do you? Wink

Indeed - I solved this problem by playing the numbers game - although in my case, with the HD250. 

In the same way that applying sunscreen is absolutely guaranteed to presage cloudy skies, so having a backup pair - or two - is absolutely guaranteed to render the first indestructible. Which is not to say that these cans are a delicate crystal chandelier; they were designed for the rigours of studio life not for worship as a hi-fi altarpiece. Somewhat appropriate, therefore, that one of my pairs came from the liquidation sale of a recording studio (another sign of the times!) and from the case and earpad condition has clearly had quite a hard life, not that one would know from the sound. 

So, forgiving the sacrilege of actually using these revered cans; as it turns out, my "commuting" pair - which have been rained on, stuck inside backpacks and suitcases, knocked against train doors, inspected by the cat, left inside office drawers and uncountable other minor challenges that one would not dare expose to the sort (i.e. the expensive sort) of contemporary headphones which might have vaguely comparable sonics - are still absolutely fine. 

More than fine. I actually think they might sound better than when I first got my grubby paws on them. Or are my ears better? More educated, perhaps? Or have the earpads softened a bit to bring my ears into the optimum position within the cup? Who knows?! Who cares? All I know is I've been very happy with these as commuting headphones, driven by the able Voyager, for about a decade. 

Will they last another 10 years commuting? I suspect they would but have no intention of finding out.
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Aussie Mick View Drop Down
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My at-home ‘phones are the Focal Elear driven by a Solo ULDE. I’m super happy with them.
Mick.
Rega RP8 - Apheta 2 - Accession MC Enigma PS -Solo ULDE (Focal Utopia) - PS Audio M700 - Fical Kanta No2
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