Sennheiser headphones test + Looking for a louder MP3 player

[c627627]

I couldn't hear songs loud enough over airplane noise so I started a thread to find out which player to buy to address that: http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=570635

Many suggested the solution to be in the headphones even though same headphones used to play same song on a laptop on the same Jumbo Jet plane was noticeable louder. Either way, I needed headphones anyway so I got some and tested them with a 2.0 GB Player Sandisk Sansa c150.

Granted:Those Sansa players are a waste of money. For the same $20, you could by two packs of toilet paper at costco and have a years supply.
but it was interesting to find out first hand the results of how the headphones compare.

Test subjects were:

• 2.0 GB Sandisk Sansa c150 MP# player.
• SanDisk black headphones that came with it and white headphones that came with a cheaper 1.0 GB model.
• Sennheiser Canal Headphone CX300B
• Sennheiser Noise canceling Headphone PXC150
• Blue $10 JVC headphones purchased acquired bought at Wal-Mart. :)

[c627627]

First, I compared black and white SanDisk headphones to find out there was a huge difference between them. The white headphones that came with a cheaper 1 GB model were barely audible.

Second, the big surprise was that • Sennheiser Canal Headphone CX300B did not really stack up well against the black SanDisk headphones that came with the MP3 player. I do recall that there was a common complaint in reviews about these, people were saying there was "lack of bass". However, I frankly never understood comments about headphones or speakers, how could you know what they really sound like unless you have a chance to directly & immediately compare them to something else?


So yes, the bass was most definitely lacking. My test song was Motorhead - Ace of Spades, which nicely illustrated how that bass punch was not as present with the • Sennheiser Canal Headphone CX300B. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106176&Tpk=cx300b

Sadly, the CX300 appear to be similar in performance to the blue $10 JVC phones bought at Wal-Mart. :(


The • Sennheiser Noise Cancelling Headphone PXC150 was better.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826159409
It was louder when the accompanying NoiseGard device was turned on but there was not significant improvement in volume over the black SanDisk headphones so I don't know if I made the right choice by getting them, they are bulky after all.


I guess I should look into finding a device that can output a higher volume because I know the original black headphones were not loud enough to drown out Jumbo Jet noise. And now I know they are not much worse than any of the headphones I tested.

[Enablingwolf]

Sadly, the CX300 appear to be similar in performance to the blue $10 JVC phones bought at Wal-Mart. :(


I once mentioned the JVC were a good value. :screwy: The simple Gummy ear buds are ok. If you desire bass. Get the set one price point up, for the JVC Marshmellow. For 20 bucks... They are a good value. You really won't need an amp for them.

If you don't need spectacular sound, but would like to be boosting the output. Radio shack has a version of the Boosteroo. It is the back version. Not the clear one. It will cost you about 20 or so bucks.
Cat# 33-1109

It outputs good and supports 3 jacks. Nothing amazing. But for many folks, it will work great. It will take you anemic 30mW output to around 80mW or so.

[Lian Li]

I once mentioned the JVC were a good value. :screwy: The simple Gummy ear buds are ok. If you desire bass. Get the set one price point up, for the JVC Marshmellow. For 20 bucks... They are a good value. You really won't need an amp for them.
Also, if you get those you can do the Kramer mod which makes the mids/highs more prominent

[Enablingwolf]

It does help to pull out the dinky white filter. I did it easier than the guide. I just folded back the rubber thing and used a pin to get the thing out of the tube. Pretty easy to do, and you got a nice set of IEMs for a 20 spot. Gawd they were loud with my amp. Made my ears ring pretty bad. Even without the amp. They do really good.

[c627627]

Excellent suggestions but I need you to clear things up for me guys:

1. Cat# 33-1109 radio shack search only lists the manual for the thing?

2. I get no eBay hits for Headphone Volume Booster, any other search terms I should use?

3. Yes, my only desire is to significantly increase the volume, four years ago I took a trip to Europe (I don't know if they seated me too close to engine or what) but I needed the volume a lot higher than the thing provided.

So it's either buying a player that outputs more or doing what you guys suggest.


What's a Kramer mod?

[Enablingwolf]

I pulled the cat number off the back of it. So it might not match the site. It is the black boosteroo. I is not branded as such though. It simply has Radio Shack as the name. The clear one is not all that good. It would give you more than a regular low power player would. But not enough to justify the cash for it.

You could take a set of AA and go to a store and check one out maybe...

On the product itself. It has:
Radio Shack
3-channel Headphone
Volume Booster
It comes in a plain box too.

Pic for you to see,
http://enablingwolf.com/OCpix/booster.jpg

Just make sure, you don't get the one that is usually next to it. The Boosteroo.. Unless it is an older unit. The newer ones are weak. How can you tell an older unit, from newer.. Easy. It is not a clear case or smokey. It is solid black or solid white. The Radio shack branded ones are the ones you want.

