[JeffJeffery]

I went to best buy and listened to some of their headphones for a little while.  I listened to the studio's for maybe 5 min and liked them.  I'm use to my $10 ear buds that have no bass and are not very good sounding.  I really like listening to music in my car because it is more engaging with the bass bumping.  I miss that when I get home and put my ear buds in and lose that fun feel to them.  So I want to get a pair of headphones so I can listen to music all of the time.  I listen to mostly hip hop/rap and top 40 stuff.  I also listen to like taylor swift so I don't want just sub woofers hooked to my head.  I don't know if I will be able to tell the difference coming from cheap ear buds.  So is there another headphone that sound similar to the beats (or my car radio) for cheaper.  I wear glasses so comfort might be an issue.  And I don't need sound isolation like the beats pro if that means I need batteries.  But they would have to be closed because I have a roommate that goes to bed before I do.  I know you guys bash the beats because they "suck" but I'm just an average consumer so I liked the sound of them.  I want something fun to listen to not something that I will be using for accuracy or for professional use.  And my budget is below $150 possibly as high as $200 if it is really really worth it but would like to stay in the $100 to $150 range if possible.  If I am overshooting myself too let me know.  Thanks so much for any suggestions.

 

[h4mm3r 0f th0r]

Fun is always equal to bass thump, especially someone like you, who is coming from cheap buds etc. There are many bass heavy headphones which will sound better than beats and have heavier bass too. e.g the 50$ sony xb500 has the most powerful bass in a headphone ever, and there is also the xb700 which is better quality than the xb500 and has one of the most powerful and awesome subbass ever, or if you want slightly more refined then the ultrasone hfi 580 or the ath pro700mk2 seem to be the crowd favorite on this site for budget bassheads. There is a wide variety of fun headphones in the low-fi arena but it all depends on what type of music you like etc.. Someone will post here with a long list of fun headphones which are quite cheap as well. And as far as i know, they say that the beats pro are the only headphones that you might consider listening to but still are twice the price than they should be.

 

[RoMee]

You're probably looking for a basshead headphone so here's a few.
 
-Sony XB500- $60 give or take
-V-Moda Crossfade LP- $100
-Pioneer HDJ1500- $150
 
These are not the best, I only list these because you wanted sounds similar to beats. They all should give you about the same amount of bass and they will sound better doing it.
 
If you're willing to get a headphone amp than the M-Audio Q40 and the Audio Technica ATH-PRO700MK2 (both are around $150) will definitely sound better. But they need an amp to bring out the bass you're looking for.

 

[Arbakadarba]

Take a look at V-MODA M-80 and Sony mdr-xb700/1000.

 

[JeffJeffery]

Another question is a lot of people say to get the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 because they are much better.  If I use an equalizer on them could I get a similar sound to the beats or at least one that is fun to listen to.  My only thing holding me back is I've never listened to them before and people say they are not as bass heavy as beats but could you make them that way sort of with an equalizer on my iPod or the better one on my computer?
 

 

[RoMee]

Quote:

Another question is a lot of people say to get the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 because they are much better.  If I use an equalizer on them could I get a similar sound to the beats or at least one that is fun to listen to.  My only thing holding me back is I've never listened to them before and people say they are not as bass heavy as beats but could you make them that way sort of with an equalizer on my iPod or the better one on my computer?
 

No, the M50 will not give you the bass you're looking for, even when EQ and using an amp

 

[AtomicFrostX]

Quote:

You're probably looking for a basshead headphone so here's a few.
 
-Sony XB500- $60 give or take
-V-Moda Crossfade LP- $100
-Pioneer HDJ1500- $150
 
These are not the best, I only list these because you wanted sounds similar to beats. They all should give you about the same amount of bass and they will sound better doing it.
 
If you're willing to get a headphone amp than the M-Audio Q40 and the Audio Technica ATH-PRO700MK2 (both are around $150) will definitely sound better. But they need an amp to bring out the bass you're looking for.

 
Those headphones are a good starting point to research on. I have the V_Moda Crossfade LP's. I've only listened to Beats headphones at Best Buy. I would say that the LP's have a similar thump, but a bit better mids / highs. IMO they are better than Beats.
 
However, I wouldn't say that they are the perfect basshead headphones. I feel that they lack sub-bass and detailing in the bass. Also, the mids are a bit recessed and the top a bit rolled off. However, If you can find them for a good price they are a solid can. They are also built very well and come with a nice case. Just don't spend too much on them / expect too much for the price. 
 
