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Ask Slashdot: Best Headphones, Earbuds, Earphones?
alexbgreat writes "What do you think is the best set of head-mounted loudspeakers for the money, with a cost of less than $50? Here are some featuresthat would be stupendous to have (in descending order of importance): noise isolation (not cancellation), flat/near flat response (I need to be able to hear bass, but I don't need my eardrums blown out), long-term comfort (earbuds usually hurt for me), and durability. Over-ear is preferred to anything on- or in-ear. Boom mics are permissible, as I may well use it as a broadcast intercom headset."
If you have experience using headphones from different price ranges, feel free to share that as well.
My 20 dollar white sonys from walmart are excellent. Dont know the model # off hand. But like I said 20 bones walmart.
On the Oregon Cost born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days
Downside: almost transparent to sound. People can hear what you're listening to and the isolation you get is next to none. Still, audio quality is great for the price, they're light and very comfortable.
So try CL and get a bottle of alcohol to wipe down that stolen pair of Bang and Olfsens.
I bought two pairs of Monoprice 8323's and I think they are fantastic. I keep one at home and the other at work.
I've never been disappointed with anything I've bought from Monoprice.
These same headphones are available from other people (Kicker and others) for significantly more money.
these are fantastic for the money (a little above budget at approx. 70$ on ebay in canada). i'd say the bass response is a little underwhelming but i got used to them.
Not under $50, but Sony MDR 7506 or the MDR V6
And they are "Studio standards" - AKG-240M. Big, comfy and accurate. Not as good as $200 Bose or Sennheisers, but a fuckton better than most of the other crap out there.
Shoes for Industry. Shoes for the Dead.
STAX
If you can find some decent noise cancelling buds for that cheap I'd go with them. You're unlikely to get decent on/over ear anythings for that price IMHO.
They're about 12 bucks on Amazon (more if you want the iPhone model), but they're cheap, comfortable and pretty durable. Sound is fine, but I'm no audiophile so I can't really tell the difference between earbud sound quality when I'm listening to MP3s.
I know they get a lot of greif around here, but their earbuds have interchangeable tips to size them for your ear canal (S/M/L included) and they are $100. I use mine at work and for earbuds they are amazing (fidelity wise), and comfort is very good. I have a set of the $300 over ear QC15 (to replace my old QC1's) and I like them fine, but they are not nearly as good a bang for the buck as the earbuds.
When I am doing actual audio/video work I have an ancient set of JBLs that I wear for the detail work and a pair of nice monitor speakers for actual previews, but I don't think you could find anything close to that for reasonable cost (hence why I still use the ancient ones).
-nB
whois gawk date unzip strip find touch finger mount join nice man top fsck grep eject more yes exit umount sleep dump
I've got a pair of Senheiser HD650's so old the foam padding needs to be replaced and they are frickin' awesome.
I can wear them for 10+ hours a day, 7 days a week, in absolute comfort. They don't touch my ears at all, just the top of my head and the side of my head.
And they sound magic.
They're a full order of magnitude more than your price range, but worth every cent, and you can find them secondhand.
Monoprice's $23 headphones have gotten some pretty good reviews:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57337747-47/how-good-can-$21.59-headphones-be/?tag=mncol;txt)
http://www.head-fi.org/t/608453/monoprice-dj-headphones-8323-review
They sound good to me, but I'm not a serious audiophile, I just use them to cover up background office noise. I think the sound is comparable to the $80 Sennheiser's I use at home. (which, a friend tells me are completely unbearable compared to his $500 Sennheiser HD650's, so I refuse to listen to music through his headphones, 'lest some of his "golden ears" rub off and I find myself needing more expensive gear)
or Head-Fi. They aren't audiophile dumbasses but also they aren't the broke neckbeard losers that inhabit slashdot listening to their $5 Jensen headphones.
AKG K44: $20, sound pretty decent, isolation is good, reported to be comfy by a trusted friend.
http://amzn.com/B001K3ENEA
My recommendation is to spend a little more to get a whole lot more with the Sony MDR-V6's, at $75 on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00001WRSJ/
Had these for years, they travel with me everywhere in their bag, I beat the hell out of them. Reponse is fairly level, bass has some punch and highs are a little pronounced, but they're the best sounding headphones under $100. They're great for EDM (Electronic Dance Music). I can wear them for many hours a day.
You should be able to get a pair of sennheisers that fit around your ear.
It's could be worth paying extra at that price range and what ever is on special that closed and around the ear would work.
I have the 280s and they are pretty good for isolation.
My pick would be: Sennheiser PMX 60.
Comfortable, good sound quality, reasonably priced.
Hearing experience differs significantly between people as well as their tastes, so your only real option is to try everything out you can and make up your mind afterwards. I have no good offers for under $50 models, but you're looking at low end senns and other major brands like Sony and Philips and etc. At least they'll be cheap to try new models. I also suggest you look through head-fi's trade section. People often buy headphones to demo and sell if it doesn't suit them, as ultimately pays only postage as they sell it back for near same price.
but check headphone solutions or earphone solutions dot com
they have a $60 dollar section, and a 15% coupon right now for Father's Day. code = DAD15 until 6/17.
I don't think many audiophile sites will even review pairs in that price range, so I'm afraid you're going to end up with Sony, Sennheiser, etc.. (mass market brands)
buy a couple different pairs from amazon and just see which sound best to you. return the rest (read the small print for canal buds or in ear type - returns might not be allowed because of hygiene issues).
i tried about 6 to 8 different pairs of over the ear cans... returned all but the Beyer Dynamics for the house and for my commute Westone 3s. Both well out of your price range though. Until I discovered "good" headphones and a DAC to go with.. I used Sony MDR71's and Grado SR81s (sony $40, Grado $100) music only, no mic.
HeadRoom tests more headphones than probably anyone. They're unbiased enough to say when a $40 pair is better than $100 pair that they sell.
If you want comfort and ultimate noise blocking you can do a DIY version. I made a pair and they were fantastic and comfortable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmk-y_9exJ8&feature=player_embedded
Just pick up a set of decent earbuds, I used skullcandy ones when I did mine, and a radians custom earplug kit ($11).
http://www.amazon.com/Radians-Custom-Molded-Earplugs-Red/dp/B002XULPSQ
I have an Andrea headset I find fairly comfortable (http://www.andreaelectronics.com/Buy/headsets.htm). The only thing I dislike is that the mic seems to require a battery power pre-amp that has no on-off switch, so the battery dies often. Otherwise, I like the sound, and the mic quality is pretty good. I wouldn't consider it an audiophile headset though.
Baver
http://www.head-fi.org/
Ive been using some of these since the late 90s.. They are great.. sort of a combination of 'good' earbuds that will never fall out and over the ear headphones..
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Lightweight-MDR-W08L-In-The-Ear-Headphones/dp/B00005N6KG
$8.13 on amazon.com
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&partNumber=MDRW08L
Sony calls them "Vertical In-The-Ear Headphones"
worth a try
Wearing a pair of Sennheiser 280's right now. I've had them for a few years, best money I've ever spent. They're durable and block out a fair bit of office noise. They sound great, too, they're a nice upgrade from the crappy $20 pairs you can find everywhere else. Perfect office headphone, also use them as monitors for my synthesizer.
If you want to have a full blown no holds barred freaking audiophile experience worthy of a 10,000 home set up, walking down the street here's how you do it:
1) Never listen to any music you buy from Apple or same. They compress the music until it's shit and no, their ALAC isn't worth a damn:
http://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/index.php?title=Lossless_comparison#Comparison_Table
No really, you don't have to have golden ears to hear the difference. Either take the time to burn tracks from CDs into a totally loss-less format like FLAC or do what I do and screw digital music for now, it's not ready for prime time- buy used CDs they're literally sonically perfect, (even too perfect for some vinyl lovers).
Get yourself a portable, skipless CD player (which are sadly getting hard to get in decent quality anymore) and pair it with the most expensive version of this headphone you can afford, new or used,
http://www.gradolabs.com/page_headphones.php
disregarding entirely the in-ear variety because you said you want something *really* good.
I own the SR325is and it blows everything else away including the highest end Bose (junk) Sennheisers etc etc etc.
The separation of the sound and incredible detail is nothing you're going to experience this side of $6,000-a -pair home speakers. If you've been listening to digital audio, you've never even HEARD whole parts of the recording.. literally you'll hear things in the music, like, percussion parts, you didn't even know were there
. Not to mention the actual quality and timbre of the vocalist's voice.
This is the way to roll.
I'm pretty fond of my cheap Sennheisers. Less than $40 on Amazon, but they sound great and they're reasonably comfortable. Koss Portapros are pretty nice, too, and around the same price.
You actually are in luck. I spent like a year playing around and tinkering with all sorts of configs. What I found is that there is not a lot of information or data on this. So here is what I did find, and I welcome any different perspectives because quite frankly I can't find anything else:
Ignore gaming headsets or anything with a mic integrated. They are universally terrible. I've tested the Creative $60 one (only good for bass--mids and highs are distorted and sound very fuzzy), the Cooler Master Storm Sirus (sounded weak, volume was waaaaay too low even at highest settings & then at the highest the sound gets distorted, and only good bass comes from the left ear but not both), the supposed well-reccomended Corsair one (which was absolutely pathetic--no bass and all sounds sounded flat and no vibrancy). So the solution is to get a good pair of true stereo headphones, which are cheap $40-80, and if you must have surround sound, pair it with a sound card that does 3D upmixing. I have an old an old Creative X-Fi (ExtremeMusic I think--drivers don't recognize it properly--I think I have a XtremeGamer but it will only install extrememusic). It's pretty bad that I use a $35 pair of Sennheiser earbuds and overall it sounds better than any of those $100+ headsets. Yes, with earbuds it lacks significant bass and it's clear but not crisp clear, but I bet you a good set of stereo cans with a dedi sound card will be phenomenal. Those earbuds I mentioned are pretty damn good for earbuds, and pretty cheap. 300% better than earbuds thrown in electronics. But then again you don't want earbuds and I agree with you. I freaking hate them. It's just that I havent' gotten around to trying the JVC Harx something or the Grado SR60. I can't think of their exact names, but supposedly they deliver clear at all levels and hearty bass. But then again that's what I read. And astroturfing is so prevalent.
