[TrollersWin]

Hi, lately I've been wanting to get new headphones for around $100-$200.   At first I wanted Beats by Dr. Dre, but then i found out that the sound quality was horrible and that they were overpriced.  Then after hearing many positive reviews on Sennheisers, I wanted to buy the Sennheiser HD 449's.  Then I found out that the Sennheiser were not very good until you hit the 500 series and that isn't in my price range.  After reading MANY forums on Head-fi and other sites, I also found out that there were lots of other GREAT headphone brands that are very cheap.  Some of these brands are Audio-Technica, beyerdynamic, Shure, V-MODA etc.
I have been wanting to get a pair of headphones from one of these brands, but then I thought, what if I don't like them?
So I decided to go to Future Shop and test some headphones out.  The only headphone brands they had were Senns, beats, other monster headphones, Sony, Bose and Marley.  I tested out the Bose AE2's and I thought they were VERY good and I almost bought them.  But then i saw many posts on how other headphone brands are way better.  I wanted to make sure to test the headphones before I actually bought them but you cannot test brands like Audio-Technica and the other ones I mention earlier.  I am really anxious to get headphones soon but I also want to know that I am getting the best in my price range. Here is some things that I want in my Headphones.
 
-Enough bass to be able to hear (Not overwhelming)
-Over-ear
-Closed headphones
-balanced mids and highs
-very comfortable for long plane rides
-portable
-good looking
-I also don't really want to get an amp, but I don't care if you suggest ones that  should have one
- I listen to all around music (soft rock, hard rock, hip hop, rap, country)
-$100-$200
-wired
 
 
Thanks for reading this and I hope to get some replies soon!
P.S. Remember my price range!

 

[TrollersWin]

Also when I was at the Future Shop I tested out Bose AE2's and actually they were not half bad.  I know alot of people on this site say that Bose and Beats are over-priced but the Bose AE2's were very good in my opinion and were not too expensive.  I would have bought them until I found threads saying that there were companies that you can get way better headphones for a lower price than that.  The Bose AE2's were $135.

 

[lin0003]

Sennheiser HD280 Pro, ATH-M50 are commonly recommended in your price range. 

 

[Tangster]

If you can find one to demo near you, I would suggest trying out the Ultimate Ears UE6000. Very good looking, portable and with a nice sound signature for those just entering from the realm of consumer audio.

 

[billybob_jcv]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/596233/buying-portable-or-in-ear-headphones-seeking-guidance-dont-start-a-new-thread-ask-for-advice-here

 

[TrollersWin]

I

If you can find one to demo near you, I would suggest trying out the Ultimate Ears UE6000. Very good looking, portable and with a nice sound signature for those just entering from the realm of consumer audio.

I would like to test those but I don't live in a big city like NYC or anything. I just live in a average city in Canada. I don't know what stores i could go to but if you could suggest some that would be great.

 

[TrollDragon]

Stop into Long & McQuade, there is at least one in most cities. They don't have the greatest selection of headphones and they sure don't have the best prices but you will be able to try out the ATH-M50's, some Senn's and a few beyer's. Then you can either buy from them or like most of us have to do in Canada, buy online from B&H or RazorDog Audio etc... Which is ok as 95% of all headphones are duty free.

Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using Tapatalk 2

 

[TrollersWin]

Stop into Long & McQuade, there is at least one in most cities. They don't have the greatest selection of headphones and they sure don't have the best prices but you will be able to try out the ATH-M50's, some Senn's and a few beyer's. Then you can either buy from them or like most of us have to do in Canada, buy online from B&H or RazorDog Audio etc... Which is ok as 95% of all headphones are duty free.

Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using Tapatalk 2

I looked but the nearest store is 450 km away . Are there any other music stores to suggest? Will there be headphones in almost all music stores?

 

[joseph69]

Quote:

Also when I was at the Future Shop I tested out Bose AE2's and actually they were not half bad.  I know alot of people on this site say that Bose and Beats are over-priced but the Bose AE2's were very good in my opinion and were not too expensive.  I would have bought them until I found threads saying that there were companies that you can get way better headphones for a lower price than that.  The Bose AE2's were $135.

