$99 headphones, thanks, but no thanks

[frankyfingerz]

hey
so i needed a new pair of headphones again, so this time i thought i'd go up to future shop & get a new pair, i bought my other 2 pairs off ebay $10 each.. so i go there , they only have 1 kind & its $99.. i almost **** myself,, i even double checked at the casher and there really $99 like WOW what is future shop trying to pull that is just outrageous...

so if any of u need a nice pair of replacement headphones & live in canada.. i'd suggest ebay

[jarofclay73]

If you're the type of person that feels that headphones are headphones, then the $10 variety off of eBay is fine.

But, those who want more than stock headphones find that it can get pretty expensive. I've bought $30 headphones which are only slightly better than stock. $100 headphones are that price for a reason. I've seen $200 headphones.

[frankyfingerz]

theses were exactly like stock but black, never would i ever pay $99 for that garbage, at most its $5 of parts ether way.. 2 little speakers, button & a wire... i just thought $99 for stock headphones, i guess i shoulda explained a little.

[dieburnbot]

Yeah headphones can start getting expensive especially when you look at higher end sennheiser, grados, etc. Some models can cost 500 dollars. Then there are the electrostatic headphones which can easily approach and surpass the 1000 dollar mark. However, if future shop is charging 100 dollars for just regular headphones then I think they need to rethink their pricing.

[Nutchos]

Your mistake was walking into futureshop. Everything's gonna be marked up to all hell. You could probably get the same headphones for half the price online.

However, even $100 headphones have their place. I usually stay away from the cheap stuff ($10~) cause they never last. I just bought a Sony DR-BT50 bluetooth headset for $200 (all in) but hopefully the quality and wireless freedom is worth it (my most expensive headphone purchase thus far).

[harleygold]

I've got Shure headphones and paid a good penny. Well worth the sound. I can hear no one but my music. I've got the cable that switches phone/ipod, which turns the music off when it's time to answer phone. :)

http://skattertech.com/2007/04/review-shure-se210-earphones/

http://www.marketnews.ca/news_detail.asp?nid=3864
(http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.marketnews.ca/Uploads_News_Winter2008/07032008_shure.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.marketnews.ca/news_detail.asp%3Fnid%3D3864&h=299&w=375&sz=33&hl=en&start=2&sig2=DGZFzn1oDj-0u8KFWCSmfg&um=1&usg=__9ntev-Y6Giheof0fKcX9VhZ_q3s=&tbnid=_UuGOxMuyzSiaM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=122&ei=sVbQSLShHY2CgAKV4OjyAw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dshure%2Bphone%2Bheadphones%26um%3D1%2 6hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG)

[monkeysrock0622]

Im not an audiophile, and I used to be fine with the headphones Apple gives us, in fact I thought they were pretty good quality. Now I hate them and am starting to hear how bad they are. I am going to try the $79 in ear headphones Apple made once they come out.

[Youngbinks]

I've never been satisfied by the stock Apple headphones. The sound quality isn't terrible but they just hurt my ears as soon I put them in. I love my V-Moda Vibe Duos, they're great and at just about the $100 mark.

[acosmichippo]

apple headphones do suck. They hurt like hell, but the worst part is that they don't block out external sound. So In order to hear your music in a relatively loud environment, you've gotta crank the volume... Which is leading to major hearing loss in our generation.

[Youngbinks]

apple headphones do suck. They hurt like he'll, but the worst part is that they don't block out external sound. So I'm order to hear your music in a relatively loud environment, you've gotta crank the volume... Which is leading to major hearing loss in our generation.

You're on your iPhone, aren't you Hip? I encounter the same, awesome auto-corrections.

AOL just had an article about the dangers of using headphones while on a plane or train. Because the ambient noise is so much louder on these moving vehicles, iPod and other portable device users crank up the volume on their devices and often lead to dangerous levels of sound. I make it a point to never go about 50% on my iPod. If I can't hear it at that point then I just figure I don't need to be listening to anything.

[DavidT]

hey
so i needed a new pair of headphones again, so this time i thought i'd go up to future shop & get a new pair, i bought my other 2 pairs off ebay $10 each.. so i go there , they only have 1 kind & its $99.. i almost **** myself,, i even double checked at the casher and there really $99 like WOW what is future shop trying to pull that is just outrageous...

so if any of u need a nice pair of replacement headphones & live in canada.. i'd suggest ebay

Check out the JVC Air Cushion 1/3 the price with compact case included and in blue, black, red, and or white. iPod/iPhone compatible. Model HAFX66A or B or R or W

[harleygold]

I only use the stock headphones when I'm working. I have to be able to hear what's going on around me when I'm needed. :)

[ChuckleBrother]

Only expensive headphones I ever owned were a wireless Song pair(great sound, but my move to the iphone rendered them useless as I dont wanna buy an adapter).

If thats too much, try Ultimate Buds, mine arrived earlier today and I am really impressed.

[dbarron]

I'm not a headphone snob, but I do have a pair of Ultimate Buds UB5 that are a noticable improvement over the stock headphones. The audio is significantly cleaner and crisper, and the noise isolation from the environment is much better. They are not as 'thumpy' with the base as some other headphones, but they respond well to EQ adjustments. (Plus, I prefer my music more balanced anyway.)

They're only about $50. If you're looking for a step up from the stock headphones, these are a great value, in my opinion.

[firewire]

The Sennheiser CX300 are a huge step up from the stock earphones and they only cost me 36 bucks on Amazon. Great sound and fairly cheap.

[samy]

I have small ears so the ones that come with the iphone just kill my ears.But I love the clicky thing. I use Skull Candy ones that I like because it has several size ear inserts to fit your ear just right and has volume control. I have seen people mod their iphone ones by removing the earpiece and replacing it with a better one.

