# General purchase advice: Ask your questions/for advice here! **URL:** \ **Category:** I need advice!\ **Created:** [May 18, 2020, 5:21pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620 "2020-05-18T17:21:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 288
**Author:** ![InvisibleInk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/invisibleink/32/57040_2.png) [@InvisibleInk](https://forum.headphones.com/u/InvisibleInk)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 3:48pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5818 "2023-08-26T15:48:02Z")
When it comes to Etymotic deep insertion, you might want to try the Drop x Etymotic ERX or the Ety EVO. Both have conventional universal shells instead of the canal, bullet-type. That, combined with Westone tips, pretty much eliminate the possibility of inserting too deep and contacting the eardrum. ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 8:28pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5819 "2023-08-26T20:28:45Z")
Thank you, but I really want to hear opinions on closed back wireless with ANC options. ---
**Author:** ![pk500](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pk500/32/25083_2.png) [@pk500](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pk500)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 11:15pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5820 "2023-08-26T23:15:17Z")
If you have small-ish ears, don’t sleep on the Final Audio UX3000. Very good, balanced sound, slightly V-shaped. The sound is better than any Sony, the Sennheiser Momentum 3, AKG K371BT and the Shure Aonic 50 that I tested. And they only cost $150 at Amazon. Two negatives, though. One, the ANC isn’t great. It’s average, so if ANC is your most desired feature, you can do better. Two, the ear cups are small. I have slightly large ears, and the cups were too small. ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 1:39am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5821 "2023-08-27T01:39:03Z")
I stopped in Best Buy today. They had a Sennheiser Momentum 4 at $299, about 80 bucks off, new in box. I bought it. There was a BOSE QuietComfort 45 on demo, that wasn’t at all bad. AirPods Max in the case, no demos. I figured at the price, the Momentum 4 was worth a try. It’s still in the box. I figure the noise cancelling should be best if I keep the cicadas on the outside of the ear cup. ---
**Author:** ![InvisibleInk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/invisibleink/32/57040_2.png) [@InvisibleInk](https://forum.headphones.com/u/InvisibleInk)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 1:47am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5822 "2023-08-27T01:47:41Z")
Are cicadas noisier than crickets? ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 1:59am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5823 "2023-08-27T01:59:09Z")
Cicadas (individual ones) typically range from 80 to 100 db, and there are often dozens of them. Crickets are 50 to 60 db. So hell yes! ---
**Author:** ![Audiophool](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/audiophool/32/49422_2.png) [@Audiophool](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Audiophool)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 2:14am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5824 "2023-08-27T02:14:32Z")
> [@pennstac](#): > > 80 to 100 db 😲 Wow!! I had no idea. I got my son the Momentum4 for Xmas last year. He wanted Beats but it was my choice so he got the Sennheisers! Lol I haven’t got to hear them but he likes them. ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 2:18am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5825 "2023-08-27T02:18:31Z")
Just trying them out now. So far so good. Listenable. Clamping is right - not too heavy, but secure. Comfortable. Noise reduction seems pretty good at first blush. Default sound is definitely a V-shape, but not obnoxious. Good call for your son vs Beats ---
**Author:** ![InvisibleInk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/invisibleink/32/57040_2.png) [@InvisibleInk](https://forum.headphones.com/u/InvisibleInk)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 2:36am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5826 "2023-08-27T02:36:03Z")
Have you installed the app for them on your phone or tablet? ---
**Author:** ![Audiophool](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/audiophool/32/49422_2.png) [@Audiophool](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Audiophool)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 2:48am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5827 "2023-08-27T02:48:33Z")
Well, I did buy him Beats when he was like 16. He’s in his twenties now and I thought he should have something a little more sophisticated 😄 ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 3:18am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5828 "2023-08-27T03:18:46Z")
Yes, and went through the overview. Installed the latest firmware. There are a lot of options, but the (ha ha) “Neutral” tuning seems OK for now. Played some Queen through Apple Music, and the bass/sub-bass is on the fun side. Volume is adequate, and the finger gesture to raise or lower is just smart. I will probably play with personalized EQ a bit. I think that the mids need to be brought forward just a bit, and probably tame around 5K by a few DB. One thing that I notice right away is lack of annoying internal echo. Much better damping there than the far more expensive Audeze LCD-2C closed back. ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 4:52am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5829 "2023-08-27T04:52:45Z")
[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/headphones/original/3X/1/7/170ce3efd38d0e6dc138ecb23b26ba7d78dc30e6.jpeg "Bug Expert Explains Why Cicadas Are So Loud | WIRED") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zlq82muQkU) ---
