What headphones should I purchase to improve my music listening experience?

There are a lot of choices, and acoustic psychology can be pretty subjective, so I suggest looking at online reviews, and then going someplace where you can try them out with familiar music (perhaps the same music that irritates you with the Apple earbuds.)

Noise cancellation technology is your friend and provides a wonderful listening experience.

Heartbeats by Lady Gaga.

I would highly recommend Shure’s E2c. If you can do big, open air headphones I would recommend these which are discontinued but if you look around at similar models they are probably very good. It’s night and day between good headphones and cheap ones (and yes, very expensive).

@five99one Those are some neat looking earbuds! I have seen some of the other gear in the “Beats by Dr. Dre” series. I wonder if the quality justifies the cost though. I don’t need something quite that expensive.

@nashish Dre’s headphones are overpriced for what they deliver.

@timtrueman I have looked at Shure products before. They seem to be very popular and have a good reputation for quality.

My problem with earbuds is the cables seem really flimsy. I have worn out countless pairs of cheap earbuds and I’m afraid that if I spend sixty bucks on a good pair that they’d wear out after a few months. I’d like to purchase something that’d last a long time.

@The_Compassionate_Heretic Definitely won’t be buying some then.

@nashish The E2c’s have a very hefty cable and the 590s have a removeable/replaceable cable—very well designed. The higher the quality of the headphones the more sturdy or replaceable the cable probably is.

If you are looking at over-the-ear equipment I suggest you check out Sennheiser. That’s what I use to listen to my rather sophisticated stereo system when I don’t want the speakers on.

@timtrueman I’ll consider both those models then; if nothing else, I’d just like to get away from these Apple Earbuds. One of the buds has shorted out on me repeatedly, but fortunately it’s come back to life each time.

@pdworkin Glad to have some consensus on the Sennheiser brand. Could you list the name of some audio electronic stores that would actually let you test out headphones before purchasing them?

[I know it wasn’t directed at me but] unfortunately it was a friend who let me try it out…

If you are near New York, try Joseph Audio, and feel free to mention my name to Jeff.

Thanks for the input, guys, you’ve been extremely helpful!

I’m going to agree with @timtrueman here. Shures are the way to go. I have a pair of Shure 210s that are just heaven. I used to hate earbuds, but Shure has made me a fan. The sound quality is excellent all around, and the noise reduction is good at blocking all but the loudest noises. Unless you’re in a construction site, you won’t notice the lack of full noise cancellation that much. The only problem I have with them is that the bass is sometimes really low.

A couple years back, I got a pair of Sennheiser HD 201 headphones from Pepsi’s Pepsi stuff promotion. They work fantastically and block out a ton of outside noise.

I have had these Sennheisers for almost 2 years and adore them. For middle-of-the-road pricing, they are exceptionally comfortable, with excellent bass and a sound stage that will beat anything less expensive, imho.

Also, although my cord has yet to start crackling or dying, when it does, I can get a replacement for less than $5.

I’ve been pretty satisfied with Smokin’ Skullcandy for cutting grass and under earmuffs at the range. Pretty comfortable and fairly robust for inexpensive earbuds.

@timtrueman is right. Shure E2cs are amazing headphones, I use mine constantly. I’d watch out on buying large headphones like those Sennheiser’s that he recommended though, as iPod headphone jacks don’t amplify the sound enough for good quality through those headphones. My friend bought a pair of large over-ear Sennheiser headphones, and the only place he can use them is at his desk when they are plugged into his very nice stereo deck, as his iPod and Macbook do not amp up the audio signal enough.

For a safe bet, get the E2cs.

I’m sure there are better headphones out there but i just bought these
and they’re pretty neat.

but try them in the store first and make sure they work, blush blush

I’ve decided on the Shure E2cs; I’m going to purchase some from Amazon within the next month or so.