You might have to ask for the Radio Shack unit specifically. Some stores carry them some don't

As for the Kramer mod.

You get a pair of Marshmellow headphones. Inside the tube that goes in the ear. Is a dinky round piece of white material. You can see it looking straight down the tube. It has a small hole in the center. That disk is what makes the treble sound sort of not there. Same for the midrange..
You need to remove that disk.. It widens the sound ALOT! Otherwise it may sound to rich on the bass side. When you take out the dinky white disk thing. It lets more treble and midrange get to your ear. Then you got a nice set of 20 dollar earphones. Plus they are ok in the comfort section. They are basically ear plugs. The tips are like the softies you use on work sites.

It is supposed to stop ear wax or something dumb like that. A filter of some sorts. It is really easy t otake out and helps a bunch.

If you can't or won't make your own amp. Even find a good priced one. It is hard to find premade amps for a low price. If I didn't make my own amps. Or have a rat shack that carried the Radio Shack branded Boosteroos. I would buy this.
http://www.headphone.com/products/headphone-amps/the-mobile-line/headroom-total-airhead.php

[c627627]

I did not use that MP3 player but a few times I took plane rides since 2004.

Obviously I'm looking to do this quick & on the cheap due to the limited use.

So:
1. Don't get the boosteroo.
2. Get a Radio Shack brand solid black or solid white but not clear case or smokey.
3. Not listed on web site only in Radio shack stores. It's called a 3-Way Headphone Volume Booster.

Check.


The rest of it, you're talking about modding the phones? Any phones, the Sennheiser ones?

[Enablingwolf]

No the Kramer mod is specific to the JVC FX34 (aka - Marshmallow)
I linked the black since your player is black. Other colors are cheaper.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9135482
Once you remove that lil disk in the tube. They are good cheap phones. With a fair amount of bass to them. Actually, in my opinion, a little to much. But if you like a little extra oomph in the lower end (presence,) you should like them. They are worth the 20 spot. Plus they blcok out enough ambient sound to not really need an amp on them.

Now for the boosteroo. It might be good for you. IIRC, it has like 40mW of output. Instead of the Radio Shack version of 80mW. Either way, typical of the Sandisk. They only put out something like 23-35mW. The lower end unit of course will be much quieter. I assume your player only has 20 volume steps? Which is a little over (guesstimation) of around 70-80dB. Loud, but won't push heavy bass tracks very well. Plus it is not all that loud.

Some of the Cowon without amplifiers. Push 60mW for very small units. So a Boosteroo, Even the Radio Shack version is not that much of a perk. The benifit is, help fill in the soundstage.

Even a non Radio Shack version will give you some benefit. To me, it's not worth the 20 clams, but to you. It very well might be. Just remember. Rat Shack has a pretty good return policy. If you can locate the black chain branded one. Yeah, you have love there. If you can't find one. Give the regular Boosteroo a shot. You will get benefit, but.. I can't say if it will be worth a 20 spot to you.

Both of the models should be able to push any of them headphones easy in the OP./ The black unit will just be louder.

[c627627]

I called Radio shack and they've definitely discontinued this product for some time now, you really can't get it anywhere. :(


They have gray Boosteroo originals for $25.49 :shrug:

[Enablingwolf]

Now that it is not the middle of the night. I did some calling around. The Rat Shack version has been out of production for a bit of time now. It is not very hard to get though. I called 5 stores. 3 of them had it in stock. One was cornfused what I was looking for. No biggie, but They tried to shove off the one that is a turd. The three band square unit.. Yuk..I could of called like 8 more stores easy.. But I am lazy.. and I know it is still out there on shelves.

Now the price was wildly across the board. Even for the Boosteroo. So if you have some more sotres in your 3 horse town. Give some calls. Most of them know what the Radio Shack Volume Booster is. Here it is ranging from $24.00-36.00. So it is not extinct just yet.

I also gave thought to buying a new one for you. Then having you pay me the price for it. Well, if it was a more amazing unit. It would be a good thing. The cost with shippojg would make it kind of dumb for saving money.. It would end up being close to $40.00 after all is said and done.

Now back to square one.

I got a few suggestions for ya/

You could audition the Boosteroo.See if you like it. Take 2xAA cells with you. Plus the audio player and the swag. Take a listen.See if you like it. If not, screw it.. Not worth how much they are now. If it is to you. Grab one... Radio Shack for all its faults has a liberal return policy/ You may even be able t otry it right in the store before you buy it.

Ok, now past the boosters.