Best advice though is go to a place where you can TRY IT ON and listen to it. Seriously. Even if something is settled on, try it on before you buy it! An uncomfy headset is the absolute worst. I couldn't bare wearing that damn Creative headset because the small tight leather cups drove me mad. And an uncomfy headset will.
Earbuds; got a pair of Klipsch S4's for about $50AUD (~50% off), heavenly, over ear; Marshall Major for about $100, good trade off between size and sound.
i have about 10 pairs of earbuds, and if i cant find my $20 sony earbuds i got from best buy, i just wont even bother. its really more of a comfort thing with me, earbuds have been known to easily hurts my ear lobes, as quickly as 30 seconds in, but with these i can wear them all day without a problem, hope that helps ;)
Koss Porta Pro don't just look retro, they're the real deal. They've been mostly unchanged since 1984, and Amazon has sold them since 1990 (up to 1,200 reviews now). It's nice to see a company stand behind a product instead of cycling them every 6 months.
From an audiophile with stupidly expensive headphones, DACs, and amps to power them, and no $50 cables:
The Superlux HD668b have the most impressive bang for your buck I've ever seen. At $50 ($30-40 if you look around), they easily match other cans $200-300 in quality. They are super analytical monitors—you won't get that V-shaped response that most people find pleasing. If it happens you like that type of response (many people requesting a flat response don't actually realize how accustomed they've become to non-flat), they'll still keep up with an EQ-ed source like a champ.
Every time I go to get a pair of headphones they that damn asymmetric cord as if everyone has their mp3 player in the left back pocket and needs the left side of the cord shorter. Sorry but this really bothers me and no one is mentioning it.
If it's audio quality you want, grab the HD650's. But they are open-back, so no isolation whatsoever. If you want/need isolation, go for the HD280 Pros. They're comfortable enough to wear all day and have massive amounts of noise cancelling without any electronics whatsoever.
I am a happy owner of Sennheiser's PX 200 IIi. There is a less expensive version which doesn't have the microphone and iPod/iPhone controls in the cord. They are over the ear, not around, but the seal is still good enough that ambient noise is at least subdued. I can use them on flights without going up to full volume. I had to go this direction because every headphone with noise cancellation gave me motion sickness. You'll probably pay more than $50, but you get what you pay for.
I'm streaming from Magnatune to my Bose QC 15 right now.
now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
I bought a nice pair of AKG earbuds a couple years ago. AKG has a reputation for quality, and many years before I'd bought a Realistic-branded set of AKG circumaural headphones that were awesome. Alas I couldn't enjoy them any more because they caused me physical pain, from pressure and bruising of cartilage, because my ears had grown too large (ears keep growing)... or something. I'd bought several other circumaural brands, thinking I could find one that didn't hurt, but they ALL caused pain after perhaps a half hour. So in desperation I bought the earbuds.
They had really great sound, excellent response, but I couldn't use them: any jaw or body movement, or vibration or movement of the attached cords, was strongly audible. This vibrational noise(?) was so strong it made enjoyment of the intended audio impossible. I seem to have the symptoms of what is called hyperacusis, so perhaps that extra sensitivity is the cause for me. Do earbuds cause the same problem for most other people? I haven't seen widespread complaints, and their wild popularity seems to suggest otherwise.
My last sonic line of defense has been the discovery of a Philips-branded earphone that isn't an earbud but rather hooks loosely over the outside of the ear and rests just "at" the ear canal, rather than inside it. They're not the greatest audio quality, BUT they cause me no physical pain at all and so can be worn for extended periods without the conscious distraction of pain. I have two sets now, and will probably wind up buying more as backups just in case Philips decides to stop production.
Anyone need a barely used set of AKG earbuds...?
Since Amazon was established in 1994, the 1990 date obviously means something else...
Amazing and just a bit above the price point, $42. They sound fantastic and have a built-in mic in the cable for smart phones.
http://www.amazon.com/UrbanEars-Medis-Headphones-Black-Size/dp/B00359FQLG/
I have use a pair of Sennheiser HD 202's for the past 3 or 4 years and they have been totally worth the $40 I paid for them. The response is relatively flat, it blocks out a good amount of noise, sounds sharp, even at high volumes, are comfortable, and apparently last forever. These have a super long (10 feet i think) cord which I usually keep wrapped up, but occasionally it comes in handy. Here is the Newegg page for it: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106455
But really any of the sub $100 Sennheiser's will fit your request.
I am hard on gear. I use an Otterbox case for my iPhone, if I did not I would have destoyed it long ago.
VMODA headphones are great sounding, but not the absolute best. What makes them the best ear buds is the quality of the wiring and the offset plug on the cable that makes them last far longer than other brands.
I have had other high end earphones that died within a few weeks to months becasue the wire broke internally. The offset plug on the vmoda headphones prevents the majority of severe strains on the wire when you bump the phone with the headphones plugged into an object. The wire breaking internally at the plug is where all of my non VMODA headphones have died. My VMODA ear buds far outlast any other brand I have tried including Sennheiser, Bose, and Shure.
below $50 some $5 panasonics would be nice.
above $50 ... grado hp2 are the most amazing pair i've ever listened to. smoothest sound ever.
it's not the headphones entirely, consider what you are driving them with too!
I've wasted something like $300, testing out sub-$60 headphones, and I have found absolutely nothing matching the quality of the Kicker HP541s. I'm not a fancy audiophile, I won't draw line graphs for you with frequency response, because that's all tripe anyway (most adult humans can't hear over 18 KHz), but I will tell you that they are the best pair of cans you can get for anything less than $100.
The bass is phenomenal at high volumes (Kicker, heh), the sound is very crisp and flat, the earcups are made of genuine leather, they also spin 180 degrees to sit outwards, so if you have a portable amplifier like the Fiio, and I think this is the best test - you can raise the volume enough that they become actual speakers sitting on your neck, and they DON'T DISTORT or crack! Also, make sure your media library is FLAC, or at least 256 kbps MP3. You will hear the artifacts in your music with any bit-rate anything less than that.
For a cheaper alternative, without the $400-pair-of-headphones feel like the Kickers have, I'd recommend the Sennheiser 202's, which are in the $20-$30 range.
127.0.0.1
I have the Grado Labs SR60i, and they cost about $79, but they sure sound great. Check them out at http://www.gradolabs.com/page_headphones.php?item=f4ba8830232696b5f580bd531134b668
I purchased them online from http://goodcans.com/HeadphoneStore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=83&zenid=16a9581e498c2dc5bd2481384bd45a74
They are especially known for their flat frequency response, and allowing you to hear what other headphones can not reproduce. In my experience, this has been the case. They are incredibly well-built, for the price. The cable for them is very flexible, but also rather thick. I am very happy with them.
I have several... many... sets of Skullcandy earbuds. Though I've experienced uncomfortable earbuds before, that isn't the case at all for me with these. The only contact with your ear is a very soft, squishy "mushroom" of silicone/rubber. I can't imagine any over-ear headphones that would be more comfortable, personally.
And, the bass and noise isolation is excellent. Their "base models" are cheap, with little discernable quality compromise from their higher-end. At the price, I'd suggest trying one--they may challenge your preconceptions of what you are looking for.
~ Whence do you come, slayer of men, or where are you going, conqueror of space?
I've spent a good deal of money on headphones. I've been using noise cancelling earbuds since probably 1996 (Koss plugs were really the only thing back then). I used them at the time as ear plugs and to listen to NPR while commuting on my motorcycle. Now I use them for NPR podcasts and audiobooks while on any variety of two wheeled transports..bicycle more these days. I've bought the high end variety (bose, koss, etc upward of $100 or more per) as well as the low end variety ( $10). They all fail at about the same rate and my ears aren't sensitive enough to tell any "significant" difference (they higher end ones certainly sound better, but the failure rate is just as bad..and it's not THAT much better).
I've found I get the most mileage out of Sony earbuds which are $9.99 @ target (that's the only place I can find them consistently). The ones with the 90 degree 1/8th inch plug. The straight plugs fail in less than a week for me. The 90 degree plugs last at least a month and sometimes up to 6 months (though that's rare). It matters not how much I pay for them, that's the consistent failure rate, so why would I pay more that 10 bucks?
While the Sennheiser HD 280 PROs are about double the asked for price range, I think they're worth every penny. They're good for about 30 db of noise cancellation, have an excellent and balanced response across the audio spectrum, and stellar audio reproduction. I've had mine nearly three years now, and I use them about 20 hours per week (about 3000 hours of usage so far). I still absolutely love them, and if I ever needed to replace them, I would get the same model in a heartbeat.
Considering my cost per hour usage is about $0.04 and dropping, and the headphone will easily last 10,000 hours, spending a little extra money is absolutely worth it in my opinion to get some totally amazing ear cans. I've heard several people say they like them better than the $500 headphones they've tried, so they're also a bargain in any sense. You would not be disappointed!
