[AnyOtherRay]

I'm sure this type of question has been asked a billion times, with better wording in the title, but I'm not smurt enough to find a post that fits what I want, so I'll just make my own. I've never really had any sort of headphones before, I've practically just used the onboard speakers of my devices, so no matter what pair I get it'll be the best headphones I've ever had, so with that said...

I'm not an audiophile, so comfort > build > sound, so long as the sound doesn't kill my ears. I don't want 1 headphone that'd be super amazing in a couple thing but absolutely terrible in others, what I'd prefer is a 'jack of all trades, master of none', with some higher emphasis on gaming.(which far as I can tell means a neutral\natural pair with higher soundstage and some extra bass) I'm perfectly fine with replacing pads, but it has to be within budget - I won't get a $100 pair if it's uncomfortable out of box, but I would get an $80 pair and buying $20 pads.

That's about all I can think of that I want in my headphones. Practically the only pair I've been thinking about is the nvx xpt100's, being neutral, comfortable, and replaceable everything except speakers, and costing only $80, but I don't know if it's the best choice for me.

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

That's probably a good choice for your needs. I had a set (they're semi-permanently attached to my girlfriends head now) in terms of comfort they are unbeatable. It does play nice with all genres, although it is a little bass shy for some music, but not to the point of being a dealbreaker. (they weren't my first choice for hip hop) For gaming, I imagine this would be one of the better closed headphones because they do have a pretty big soundstage for a closed headphone. (better than average anyway)

 

[Malfunkt]

Look for a used pair of HD598 or HD558. Those have comfort in spades and are great gaming headphones, easy-to-drive from any computer or portable device, good all-rounders for a wide range of music styles. Additionally, they are good references in case you want to move up from their in the future as many here on head-fi have heard them.

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Look for a used pair of HD598 or HD558. Those have comfort in spades and are great gaming headphones, easy-to-drive from any computer or portable device, good all-rounders for a wide range of music styles. Additionally, they are good references in case you want to move up from their in the future as many here on head-fi have heard them.

those are both open backed headphones

 

[Malfunkt]

those are both open backed headphones

oops! Well there is the HD598C - closed version. Also, I listened to Sennheiser HD471, these are surprisingly good, light and relatively cheap. The bass is better than most headphones in their price range. Padding is not as premium as the 598 series, and isn't as comfortable.

 

[phase0]

This is a cheap option that sounds good for the price range: Samson SR850

 

[AriGibson]

This is a cheap option that sounds good for the price range: Samson SR850

Correction: SR850s are open. SR950s are closed back.

I had a pair of Samson SR950s as my first pair of half decent (semi) audiophile grade headphones. And holy cow, I have to say, for the price, they are absolutely killer! I got mine for around $30, but it looks like now they've bumped up to around $50. The sound is balanced, with a strong and powerful bass, but it wasn't overwhelming. Honestly, in my non-official opinion, they are a #1 pick, especially if I can find the Amazon link for mine, that were at $30.

Unfortunetly, they did end up breaking around half a year after purchase. The 1/8" connector starting loosing contact with the wires. Keep in mind though, that was from daily 2-8 hr usage, and I took them with me everywhere, so I could imagine they got a little dinged up from being thrown in my bag. I reached out to the company, and with the 1 year warranty on them, was replaced with a pair of Z35s (they were out of SR950s at the time). At the same price ($70, bought directly from Samson's Amazon page), it really depends on your use. The sound is almost exactly the same, but the SR950s come on top by a tad bit, not enough to justify them if they don't fit your use/travel needs. The SR950s are great if you don't plan to take them with you places, but since I move between multiple houses, they were a little too bulky to take with me. The Z35s on the other hand, are a more portable version. Collapsible, they fit easily into my bag, and even include a carrying case.

As far as earpads go, they SR950s had some big velour cups (over-ear), while the Z35s have smaller, "high grade protein leather" earpads (according to Samson). Personally, I prefer velour earpads, but the comfort on the Z35s is actually better than the velour on the SR950s. Last thing to mention as far as comfort goes, both kinds tightly "clamp" onto your ears. Wear them for a month or so and they start to fit your head good, but these style is fantastic at keeping sound out. The SR950s were a little better as far as sound leakage, but the Z35s work fine as well.

