Best headphones you've ever heard/used

>>Id pick the sub $200 HD-580 over the top of the line etymotics any day of the week.<<

I know where you can get HD-580's for around $150. I own these and they are excellent headphones and an excellent value -- BUT -- when I tried to use them on an airplane, I couldn't hear anything -- even at top volume. This is because they are open backed, which lets sound in and out -- the noise coming in from the Jet drowns out the sound from the headphones. This is why I purchased the Sennheiser 280 Pro's. They are closed. Now, I have purchased the Shure E3's to compare, but I haven't flown with them yet. Having heard my Sennheiser 280 Pro's on an airplane against the Bose, I think I can safely say you don't have to give any money to Bose. The web-site I posted has the Etymotics for $219. I believe that if you go for a closed back headphone like the Sennheiser 280 Pro's or an insertion type earphone like the Shures or Etymotics, you don't need to go the "noise cancelling" route.

Bose -- $299

Etymotic -- $219

Shure E3 -- $179

Sennheiser 280 Pro -- $100

Shure E2 -- $100

Hi,

I enjoy my Senn 600's at home and work, but they are not practical to travel with. I tried the Ety's and they did not fit my ears at all, they hurt and did not seal the canal properly so I returned them. I now use Grado SR60's when I'm traveling; they fold flat and fit in my laptop case, are comfortable, sound pretty damned good, and cost $60. I fly 100,000 miles a year, I'm always open to new cans for traveling but cannot use in-ear headphones.

Best, Jeff

I've been listening to my Shure E3's against my Sennheiser HD580's. I've got to say the Shure E3's are superior to the Sennheiser 580's. The Shure's are more dynamic, fluid, more definition, and, for want of a better word, more fun. With the E3's in, my head is bobbing, when the 580's are on, it isn't -- the "head-bob" test is a biggie with me.

I would just use a longer cord for your bedroom headphones. That's what I do. The gains in sound quality more than make up for it.

The problem with in-ear 'phone for me has always been the positioning or soundstaging. Even good in ears like the etymotics sound 'wrong' not because any part of the frequency range is off, but because the imaging is wrong. All headphones sound like the soundstage is inside your head to varying degrees, but larger open headphones are not as bad at this as any other kind. In ears dont even bounce the sound off your outer ear the pinnae (sorry if I spelt that wrong) and all the other ridges etc on your ear. Believe it or not this is an important part of sound shaping and decoding.
To me, the etymotics and I'm totally guessing here, the shures would have a similar problem. They get fatuiging fast because they your brain knows that the imaging is wrong. I can very well believe that not everyone has the same reaction to headphones and in-ears (and I'm still a headphone fan despite all I say) but that's my reaction to headphones.
Of course there are problems with open phones. Other pointed out the problems when using them outdoors. I listen to mine at night in the bedroom when I dont want to disturb, but I can still listen at reasonable levels. For other uses, other phones may be a better match.
Just my $0.02.