HELP! Closed Headphones under $100

Check out the Shure SRH440.

I kept hearing things about the Audio Technica ATH-M50 (got them for $93 shipped on Ebay). Everywhere I look, these M50s are mentioned as being incredibly good for the price. I'm excited.

I heard the HD280 Pro and while they sounded decent, were NOT comfortable. My eyes felt like they were gonna pop out from the clamping force.

Look at the Sony MDR-V6 or MDR7506 as well.

The M50s are excellent. I recently acquired a pair and they have good strong bass, but are very clear in the mids and highs, and also quite smooth. Get them on ebay for around $90.

The Sennheiser HD428 is an option too, if you don't mind flashy consider the HD438.

The HD448 don't need an amp, just a semi-decent source. I use them with a Samsung Jet phone and the sound is great. More power > fuller and bigger bass on these, but never overpowering the mids.

I own a pair of HD280's and they sound good they do lack the bass for my dnb though. They aren't exactly what I'd call comfortable. The clamping force is too much when listening for extended periods. I usually have to take them off every hour or so to let my ears breathe and relieve the pressure. They do isolate very well though.

I would consider the Audio Technica M50 they can generally be had for sub $100 if you know where to look. FWIR they are easy to drive, have a nice bass, and are fairly portable.

M50 is indeed a good choice - they have good midrange (perhaps a bit lacking in detail and a little recessed, but nothing major) and extended treble. Bass quality out of the box is poor when unamped, but with burn in, it improves to acceptable level. Bass is very deep and punchy. Treble is somewhat emphasized, somewhat metallic sounding and a bit prone to sibilance, but is sharp and detailed. The soundstage is really good for a closed headphones, especially in width and separation and dynamics are also very good. However, M50 can sound a bit boring/clinical with some music, especially instrumental, jazz, classical because of its somewhat sloppy bass and a recessed upper midrange.

Another good choice is the Shure SRH440. It sounds lighter on bass than the M50 and doesn't extend as low, but it has a better balanced sound overall with the bass better integrated into the midrange, livlier mids, and a more natural treble.

If you can find M-Audio Q40 for under $100, they are also great. They have a very unique, 'analog' sound with a very musical bass and low midrange. The bass extends deep and is more controlled than the M50 or SRH440, but it is on the heavy side (even more than M50). The low mids are also emphasized and really sweet and well defined. Q40 is great at reproducing piano and guitars - the instruments sound very lively on these cans. The treble, however, is a little peaky and harsh, but nothing major and is not very noticeable with most music.

Are you sure you only want over the ear headphones? For only $79 US + shipping, you can buy Hifiman RE0 in-ear headphones that will outperform all of the above closed cans by a large margin. They are not deep inserting, so they are quite comfortable and I have no problems wearing mine for hours at a time. They will also isolate noise better than any over the ear closed headphones.

Yeah, good choice. They should suit your work environment well. For lighter phones, you could also consider the ES7.

If you're looking to buy the M50's here is a pretty good price ($89). http://musicianstoybox.com/_product_...nal_Headphones
This is the straight cord version though. You'll need to use the coupon code MTB0310.

I can't compare with others, but my 448s are extremely comfortable. I have them on literally all day, every day. Good isolation, too.