Audio system Advice/Suggestions

Let us post any queries about good audio systems to buy, including earphones/headphones/mp3 players

blimey

http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Image-X10-Noise-Isolating-Earphone/dp/B000WAHFBK/ref=br_lf_m_1000856061_1_1_ttl?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=electronics&pf_rd_p=1419204622&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000856061&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0K6J8WYH7QKZYXZ6B9FA

What about this?!? Shure SE215 Limited Edition Blue

Saw this 'there'!!

http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SE215LTD-Limited-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B009ZNFEEU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353970376&sr=8-1&keywords=Shure+SE215+Limited+Edition+Blue

And the one you suggested me - Sound Magic ES 18 Headphone
http://www.flipkart.com/sound-magic-es-18-headphone/p/itmd8dggvtjvyyek

I brought this Bluetooth headset - Sony MW600

Exland to the core! So enakku intha headphones e pothum!

http://www.amazon.com/Ericsson-Hi-Fi-Bluetooth-Stereo-Headset/dp/B003DQ1DCM/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1353970552&sr=1-1&keywords=sony+mw600+headset

Skv, Klipsch X10 retails for 22-23k in India, Amazon is selling it at throwaway price.

Wizzy, can u suggest a bass-heavy earphone under $200?

for bass heads

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-IE6-Dynamic--Ear-Headphones/dp/B00125UBUG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1353995030&sr=1-1&keywords=Sennheiser+IE6


http://www.amazon.com/Stereo-Headphones-MDR-EX600-Dynamic-Receiver/dp/B00420UAPE


imo I wouldn't buy a bassheavy IEMs, I would settle for a canal with clear midrange and then add a amp if/when it is necessary so you don't lose out on anything. would recommend this IEM+amp combo, it will total upto $130.


http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Portable-In-Ear-Earphones/dp/B000XP8DJC


http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Headphone-Amplifier-Micca-Cable/dp/B005JT8OT6

Thanks wizzy, not for me but for a friend.. will pass the info

for peeps in look out for closed cans, awesome deal this http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B000ULAP4U/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1385666383&sr=1-1&keywords=ath+m50

usually retails for 150-160$. opt for coiled version, Straight version is messy to lug around.

I have an old Sony MDR-V600 which still sounds good but the headband and the earcups have worn off and am planning to replace it. I was thinking to buy ATH-M50 but read some not so good reviews about the wearing comfort when you have it on for a long time. Wizzy - Do you have an ATH-M50 and if so how's the wearing comfort?

^have used M50 limited edition extensively, they are fun sounding cans with tight bass and should
do well for most of the genres except for dubstep/hiphop. never had issues with clamping, if anything
it eases with more use but these are most portable cans I had ever used. my only gripe were sweaty ears
you are often left with, so much so Audio Technica never sells this model in India  

vitals http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AudioTechnicaATHM50.pdf


on genres http://www.stereophile.com/content/audio-technica-ath-m50-stereo-headphone-review-dale


closed cans started sounding stuffy after I ventured into open cans(moded HD 558),
open cans leak sound like mad/less bass but their godawesome soundstage more than makes up for it.
If you need booming bass/warm sound check out Beyerdynamic dt990 250 ohm, their V-shaped
sound signature are quite unique in its class.

http://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-990-Premium-250-Ohm/dp/B00193FT26

again sound/comfort varies with individuals so for better audition these at your nearest guitar centers 
before buying.

Thanks Wizzy for the additional details. I will most likely get the ATH-M50 as it seems to have mostly positive reviews. I don't listen to hip-hop or not really looking for heavy bass in general. Mostly listen to IR and a bit of WCM, Movie OSTs & Classic Rock. Buydig.com has it for $90 and it looks like a good deal. I'm not a studio guy or do any of the pro stuff and hope this is not an overkill even though it's hard to beat this price.

Also, how do these compare with the noise cancelling line of headphones (ATH-ANC lineup) in terms of purely the sound quality and listening experience? Ambient noise doesn't really bother me as I mostly listen in my workplace and that's why I was not that interested in the noise cancelling lineup.

^M50 offers sufficient 'noise isolation' which should suffice for day-day use, 
ATH-ANCs doesn't hold a candle to M50s in any which way wrt SQ, it adds another battery powered processing circuitry to reverse phase the sound to cancel the outside noise, why complicate the art of reproducing the sound  
remember in all budget noise cancelling cans sound quality takes a hit even if you are willing to spend close to 300$.
if you aren't a frequent flyer/often find yourself in crowded market like place just don't waste your money on it.

Thanks Wizzy. I ordered an ATH-M50. Can't wait to hear NEPV and Megha through the new cans.

congrats on the purchase, do post your thoughts on M50 vis-a-vis MDR. your next upgrade should be a portable DAC then
you should be all set on path to audio nirvana 

Cannot thank you enough Wizzy for recommending the ATH-M50. It's a truly awesome listening experience so far, night & day difference when compared with my older MDR-V600. M50 has amazing sound stage - bass, mid-range are all wonderful so far. Mostly listening to IR's post 2000 works and they all sound fantastic. It came with a larger pin which I think fill fit in my AVR. I should try listening out from my AVR and see how it sounds. 