Hope that helps you in your journey! First time responding to a post on here, so I hope I did good

EDIT: Considering prices, my final recommendation is going to be for the SR950s... again though, make sure that their not too bulky for you. SR950s are just $50, while the Z25s are $70.

Images + Amazon Pages (from Samson Amazon page, do some research for best prices):
Samson SR950s ($50): https://goo.gl/oVKxya

Samson Z35s ($70): https://goo.gl/FKzzwu

 

[AnyOtherRay]

Look for a used pair of HD598 or HD558.

oops! Well there is the HD598C - closed version. Also, I listened to Sennheiser HD471, these are surprisingly good, light and relatively cheap. The bass is better than most headphones in their price range. Padding is not as premium as the 598 series, and isn't as comfortable.

I'm not someone who's willing to buy used, it sounds so very risky, but from the single review of the HD471 that I read it seems good, but I'm a bit worried about build quality.

This is a cheap option that sounds good for the price range: Samson SR850

Correction: SR850s are open. SR950s are closed back.

I had a pair of Samson SR950s as my first pair of half decent (semi) audiophile grade headphones. And holy cow, I have to say, for the price, they are absolutely killer! I got mine for around $30, but it looks like now they've bumped up to around $50. The sound is balanced, with a strong and powerful bass, but it wasn't overwhelming. Honestly, in my non-official opinion, they are a #1 pick, especially if I can find the Amazon link for mine, that were at $30.

Unfortunetly, they did end up breaking around half a year after purchase. The 1/8" connector starting loosing contact with the wires. Keep in mind though, that was from daily 2-8 hr usage, and I took them with me everywhere, so I could imagine they got a little dinged up from being thrown in my bag. I reached out to the company, and with the 1 year warranty on them, was replaced with a pair of Z35s (they were out of SR950s at the time). At the same price ($70, bought directly from Samson's Amazon page), it really depends on your use. The sound is almost exactly the same, but the SR950s come on top by a tad bit, not enough to justify them if they don't fit your use/travel needs. The SR950s are great if you don't plan to take them with you places, but since I move between multiple houses, they were a little too bulky to take with me. The Z35s on the other hand, are a more portable version. Collapsible, they fit easily into my bag, and even include a carrying case.

As far as earpads go, they SR950s had some big velour cups (over-ear), while the Z35s have smaller, "high grade protein leather" earpads (according to Samson). Personally, I prefer velour earpads, but the comfort on the Z35s is actually better than the velour on the SR950s. Last thing to mention as far as comfort goes, both kinds tightly "clamp" onto your ears. Wear them for a month or so and they start to fit your head good, but these style is fantastic at keeping sound out. The SR950s were a little better as far as sound leakage, but the Z35s work fine as well.

Hope that helps you in your journey! First time responding to a post on here, so I hope I did good

EDIT: Considering prices, my final recommendation is going to be for the SR950s... again though, make sure that their not too bulky for you. SR950s are just $50, while the Z25s are $70.

Images + Amazon Pages (from Samson Amazon page, do some research for best prices):
Samson SR950s ($50): https://goo.gl/oVKxya

Samson Z35s ($70): https://goo.gl/FKzzwu

I was considering the SR950 for quite a while previously, but then I decided to up my budget and so stopped considering it much. Also, your story of breaking in not even a year is worrying, even if I'll practically never move them from my desk.

 

[AriGibson]

I was considering the SR950 for quite a while previously, but then I decided to up my budget and so stopped considering it much. Also, your story of breaking in not even a year is worrying, even if I'll practically never move them from my desk.

It wasn't that big of a deal, and the company replaced them no questions asked.
Here was the issue: https://i.imgur.com/anF2d0G.jpg

 

[Malfunkt]

I'm not someone who's willing to buy used, it sounds so very risky, but from the single review of the HD471 that I read it seems good, but I'm a bit worried about build quality.

I wouldn't be too worried, they are pretty good. Sennheiser has to mass manufacture these headphones and don't want to be dealing with RMAs. Plastic, but the overall construction is pretty solid. Their lightweight works in their favor, as some more premium headphones would take a fair bit of damage froma a fall, but not the HD471. Just don't sit on them and they'll be pretty good.

I had heard these from a past workmate, and was pleasantly surprised. Here is Tyll's review, who has certain tastes, but is a well-respected reviewer.

