[DolbyR]

So i'm thinking about buying some Altec Lansing 512 or 512iE headphones as i need something fullsized but at low cost... Would these be ok or do they suck...i did think of 201 senns but theyre too expensive...my other choice wold be some panasonic model that is about 10 bucks cheaper than the lansing..but i dont know which would offer better quality for the price

 

[Meyvn]

Altec Lansing isn't really a Hi-Fi company. The HD201s can be had for 20 bucks online. If you want cheaper than that, go with the Koss KSC75, which is on sale at Radio Shack right now for 9.99; it's not full-sized, but the sound is amazing, especially for the price. I would not go with less than the HD201. The HD201 and KSC75 are miraculously good deals, but anything less than that is pretty much going to be crap, especially in the full-sized arena. In fact, many pairs $150 dollars and under are pretty much crap, namely the Sony MDR-V600/700 series, and the Bose Triports (not total crap, but definitely for the price).

edit: take that back. 17.99 for the HD201s. http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.proc...feed.SEN+HD201

 

[DolbyR]

well, im not searching for really hi-fi headphones, just something better than the ones i'm using now...my bad source doesn't justify expensive headphones either.

 

[ckhirnigs113]

Get the Koss KSC-75! You won't be disappointed. -CK

 

[DolbyR]

1st, i cant find them here, and buying online is not an option for me...the costs would be too high.
2nd, even these cheapo panasonics i have are good enough, just my working mates are already complaining from 20 feet distance that there's a "metal noise" coming from me..that's why i need something that is fullsized...maybe i'll still go for the panasonics...they can't be worse than this ones. And i'm carrying them in my bag to work and home each day so there's a high risk of them getting damaged too

 

[skudmunky]

You don't need fullsized headphones, you need closed headphones. Some full sized headphones are open, and will still let other people hear what you are listening too.

 

[NightWoundsTime]

I had a pair of Altec Lansings back in 2000 or so. They were open and I remember them being pretty good considering the source (onboard computer sound). Like these folks are saying though, stick with a hi-fi company's low end stuff, or Koss.

 

[DolbyR]

i saw some nice prices low-end senns though, but i doubt they are closed, thanks for clearing that misunderstanding though.

 

[manchau]

Philips are also making good phones for their price. You may find those for auditioning in Europe easily. Check out Philips HP series phones.

 

[Meyvn]

THe HD201s are closed. Also, the KSC75s are being sold to international buyers on the for sale forums here for fairly cheap.

 

[caps]

Absolutely, but with some serious qualifications.  The company has discontinued all of its headphones (unprofitable) so don't expect any support.  I purchased 3 pairs of their last top-grade model, the Backbeat UHP616 ULTRA.  It has a distinctive look because of an extra "safety cable" attached to the cap of the phone.  They employ an armature, which usually means high accuracy but non-prominent bass.  I loved their crisp, accurate, natural sound and found the bass "true" and not artificially boosted.  However, after 4 weeks the caps came lose from the phones, leaving the phones dangling by a single thin cable.  (I've had the same problem with JBL J22's).
 
Did the company forget the glue?  Did they assume no adhesive was necessary?
 
Anyway, I Gorilla-glued them back together.  I didn't like any of the included silicone tips and wound up with Ts-Comply tips for them.
 
My personal favorite Altecs go back to 2009.  They're the Altec UHP 326 Backbeat phones with the distinctive grey cloth case.  Mine are still going strong, sounding better than ever.  The complaint that the cloth cable picks up microphonics is way overdone, imo, though I don't use them for jogging.
 
Herre another way of finding good-sounding Backbeats: Look for recently released Backbeats by Plantronics, which temporarily bought out Altec's earphones business.  I've picked up nice-sounding ones in the 200 line for ten bucks.