Comments on: Wanted: Headphones and RAM

By: Robert Litzke

Robert Litzke — Thu, 05 May 2005 22:41:58 +0000

Check out some Koss stereophones – specifically the UR-29. They cost around $25 at Best Buy, and I’ve had my pair for over a year of daily use (6 hours a day, usually). They sound great, are comfortable, and drown out all sorts of background noise. I bought a more expensive pair, but frankly, the slight increase in sound quality isn’t worth the extra cost.

By: MEL

MEL — Thu, 05 May 2005 13:29:36 +0000

I second the Grado suggestion, and the SR60s are just fine. Made in Brooklyn and darn comfy.

By: William Murray

William Murray — Wed, 04 May 2005 17:26:22 +0000

As I skimmed through the comments, there seemed to be an even split between noise-cancelling and in-ear suggestions. Since I own both, I thought I'd add my $.02 to the mix. I have Sennheiser PXC 250 noise-cancelling headphones, which function amazingly well. I experienced a little pressure getting used to them, but that went away. The inline circuitry module can get in the way, though, and I wish they had full earcups. The (much more) expensive Bose QuietComfort 2 headphones resolve both of these issues by integrating the electronics into the earcups, but unfortunately they won't work without battery power. The Senns will. I also have a pair of Sony MDR-EX71SL/WK headphones and their in-ear design blocks out almost all surrounding noise, which can be both good and bad. You'll have to pull them out to hear the flight attendant when she comes around, but you also won't hear the guy next to you snoring. The Fontopia line has a variety of designs as well, so you can pick the right pair for you. I may upgrade to the MDR-EX81LP/B, which offer over-the-ear support for more comfortable long-term wear. Both of these headphones have great sound quality, but I generally use my Sony headphones because they are cheaper, don't need batteries, and are much more portable. If you decide to go with noise-cancelling headphones, though, take a look at Sony's new MDR-NC50. They're similar to the QuietComfort headphones, but they're cheaper ($200 vs. $300) and seem to have many of the same great characteristics (integrated electronics, disconnecting wire, full earcups). Hope that helps get you through the long flight! If it's any consolation, I once had the most ridiculous flight back from Japan. It was six legs long (Okinawa-Tokyo-Guam-Honolulu-Los Angeles-Detroit-Boston) and lasted about 36 hours. Be very glad your flight is only 13 hours! :-)

By: Ryan F

Ryan F — Tue, 03 May 2005 23:37:08 +0000

Dont spend over $30 on headphones. Grab a pair of Plantronics Audio 90 headphones. They are about $20 on newegg, and they sound great, I use them for gaming all the time. My roommate spend $150 on some Sennheiser headphones, and you can hardly tell any difference. Also, if you have a standard onboard sound(with which a laptop will be the case), spending more than $30 will be pointless, the audio will only sound as good as the soundcard can output.

By: ray

ray — Tue, 03 May 2005 13:52:19 +0000

For pure sound quality I'd go with Grado headphones. I own a pair of Grado SR80s and they sound amazing. It doesn't matter if you're listening to them on your computer, ipod, or an expensive amp...they always sound good. They were about $180 Canadian, but I'm not sure what they'd retail for in the US.

By: andrew

andrew — Tue, 03 May 2005 06:17:45 +0000

I’ve just got hold of Griffin EarJams – in ear adaptors for my iPod’s horrible buds. It is like hearing my music for the first time! the bass is fabulous – they block out room noise – and they are so comfortable, I could wear them all day whereas without them the buds used to hurt after a couple of hours… and did I mention… cheap!!

By: Mike W

Mike W — Mon, 02 May 2005 18:16:53 +0000

In regards to which headphones you should purchase, I’d suggest any sony headphone. I’m a DJ, and I swear by my Sony MVR-600 headphones.. even though they’re a little outdated now, they’ve lasted forever!

I should also mention that the new line of sony headphones rock the hizzy.

