Best headphones for Ipod (unamped)

[Cujo]

I want good headphones for my ipod, but i am getting confused with all this recommendations to get an amp even for IEMs.

I don't want an amp, even the ipod is to heavy in my pockets.

Please recommend me headphones sounding best directly driven from the ipod.

Cheers

[aardvark baguette]

AKG K1000

[GPH]

The connector fits tightly in the iPod headphone jack so you might have to bend the pins a little bit to make it fit properly.

[Cujo]

LOL Please be serious with the newbie

[postjack]

someone with more IEM experience should step in, but I enjoy my ER4P directly of out my 1G shuffle.

I believe in most circumstances with IEMs an amp really isn't necessary. i'm not the IEM expert though.

[thrice]

in all honesty? the Senn PX-100s. it's a good match. they are good phones, and you get most of what they have to offer out of them with an iPod. i love my Shure SE530s with my iPod Touch, but i'm not getting everything out of them.

I agree with you on the SE530 (500) and the iPod Touch. They certainly benefit from an extranl amp, but out of the iPod Touch, it isn't a bad experience.

I would also mention the Senn HD201, for $20-25 it's a bargain. A little light in the bass and isolation isn't great, but they are cheap, sturdy cans that sound better than their price-tag would suggest. Just a thought if you wanted a circumaural option (pads surround the ear) instead of a supra-aural headphone (pads sit on the ear).

I've never heard the PX-100, but they are certainly well-thought of.

[aardvark baguette]

I've put my PX100s through hell and they always ask for more.

[Cankin]

:prettyprincess: :prettyprincess: :prettyprincess: :prettyprincess:

[aardvark baguette]

I tried the 201s but I just couldn't meld with their sound. I think I gave them away to a friend.

[Cankin]

It resembles the sound of radio very much

[thrice]

Just ordered a pair of PX100, what the hell, I'm going to start walking to and from work, so I'll plenty of time to evaluate them.

[Duggeh]

Best I've heard out of my iPod, by size and in order of preference for each.

Small: Livewires, B&O A8

Medium: PX100, Modded Fake PX100, KSC75

Large: Ergo 2, The Orthodome

Didn't like any Grado I've tried out of an iPod, those who say you can do it for aw3s0me 5oundZ are full of swill, the MS-1, HF-2 and RS-2 all turned into nice headphones with some amp (roaring awesome in the case of the RS-2 out of the singlepower), and were flat unremarkable meh without one.

[Salt Peanuts]

AKG K1000

You know, I actually tried using K1000 through an iPod as a joke. Not surprisingly, it didn't work.

[Duggeh]

You know, I actually tried using K1000 through an iPod as a joke. Not surprisingly, it didn't work.

The H2 and AMT dont work either. Or my speakers.

[guzziguy]

You might also consider Yuin PK2 earbuds. Really nice sound from an iPod in a small package.

[aardvark baguette]

This is completely subjective, but I actually think ipods make for better car audio than personal audio.

It beats the alternative of something like an EEE pc running off the cigarette light power thingy, with some sort of DAC and a hard drive of music, piped to your CD player's AUX input.

I no longer attempt audiophile status with portable rigs, its just a pain in the ass, and never really that great, since you're limited to the ipod's dac. The dac is a little less important in car audio, since there is such a high noise floor already.

[hYdrociTy]

You might also consider Yuin PK2 earbuds. Really nice sound from an iPod in a small package.

x2

If you have a shuffle, the pk1 will sound great with it too, and then maybe if you feel like getting an amp later then it will stay with you whereas the pk2 is too sensitive for amping imo.

[Dominatrice]

I heard the PK1s and noticed that sounded under powered without a amp. My govibe was able to push it, not well.

Now i dont see you talk about if you want Earbuds or IEMs, headphones...

For buds, PK2 or PK3, with the PK3 being easier to push.

For IEMs, i was using E4 without a amp for a while, just moved up to the SA6s which are nice, but kinda do need a amp. You can get the sound loud enough just cause they are IEM and isolate.

For full size, i would go with a SR60 or maybe a SR80...heck even a iGrado....POssibly a pair of PX100s.

[guzziguy]

x2

If you have a shuffle, the pk1 will sound great with it too, and then maybe if you feel like getting an amp later then it will stay with you whereas the pk2 is too sensitive for amping imo.

The PK1 didn't sound very good to me without an amp. Of course, I preferred the PK2 (slightly) to the PK1 even with both being amped so take the first sentence with a grain of salt. I regularly use my PK2 in my bedside system, which is an iPod, dock and AE-2. It scales with the AE-2 (i.e. sounds better than just with an iPod) but you're right, it doesn't need much on the volume control because it's so sensitive. Even if one prefers a PK1 amped to a PK2 amped, IMO the PK2 is a better choice if one is going to listen much without an amp.

[riceboy]

I really like the ATH-ES7 out of my Ipod. When I had the E5c and E500s and even the ER-4P or ER-4S I liked those out of my Ipod as well. I don't use the Ipod that much, but when I do those were the IEMs and can that I enjoyed.

[Dusty Chalk]

Etymotic ER-6i.

[jinp6301]

Etymotic ER-6i.

ehh, as much as I like the er-6i, I would have to suggest the new head-direct re-02 over it.

[Dusty Chalk]

ehh, as much as I like the er-6i, I would have to suggest the new head-direct re-02 over it.

I love my er-6i, the only thing I'd possibly replace it with is another one...in black (I bought a white one when I didn't know they came in black).

[bhd812]

it depends on how much isolation you want first and how much you want to spend later.

cheap good sounding stuff is the Senn MX500 earbuds, over the ear koss 35 clips, or head banded senn px100 are all great choices on a low budget for strait out of the ipod use. i used my koss and mx500's boat loads of times when i don't want to roll high dollar sound with an amp.

better isolation and bigger budget for the iem's should be anything top tier on the Shure line, or maybe a set of custom IEM's like livewires or a set of Freqs. i have a set of Freq's coming cause i really want a cheap set of customs when i don't want to bring out the soft Sensaphonics. the good and bad about the custom iems is they provide amazing isolation, sometimes i don't want to be that distant of whats going on around me though...

i never liked Ety's cause they to me just scream over done highs at you, just not a balanced sound to my ears. the klipschs seemed a mid range down where the highs and bass are more pronounced then the mids. the shure 420's are the best balanced uni iem i tried yet though. but at the 420's price you can buy a set of custom's....

[laxx]

I thought the MX500 sounded like poo.