Be relentless!
I used primarily the HD-580 for about seven years, until I switched to Stax electrostatic headphones (Omega 3, that cost about $5000). The 580 were around $250 when I bought them new on eBay and one could probably find them now for $200. Over this time period I auditioned several dozen headphones (I don't have speakers as I move frequently) and in the under $250 range there's nothing that compares. It's a sort of a sweet spot. Anything above that price point is an incremental improvement; most things below are a significant degradation. Even the $5K Stax are not that greatly better (but hey, felt good to buy myself a little present, and it was an excuse to build a high voltage hybrid solid state/tube headphone amp instead of plunking another $5K after one... http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/bluehawaii_moda1.png )
"Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason."
I went to target, 20$, it is great for playing video games with friends and chatting on Team Speak.
My previous headset was the overly hardware laden Microsoft Sidewinder from late 90s or early 2000s, and I had it to play Warcraft3 with friends. Voice chat is invaluable for RTS. Our team was the best in the world at the time 200wins 1loss(from my teammates screwing around).
God spoke to me
The earbuds that came with the Zune HD were and still are the best padded earbuds I've ever owned. The second best were the earbuds that came with XM MyFi portable satellite radio.
Despite searching for years I have never found the OEM for these two models of earbuds. I recently found a few new/old stock Zune HD earbuds to replace my old pair and to keep me going until I find something comparable.
I don't prefer the sound isolation "ear canal" headphones because it messes with the pressure in my ears and the cables cause noise when brushing against anything.
Kriston
http://tinyurl.com/6ujmge3
I have one of these which I bought about 10 years ago. Back then I think I paid $150, but anyway, they are comfortable, do a very good job of cutting out external sound, and the frequency response is wonderful. Deep but not overpowering bass, all the way up to clear, crisp highs.
I bought them as I was the sound technician for my large church's praise band. Even worshipping in a large, acoustically horrible gym, with these headphones on it was wonderful to hear just the band (or individual instruments depending on how I configured our sound board) regardless of other noise, kids crying, etc.
And oh, can they handle it. 3 watts of power, which is insane for headphones. Playing around with them and our sound board, I could get them past 120dB according to my sound meter, and they just refused to distort at all.
I don't actually know much about headphones, but Koss has a fairly wide variety of them at different price points, and, most importantly, all of them have a lifetime warranty.
I explicitly release the above into the public domain.
A few months ago, at the recommendation of some of the Head-Fi guys, I got a ~$30 pair of over-the-ear JVC HA-RX700's from Amazon, and they have been fantastic. Very comfortable, decent noise isolation, and they sound fantastic. A bit heavy on the bass to some (although not to me) -- if you think so, you could correct it quickly via equalizer. They have stood up to being stuffed in a backpack and biked all over town almost every day so far, without any sign of wear. They look stupid (because they are huge), but who cares?
Head-fi.org is the ultimate resource for this.
Here is the super awesome mega thread that reviewed 240+ IEM's by various qualities:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-242-iems-compared-vsonic-gr99-gr02-bass-edition-added-06-11-12
The spreadsheet link is a bit buried, but can be found here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?fdf0dse1tgqyetb
A few good low-priced ones I've owned:
JVC Marshmallow - $12 - pretty decent for a cheap earbud. I just picked up a spare pair for $6 off cowboom.com
MeElectronics M9 - $10-$18 depending on sale - great seal and bass. Mids are a bit weak and they are a little fatiguing though.
Seriously? Is this the kind of deeply technical questions that the diversified and experienced /. community is supposed to answer? Is this becoming Yahoo Answers?
And to the poster (because the first paragraph was to the editors), just take some time to type something into google and head over to:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/26/ask-engadget-best-over-the-ear-headphones/
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/04/ask-engadget-best-passive-noise-cancelling-headphones/
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/31/ask-engadget-best-usb-headset-for-skype-calls-and-podcasting/
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/11/ask-engadget-best-non-gaming-wireless-headphones/
http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/ask-engadget-best-non-ugly-noise-cancelling-bluetooth-headset/
http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/01/ask-engadget-best-earbuds-for-outdoor-fitness-use/
At least you will get more detailed answers and consistent comparisons. And I won't have to do the google typing for you.
cuz sony has it's hands in lots of movie studios
and productions of other movies not directly associated.
and music, they own many major labels.
in fact, you better stop watching football or hockey or soccer too, cuz a lot of those franchises use sony equipment
or have sony tie-ins in some way or another.
in fact, the only way to avoid it totally is to sit at home, tv and computer unplugged, no radio, and just sit there and rot. til you die.
Big Lot's, Ross, Marshall's, Ollie's.
Buy something from them. Seriously, I've gotten 80-120 dollar headphones for 20 bucks.
I got mine for $78.00 from Amazon.
Under 60, Sennheiser px100-ii.
http://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-Optime-H10A-Earmuff/dp/B00009LI4K/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339556671&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=sound+muffle+head+phones
It cancel all the sounds, it makes you feel GOOOD. It lets you work without any distraction....Simply the best.
LOL, if have not yet catch my joke, let me give you one free advice. Only "idiots" would wear such a nasty brain killing machine as a Head-phones, it is not only the sound (do you really know what sound is???), but also the specific and nasty field spread out of this head phones is good enough to fry anything and everything in a mother of just two three years constant use. Or five years accidentally use. Take my advice, by a decent HiFi system, and live happy.
if its not listed move on, cause its crap
generally I like it when its low end is below 20Hz and its high end is above 20Khz, I have a pair of sony's that my wife bought me, maybe 20 bucks thats 18Hz and 21Hz and they still sound a bit muddy (yes I am a bit of a snob), but they are well balanced over the frequency range and for 20 dollar or so headphones are quite adequate for my snotty taste, probably sounding pretty good to your average person.
The above opinion has also been echoed by quite a few studio musicians, pretty darn good, and when they break them shuffling gear from studio to stage no big whoop, though they dont have a mic (sony MDR-V150). But the point remains, look at the driver specs, go low, go high, something like 50,15K is going to sound like a brass horn and nothing else. If they do not list frequency response then just move on, they will be nothing but ear damaging crap.
2 cents
Whats the driver?
If its your PC/Laptop. over the ear "HEADPHONES" will do.
Sennhieser RS110 or similar(HD series) all have excellent quality. Truly amazing.
However, if its your tiny mp3 player, in ear is the only way to go
I use a Soundmagic PL-21 which cost 20$, and are excellent. With your budget, you can get sennhieser or Klipsch image S4 etc.,
Again, I have listened, and they sound better than the soundmagic.
That said, my budget was $25(for creative nano), and PL-21 came out to be the best
My Aurora : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o91ZsGwJYyg
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In general, I've never really found that expensive headphones are worth it due to their tendency to break. Myself I'm using a cheap pair of Phillips in-ear headphones, I don't think they cost more than $15, fit pretty comfortable for long terms and have decent enough sound quality, at least for me. Of course, I'm not much of an audiophile and mostly use my headphones for listening to music in bed, throwing them in my pocket and using them with my laptop/phone while in a car (passenger of course), listening to music at a coffee shop and occasionally when walking.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
These are out of your price range (~$100), but these are the most comfortable headphones. No torture of the ears, no sweating, and awesome sound.
Oh, and they are purple.
Get Ety HF series that work with phone OS you use. I bought a set of the HF2's for my Droid and love them. They're crisp and clear, without the artificial overpowering bass that most earbuds on the market have. The sound seperation is excellent as well. I have a set of Audio Technica NC cans, which are nice headphones, but I highly prefer the sound of the Ety's over those.
On top of that, the sound isolation is excellent and I find them to be some of the most comfortable in canal phones I've used. Plus, for and additional $100.00 you can get fitted for custom buds that are molded for your ear canal.
Amazon carries them for $120.00 or so. Well worth it.
I know Monster gets a bad wrap for being overpriced regarding their cables and often other products, BUT, if you buy through their outlet store via their main website you can land a wicked deal. I bought Monster Turbines for $49.95 and they came 100% perfect with a genuine leather pouch and 6 different sets of ear tips. There will be no fancy package - just a box. Once properly burned in (for a few days straight, music looped) you will hear the most amazing in-ear speakers you have ever heard. The triple flange eartips block out outside sound almost to a dangerous level. Seriously, if you're not paying attention, you will walk into a car or a c-train (light rail transit). Right now, they are sold out of the Turbines (which sucks at the moment), but they have Jamz for $39.95 and Lil' Jamz for $29.95. I am not kidding, try these earphones. For the refurb price, they are a deal. I would not pay $179.95 for them retail, but I would (and have) bought several pairs for gifts.
http://www.monstercable.com/outletstore/linelist.asp
Or if you want to do it manually: http://www.monstercable.com/ and then browse to WHERE TO BUY > click on 60% off banner at the bottom of the page > browse away...buy, profit!!!
http://www.amazon.com/JVC-HARX300-Full-Size-Headphones-Black/dp/B000NUYW92
I've been using these for the last few years now and love them. Good all around sound (better than my Bose 2 speaker desk set) and great range. It also has a fairly lengthy cord, so it can be used with TV's if you need.
Keep in mind that I'm not an audiophile or anything.
Best thing about them is you can usually find them for around 20 bucks.
