What kind of Headphones do you use?

[bigberries]

Looking through the thread, these appear to be the top contenders for reasonably priced earphones (compiled with links in case anyone else was curious):

Amazon.com: Skullcandy FMJ In Ear Bud with In-Line Mic S2FMCY-015 (Chrome): Electronics
Amazon.com: Shure SE115m+ Sound Isolating Headset (Black): Electronics
Amazon.com: NuForce NE-7M Stereo Earphones / Headset (iPhone Compatible): Electronics
Amazon.com: Klipsch Image S4i Premium Noise-Isolating Headset with 3-Button Apple Control: Electronics

P.S. Anyone have an opinion on these two?
Amazon.com: Ultimate Ears MetroFi 220vi Noise Isolating Earphones w/ Microphone: Electronics
Amazon.com: Woodees IESW100V Vintage Noise Isolating Earphones with 3 Button Microphone (Sunburst): Electronics

FYI on the Klipsch pakckage that includes the Apple adapter... I'm not sure the Apple controls will work with other devices. It didn't work with my BB. I bought a Shure microphone attachment that worked TOO well. The microphone was so sensitive that people couldn't hear me over tiny sounds that I could barely hear.

 

[tony bag o donuts]

Anybody have good recommendations for over the ear instead of in the ear?

 

[e88cc]

I have some Monster Turbine in-ear headphones I had got on sale at Amazon a while back that are quite nice, and they work well with the Thunderbolt. In comparison to my Incredible the Thunderbolt's sound has more bass and sounds warmer , although highs aren't quite as bright as I'd like.

Overall I have a definite preference for the Thunderbolt's headphone sound when compared to the Incredible. My iPod Touch gets noticeably louder than either the Thunderbolt or Incredible, and has better highs, and while overall I'd say the same thing when comparing it to the Thunderbolt (the Thunderbolt bass is a bit richer and there's a warmer sound overall), I'd give the edge to the iPod Touch for sound quality. (Although that's not surprising since it's a dedicated MP3 player!)

I've mostly been listening to electronica so far and haven't heard any hiss. Not all of it was beat-heavy, I also like some quiet ambient music, and didn't hear any hiss with those songs either.

If nothing else, this makes me think it would be well worth my while to cash out the extra $75 to buy one in a B&M store, to facilitate an easy return if necessary.

So overall I'd say the Thunderbolt's headphone performance is a pleasant surprise. Audiophiles won't be thrilled, but as far as cell phone sound goes I'm quite happy with it.

Oh, and for the OP, for some cheap in-hear headphones that sound way better than their price, I really like the v-moda bass freq's. At $15 on Amazon they're a great deal.

Many thanks for your detailed comments karmamule! It sounds like all Thunderbolts may not be born equal when it comes to sound quality.

If I could get my hands on a hiss free unit like yours, I imagine it would be adequate for my casual listening purposes. But when I see posts like No. 14 in this thread: http://forum.androidcentral.com/htc-thunderbolt/70026-how-headphone-output-sound-quality-2.html - it definitely makes me worry.

I wonder if HTC is even aware of the hiss issue that has been reported by a fair number of TB owners at this point - while others appear to have none at all.

 

[Dfresh]

I have a few headphones but the lastest Bose in ear headphones with the inline mic are my primary ones I uses. The Bose oe headphones are pretty good to with excellent sound too. I also have a pair of in-ear dre beats with are good too.

Sent from my A70S using Tapatalk

 

[Jodiuh]

Anybody have good recommendations for over the ear instead of in the ear?

Me too, hehe. I use my old PX200's. I'm pretty sure Sennheiser's updated them lately. Another couple cheaper options would be Sony's V6 or Grado's SR60's. Both in the 60~70 range. Grado's would be more in your face and the V6's have a more neutral sound.

But when I see posts like No. 14 in this thread: http://forum.androidcentral.com/htc-thunderbolt/70026-how-headphone-output-sound-quality-2.html - it definitely makes me worry.

Unless you're used to a HQ portable DAP like the iRiver that poster's using or a Sony X AND you're running some A900's or TF10's, I wouldn't be worried.

 

[Eclipse2K]

I use a pair of Bose IE2 headphones. They are easily the most comfortable ear bud style phone I've ever used. The gel tip makes me forget that they're even in my ear.

They sound amazing too. I don't use the stock player though as I downloaded PowerAmp for $5 and I love it. However, many of my friends like Double Twist as they won't pay for a music application (personal preference).
Amazon.com: Bose? IE2 audio headphones: Electronics

 

[Cool Guy]

I use the Bose headset as well.The sound is pretty good. On some music it seems low but I don't think it's from them.

