The Best Headphones for Work

Wondering if you guys use headphones at work, and if so, what kind do you use?

I started out with just earbuds, but noticed that everybody around here has pretty nice sets of Sennheiser, Bose, etc... Its like a competition now

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I would advise against anything that blocks out noise either passively or actively (i.e. in-ear earbuds or noise-cancelling cans). I've heard that nothing is more frustrating than trying to get an analysts attention and they can't hear you.

It's a little excessive, but I use sennheiser hd590s. They sound great and they are "open-air," meaning you can hear everything going on around you while listening to music. I bought them about 8 years ago and they have definitely stood the test of time -- though they have since been replaced by newer models.

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+1 to Sennheiser phones, I had the PX100s a few years back, great phones, I busted the cord and haven't replaced them yet. Also similar to the PX100s are the Koss PortaPros (and SportaPros if you prefer around the back) - similar quality but different sound - listen to both and decide.

Lately I've been using Shure e4c in-ear phones, but I'd agree with jackofalltrades that they're not very good for work because they are obscenely good at noise blocking (passive).

 

I have a pair of Shures that I've been beating the crap out of for years. They are amazing... although they are EXTREMELY good at noise canceling which doesn't fair well at work, I've missed my phone ringing at times if I have them all the way in my ear. I generally leave them out of my ear a little bit (so it doesn't make a seal in my ear canal) and I can hear phones/voices just fine.

I also like these headphones for my iPod/iPhone since they're so good at noise canceling, you don't have to turn the volume up at all really which is great for extending battery life.

 
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I use a pair of HD 555's and they are simply exquisite. The bass is deep and thundering while the highs are reproduced with diamond clarity. They're also open air so you hear if someone is talking to you.

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at work just make sure to get something that is not noise cancelling. both passive and active systems are not good. the in-ear buds that cancel the noise passively are horrible for work. They take a little time to remove from deep within your ear canal, and people won't want to wait for you to finish before they start talking.

my boss basically barges out of his office and starts talking to me, and i'm usually listening to music. i have leanred to rip off my headphones so i can hear him talk. usually i miss the first few words. he could care less that i'm wearing headphones.

so anyway i use some sennheiser DJ style headphones. they are big and sound great, but i can hear some sounds outside and i can very easily rip them off to engage someone in conversation.

 

I have IEMs so I sometimes don't hear it when people try to talk to me but whatever. Got a pair of Sennheiser IE8s paired with a Sony X player (awesome synergies). Superwide soundstage, airy highs, superb bass. I also have a pair of Shure E4Cs from when I didn't know any better, but they have a very bright sound that is too scratchy for me.

If you get a nice set of cans, make sure you're not using an iPod because the sound quality is horrible (though some generations are better than others). If you are using headphones, getting an amp is also a good investment, especially if you like bass.

 
dew2229:
its all about the Sennheiser Orpheus... trust me. downside, only 300 sets are made total

My dad has one, it is ridiculous to listen to one of the CD's that were recorded on gold leaf or whatever it is, just takes you into a different world.

Sennheiser HD650's are my choice, altho sound infinitely better with an amp, they are still good without one.

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second on MonkeyKingdoms

For the most part of the day when I intern I use in ear phones, with only one bud this way I can hear if anyone needs to get my attention.

When I study in the evenings i use Dre. Beats . Nothing else compares. I have the studio series and the sound quality is amazing. Truly the best pair of headphones I have ever owned.

 

Beats are alright but you have to be comfortable with paying a 100 bucks for just the name. Personally the only plus is that you can wear them outside unlike the Senn's but even then there is huge sound leakage, one of the cups rattles when you walk. Inside, the Senns 650's beat the beats with the only exception if you are listening to hip hop/heavy bass etc.

If you jsut want cans for the inside, and can buy HD 650's for the same price as the beats, thats an easy decision.

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I'm still in college but I feel confident to recomend the shure se530s I love mine they sound great, are portable and durable, and they come with a device which i think is called pth (push to hear) basically an inline microphone which allows you to hear the outside world clearly while leaving the buds in. This is great ffor frequent talking. They also isolate very well meaning you can turn down the volume significantly and I can usually tell when someone needs my attention

 

I'd say GRADO, but you can't crank open drivers without the person nearest you hearing every note. At low volumes you'd hear that phone ringing - a plus. Sennheisers are great as long as you get them large enough to encompass your ears (like any headphone). Never had shures but I've always heard good things about them.

Go to your nearest audiophile shop and try out dozens of headphones. Bring your own tunes, they will let you play them.

 

Bumping because I just found this deal that came out tonight--Steelseries Siberia Full-Size Headphones for $15 (MSRP=$90).

I already own a pair and just bought three more.

http://sellout.woot.com/ They're affiliated with Yahoo, so they are legit.