Another option you could look into are the Ultimate Ears UE6000 (~$200). I tried those out at Best Buy, and I found the bass to be incredible when the active noise canceling was on. I didn't try it with that off, but I hear they become much more balanced than. 

 
One disclaimer though, I wouldn't call myself a total basshead. For me it depends on the music that I am listening to. For EDM, dub, etc. I like a can that brings solid bass to the table. However, for Rock / more detailed songs are when I use my Grado's. Gotta use the right tool for the job. 

 
You could take a look to see if a local store carries any of those headphones locally so you could try them out / return them easily. 

 

[RoMee]

Quote:

 
Those headphones are a good starting point to research on. I have the V_Moda Crossfade LP's. I've only listened to Beats headphones at Best Buy. I would say that the LP's have a similar thump, but a bit better mids / highs. I wouldn't say that they are the perfect basshead headphones, but if you can find them for a good price they are a solid can. Also, they are built very well and come with a nice case. Just don't spend too much on them / expect too much for the price. 
 
Another option you could look into are the Ultimate Ears UE6000. I tried those out at Best Buy, and I found the bass to be incredible when the active noise canceling was on. I didn't try it with that off, but I hear they become much more balanced than. 

 
You could take a look to see if a local store carries any of those headphones locally so you could try them out / return them easily. 

The thing is he's not looking for a balanced headphone. If he was I would had recommend different headphones. He's looking for a headphone similar to the studios but cheaper, and that's what I gave him.
The problem I see a lot here is people will just list their favorite headphone while ignoring what the OP wants. There's lots of example of this in this thread. Shure 840, M50, DT880, really??
 
 

You say the beats are overpriced... what is a headphone that is similar in sound but cheaper?

 

[mata944]

Take a look at the DT880/DT990.  I've read a lot of good stuff about the DT990 pro and plan on getting a pair for gaming.  They have a great movie theatre like sound, great bass impact.  The only bad thing about them that I have heard is the treble may be a bit to much for some.  It's very "sparkly".

 

[YGuyG]

Don't worry about the treble on the Beyers listed above. Beats like to hiss at you and I find them extremely sibilant. 

 

[mata944]

Actually; the DT990 pros are hard to drive and require amping to bring out there full potential.  You would need to buy an amp as well and the DT990 250 ohms (the cheapest ones) are already $200 alone. (amazon price)

 

[obobskivich]

Another question is a lot of people say to get the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 because they are much better.  If I use an equalizer on them could I get a similar sound to the beats or at least one that is fun to listen to.  My only thing holding me back is I've never listened to them before and people say they are not as bass heavy as beats but could you make them that way sort of with an equalizer on my iPod or the better one on my computer?

 

The M50 are a good "un-Beats" or "not-Beats" option imho - similar wall of sound, boomy bass, and somewhat clashy top-end as the Beats Pro, for 1/4th the cash. They're also more comfortable (which is saying nothing).

Personally I don't like the M50 or the Beats Pro though. None of the other Beats are worth bothering with imho (they all feel and sound very cheap).

I'd suggest looking at the Koss Ruk50, Bose AE2, Ultrasone HFI-2400, and Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9 given your fairly broad and general criteria. All of them would satisfy your basic requirements quite well, but you'll notice there's a fairly large disparity in price, features, etc if you actually spend the time to do your homework. The Ruk50 are probably the easiest off the bat suggestion for a new user, the HFI-2400 are probably the safest bet though (in terms of fit, sound, etc).

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

Take a look at the DT880/DT990.  I've read a lot of good stuff about the DT990 pro and plan on getting a pair for gaming.  They have a great movie theatre like sound, great bass impact.  The only bad thing about them that I have heard is the treble may be a bit to much for some.  It's very "sparkly".

 
I want to check, do you own the DT880s? I want to discourage people from recommending equipment they don't own. For obvious reasons, it is poor form to suggest people spend their money on something based on such recommendations.

 

[Frank I]

The AT M50 or the Shure 840 are bith great headphones and in your price range. They are both at excelling at bass and have a great soundstage . The Shure is a heavier can than the AT but both will help you achieve your goals and both work well without an amplifier.

 

[JeffJeffery]

Actually I just looked up the beats and the ones I tried in the store were the Studio's, I tried all of them but the ones I listened to longest were the studios and those are the ones I remember.  I didn't really notice a big difference in sound between them all but I only listened to them for a few minutes and was more concerned about the feel of them because I was seeing the differences between over ear and on ear.  I don't know if that changes any of your recommendations, prolly not but I thought I'd throw that out there.