[GravityEyelids]

My vote is for sennheiser. Get the HD201s and a FiiO E6, or get the HD428.
 
The 201 are shockingly good for the price...i found mine for like $15. They aren't the best straight out of an mp3 player however, so you'd definitely want a fiio to make em sing. 
 
I also love my 428's. They're also a steal for the price. List price is $99 (not that that means much), but i found mine for like $35 shipped. These are very listenable straight out of my Zune, but definitely open up more with a FiiO. They're not as warm as many of the other Senn's, (which in this case is a good thing.) As far as the bass, it is there, and it is detailed, but it is a tiny bit recessed. And the sub-bass is pretty weak. But dont let that discourage you, because it is only really an issue if you're a hip-hop lover or a basshead. The mids are fantastic and these things sing with rock and acoustic guitar type stuff. I would say these are a mid-centric phone, but not overpoweringly. The highs are very detailed and satisfying. They are also a tiny bit recessed, but this could be a good thing because i never experience any sibilance with them. I would also recommend an E6 with em, but it's not totally necessary.

 

[biggbenn74]

Honestly, the 8323s are not uncomfortable to me. I have owned several pairs of uncomfortable headphones over the years, and the 8323s really aren't too bad. I'd still say get them. I took a chance and I'm glad I did. 

 

[eskimoo]

They're tempting at that price point... Right now it's DJ100 @ $50 vs 8323 @ $25
Any reccommended cans from them between $25 and $50?

 
SRH440 about $60

 

[Slivortal]

My vote is for sennheiser. Get the HD201s and a FiiO E6, or get the HD428.

The 201 are shockingly good for the price...i found mine for like $15. They aren't the best straight out of an mp3 player however, so you'd definitely want a fiio to make em sing. 

I also love my 428's. They're also a steal for the price. List price is $99 (not that that means much), but i found mine for like $35 shipped. These are very listenable straight out of my Zune, but definitely open up more with a FiiO. They're not as warm as many of the other Senn's, (which in this case is a good thing.) As far as the bass, it is there, and it is detailed, but it is a tiny bit recessed. And the sub-bass is pretty weak. But dont let that discourage you, because it is only really an issue if you're a hip-hop lover or a basshead. The mids are fantastic and these things sing with rock and acoustic guitar type stuff. I would say these are a mid-centric phone, but not overpoweringly. The highs are very detailed and satisfying. They are also a tiny bit recessed, but this could be a good thing because i never experience any sibilance with them. I would also recommend an E6 with em, but it's not totally necessary.

Just to be clear, the ABSOLUTE upper limit is probably $50. You can suggest all the $60+ headphones that you want, but if we play this +$10 game all day, we're going to eventually get to $200 headphones. And I'd preferably want to ask these for a relatively small birthday gift ($50 or less), so I could save a bit more cash.

To be honest, any headphones I get will be played with 256 Kbps AAC and no amp or mods. I'd love to be playing FLAC with amp and mods, but I'm probably going to have to update my computer equipment this year, and I really don't want to be spending that much money. The source is probably alright (MacBook Pro, most likely).

But if you can find me any good Senns that cost under $50, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Honestly, the 8323s are not uncomfortable to me. I have owned several pairs of uncomfortable headphones over the years, and the 8323s really aren't too bad. I'd still say get them. I took a chance and I'm glad I did. 

I may get them yet. The two phones that sounded the best so far have been those and the Pro DJ100s.

 

[ultrabike]

Quote:

I may get them yet. The two phones that sounded the best so far have been those and the Pro DJ100s.

 
If there is a Best Buy near you that carries Pro Audio (monitors and mixers,) they may have the Pro DJ100 for you to test with your own sources.

 

[BrownBear]

Quote:

http://www.amazon.com/Superlux-681-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B002GHIPYI
There you go.

Wow. Had no idea these were so cheap. I almost need to buy a pair just to hear them because of how they look.

 

[Slivortal]

Quote:

 
If there is a Best Buy near you that carries Pro Audio (monitors and mixers,) they may have the Pro DJ100 for you to test with your own sources.

I'll keep that in mind, thanks!
Quote:

Wow. Had no idea these were so cheap. I almost need to buy a pair just to hear them because of how they look.

I've been considering these.  Someone earlier said they sounded "too bright," but I actually dislike bass.  Would these be the best headphones for me (and they're under $40 to boot)?

 

[Marximus]

I'd get the Panasonic RP-HTX7.  I thought the Monoprice headphones were pretty bad.  Bass was too strong and the mids sounded like they were scooped/hollowed out.  I found the Panasonics to be better balanced.  And they're closed, so no worries about a lot of sound leakage.

 

[Slivortal]

Quote:

I'd get the Panasonic RP-HTX7.  I thought the Monoprice headphones were pretty bad.  Bass was too strong and the mids sounded like they were scooped/hollowed out.  I found the Panasonics to be better balanced.  And they're closed, so no worries about a lot of sound leakage.

