[buidoimiennui]

I see that almost here we don't talk about headphones under 100usd. Even if it's used, does cheap mean it's bad? Are we only talking about expensive things here?

 

[HWB3]

Grado SR60's and 80's get a lot of love here and they can be had for less than $100 used. The price of the headphone doesn't matter as long as you enjoy it.

 

[earmonger]

Put the model number of a headphone into the search box. Plenty of under-$100 headphones discussed.

Looks like there hasn't been a general "best headphones under $100" thread recently, but you could easily start one.

 

[PopZeus]

They're not bad, but often they're a stepping stone for an increasingly expensive hobby. As you start to understand what is appealing to you personally about audio (and what isn't) from listening experience, the hesitation about increasing your budget starts to fall away, so that what you want to spend more closely matches what you can spend. Whereas when you're just starting out in the hobby, you're not necessarily looking to spend your max budget right away. Though some certainly might want to bet the whole pot, most folks here will tell you to start small and modest, so that you can try out several different pieces of gear and not max out your budget with one purchase.

Below the $100 price, there just seems to be a lot of compromises that have to be made, just to ship a quality product that also sounds good. Which is probably why most audiophiles would recommend an old-school KOSS headphone if you're just starting out in the hobby.

Fwiw, I'm glad to see chi-fi trying to bring value to that category. So much price innovation has been happening in the IEM space, it's nice to see that success moving into the headphone space. In particular, the FiiO JT1 is getting a lot of hype, and that's not surprising. Unfortunately, there seems to be a sweet spot for most audiophile budget headphones that sits above the $100 price floor but below the $400 ceiling.

 

[spittis]

There are lots of cheap headphones that are decent. But I'd imagine that most people who post on these forums are deep enough into the hobby that they just naturally progress to more expensive things, that's just how most hobbies go. I think for many, it's more interesting to talk about the more high end stuff.

 

[geek707]

Another reason might be lack of QC. While you might be able to find great gear, you might be pressed to duplicate.

 

[csch92]

not always
also expensive doesn't always means better

 

[UrAvgPlay3R]

not always
also expensive doesn't always means better

Agree. Ultimately it's up to personal preference, and what a person like can appear in any price range.

A good example can be someone who doesn't like that much details (because it gets too fatiguing after awhile), but generally speaking details that a headphone has increases as price goes up (there's counterarguments, I know, but it's not enough to counter the general trend).

 

[Kerry56]

Creative Aurvana Live! is inexpensive and a fine headphone if you like a warmer tone than neutral. So, there are a few good headphones to be had under $100.

There is a group of Takstar Pro 82 fanatics that post regularly around here, and I believe it is still under $100.

 

[Sitilac]

I don't think cheap in general seem to be bad I just think a lot of cheaper headphones probably don't have the thought put into their tuning or QC. There's plenty of budget options constantly brought up like the Koss porta pros and even moreso in the iem space like the Truthear Hexa and the Zeros.

 

[Whazzzup]

What has a cheap hp done to you?

 

[XIST_]

The gap in quality between headphones that are roughly $100 and $200 is quite large. Doesn't mean that anything under $100 is worthless, but IME the HD6XX is going to be worth the extra money over pretty much any headphone in the sub $100 range. Can't speak for cheap IEMs since I haven't heard many.

 

[Kerry56]

The gap in quality between headphones that are roughly $100 and $200 is quite large. Doesn't mean that anything under $100 is worthless, but IME the HD6XX is going to be worth the extra money over pretty much any headphone in the sub $100 range. Can't speak for cheap IEMs since I haven't heard many.

Unless you happen to be in the group that dislike the sound of the HD6xx. I am one, and I find their sound to be boring. Never felt connected to the music with them. The HD6xx does serve as a benchmark of sorts, but like most of the headphones mentioned around here, it comes down to individual taste, and it is difficult to know your preferences without trying a lot of headphones.

 

[PopZeus]

One thing worth noting about the sub-$100 range in that they're almost all easy to drive. Once you get into the $200 range, many of the good options require amping, which adds to the cost. The sub-$100 range has mostly been left to Sennheiser, Koss, and various Fostex rebadges, and, well, IEMs. IEMs are where all the sub-$100 action is in this hobby. The amount of quality you can get for $80 is bananas if you can deal with somewhat uncomfortable nubs in your ear.

 

[cwoo]

Koss Porta Pro is probably one of the last remaining under $100 headphones out there in my opinion but they surely don't feel premium. The Grado SR-60 and 80 are decent too as mentioned above. The HD-560 and HD-599 go on sale sometimes for $99 and I would add them to the list.

The classifieds can also be a decent place to get more headphone for your money, but its gonna be tough to find some of the next level headphones dropping below $100.