Philips SHL9705A/28 Headband Headset for Android -Black

I forgot my headphones so I bought these at an airport kiosk for my flight, to avoid having to use the airline ear buds. For the price, they're shockingly good. Heck, they're good for $100, at $30 they're a complete steal. Bass is taut and full, mids are well presented and slightly forward, and while treble is a little "warm" and rolled off, it's still better than average. Combined with being durable, comfortable (to me), and easily driven by anything (they're designed specifically to be used with an Android phone, but they also work with iOS devices), they're a perfect set of inexpensive, portable on-ears. Just throw them in a bag and go.

Got these for $20 on Woot. They're exceedingly comfortable on-ear headphones with memory foam that feels soft and cushioned. The cable is thick and just the right length for a portable device and only emerges from one side of the phones (too bad it's not detachable). The looks are classy: the aluminum is shiny but not garish, the red trim is barely noticeable but a nice touch nevertheless, and the black headband is soft and comfortable and easily adjustable. The build quality is very solid and the earpads swivel flat with a reassuring click.
 
Onto the important stuff: sound quality. Well, once again, I'm no audiophile but these sound great for portable device listening. The Android app you can download adds a bit of boost to the overall sound character without messing things up too much (unlike like a lot of EQ apps). You can adjust the sound profile (more warmth, less bright, etc.) in-app. They have nice highs, good mids (which I really appreciated in a world of bass-heavy headphones), and just enough bass punch to make them sound good without being overbearing. Going back to some other headphones I own, I realized how muddy and "boomy" they were compared to these. However (and this is a big issue for me) they just don't seem 'driven' enough. This could be down to my particular device, but even when I crank the volume to its highest level it's just not loud enough out on the street (but fine indoors). Music is OK, but I can't listen to any spoken word out and about because it's just too quiet -- bummer, but your mileage may vary, and some smartphones may have stronger volume. However, other headphones I've tried don't have this issue.
 
If you can snag them for a similar price, they're worth picking up. The added advantage of being able to answer calls, start/stop music or forward/backward tracks is nice for Android device owners.
 
Sure, these aren't going to match high-fidelity cans and they're specifically aimed at portable use after all, but I'm very impressed for the price. The retail cost (around $70) is too high though, but I noticed even Amazon has them for much less.