[mykey]

I am a budget conscious noob looking for his first quality headphones.
I will be mainly be using them to play video games, watch movies and listen to music : rock, metal, pop and orchestral.
 
I am looking for comfortable headphones that I can wear for up to 2 hours straight with good sound quality. I don't care for the look as I was about to buy the Koss Porta Pro until I stumbled onto this forum.
 
I plan on using the headphones mainly on my onboard soundcard.
 
I am from Canada and my budget is about $50 including shipping.
 
With my research with those criteria, there are still 5 headphones I still can't chose from which one to get :
 
JVC HA-S400 for $33.87 (recommended by cel4145)
Superlux HD681B for $34.92 (cheapest of the bunch, still gets great reviews)
Takstar HI2050 for $42,50 (looks very comfortable)
Superlux HD668B for $44,20 (seems better than the HD681B)
JVC HA-S500-B for $47,60 (looks cheap, but only read good stuff about it)
Superlux hd681evo for $48,77 (looks more comfortable than the HD681B, but cost 35% more)
Takstar ts-671 for $49,63 (best soundstage, but lacking bass)
Somic MH463 for $54,51 ($4,51 over my budget, but looks really appreciated)
 
ARGHH, I can't decide...
 
What would be your suggestion and why?

 

[cel4145]

I love the JVC HA-S400 for their price. I don't like their native sound signature (they are a little too warm for me), but to me they sound great with some EQ adjustment.

 

[mykey]

I love the JVC HA-S400 for their price. I don't like their native sound signature (they are a little too warm for me), but to me they sound great with some EQ adjustment.

Thanks, I haven't found it in my research.
 
Wow, those can be had on eBay for $33.87 delivered.
 
Have you tried any of the one I stated? Do you feel paying more for the other model I stated would be a waste?

 

[cel4145]

No. I have not tried the others, but many people really like them. What you probably should do, if you are willing to the research, is look for individual review and discussion threads on Head-Fi for each. What I usually do is a google search for the make/model # with "head-fi" as a keyword.

 

[zunehdrocks]

The koss prodj100 with m50 pads is also in your price range (barely)
http://www.cowboom.com/product/761730/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ATHM50EarPad

 

[mykey]

  The koss prodj100 with m50 pads is also in your price range (barely)
http://www.cowboom.com/product/761730/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ATHM50EarPad

Those looks good. The problem is that cowboom doesn't ship to Canada.
 
The prodj100 can still be found in Canada as it's widely available, but I can't find it for less than $65.

 
Add to that the M50 earpads, the shipping and I am at about $95 which is about twice my budget.
 

 

[zunehdrocks]

Those looks good. The problem is that cowboom doesn't ship to Canada.

The prodj100 can still be found in Canada as it's widely available, but I can't find it for less than $65.

Add to that the M50 earpads, the shipping and I am at about $95 which is about twice my budget.

 

Sorry about that...
How about the pioneer se-a1000?
http://www.head-fi.org/products/pioneer-se-a1000-lightweight-audiophile-av-over-ear-headphones
Theres also a mod that supposedly makes it a lot more comfortable
http://www.head-fi.org/t/670454/pioneer-se-a1000-appreciation-club-sennheiser-hd-650-for-45

 

[mykey]

Sorry about that...
How about the pioneer se-a1000?
http://www.head-fi.org/products/pioneer-se-a1000-lightweight-audiophile-av-over-ear-headphones
Theres also a mod that supposedly makes it a lot more comfortable
http://www.head-fi.org/t/670454/pioneer-se-a1000-appreciation-club-sennheiser-hd-650-for-45

Unfortunately, it costs even more.
 
 
It's really weird. All the headphones listed here got great reviews at some point, but the more I read, the more I see contradictions.
A is better than B. B is better than C. A is crap compared to C. 

 
 
I understand that about sound quality and comfort as no one had the same head and listen to the same music. But I have seen that even concerning build quality.

 

[mykey]

I added the JVC HA-S400 to the list.
I crossed the JVC HA-S500-B as the HA-S400 seems very comparable and is cheaper.
I crossed the hd681evo as I read that the sound quality is not on par with the 668B and 681B.
I crossed the Takstar ts-671 becaused I don't think I would appreciate the large sound stage more than the bass that it seems to be missing.
 
It's getting there.

 

[Beocord]

I don't have the 668b and my hd681 is normal not the b version but out of the other headphones hi2050 is best sounding of the bunch. But since soundquality is very subjective lets look at this based on comfort also. Jvc's are on ear headphones. Most people don't find on ears as comfortable. Of the list.  Both superluxes have vinyl ear pads that are not that soft and can get hot after a while. Of the list. Somic's have very heavy headband which might get uncomfortable after a while...it did for me. Of the list. I can't fault Takstars for their comfort. Only thing wrong with them is that the headband does not extend that much up and down direction. If you don't have a very big head that should not be a problem though. So I have a feeling you might be very happy if you bought the Takstars

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

I'm gonna plug a review I did on the 668B, I thought they were fantastic phones if you can slightly look over the steep roll-off in the bass (sub-bass I should say). Some have commented it to be too bright but that can be easily remedied by cover the driver opening completely with speaker cover as opposed to just partially stock:
http://www.head-fi.org/users/364354/reviews

I've since gifted the 668B to a friend's son who uses it with his guitar practicing at night, gaming, and music.

I'm tempted to try the Pioneer SE-A1000 as they've been said to have a laid-back sound.

 

[gopats1479]

I recommend the Logitech UE 4000. They have an MSRP of $99 but are now regularly found from $30 to $50. Absolutely fantastic sound, incredibly comfortable for on-ears, fairly good isolation. I don't know what its availability is like in Canada but they're good for the original list price and an absolute steal at the current street price. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you might have about them if you're interested. 

 

[Beocord]

UE4000 is very bassy though. I would not recommend those to anyone who values other aspects of the sound also. Build and accessories are good for the discounted price, I have to admit that.

 

[gopats1479]

  UE4000 is very bassy though. I would not recommend those to anyone who values other aspects of the sound also. Build and accessories are good for the discounted price, I have to admit that.

I disagree with your "very." Enhanced bass, yes. Bloated bass, no. It has a warm tilt that rolls off the highs in a very pleasing way to avoid sibilance or harshness. I also felt that the mids were very natural. There is a slightly added body to lower strings, which I feel enhances orchestral music. Vocals are amazing and quite forward in the soundstage, with the instruments backing up the vocals and staying out of the way. 
 
I'm not a huge fan of flat response pairs, though, so the UE 4000s may not be what you're looking for if you like flat. However, if you want some fun in your headphones, you may like them. 

 

[Claritas]

HA-S500 is good (after 100 hours of burn in with pink noise) if you're looking for a V-shaped sound. HA-S400 is supposed to be a little more neutral, but I haven't tried it.

I didn't find comfort to be an issue with HA-S500 despite its being on ear.