Enjoy, you non-baller bankers.

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I have these amazing, folding white Sennheiser's that are light weight and the sound is amazing. Get those, they'll match the ipod and you'll look like a big shot.

 

Hey Guys,

Remember this thread from a few months back...wanted to invest in a pair of headphones for work and wanted to get some insight from those who know better. Basically want a few things:

1) Open-air...want to be able to hear if my phone rings or my MD comes out to say something 2) Not audible to the others in my bullpen if I am listening at a reasonable volume 3) Nothing in-ear...have never found these to be comfortable / healthy 4) Don't look ridiculous...not looking for headphones that are bigger than my head 5) The higher the quality the better, but

If anyone is informed enough to give me a best bet for each range of prices (i.e. $50-100, $100-150, etc.), I'd appreciate it.

 

Nothing better than throwing in a lip and puttin on the headphones to get work done...I go with the Sennheiser's as well...

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can anyone give any insight on the hd555s? Have read great things except for how much sound leakage there is...dont want people in my bullpen able to hear me from a few feet away...can anyone give any insight? thanks

 

My vote goes to Sennheiser. Just take a look around their line of headphones (in-ear or out-ear should be based on preference). Not sure as to their prices are exact models because I haven't needed a new pair of headphones since two winter holidays ago. I think this is adequate testimony to the quality and durability of their products. The sound quality is also excellent.

 
CorpFinHopeful:

My vote goes to Sennheiser. Just take a look around their line of headphones (in-ear or out-ear should be based on preference). Not sure as to their prices are exact models because I haven't needed a new pair of headphones since two winter holidays ago. I think this is adequate testimony to the quality and durability of their products. The sound quality is also excellent.

I've owned a pair of Sennheiser 558s for four years now and still love them. Fantastic sound quality and range. You've got to listen to lossless music to truly appreciate the quality though.

Really what you buy depends on what you want out of the headphones.

 

I use Shure in-ears. Only around $100 and have iPhone compatibility with the additional cable. I'm not an audiophile, just like to keep ambient noise at bay.

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mrchow:

Speaking of headphones, is working in the office with headphones okay? Or will it make it annoying for others to approach you?

During the day I'd just keep one ear in. At night no one cares.

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Audio-Technica ATH-M50's is one of the best for bargain, prices from 120USD onwards. A well balanced studio monitor headphone, has bass presence that doesn't clash with mid and high freq.

 
dannyja1:

Audio-Technica ATH-M50's is one of the best for bargain, prices from 120USD onwards.
A well balanced studio monitor headphone, has bass presence that doesn't clash with mid and high freq.

I just bought:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00001WRSJ/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00?…

Can someone in the know tell me how those compare to mine? And what kind of value I got.

Noise isolation is very important to me as I use them for recording. I'm considering just getting some nice in-ears to record with because they seem to isolate better than any over-ears.

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As someone else said Head-fi.org I have some Sennheiser 555's and I really like them. Make sure to consider whether you want closed or open depending on your location and listening conditions.

 

Funny timing for this thread. I was on a plane last night and there was a screaming toddler. I had my noise cancelling headphones so it didn't bother me, but the guy next to me was getting so fucking annoyed. We land and the first thing he does is whip out his smart phone searching top 10 noise cancelling headphones.

If I were a headphone company, I would give the airlines my product to demo on flights. People would buy them right there and then.

 
CorpFinanceGuy:

Funny timing for this thread. I was on a plane last night and there was a screaming toddler. I had my noise cancelling headphones so it didn't bother me, but the guy next to me was getting so fucking annoyed. We land and the first thing he does is whip out his smart phone searching top 10 noise cancelling headphones.

If I were a headphone company, I would give the airlines my product to demo on flights. People would buy them right there and then.

brilliant
heister: Look at all these wannabe richies hating on an expensive salad. https://arthuxtable.com/
 
GoldenCinderblock:
dannyja1:

Audio-Technica ATH-M50's is one of the best for bargain, prices from 120USD onwards.
A well balanced studio monitor headphone, has bass presence that doesn't clash with mid and high freq.

Can someone in the know tell me how those compare to mine?
And what kind of value I got.

Noise isolation is very important to me as I use them for recording. I'm considering just getting some nice in-ears to record with because they seem to isolate better than any over-ears.

Can't personally say how they compare to yours, however if you were planning on using them with your PC, laptop, phones etc without any amplification equipment then Audio Technica will perform better. It runs @ 38 ohms compared to the Sony @ 63 ohms.

 

Whatever you do DO NOT get B&O's. The sound quality is great but they have zero durability, are very pricey. My pair broke down on me just from normal usage about 2 months after the warranty ended. I approached the store and got in touch with corporate and they did nothing for me. They will not replace, fix, or even get you a shitty refurb pair to make you happy. Worst customer service I've ever dealt with for a high end product.

