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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I know this will sound petty, but I'd rip my intestines out with a fork before buying something branded with Sony, given their recent history of putting out crap hardware, screwing customers over, distributing malware, suing music fans, losing online customer's data, etc.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. "But that wasn't their headphone division!" Still, I don't want that company seeing one red cent of mine. Sorry headphone division of Sony, but your parent company is scummy, so you have to pay the price of their shenanigans. I'm hopeful that there are plenty of alternatives for 20 bones that are just as good or better.
To anyone reading this, please remember all the times you've read an article here about Sony and though, "Wow, that's bad." Please don't fall into the "But their [whatever] is pretty good, so I'll make an exception and buy it." It's putting money in their pocket that they use to keep screwing people over so that we can see even more articles here about their spectacular douchebaggery.
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
http://www.head-fi.org/
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.
... except Grados all commonly have the mid-range boosted, with only some noticeable bass (not the reproduction of it, but rather impact of the bass), and weird treble characteristics. It's highly coloured, and it's not detailed. Bowl models, depending on your ears, are still superaural rather than more comfortable circumaural. It's good for rocking out without being fatigued for long wearing due to its light weight and easy potential for modding, but it's no replacement for a good home speaker setup.
Guy wanted flat response. Your response is entirely wrong from get-go.
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.
I was under the impression hardly anyone could tell the difference between lossless and a v0 mp3 on even pretty decent gear....
Sony is a large company and they put out many things. If you have a beef against them for whatever reason then more power to you. However the question was posed about sub $50 dollar head phones and I happen to have picked up a pair of Sony's for a road trip and I was very impressed with the quality, fit and portability. If your still upset about the rootkit and the removal of PS3 Linux that's fine. That doesn't apply to me however and I'm just giving advice and the OP can use it or lose as he or she chooses.
On the Oregon Cost born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days
The lower end Etymotic earbuds are also around $100 and much better than the Bose.
"Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason."
Part of the method used to protest bad corporate behaviour is to boycott them. The other part is to spread the word. Only being boycotted by the people you've screwed over probably wouldn't even do much damage to Sony, (although it would be much more than most)
To stay on-topic, my favourites headphones are these JVCs at about $50, They have a cheaper pair for about half the price (HX-33s?) that are almost as good. They isolate noise enough tthat I wear them while woodworking or mowing the lawn. Great sound, and I can wear them comfortably all day. You can actually get them on sale for about half the price listed on occasion. They seem quite sturdy, but I'm not that rough on headphones despite wearing them so much.
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."
Just out of curiosity, is there a large (Fortune 500) manufacturer of consumer products that you think DESERVES your business and that of others here?
The point is that lots of people have a beef with practically every consumer-facing company, on the basis of product quality, or service, or policies regarding IP or customer privacy, or how and where they manufacture their goods, or the personality and character of the CEO, etc.
For that price point ($40), the Koss Porta Pro remain the kings, as another poster pointed out. I'm saying this as someone that's auditioned everything from the shittiest do-it-yourself headphones I made to $5K electrostatic headphones.
"Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason."
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.
Are you on drugs? Audio frequency EM waves have zero biological effect. Zero. Not to mention the power lines in your house emit a shitload more of audio frequency (60 Hz) EM waves due to the far larger current that runs through them vs headphone coils and more than makes up for the increased distance between you and a wall.
"Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason."
So we shouldn't even try, right?
Just sit back, drop another Xanax and keep blindly handing money to the people that are actively trying to screw us because, hey, it's unavaoidable, right?
You can take it that I disagree with your view of things.
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.
It's an old old argument form , like the 80s and I am not going to go carry it forward beyond explaining the basics of it to people who have never heard it which is what I just did.
Good day to you sir.
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.
I think the same thing about buying anything at Wal-Mart.
I don't respond to AC's.
I've spent the better part of my adult life wearing in ear headphones. It started for me when I went to Germany when I was 16 and got a pair of Sony in ear with a retractable case and some exotic saphire diaghphrams. They lasted me for over 10 years until I accidentally put them in a jacket and zipped up the then thin cord with my zipper.
Next, were Koss "The Plug" another odd make for me. In ear huge foam tips and very cheap ($14.99) and I think a lifetime warranty, if I hadn't lost my two pairs I bought (one failed and I just grabbed a new one at the store) but we are talking cheap, but very good sound quality.
