Recommend me a pair of headphones for at most $150?
Feb 7, 2012 at 8:07 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 23
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I've been tired of going through multiple ear buds. I've gone through Panasonic, Sony, and various other brands that I can't even begin to list. Simply put, it just feels soo useless to go through that many ear buds once more. I've started reading about a few days ago and came across this forum. Trying to read as much as I could, I happened to lose my links since my browser crashed and my history wasn't saved.

Uses: Music [mix of anything. lately, I've been listening to soft rock and drum and bass. i've also been listening to classical/instrumental music a lot as well] Videos [dramas, movies, anime], More or less gaming [i dislike the use of headphones in gaming. you feel confined, and it wasn't very comfortable xD]

Size: Portable, Covers ear, Can be cup/simply covering [not saying I want Beats, but it's all I've seen at school and outside of school but the size at max i'd say would be Beats Studio sized.]

Other: Minimal sound leaking [they may also be used in class or library, and I wouldn't want others to be disturbed by whatever I am listening/watching], Comfortable to wear [will wear it for a few hours at most. commuting while wearing them is what they would be used for most of the time], Durable [I will try to take care of them with the best of my ability, however, they must be durable.], Appearance [they need to look decent at least. Beats look too cheap b/c of the plastic, and the V-Moda LPs look much nicer to me]

Headphones I've been considering:
- Sennheiser HD 449 [$150. I was about to buy the HD448, but they were replaced with these ones. They look stylish, but unsure about the quality of sound while compared to others for the price]
- V-Moda Crossfade LP [$200. The design appealed to me. I also heard good things about it about sound quality which I appreciated.]
- Grados SR60/80 [$80+. The design and comfort I questioned. The reviews I've read commented that these were nice and also, it seems to be a popular choice from what I've read in the forums for those who can't afford more expensive ones.]

I am open to suggestions or recommendations since that's what I am here for! Reading more about this, I learned about amps to improve bass and the potential of the music simply becomes much better? I haven't done much research on this yet, but The Fiios amps are what I commonly see. I am using a ZuneHD as my source but I am planning on changing it simply because I dislike being binded to a program just to add music. Considering the Cowon J3 or a Sandisk player and rockboxing it. Too bad the S:Flo2 isn't available anymore :\

EDIT: If you read this, then I am thinking more of changing my maximum price. Max price is $150 simply because I am considering saving up $50 for a portable amp. I don't plan on listening to music that much at home, so my main focus is lighter weights, and decent portability + durability.
 
Feb 7, 2012 at 9:24 PM Post #2 of 23
While I can't say anything about the other ones, I can say that the Grado SR60/80 are far from ideal for your use in my opinion. 
 
They leak a lot and don't isolate at all since they're open headphones. I don't think that they are very comfortable either, it could be worse but it could also be a lot better. Of course that is only my personal opinion and some people will probably find them very comfortable. 
 
I think that you can cross them off your list if what you want is isolation and comfort. 
 
But they do  sound amazing for the price!
 
I am in fact also looking for some closed cans and I will probably get the Sennheiser HD25's. I don't know how much they cost in the US though, they might be out of your budget. 
 
Feb 7, 2012 at 9:28 PM Post #3 of 23
Heya,
 
Maybe get a Fiio E10 (home use, but portable for on the go assuming you plug into a laptop or something) or E7 (portable with devices like phones/players).
 
Panasonic HTF600
Shure SRH44
used Beyer DT770 PRO's
Shure SRH750 DJ
M-Audio Q40's
Fischer Audio FA-003 (or Brainwavz HM5)
 
Very best,
 
Feb 7, 2012 at 9:47 PM Post #4 of 23
So you need closed circumaurals/supra aurals that are decently portable. Grados are out because they are open, Crossfade LPs are a good option though not exactly versatile music-wise because of their bass-heavy (and for most on here, not in a good way) signature. They're supposed to be fun for dubstep and the like but not for much else. Creative Aurvana Live would be an excellent choice. Or you could forgo the amp and use that extra $50 to get some good midrange phones like M-80s, since most portable phones don't need an amp.
 
Feb 7, 2012 at 11:05 PM Post #5 of 23
So seeing as the Grados aren't closed and leaks a lot, I will just cut that off my choices. Sennheiser HD25 are sadly out of my price range. I saw them, and the design was amazing, but I simply knew that spending that much would be too much for me.

I read about the Fiio E7 and they say that they're built to replace the soundcard to substitute a low end soundcard. I went one level down and found the E6 which was much cheaper and I was wondering if the performance of the E6 is worth the price? Then again, would it really be necessary to have an amp?