[danipoak]

I've never been satisfied by the stock Apple headphones. The sound quality isn't terrible but they just hurt my ears as soon I put them in. I love my V-Moda Vibe Duos, they're great and at just about the $100 mark.

Amen to that one. After about a week of wearing the apple earphones in between my classes my ears start to hurt. Finally got brave enough to buy the vibe duos and I don't regret it for a second, mighty comfortable and the sound is great! I love the answer call button too, no more taking the phone out of my pocket.

[frankyfingerz]

u guys are crazy. never would i pay over $20.. i just got theses on ebay for $12, they work great... http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=380062923328

[macgirl]

u guys are crazy. never would i pay over $20..

It's not crazy - audio quality matters to some people and they're willing to pay for it. If it doesn't matter to you, then you don't buy expensive headphones, as you've chosen to do. For the most part, the "you get what you pay for" concept does apply to headphones and there can be a major difference in audio quality between cheap headphones and expensive ones (you can't tell just by looking at them - it's the internal parts that matter).

I don't think I have a good enough ear to appreciate this enough (nor do I encode my music at a high-enough quality to make it worthwhile) to buy really expensive headphones, but I can tell enough to know my Etymotics blow my OEM Apple earbuds out of the water and are worth every penny of the price difference. You wouldn't expend a $5,000 Yugo to perform the same as $60,000 BMW M3, would you? The same applies to headphones.

[frankyfingerz]

It's not crazy - audio quality matters to some people and they're willing to pay for it. If it doesn't matter to you, then you don't buy expensive headphones, as you've chosen to do. For the most part, the "you get what you pay for" concept does apply to headphones and there can be a major difference in audio quality between cheap headphones and expensive ones (you can't tell just by looking at them - it's the internal parts that matter).

I don't think I have a good enough ear to appreciate this enough (nor do I encode my music at a high-enough quality to make it worthwhile) to buy really expensive headphones, but I can tell enough to know my Etymotics blow my OEM Apple earbuds out of the water and are worth every penny of the price difference. You wouldn't expend a $5,000 Yugo to perform the same as $60,000 BMW M3, would you? The same applies to headphones.

theses have great audio quality,,there like earplugs. much much better than apples..doesn't matter how good they are, $100 is way to much..

[acosmichippo]

that's, like, your opinion, man.

[gadha]

I dont know which headphones your talking about but I bought a bose earphones for $90 from Future Shop last year. And yes, they are really worth the money. Sound quality is waaay better than the stock earphones and they are a lot more comfortable.

[Youngbinks]

Thinking people are fools for spending $100 for earphones can be just as guilty for spending $200-$600 for a phone. To each his own.

[danipoak]

I have spent such an absurd amount of money on headphones and ear phones. I am now expert on sound quality but I've found that the cheap $20 ones are generally better than any stock set you get, including apples. But the more you pay, the more you get holds true.

[oakie]

i AM an audiophile, but of course i enjoy champagne audio but live with a budweiser budget.

using expensive headphones and claiming you get superior audio from a subpar DAC converting compressed audio is laughable at best. it's either laugh or i'd have to cry knowing there are people that stupid on this earth who breathe the same air i do. sorry if i'm being too blunt, but it's true.

i save my UE Super.fi 10pro's for my Krell amp and Dual turntable. just the thought of plugging them in to an ipod or other portable consumer digital audio device is a joke, and i assume those of you who brag about doing so only do it to try and show off how much (or little) money you make or know about audio.

[acosmichippo]

jesus.

no one here is trying to say we're getting hi-fi quality audio out of our earbuds and ipods. We're simply saying that if you want superior comfort, convenience, and *better* sound (in comparison to apple's complimentary set), then be prepared to spend a little cash on it.

[oakie]

jesus.

no one here is trying to say we're getting hi-fi quality audio out of our earbuds and ipods. We're simply saying that if you want superior comfort, convenience, and *better* sound (in comparison to apple's complimentary set), then be prepared to spend a little cash on it.
this wasnt directed at anyone. relax.


there's this saying that, "if it's not directed at you, then dont bother" or something like that. but just because someone doesnt post doesnt mean they're not reading it. it was simply a general statement directed at anyone who may not know better that has read but chooses not to post.


so sensitive...

[acosmichippo]

sorry. forgive me for assuming you were replying to someone in this thread.

[glsda]

It's not crazy - audio quality matters to some people and they're willing to pay for it. If it doesn't matter to you, then you don't buy expensive headphones, as you've chosen to do. For the most part, the "you get what you pay for" concept does apply to headphones and there can be a major difference in audio quality between cheap headphones and expensive ones (you can't tell just by looking at them - it's the internal parts that matter).

I don't think I have a good enough ear to appreciate this enough (nor do I encode my music at a high-enough quality to make it worthwhile) to buy really expensive headphones, but I can tell enough to know my Etymotics blow my OEM Apple earbuds out of the water and are worth every penny of the price difference. You wouldn't expend a $5,000 Yugo to perform the same as $60,000 BMW M3, would you? The same applies to headphones.

Macgirl I just want to compliment you on your professionalism in all of your posts. I am a relatively new convert to the 3G from a life time of Palms and Treos and am really enjoying it and the forum. I am searching for a reasonable replacement for the iPhone ear buds. I visited your web site and found the reviews of the various earbuds to be very helpful. Those reviews plus all the input from everyone at the forum have narrowed it down to the maximo P-HS2, UB5s and the Shure SE110.

Thanks,

Jerry

[glsda]

I just went to Amazon to price these and it say not compatible with the 3G. Anyone know if in fact they are compatible with the 3G?

Thanks,

Jerry