[AaronDude]

Yeah, so I'm looking for some new headphones. I already own several and buy a new set every several months it seems usually after reading reviews on amazon. I'm hoping this time I actually get one that really suites me. Anywho right now I'm looking for those old over the head headphones. I don't really care if they cover the whole ear or just rest on the ear. I'm looking in the 15-25 maybe 30 dollar price range. I will use them for travel and use with an MP3 player and also hook them to my TV when needed so I can watch a movie or play videogames without disturbing others.

I already have noise canceling audio technica headphones although I believe they are refurbished because I had to send the ones I purchased into AT a couple weeks after I got them about two years ago. They smell like smoke and the ear pads looked heavily used(I remember from when I got them), and to me anyway, don't even sound as good as 20 dollar sony earbuds i've purchased. My MP3 player also can't put out enough juice for it even with the noise canceling on. I keep trying to find a use for them but they just don't sound that great to me. I'm kind of a germaphobe and when wearing those all I can think about is where they might of been. I also wear glasses whenever I'm awake but I can take a little pain from headphones.

Up until recently I thought nothing would beat my creative aurvana earbuds but the Audio Technica CKM50 and Sony MDR EX30 seem to sound the best to me right now. The EX30s seem to take more juice though, and it can be pretty quiet with classical music that's been recorded at a lower volume. Those are all of course earbuds but I'm looking for headphones that sound more like the MDR EX30s. I care more about the mid range and highs and the ex30s seem to do that great and still have natural sounding bass. Actually I think the aurvanas have the best mid range but it's a little too much because I can't hear the other stuff. I thought the aurvanas were the best even with the quiter ear until I started using the ATH CKM50s a couple months ago. I guess I got a defective aurvana headphone set when I bought them a year ago but I never returned them. Those audio technica earbuds changed my taste a bit and I had to get them because they were on sale on amazon. I'm beginning to think I'm not getting more when I pay more. Those expensive ATH ANC7s are just not 110 dollar impressive.

So what would be a good low cost set of headphones that I may like? I've been looking at the Sony MDR V-150s and the Sennheiser HD 202s. I've never tried sennheiser and if the Sony v 150s sound anything like the sony earbuds I got now I would just love them. Should I just go for the sony? I love all my sony stuff. I'm concerned about the sound though and if my MP3 player would be able to power them. Then of course there's the Sennheisers but I don't know if that would look cool with my PS3. Ideas? thoughts? insults?

 

[Napilopez]

Different strokes for different folks. I get the feeling many if not most head-fiers would prefer the CKM50 to those sony IEMs you listed, based on some stuff I've read. But that's what makes this site fun

At that price range, I don't think there is anything better than the much acclaimed budget-fi RX700. It's huge, but its a great, cheap headphone that really doesn't do anything wrong for it's price, and can sound very impressive after some super simple mods(better than some much more expensive models, according to myself and others). However, they aren't travel suited. They are powered perfectly from an MP3 player, but the cable is really long, and they are simply so huge that I don't think you'd want to take them out in public. The panasonic HTX7 might be a good option for a decent sounding cool-looking full size set.

At that price, I really think you'd be better off with IEMs, even though I know you specified full size. From my experience, low priced IEMs consistently beat out large cans in the same price range, or at least the ones that are somewhat portable. If you can stretch to 35, the Meelec M6 is a popular option known for its good soundstage and bass for its price in the IEM forum.

What are your music tastes like? You somewhat described your sound signature preferences, but getting an idea of your listening habits can probably help as much, if not more.

 

[SolidVictory]

It would be great if you could stretch how much you're spending by like $20 more, then a lot of other options open up like the ATH-FC700A. If you could spend even more, the ATH-M50 would be the best option in terms of value for money, imo.

I agree with Napilopez on the idea about IEMs. The M6 has great reviews and I would also recommend the Sennheiser CX-250 which are also great under $20.

 

[AaronDude]

Thanks for mentioning meelectronics. I never heard of them before but for some reason they were in my browsing history. Maybe it was something I looked at a year ago. Yeah anywho, the M9s are cheaper than the M6s at overstock. It's about 20 bucks. Wouldn't the M9s be better? I like how they have a nice fairly long cord. It can reach from my chair to the floor where I have an extension cable that goes to my TV or computer. Reason why is if it's not long enough it picks up the heavy extention cable and really yanks on the phones. That's the problem I'm having right now with the sonys. It doesn't help that the cord is the most flimsy thing I've ever seen.

Yeah so you asked about my musical tastes. Well I listen to a lot of classical such as Mahler, Bruckner(symphonies) and Strauss like music(dance) and pretty much every time period for that matter. I also listen to some female vocal pop and soundtracks which can have some eletronic and rock in it.