I also tried to find various reviews for the headphones you posted MalVeauX. I found the Panasonic headphones to be with my liking but the others were quite expensive even though I had a max price of $150. I read your reviews for some of the headphones and was a bit disappointed on your review of the HD448. I was considering the HD449, and I may have to put in more research on headphones within that price range.

Creative Aurvana Live... I haven't been following much, but Creative's headsets aren't really favorable. I had the Creative Fatal1ty MK-II and they weren't comfortable when I wore them for even just 10-20 minutes. The mic quality wasn't very good and when I switched to my Logitech Rockband Mic, my friends told me my voice was much clearer. Maybe it was just my bad luck, but I stay away from Creative Products.
 
Feb 7, 2012 at 11:13 PM Post #6 of 23
I just bought a set of HD25-1 II after borrowing my brother's pair every once in a while over the past few years.  I have a pair of entry level/short money sennheiser cx200ii earbuds I got a few years ago, but otherwise that's my only headphone experience in recent memory.  My brother has had his for the past five or so and it's it's only set of headphones he uses as they're a great all around "if you can only have one" headphone so I had no choice really but to get my own set.
 
They're portable, durable, comfy and sound great. I was thinking of Denon D2000s too, but they aren't really durable for portable use and kinda big so they're more reserved for home use.  I also thought about the Grado SR60i at one point in time, but then stopped because I'd end up breaking them and their open design is sort of annoying to others if your using them out in public. 
 
+1 for the HD25-1 II, you can't go wrong with them.
 

 
 
 
Feb 7, 2012 at 11:50 PM Post #7 of 23
HD-25's would be a decent choice if you have the $$. I've also heard good things about the V-Moda Crossfade M80's, but I've never used them personally. Also, can't go wrong with the AT M50's, but they may be a little bulky to be used for portable use. If you're looking for something Beats-ish, you might also want to consider the Fanny Wang on-ear headphones. Look almost identical to the solo's, but the price and sound quality are better.
 
Feb 8, 2012 at 3:04 PM Post #8 of 23
I really liked the design of the HD-25s. No one has them which is what made them stand out for me. I also did my own research on them, and they received lots of praise which is good news! I am yet to try them out however, so possibly at FutureShop or BestBuy I can stop by and see if I can demo them, however I will keep these on a list of good headphones and make them a long term goal to save up for! Maybe once I get a part time job hopefully this will be my first big investment.

The AT M50 I may consider, but anything that look like Beats I will avoid. First main reason is to avoid conflict with people. It will be annoying to get into fights with people and hearing things about having fake Beats which is quite stupid imo... Second, the general design imo isn't very nice. I tried Solos from my friend, and he was telling me how amazing the bass was when he played his dubstep and I didn't find them to be mind blowingly amazing.
 
Feb 8, 2012 at 3:14 PM Post #9 of 23
I'd urge you to get the Senn HD25 1 II; they're absolutely perfect for your described needs.
 
 
But, respecting your price limit, I say go with the KRK KNS 8400.
 
Very comfortable, reasonably stylish (but that's so subjective...), excellent build quality, light in weight, fold flat for portability, great sound.
 
 
After buying the 8400, I sold my ATH-M50 of which I had grown somewhat weary after a year or so,
and the 8400 has been a very nice change - I really enjoy listening to them.
 
 
Feb 8, 2012 at 3:37 PM Post #10 of 23
I guess you cant go wrong with the HD-25's. They are almost indestructible. 
 
Feb 8, 2012 at 4:36 PM Post #12 of 23


Quote:
zazex said:
I'd urge you to get the Senn HD25 1 II; they're absolutely perfect for your described needs.
 
 
But, respecting your price limit, I say go with the KRK KNS 8400.
 
Very comfortable, reasonably stylish (but that's so subjective...), excellent build quality, light in weight, fold flat for portability, great sound.
 
 
After buying the 8400, I sold my ATH-M50 of which I had grown somewhat weary after a year or so,
and the 8400 has been a very nice change - I really enjoy listening to them.
 
Click to expand...

 
Wearing 8400s in public is the visual equivalent of using open headphones in a library. I don't understand whatsoever how some people have no problem wearing flying buttress headphones in public.
 
 
 
Feb 8, 2012 at 5:03 PM Post #13 of 23
Seems good so far, I am reading more and more and getting good feedback on those Sennheiser HD25. I saw there were 2 types? There was the HD25 and the HD25 - II. At FutureShop, they sold the HD25 [Adidas Edition] but not the HD25II for $300. Is that worth the price or is it suppose to be cheaper?
 
Feb 8, 2012 at 6:38 PM Post #15 of 23
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