Yet another headphone thread

My earbuds are dying after almost 2 years of heavy use, the left channel only works at 70% now.

I'm looking at a replacement and am willing to invest a little. I'm oggling the Klipsch X7i right now.

What I like:
- Their sound (as described in reviews and by Klipsch) with its balanced low/mid/high tones, and lack of focus on the bass (which I hate)
- Warranty reputation of Klipsch seems pretty solid. If these break before the 2 year mark at least I'll get a new pair hassle-free.

What I fear:
- The buttons are designed for Apple. Yuck. I can't seem to find a definitive answer on whether the 3 media buttons will work on my Nexus 5. It's all 'can't be guaranteed', 'designed for Apple', yada yada, but never 'WILL NOT WORK' or 'ONLY VOLUME BUTTON WORKS'. Does anyone have experience with this, or the tech know how to know what this depends on?

I know Legion had commented in [one of] the Android thread about looking for an adapter to make the buttons work on an iPhone headset so it sounds like it won't completely work.

dejanzie wrote:

My earbuds are dying after almost 2 years of heavy use, the left channel only works at 70% now.

I'm looking at a replacement and am willing to invest a little. I'm oggling the Klipsch X7i right now.

What I like:
- Their sound (as described in reviews and by Klipsch) with its balanced low/mid/high tones, and lack of focus on the bass (which I hate)
- Warranty reputation of Klipsch seems pretty solid. If these break before the 2 year mark at least I'll get a new pair hassle-free.

What I fear:
- The buttons are designed for Apple. Yuck. I can't seem to find a definitive answer on whether the 3 media buttons will work on my Nexus 5. It's all 'can't be guaranteed', 'designed for Apple', yada yada, but never 'WILL NOT WORK' or 'ONLY VOLUME BUTTON WORKS'. Does anyone have experience with this, or the tech know how to know what this depends on?

All three buttons will NOT work. Only the center button. There are no standards that I can find for the +/- button, and Apple's implementation seems to be based on a probably patented resistor. The play/pause button (center) is just a grounding out of the mic, so that works on about anything that has support for buttons (not the Nexus 7 first gen to my ire).

But to be fair, the selections of three button Android headsets is nearly non-existent. And none that I've seen are quality. Even Klipsch's releases specifically for Android all had only one button.

So you can buy iOS headphones and have two decorative non-functional buttons on Android, or you can pay more, pick from a much smaller selection, and get an "Android" set. Or you can buy one of the off brand three button Android sets that might or might not work on your particular phone anyway.

I've had several models of Klipsch over time, and all have worked with the center button only. I've also used some other brands with the same result. If you really want volume or track transport controls, your best bet is to get an app that allows long press and multiple presses to do other types of control. Like double click center button to skip, etc.

There were at one point some phones that didn't support even the center button, but the companies like Samsung that did that seem to have finally come around. I think it was back to the original Galaxy or S2 that didn't work properly with an adapter (if at all).

I have a pair of earbuds that died on me.

Is there any way I can fix them?

It's the cable :/

Edit: saw somehing on wikihow... Contemplating calling a friend for a little DIY session

If you get Bluetooth buds all three buttons will work.

MannishBoy wrote:

But to be fair, the selections of three button Android headsets is nearly non-existent. And none that I've seen are quality. Even Klipsch's releases specifically for Android all had only one button.

My S3 came with these. I've only used them a couple of times for calls so I couldn't even comment on audio quality, but if you have prime it'll only cost you a coffee to try them.

LiquidMantis wrote:

I know Legion had commented in [one of] the Android thread about looking for an adapter to make the buttons work on an iPhone headset so it sounds like it won't completely work.

Correct. It's a physical incompatibility. It is possible to modify the headset to work on Android devices.

Someone was making an adapter but it doesn't seem to still be around.

dejanzie wrote:

My earbuds are dying after almost 2 years of heavy use, the left channel only works at 70% now.

I'm looking at a replacement and am willing to invest a little. I'm oggling the Klipsch X7i right now.
...

I too am looking for a really good pair of ear buds. I found this article on The Wirecutter that suggests the RBH EP2's. I'm looking at the RBH EP1's since I don't need/want a mic.

I have been a long time user of Klipsch ear buds and have few complaints with them. My first pair are now 7 years old and, still sound really good to me. My current pair are 3 yrs old and didn't hold up as well; still useable but cable cover is splitting.

I highly recommend the ClarityOne EB110 earbuds

You can get them for as low as 35$ from some sellers on Amazon but their original msrp was something like 120$

They're the best earbuds I've ever had, period.

