[jms209]

I am basically looking for some good sounding inexpensive headphones for bus rides and general transit.
They need to be compact,so I can just fold them up and put them in my bag.
 
Only "High-End" headphones I've ever had was the AIAIAI TMA-1 DJ.
They worked great for me over the years, but bother me because of clamping force.
 
Which brings me to the most important for me, comfort and clamping force.
The Tma-1s were annoying to use because of the way they hurt my heads after minutes of use.
 
Was looking at the Sony MDRZX110AP and Sennheiser HD 202s.
 
Any recommendations for headphones around $10-$40 based on my needs?
comfort,sound, and compact.

 

[buke9]

I am basically looking for some good sounding inexpensive headphones for bus rides and general transit.
They need to be compact,so I can just fold them up and put them in my bag.

Only "High-End" headphones I've ever had was the AIAIAI TMA-1 DJ.
They worked great for me over the years, but bother me because of clamping force.

Which brings me to the most important for me, comfort and clamping force.
The Tma-1s were annoying to use because of the way they hurt my heads after minutes of use.

Was looking at the Sony MDRZX110AP and Sennheiser HD 202s.

Any recommendations for headphones around $10-$40 based on my needs?
comfort,sound, and compact.

I've heard the Monoprice headphones are fairly comfy and sound pretty good for the price worth checking out .

 

[bierdc]

My overwhelming recommendation is the Koss PortaPro. They're right in your price range, offer a widely-acclaimed sound, fold up nicely, and have a nifty 3-level adjustment that places the pressure on your temple rather than your ears. That might sound like a gimmick, but it genuinely works. They're possibly the only set of on-ear headphones that have the ability to virtually disappear on your ears. I'm a huge fan and long-time owner. Very light, very comfortable, and top-notch sound for the price. They've retained their 1980s design for good reason. Also, Koss has a lifetime warranty, should anything go wrong. You pay shipping, and they send you a new set.
 
A couple things to consider based on your preferences, however:
1) They're not super pretty. They have an '80s aesthetic that some find charming (myself included), but many are off-put by their "unique" look.
2) They don't seal. They leave you well-aware of your surroundings. They're easily driven, though, so volume easily drowns out all but the loudest external noises.
 
If you can overlook those two considerations, they may be a home-run for you.

 

[jms209]

  My overwhelming recommendation is the Koss PortaPro. They're right in your price range, offer a widely-acclaimed sound, fold up nicely, and have a nifty 3-level adjustment that places the pressure on your temple rather than your ears. That might sound like a gimmick, but it genuinely works. They're possibly the only set of on-ear headphones that have the ability to virtually disappear on your ears. I'm a huge fan and long-time owner. Very light, very comfortable, and top-notch sound for the price. They've retained their 1980s design for good reason. Also, Koss has a lifetime warranty, should anything go wrong. You pay shipping, and they send you a new set.
 
A couple things to consider based on your preferences, however:
1) They're not super pretty. They have an '80s aesthetic that some find charming (myself included), but many are off-put by their "unique" look.
2) They don't seal. They leave you well-aware of your surroundings. They're easily driven, though, so volume easily drowns out all but the loudest external noises.
 
If you can overlook those two considerations, they may be a home-run for you.

One minor complaint I hear about is noise isolation, since I will be using these on the bus, not sure if I can use these.
What are your experiences?

 

[Raketen]

Was going to say Porta Pro too, or $12 JVC Flats, but yeah neither great for isolation (even though Flats are closed) if you value that.

If you don't mind in-ears the $33 Zero Audio Carbo Tenore are very enjoyable for the price.



No idea about these but literally just read this review before I saw this thread so figure I'll link it (little out of price new, but Amazon Warehouse has them for $39) http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/inexpensive-and-great-sounding-beyerdynamic-dtx-350-m

 

[bierdc]

  One minor complaint I hear about is noise isolation, since I will be using these on the bus, not sure if I can use these.
What are your experiences?

I live in a more rural community and as such haven't really used headphones on a bus. Apparently a lot of people do use PortaPros for outdoor exercising/commuting because it keeps them fairly aware of their audible surroundings, provided they don't crank up the volume.
 
I'd say if you don't mind upping the volume a bit when you're in noisier environments such as the bus, most sources should have plenty of power to get the job done. The question to me is, will they require more volume than you're comfortable with? Don't take this as a promise, but I expect they'd work perfectly fine on a typical bus. As with any headphone (except some of the nicer active noise-cancelling ones), you'll lose bass response as it has to compete with the rumbling of the bus engine/road noise etc., but the rest of the music should be able to get through without much trouble.
 
