[jmeyer3131]

My daughter wants bose headphones. Does anybody here use them? Are they really as good as their reputation?

[Kyrigo]

I haven't really heard that much about that brand. But I'm just going to say that the quality of ANY head phone will decrease rapidly within the first month of use.

That's just from personal experience, I've owned more than 40 pairs of head phones.

[trick-r-treat]

I did not know they made headphones, but it makes sense. They only make the best speakers ever!

[jmeyer3131]

Kyrigo, I never noticed that about headphones. I don't use them much myself. When I do I'm always in a plane or train, so there's always something interfering.

Trick-r-treat, I was at a bose store in a mall and was quite impressed with their speakers. The whole demonstration they did there, though it was clearly a sales pitch, was a lot of fun.

[HAROLDISSIMO]

I've been using headphones for job and fun, like Kyrigo I owned many, but you must consider many things before buying, not only sound quality. The weight is important and the kind of technical solutions developed in that specifical model.
I was always glad with Sennheiser, Koss, AKG.
Trick-r-treat I'm sorry I don't agree with you about Bose. In high end hi-fi, maybe they get a 6. Among hi-fi journalists all over the world there's a saying: "No highs, no lows, it must be bose". But of course it's just an opinion. Maybe we can start a thread on sound reproduction and hi-fi and talk a little about and share our experience, but it's a one way ticket (lol).

Ciao

[Taggart]

I've had my AKG 240s for about thirty years and I still love them.

I need to get a smaller less expensive pair for my MP3 player, though. I think of Bose as being a high end brand for audio equipment, although recently I've read some posts in other forums by people who were less impressed with them.

[RedSmurf]

I can recommend Sennheiser. They're well-known for their headphones (and other audio equipment like microphones). Maybe a bit more expensive, but it's worth it.
I have a set of Sennheiser earphones that are about 10 years old and they still work perfectly, despite all the abuse. Others of my head-/earphones have died much earlier despite careful handling. Especially the cables seem to be a dark art that few manufacturers have mastered. Most head-/earphone failures are caused by the cable breaking internally.
Recently I have bought some Sennheiser CX300 in-earphones, which are also noise-cancelling. These are probably the best value-for-money phones I have ever bought (especially considering that I found an eBay store which sold them at bottom prices). They have a pretty good sound with unusually deep bass response for earphones. The only disadvantage is that the cable transmits noises caused by it hitting the table or your jacket rather well. So they're more suited for sitting still in a noisy room, than for walking or jogging.

As for headphones deteriorating quickly, I believe this will only happen if you abuse them It may also be a matter of habituation. The first time you try new phones that are better than your previous, you notice the difference. But after a while you get used to it, and get the impression that they're degrading. You should keep your old phones and use them again from time to time, so you can re-calibrate your ears

[mike]

I use Bose In-Ear headphones and the sound is very good. They are a bit fiddly with replaceable silicone tips but worth the effort.
Have a look at: http://www.bose.com/controller?event...adphones_index

[aom3]

http://soundwise.co.uk/earphones/m8.shtml - ive got these, very good quality. Was expecting the bass to be a bit higher (i like my beats loud ), but from what i have heard you can not get bassy in-ear earphones

[kswartz]

Bose invented the technology for noise canceling headphones and brought it to mass market. If you want to invest in noise canceling phones, theirs are among the best, with outstanding bass response. They're very pricey, though. I certainly wouldn't buy them for MY kid.

Sennheisers are also excellent; my only beef is that I prefer phones that completely cover the ears to block out ambient sound. For that, I like my Sony MDR-V600s. Best bass of any headphones I've ever tried and reasonably priced in the low $100s. I'm on my second pair, which has lasted me five years now without a single bit of degradation; the first pair was stolen, and had lasted about 5 or 6 years, as well.