By: David Martland

David Martland — Sun, 01 May 2005 09:42:53 +0000

I have little personal experience of noise cancelling earphones myself. However at a party recently I discussed the Bose units which I’d recently been offered (incredible price … was it £250?) – and was told that they are excellent – but of course v.pricey. An interesting alternative suggestion was made to check out which headsets pilots use. Apparently there are some which are around £50 which pilots like – though you might have to have one with a microphone attached as well! This advice came from a vibration engineer.

The noise cancelling feature in some earphone sets really does work too, apparently. This is a significant improvement over simply using earphones which block out external noise, though they would be better than open or small units.

If there’s still time I might be able to get details.

By: Nik M

Nik M — Sat, 30 Apr 2005 14:52:16 +0000

I don’t know if youcan get them on in the US, but once you get to Japan, pick up some Sony MDR-22. They’re very cheap at about ¥5000 and extremely good; sound quality is fine, they don’t leak and won’t annoy your neighbours, and they block out the rest of the world very effectively. If you don’t like them, give them to a friend who has to commute on a train; I did this for 2 years in Tokyo and they ‘phones were a lifesaver.

By: gary

gary — Fri, 22 Apr 2005 14:48:24 +0000

Crucial.com! They have a mac section and a nice selector to help you find RAM. and they Guarantee it! I’ve NEVER had any problems with them and it’s GREAT quality RAM.

By: Scott Ahten

Scott Ahten — Thu, 21 Apr 2005 14:31:38 +0000

While it looks like you have your current system covered, you can easily use System Profiler to determine what kind of RAM is required for any Mac running OS X. Select “(Apple Menu) > About This Mac > More Info…” to get started. System Profiler can even tell you the contents of each RAM slot without opening the case.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Wed, 20 Apr 2005 20:55:48 +0000

I have been happy with my Behringer HPS3000 headphones. It is a CHEAP so called “studio” pair of headphones. http://www.behringer.com/HPS3000/index.cfm?lang=ENG
I bought mine on ebay and payed like $25 for them. Not a bad pair of headhopnes for $25.

By: David Nitzsche-Bell

David Nitzsche-Bell — Wed, 20 Apr 2005 15:37:13 +0000

I always go to http://www.dealram.com for RAM purchases. Select your computer and it tells you what type of RAM you need and lists the various places that sell it and their latest price.

I have some Sony noise-cancelling headphones which are about $125. Very, very good. With multiple adapters for various airline audio ports.

By: John Athayde

John Athayde — Wed, 20 Apr 2005 13:59:03 +0000

I upgraded my (1999) Sawtooth G4/450 to 2 GB of ram and it was quite happy for a while. Recently, I also picked up a G4/1.4gHz processor upgrade and a FW 800 card. While it’s not as swank as a brand new G5, it did make the 3d stuff I do go a lot faster.

The RAM is the biggest thing. That will make a world of difference.

And I second the reccomendation for apple in ear headphones. I use them all day at work. Far more comfortable than the earbuds and not as clunky as a huge pair of headphones.

By: David Merwin

David Merwin — Tue, 19 Apr 2005 19:59:15 +0000

Eric.

By far, the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro‘s are amazing headphones for the price. I work at a professional dj site (webmaster) and I can get them for you for real cheap. Pretty much any nice headphones mentioned I can get you. Unfortunately, I am forbidden to say for how much by manufacturer agreement. You’ll have to email me or call.

The Sennheisser 280 PRO’s I wear all day. The are awesome for isolation and comfort. They are not small however. If you need closed cell but small headphones, try the HD25s from Sennheiser. Beautiful.

If you want prices, let me know. dave at agiprodj dot com. Or call 866-pro-mixx. That goes for any one here.

The Shure products are a good choice if you have the money, but they seem WAY expensive to me for ear buds. I hate the Bose options. Not enough mids for me. The Sennheiser’s pretty much all the headphones above the 202 series are very full sounding.

The Sennheiser site is acting weird so I am not going to send a link.

Lemme know what you think.