Are $100+ headphones worth it?

[Chromexon1]

Hey, I'm a average person and I listen to music a bit. Not very regularly, around 20 mins a day (I have exams ) Right now I just use standard apple headphones, and I was thinking about buying Audotechnica ATH m50's. (I listen to a lot of genre's, mostly rock and metal) But are $100+ headphones really worth the money? Sorry, I don't know much about headphones, and I've never listened to music from a good headphone.

 

[DenonFnatic]

Definitely!!, you won't be listening to only 20 mins a day after you buy the M50s. Although the sound quality does not improve by leaps and bounds, I found my enjoyment/appreciation of the song did. Then again, you don't know what you're missing out on until you've heard it, so if you're content with the earbuds, by all means stick with them.

 

[Darknet]

 In my opinion it is... but you may want to think about music's importance to you and whether you can justify the price of a headphone through the music. Even if you're not super serious about audio quality a good pair of headphones really helps me enjoy music (my friend who I convinced to upgrade from apple earbuds agrees too lol) as for the $100+ price range that really depends on more whether you want to spend the money. Also, for the price many people would recommend something besides the m50s (I have a pair, but...). If you have the money to spend and want better headphones then go for it, but I would do some more research her on head-fi before making a decision. 
 
P.S. you might end up listening to music more if you get better headphones (happened to me xD) and if you feel that music isnt that you can always consider something cheaper
 
Edit: if something I said sounds similar to DenonFnatic's sorry... his post appeared after i reloaded the page xD

 

[Chromexon1]

Thanks, I did a bit of research, and I only hear good stuff about the m50's so I thought I'll get them. I'm 16 so I don't earn money this a birthday gift. (so you could say that the $150 for the headphones is one year of my salary XD) So for me the 150 buck is a lot cause I don't earn so I want to be sure I should buy a expensive set of headphones or not. Plus, where I live they cost $180 buck but for teh lucky guys in US you can get them for 110 bucks of amazon :/ How much would it be to ship from amazon to singapore?

 

[RoMee]

If you are happy with your apple earbud than there's no reason to upgrade. If you feel like they're lacking and want better sound than go for it.
Yes, you will get a better listening experience, but only if you buy a headphone that caters to your music preferences.

 

[mbamg]

Quote:

Thanks, I did a bit of research, and I only hear good stuff about the m50's so I thought I'll get them. I'm 16 so I don't earn money this a birthday gift. (so you could say that the $150 for the headphones is one year of my salary XD) So for me the 150 buck is a lot cause I don't earn so I want to be sure I should buy a expensive set of headphones or not. Plus, where I live they cost $180 buck but for teh lucky guys in US you can get them for 110 bucks of amazon :/ How much would it be to ship from amazon to singapore?

 
If you live in Singapore, you should have access to a lot of other good headphones than us North Americans. Look around for more options before you buy.

 

[nabwong]

Quote:

Thanks, I did a bit of research, and I only hear good stuff about the m50's so I thought I'll get them. I'm 16 so I don't earn money this a birthday gift. (so you could say that the $150 for the headphones is one year of my salary XD) So for me the 150 buck is a lot cause I don't earn so I want to be sure I should buy a expensive set of headphones or not. Plus, where I live they cost $180 buck but for teh lucky guys in US you can get them for 110 bucks of amazon :/ How much would it be to ship from amazon to singapore?

 
Hi Chromexon1,
 
My advice would be to get a used pair, like a sennheiser hd595. I suspect that you're looking for something that is most bang for the buck. The hd595 can handle all types of music admirably and I believe you might be able to get a used one for around $150 price range. Even though I'm from Singapore, I have no idea what the local market is like. Haven't been back in a while. There are some singapore headphone forums. So maybe your best route is there. Being a student is tough, so I would recommend the hd595. It is a gateway headphone and soon you'll want to experiment with others and this is a good benchmark. It is relatively affordable and easy to drive. Sounds great plugged in straight to your laptop. 

 

[Chromexon1]

I'm don't want to experiment with headphones, I just like music and what a good listening experience. I'll surely never go above 200 bucks for a headphone and I had listened to music from a over ear headphone and I liked it a lot. Plus my earbuds keep slipping out. And I listen to all sorts of music, but mostly alternative, rock and metal. And I'm not a hardcore headphone guy, I just want a good pair, and then I'll forget about headphones till they break. I don't think I want to get a used pair too.

 

[daySpring]

If you are getting a refurb HE 400i from Hifiman directly for $229, upgrading to Ortho is definitely worth it. Else, a sub $100 NVX XPT100, Takstar Pro80 or sub $50 Superlux HD668B/681Evo are more than enough. Make sure you are using a decent dac/amp. FIIO Q1/E12l/E17/E18 should be enough (E10k isn't recommended). Saw a CEntrance DacPort 24/96 Class A amp on ebay recently for sub $70, which should be able to drive most demanding cans.

 

[Hondadude85]

This is far too subjective to answer correctly. Only you can answer this. Listen to some and either get sucked into the vortex like the rest of us or continue to be blissfully (and with a much fatter wallet!) ignorant.

 

[67flieger]

Zombie thread back from the dead...