One thing I've been noticing with the Audio Technica earbuds is they sound ok for most things but when a violin gets screetchy or singing gets high pitched and complicated I can hear some static. This does not happen with the sonys. I've also noticed it on my audio technica full sized headphones somewhat and it gets worse if the noise cancellation is enabled. The sonys, creatives and sound squared ones I got do not do that. I know it's not the MP3s because I use a low pass filter and obviously the other phones don't have a problem with it. It's rare but it's kind of irritating. I mostly use a COWON D2 as my mp3 player. They say it has great sound but I think the creative zen micro I had years ago sounded better even with crummy headphones I had then. Plus, it didn't always seem to get a corrupt database. Obviously I'm gonna try a different mp3 player when this dies or it becomes unbearable.

Those meelectronic headphones do look nice and I like the case they come with. If the m9s are any good I might consider it since the price is right right now on overstock.

 

[Deep Funk]

Panasonic RP-HTX7 + burn in (refines the sound a bit) + Fiio E5/power =

.

My experience just so you know, the RP-HTX7 is also quite easy to modify because it's so easy to open up and close again. It's a cheap option if you like the sound but first audition one that's been used for a while and still in good physical and technical shape.

 

[AaronDude]

So I bought the M9s and they do sound pretty good.  Only problem is the right ear seems to have a lot more bass then the left.  Also the left ear will become quiet if I go in too far.  I've tried the right ear in the left ear and the left ear in the right and same thing happens with that left earbud.  The different tips don't make a difference either.  It seems as though this is a common occurrence for headphones I buy.  I always have this fear I will get one that sounds like this.  I got them for 15 bucks at newegg.  The thing is I'm not sure if it was like that the first couple of days.  The first couple of days the bass sounded boomy and then it kind of disappeared.  I have a hunch it's because of that one ear bud.  I've been trying to convince myself that it's not that bad but something like this kind of irks me.  So are the 35% of headphones I'm buying really defective or is this some kind of intended unbalance to perhaps bring out the bass in one ear and treble in the other?  Looks like I'll be shopping for new earbuds or I will just live with the audio technica in ears I have.  I mean these M9s did sound (sounded better the first couple days) great, it's just that it's kind of hard not to notice.  I don't think I'll take the needed steps to send them in either if they are in fact defective.  It'll probably actually end up costing me more.  Should I give meelectronics a shot again?  Maybe the SX 31?  Perhaps these are cheap for a reason and I should avoid them?

 

[FirsToStrike]

I think something like this will be considerd defective, isn't there a warranty that covers things like this?
My M9 sounds great, although bass really is quite boomy, even after 50 hours of burn in... But i have no such problem as the one you have described.

 

[AaronDude]

Upon further investigation the left ear bud makes a air tight, slight pressure, soda can type seal.  Obviously the more I push it in the more it creates the seal and it can get so quiet where I can't hardly hear anything.  It doesn't happen if I leave it mostly just resting inside the ear canal without making a seal.  I've tried twisting it around and the other ear and the same result.  What's funny is the right ear bud doesn't make that air tight seal and I can basically push it in as far as I want.  Perhaps I always have been wearing in ear headphones wrong?  People are always talking about a "seal" and I thought that was when you get that soda can type pressure air tight thing.  The bass still seems to sound a little bit less in the left ear and a little more in the right ear even when I don't push it in all the way.  Most people probably wouldn't notice it though so I guess I shouldn't complain about that.  With all my music it just kind of feels like the bass is coming from the right ear.  I wouldn't say it's boomy.   My audio technica in ears I have, have just little bit less bass.  These m9s seem to sound clearer, have more detail and more impact.  I tend to like that. The thing is I don't want to be using a defective set of headphones if they are.  I mean I wouldn't send them back though because they were 15 bucks and shipping and the hassle probably wouldn't be worth it to RMA it.
 
I think I still should get a set of over the ear headphones like I was going to originally do and I will I guess.  It's just that I couldn't pass up on trying 15 dollar in ears that are worth more.  The audio technica ath-p5 could be a good fit for me.  I already got a full sized audio technica headphones(ath-anc7) but it just takes to much juice to power them and I can't even get them up to a decent volume if I want to use them with my MP3 player.  I don't like to use the noise canceling on it either 'cause it can go through a battery every 5-10 hours or so even though they claim it can get up to 50 hours.  I started using rechargables on it and it goes through them even faster and it's kind of a pain in the ass to change the battery all the time.  Noise Cancellation technology in my opinion is just not that good.  It just doesn't sound right with the noise canceling off.  There is way too much bass and it just sounds bad plus it takes even more juice to power them.  I've also been looking at the panasonic RP-HT21.  That's about as cheap as they get, yet reviewers on other sites seem to think they sound amazing.  Would I just be paying more for the audio technica name or are these panasonics the real deal?

 

[FirsToStrike]

Had a similar problem with my pl50's, had nothing to do about it really...