Headphones Purchasing Advice

ghost_user_nameghost_user_name
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Well, my headphones have taken quite a bit of abuse over the years. They have put out excellent audio quality up to the very end. I've "fixed" them a couple times before (see below), but they're finally falling apart once again. This time, they'll be harder to fix.







Yes, friends. That is a wire coathanger I have rigged to hold them together. Pity me.



So, here's my plea. I'm looking for some good headphones under US$100. I'd like to see your recommendations for both wired and wireless headphones at that price. I want something that'll have a good range and will provide some good bass response. I'm not interested in earbuds because I have yet to find any that give satisfactory bass.



I've heard good and bad things about wireless headphones. I won't be moving too much around; so, line-of-sight isn't a major concern. What are your thoughts on wireless?



Many thanks in advance.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 52
    lainlain Posts: 140member




    I found that the below Sony in-ear phones provide better bass response than the above but the overall sound quality is not as great, but still good.



  • Reply 2 of 52
    andersanders Posts: 6,523member
    Wireless is bad, m´kay?



    I have had both line of sight infrared ones and radio wave driven and they were not comparable to wired ones in same price range.



    I like my Sennheiser hd200. Good sound quality and good looking. I have noticed they have become the officially unofficial iPod earbud replacement headphones.
  • Reply 3 of 52
    bartobarto Posts: 2,246member




    MDRV250V DJ headphones. Nice long cord plus inline remote. Comfortable to wear, and the sound quality is very good for music, movies and games. Good for sharing what's playing with friends due to the swivel cups.



    Then again, this is the first pair of "good" (without being aural masturbation) headphones I've owned, so I'm not that good a judge



    Barto
  • Reply 4 of 52
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    If you're going to get Sonys, go for the Sony MDR-7506. They are semi-closed cans...a cult favorite for the studio monitor types. This is based on no personal experience though. My computer headphones are Grado SR-60s, but they are an open-design and fragile. They'd probably disintegrate after a week at your place...
  • Reply 5 of 52
    chychchych Posts: 860member
    I think a better place for headphone information would be http://head-fi.org



    Grado SR80 is a good choice, and by no means are Grados fragile...
  • Reply 6 of 52
    fiddlerfiddler Posts: 36member
    Yeah, you'll find a zillion threads if you ran a search for "$100 headphones" over at Head-Fi..



    The MDR-7506 is a good recommendation, but do try to find the MDR-V6 because they are IDENTICAL except for the plug, and the price. Sony basically put a gold-plated plug on the V6 and put a higher price tag to sell to the "Pro" market.



    And please, DO try to NOT spend too much time over at Head-Fi. I made this mistake... and have so far spent as much (or more?) money on headphone gear as I have on my iBook.
  • Reply 7 of 52
    alpha macalpha mac Posts: 463member
    Bose Quietcomfort2





    Here
  • Reply 8 of 52
    fiddlerfiddler Posts: 36member
    Re: the recommendations for Bose and the shiny silver Sony's... avoid 'em. They're not worth the money.



    Just for fun, try searching for "Bose" at Head-fi.
  • Reply 9 of 52
    ludwigvanludwigvan Posts: 458member
    A well-regarded and trusted member of USENET's rec.music.classical.recordings newsgroup recommends the Grado SR60 or SR80 headphones in the under-$100 category. (The prices he quotes are from a couple years ago, though.)
  • Reply 10 of 52
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Lain





    I have those. Awesome sound and signal sensitivity. But unless you find a great deal they are not under $100. I still see them for $140 at stores around me.
  • Reply 11 of 52
    ryukyuryukyu Posts: 450member
    Depends on your needs.

    If you don't mind sound leaking in or out, You can't go wrong with the Grados previously mentioned.

    If you either need to keep the sound in, or want to block outside noises, you need circumaural headphones, and I would recommend the Sennheiser HD280.

    Just my $.02.
  • Reply 12 of 52
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    Brad, my advice is for you to setup a paypal account and beg for $1 from each person you've ever helped. You'll be able to buy 30 pairs in no time!
  • Reply 13 of 52
    zapchudzapchud Posts: 844member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ryukyu

    and I would recommend the Sennheiser HD280.





    Seconded. I use that pair, and it's brilliant at preventing sound-leakage (both in to your ears, and to others, from the headset). It sounds good, and is comfortable to wear. One of the best sets I've ever bought (And the fact that I got it for half the price didn't hurt ).
  • Reply 14 of 52
    cakecake Posts: 1,010member
    Another vote for the MDR-7506's.

    I use them all the time with my MBox.



  • Reply 15 of 52
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by chych



    Grado SR80 is a good choice, and by no means are Grados fragile...



    I don't know what you're talking about. I just took a ruler to my SR-60s and the cans are attached to the headband 1/8 inch diameter metal rods. The headband itself is a 1/4 inch wide metal piece. That is flimsy to me...at least compared to other headphones in the price range.
  • Reply 16 of 52
    fiddlerfiddler Posts: 36member
    Yeah, not to mention the Grado earcup design that allows them to swivel around and around twisting and twisting the cord...



    As mentioned, they leak sound like crazy (and you'll hear everything around you, too) and they're not the most comfortable IMO.



    (They're also bright as hell which I can't stand, but that's just my personal preference. Lots of folks love the Grado sound.)
  • Reply 17 of 52
    pensievepensieve Posts: 661member
    Eugene,

    I carry my Grado SR-60's around all over the place with me in my messenger bag with my computer. They get crunched, smushed and generally maltreated. I've had them for a year and a half without a single problem. I love them. The one problem is that on the bus, they can get hard to hear. I got them for $60 and I haven't regretted it once (despite the fact that I got them on your strong recommendation ).



    So, Brad, consider this another vote for the Grado's.
  • Reply 18 of 52
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
  • Reply 19 of 52
    mac man 020581mac man 020581 Posts: 632member
    I am pretty pleased with my Sennheiser HD 497 for use with my iPod.
  • Reply 20 of 52
    malokatamalokata Posts: 197member
    For truly awesome sound, look for a pro pair labeled for use in a recording studio. They stop kidding around in that arena.
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