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/sennheiser-hd-471-affordable-sealed-over-ear-headphones

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if this is quite similar:
http://en-ca.sennheiser.com/studio-headphones-noise-reducing-hd-200-pro

 

[phase0]

I was considering the SR950 for quite a while previously, but then I decided to up my budget and so stopped considering it much. Also, your story of breaking in not even a year is worrying, even if I'll practically never move them from my desk.

Well the SR850s I used to own, I gave them to a coworker and he's been using them for about a year no issues.

 

[AriGibson]

I was considering the SR950 for quite a while previously, but then I decided to up my budget and so stopped considering it much. Also, your story of breaking in not even a year is worrying, even if I'll practically never move them from my desk.

Well the SR850s I used to own, I gave them to a coworker and he's been using them for about a year no issues.

Been thinking about it some more, and I think I got a cool idea. Gimme your thoughts phase0, as you would know better than me.

For starters, price doesn't always mean better sound. A friend of mine owns a pair of Audio Technica Air ATH-700s, which cost him around $130, and in my opinion the SR950s sound just as good, maybe even better. I think your trying to hard to get to $100, when really the pair of headphones could be cheaper. Especially since your just looking for something reasonably priced for basic, personal use.

Do you communicate with teammates online in anyway? If so, you might want to look into a mic. By setting aside the $50 from going with SR950s, you could also get a very solid mic.
Idea 1: Add some sort of mic either on the headphones, or just on your desk. ModMic is a good example of something on your headphones, but personally I think it's a little overboard. I made my setup work using the popular "Beyerdynamic DT770 mic mod" setup, found here. https://imgur.com/gallery/bKU4H . It involves using a simple boom mic, and using some cable ties (or in my case, velcro) to attach it to your headphones.

Idea 2: If your not a fan of having a "headset" with the new headphones, consider a cheap desktop mic. Samson Meteorite is a good example. Sounds great for $30.

Idea 3: Plan for the future. Budget $25 more bucks, and go ahead and pickup the SR950s, along with a FiiO E10K, one of the best budget AMP/DAC combos out there. It probably won't offer much effect onto the SR950s, but if you think you'll upgrade to a better pair of headphones in the future, it's worth getting it now. Their fairly cheap, at just $75, but they'll give a little boost to the SR950s, and a major boost to upgrades in the future. It can output up to 150 ohms, so when you decide to upgrade, you'll already have a solid amp handy.

Thoughts phase0? I don't know how good of an idea number 3 is, but you might think something of it.

 

[phase0]

Been thinking about it some more, and I think I got a cool idea. Gimme your thoughts phase0, as you would know better than me.

For starters, price doesn't always mean better sound. A friend of mine owns a pair of Audio Technica Air ATH-700s, which cost him around $130, and in my opinion the SR950s sound just as good, maybe even better. I think your trying to hard to get to $100, when really the pair of headphones could be cheaper. Especially since your just looking for something reasonably priced for basic, personal use.

Do you communicate with teammates online in anyway? If so, you might want to look into a mic. By setting aside the $50 from going with SR950s, you could also get a very solid mic.
Idea 1: Add some sort of mic either on the headphones, or just on your desk. ModMic is a good example of something on your headphones, but personally I think it's a little overboard. I made my setup work using the popular "Beyerdynamic DT770 mic mod" setup, found here. https://imgur.com/gallery/bKU4H . It involves using a simple boom mic, and using some cable ties (or in my case, velcro) to attach it to your headphones.

Idea 2: If your not a fan of having a "headset" with the new headphones, consider a cheap desktop mic. Samson Meteorite is a good example. Sounds great for $30.

Idea 3: Plan for the future. Budget $25 more bucks, and go ahead and pickup the SR950s, along with a FiiO E10K, one of the best budget AMP/DAC combos out there. It probably won't offer much effect onto the SR950s, but if you think you'll upgrade to a better pair of headphones in the future, it's worth getting it now. Their fairly cheap, at just $75, but they'll give a little boost to the SR950s, and a major boost to upgrades in the future. It can output up to 150 ohms, so when you decide to upgrade, you'll already have a solid amp handy.

Thoughts phase0? I don't know how good of an idea number 3 is, but you might think something of it.