This is actually a big deal to me.  I dislike bass, and love my mids.  Any other suggestions that are mid-heavy?  That's why the 681s and DJ100s looked interesting.
 
I'm guessing mids would bring out things like vocals, guitars, and non-percussion instruments in general.  I feel that a lot of headphones over exaggerate the percussion/bass because that's what people want nowadays.

 

[Hailin]

I just went and bought the DJ100 Slivortal all the talk about them enticed me. 
 
Just some quick impressions and new headphone excitement syndrome keep that in mind. This is a "I just pulled them out of the box and started listening impression." I am so sorry for the wall of text.
 
They are not a bright headphone. Which can make them seem a tad veiled, compared to say the Koss Portapros. The treble is rolled off, it is very neutral headphone no one range competes for the winners circle. The bass is definitely there but it is not an impact like the Beyerdynamic DT990s or a Sony XB500.
 
Listening to Fiona Apple's "Left Alone."(Flac) The drums and piano are very clear. I can hear the brushes on the snare cleanly. It is just not as clear as my Portapros. They also take a lot more volume compared to the portapros.(Reminds me of the Q701) They don't have the boomy bass of the PP, or the tight bass of the KSC75(In PP headband.) The bass is very smooth and refuses to fight with the mids.
 
The beginning of Netsky's "Come Alive"(Flac) is very clean but bright. What the heck is going on here? Song sounds fantastic, and bright but clarity is just not the same level as my Beyerdynamic DT990pros. That slight veil still exists.
 
Airborne "Runnin Wild" (VBR)Very loud (my bad) Vocals are very forward. Make that screamingly forward. Kick drum is definitely there, bass guitar is recessed in the background my. Lead guitar is up there slightly behind the vocals. You can hear the cymbals clearly but those damn vocals drown everything to the background. I am vocal guy so I am kind of liking it.
 
Adele "Chasing Pavement, Live"(Flac) You can cleanly hear the strumming of the acoustic guitar. There is a part in this song where she pulls away from the mic and that is the first time I have every heard it before. 
Now this is unamped through my computer as a source. I get my Fiios E09K/E17 in a couple of days I hope they can eat away at this veil a bit because I am enjoying the over all tone of these headphones. But I am a sucker for everything Koss.
 
They also don't leak at all if very much I have to have them up scary loud for them to leak.
The soundstaging is like sitting in the front row or on the edge of the stage. PP's/KSC75 is like 5 rows back. DT990pro the center of an arena. So you can get an idea.
 
Out of my Iphone 4S they sound fine. I can listening comfortably at about 50%. Though at 50% they lack a little detail vs 70%. Anything higher is to much for my ears and it doesn't increase the listening detail at all. I am hoping my E17 will help with low level listening a bit.(I could be really wrong about this.) Again High-bitrate AAC vs MP3 lower then 192 is really noticeable.
 
These headphones definitely care about bitrate/original source of your mp3s. I tried a bunch of my 90's rock and they were not happy at all. Extremely muffled and dark. This is one of the first headphones I have tried where I would hand them to a flac/aac/192kbps snob and go "Listen there is a damn difference." I listen to 8tracks as well and there are some mixes I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole now if I have the DJ100s on. I will strap on my lower end koss or better yet my JVC 101s (because they care less about quality with all that boomy bass).
For the first hour they were a tad uncomfortable, so I stuck my finger under the pads all the way around and lifted them to fit my ears inside better. (Really need M-50pads).

 

[Slivortal]

Quote:

I just went and bought the DJ100 Slivortal all the talk about them enticed me. 
 
Just some quick impressions and new headphone excitement syndrome keep that in mind. This is a "I just pulled them out of the box and started listening impression." I am so sorry for the wall of text.
 
They are not a bright headphone. Which can make them seem a tad veiled, compared to say the Koss Portapros. The treble is rolled off, it is very neutral headphone no one range competes for the winners circle. The bass is definitely there but it is not an impact like the Beyerdynamic DT990s or a Sony XB500.
 
Listening to Fiona Apple's "Left Alone."(Flac) The drums and piano are very clear. I can hear the brushes on the snare cleanly. It is just not as clear as my Portapros. They also take a lot more volume compared to the portapros.(Reminds me of the Q701) They don't have the boomy bass of the PP, or the tight bass of the KSC75(In PP headband.) The bass is very smooth and refuses to fight with the mids.
 
The beginning of Netsky's "Come Alive"(Flac) is very clean but bright. What the heck is going on here? Song sounds fantastic, and bright but clarity is just not the same level as my Beyerdynamic DT990pros. That slight veil still exists.
 
Airborne "Runnin Wild" (VBR)Very loud (my bad) Vocals are very forward. Make that screamingly forward. Kick drum is definitely there, bass guitar is recessed in the background my. Lead guitar is up there slightly behind the vocals. You can hear the cymbals clearly but those damn vocals drown everything to the background. I am vocal guy so I am kind of liking it.
 
