Closed Headphones Under $60

[Naro]

I know this has been talked about to death, but I couldn't find an answer that met my situation/wants.

I'm definitely not an audiophile, but I'm looking to upgrade from my set of portable headphones to a circumaural/nearly circumaural set of cheap headphones. They'd pretty much be used exclusively on a laptop, and I'd prefer not having to buy an amp to get decent sound. I listen to a pretty broad range of music, but with an emphasis on alternative/indie rock and hip-hop. The ones I'm currently considering are:

Sennheiser HD201 - I've heard these can be quiet, sibilant, and lacking in bass though.

Sennheiser HD202

Sennheiser HD212

Sennheiser HD150

Audio Technica ATHM40FS

Any help would be great, thanks.

 

[turboflame]

I can vouch for the HD202, those were my first pair of decent headphones and i was not disappointed. They lasted for 2 years under heavy use.

The HD212pro (my current phones) boosts the bass response and has a removable cable.

 

[Naro]

Is the bass on the 212s overpowering? Also, how is the comfort for the two, I'd prefer a circumaural, and I've read that the 202s come pretty close to being circumaural.

 

[hauntingtheholy]

add the Senn Eh150 to the list. My brother just recently got the HD202, so when I can I'll do a side by side comparison. These two headphones are nearly identical physically and cost the same. I'll try to make the sound comparison tomorrow - if I remember.

 

[turboflame]

Some say the bass is too much, others think it's great. It's definitely noticeable though. If you're looking for a more neutral headphone then the HD212 probably isn't for you.

These cans fit me fine, I have small ears which fit completely inside the cup. If you have larger ears then part of the cup will probably sit on part your ear.

 

[Naro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hauntingtheholy /img/forum/go_quote.gif add the Senn Eh150 to the list. My brother just recently got the HD202, so when I can I'll do a side by side comparison. These two headphones are nearly identical physically and cost the same. I'll try to make the sound comparison tomorrow - if I remember.

That would be amazing, thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by turboflame /img/forum/go_quote.gif Some say the bass is too much, others think it's great. It's definitely noticeable though. If you're looking for a more neutral headphone then the HD212 probably isn't for you. These cans fit me fine, I have small ears which fit completely inside the cup. If you have larger ears then part of the cup will probably sit on part your ear.

I'm not against heavy bass in hip-hop, but does it wash out the highs and mids in other genres? Thanks for all the help.

 

[turboflame]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naro /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not against heavy bass in hip-hop, but does it wash out the highs and mids in other genres? Thanks for all the help.

Somewhat, the highs and mids are present and fairly clear but the bass takes front stage. I listen mainly to rock music and the bass can kind of drown out the higher frequencies to an extent but it's not completely overpowering IMO.

 

[Tiemen]

I'll throw in the BeyerDynamic DT231, for being a good closed can at this price range.

 

[Rolamoto]

I find my HD202s to be very uncomfortable and the bass to be overpowering for anything other than Hip-Hop.

 

[Naro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tiemen /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll throw in the BeyerDynamic DT231, for being a good closed can at this price range.

They look good and the price is in my range, but do you know what the ear-coupling is like? They say supra-aural, but they look like they might be big enough to fit over my ears.


Also, would open design headphones headphones be a significant improvement at this price range? The thing that worries me about open headphones is that I'll be living with a roommate, and I don't want the music to so loud that he's bothered by it.

 

[Dash]

Little bit of a stretch but the AT A500, easy to drive, closed, decent all rounder.

 

[Nocturnal310]

Are HD205 above $60 now?

i bought them for $76

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naro /img/forum/go_quote.gif They look good and the price is in my range, but do you know what the ear-coupling is like? They say supra-aural, but they look like they might be big enough to fit over my ears. Also, would open design headphones headphones be a significant improvement at this price range? The thing that worries me about open headphones is that I'll be living with a roommate, and I don't want the music to so loud that he's bothered by it.

No, they are not big enough to cover your ears. They sure are supra-aural. I found them quite comfortable. The isolation could be better though.
See this review for this can with an upgraded look, but same sound:
beyerdynamic DT 231 Galactic @ HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears

I have no experience in open headphones in this price range. But the same website as mentioned above, can help you further I guess.

 

[Naro]

Does anybody have an opinion on these? The Amazon reviews seem to be pretty decent for the most part, with the biggest complaint being the size, which is a non-issue for me.

 

[DrBenway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naro /img/forum/go_quote.gif They look good and the price is in my range, but do you know what the ear-coupling is like? They say supra-aural, but they look like they might be big enough to fit over my ears. Also, would open design headphones headphones be a significant improvement at this price range? The thing that worries me about open headphones is that I'll be living with a roommate, and I don't want the music to so loud that he's bothered by it.

This is a problem with open headphones. In my experience, and I think most head-fiers will agree, good open phones are far better than good closed cans at low price points. But the sound leakage is a problem.

I had a pair of SR60s, which I thought sounded rediculously good for the price. But they leak very large amounts of sound, to the point where I had people on city busses ask me to turn them down when I was listening at moderate volumes.

My current portables, which are PortaPros, also leak significant amounts of sound, but my sense is not quite as much. I never directly compared them to the SR60s, since I didn't own them at the same time. But I've never had someone ask me to turn them down on the street or on public transit, so I suspect that they leak a bit less than the Grados. In a quiet dorm room, the leakage might be enough to cause friction.

I've followed this thread, but I haven't noticed if anyone suggested the ER6? They are closed, but they are IEMs of course. I don't know if in-ear phones would work for you. But if you can deal with the comfort issues sometimes associated with IEMs, these are an excellent choice. Great, natural sounding freq balance, good imaging (for IEMs) and absolutely outstanding isolation.

I used to wear them in crowded bars, and they were able to attenuate both the roar of banal conversation and the awful music on the jukebox sufficiently to allow me to listen to what I wanted to. They also work well simply as earplugs, with no sound going through them. J&R currently lists them for $90, which is a bit out of your price range. I understand that, for students especially, $90 is not $60. But they offer a very appealing combination of SQ and isolation, so maybe you should consider them.