Travel Headphones Suggestions

[Mr Peabody]

I could maybe go $400.00 for a good home headphone but really is there any portable source good enough to warrant that quality of a phone? You may have said earlier, but NF what are you using for a source? Do Ipods sound very good? I have yet to hear one. I have not been impressed from so called "digital" sound from my computer and I'd think that MP3's would leave some to be desired. It is amazing though that something the size of a lighter can store so much data and even drive headphones.

[Dusty Chalk]

I could maybe go $400.00 for a good home headphone but really is there any portable source good enough to warrant that quality of a phone? You may have said earlier, but NF what are you using for a source? Do Ipods sound very good? I have yet to hear one. I have not been impressed from so called "digital" sound from my computer and I'd think that MP3's would leave some to be desired. It is amazing though that something the size of a lighter can store so much data and even drive headphones.

The iPods sound indeed very good as long as all your downstream components are up to the task. Almost everyone I know who uses an iPod uses them with a dedicated headphone amp of varying qualities. And they try to use the line out (meaning a dock of some sort) rather than the headphone jack.

I don't personally have one, but that's because I'm a cheapskate -- allow me to explain. I got the Creative Nomad Jukebox 3 before it was widely known (a) how good the iPod is, and (b) how good its interface is. Not to say that it isn't good -- I'll keep it. But if I had it to do over again, I'd get an iPod today. I just don't feel like doubling the amount I spent on the subject (portable audio) right now.

You can also get an easier to drive pair of headphones. 3 that I am aware of are:

Audio Technica A100Ti (I use this with an M-Audio Sonica without an amp at home -- it sounds better than my internal OEM soundcard at work here with an amp)
Sony MDR-V6/-7506 (I own these, and have used it on the road with a laptop and the aforementioned M-Audio Sonica -- it improves with an amp, but it's certainly adequate without one, if not a little bright [introducing the right amp &&/|| tubes will combat this one foible])
Etymotic ER-6i (my current earphone of choice these days -- sounds wonderful straight out of the CLNJB3 mentioned above)