LiquidMantis wrote:
MannishBoy wrote:

But to be fair, the selections of three button Android headsets is nearly non-existent. And none that I've seen are quality. Even Klipsch's releases specifically for Android all had only one button.

My S3 came with these. I've only used them a couple of times for calls so I couldn't even comment on audio quality, but if you have prime it'll only cost you a coffee to try them.

That's the "nearly" part of my comment, and I think they're possibly not going to work on all Androids. There are one or two other options out there as well.

interstate78 wrote:

I have a pair of earbuds that died on me.

Is there any way I can fix them?

It's the cable :/

Edit: saw somehing on wikihow... Contemplating calling a friend for a little DIY session

What used to be IronBuds (which took a long time to get rolling from its KickStarter) is now GrizzlyBuds.

Thanks to ThinJ's recommendation I went with the AKG 240's. Really comfortable, and man, I didn't know this level of audio existed. And this is just an entry pair of good open air headphones huh? Excited to see what else the world of audio has to offer.

Snake Oiler wrote:

Thanks to ThinJ's recommendation I went with the AKG 240's. Really comfortable, and man, I didn't know this level of audio existed. And this is just an entry pair of good open air headphones huh? Excited to see what else the world of audio has to offer.

Nice. I love my AKG K702s. They make good stuff. Enjoy!

If you feel like getting a good, cheap DAC and headphone amp, the Schiit Audio Magni and Modi are great and only $100 each.

Snake Oiler wrote:

Thanks to ThinJ's recommendation I went with the AKG 240's. Really comfortable, and man, I didn't know this level of audio existed. And this is just an entry pair of good open air headphones huh? Excited to see what else the world of audio has to offer.

Nice! I love how comfortable open air headphones are.

Snake Oiler wrote:

Thanks to ThinJ's recommendation I went with the AKG 240's. Really comfortable, and man, I didn't know this level of audio existed. And this is just an entry pair of good open air headphones huh? Excited to see what else the world of audio has to offer.

Awesome! Glad you like them.

As far as those just being entry level, yes absolutely, but at the same time don't be me and get silly with it. Once you pass about $300 for the headphones there's serious diminishing returns and whatever difference there may gets harder and harder to notice, quality wise.

For myself, I think I'm basically at my endgame setup for my headphones with the gear I have from Schiit and the headphones I have now. I haven't felt even the slightest urge to look at new pairs in a long while now.

I have been super happy with my purchase of the open air Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro's. $150, and based on what I've read, pretty much indistinguishable from the $300 version of their similar headphones with different styling.

I had to give up on isolation listening because my dog keeps barking while I'm listening and I have to unplug myself to find out what she's barking at. Usually it's nothing, but sometimes there's someone at the door.

I live alone, though... I should just get some giant speakers. Apartment neighbors be damned.

TigerBill wrote:
dejanzie wrote:

My earbuds are dying after almost 2 years of heavy use, the left channel only works at 70% now.

I'm looking at a replacement and am willing to invest a little. I'm oggling the Klipsch X7i right now.
...

I too am looking for a really good pair of ear buds. I found this article on The Wirecutter that suggests the RBH EP2's. I'm looking at the RBH EP1's since I don't need/want a mic.

I have been a long time user of Klipsch ear buds and have few complaints with them. My first pair are now 7 years old and, still sound really good to me. My current pair are 3 yrs old and didn't hold up as well; still useable but cable cover is splitting.

Thanks TigerBill and others. I just got back from a week vacation in La Douce France. Unfortunately the RBH EP2's are not available in Belgium, so I'm going with the Klipsch after all. Even though I loathe that they only sell Android versions of their lower tier products.

dejanzie wrote:

Thanks TigerBill and others. I just got back from a week vacation in La Douce France. Unfortunately the RBH EP2's are not available in Belgium, so I'm going with the Klipsch after all. Even though I loathe that they only sell Android versions of their lower tier products.

Can you name me any truly high end headsets with three buttons that work with Android? Maybe the newly launched Samsung "Level" stuff, but those are overpriced with very mixed reviews, especially for the IEMs.

And even the Klipsch Android headsets only have one button AFAIK, so they're really no different than getting a three button "Apple" set that only has the middle button function in Android.

I think you're worried about nomenclature and marketing more than what the function is. The only truly three button headsets that I've seen (wired) that work with Android are not very good, and I'd trade the quality of sound for the extra buttons for volume.

Cathadan wrote:
Snake Oiler wrote:

Hey all, I dont have a pair of open air headphones. Highest I can go is around $100 bucks. What is every bodies feelings on grado?

