Conference tekvax::audio

    
    	I'm looking to upgrade headphones for a portable CD player.  I was
    told to look into the $40 range.  Any suggestions?  
    
    	I stopped into 'cookin' in the Mall of NH, they had one type of
    sennheiser, and others.  No demos.  Sorry, no try, no buy.....
    
    	Any other places in the Manchester/Nashua, N.H. area?
    
    	thanks, Glen(n)
    

         Since you're looking in the "relatively" low cost range, you may
    find some that you like at Lechmere or Radio Shack.  Unfortunately, the
    primary charachteristics of portables, like lightness, compact size and
    open-air design, do not help when trying to achieve the best sound.
    
    Tom

    
    	I guess I thought that $40 for a pair of headphones for a portable
    was expensive.  The portability thing is not an issue.  I use the unit
    in my office, and don't walk/run, etc. with it.  If I were to travel, 
    and the new 'phones were large, etc, I would then take the originals.
    
    	I'm just trying to improve what sound I get without spending more
    than the cost of the player.  It was suggested to me that $40 would do
    a lot to give me an improvement over what I have.
    
    	My main problem is that I have been out of audio for a long time,
    and really don't have the time to spend doing months of research just
    for this.
    
    	So, with that, any suggestions?  Something you've tried, owned,
    seen, borrowed, read about, etc?????
    
    
    	thanks, Glenn
    

    I'd agree that $40 is pretty cheap for even half-way decent
    headphones. (The ones that come with CD portables are maybe worth
    $5.) I'd tend to look at about double that for reasonable sound ...
    Sony has some nice light-weight phones (they may be more like $90)
    called something like MDR-V50 that work really well with portable
    units.
    
    Another more portable unit that I like (not as well, but which are
    smaller and pocketable) are the Koss Porta-Pro headphones. (I
    believe Natural Sound in Framingham MA used to have them.)
    See http://www.headphone.com/headphones/portapro.htm ... And they
    ARE about $40. 
    
    While we're on web pages, I note that the following one has a lot of
    links:
    
    http://www.headphone.com/headphones/headphonesmain.htm

    You'd probably like the Stax SRM-T1S on that page ... $2150 ...
    
    Or if you travel, you'll want
    
    http://www.headphone.com/portables/cosmictraveler.htm
    
    (These guys are slightly nuts...)

    
    	Thanks Paul.  $2150.00   ?!?!?!?!?!  I refuse to pay that much for
    a used car, never mind headphones!    many 8*)))))
    
    	Glen(n)

    
    	Thanks Paul.  Great references to the pages.  I think I'll settle
    on the Koss Porta Pro.  I have an old pair of open air Koss KH1's ?????
    that I've had for years, and I always loved them.
    
    	That leads me to another question.  Would the kh1's work on a
    portable with an adapter?  Or are the impedances that different?  Of
    course there is always the idea that technology has advanced since then
    and the porta pros would/could be better sounding....
    
    	thanks, Glen(n)
    

    Generally, headphones designed for normal stereo systems will work
    with portables using an adapter, but with reduced volume. Depending
    on the efficiency of the phones you may be able to crank the
    portable up enough to drive them without distortion, or you may not.
    (Harmless to try.)

    
    	Ended up with a pair of Grado SR60's....$70 (?) at 'cookin'
    in Manchester.  Of course now I can hear the limitations in my cheapo
    disc player.  Dam!  I can see the spiral coming.....
    
    	At first, I didn't think I could hear the difference (at the store)
    but when I got em home, I did the A/B between these and the mini
    phones.  Even a deaf man could hear the difference.  
    
    	thanks all for all the help (especially Paul)
    
    		Glen(n)