The title really says it. I’m in the market for new headphones for my computer, since my current ones are getting a bit buzzy. Here are a couple of the things I’m looking for:
[ul][li]I listen to my music off of my computer, so I want something capable of fairly good sound quality, but not something with such high quality that it will be wasted on a computer. [/li][li]I would like to be able to hear something from the outside world while I’m listening. [/li][li]I would prefer something with wires over wireless (it seems like the batteries would be too much of a pain). [/li][li]Something that will not die if I listen to decently loud music[/ul][/li]Given these constraints, I am assuming that cost is unlikely to be a significant factor.
I might be willing to upgrade my soundcard, but my computer is aging (833 MHz Pentium III), and I don’t want to upgrade too much at this point in time. Is there a product out there for me?
Another consideration: How comfortable do they need to be? (How long do you need to wear them at a time?)
I currently use a pair of Sennheiser HD600 headphones for my PC at home. They’re probably more expensive than what you’re looking for, but I can easily wear them for several hours at a time.
I have the Sennheiser HD 570s and I love them. They are a bit under 100 bucks. Whatever you end up getting you want to get an open-ear over the ear design. They will be cheaper, sound better, and allow you to hear stuff in the outside world. Be forewarned that the outside world will be able to hear what you are listening too.
I have Sennheiser HD 580s and love them. They have the same drivers as the 600’s but are cheaper. Very comfortable and you can hear the outside environment. The sound is wonderful.
You want open-backed (“open”) headphones. Fortunately for you, this type produces the best sound quality, since the sound from the back of the diaphragm doesn’t interefere with the sound you hear from the front. I have a pair of Sennheiser HD-497 and I like them but I haven’t compared them to other good ones. They’re not really comfortable if you wear them all the time. All those other Sennheiser phones are open and they also makes a pair of compact folding open phones called the PX-100.