...What would have once been the correct answer for these requirements (Audio Technica ATH-AD700) is now out of production...

I scored a set of these used on Amazon thanks to all the endorsements in this thread, and they're still terrific. Thanks peeps

So here's a question:

I've been using a pair of Sony MDR-V6's for several years now, and they're still super nice quality in my opinion. This is plugged straight into the 3.5mm jack on my PC (and sometimes HTC Evo 3D phone). Is there any reason to use one of those pocket headphone amp things I see you guys talking about frequently? I'm curious to know what the advantage is over my headphones alone-- the audio is already pretty damned clear, bassy, rarely breaking (unless the track itself has poor encoding, like streaming Sleigh Bells). I'd love to find a place in which I could bring my own headphones and test some of these amps, I'm really curious what the difference might sound like.

I think you're worried about nomenclature and marketing more than what the function is. The only truly three button headsets that I've seen (wired) that work with Android are not very good, and I'd trade the quality of sound for the extra buttons for volume.

Me too, that's why I bought the Klipsch earbuds. It's just another drop in the Android = cheap garbage vs Apple = high end build quality bucket, which I find to be frustrating. Working buttons would have been a bonus is all.

dejanzie wrote:
I think you're worried about nomenclature and marketing more than what the function is. The only truly three button headsets that I've seen (wired) that work with Android are not very good, and I'd trade the quality of sound for the extra buttons for volume.

Me too, that's why I bought the Klipsch earbuds. It's just another drop in the Android = cheap garbage vs Apple = high end build quality bucket, which I find to be frustrating. Working buttons would have been a bonus is all.

Oh, I agree. But it's really more of a Apple controls the whole ecosystem so can set consistent standards situation, vs Google not really controlling much besides the OS. It's just not consistent enough.

If Google, Samsung, HTC, LG, etc, plus even maybe MS, would agree to a set standard that headphone manufactures would now worked a high probability of the time, maybe they'd get traction. But right now, it just seems pretty inconsistent.

But after all, there are more Android phones out there than Apple, so you'd think there would be enough of a market, but right now, trying to do more than the one button probably is a support nightmare for headset makers.

WipEout wrote:

So here's a question:

I've been using a pair of Sony MDR-V6's for several years now, and they're still super nice quality in my opinion. This is plugged straight into the 3.5mm jack on my PC (and sometimes HTC Evo 3D phone). Is there any reason to use one of those pocket headphone amp things I see you guys talking about frequently? I'm curious to know what the advantage is over my headphones alone-- the audio is already pretty damned clear, bassy, rarely breaking (unless the track itself has poor encoding, like streaming Sleigh Bells). I'd love to find a place in which I could bring my own headphones and test some of these amps, I'm really curious what the difference might sound like.

If you're happy I say stick with your setup as is.

If you're really that curious, being in Chicago, it might be worth looking for a specialty audio store that would let you walk in with your own cans and sournce and let you A/B them with different stuff. If possible, get them to help you do whatever comparisons you want to do blindly, IE, they change what the headphones are hooked up to for you while you can't see. There's IMO some good evidence that there's significant placebo effect if you actually know what everything costs before you test it and are aware of which piece you're hearing at the time.

The only amps you're going to find that have a noticeably different sound is tube amps where the tubes are actually involved in the audio reproduction. Those will inherently sound different than most solid state amps. Think vinyl vs cd's for a somewhat relative comparison, albeit not nearly as stark a contrast.

Or if you want a shortcut to the deep end of the pool, look up local meet-ups in the Chicago area on the Head-Fi forums. People drag in all kinds of gear from the most budget to the so expensive it's stupid. You'll get to hear all kinds of stuff, get a good idea on what all of it costs, and have some idea of whether any of it is even remotely worth it to you or not. A quick glance at the meet-up forums tells me they do at least one big one every year, but the 2014 one just happened on June 21st. There's a picture thread from that meetup if you're curious what you might be in for should you go that route.

Now that I've said all that... I'll reiterate it again, I'd stick with what you have. Take it from someone who learned over time (and over a lot of money :|) that ignorance is (cheap) bliss.

MannishBoy wrote:

But after all, there are more Android phones out there than Apple, so you'd think there would be enough of a market, but right now, trying to do more than the one button probably is a support nightmare for headset makers.

If Google was the hardware maker as well as the OS maker, that would be a closer comparison.
All of the iOS devices come from Apple.
Not all of the Android devices come from Google/Motorola.

