MOST COMFORTABLE Closed Headphones under $200 for movies, ambient gaming
Jul 23, 2013 at 7:27 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 15
romantichero

romantichero

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I play Guild Wars 2 and Skyrim on my PC and watch movies and want some REALLY COMFORTABLE CLOSED cans for under #200.. specifically something that DOESN'T NEED TO BE DRIVEN or can be driven by a $20 sound card.
 
Jul 23, 2013 at 7:41 PM Post #2 of 15
Depends if you want lots of bass or you want something to help determine the location of enemies etc.

I suggest going used to get more bang for your buck. For example I have a pair of SRH940 in the FS forum for under $200 which retail for $300 they are easily driven and will give you a great sound stage but they have a tight bass that some find to lean.

You should be able to find a used pair of ATH 900/X for around $200 as well or possibly a pair of Phillips cans.
 
Jul 23, 2013 at 7:58 PM Post #4 of 15
I use the Ultrasone HFI-780 which has everything I love from my other headphones in one package. A big soundstage similar to the Audio Technica ATH AD700. Nice amount of bass that is realistic and gets along with the sparkly some may say metallic treble which is quite detailed. It comes with a ten foot expansion that connects to a much shorter three foot cord so you wont have any trouble if you need to move around the room for whatever reason.
 
Honorable mention goes out to the Sennheiser HD-280 which has a very full complete sound with stronger bass then the Ultrasone but gets along perfectly with the treble. Its great when playing SKYRIM and hearing that thick bass filled wind in the air or listening to the bombastic tracks during combat. The only problem is it can be very tight on the head which is why I recommend the Ultrasone since your looking for comfort.
 
Happy hunting.
 
Jul 24, 2013 at 1:28 AM Post #5 of 15
Soundmagic hp100 very comfy, lots of sub bass. Great for gaming. Get better with an amp but don't need it.
Bose ae2-most comfy closed headphone I've ever worn. Can be worn for hours, versus about 25 minutes for the 580 and about 1.5 hours for hp100
Hfi580-paimfully uncomfortable. Good sound a decent for gsming
 
Jul 24, 2013 at 5:09 AM Post #7 of 15
If your in Canada you can get the Sennhieser 380 pro for about $140 from Axe Music
 
Jul 24, 2013 at 5:14 AM Post #8 of 15
Jul 24, 2013 at 5:26 AM Post #9 of 15
The sony mdr1r are perfect for this use.
 
-Closed.
-Amongst the most comfortable headphone ever created
-Awesome soundstage that benefits movies 
-Great bass impact (not overdone)
-Smoothing of highs (very important for TV/lower quality movies) 
 
Jul 24, 2013 at 10:51 PM Post #10 of 15
Quote:
lukem22 said:
Soundmagic hp100 very comfy, lots of sub bass. Great for gaming. Get better with an amp but don't need it.
Bose ae2-most comfy closed headphone I've ever worn. Can be worn for hours, versus about 25 minutes for the 580 and about 1.5 hours for hp100
Hfi580-paimfully uncomfortable. Good sound a decent for gsming
Click to expand...

 
Thanks lukEM22 for mentioning the discomfort of the Hfi780. I got used to it so I forgot about that particular trait :D This from someone who doesn't mind the tank that is the Koss Pro-4AA.
 
I just noticed how many vice grip like closed headphones I have. One that is definitely not vice grip painful and is very comfortable with huge pillow size pads are the Sony MDR XB-500. It to has an excellent balance of strong bass and clear treble. With equalization its strengths shine even more. I play it from my Onkyo 8555 stereo receiver which is probably why I never have to equalize it to get the sound I like. I heard it has been discontinued but you can probably get it from Amazon.
 
Jul 25, 2013 at 12:12 AM Post #11 of 15
Quote:
hellbishop said:
 
Thanks lukEM22 for mentioning the discomfort of the Hfi780. I got used to it so I forgot about that particular trait :D This from someone who doesn't mind the tank that is the Koss Pro-4AA.
 
I just noticed how many vice grip like closed headphones I have. One that is definitely not vice grip painful and is very comfortable with huge pillow size pads are the Sony MDR XB-500. It to has an excellent balance of strong bass and clear treble. With equalization its strengths shine even more. I play it from my Onkyo 8555 stereo receiver which is probably why I never have to equalize it to get the sound I like. I heard it has been discontinued but you can probably get it from Amazon.
Click to expand...

 


I like the xb500s too, but the pads are a little too big which makes my ears heat up fast. If you use them where its cold though they are wonderful. Actually I am selling my pair :)
 Also if you are interested bishop, for a total of about $40 you can replace the earpads and headband. It helps a lot.
 
Jul 25, 2013 at 2:08 PM Post #12 of 15
A budget suggestion for you: Sennheiser HD428 (refurbs on ebay for $25 shipped). They are very lightweight, and in addition have low clamping force (but still secure). And they also have excellent SQ, and of the sort that would be ideal for your requirements. I also have the Takstar Pro 80 (Gemini branded), which many have claimed to be very comfortable (as I recall, one poster said it was the most comfortable headphone he ever owned), and while I find it is very comfortable (and is another option for you to consider), the HD428 is still a little more comfortable to me.
 
Jul 26, 2013 at 8:51 PM Post #14 of 15
Quote:
lukem22 said:
 


I like the xb500s too, but the pads are a little too big which makes my ears heat up fast. If you use them where its cold though they are wonderful. Actually I am selling my pair :)
 Also if you are interested bishop, for a total of about $40 you can replace the earpads and headband. It helps a lot.
Click to expand...

 
Thanks lukEM22 for the info on the replacement earpads and headband for the Sony mdr xb500. I prefer the original look and the comfort is good enough for me. Its part of the charm that made me want to buy them. To change them would be like taking game screenshots of SKYRIM without the cross sights and hud configs. A lot of people do it but it just wouldn't feel true at least to me :D
 
Quote:
romantichero said:
I have decided to go with the SoundMagic HP 100! Thank you so much guys, it arrives in 2 days!
Click to expand...

 
Congratulations romantichero! May they be all you are searching for and much more :)
 
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