Hello, I am new to this forum and the hi-fi headphone world. I don't have anything special, but I am hoping to find out a little something in this forum so I can upgrade my stuff later on.

Right now I am mainly interested in closed headphones, and I have Sony MDR-CD180s, I got them for about $20 or less at the Wiz several months ago.

I just started looking at this forum a week ago, and I realized I missed out on good deals like the KOSS KSC-35, Philips HP550, and JVC HA-D990, I can't find these headphones ANYWHERE!!!

SO... until another good deal comes up with good headphones going for $30 or less I'll be keeping my CD180s, atleast for a like 6 months or something.

Does anyone think that these headphones would be any better with an amp? I read bout the CMOY amps, but mostly how they help the high end headphones, and could they bought for around $20-$30?

Also, is there any crazy deals going on like for the headphones I listed above? Like clearance or discontinued stuff going cheap? You guys seem to get to all the good stuff first . Thanks

$30 isn't gonna buy you much, but you can get a Grado SR40 for $40. Many consider them the best can's under $50.

I don't think adding an amp would do your Sony's any good.

Save up some money and get real can. $79 for MDR-V6

Portapros for $25 if the deal at koss.com is still going on. Many prefer them over the Grado SR-40s.

Retail is $50.

As another satisfied Portapro user, I second ooheadsoo's recommendation. Can't do better for $30.

The Portapros, BTW, have the same drivers as the KSC-35. The difference is it's not an ear clip. They're very comfy, sound great, and work perfect for portable use.

Wow this forum is really quick, are these Portapros better than closed headphones in that price range, in sound quality?

I think headphones in this price range include : Aiwa HPX222 and Koss UR20.

I'm really curious bout the Aiwas, w/ their advertised range of 5Hz-25kHz (or something in that range). It seems like it would be pretty good.

These Portapros seem like they are for more portable, on the go, use, and I wouldn't want to risk quality just for that, since these will be mostly for use at home to watch movies and listen to awesome musical scores by Zimmer, Rabin, Gregson-Williams, Powell, etc.

Thanks

I read that the KSC-55 have the same drivers as the KSC-35 and Portapros. Which would be better and more comfortable for home use, the 55 or portapro?

And I just checked their site, the price is $49.99??? Thanks.

Do not underestimate the power of the Portapros

I've never heard of those Aiwas so I can't say anything bad about them, but generally you're not going to find very good closed headphones for $20-$30. I think the selection for great closed phones probably begins with the V6 at around $60-$70. It depends on what you're using them for, though.

The Sennheiser HD-202 are probably good sealed phones in this range. You can check out a review of them at http://www.headphone.com/layout.php?...tID=0020080202.

You aren't sacrificing sound for portability with the Portapros though, that's an added bonus. I use them mainly for portable use and listening/watching movies with my computer (I have other headphone for home listening).

The site says $50, yes, but you input the code 617A while in the checkout and it will update the price for you. The KSC-55 is the behind the neck style and has been described as very clampy as in it really grips your head. I've used many streetstyle phones and found the majority of them to be this way. I'd say the Portapros would be a definite step up from them in comfort and in construction.

These Portapros look promising. I tried the HD202s, but they hurt my ears bad, they didn't totally cover my ears, only half way, causing the back to hurt.

I read that the KSC-35 were better than the Portapros and felt better than the 55s, would these be a better option than the Portapros for comfort and long term (over a few consecutive hours) use.

I'm only asking because I saw this ad:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3008539616

And for $10 it seems great, though I'm sort of not too enthusiastic about ebay, I heard a lot of bad stories of items being messed up or not working. Still some time left on that, so who knows I may go for it, if you guys don't bring the price up

If you can win that auction for cheap, go for it. Be warned that the last few pairs that went up on ebay (in the past week) have gone up to $70, even $100. It's madness...they're getting quite rare now. Those still have three days left, but good luck anyway if you decide to bid on them.

I find the porta pros utterly comfortable. They do NOT compromise in sound quality due to the "porta" nature.

The UR20 uses the same drivers, but the enclosure makes all the difference. They are reported to sound terribly muddy.

I don't know about the Aiwas that you are talking about, but i have a pair of Aiwas from around the $30 price range and they sound horrible. I mean it.

I find the treble clarity of the Porta pros to be on par with or superior to my Cambridge Megaworks 510d speakers, which cost me nearly $300.

The build quality of the porta pros are awesome. They can take a beating and keep on ticking. They fold up nicely, and I've been throwing them into my laptop bag for about a year now - hasn't shown any sign of problems. Also, I think Koss has life time warranty?

The Porta Pros are great for watching movies - except the short cord. I've watched movies with them on my laptop. The headphones has a suprising amount of depth to them, but it can be a bit boomy for some type of music. That said, they are a great set of headphones for less than $30.

If you are really set on the 35s, there's a thread somewhere about people trying to make custom ear molds to replace the porta pros and make them into something similar to the KSC-35. The 35 clips are suppose to make the bass less boomy I believe (I have not heard them myself).

C4 Suke, if the HD202 hurts your ears, then I can't help you with the sub-$30 closed headphones here. None of the large, sub-$30 closed headphones on the market (aside from the aforementioned HD202) sound at all good.

EDIT: If open-air headphones (such as the Porta Pro) outperform closed headphones in the same sub-$30 price range, definitely consider them.

Actually I was really into closed headphones because I thought they would sound better than any open headphones in that price range. But from how the Portapros are being described, I may be wrong.

The HD202s, they had a lot of bass (a little too much), can anyone compare the Portapros directly to the HD202 in bass? If the HD202s would be a better headphone, perhaps there are mods that can be done to replace the ear pads.

Thanks

Closed headphones - especially cheap closed headphones - sound worse than comparable open headphones in general, because their closed backs and enclosed air space can introduce unnatural resonances (which can manifest themselves in the honky echoing even if there's no echo whatsoever in the recording and/or tinny ringing noises that are highly fatiguing to listen to).

And yes, I tried the MDR-CD180's. Never in my life! Those 'phones have far too much empty air space within its closed earcups, and have drivers that are the same size as those used in miniature stock Walkman headphones, with the resulting sound being all this listening-enjoyment-destroying ringing and echoing. If the Sony MDR-V600's are one of the worst headphones that I've listened to recently, then think of the MDR-CD180's as those MDR-V600's at a price that the V600's are really worth.

Forgot to mention - Run away from this site! It will take your money, knock you down, and force you to allocate 10% of your paycheck to pay for more headphones and equipment!

I too started out with the porta pros based upon reviews here, headwize, and heaphone.com. Less than a year latter, I'm still watching the "gear for sale" forum every day, even though I've spent close to $1,000 so far on headphone related items!

As far as closed versus open, if you don't need the isolation (outside noise or bother others around you) open is the way to go.

Beware the notion of, "if I spend a little bit more, I can get X"... It WILL get you into trouble. Problem is, now-a-days, my ears get more attention than my butt (where my wallet is).