**Author:** ![generic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/generic/32/61169_2.png) [@generic](https://forum.headphones.com/u/generic)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 10:03am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5830 "2023-08-27T10:03:46Z")
> [@pennstac](#): > > I stopped in Best Buy today. > [@pennstac](#): > > Cicadas (individual ones) typically range from 80 to 100 db I was at Best Buy too. Why didn’t you say hi??? ☹ Cicadas may range from 80 to 100 dB, but car subwoofers range from 100 to 180 dB. Where do you shop for cicadas? Best Buy? They don’t carry them here. What is your brood number? I don’t see any active broods in 2023, but there were many in 2021 and a few stragglers in 2022. Do you socialize with your brood when they are underground? > **[Periodical cicadas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodical_cicadas)** > > The term periodical cicada is commonly used to refer to any of the seven species of the genus Magicicada of eastern North America, the 13- and 17-year cicadas. They are called periodical because nearly all individuals in a local population are developmentally synchronized and emerge in the same year. Although they are sometimes called "locusts", this is a misnomer, as cicadas belong to the taxonomic order Hemiptera (true bugs), suborder Auchenorrhyncha, while locusts are grasshoppers belonging... > **[Broods | Cicadas](https://cicadas.uconn.edu/broods/)** > > Magicicada broods and distributions Although nearly all of the periodical cicadas in a given region emerge in the same year, the cicadas in different region ... ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2023, 1:17pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5831 "2023-08-28T13:17:07Z")
> [@generic](#): > > What is your brood number? There is no brood number this year, not sure if they are stragglers or early risers, and very localized - a few dozen or hundred in one block or two, then nothing for half a mile. Next year promises to be insanely loud, with both 13 and 17 year broods emerging together. The particular combination happens once every 221 years, if my arithmetic is correct. In my part of PA, we seem to have one brood or another emerging most years. ---
**Author:** ![Poorman65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Poorman65](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Poorman65)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 7:20pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5832 "2023-08-30T19:20:28Z")
I need to get headphones for my daughter that are both wired and Bluetooth. No earbuds. Preferably something comfortable with decent noise canceling that she can wear for long periods of time. My price range is: \<$120 She is a music major in college and will be using the wired setup for an old Ensoniq synthesizer. I have adapters to go from the standard 1/8" to make them work with the keyboard. She also wants to be able to use them for watching TV without disturbing others, and for phone calls and other general purpose listening. She is not an audiophile. I want something that will provide good sound quality and that will hold up under use. Through some brief review searches I hit on these, but at under $30, it makes me nervous. They do have a 4.4 from over 73,000 reviews. “ZIHNIC Bluetooth Headphones Over-Ear, Foldable Wireless and Wired Stereo Headset Micro SD/TF, FM for Cell Phone,PC,Soft Earmuffs &Light Weight for Prolonged Wearing”. ---
**Author:** ![Delsonta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8dc957/32.png) [@Delsonta](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Delsonta)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5833 "2023-08-30T21:17:07Z")
If I were in your shoes, having that low a budget will force me to prioritize use for her music studies and sacrifice wireless capabilities for daily use. Maybe you can let your daughter get herself a pair for leisure use later on down the road when she’s landed herself a summertime job teaching music or something. Even from an enthusiast standpoint, I’d want to separate studies from leisure. If wireless capabilities is an absolute necessity, I would try to spend a little more and get her a bluetooth receiver like the FiiO BTR1 (links and reviews below) Anywho, if I was in your daughter’s shoes, I’d want something that lasts at least through the entirety of my studies. Taking that into consideration, I’d want something that’ll not only be able to reproduce the fine nuances necessary for musicians (even more if she’s going into music engineering), but also robust enough that it doesn’t become a heavy wired headphone when the battery dies. You’d want the wireless capability separate if she doesn’t want that happening in the long run which is why I suggested the bluetooth receiver. > **[BTR1](https://www.fiio.com/btr1)** > > BTR1FiiO--Born for Music > **[Review: Fiio BTR1 - Wi-Wi-Wireless](https://www.headfonia.com/review-fiio-btr1/)** > > iio sent the BTR1, free of charge, in exchange for an honest review, nit picky or not. I’ve sat on it for a little more than a month. It goes for 49$, is built around the AK4376 DAC, and supports 24-bit playback among other things. > **[FiiO Bluetooth Headphone Amplifier BTR1](https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/fiio-bluetooth-headphone-amplifier-btr1.22690/)** > > Wireless high-fidelity audio with DAC + aptX Bluetooth amp ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 9:35pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5834 "2023-08-30T21:35:59Z")
The budget is tight. Here’s what I suggest: [BT740i QZ Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Headphones - Koss Stereophones](https://koss.com/collections/noise-cancelling-headphones/products/bt740iqz-active-noise-cancelling) I don’t know these phones specifically, but I do know Koss, and they usually provide an optimum set of compromises within a tight budget. Their drivers are well thought of, and should be pretty good for music. The write-up on these says they have a wired mode also. If you had more budget, the Sennheiser Momemtum 4 seems to discounted into the $270 range. But I think the Koss will have better compatibility with the old synth. Good luck! And stay away from the $30 no names. ---
**Author:** ![pk500](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pk500/32/25083_2.png) [@pk500](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pk500)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 10:08pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5835 "2023-08-30T22:08:48Z")
Welcome to this community! Avoid $30 no-name headphones like genital warts. Most of them aren’t worth $3, let alone $30. ---
**Author:** ![robson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/robson/32/59145_2.png) [@robson](https://forum.headphones.com/u/robson)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 10:23pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5836 "2023-08-30T22:23:35Z")
> [@pk500](#): > > Avoid $30 no-name headphones like genital warts. OMG that killed me! I’ll never get that image out of my head, thanks so much! 😆 Like a dose of the clap! ---
**Author:** ![InvisibleInk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/invisibleink/32/57040_2.png) [@InvisibleInk](https://forum.headphones.com/u/InvisibleInk)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 3:18am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/5837 "2023-08-31T03:18:23Z")
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