[rjbell]

I've been happy with the Takstar Pro 80s I discovered thanks to head-fi many years ago. In fact, I'm still happy with them but Christmas is coming and people will ask what i want and i'm thinking maybe a replacement. Is there anything new significantly better than these under $50? or would that money be better spent with dongle dac ?

 

[dunring]

I'd recommend the Phillips Shp9500 which you can find on eBay or amazon for $50 in excellent condition. They sound great and my vote for best $50 headphone. The Sound blaster X1 is terrific too, been using one for a couple of weeks as a DAC and also it's got more power than expected.
Either one is good but I'd get the shp9500 first, it'll make the biggest difference, easy to drive so you don't need an amp.

 

[rjbell]

I'd recommend the Phillips Shp9500 which you can find on eBay or amazon for $50 in excellent condition. They sound great and my vote for best $50 headphone. The Sound blaster X1 is terrific too, been using one for a couple of weeks as a DAC and also it's got more power than expected.
Either one is good but I'd get the shp9500 first, it'll make the biggest difference, easy to drive so you don't need an amp.

Thank you. I'll check them out. I've got a soft spot for Philips gear. I had some of their HiFi separates in the 90's and loved them.