My sony earphones are starting to shut down - I will eventually have to buy a new ones. Usually I buy plug in small earphones for cheap prices and the sound quality of the ipod nano compensates for the less good earphones, but this time I was thinking of getting something new.

Music listeners, what would you recommend for a low-medium price (any currency is acceptable just name brands that exist internationally outside the US)? Also, should I buy earphones or the bigger headphones?

I'll be using them to listen to anything too loud on my laptop and to listen to music outside, on the street, etc.

Apple earbuds.

(June 29, 2015 at 8:02 pm)KUSA Wrote: Apple earbuds.

If it's the same that came with the ipod I wouldn't mind - The sound was really great, the only issue is that the lifespan is one year

I love the earbuds. I used them even before I had an iPhone. I've had the same pair for over two years and use them daily.

Also, they fit my ears better than other earphones. The shape is different than any other design.

Man, I would kill to have the Kenwood over-the-ear headphones I had back in the 80's.

You may want to consider these too.

I really like my Sennheiser headphones, but they're more of a high-end brand.  They even make a pair that costs $1,500.  Mine were $180 bucks from their "audiophile" line, and they deliver a very balanced, raw sound.  They could have better detail in the high frequencies, though.

Headphones vary quite a bit, and each person is going to have a different standard for what sounds good.  It might be best to find a store near you and listen to some demos yourself.  What exactly were you looking for?  Bose has somewhat decent headphones with good clarity, but they're overpriced.  Whatever you do, stay away from Beats by Dr. Dre.  They are ridiculously overpriced garbage.

Shure was another brand that I liked.  The headphones I had were $100, and they sounded great for that price.

ETA: I think Apple's headphones are overpriced, too. Plus, they hurt my ears.

(June 29, 2015 at 7:59 pm)Dystopia Wrote: My sony earphones are starting to shut down - I will eventually have to buy a new ones. Usually I buy plug in small earphones for cheap prices and the sound quality of the ipod nano compensates for the less good earphones, but this time I was thinking of getting something new.

Music listeners, what would you recommend for a low-medium price (any currency is acceptable just name brands that exist internationally outside the US)? Also, should I buy earphones or the bigger headphones?

I'll be using them to listen to anything too loud on my laptop and to listen to music outside, on the street, etc.

Cheap headphones can't be compensated for by anything. The speaker is the last part of the music and it can only put out what it's capable of, no matter how much good comes to them. Cheap headphones means cheap reproduction of the music. Most music on the small devices of today is compressed, so to be honest it really doesn't matter if you have really good headphones soe of the music is lost anyway.

I bought these a few weeks back. For lower budget end I'm pleased with them. Good bluetooth range, decent enough sound but, importantly, they are very comfortable - weigh 150g. Charge lasts 7 hours and you can plug in a 3.5mm jack if you are out and it runs out. Not the most fashionable but that doesn't bother me.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CD1FB26/r...Kvb0N8MH2T

I own pairs of "big" over the ear headphones (Sennheiser HD600 and HD280), I'm not saying you should buy them, just to elaborate on the possible differences between headphones. The 280 is a completely closed design which means that

1. Little outside noise comes in and vice versa
2. Relatively punchy bass
3. A more "focused" and less airy sound

It was intended by Sennheiser to be also used as a DJ 'phone. It is quite neutral and analytical. The pressure on the ears is relatively high and provides a tight fit, which one should check out whether one can tolerate it for very prolonged listening sessions. I have no problem with it.

The HD600 is a completely different animal. It is a light open design which means that

1. Noise insulation is very low
2. One can almost forget that one is wearing headphones

They have a spacious airy sound which is at the same time neutral and accurate, which I find simply addictive. Noticeably more detail than the 280. They sound very live on live recordings. Less mean bass punch compared to closed designs. You can listen for 10 hours on end without tiring, which is also helped by a low contact pressure and the fact that they don't touch the ears.

The latter is higher than your intended budget, but there are comparable cheaper ones, I was just trying to point out the different designs.

Edit: A possibly important difference I forgot: The HD600 has 300 Ohms, the HD280 has 64 Ohms. This means that with the same voltage you will get up to 5 times more power into the 280s (usually less). This is only a problem if you are using a source with low voltage. New players of phones with a silly limit on output voltage built in to protect teen ears, will give you trouble producing powerful volumes with 300 Ohm headphones.

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Oh and yes, don't by fucking beats by Dr. Dre