[msing539]

Hey all, I'd like to get my 10 year old daughter into the hobby since she's started to express a real interest in music.

Here's what I'm hoping for in order of importance:

- On or over ear closed back
- Small profile/size
- Highly durable
- Detachable cable
- Budget up to $100/150 USD used or new... $150 would be the all in price after shipping, etc. if new.

She doesn't care about sound quality at this point. Size and durability are most important. I gave her my Moondrop Chu but I don't think she's ready for the fit of iems.

I'll also need to get her a cheap dongle as her phone only has USB C out. If there's something on AliExpress that you like, please lmk. Form factor of the Apple dongle but thicker wire or more durable. Budget for this is like $35 on top of the headphone.

Thanks

 

[dunring]

The Apple USB to 3.5mm adapter has plenty of power and $9 would best. The AKG K371 is perfect. We have one and it's tuned well out of the box, portable and compact. They always go on sale for the holidays so Google Shopping should have a good deal.

 

[msing539]

The Apple USB to 3.5mm adapter has plenty of power and $9 would best. The AKG K371 is perfect. We have one and it's tuned well out of the box, portable and compact. They always go on sale for the holidays so Google Shopping should have a good deal.

Thanks for the rec. I'm not so much concerned with the power of the Apple dongle, it's the durability of the wire. Is there something like that which can take more of a beating?

 

[Saberpunch]

You could give her some Koss ksc75. They are very cheap and probably one of the best gateway products to great audio. I believe Koss also offer a lifetime warranty, but I am not too sure if they offer that for all of their product. But at $20, it's not really expensive to replace.

 

[msing539]

You could give her some Koss ksc75. They are very cheap and probably one of the best gateway products to great audio. I believe Koss also offer a lifetime warranty, but I am not too sure if they offer that for all of their product. But at $20, it's not really expensive to replace.

Thanks, I considered the Koss--my only thing is they bleed too much sound. It's not so much isolation for her as it is for me...

 

[Farrellc]

While I'm not sure how they'll stack up to some of the other options, I'm particularly fond of my old ATH-M50X. These were my first pair of "real" headphones that showed me that there was a world beyond Skullcandys and Beats. I bought them back in 2017 and used them pretty much daily for 3 years. Besides the pads wearing down over time, they were pretty durable and never developed any issues; I still have them packed away in their box. These go on sale pretty frequently and I'm sure Amazon will do a Black Friday sale for them.

 

[jmwant]

ATM50x, ATM40x, Sennheiser HD25 all are super sturdy and have detachable cables.

 

[msing539]

Thank you all--lots of good options to look into.

 

[PopZeus]

Quality closed-backs are tough to find, especially at the lower price points. Sennheiser HD25 is interesting as that's more of an on-ear design iirc, like the Porta Pros. The Audio-Technica MX0x series is a pretty good place to start, most notably for kids in the grade school range. Though if I'm being honest, I'd probably go with the Meze 99 Noir or Neo used. Not exactly ruggedly made, but all parts are user replaceable and it's one of the best in that price range.

 

[msing539]

Quality closed-backs are tough to find, especially at the lower price points. Sennheiser HD25 is interesting as that's more of an on-ear design iirc, like the Porta Pros. The Audio-Technica MX0x series is a pretty good place to start, most notably for kids in the grade school range. Though if I'm being honest, I'd probably go with the Meze 99 Noir or Neo used. Not exactly ruggedly made, but all parts are user replaceable and it's one of the best in that price range.

It's a good thought--I think the 99 might be too big for her head, I've owned it before. The HD25 is indeed an interesting option--looks very similar to the Beyer DT1350.

 

[earmonger]

About the Apple dongle -- it's so short that it actually seems harder to break than something with a longer cable. Less leverage.

The cable isn't detachable but the Sony MDR-7506 has been a studio staple for years, so it should be durable. The cord is long and most of it is coiled, lots of room to stretch. I find the clamping force slightly tight but it would be good isolation for a smaller head. Easy to drive, bright exciting sound. And it says Professional on the shells, which might make your kid feel special.

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E?th=1

 

[kekappa]

You could give her some Koss ksc75. They are very cheap and probably one of the best gateway products to great audio. I believe Koss also offer a lifetime warranty, but I am not too sure if they offer that for all of their product. But at $20, it's not really expensive to replace.

I second this, truly blew my mind once I auditioned it and found out how cheap it is relative to how well tuned it is.

 

[Saberpunch]

Edit: Wrong thread lol

 

[Saberpunch]

I will say that the Koss KSC75 is truly a GOATED audio equipment. Hard to find anything in that price range that can sound amazing as the Koss.

Always got to recommend anyone to those headphone out and it’s only $20 with a lifetime warranty.

 

[earmonger]

OP wants a closed back. KSC75 is open-back. It's also got that bizarre dorky ear clip design that I don't think would hold up too well to kids' peer pressure.

I for one was never able to get anything like decent bass because of the way they hang.