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-202-Professional-Headphones/dp/B003LPTAYI/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1339557323&sr=1-2
These are the ones I bought a while back because I heard good things about the company itself (and my hearing is so shot, I don't think a pair of $500 headphones will do me much good.) Someone also gave me some Skullcandy G.I. over the ear headphones (they look horrid, but they are comfortable and sound great, with the "one cord", it doesn't tangle quite as much...) I did notice the mix of the latest Candlemass CD sounded a bit better to me on the Skullcandy phones, but that's personal preference (and you can gather from my taste in music why my hearing's shot to hell.)
http://www.amazon.com/Skullcandy-G-I-Micd-11-Headphones/dp/B0044U5FHK/ref=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1339557489&sr=1-7&keywords=skullcandy+g.i.+over+ear+headphones
I didn't pay for these, so I figure they're great because well, they were free. :) But they sound pretty good. Both headsets are comfortable for long listening sessions. I'd give the edge to the Sennheiser ones.
It's the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.
You can find them used on eBay. They sound good, they can be had for well under $50, and they are built to take some serious abuse - these are made for music listening kiosks. If you need a good set of beater headphones, or even just a cheap set of cans, look no further.
Love these headphones, wirless, bluetooth, great sound depth, comfortable, batteries last about 8 hours. These headphones replaced my pc speakers, my tv speakers and my phone buds all in one nice package. I think they where about $200 bucks but well worth it. Great support from turtle beach as well. You can buy all head phone components...like, er, If your dog eats the microphone sock. Ordered replacement for 2 bucks, recieved in 2 days. Never going to another brand till I have a reason. I think the sound is comperarable to my friends bows, but his are much better for noise cancelling.
Muzx XY earbuds are absolutely the best i've heard for the price. (under 20$) I am currently sitting in front of 20k$ in sound gear at my personal desk, if your wondering about my credentials. http://www.alteclansing.com/ae/us/headphones/muzx+reg-xy-mzx126w/invt/mzx126w/
Relatively neutral sound, comfy around-the-ear fit, available in two cord lengths for portable or studio use, list at $99, available on web 'refurbished' (yeah... sure..) for as little as $40.
Okay at noise blocking.
Surprisingly good sound.
They've been pretty durable over 1 year of constant portable use.
Ear buds never stay in my ears. These are hooks, so they stay put. They stay comfortable in my ears even after extended listening. They isolate noise well, and they have a great sound. For the price, they can't be beat!
http://www.usa.philips.com/c/headphones/shs8100_28/prd/
I used to travel a LOT, on business - I bought these over-the-ear earphones for about $10 at Hel*Mart - they had about 40% better frequency response than the Sony ones that cost twice as much... Unfortunately, lost the last pair, and haven't been able to find the exact same ones again - but check out Panasonic headphones, definitely.
I can keep them in for hours. Blocks out the whole world while I am out doing needed evils (like shopping). I cannot really hear people who may want to talk with me as I do not want to talk with them. Very little noise out for other people to hear. I LOVE THESE HEADPHONES.
-- A computer without Windoze is like a choclate cake without mustard
A big +1 on the cheaper Grados.
As a non-audiophile I was blown away when a friend lent me his backup pair of SR-80s. I didn't know music could sound like that...
If only they didn't leak sound... but the open design is exactly what makes them sound as clear as they are.
Best sub $100 purchase I've ever made.
For years I'd get mediocre earbuds... Essentially, I'd buy anything under $25.
Instead of the cheapos, I got a pair of Skullcandy earbuds that sit in your canal, and the frequency response is downright impressive. It takes a little to get used to them sitting in the canal, however they sound great, and don't move while running or exercising. They will block out the outside world if you want them to...
Bonus: they also have an answer button and built-in mic, so they can also be used with my iPhone for phone calls.
I'm going to answer the headline as it applies to me, rather than trying to match the details specified in the body. When i'm at work or at home i prefer regular headphones with flat foam coverings. Not the kind that go around your hear, but the kind that rest on top. A couple caveats, the foam has to be soft, not scratchy, and the band can't be too tight or it will pinch my ears. I bought a disastrous pair a while back that have a "cup" design like it's mean to go around your ear, but are actually designed to go on top of it, so the edge of the cup presses down all long the rim of your ear. This was combined with a very stiff headband that made them incredibly annoying to wear. I actually broke the headband by accident trying to stretch it out, but that did result in making them loose enough to tolerate.
When i'm out, usually exercising, going for a walk somewhere, or just out doing some shopping or whatever, i prefer the earbud style headphones that actually have a plastic loop attached that goes over your ear to old them on. Regular earbuds just fall out when i try to use them, or i shove them in so hard they hurt, and then after a few minutes they fall out anyways. The plastic loop keeps them in place without applying significant pressure. And since there's no headband you can still easily fit them in your pocket when you're not using them.
I don't really have a favorite brand or model number for either of those types, usually i just pick up whatever looks decent and is moderately priced at Radio Shack or Amazon. Apparently i'm not much of an audiophile.
This Space Intentionally Left Blank
If you're looking for headphones for your mobile, I would recommend ditching the wires and going bluetooth. For example: http://www.nokia.com/global/products/accessory/bh-505/
There are cheaper and worse model, and these are probably slightly over your budget (they're around 50 EUR), but you get excellent noise isolation and good sound quality alongside great battery life.
I've wanted to get a good set of headphones with mic for use with the Mac... which means it must be USB capable. Everything I've tried so far is crap. The Creative USB connector has fallen apart on three of them so far. I don't want to have to get a separate mic because I use it with a laptop and it's just annoying to have that many cables. Anyone have any recommendations?
Author of Enyo: Up and Running from O'Reilly Media
I've tried a lot of headphones and earbuds, and these are my recommendations:
earbuds:
klipsch s2m - $50 - great isolating earbuds with decent sound, easy to insert and cheap. (I got them for about $30)
klipsch s4i - $99 - great sound and isolation, but a bit harder to put in (wrap around back of ears)
headphones:
sennheiser hd201 - less than $20 -- great isolating, over the ear sound for cheap.
sennheiser hd5xx - $$ - I've owned the HD580 (wore them out!) and HD595 models and love them. Comfortable for hours and hours. Only quibble is they use 1/4" jacks which nothing uses nowadays. You might want to check the PC3xx series for headphones with mic.
also the guys at http://www.heaphone.com/ give great advice (not affiliated with them in any way)
Since you said a Mic boom wasn't a deal breaker grab up a pair of the cheap Turtle Beach ones from wallmart. I think they cost about $40 or so.
They are a bit bassy but not horribly so and the noise isolation is pretty much on par with strong earplugs when you put them on. I had to bend the top arc out a bit on mine because they pinched a bit too hard ( I wear glasses ) but now I can wear them for hours without even noticing them.
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I'd stretch to 70ish bucks and grab a pair of these - pro quality and sound in an affordable price (at $75 right now in Amazon). Paraphrasing Commodore: "You can't buy a better headphone set at twice the price."
AKG Acoustics K-240 Semi Open Studio Headphones
Can't beat them at $80.00 USD. Very detailed sound.
Spoon not. Fork, or fork not. There is no spoon.
AT equipment is going to be your best studio-quality equipment you can find for the price. Sweetwater has a bunch of their stuff on sale at the moment. These are only $59 with free shipping. Can't beat that! http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ATHD40/
I don't know if these are the $20 Sony's posted about earlier, but I love my pair. They can usually be found for around $25 and they're great. Because they have the loop that goes around your ear they rest on the outside of your ear, never fall off accidentally, are ear buds, and don't go deep into your ear canal (that really bothers me). Possibly an audiophile might find issue with them, but I have yet to think that anything I was hearing with those earbuds was worse because of them.
Being a DJ and a gear head, I've spent lots of time and thought on what to buy and I've made quite a few trials. In my experience you need to look at exactly what you are going to be doing with the headphones (or speakers for that matter). If you are going to be doing recording, you want to get a very good set, and by very good, I mean very unforgiving. They need to reproduce the sound as accurately as possible. The problem with these is that they are too good to listen to most MP3 recordings. They are so good that they expose lower quality recordings to the point that they sound bad. Those same MP3s will sound much better on cheaper, more forgiving speakers and headphones. Since you mentioned $50 as your budget, you won't have a problem.
These are probably the BEST in-ear's I've EVER had. Unfortunately, they don't manufacture them anymore, good thing i have 3 sets.
If you're looking to do broadcast quality, you're not going to find anything acceptable anywhere near your price point. And headsets intended for intercom usage tend to be mono. I've worn many a pair of Telex, Clearcom, and Production Intercom headsets. Their fairly decent at killing external noise, but for a decent double ear pair (mono) with a quality mic, you're looking at $200 - $300 for a pair. Of course, we might have two different definitions of broadcast quality. Mine is "needs to be intelligible to stage crew regardless of what other ambient noise is going on/plays nice with professional PA systems".
The cheapest of the high-end (or the best of the low-end depending on how you look at it). Very crisp highs, substantial (but not overbearing) bass, clear mids. Comfortable, insulating circumaural earpads provide big-headphone quality while still being lightweight. Also, the Koss warranty (no questions asked, no documentation needed) is pretty nice. They're collapsible enough to be slightly portable, and they can take a beating, although they won't fit in your pocket (unless you wear cargo pants, anyhow).
In that price range you'd be hard pressed to beat the Koss Porta Pro. Very old-school styling, on-ear, and no isolation, but the sound is really good for the price.
My upscale headphones are AKG 501s, driven with a homemade PPA amplifier with a custom bass-boost filter designed to compensate for the bass rolloff in the headphones themselves.
If you want isolation, you're either looking at DJ-style headphones or else isolating earbuds. I can't help you there.
Good ear seal, but heavier than K240's
$56 bucks right now on Amazon.
