Best cans for $100? The answer.

[koven]

Open and bassy don't really belong in the same sentence.. unless you're talking more expensive, or w/ an amp.

MS1 does have more than AD700, but that's not saying much cus the AD700's bass impact is about the same as an iBud.

 

[Pianist]

RE0

EDIT: Oops, my bad. Forgot we are talking about full-sized cans here. Well, as for full-sized, there is definitely no best in any price range IMO. It's all just a matter of preference for what type of sound you like. I also very much like Sennheiser HD555 for $100 and less category and ATH-M50 is also pretty damn hard to beat in for the price. But ultimately the best 'phone, if not taking into account its type is the RE0 IMO. Nothing can beat it for $100 and less. Well, maybe some super-rare old orthodynamics. lol

 

[Ntropic]

Funny you should mention bass and MS1... Because I just bought a pair, and got them today!

I haven't listened to them enough to compare them to A700s, so all I can say is that bass impact isn't near closed can territory (naturally). You'll hear your bass still (something I was worried about), but you won't feel your eardrums throb (a little) whenever you listen to something bass heavy (some electronica). Do I miss the bass? A little. But the music isn't two dimensional, as I feared it might have become with open cans.

I might be imagining it, but detail seems to be slightly less than that of the A700, but mids are definitely more forward.

Is it the definitive headphone in the $100 region? No, probably not, even if you could compare headphones objectively.

(Does anybody know how to get ABX to work with ASIO4All?)

 

[Jack Mono]

Open Bassy Cans >>>>>>>>>> Sennheiser HD 485 $65 <<<<<<<<<<< King

 

[azncookiecutter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Mono /img/forum/go_quote.gif Open Bassy Cans >>>>>>>>>> Sennheiser HD 485 $65 <<<<<<<<<<< King

Dark and muddy too? No thanks.

 

[MadMike]

Got my M50s for less than $100 and they sound terrific!!

 

[shaneotool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by azncookiecutter /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dark and muddy too? No thanks.

I wouldn't call the HD485 dark and muddy at all.

I have had a set for quite some time and think they sound pretty nice.

I recently got a pair of ATH-M50's for a little more isolation. The HD485's and the ATH-485's sound very similar. The M50's have a touch better vocals and a little more treble sparkle, but the bass is about the same as is the overall presentation.

I'm having a hard time figuring out which I like better. I like the bigger open sound of the HD485's - I just wish they had a bit of the M50's mids.