[bmbmjmdm]

Hi, so, for the first 18 years of my life I've gotten by using whichever hand-me-down headphones made there way onto my ears.  Now I finally have some money and want to buy a good-quality pair of (relatively) cheap headphones but am in desperate need of help!  I primarily use headphones when on hikes or bikerides (which means sound-neutralizing would be good but not needed by any means), Highly prefer on-ear/over-ear headphones, listen to a lot of stuff like animal collective/similar music, annd need them to be under 70$ (yes I know it's not a lot for fantastic headphones, Im just hoping for a decent pair that provide good quality music). So ya, I'm looking for some good quality headphones that fit my criteria. I got a tip that the Beyerdynamic DT 235s are a pretty good find for about 60$, but am still drastically unsure considering the plethora of other choices out there. Any headphone buffs mind helping please? Thank you in advance!

 

[sidel]

Couple more worth looking at:
k81DJ
px100

 

[bmbmjmdm]

sorry sidel but thinking about it I really want a pair of sealed over-ear headphones, so the px100s are out.  And a big problem I'm having with my headphones now is the cord length because it gets Very troublesome biking, so I need a cord less than 5ft in length (k81DJs are 8.2).

 

[sidel]

Quote:

sorry sidel but thinking about it I really want a pair of sealed over-ear headphones, so the px100s are out.  And a big problem I'm having with my headphones now is the cord length because it gets Very troublesome biking, so I need a cord less than 5ft in length (k81DJs are 8.2).

These are all supra-aural (they sit on top of your ears)
The DT 235 should have around the same cord length.  You could always make the length smaller with a little effort.
 
Take a look at the koss porta pros.  As I recall they have an especially short cord + fit what you're looking for in the first post.  They are a bit under the budget you set, but I don't think you'd be disappointed.  Hell,  they'll probably stay on your head a lot better too.

 

[bmbmjmdm]

Quote:

These are all supra-aural (they sit on top of your ears)
The DT 235 should have around the same cord length.  You could always make the length smaller with a little effort.
 
Take a look at the koss porta pros.  As I recall they have an especially short cord + fit what you're looking for in the first post.  They are a bit under the budget you set, but I don't think you'd be disappointed.  Hell,  they'll probably stay on your head a lot better too.

Those look almost perfect it's just...I really Really need them to be closed.  I've used open ones many times before and honestly I can't stand the sound quality from them.  The way it lets it/leaks noise just completely takes away from the experience for me, so I really don't want to invest in a pair that aren't closed, though the help is appreciated none the less.  You're suggestions are so close to what I'm looking for just besides these small stipulations, sorry ><

 

[bmbmjmdm]

Also I don't mind supra aural, for example the headphones I'm using now are labtec elite820 (i know, crappy), which are supra aural and still closed.  These are actually my most preferred type, I'm really just looking for a pair like them with a shorter cord and overall better sound quality (+frequency range). 

 

[sidel]

Quote:

Also I don't mind supra aural, for example the headphones I'm using now are labtec elite820 (i know, crappy), which are supra aural and still closed.  These are actually my most preferred type, I'm really just looking for a pair like them with a shorter cord and overall better sound quality (+frequency range). 

Ahh, I understood what you said as "sealed over-ear headphones" as you wanting circumaural and that you thought the 235 were (they do sort of look it from photos)
Hmm.  The more stipulations you add the closer you get to describing the HD25 perfectly, but they just don't fit anywhere near the budget you set.  

 

[TobaccoRoad]

I use Denon D1001 for outdoor activity. I wish it isolates a little more and have less cables noise, but if you're looking for closed over-ear phone it should fit your criteria.
 
D1001 is discontinued so you might have to look for used. If not look into Creative Aurvana Live they're essentially the same model.

 

[bmbmjmdm]

Quote:

I use Denon D1001 for outdoor activity. I wish it isolates a little more and have less cables noise, but if you're looking for closed over-ear phone it should fit your criteria.
 
D1001 is discontinued so you might have to look for used. If not look into Creative Aurvana Live they're essentially the same model.

sorry, a bit out of my price range :/

 

[bmbmjmdm]

Ok so I think I decided on a pair but I wanna post here first to make sure I'm not making a mistake.  I decided on the MDR XB-500s because they fit all the physical criteria i need and they offer the same average frequency range/amp as most 50$ range headphones, while these are only 40ish AND offer a very heavy bass in addition to their range.  So these seem like winners, any objections?

 

[keanex]

The Shure SRH440 might be your best option. I can't think of any other headphone that provides isolation needed for using them in public while being around $70. The Sony XB500 are bass monsters, keep that in mind. As an Animal Collective fan myself, I wouldn't bother with them as they're far too boomy. Is there any reason you aren't considering IEMs? You'll get a wider choice of options and they're far more portable than any over ear.

 

[bmbmjmdm]

iems are uncomfortable and just arent very pleasing to hear imo for some reason.
ya i really dont know what genre my music falls under, since i listen to everything.  hence why im trying to find phones that are good qual at all frequencies.
Also the Shure SRH440 have really low bass dont they?  I mean I know a lot of my stuff doesnt have heavy bass but for the ones that do id like to enjoy them too right?  also the cord is 10ft; which means id have that mess to deal with while biking .  btw im using www.headphone.com to get specs on all these headphones so im trying to look for ones that are pretty high at all/most frequencies (not sure if thats how you determine good qual sound but i think it is...but ya).  So ugh, now Im back to not really knowing what I want.  Crap. :/

 

[keanex]

You've simply used some bad IEMs. Sure it's weird getting used to them at first, due to their nature, but once you do they're not a problem. Comfort varies from IEM to IEM, and varies depending on the tip. For instance my JVC Marshmallow were horribly uncomfortable until I put my Comply T400 tips on them, now they're very comfortable. If you've tried Skullcandy or other cheap IEMs with bad silicon tips than that would be why you don't like how they feel. As for sound quality, IEMs are capable of pumping out just as good sound as their full-sized counterparts for a similar price, generally speaking.
 
The Shure are weak on bass, no denying that, but at your price range you're going to find it hard to find a good all rounder that makes for good portable headphones. The cord is definitely long as well, but it's detachable so you could probably find another. The Audio Technica M50 have strong bass and an overall decent sound with good isolation, but they are $120 or so. They also come in a coiled cord version, which would be better for activities. I would still recommend against full sized headphones for exercise though.

 

[il1us10n]

The srh440 has a coiled cord approx 4 ft when coiled but can be around 10 ft when straightened so u shouldn't have any problems regarding that, however the cable is really heavy so it might not be the best while doing any physical activities. If u liked the k81dj, might I suggest the k 518le as its basically the same headphone with a much shorter 1.3m cable

 

[bmbmjmdm]

Ok, so right now I'm down to the k518le and the Audio Technica M50.  I found these; http://www.ecrater.com/p/11512664/buy-ath-m50-professional-around, which market the ATM50 at only 60$ with a 1.3m cord, but one of the feedbacks says fraud, so I'm not sure if that's reliable?  If anyone has insight to this it would be of great help. (emailed the seller with this concern as well, so waiting to see what he says too).
Also, generally speaking, 16hz-24khz is a good frequency range for the 60$ price range right?