There's only one answer to this question: Koss PortaPro. I have owned many different over the ear headphones (I have hearing aids). I have $200 Beyerdynaics, I have $80 Grados, I have $90 Sennsheisers (two different kinds), I've had some crappy Pioneers. And more not worth mentioning. The PortaPro's are absolutely incredible for the size and price. And they're highly sensitive so you can get good volume on an airplane from a low powered portable device. The only problem is *zero* noise isolation. But that's good for me since I run 40 miles per week with them. They also have a lifetime warranty. My sweat blows out a phone about every 2 months. I send them, and $9 back to Koss and get a new pair. I have two pair so I can have one working while waiting for the other. I'm a lifetimer for PortaPros. Just get them.
Hi. I cover in-ear headphones for Macworld. I've got a reasonable amount of experience with other styles as well. Long-time /. reader.
First of all, Tyll Hertsens, founder of online headphone merchant HeadRoom, has a relatively new site focusing on headphone reviews, news, etc. He's got his buyer's guide, the "Wall of Fame". All of his recommendations are quite good:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelitys-wall-fame
We've also got our own buyer's guide at Macworld, but it's updated right before the holiday buying season, so it's missing some newer models:
http://www.macworld.com/article/1144708/headphones_buying_guide_2010.html
Good $50 on-ears are hard to find, particularly with a microphone. The Monoprice model mentioned in other posts is a great deal. If you could go up to $100 you could get some really great stuff—though I'm not sure about finding something with a microphone.
If you are willing to spend more than $50 I would recommend the Plantronics Bluetooth range, I have the 905+ and will never look back.
If price is an issue have a look at thermal take, their earbuds are surprisingly good.
The AudioTechnica ATH M30s are ~$50, good response, and excellent isolation.
I recommend em.
http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATHM30-ATH-M30-Professional-Headphones/dp/B00007E7C8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339562984&sr=8-1
Some posts have already mentioned the more expensive Grado headphones, but I had not seen any mention the iGrado. The iGrado is priced right at the $50 mark the OP asked for and use the drivers from the slightly more expensive SR60i model. I personally own an SR80, before they came out with the i designation, and still think they sound better than anything else I have tried, as I prefer the greater bass they put out than the SR60 and iGrado models. The OP did want a flat sound level, and I think the iGrado model seems to hit the mark.
Go to the website Head-Fi, get answers to headphone questions there.
I recently got $140 Sennheiser HD238's for $25 on Amazon. "refurbished", but completely as new, 90-day warranty. I love them. Google it, you'll see numerous very positive reviews. Best I've ever owned.
these earphones, currently $40 from newegg, work and sound great.
I love my http://www.etymotic.com/ best sounding earphones I've ever owned... but, they haven't been very durable for me in my use...
Been looking seriously at http://www.heilsound.com/pro/products/ps3/#1 as a set of over-the-ear headphones..
I really like the Koss Plug series (e.g. http://www.amazon.com/Koss-Plug-In-Ear-Headphones-Black/dp/B00001P4XA). I'm not sure they meet your stringent audio requirements, but I think they sound fine, they're cheap, they fit in your ear comfortably, and they provide a good amount of sound isolation--enough that I feel I can safely listen when riding the train.
Their biggest issue is that because they're really *in* your ear, you can hear when the cord bangs against things. I don't mind, but you may. But for $12, you can pick up a pair and decide what you think.
Cheap headphones cost around 5-10$(tops).
The quality ones (Creative EP-630, Soundmagic etc.,) start from $15, and offer brilliant sound quality for use with entry level mp3 players.
However, if you have a cutting edge high end system, or a very high end sound card, and listen to flac or other uncompressed formats, a 30-50$ in ear will make quite a difference.
If you travel the subway, spend $50 to buy a noise cancellation (active), it will be worth it.
That said, from 50$ onwards, sound quality increase is incremental. A 80$ headphone will have the sound quality of 250$ headphones for 99.9% of the listeners.
However, most people, even ones with ruined years from years of high volume listening, can easily tell between a 10$ and a 30$ in-ear headphone.
Then a lot depends on music too. If you are a metal/rock kind of "bright" music guy, you will find quality from 15$ onwards. If you are a opera kind of guy, come to $30. If you have sensitive ears, $50, if you have the hearing of superman, spend $80.
"Audiophiles, even hardcore ones" tell me that above $80 its one in a million who will get the difference in case of in ear. In case of over the ear headphones, the peak happens around 120$. However, for me, the peak happens in the $50-60 range. Anything above that sounds the same to me no matter what the music, but then I do not have a very high end system, just a decent quality sound card, and listen to mp3 at 320kbps
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I've tested so many headphones/etc and have come to prefer the Senn HD25 on-ear. i also don't care too much that they're on-ear, but the sound quality is amazing.
However, if there is one thing that I've found, it is that everyone has their own hearing 'profile' and which is 'best' is very, very subjective.
If you don't want to waste a lot on money trying different ones out (like I did, actually), go to some store that has a wide range and try them out with your own music. IMO, there really isn't any other way.
Max.
Haven't heard anything bad about them so far. One of the few companies where, to quote T.P. "You can go inside and talk with the person whose name is above the door. It usually means it is not run by crooks" [from "Going postal"]
And their products are excellent! I know there was a price tag mentioned in the question, but if you want to have superb quality in-ear headphones, get Sennheiser IE 7 model. I have had the pleasure of winning every argument "why do you need anything above MP3 192 kbit quality if you cannot hear the difference" with those headphones and good MP3 player that can play FLAC files [I buy Creative or Cowon]. People invariably find their jaws at knee level after sampling my personal audio combos...
I also hate earbuds, I find them uncomfortable and they never seem to stay put in my ears.
BUT, I also want something really portable... I picked up these Brookstone Earpods a couple years back and they're great... very good sound quality and very comfortable... I can even wear them lying down with my ear against a pillow, they're so flat. $59.99, hopefully close enough to your price range.
"Mind, as manifested by the capacity to make choices, is to some extent present in every electron." -Freeman Dyson
noise isolation (not cancellation)
Excellent. Wear them for an extended period and when you take them off it's shocking how noisy the world is.
flat/near flat response (I need to be able to hear bass, but I don't need my eardrums blown out)
Not flat, but very pleasant sounding. Bass isn't hyped, and highs get a subtle emphasis.
long-term comfort (earbuds usually hurt for me) and durability.
They're comfortable to wear for hours, and the cable's detachable/replaceable, so the vast majority of failures can be remedied.
... also, I can kill you with my brain.
JVC Flats sound wonderful and can be found for $20-25, maybe less at some retailers. The bass response is impressive. The drivers rotate and fold flat for easy packing/storage.
Koss PortaPro. Good since 1980's, and still good. Of course probably not what you need( not noise canceling). My favorite Koss product.
-+-=-+-=-+-=-+-=-+-=-+ *** http://www.mountainfort.com *** +-=-+-=-+-=-+-=-+-=-+-
I know you don't like earbuds, but just in case you get a pair, make sure you can get rubber replacements for them. I paid about $90 for a set of Denon headphones, lost the rubber on one of the ear pieces and am now stuck unless I wanna fork out another $90.
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I have a pair of Klipsch in-ear phones. They're reasonably comfortable (and I *hate* earbuds), have decent sound quality with adequate bass response and isolate very well.
They include three sizes of ear pieces if you're still worried about comfort. The set also comes with a handy little pouch. They're so portable, I have them in a pocket at all times.
They cost me $25 on Amazon and the set closer to your $50 budget probably sounds even better. That said, I'm no hardcore audiophile, but actually *like* music... ;)
I didn't get enough of the 40 or 50 mindless, daily threads asking for earphone recommendations on /g/ on any given day. Now it's here on /. Awesome.
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I know everyone else has answered this already. I'm a fan of the Grado SR60is. As a game design hobbyist, I have spent a little time messing around with wave forms, so I have a little experience. I don't care for most of the audiophile nonsense I've seen around, and I have not performed any form of tests, so this is of course only my non-professional opinion. They still sound great to me, better than any of the others I've tried. The open cups do reduce the bass some, but the drivers are big enough that it still works well. I've heard the wood ones have slightly better resonance and have considered upgrading them to see if it's true, but probably don't care enough to invest. They have physically fallen apart on me slowly, frankly, and the build quality is significantly cheaper than their hundreds of dollar sets, but it's nothing a little tape hasn't fixed. And I only really care about how they sound, not how they look. I got my pair for $70, which is 20 more than your price range, but it's the best i found for the money at the time. Feel free to take it or leave it, I hope one more opinion in the mix is useful.
Is it just me or do the earbuds last maximum a year, regardless of price? After about one year, I always lose sound in either left or right..
And I have a different cheap pair for the gym.
Anyone?
Defining Statistics and Social Research
Consider getting earbuds with adjustable padding/size because everyone's ear canals are different.
Off the top of my head and the F100: Ford, Apple, Intel, and 3M come to mind as not markedly evil.
There's Kroger, Macy's, Kohl, Gap, and Land o'Lakes.
Lear, for certain values of consumer product (like a G6 ... but that's another company).
Whole Foods. McGraw-Hill, Levi Straus, and of course, Harley-Davidson.
I'm sure there are complaints against some of these. But I don't see these companies as taking direct and blatantly aggressive anti-consumer actions as Sony and others have. Looking up the holdings of ethical / socially conscious investment funds might also prove interesting.
What part of "gestalt" don't you understand?