Alternatively, if you do want excellent isolation and to better retain low-end, you could look into IEMs (in-ear monitors/earbuds). I can't make many suggestions in that category because I personally don't find IEMs comfortable (some people do, some people don't). I use them for loud yardwork (mowing/trimming), but that's about it. If you know you are comfortable with in-ears, and want superior isolation, that may be the way to go. Apparently Shure makes some great IEMs.
 
You may also want to look into the Koss KSC-75.. I haven't used them, but people say they're kind of like PortaPros in a different package (they clip on your ears, no headband), and can be had for $14. They use the same drivers as the PortaPros, but of course there's more to sound than that, so I can't say for sure how great they sound. But if you wanted to try them for cheap before committing, they're evidently a good option.

 

[jms209]

I was looking at "Sony MDR-ZX110AP"
These seems like they are decent for $10-$15.
 
Look to be compact and lightweight.
Might try these for $12 and see how these sound.
Any experience with these?
 
 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OUX6U6G/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=

 

[bierdc]

Personally, no; but I've had a couple budget Sony phones in the past (10+ years ago) and they sounded perfectly fine from what I remember. Four stars out of that many reviews means they probably did something right. Those pads should keep a bit more noise out than the foamies on the Porta Pros, if that's what you're concerned about. You might want to read reviews for comments about the ear pressure, though. I can almost guarantee that the Koss will be more comfortable, especially for long sessions... Not to say that those will be bad, of course!

 

[jms209]

  Personally, no; but I've had a couple budget Sony phones in the past (10+ years ago) and they sounded perfectly fine from what I remember. Four stars out of that many reviews means they probably did something right. Those pads should keep a bit more noise out than the foamies on the Porta Pros, if that's what you're concerned about. You might want to read reviews for comments about the ear pressure, though. I can almost guarantee that the Koss will be more comfortable, especially for long sessions... Not to say that those will be bad, of course!

One other concern I have,
zx110 or zx310
 
They seem to be nearly identical, but have heard zx310 are better sounding.
Not sure if the 300's were improved in any way over 100's.

 

[bierdc]

My initial impressions are that the 300's are just more flashy, with their colored pads and glossier backplate. Of course, you can't see sound so I might be way off

 
They both claim to have 30mm drivers, so I'd wager that they're the same. I suspect any acoustic differences would be negligible.

 

[jms209]

  My initial impressions are that the 300's are just more flashy, with their colored pads and glossier backplate. Of course, you can't see sound so I might be way off

 
They both claim to have 30mm drivers, so I'd wager that they're the same. I suspect any acoustic differences would be negligible.

$15 for ZX110 with mic.
$15 for ZX310 with no mic.
 
Wonder if any improvements were made?

 

[bierdc]

buke9 did mention the Monoprice phones above, and if you're considering all options, I hear they are very highly-regarded sets.
 
If you don't mind the larger size, an over-ear set shouldn't put pressure on your ears:
https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-108323-Headphone-Gold-Plated-Accessories/dp/B007SP2CO2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468737742&sr=8-1&keywords=monoprice+headphones
 
They also offer on-ear versions, but I can't speak to their comfort/pressure. Again, reading/searching reviews for comments about pressure might be your best bet.

 

[bierdc]

  $15 for ZX110 with mic.
$15 for ZX310 with no mic.
 
Wonder if any improvements were made?​

 
I'm kinda speaking out of my arse at this point, but manufacturers do know that most people will spend a bit more to get the colors they want. I wouldn't be surprised if that's where the extra money goes. I can say that if it were me, I'd probably be willing to fork over a little extra or so to get an interesting color. Not sure about an extra 50%, however, assuming the sound is the same.
 
Flip a coin--that could tell you which one you really want

 

[jms209]

   
I'm kinda speaking out of my arse at this point, but manufacturers do know that most people will spend a bit more to get the colors they want. I wouldn't be surprised if that's where the extra money goes. I can say that if it were me, I'd probably be willing to fork over a little extra or so to get an interesting color. Not sure about an extra 50%, however, assuming the sound is the same.
 
Flip a coin--that could tell you which one you really want

 
Honestly they are the same specs wise, other than weight.
can't find any comparisons,so likely just flip a coin.