Thin_J wrote:
WipEout wrote:

So here's a question:

I've been using a pair of Sony MDR-V6's for several years now, and they're still super nice quality in my opinion. This is plugged straight into the 3.5mm jack on my PC (and sometimes HTC Evo 3D phone). Is there any reason to use one of those pocket headphone amp things I see you guys talking about frequently? I'm curious to know what the advantage is over my headphones alone-- the audio is already pretty damned clear, bassy, rarely breaking (unless the track itself has poor encoding, like streaming Sleigh Bells). I'd love to find a place in which I could bring my own headphones and test some of these amps, I'm really curious what the difference might sound like.

If you're happy I say stick with your setup as is.

If you're really that curious, being in Chicago, it might be worth looking for a specialty audio store that would let you walk in with your own cans and sournce and let you A/B them with different stuff. If possible, get them to help you do whatever comparisons you want to do blindly, IE, they change what the headphones are hooked up to for you while you can't see. There's IMO some good evidence that there's significant placebo effect if you actually know what everything costs before you test it and are aware of which piece you're hearing at the time.

The only amps you're going to find that have a noticeably different sound is tube amps where the tubes are actually involved in the audio reproduction. Those will inherently sound different than most solid state amps. Think vinyl vs cd's for a somewhat relative comparison, albeit not nearly as stark a contrast.

Or if you want a shortcut to the deep end of the pool, look up local meet-ups in the Chicago area on the Head-Fi forums. People drag in all kinds of gear from the most budget to the so expensive it's stupid. You'll get to hear all kinds of stuff, get a good idea on what all of it costs, and have some idea of whether any of it is even remotely worth it to you or not. A quick glance at the meet-up forums tells me they do at least one big one every year, but the 2014 one just happened on June 21st. There's a picture thread from that meetup if you're curious what you might be in for should you go that route.

Now that I've said all that... I'll reiterate it again, I'd stick with what you have. Take it from someone who learned over time (and over a lot of money :|) that ignorance is (cheap) bliss.

Thanks for that! Yeah, I'm not so curious that I'd spend all the extra dough to try out different setups, but I would love to find an audio place like you suggested, if/when I have some spare time (which is rare-to-never). Like I said, I'm pretty happy with the straight headphones as-is, I'm just really curious what the difference might sound like (or if I'd even notice one).

Thanks again!

duckilama wrote:
MannishBoy wrote:

But after all, there are more Android phones out there than Apple, so you'd think there would be enough of a market, but right now, trying to do more than the one button probably is a support nightmare for headset makers.

If Google was the hardware maker as well as the OS maker, that would be a closer comparison.
All of the iOS devices come from Apple.
Not all of the Android devices come from Google/Motorola.

Isn't that what I said right above that?

My original Nexus 7 doesn't even support headset controls at all. I know it's a tablet, but Google and Asus shouldn't have cheaped out on a Nexus device for something that's probably that minor to implement.

I was highlighting the act that even though you intellectually realize that there's a fundamental difference in the two brands, you're still comparing Android to iPhone. They're so fundamentally different that you really can't compare them like that. And we haven't even gotten into carrier changes to the OS.

I still haven't found a modern successor to my beloved Sony MDR-605LP headphones. I would describe them as open-air (open-frame?) circumaural, just like the more expensive Sony MDR-F1 (both are discontinued). Have you guys heard of anyone else making a design like this? They are super-light and more comfortable than any I have ever worn, and now I'm spoiled. And they were only like $40-50! I just had to send back a Corsair Vengeance 1500 USB gaming headset since by comparison it was huge, heavy, and uncomfortable.

Seems like when manufacturers say Open Air, they mean cheapo supra-aural, and Open Back means something slightly different than what I'm used to. These are totally "open", since the drivers sit away from your ear. You can still carry on a normal conversation with people and you can wear them for hours at a time.

Heck, I'd be happy if I could just fine some replacement pads for mine.

Edit: Even the MDR-MA900, which is apparently a successor to the F1, is discontinued. Sadface!

Archangel wrote:

I still haven't found a modern successor to my beloved Sony MDR-605LP headphones. I would describe them as open-air (open-frame?) circumaural, just like the more expensive Sony MDR-F1 (both are discontinued). Have you guys heard of anyone else making a design like this?

Until recently, my answer would the the Audio Technica AD700, but they've been discontinued. They were replaced by the AD700X, but those aren't as highly regarded. Still, you may be able to track down a new pair on eBay if you poke around.

AKG K702s! Worth every penny. They're very huge headphones that are extremely airy. They definitely avoid your ears and don't create hot spots.