Fits all the requirements mentioned except a boom mic, although they were a tad over $50 new. It's a non-current model but you may be able to find them online. Very flat, full frequency response, no boosted bass. Definitely the best ~$50 headphones I've ever owned, and I have some other fairly expensive open-back headphones as well. These are definitely one of the best under $150 closed-back headphones. For those that don't know, designing a good sounding closed-back (isolating) headphone is really hard, which is why most cheap headphones are open-backed (non isolating). It's far easier to design good sounding headphones when you don't care about sound isolation.
As some others have recommended the Sennheiser PX100's are also great, but they bleed a lot of sound to the environment and have zero isolation. They are not as long-term comfortable as the HD 448's either, since the 448 is circumaural (around the ear, not on the ear like PX100's). The HD 448's are good for portable use since they have a 3.5mm (1/8") jack and not a full sized 6.3mm (1/4") jack like many higher end headphones.
In any case, it's really hard to go wrong with anything in the Sennheiser range, although some of their cheaper models have boosted bass so you need to carefully check the description when selecting a model. I can't stand headphones with boosted bass, they are very fatiguing to listen to after a while and I prefer a flat frequency response anyway.
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Senheiser HD 201 or HD 202
Noise isolation + incredible sound for a mere $25
It's a shame you can't go by the specs on the products. Apparently they can put whatever they want. So I just got a pair of $9 Sony headphones. That way if they get broken or lost it's no biggie.
Bose. Simple. I have 3 pairs, in-ear, on-ear and over-ear headphones, and so far, i've not heard any other manufacturer who can produce similar audio quality.
Seriously, let's bicker about even more trivial shit than what we're paid for, in our spare time. What the fuck do you people come here for if not the opposite of that. If you're trying to prove that /.'ers have no lives, spouses, or kids, mission accomplished.
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For sound quality, I use Etymotic Research ER-4P. Very clean sound, not overly bassy, good isolation. Comfort - not so good, but YMMV and they come with a selection of bud designs and sizes.
For comfort, please don't laugh, but I use some Beats by Dre Studio HD. The sound is in no way neutral, but there's plenty of detail and like I say the comfort is sky-high. They support my iPad/iPhone (although I don't think I've used that functionality yet). The cancelling is reasonably good, though the ER-4Ps isolation is more effective. Battery life is not so great and you can't use them at all when the batteries are dead.
Seriously -- headphones??? This is a \. question? My, how the mighty have fallen!
I am also looking for headphones, but with one primary caveat: I wear glasses. If I use on-ear, that gets painful after a while because on-ear-phones press my ear against the handles. If I wear around-ear, the earphones dislodge my glasses frequently, or push them slightly away from where they are supposed to be. Both issues are no problem for an hour, and a major annoyance for prolonged use. Are there any ear-phones which alleviate these problems, or should I just stick with in-ear phones instead?
Koss PortaPro is quite cheap, and something you can use when travelling. The fidelity is not great, though. I have some Sennheisers at 5x the price, and the difference is obvious -- anyone can hear that (and I couldn't even hear the difference when I re-encoded a WAV file with 4 bits per sample). There is no obvious distrortion in the PortaPro though, and I sill keep mine around and prefer them to a Koss headset and a Plantronics headset (+all cheap earbuds that I use for running).
I bought a pair of Klipsch s3 In-ear headphones about a year ago for $35. These are, hands down, the best canalphones you are going to get for that money anywhere. Full stop. J&R might still have an open-box pair for $15.
If you're into cans on your head, the Sennheiser HD201S is $30 or so. These sound just as good and don't leak too much.
I've bought really expensive headphones over the years (not worth it if you abuse them like I do); these are my new go-tos. Good luck!
Honestly, get some high-end Sennheiser or Bose earphones for 10x the price. They will last 10x longer and sound 100x better.
I've got some Sonny digital noise reduction earphones that were insanely expensive, but apart from the fact that I bought them from Sony many years ago before I knew better -- don't buy anything from them! -- they have served me well over the years and are virtually undestructable. Active noise cancellation isn't worth the money for indoor use, though, so I'd recommend normal high-end headphones.
Don't buy Logitech or any other PC-oriented brand and don't buy Sony, because these suck in one way or another.
I have a pair of LG Tones that I absolutely love. I listen to music and audiobooks a lot when I'm doing things around the house or out jogging and I've screw up several sets of wired headphones. The Tone runs a bit over $50 and it's in-ear, but it's an awesome set of bluetooth headphones. Nice bass, but not crazy. Long battery life. There are a couple minor quirks to get used to (I've bumped the forward button occasionally), but it's worth it. I've listened from techno to thrash metal and they've all sounded good with these headphones. Currently alternating between Five Finger Death Punch, and The Coldfire Trilogy
I read about how the SOL Republic "shouldn't sound this god" for their $99 over-ear headphones (named "Tracks"), so I bought a pair and WOW I really REALLY like them. They're the cheaper version, with a $129 pair having a bit more kick in them. But then, the over-ear wasn't so great for yard work and exercise, so I got a set of the SOL in-ear "Amps" and I think I like them even more, at $59. I alternate between them depending on what's going on but I spend nearly all day in one pair or the other. Check them out at solrepublic.com and at http://amzn.to/NxLPh2
Note, these aren't Soul by Ludacris, which are just branded and expensive. I don't recommend Soul by Ludacris, nor do I recommend Beats by Dre, nor the 50 Cent brand either. These all play on big names and are overpriced and not well balanced in their audio.
The Klipsch S-2 ($50 list, $25 - $40 street) are in-the-ear phones with good sound isolation and very good audio quality for the price. Like most of the less expensive phones, they are somewhat bass-heavy but not too bad in this regard and the actual bass extention is impressive. Midrange and treble are uneven but better than you usually get in this price range. They are sensitive enough to use with portable equipment. Wiring is kind of flimsy. If used in an active fashion, they are not likely to go much beyond the one-year waranty. You really have to go to the Shure SE-215 ($150 list, $90 - $99 street) to get professional stage monitors with very flat frequency response, superb sound isolation, secure and comfortable fit, low listening fatigue and user-replaceable wires. These less expensive models do not reproduce extreme bass or extreme treble but they are very smooth within their range, say from 50 Hz to 12 KHz. They are sensitive enough to use with portable equipment. Mike
Unfortunately, they don't seem very reliable.
I just bought this http://steelseries.com/us/products/audio/steelseries-siberia-v2-usb to use at work and it's almost perfect:
- you can still hear people talking around you but it muffles a lot of it allowing you to keep it on low volumes,
- people absolutelly cannot hear what you're playing (while they are on your head),
- you can totally hear bass,
I bought it here in Brazil at R$ 375,00 (something like 250 USD I think) but they're totally worth it, and they are probably much cheaper on countries the company actually acknowledge. It has a microfone.
Why? Because if you put on your headphones after taking a shower these headphones will seal the moisture in your ear and if you don't keep both your ears AND headphones clean (I mean wiping with alcohol or something), it will create a perfect environment for an ear infection to form. I had two painful ones before I realized it was the headphones and switched to a different design.
It is a shame since you can hear everything beautifully with these kinds of headphones. I've realized it is either buy some cans (read: large whole ear covering kind) or "fits in your ear" type buds (like what comes with an iPod) for the best and least infection prone experience.
Never hit your grandmother with a shovel, for it leaves a bad impression on her mind...
our friends over at 4chan have already done this analysis
http://i48.tinypic.com/t011sg.jpg
Stax Omega 3: 5000 USD
High-end tube headphone amp: 5000 USD
Sound isolation for the room: 2500 USD
Listening to audio files compressed with lossy compression, played through a crappy DAC on your laptop: priceless
Just wanted to be funny, nothing personal Prune!
Check this out!!! Remember that one australian dollar is equal to one US dollar.
http://i.imgur.com/QH5JJ.png
want to make money? Sell those headphones to Australians for less than $250 us dollars.....
I second this. For his budget the Koss Porta Pro is really hard to beat. I use those with my phone when listening to music on the go.
Other than that I use Sennheiser HD595 when at the computers, those headphones a're great for my music tastes and not too expensive. The more expensive Sennheiser version sounded lifeless when I tried. Also an even more expensive studio reference level AKG sounded lifeless too, sound was dull to the point of hollowness, no bass whatsoever with sane listening volumes.
Your best bet is to go to a hi-fi shop and say "this is my budget, give me the options". If they're any good they won't try to hard sell you the most expensive gear. Try out each one. Do some ABX (kind of hard with headphones but you can ask them to help). Check also how it feels worn on the head. If it feels like your pillow when you go to sleep, it's decent enough.
Good luck!
I know what you mean about the exaggerated bass, that's is exactly what I experienced with their speakers in their show room. However, I purchased their original noise cancelling head phones ($300) when they first came out because my cubical was immediately below the heating and air conditioning system. The head phones DID NOT exhibit the same bass boost that their speakers did and the noise cancelling ability was outstanding. I've tried other noise cancelling head phones just as a point of comparison and none did as good a job. The tonal range seemed to be evenly distributed and the ability to reproduce sounds accurately was good as near as I can tell. Also, Bose will (or at least did) give you a $100 credit if you brought in an old pair for replacement. Seems like an absolute necessity if you work in a cubical environment.
Audiophile stuff is notoriously overpriced for quality and subject to the placebo effect. Expensive things are rated better, but when offered in a blind test often are no better, or worse, than cheaper stuff.
"Gold plated contacts" are one such proven utterly worthless thing.