There was a little bit of wearing discomfort initially when I had it on for longer times. It's much better now and I think I am getting used to the different fit. Any recommendations on a DAC?

^ glad you are enjoying it, Audio-technicas have a soft corner for female vocals, you should try listening to some
of Janaki solos to feel the difference. try listening at low volumes for the
first 100 hrs and then pump up the volume.

on the choice of portable DACs/Amp it depends strictly on your budget/audio source/inputs. though if you have Wolfson chipped
Ipod classic, don't bother with budget DACs/amps, it should be good to go with M50 and they are very easy to drive without an amp.
If you are using laptop for music then there good case for upgrading to budget DAC/amp like Wolfson chipped Fiio E07k.If you are mostly using a <50$ PMP you can upgrade to a DAP like iBasso dx50 or Fiio X3, both would offer significant bump to fidelity.

Thanks Wizzy for the recommendations on the DACs. I'm mostly listening on M50 through Ipod classic (7th generation one, that has the cirrus logic chip and not the wolfson chip). I bothered to check only after your mention earlier and based on the reviews I read, most people prefer the Wolfson driven one. Anyway, I never owned a previous generation Ipod and hence cannot really say the difference. I also listen sometimes through my HTC One and my Android tablet. So far, M50 sounds awesome through all those sources.

Really interesting to know that the female vocals sound better in M50. I have been listening to more of IR's gems from the 80s now. BTW, are you "raja4ever" in Soundcloud who has uploaded quite a few Hi-Res versions of IR's 80s and 90s songs. Just listened to "Ada Macham Ulla" on my M50 and it is god awesome.

 I have been listening to more of IR's gems from the 80s now. BTW, are you "raja4ever" in Soundcloud who has uploaded quite a few Hi-Res versions of IR's 80s and 90s songs. Just listened to "Ada Macham Ulla" on my M50 and it is god awesome.

Don't think even Karthikraaja would have heard the song in this full glory   
raja4ever is here https://ilayaraja.forumms.net/u126  
Fiio e18 should fit into your android phone/tablet..they only gott released recently  so give it 6to8 months for the price to come down.

saami enakkoru computer vAngaNum
Requirements: 
* Storage & Playback of IR songs. 56GB irukkAmE pAttu collection. adhu mothathaiyum accomodate paNNanum
* nalla qualityla play paNNa mudiyaNum
* maththabadi, twitter, email, skype avLo dhAn
* adhigapatcham I might try to play my cricket2002 CD which I still managed to preserve with a few scratches
* Might want to play a few Children Rhyme CDs for the younger daughter
* as the elder one grows, might require educational related stuff - no idea what
* already oru 500GB external drive vAngi irukkEn. I think that should be good enough to plug in and copy songs from naNbargaL.Correct?

* Laptop or Desktop?
* enna budget rangekku enna features kedaikkin?

indha description vechu suggest paNNa mudiyumA?

adhE mAdhiri nalla oru iPod vAngaNumnA enna selvAgum.

^innum'a vaangala, remember having this exact conversation several months ago   

for kids no laptops/tablets please, let them go through the drill..desktop all the way

check out Lenovo C340/440 http://shopap.lenovo.com/in/en/desktops/essential/c-series/#compare

option'la suntv kooda theriyin, ~40k if you muster some employee discount, add 8-10k if you need touchscreen.

IPods- new ones plainly sucks out of the box unless you wish to rockbox it.

Sansa clip/plus, not officially available in India but you could source it from here

http://www.grabmore.in/search.php?search_query=sansa+clip&x=0&y=0&catid=0

it plays most of the formats out of the box,add 32/64gigs of microSDHC you should be all set.

Wiz - thappA nenachukka padAdhu, innum kozhappamAvE irukku...

idhu okvA? javascript:;http://www.cromaretail.com/LenovoEssentialC34057-31354020All-in-OneDesktop(Black)-pc-17974-858.aspx

Plum saab given that your next iteration of upgrade is likely to take
another 10 yrs, the AIO from Croma seems tad under-powered. I would bump the ram by 2 gigs
and/or throw in a graphic card. If you have a big flat lcd/led @ home it makes
sense to buy a desktop with cpu enclosure..with HDMI output you could even play cricket 2002 on the big screen :noteeth:


http://www.dell.com/in/p/inspiron-desktops.aspx?c=in&cs=indhs1&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn#!facets=57483~0~300270&p=1



remember Win 8 is a pain in the butt to use, you can save some dough by opting for MS-DOS on the above config
and get Win 7 installation done locally.

use your haggling skills to get an warranty extension. you can audition these @
dell outlets.

http://www.dellretailstores.in/city-listing.php?pin=chennai&submit1=

Wiz kochukka padAdhu. oru vazhiyA got a quote for around 33K for the inspiron but salesman says windows 8 is cat's paw etc. Win7 ennooru roobakku podalam saar but thevaiyA ngaRAn.

Lenovo with graphics cardum romba hype paNdrAing. onnume puriyala

pEsAma HP vAngidattumA