[needforbeats]

Fellow Head-fiers,

I'm looking to buy a new pair of cans for a friend who is mostly going to use them extensively for listening to music, audiobooks, podcasts and taking calls on the go. Ideally, these cans should also be able to hold well during occasional mild workouts.

I understand that IEMs or True wireless would be better in this case but the friend in question has had terrible experiences with earphones in the past (weird ear shape) and has a strong preference for headphones.

Budget: < = USD 80

Not fixated on any particular brands as long as it's a great value for money. Looking forward to hearing from you all.

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Get a PortaPro, save a penny.
https://www.amazon.com/Koss-Porta-P...ocphy=1014035&hvtargid=pla-556022516564&psc=1

 

[needforbeats]

Haha, PortaPro's design is an acquired taste. Would you recommend any of these?
1. https://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-Headphones-Sweat-Resistant-Nano-Coating-Technology/dp/B075ZC7FHT/
2. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Urbanista-Seattle-Wireless-Headphone-Clown-Dark/dp/B01LZ6TWND/
3. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HH9Q8ZL
4. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ML7YYS2/
5. https://www.amazon.com/Status-Audio-Wireless-Ear-Headphones/dp/B07T27FQ5H

Other suggestions are also welcome

 

[needforbeats]

Bump

 

[Ropjohns]

I'm selling a fairly new pair of Klipsch reference bluetooth headphones for $100 on ebay. They sound fantastic and the battery lasts ages and ages, but I need to scare up some money and I already have a few pair of custom IEMs I can use with my Shanling Up4 bluetooth module....

 

[thomaslmusic55]

Haha, PortaPro's design is an acquired taste. Would you recommend any of these?
1. https://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-Headphones-Sweat-Resistant-Nano-Coating-Technology/dp/B075ZC7FHT/
2. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Urbanista-Seattle-Wireless-Headphone-Clown-Dark/dp/B01LZ6TWND/
3. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HH9Q8ZL
4. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ML7YYS2/
5. https://www.amazon.com/Status-Audio-Wireless-Ear-Headphones/dp/B07T27FQ5H

Other suggestions are also welcome

Hi,

I've spent the past few months looking over "budget" (< $100) on ear bluetooth headphones. Over the Christmas sale season, I ended up picking up two pairs: JBL Duet BTs for $40 on sale and AKG Y500s for $50 also on sale. Both are decent if you get them on sale. If something that will stay on your head during work outs is important then the JBL are the better choice since they fit tighter but this will really depend on the head size and shape. It is best to read Amazon reviews, etc looking to see what people say about comfort, staying on head, etc. Musically, I like the JBLs better but they don't have any bass punch so if your friend likes bass then they'll need to look elsewhere. The AKGs had more bass punch but I can't listen to them unless I use the Re-EQ app to lower the mid range frequencies (650hz, 1khz) by about 8db. My ears just hear a big mid bump that causes everything to sound harsh. They also have a harder time staying on my head if I lean forward. I put some velcro on the headband to fix that issue for the most part but this may be a deal breaker if you want to work out with them on.

You may want to visit rtings.com to see very detailed tests/reviews including stability tests, etc. but unfortunately they have not tested that many on ears. Of the models that they have tested, the JBL Live 400BT are the best model in this price range I think although their frequency response varies significantly depending on user and headphone position. There is also the Skullcandy Grind but I passed on those due to the fact they did not fold or swivel making transport more difficult. I tried the Live 400BTs and liked them - tight fit like the other JBLs - but mine had a loose power button/toggle that rattled whenever I turned my head. That is pretty much a deal breaker for me so I returned them.

Looking over your list, the Mixcder E9 are larger over ear and not on ears. I own the Plantronics Backbeat Sense and not the Plantronics Backbeat Fit 500 but I can't complain about the sound of the Backbeat Sense (they had other issues due to their toggle wheel volume control). The Status Audio BT One are currently on sale for $74 and have gotten good reviews including a detailed testing by Brent Butterworth.

I'd say that you may want to take a look at the JBL Live 400s which are now on sale for $80 and the Plantronics if the work out factor is really important. After that perhaps the Status Audio model.

Good luck.