So what we need are not a thousand testimonials, but rather some double-blind studies rating ear buds.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
There can only be one set of headphones that satisfy your needs:
http://www.aiaiai.dk/tma-1-studio
I have the non-studio version and while they are amazing headphones, after one test listen of the Studio version, I had to preorder immediately.
They satisfy every one of your requirements: They have great noise isolation, even frequency response (they're studio 'phones made for mixing/mastering), ridiculously comfortable and extremely durable. Even if the frequency response is not 100% perfect to your taste, they take to EQing really well and will literally vibrate your skull before they distort. They're extremely efficient (good for mobile devices) and can play ridiculously loud without even breaking a sweat.
The only downside is the cost: $269 with a mic ($249 without). But they're seriously the last set of headphones you'll ever have to buy. They're that good.
And they look cool as fuck.
Eat the rich.
For under $100, The Grado SR-60s and Senn HD280s are pretty much it. Those are close to $100 though.
You get what you pay for. With the exception of Bose. So for $50, you will get a noticeably better experiene than what you get for $20.
Things that also matter are music genre you prefer. If you like classical, you're preferrred headphoens won't be that of a rap music fan. Rap needs bass. Classical needs better mids and upper frequencies.
From what hte post says, you definietly want over the ear headphones. Still though, flat response is not a good way to ask for headphones. You can get headphoens that are studio monitors that are a flat response and hey sound like crap. I upgraded my Senn HD280s for a $150 pair of Aristocraft over ear headphones (more of a flat response) and regret it till this day. The Senns sounded better.
I'll be frank. Get the Senn HD201 or HD419 headphones. If you can up your budget get the Senn HD280.
I was recently looking for something with about the same requirements. The XD-40 cost me GBP 70 but as luck would have it you can get them for $30 at Amazon which is a fantastic price.
They are DJ / Studio headphones so good isolation, robust, and will go LOUD. Great sound quality as far as I can tell; no obvious colouration and good bass extension. Good staging, too.
Xone are by Allen and Heath and have a great rep in the DJ market.
Unlike a lot of supra-aurals they are not a tight fit, but will not fall off. Circum-aurals offer better comfort but these are good enough for me.
Also they fold, which together with the isolation makes them great for travel.
And I think I have...
I have tried almost every brand of in ears out there and a few over ears (though not for a while)
Best In-Ears bar none are the Shure 535's. Quite pricey but my god its the best sound you will get from anything you stick in or on your ears bar none
Best value for money in ears are the Sennheiser CX300 family. Cost about £20 and are very very good. Cheap enough that you dont fear losing them, durable and good enough all round in most cases. I find they get a bit bassey as they get older though.
I have a pair of Bose Noise cancelling on ears that I use for Air Travel. I dont find them great for general use though.
The best over ears I have had were a Sennheiser model but I can't remember the model. At the time I tried almost all the over ears out there and the Sennheisers were by far the best. That may be different today, but I'd bet they are still top...
Thanks,
James
In your price range, just go to monoproce.com and grab one of their better pairs. You won't regret it. My $6 earbuds are the best I've ever heard, and the ratings on over-the-ears sets are great too.
I have to agree with others that have suggested the Koss Porta Pros. For the price, you just can't beat them. I've owned a pair for over 15 years with nearly daily use. Not designed to cancel noise, but they have great sound, and have ear pressure adjustment pads so you can wear them for long periods of time without your ears getting sore.
I'm going to ignore the Sony hate and the price range. First: ignore sony-hate. Sony is a big company with lots of tentacles in a lot of pies and it is obvious that some parts of the company don't talk to one another. One thing Sony does well are consumer-level headphones which they make with an attention to reproducing consumer-level sound from buds and other things. The new XBA-1 series are not bad. With their balanced armature drivers, they provide a good, nuanced, balanced sound and they can go far enough in your ear behind silicone and foam earpieces to provide good sound coupled with good isolation. Sony offers other things in other price ranges. Much of it is good. Second: Up your price-range go up to the $80/$100+ range. Spend a little more and your'e in business at the low-end of the high end. This means award-winning Grado SR-60s, the Grado iGi high-end earbuds (they do Yo-Yo Ma's cello justice) for $130, you can get Sony MDR XB700s with fifty millimeter drivers in casques that look like princes Leia's buns that look stupid as all get out and sound *great*. Upping your price to here takes you out of sucker territory where headphone manufacturers sell all the things they drag out of their big box of "ghetto." Third: Avoid the low end of big name brands without serious consideration. Most super-big name headphone makers have a low-end product line that is wet, smelly garbage. Denon AHK 751s are sublime (so sublime they no longer make them) everything below them in the Denon line is landfill in the making. Sennheiser makes stunning, award-winning, mind-blowing, whole-notion-of-sound-redefining headphones: the price-range for them *starts* at several hundred dollars and the best part of the engineering that goes into everything else they made is the silk-screening that put their logo on them. Fourth: Read reviews and read them with a boulder of salt. If you need reviews, try Amazon. They crowd-source their reviews *and* have a program where their best writers get free items for reviewing. Amazon reviews can offer you a good spread of opinions--some of them honest: I've written several of them. Last: Be careful about Shure and Etymotic research. Shure is definitely not as good as they think they are for the prices they charge. Etymotic research is good even at the relatively low end (they require an hour or so of burn-in before they really do their thing) but they have filters which require changing and they're delicate with the low-enders breaking at the joint (glue doesn't work, sugrue does) or, better still, permanently dropping a channel about six seconds after they leave warranty.
Sony MDR-V6, plus will last for ever.
I have been using these for over 10 years:
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E
These have fantastic fidelity, are lightweight and all around groovy.
Every other headphone I've used under $100 has some level of fail (yes, I am looking at you apple
earbuds) that makes me feel like I have just burned money.
These are the best bang for the buck, slightly above OP's price, but worth it. Read some reviews online, there's not many bad things to say about these cans. http://www.headphone.com/headphones/grado-sr-60i.php
fak3r.com
I have a pair of Sony PIIQ headphones. They are circumaural, superaural if you have large ears, and they are quite comfortable. The color scheme is a bit garish, but some are more acceptable than others. The bonus is that they sound great for their price. They are a Consumer Reports best buy from last year's Christmas gift season and now that I own a pair I know why. They have held up OK since Christmas for me. I don't have longer-term experience with them for that.
These headphones can be had for 30 bucks and are incredibly good sounding.
They're also big and bulky, but hey, that's the way they should be.
Try the ViSang VS-R02/R03. They're pretty much identical except that the R03 hat nicer-looking buds, although I think that the R02 hat the better sound - they're both above what you'd expect for the price but the R02 is slightly clearer in my opinion. Then again the R03 is a bit more forgiving of badly-mixed music. It's not exactly night and day, though.
Generally-speaking the R02/R03 are solid (semi-)budget IEMs with a fairly flat, rather analytical sound; you get good separation and while their bass isn't quite on par with more "fun-oriented" IEMs they're quite good with mids, which puts most singers front and center. Plus, you're not looking for bass monsters anyway. I recommend them for classical/orchestral music, a cappella and similarly intricate (and well-mixed) stuff and don't recommend them for punk rock and anything else where the mixing quality is secondary to being loud. Electronic music works very well, metal heavily depends on how well it's mixed. Oh, and you will hear badly-encoded MP3s.
Do the ViSangs measure up against bigger players like Phonak? No, but then again they only cost half as much and sound more than half as good. (Plus, unlike Phonak's weird IEMs they actually fit into my ears.)
The wires are somewhat stiff and have a memory effect; on the other hand they're robust and not very prone to telephony (that is, you hear the music and not the cable rubbing against your clothes). Both come with a shirt clip, a carrying box and an assortment of silicone and foam rubber caps with the R02's assortment being slightly larger (it comes with an additional pair of biflanges). Both are very comfortable to wear, even for long periods of time. As for sturdiness, it took me almost two years to break my R02s, which is okay for a 30 EUR investment in my book.
If you're in the states you might know the R02 as the Brainwavz ProAlpha and the R03 as the Brainwavz m2. They're pretty much straight-up rebrands.
I bought my R02 and R03 as imports from HK and UK, respectively. The prices including postage were 30 and 50 EUR, which is very cheap compared to what these things deliver. Between the two I'd recommend the R02. The R03 might be built slightly better and might look nicer but the R02 delivers virtually the same sound for less money.
tl;dr:
Pros: Cheap for what they do; flat sound profile; good separation; quiet wires
Cons: Very sensitive to badly-mixed music and compression artifacts; you might need to import them (try eBay, though; the import costs might be low)
USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
Any SKULL CANDY headphones are awesome exspecialy for their price
They're $99 on Amazon, and pretty great. I had some SE-110s before, but on those the cable doesn't go over your ear, so it's pretty prone to being tugged on, and eventually one side failed. The 215s don't have that problem, sound great, and come with a variety of rubber or foam earplug things.
CD3K are's legend, and worth every penny. They're hard to find, I believe they stopped production.
As for Sony, the 7506's are reference for many studios and field recordists. No mention for them yet? And they're around $79. VERY analytical, but with lots of bass.
OK, granted, they're not cheap, and you need a .250-to-.125 adapter for the headset side, and the microphone side needs a .206-to-.125 adapter that can supply bias voltage (I use 5V from the closest USB port), BUT...
I have a pair of Lightspeed Aviation 25XLs, and I have to say that it's best and most comfortable headset for any purpose. Gigantic squishy earpads, and severely good ANR. If you rock out in them, you do so in total oblivion of the outside world. If you play Doom in them, about 20 minutes is all you'll be able to take without stopping to pray. And they're two generations old, the new stuff is supposed to be way better.