Well that's a tougher one for me. If you want a mic then a gamer headset, or some IEM might be a better option to stay inside budget. For example:
1. I have the 1More triple driver IEM. It's fantastic for the price and I am normally listening on much more expensive equip. The mic works for conf calls and I've had a years of listening to music and it's comfortable for a good hour. If I'm using it for 4 hrs on a call I noticed my ears do get sore.
2. I have an old Logitech wireless gamer headphone. IMO it sucks for music (but for wireless maybe it's tolerable but clearly inferior to wired options. I used it more for conference calls and VoIP).
3. For no mic I would put the budget into headphones. I've been comparing the opposite end of the budget range lately. I know from experience the SR850 is a good cheap HP, but I don't have a ton of flexibility and experience on this $100 limit. You could sell your blood until you have enough money to buy an LCD-MX4. I've never been a fan of extra amp/dac units that stack. I tried the Oppo HA-2 and returned it. I liked the boost but there were to many issues that I wasn't willing to tolerate. But if you used it for computer and portable maybe there is some value in something like that. I know the FiiO is good for the price and I have some happy coworkers who use them.
4. If you can shop used you can possibly find something better (like someone mentioned Sennheisers). If you watch the for-sale forum you might be able to talk someone down to your budget if it's close.

 

[AnyOtherRay]

For starters, price doesn't always mean better sound. A friend of mine owns a pair of Audio Technica Air ATH-700s, which cost him around $130, and in my opinion the SR950s sound just as good, maybe even better.

Price indeed may not equal better sound, but different people have different tastes, someone could very well think a $10 headset is better than a $100 headphone(an extreme and probably impossible example). And the main thing to me with an increase in budget is comfort\build, rather than sound.

Idea 1: Add some sort of mic either on the headphones, or just on your desk. ModMic is a good example of something on your headphones, but personally I think it's a little overboard. I made my setup work using the popular "Beyerdynamic DT770 mic mod" setup, found here. https://imgur.com/gallery/bKU4H . It involves using a simple boom mic, and using some cable ties (or in my case, velcro) to attach it to your headphones.

Idea 2: If your not a fan of having a "headset" with the new headphones, consider a cheap desktop mic. Samson Meteorite is a good example. Sounds great for $30.

I was originally gonna get the modmic with the SR950's, but I decided to just get a mic of some sort later, whether it's a modmic or a desktop mic. Never heard of Samson meteorite, but I'll probably goggle it later.

Idea 3: Plan for the future. Budget $25 more bucks, and go ahead and pickup the SR950s, along with a FiiO E10K, one of the best budget AMP/DAC combos out there. It probably won't offer much effect onto the SR950s, but if you think you'll upgrade to a better pair of headphones in the future, it's worth getting it now. Their fairly cheap, at just $75, but they'll give a little boost to the SR950s, and a major boost to upgrades in the future. It can output up to 150 ohms, so when you decide to upgrade, you'll already have a solid amp handy.

I probably won't upgrade for years, by which point I could very well just get better things than preparing for the distant future now. As I said in the original post, I'm not an audiophile, just someone who wants a good pair of headphones that are comfortable and built well under a $100.

Your suggestions aren't bad, their just not what I want right now.

 

[AriGibson]

Price indeed may not equal better sound, but different people have different tastes, someone could very well think a $10 headset is better than a $100 headphone(an extreme and probably impossible example). And the main thing to me with an increase in budget is comfort\build, rather than sound.


I was originally gonna get the modmic with the SR950's, but I decided to just get a mic of some sort later, whether it's a modmic or a desktop mic. Never heard of Samson meteorite, but I'll probably goggle it later.

I probably won't upgrade for years, by which point I could very well just get better things than preparing for the distant future now. As I said in the original post, I'm not an audiophile, just someone who wants a good pair of headphones that are comfortable and built well under a $100.

Your suggestions aren't bad, their just not what I want right now.

Fair points. If your still interested in Ideas 1 + 2, then I can help you figure some of that out too. For me, the "headset" like design worked best, since I'm constantly moving my stuff. But, you can get some great quality out of a desktop mic.

Samson Meteorite
Amazon: https://goo.gl/u6ReUP . Price has gone up recently, but still fits your budget great.
Test Video: https://goo.gl/SJ6TdP

Give those a look, and let me know what you think.