For a 20 spot. The JVC with the mod will block the external sounds enough. Plus sound good enough. Where this is a good viable option. The mod is simple as using a needle to pull out that dinky disk in the tube. it is not hard at all. Basically, your buying a set of ear plugs that make music. Even when the player is off. They block external sound. A lot of retailers carry the brand also. The cheapest option is using Walmart's site to store. You get online pricing, and no shipping charges. It just takes a bit for the item to get there. If you need faster. It might be like 4 bucks or more for a walk in buy.

Here is my pick... This while not as cheap. Will be a good option for you. On so many fronts.
http://www.amazon.com/iAudio-U3-GB-MP3-Player/dp/B000COVZD0/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_0_0
(Refurb units are pretty good, plus cheaper)

Ok, yeah I know it is expensive. One thing. You won't need an amp for any of your phones. It sounds awesome possum kickass. Plus it supports a lot of formats. It is a great little buddy to have with you. It is really loud for how small it is. Plus if you have or had a Nokia phone. The AC charger might work for it. Just a totally all around workhorse player.
It is about the same mass as a Bic lighter. Lil shorter, but fatter. So far, for portable players. This one I really like. Good play time, even at ear blistering volumes. Sounds superb. Plus it is an all around easy to use player. There is so many reason why I am suggesting this. If it can power my Grado phones with out an amp to nice levels. Your dinky phones will simply make your ears hurt. This is one player you don't need rockbox. I blew up a set of Skull Candy IEM with out an amp on, one of mine. (I have two of them 2 & 4gb.) Not just that it has an ok FM tuner that records FM playback. Plus it has an input to record from source. In addition.. It has an onboard mic to record voice.
The list of formats it support is rather odd... For a dinky stock player.
txt
avi
flac
wav
mp3
wmv
aac
the list goes on...

[c627627]

My overseas trip was a perfect opportunity to see if your suggestion worked. I managed to get the old black boosteroo just like in your picture below. I don't know about clear boosteroos but this one worked! It boosted the volume to acceptable levels.
.
It did its job great so thanks.

[c627627]

By the way I repaired my old SanDisk Sansa headphones by using the 1/8" adapter like the one pictured only I bought a cheaper silver one at Radio Shack, not the gold one.

The Radio Shack employee questioned my wanting to repair them and raved about his $40 headphones. I said a'right pull them out, let's see them, show me what you got.


We then compared them directly to my old SanDisk Sansa that I wanted to repair and they were so much better, it proved my point about why repairing them was a better deal. You can really hear the bass on them.

[Maxvla]

A Radio Shack employee thought he knew something? That should raise red flags right there ;)

And yes, Sennheiser does make quite a few clunker headphones so you can't say 'Well, It's a Sennheiser. It must be good!" There are less than a dozen headphones from Sennheiser I would consider good, and only 3 I would consider great (HD600/650 HD800).

[c627627]

Yeah a Radio Shack employee was arrested the other day for punching a customer in the face. Nice.


But anyway, I still can't figure out why headphones that came with this (inexpensive) SanDisk Sansa blow everything else I tried out of the water...

[Enablingwolf]

Glad the black boosteroo worked out for you. For the price it does the job well. :thup: The clear works, but the black older version is a bit better in output, and is less cheesy looking. I like that it is sort of good on the rechargeables, plus has a neutral sound.
Tip: Wrap a (rubber) band around the boosteroo. Then use the clip on the player to hold it together.

I am still digging my silver Denon (AH-700) IEM. Of all he ear buds I have used. So far these been the most gratifying. Not a $30 set of earbuds, but worth the bit extra. Now when I attach them to my Sansa Clip. I got dinky and pretty good portable sound. I do like the Clip, and can't say enough how much of a good value it is.. For the price, it is a darn good audio player. Plus it is nice and small with good SQ.

When I pull out my good portable gear. I grab my Grado RS-1, iBasso D2 and Cowon D2. That gear looks silly attached to the small Clip/ So I use my D2 Cowon. Even though it is all rather old now. It is hard to top it for really nice SQ and being mean on the eardrums.

[JamesXP]

Me personally having the same stock sansa earbuds and a pair of soundmagic PL21, I'll say that the IEM blows them out of the water, the stocks are uncomfortable, lacking in bass and the highs really aren't all there.

for me that is.

[c627627]

OK, thanks for the tip. They appear to be $25 - $30, I sure would love to directly compare them though, who sells them (retail store)?

[JamesXP]

I seriously doubt they're available in any retail store, with them being imports..

www.focalprice.com has them for 21$

[Aynjell]

A Radio Shack employee thought he knew something? That should raise red flags right there ;)

And yes, Sennheiser does make quite a few clunker headphones so you can't say 'Well, It's a Sennheiser. It must be good!" There are less than a dozen headphones from Sennheiser I would consider good, and only 3 I would consider great (HD600/650 HD800).

I agree with this entirely. Sennheiser has some great reference cans, but if it's 100$ or less, you should generally leave it alone unless it was msrp much higher and you're getting it used or at a deal or something.