Tuesday, November 29, 2005

In thinking about holiday gifts for oneself and others, a great idea is a good set of headphones. They don't need to be very expensive to sound much better than those that come with most portable music players, including the iPod. Those "mug-me-white" earbuds aren't horrible, but you can do much better for only about $15 at online retailers like Amazon. A set of Sennheiser MX-500 earbuds sounds far clearer and more life-like than Apple's offerings and many people think they fit their ears better, too. They also have a little volume slider on the cord which I've found comes in handy when riding DC's Metro where environmental noise comes and goes quickly (the 450's come without the slider, if you don't like that feature). Sennheiser now sells these in white in case you just can't live without the status symbol.

For listening where size is not a concern, the Grado SR-60 and SR-80 are justifiably famous in audiophile circles for their high-quality sound and low price. I've been using the SR-60s while at work for the past 2 years and they are just exceptional. The range is amazing -- the bass is clear and balanced -- and the sound never gets tiring, even after several hours of listening. I always used to save new music I wanted to hear in great detail for my home stereo; no longer, now I bring it to work where I can hear it with the Grados. The best part is the cost: around $70. Considering what some hi-fi headphones sell for, that is amazing. I recommend using the softer ear pads or, even better, getting the donut-shaped ones that feel a little more comfortable and slightly improve the highs. Unlike many larger headphones, the Grado SR-60s require no separate amplifier meaning you can plug them directly into your iPod if you so choose. A word of advice, keep the headphones out of the sun when not using them: the foam padding will degrade.

For the ultimate in personal listening, many people select In-Ear-Monitors. These tiny buds fit deep inside your ear and seal out other sound. Brands like Etymotic and Ultimate Ears set the standard for accurate sound reproduction (many professional musicians use them on stage) but prices can range from $100 to $1000. And they go way inside your ear.

For research and purchasing, I've never found a better site than HeadRoom at <www.headphone.com>. They give thorough reviews of everything they sell and even tell you when a cheap model works better than something more expensive.