Seeking high-efficiency headphones for mobile phone use w/o separate amp (<$300 new/used)
Jan 17, 2017 at 11:36 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 2

dburna

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Wondering if anyone might have some suggestions for me.  I have currently an Android phone that I like (and will be using for the foreseeable future), but it has a fairly weak headphone output.  I am driving a pair of Momentum Over-Ears (v1.0) that are about 110dB and 20-ish ohms, and the result is OK from a volume perspective.  Point is, I don't think I could go much lower in sensitivity without compromising sound/volume.   I've been looking around to see if I could do better from a sound quality perspective, but any solution would need to meet certain criteria:
 
1. Headphones, not ear buds: I have tried numerous ear bud solutions/inserts, and none of them fit me -- they all fall out of my ears or lose seal.
2. Looking for clear, open, neutral presentation......but *not* bright.  I have a serious visceral aversion to bright speakers/headphones.
3. Mobile use, driven by my cell phone.  I don't want to carry anything extra like a headphone amp.
4. Very high efficiency: 110dB or better (because my cell phone output is too weak to defend itself).
5. Wired or wireless.......but if wireless, I need it to be relatively light and have good battery life.
6. Microphone (for Android use) strongly preferred -- it's nice to be able to take a call while I am commuting.
7. Comfortable for long use.
8. Closed/open....whatever: noise cancellation would be nice, but not essential.
9. Don't have to be sport models -- I would mainly use these for commuting/walking.
10. Cost: would like to keep this under $300 new/used.  Might go higher, but I don't use these enough currently to be worth a big splurge.
 
I know that's a long list of wants, but does anyone have any suggestions on something that might fit the bill?  Anything that would sound significantly better than the Momentums?  Frankly, the Momentums are a decent (but not stellar) match for my phone, but I've been curious lately about whether there's something better out there for a comparable amount of money.
 
 
Thanks in advance for your suggestions,  -dB
 
Mar 18, 2017 at 3:10 PM Post #2 of 2
I didn't get any replies for this post, but I wanted to follow up to let folks know that I settled on a pair of Focal Listen and they have met just about every requirement I had.  High efficiency, lightweight, pretty open sounding, fairly neutral/balanced presentation, under $200 (used).  I like them a good deal more than the Sennheiser Momentum Over-Ear v1.0 that I had.  Only drawback is the lack of volume control on the cord, but I am usually a set-it-&-forget-it guy when it comes to volume, so no big deal.  Overall, a solid recommendation for dynamic drivers in the $200-300 range.
 
-dB
 

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