best 'el cheapo' headphones?

[chewmanji]

well, i'm sitting here at my computer, bored as hell, wondering what to do...so i decide to start a new thread.

anyway, just trying to find the general opinion on this subject.

what's the best headphone for general use that is under, let's say....$40-$50 US? i'm talkin anything here, earbuds, open, closed, whatever. just the best sound, most comfortable, anything that factors in to audiophile level phones, but applied to budget phones.

 

[chych]

I kind of sort of am partial to the Sony EX70 but perhaps the Koss Portapros or KCS 35s are better.

EX70 has isolation though, which I really like.

 

[MacDEF]

Under $50 I would easily say the Koss KSC-35, followed by the PortaPro, then the KSC-50/55.

 

[Neruda]

My vote would go to the ex70. The ksc-35 sounds better, but the ex70 suits my needs better these days.

 

[Voyager]

I'd try to find a pair of used Grado SR-60s.

 

[blr]

S/Porta Pro and related with the same drivers
Sennheiser MX500
Sony MDR E868 (discontinued)
Pro II PH 1000 LE

 

[grrr223]

Blr- I'm familiar with all the phones mentioned so far in this thread except the Pro II PH 1000 LE, could you please give a little more info about them? Thanks.

 

[KR...]

Sennheiser MX500 $17.95
best earbuds imho

Koss Porta Pro $49.95
best built quality and sound out of the family of headphones with these drivers

Grado SR40 $39.95
same drivers as the sr60, built quality not as good and it doesn't sound just the same, but it's a great headphone for the price.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Koss Porta Pro $49.95 best built quality and sound out of the family of headphones with these drivers

You think so, KR? I like the sound of the KSC-35s a bit better, with the Portas coming in 2nd in the line for me.

 

[Neruda]

I agree with MacDEF.

 

[blr]

grrr223
Pro II PH1000 is a closed model for portable use. They're sold in Europe. For their price they're amazing I love them. Very easily powered plus they fold. Long time ago I posted a review on HeadWize. Check it out once Cmoy openes the archives there.

 

[Gluegun]

I vote the KSC-35's.

 

[irony]

I have had a pair of those Pro2 PH 1000 Limited edition for a while now, and they sound great for the money, I think. The base is VERY

powerful (frequency response is 3~28,000 Hz(!)) , even with low-power portable devices, and the mid/high-tones are clear. The Pro2's are around $40 in Sweden, where the PortaPro's are around $70 (just a price reference.)

Anyway

, I have ordered myself a pair of PortaPro's, since my friend managed to break my Pro2's. Even though most people say that the KSC-35's sound a bit better, I would still get the PortaPro's, because of the extremely cool retro urban look

You can find more info about the Pro2 PH-1000 here:

http://www.pro2.com.tw/ph-1000.htm
(slow page)

 

[Neruda]

Quote:

Originally posted by irony The base is VERY powerful (frequency response is 3~28,000 Hz(!)

In all fairness, that means nothing. There's no way that headphone has any useful bass at 3Hz. I also doubt that it extends to 28kHz. Most headphone manufacturers simply give you the limits to the headphone's response range (so maybe a 3Hz test tone is 20db down from where the midrange band is or something, although it's most likely nothing but distortion). Chances are that headphone isn't going much deeper than 40 or 50Hz, if that!

Also, even if it did extend that deep, bass extension has nothing to do with how the bass sounds. furthermore, there's so little bass information below 20Hz, that measurement is basically a moot point anyway!

okay, I'm done.

by the way, Irony, I notice that this is your first post here. I hope it doesn't sound as if I'm trying to insult you, because I'm not! Still, it wasn't the warmest of welcomes was it?

 

[Gluegun]

*looks at those pro2's*

Shoot. Forget that. Get a Philips HP550 if you like THOSE.....