Also, you can go flying with them.
I also have the Sennheiser HD 202 and they are great sounding headphones if a little bit bulky. If you want earbuds, I've been happy with Klipsch's offerings though they sound a bit tinny.
The best in-ear headphone I've had are Apple's. Not the crap stock ones that come with their devices though. Those leave bruises in my hear-holes (that's the technical term). I get the feeling from reading the rest of this thread that most probably won't agree with me.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MA850G/B
I bought some Beats Tour in-ear headphones (the ridiculously overpriced things you see at Best Buy) thinking something that pricey and with the specs that good on the box, it has to be amazing. The quality of them turned out to be crap though. Nice cable (Monster), but the ear-pieces were strangely shaped. The worse part was the ear-tips were a smooth rubber that didn't breathe, so when you put them in your ear, it sealed it and caused suction in your ear-hole (still technical term). Maybe my anatomy is different from people who like these headphones, but this causes the same affect as when I change elevations quickly (I jump really high) and you have to yawn to fix it. I was "yawning" a lot. These things cost (at the time) $200 after taxes and I couldn't stand them. Don't get me wrong, the sound was decent, with a full frequency response range.
For my next pair I picked up Apple's nice in-ear set for $80. I was a bit skeptical because it was Apple, which wasn't exactly known for making headphones. The range was fantastic ( 5 Hz to 21 KHz ) and the rubber tips are great. They are a soft rubber material that doesn't cause the suction problem I experienced with the beats headphones.
On top of solving the suction problem had having amazing range for in-ear, it was also less than half the price of the Beats. It also has a microphone, volume control, and a play/pause button (works with Siri too if you're one of THOSE people (I am)). I use it for both my music and my phone calls. They don't fatigue my ear-holes (technical term) when I'm on a 2-hour conference call, and they are great for air travel too.
The next best ones I would suggest (if you want in-ear) are the $20 JVC Marshmallow headphones at Walmart. Those are a close second (no mic/volume control).
Again, this is for in-ear. I know you specifically mentioned they hurt your ears, which is why I generally avoided them. But these were an exception and are now my favorite. :)
"That'll never compile."
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC-31-Stereo-Head
I am on my second pair...these are my all-day at work headphones....closed back, leather ear cup pads breask in nicely. Heavy cord is very durable. My last pair lasted almost a decade. The headphones are very balanced with excellent bass response and are non-tiring. They respond well to custom EQ settings on what ever you listen to. They are billed as Studio Monitor Headphones and work well in that avenue. I have yet to hear any headphone in the $100 class that sound as comfrotable and balanced as these.
Buy them, try them. If you don't like them, you should return them. Most stores have return policies. Even on used audio equipment. Look, even with the 200 products Slashdot users helped you to narrow down onto your shopping list, you're still flying in the dark, so to speak, when you go to try any one of them. My approach? Go into the store, buy any two of the $49. The one I like least, I exchange for a different pair, and so on, until eventually I have two headphones one of which is guaranteed always to be better than any of the others I've tried. I return the other one for a full refund. Took me about 3 months to find out the $20 pair of headphones I have now are about the best I've ever had.
I own previous generation Nuforce NE-6 earbuds and they sound really great. I got mine for $25. The newer ones rate just as well, the NE600x are the same price and the higher end model NE700x is $65.
http://www.nuforce.com/hp/reviews-headphones.php
The only downside seems to be reliability; some report cabling is a little fragile, so don't yank them around a lot. I've had no problems with mine, although I don't use headphones much.
In my case, I was looking for headphones that are good for gaming. With gaming you want a wide soundstage and something that isn't too bass heavy. A wide soundstage lets you to pinpoint where the sound is coming from and you don't want the bass to drown out gunfire.
I went with the Incipio f38's, which go for about $30 on Amazon. They have the same exact drivers as the more expensive Brainwaz HM3 and the even more expensive Fischer FA-004. All 3 headphones are well regarded over at headfi, especially the Incipio's whose price is very hard to beat. I also attached a Modmic to my Incipio's for voip.
Here are the two product links:
http://www.amazon.com/Incipio-NX-100-Hi-Fi-Stereo-Headphones/dp/B005Q311QI
http://www.amazon.com/AntLion-ModMic-Attachable-Boom-Microphone/dp/B005IT9P3G
Hands down the best bang for the buck - you can order over-ear attachments for an extra couple of bucks. The greatest part about these are, when (if) they break - you don't have to be upset over losing an arm and a leg.
On-ear (left and right parts have their separate ear-clip), pretty linear characteristics (no particular "bass boosting"), with an analytical, somehow "cool" (as opposed to "warm") output.
In my opinion, the Yuin G1A and G2A are excellent for classical and voice music, including solo instruments and quartets.
Enthusiasts of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal would be disappointed, though. They'd rather look elsewhere.
If your mobile audio device will not drive high impedance earphones, the G2A (low ohm) will do fine.
Last time I checked, the G2A was $49 in the U.S., around £45 in the U.K.
One can get Yuins from Hong Kong as well, see the offerings of your preferred auction house on the internet.
(Most portable devices will need a portable amp to drive the G1A, due to its high impedance. And it is way above the price limit)
Note: Both the G1A and G2A do *not* isolate the user acoustically, they let pass a good portion of environmental sound (and noise).
I've been considering getting wireless headphones so that I can watch TV/play games late at night. I've been considering the Sennheiser RS120. Can anybody recommend anything better or have anything to say about the RS120?
Dare I ask how you really feel about Microsoft mice?
I only look human.
My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
For my money the AKG K272 or others in the AKG line-up.
I had AKG headphones 40 years ago, and never forgot them. Saw them at a music store and picked them up again. Super comfortable, fantastic sound.
http://www.headphonereviews.org/ is non commercial headphone reviews website. There are some editors reviews, but most of the reviews are by users, with reviews by experienced headphone users given more weight than reviews by new members. The site is moderated to keep the review quality high.
Disclaimer: I own and run the website, and the website covers its costs by getting affiliate revenue from amazon.
1. Sony MDR-V6! 2. Sennheiser HD202 And runner up is Sennheiser HD 25s but they get a bit uncomfortable after more than an 1hr of wearing
Have had many headphones and earbuds over the years including several Sennheisers, Etymotic etc. Both of those brands simply fell apart after a few years. The Sennies still sound okay but the cheap crap covering the padding devolves into black dandruff. The Etymotics just fell apart, it is a bit much to call what they use cable or even wire, it's more like thread. For both build quality and sound quality it is definitely Grado and the SR 80's are as good as my Bowers & Wilkins bookshelf speakers - there's a lot more music in the middle range than you will find on most anything else. I suggest you find a good stereo store and try on a pair before you buy anything else.
You won't quite get in under $50, but Grado has long (like since the 1990s) been known for outstanding quality of its sub-$100 open-air phones. Surprisingdetail, fairly free from colorations and f.r. anomalies, unfatiguing high-end. Not a lot of extension at either end of the response curve, of course, but the bass that is there is tight and detailed (kick drums tend to be percussive, not boomy) and transients have a lot of "snap." The $69 & $79 models are IMO no-brainers in a world where people gladly pay multiples of those figures for horrible, overhyped, bass-heavy products like Dr. Dre's. All the Grado's also boast decent form factors -- light and sturdy, although they're not a foldable, back-pocket type of product. If you can live with going $10 or $20 over your budget, it may not be hard to find more detailed reviews in reputable audio-gear journals. Despite the low price, products in this line havefor decades been considered entry-level audiophile products. IMO, Grado should be the starting point for anyone looking for headphones in this price range. As for me, I purchased a $330 pair of Etymotic canalphones 15 years ago, spent another $100 for custom-molded eartips and will never go back. Nothing short of $4000 Stax electrostatics clearly surpasses them. If you're serious about music, consider saving up some money and picking up a pair. But if you want best bang for your buck, knowledgable audiophiles will all put the Grado SR60 & SR80 near the top of their short lists.
Wow it's amazing to see the Porta Pro's still around after all this time! I had a pair in the late 80's and they sounded great! I've had several models of Koss headphones/earbuds and they all sound very good for the price.
I only listen to podcasts and prefer retractable earbuds which don't get tangled up in storage. The only place I've found them is China via eBay at a cost $2 or $3 each, incl s/h. Cheap cost is important because I've not had any earbuds that didn't fail from separated wiring within a few months.
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showforum=59
I find head-fi to be more religious.
I've been using these for several years (on my 2nd pair). http://www.ebay.com/itm/Plantronics-Audio-645-USB-Gaming-Headset-Chat-PC-MAC-/370527962583?pt=US_Computer_Headsets&hash=item56453005d7#ht_2020wt_1265 They are cheap, real comfortable on the ears, have a good mic, USB or Stereo jacks, volume and mute on the cord. I have a spare in my cabinet for when this pair breaks (which they all do based on how I use them). By the way, great job to all the knuckleheads who immediately derailed a simple question into politics. ugh.
I can vouch for both the Grado's (SR60's in my case) and the Sennheiser HD 202s. I bough both on the recommendations of others and have found the Grado's to be the purest sounding (with no isolation) and reasonably flat with enough isolation to keep out the constant discussions going on around me in my workplace.
Both are IMHO great value for money.
The Grados sound best on my diy-upgraded iRiver H320 (CF drive, new battery, Rockbox) - the quality is noticeably better than when I used them on my iPhone 4. Alas, same can be said for my old iMac G5 (smooth Burr-brown audio) vs. my new Macbook Air.
In the end, buy to your budget - there's some great headphones out there for a reasonable price.