I had some eye surgery a couple of tears back, and had to lay face down as much as possible after surgery, so I just ran out and purchased the Bose AE2's on a whim. I paid 160$+tax, theye where good for what I needed them for, until my friend came over with a 100$ pair of Grado SR80's (I know you are not looking for this type of headphone), I'm just explaining how I never felt so beat before in my life sound of quality/price. So there are many other less expensive headphones out there that give much better sound quality. Good luck!

 

[TrollersWin]

haha thanks for replying, and that's exactly why  I started this forum, because I wanted people to recommend headphones from brands like Grado or Audio-Technica.  I just want to be able to try them out before I buy $200 headphones.  If there are no stores near me that allow you to test out headphones like Grado, Audio-Technica or beyerdynamic  I may just buy ones that people recommend.  An example is I was on a form where someone like me was looking for headphones that fit his qualifications.  He ended up wanting to buy the V-Moda Crossfade LP2's.  I looked into the headphones and they looked very good and they had good ratings, but I didn't know if they would be the right ones for me.  Many people will just say to go ahead and buy the headphones, but I'm the kind of person who wants to have the best for my price range.  Thanks for posting on my forum!

P.S.  I was just wondering, what kind of headphones do you have?  Also what are those headphones really good at doing? (Comfortable, good bass, closed)     Thanks!
 

 

[SoundPon3]

Brainwavz HM5 anyone?
They check almost every box (except for easy portability) and are super comfy. Because they're flat sounding headphones, you can use them for just about anything. They are my main headphones and they are highly regarded on the forum
they are a bit big for bringing everywhere but heck, they look pretty professional
for portable use, I'm looking at V-moda M80s but the M100s might match your requirements. They do cost a bit though....

 

[TrollersWin]

Quote:

Brainwavz HM5 anyone?
They check almost every box (except for easy portability) and are super comfy. Because they're flat sounding headphones, you can use them for just about anything. They are my main headphones and they are highly regarded on the forum
they are a bit big for bringing everywhere but heck, they look pretty professional
for portable use, I'm looking at V-moda M80s but the M100s might match your requirements. They do cost a bit though....

Thanks for the advice!  I checked out these headphones and just by looking at them they look like they cover your ears up pretty good and they seem like they would have very good sound.  The only thing I am concerned about is that they look like they would be very heavy on your head.  Also I have one question about them.  When you are listening to them at an average volume, can you hear things that are happening outside of the headphones?  For example if I was in a store and they were playing music on the loudspeaker  and I had these headphones in, would I be able to hear the music that is playing on the loudspeaker?  I want headphones where you can't hear sounds around you like a jet engine.

 

[TrollersWin]

Right now my top 3 headphones are:
 
1.V-Moda Crossfade LP2's
2.Bose AE2
3.Sennheiser HD 280 pro.
 
If you guys have any more suggestions please post them!

 

[TrollersWin]

Bump

 

[joseph69]

Quote:

haha thanks for replying, and that's exactly why  I started this forum, because I wanted people to recommend headphones from brands like Grado or Audio-Technica.  I just want to be able to try them out before I buy $200 headphones.  If there are no stores near me that allow you to test out headphones like Grado, Audio-Technica or beyerdynamic  I may just buy ones that people recommend.  An example is I was on a form where someone like me was looking for headphones that fit his qualifications.  He ended up wanting to buy the V-Moda Crossfade LP2's.  I looked into the headphones and they looked very good and they had good ratings, but I didn't know if they would be the right ones for me.  Many people will just say to go ahead and buy the headphones, but I'm the kind of person who wants to have the best for my price range.  Thanks for posting on my forum!

P.S.  I was just wondering, what kind of headphones do you have?  Also what are those headphones really good at doing? (Comfortable, good bass, closed)     Thanks!
 

I own Grado SR80i's and SR325is's, the 80i's are an incredible price/performance headphone (amazing), but like you stated everyone has different tastes so you would nave to listen to them for yourself, and also they do not fit any of the needs that you mentioned. They are on ear (supra-aural), and they open back design. As far as looks, I love the look of them, I love every single thing about them, and I've never heard such a close to live sounding headphone, (especially for 99$ from Amazon), but thats just my opinion.