 

In-ear budget: Shure SE215. I've had mine for 3 years for regular use on the subway. Removable cable and perfect ear design.

On-ear budget: Monoprice 8323 with aftermarket velour pads. VModa M100 might be what to look for trance/bass though.

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Grados would make really horrible work headphones because the sound leaks like crazy. Awesome for the person wearing them though.

I have Sony MDR-V6's, which are studio monitors. I got them for like $80-90. They're pretty good if you don't mind the overwhelmingly long coiled cable.

 

I'm fairly difficult to please when it comes to headphones, I've sampled a good array of high-end brands, see below assessment. I would strongly recommend blue tooth headphones, in-ear or over-ear. Only downside is if you're in a cube setting and use wireless in-ear, people won't notice you have headphones in and so may start talking to you not knowing you can't hear them... vs. if you have over-ear or chorded in-ear they know you can't hear. Blue tooth will change your life, especially when working out.

My overall opinion is that when buying a high-end audio product you're better off buying a professional grade vs. a mainstream consumer brand. My reasoning is that Shure's core competency is making hands down the best fucking head phones out there for professional use. They happen to cost $800 because they're used in the industry and they realized they can leverage their technology/brand to hit the consumer market by taking their high-end product, and dumbing it down to a more affordable consumer price point. Take Bose on the other hand, and their core competency is making a consumer product and marketing the fuck out of it. I'd rather pay for quality/components/technology vs. marketing dollars/magazine pages.

Bose: In-ear ~$150-200. Noise cancelling over-ear $300-400. Good sound quality, but you get more bang for your buck for non-consumer brands. (2.5 stars)

Shure: in-ear. This is a professional grade brand and they have absolutely phenomenal sound quality. I spend like ~$200 on in-ear and the chord was removable/replaceable from the buds in case its damaged (unlikely given its sheathed in Kevlar), the ear buds also had a 360 degree rotation from the chord. They also came with like 10 different ear bud sizes and varieties includes literally an ear plug which is phenomenal when flying. (4.5 stars)

Sennheiser: over-ear. Spent about $250. Somewhere between a Bose and Shure. Good sound quality, not terribly durable IMO. (3.0 stars)

Bower and Wilkins: in-ear. Spent about $200. By far worst brand of premium headphones out there. Great sound quality but the product is pure shit. Mine stopped working when I went for a run because they got sweat in them and would shock me. They sent me a new pair, stopped working within 6 months. Bitched to them again and they sent me a link to reviews on the Apple website saying that other brands of headphones have had similar issues as well, so its not just them. The other brands they were referencing was the free set of shit earbuds you get with you iphone. Horrible customer service, shit product. (0.0 stars)

Beats: blue tooth over-ear. $300. Pretty good sound. Blue tooth is really nice. This is probably another example of where a decent chunk of the price tag is going to marketing, but I don't mind because I've had a hard time finding a decent over-ear blue tooth product. (4.0 stars)

Blue Buds X: blue tooth in-ear. $200. These are fucking awesome. Great sound, design, battery life etc. Awesome for working out, since there's no chord and you can't even feel them being there. Highly recommended. (4.5 stars)

 

Jaybird Sportsband for working out (or anything else, really). http://www.jaybirdstore.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.1537/.f

No, the sound quality isn't top-notch, but who really cares when you're running full speed on a treadmill or doing bicep curls?

Also great when I need to make a walk to the kitchen and don't want to carry my phone along with me :P

(I use a Galaxy Note 3 for my phone, and the jaybird helps when I go to the gym. No need to hold onto the phone, just drop it in my bag, drop the bag next to the equipment, and no need for wired earbuds.)

Currently: future neurologist, current psychotherapist Previously: investor relations (top consulting firm), M&A consulting (Big 4), M&A banking (MM)
 

based on my research, those are like $13...are they really as good as buds that are closer to $50? I guess would be interested to know how something 3x the price of your JVCs could be justified...better in the bass or high range frequencies?

Also, I assume that the small ear buds aren't as good with bass as the larger headphones that cover your ears?

 

With decent headphones you definitely do not want to be plugging directly into your laptop. Your laptop's DAC (component that converts the audio from digital to analog) and amplifier (aka sound card) are not designed for quality sound. A portable USB DAC/AMP combo will be be the first thing you want to get. Then you can start with a pair of headphones for ~$125. AKG, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Audio Technica, Ultrasone, Grado, HiFiMAN and Denon are good brands for full-size headphones (I may be missing a few).

If you prefer in-ear headphones (IEMs), Shure, Logitech UE, and Sennheisier are good brands. If you really want something nice you can get IEMs custom-made to your ear by getting an ear impression done by an audiologist.