After the loss of those I went to Beats Tour that I found on Craigslist for $65 for a pair of them (probably knock offs) and within a week I skimmed over one of them because they fell out, and son of a b*tch. They broke! Great sound, terrible quality, noisy jacket on the cable.
My favorite pair so far have been another pair of Sony, flat cord, MegaBass features. They were a $25 clearance find at a Walmart in my town. They haven't shorted over long workout sessions from sweat, they get pretty loud to the point where I know I should go back one or two clicks on my iPhone. But these have lasted with the same action of falling to the ground and me skimming over it. These do fit fairly nice, only really fall out if I have tension on them for a few body cycles and eventually they walk out. I will more than likely own another pair of Sony headphones before any other brand.
I was given a pair of Shure 2xx series headphones from my old boss at an audio distributor, pro headphones. They were pretty flat, not very enjoyable sound wise, and they fit terrible. I gave them to an ex, which she sold for pretty good cash. So there's my take on those, ha ha.
Look on Sony's site and they have some XBA-1, they are $71.99 but I bet they are probably pretty damn good.
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.
I would disagree. You can easily find some nice phones for reasonable price. The Grados were always highly rated (and considered under-priced) with the 60s available for just around the $50 price limit (over $50 but not by much)
And, if you want an enclosed set, the Monoprice 8323 are hard to beat and would beat most other enclosed phones in the under $200 price range and they are under $25.
However, if you really want the best, yes, they cost - but "decent" is available, just not from consumer brands like Sony.
There are a ton of companies out there that make headphones.
How about picking one that is not extremely well known for fucking over consumers, sticking their noses where it does not belong (my home), and sponsoring (read purchasing) legislation that fundamentally violates our rights to Freedom, Privacy, and Anonymity just because they are loathsome greedy pieces of shit?
Last I heard.. Denon, Coby, Bose, Urbanwear, etc. did not have any financial interests in copyright specific IP law, content creation, and content distribution.
I understand your point that all companies might be objectionable in some ways, but some companies are clearly and flagrantly, objectionable in so many, many, ways.
Just to chime in here years ago I bought some Sony ear buds. I had to RMA one pair because the cord self destructed. The replacement was an upgraded model that also self destructed, but this time after the warranty expired.
To be fair I had the same problem with Shure headphones. The rubber couldn't handle the oil from my skin and would eventually crack. But at least the Shures had a 2 year warranty rather than the 1 month BS the Sonys had. I guess it's not as big of a problem if you're not using ear buds you're in contact with all the time but I've sworn off of Sony because of this and other quality issues with their products. I would rather spend $100 more and get something that won't break and sounds much better anyway.
I very much agree with you. The entire *reason* that those companies have so many divisions is that they want goodwill you feel towards one of their products (say, the Discman of old) to transfer over to other lines of products (say, their headphones).
However, what this means is that when one division (or, in this case, several) radically screw the pooch, a lot of people associate the negative experience with the company as a whole. Ergo, due to the CD / DRM issue almost a decade ago, I won't buy a Playstation, a VAIO, or a $20 pair of headphones that say Sony on them.
It's not just *GOOD* feelings that transfer over, Sony.
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 *** +-=-+-=-+-=-+-=-+-=-+-
As far as I'm concerned, Sony is the only company I boycott.
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.
There's a trick to putting them in, and I prefer the marshmallow adapters rather than the rubber ones (they come with a selection of types and sizes). I find that if you pull your earlobe out and forward while seating the earbud it seals nicely and stays in place. You get they hang of it quite quickly.
A million times no! When I got frustrated with the headphones that came with my phone because the buds kept falling out, I replaced them with some earbuds from Sony. The sound quality would basically qualify as what I call Brittney Spears quality. In other words, they have no bass, the treble is hissy, the sound is static-ey and unclear. To me, the represent another low-quality piece of crap from Sony made with the slogan 'rush it out and try to make as much money as possible.' No quality, no value, nothing. I can't imagine a $5 pair sounding worse. I knew it was a mistake to buy from Sony, but I gave them just one more chance. Not doing it again.
Personally, I got a Sennheiser HD 202 for $20 and they're quite simply the best value you can possibly get for headphones. For the price, the sound is impressively rich, clear and well-rounded.
I have left slashdot and am now on Soylent News. FUCK YOU DICE.
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.