 

[willymakit]

Skullcandy.......No hiss, no low volume GREAT sound quality. Also when calls come in music shuts off and nothing special to do to talk with headphones on. It dosen't make a difference to get the ones that advance music tracks they will not work(only with Iphone or Ipod Touch.)

 

[e88cc]

Unless you're used to a HQ portable DAP like the iRiver that poster's using or a Sony X AND you're running some A900's or TF10's, I wouldn't be worried.

Sounds kind of like you're throwing down the gauntlet, challenging my degree of head-phone snobbery /grin. As I previously commented, my mobile headphones are Sennheiser's flagship IEM's (IE8's) - which surpass the sound quality of phones you've referenced by a fair margin.

In any event, I'm not demanding some degree of miraculous performance from the TB. I don't expect it to equal Hifiman DAP's. I just want it to be hiss free and, ideally, also free of the stereo cross-talk issues that some, but not all, HTC handsets appear to suffer, per gsmarena's detailed sound quality reviews of the HD Desire (as opposed to the Aria and Mozart).

 

[garuda]

Is there a list of headphones with which the mic and volume controls work with the Thunderbolt? They don't work for my Klipsch x10i and B&W P5.

 

[cadzilla74]

Anybody have good recommendations for over the ear instead of in the ear?

I have been using my Motorola ROKR S305's for almost 2 years with my BB and now on my TBolt. The battery still holds a full charge, Bluetooth paired right up and they have very decent sound with plenty of volume. Phone calls work and sound fine both send and receive. Music and podcasts sound great.

Priced right on Amazon, here's the link:

Amazon.com: bluetooth headset stereo

 

[Jace]

Is there any downside to using Bluetooth headsets, besides having to charge them? Is the sound quality worse on them usually?

 

[dcviper]

I have been using my Motorola ROKR S305's for almost 2 years with my BB and now on my TBolt. The battery still holds a full charge, Bluetooth paired right up and they have very decent sound with plenty of volume. Phone calls work and sound fine both send and receive. Music and podcasts sound great.

Priced right on Amazon, here's the link:

Amazon.com: bluetooth headset stereo

I've got a set of those that I use with my Storm2. They sound good but I wouldn't exactly label them "Audiophile-grade". I wear them while riding my bike so I can listen to tunes but still hear traffic (Imagine getting snuck up on by a ginormous farm implement). Glad to hear they work with the T-bolt.

 

[cadzilla74]

^^^ I agree, not audiophile quality. My somewhat vague rating of "very decent" took that into account. I think anything on the ear rather than a bud setup will have that drawback. I wear them at work a lot and the ability to hear what's going on around me is a necessity, much like your bike riding, so these really fit the bill for me. Plus the mic and controls. For pure listening pleasure when I don't care about the phone functions or my surroundings I've got a pair of wired Sennheisers I'm quite fond of for high quality sound.

 

[tony bag o donuts]

See I like over the ear, wired headsets (love that feature of poweramp) but ones that work while laying down.
I probably am being unrealistic.

 

[prakash99]

I just use the cheap $10 earbuds from WalMart and those are pretty good for cheap headphones. Those are the IFROGZ ones.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[tony bag o donuts]

I just use the cheap $10 earbuds from WalMart and those are pretty good for cheap headphones. Those are the IFROGZ ones.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

I have them and the wires are a bit cheap and curl easy, but they work. I can't get them to stay in the ear though.

 

[Eric The Duke]

I am using my old Blackberry headset with the thunderbolt. I think I'm going to upgrade to an HTC branded headset because some of them have music controls built-in to the headset. I'm getting tired of having to take my phone out to skip to the next song.

 

[mlpjunior]

I have a pair of Shure e2c's and thry sound fantastic, despite the fact that they are on the low end of Shure's catalog. Unfortunately, they are not nearly as comfortable as my Klipsch Image S4 buds. I go with Klipsch for that reason.

Also, for the poster that had asked about hissing, I have noticed a bit. For me, it's only noticeable during quiet sequences.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[Eclipse2K]

I must say that my Bose IE2 headphones sound amazing on this phone when mixed with PowerAmp because the sound is set up nicely. However, my bluetooth (Motorola S305) and while it sounds good, it's not amazing. I understand that my Bose will sound better based on the fact that Bose is a better audio brand than Motorola and it's wired, but my Motorola S305's seem to have a little bit of distortion (static) in the deep background of the music whether it's Sirius XM Online, PowerAmp, default music player, Amazon Cloud, Radio Time, etc. I never had this issue with my Droid 2 but I'm willing to bet that this has to do with me now using an HTC device rather than a Motorola which was probably set up properly for the headphones. LOL

Anyways, any ideas why there may be a slight static? I only use them when I'm working out so it's not a HUGE deal but it's still a bit annoying.