Head-fi.org is a good place to learn more.

 

I picked up this pair from Amazon for $25 bucks http://www.Amazon.com/Nuforce-NE-600X-BLACK-High-Efficiency-In-Ear-Headphones/dp/B0073XY5LC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374940939&sr=8-1&keywords=nuforce

I'm definitely not an audiophile, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good they were at that price point. Very strong bass though.

Review: http://www.wired.com/reviews/2012/10/nuforce-ne-600/

 
General Disarray:
moose46:

Klipsch Image s4 (i or ii). Great sound quality.

The sound quality is great, but they will break down often. I was replacing mine every other month (thank god for insurance).

Funny you said this, as my right earbud just went bust this morning. Shit.

What have you been using since?

 
moose46:
General Disarray:
moose46:

Klipsch Image s4 (i or ii). Great sound quality.

The sound quality is great, but they will break down often. I was replacing mine every other month (thank god for insurance).

Funny you said this, as my right earbud just went bust this morning. Shit.

What have you been using since?

I picked up Bose IE2. Similar sound quality to the Klipsch but with better build quality. I've used them for about 3-4 months now and the ear buds still haven't burned out (with the Klipsch, like clockwork, one of the earbuds would burn out every month). These also, in my opinion, are more comfortable and tend to stay in my ear.

 

In my opinion the best are BOSE QuietComfort 3. They have a very good noise cancelling feature. I also like the Bang & Olufsen 3i. The latter are also available as iPhone headset.

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I use a pair of sennheiser cx 680 as my gym and regular bus headphones. Really durable and great sound quality for something meant to be used as a sport headphones. New model is probably out too.

As for my high quality headphones, I use B&W P5s. They have fantastic a fantastic mid-range which is great for my personal music tastes. Additionally, they're a very high-quality pair of headphones in terms of comfort and aesthetics. The only downside is that if you wear it for several hours at a time, your ears might get a bit warm and a tad uncomfortable since the headphone is leather and on-ear rather than over ear. In my opinion, it's one of the best headphones you can get for the $300 price range.

 

Ah, a topic near and dear to me...

For casual open over-the-ear headphones, Sennheiser PX100-II or Koss PortaPro are both great, - depending on preference. The PortaPros are ugly as all hell but more durable in my experience than the PX100s (though allegedly Sennheiser has figured out the issue and fixed it in the last year) - they sound similar though the PortaPros are bassier. Either of those work fine plugged directly into your phone, laptop, etc. The PortaPros are a little cheaper than the Senns but both under $50.

Moving up the chain you've got the Sennheiser HD650 (can be had for ~$300-350 if you get a good deal). LOVE these, but you absolutely need a DAC and amp to really open them up. A basic combo that people like for these is the FiiO E7/E9 (E7 is the DAC and E9 is the amp) - you dont have to get them together, but they work a bit better together (the DAC sends a cleaner signal to the amp on the special dock). Personally I'm using a Traktor DAC (2 audio channels for when I'm using music production tools) with the E9, works great. You can sink a lot of $$ into DAC and amp - some people like vacuum tube amps, not my thing - gives you a very warm analog kind of sound, but worth looking into if you go down this road.

 

http://www.Amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B000ULAP4U/ref=sr_1_1?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1374957615&sr=1-1

These hands down are the best over-the-ear headphones I know of. As a bit of an audiophile and DJ/producer, I've been through many a headphones. Sure, you can buy more expensive ones that may sound marginally better. But for $150, these headphones are incredible. The bass response is punchy and not overwhelming; the treble response is crisp and clear without being piercing and the mids are super sweet and sing like a canary. On top of that all, the headphones are super comfy and I have no problem using them for hours.

I've had all kinds of headphones from Sennheiser, Bose, etc. These ones will give you the musical clarity you want at a phenomenal price.

 

Based on ~95% of people in new york city subway trains, apparently the only headphones that exist are Beats by Dr. Dre. And the cherry on top is that those bad boys run about 300 clams...not too sure how someone without a clean shirt can afford such product. If popular opinion is as good in this area as it usually is in most areas...don't get those.

For the last few years I've been using a pair of Sony noise-cancelling over-the-ear headphones and they work just fine, although admittedly I'm potentially read for a new pair also.

 

For IEMs (in-ear monitors), Sennheiser IE8 are an incredible choice. Really broad soundstage, with a warm and airy sound. Makes you feel like you are hearing them perform in a concert hall. Noise cancellation is not great, but I prefer that, in case my phone rings at work. If you prefer a really clean and accurate sound then go for something like the Westone 3s. Some of the headphones mentioned above like the Sennheiser HD650 are good choices, but you need a nice amp to drive it. Otherwise, you won't get their full potential. DaCarez knows what he is talking about.

 

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