Adele "Chasing Pavement, Live"(Flac) You can cleanly hear the strumming of the acoustic guitar. There is a part in this song where she pulls away from the mic and that is the first time I have every heard it before. 
Now this is unamped through my computer as a source. I get my Fiios E09K/E17 in a couple of days I hope they can eat away at this veil a bit because I am enjoying the over all tone of these headphones. But I am a sucker for everything Koss.
 
They also don't leak at all if very much I have to have them up scary loud for them to leak.
The soundstaging is like sitting in the front row or on the edge of the stage. PP's/KSC75 is like 5 rows back. DT990pro the center of an arena. So you can get an idea.
 
Out of my Iphone 4S they sound fine. I can listening comfortably at about 50%. Though at 50% they lack a little detail vs 70%. Anything higher is to much for my ears and it doesn't increase the listening detail at all. I am hoping my E17 will help with low level listening a bit.(I could be really wrong about this.) Again High-bitrate AAC vs MP3 lower then 192 is really noticeable.
 
These headphones definitely care about bitrate/original source of your mp3s. I tried a bunch of my 90's rock and they were not happy at all. Extremely muffled and dark. This is one of the first headphones I have tried where I would hand them to a flac/aac/192kbps snob and go "Listen there is a damn difference." I listen to 8tracks as well and there are some mixes I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole now if I have the DJ100s on. I will strap on my lower end koss or better yet my JVC 101s (because they care less about quality with all that boomy bass).
For the first hour they were a tad uncomfortable, so I stuck my finger under the pads all the way around and lifted them to fit my ears inside better. (Really need M-50pads).

Thanks for the in-depth review; it was an interesting read.
 
So, from your tone, you were overall unimpressed, then?  Would you pick, say the 8323s or Portapros over them, then?  Which one of those two?
 
Also, does anyone here have any experience with the 681s?  They're a name I see popping up a lot as well.

 

[Hailin]

Quote:

Thanks for the in-depth review; it was an interesting read.
 
So, from your tone, you were overall unimpressed, then?  Would you pick, say the 8323s or Portapros over them, then?  Which one of those two?
 
Also, does anyone here have any experience with the 681s?  They're a name I see popping up a lot as well.

No I would say I am extremely impressed with them and what Koss has pulled off. I am sorry it comes off more negative then it should but I was purposely trying to be hard on them. Just the way I am.
 
For the 69.99 CAD I paid I really like them right now. Do I prefer my open phones? Yup but I also love soundstage depth more then anything when it comes to headphones. So open suits my listening needs a lot more. Strap some ATH-M50 pads on them and they will be a keeper for sure.
 
I personally would not pick up the 8323s (I can't get over how much I hate how they look when I wore them.) over DJ100s. But I am also not under the same budget constraints either. For a high isolation phone I would get a JVC iem in your price range or a Sony XB-series, but you are not in the market for either of those.
 
The HD668B was my first headphone I got when I really started to care what I heard and I will not trade or sell that headphone for anything it is first love and always will be. But it is not a portable can with isolation. Leaks like crazy and the pads are HORRID on them. The 681 is designed on the same driver housing and pads as is the Samson. They are just spec'd differently. 

 

[Slivortal]

Quote:

No I would say I am extremely impressed with them and what Koss has pulled off. I am sorry it comes off more negative then it should but I was purposely trying to be hard on them. Just the way I am.
 
For the 69.99 CAD I paid I really like them right now. Do I prefer my open phones? Yup but I also love soundstage depth more then anything when it comes to headphones. So open suits my listening needs a lot more. Strap some ATH-M50 pads on them and they will be a keeper for sure.
 
I personally would not pick up the 8323s (I can't get over how much I hate how they look when I wore them.) over DJ100s. But I am also not under the same budget constraints either. For a high isolation phone I would get a JVC iem in your price range or a Sony XB-series, but you are not in the market for either of those.
 
The HD668B was my first headphone I got when I really started to care what I heard and I will not trade or sell that headphone for anything it is first love and always will be. But it is not a portable can with isolation. Leaks like crazy and the pads are HORRID on them. The 681 is designed on the same driver housing and pads as is the Samson. They are just spec'd differently. 

I already have some earbuds I'm alright with; I have very sensitive ears, and just can't get over the feel of an IEM, regardless of their isolation.
 
Is the leakage really that bad on the Superluxes?
 
So, I guess in the end, you'd recommend one of the Kosses?  Do you have experience with the Portapro/does it leak as bad you say the Superluxes do?

 

[MorbidToaster]

Without a doubt take major advantage of that price on the DJ100. They are easily an absolute steal at that price. Do it. No question the best you'll get for that money.

 

[eskimoo]

But who knows if you can discounted or refurbished SR440 for less than $60, isnt it wonderful?
The other balanced neutral from sennheiser is HD201