Headphones.

I need a pretty good set of headphones, similar to the design in skullcandy I guess but not as expensive lol. Also anything from skullcandy that I've owned has just fallen apart, so I tend to avoid them. I like to stand out, so the more crazy the better. I'm on a tight budget because I'm poor ATM lol.

 

If you can spare around $50, my vote goes to the JVC HA-RX900:

Amazon.com: JVC HARX900 High-Grade Full-Size Headphone: Electronics



I've had mine for a few months now and I am quite happy. They're generally praised as some of the best you can get for that price range.

 

For some reason those headphones are £56.99 at cheapest on eBay, so they're out of my price range. Thanks for the tip, though. I'll consider JVC as a suitable company to purchase from.

 

I want those but can't find them in Canada :[

 

If the RX900 is out of your range, check out the RX700. It's basically a closed-ear model of the same design, and cheaper.

 

To properly help you, we need to know what you're looking for.

What will you be listening music from?
Where will you be listening your music?
Which types of music do you prefer?
Is portability an important factor?
Would you like to block out outside noise, or be able to hear your surroundings?

Would you like IEMs (sit inside ear canal), earbuds (rests in ear opening), supraaurals (sits on outer ear), or circumaurals (surrounds the entire ears and rests against sides of head)?

Ultimately, do you care about sound quality? How much are you willing to sacrifice for it?

 

I'm flat out wasted right now so I'll try to answer your questions as best as possible. Sorry for not being more specific.

I'll be listening to music mainly from my iTouch 2G and M15X. I'll be listening on the go, and my dorm room at university. I prefer bass music, such as dubstep. Portability would be nice, however big headphones isn't a worry.

I'd like ones that cover most of your ear, and rest on top of your head (if you get me lol).

Sound quality is relatively important, although I'll be out of it most of the time lol so I won't even be able to tell if they're good. My price range is a maximum of £30, I know it's incredibly cheap but I'm a tight fool and I like to invest money elsewhere. Dodgy deals and eBay are fine, both methods are preferred to ordering from a website like Play.

 

The ATH-SJ3 are a pretty good pair of headphones. They are on-ear headphones. Been using them for a while now (mostly outdoors since my ATH-A700 feel too stuffy outdoors ). Should be within your price range~

 

Sennheiser do a fairly big range of larger, over-the-ear style headphones with options to suit most budgets.

 

Thanks for the tips, I'm checking out all brands/models that have been posted.

 

Audio Technica ES-7 all the way. It is cheap, looks awesome, and performs awesome, too!

 

I'm a fan of Sennheiser's HD 555 cans. Will run you $107 at Amazon and may not be as flashy as you want, but I like them.

 

If you want to go ultra-cheap, check out Sony's MDR-V150's here. Have had a pair for a couple years now and they've never let me down

 

They're lookers, but have bloated bass and poor clarity. Horribly uncomfortable. They're far above budget too.

 

The iPod Touch 2G is a good source, well implemented Cirrus Logic 4398 D/A chip and reasonably powerful headphone out. It'll drive most of the headphones you find on the market.

What's the upper limit of your budget? You can find decently good headphones within every price bracket, as long as you aren't too picky. As it sounds like 50 GBP is above your limit, I'll suggest a couple headphones below that.

Perhaps the most beloved budget headphone out there is the Grado SR-60, recently refreshed as the SR-60i. Ergonomics are hit or miss, good detail for the price, non-neutral frequency response that favors rock. These sit on the ears (supraaural) and don't block out outside noise (open). As a rule of thumb, open headphones have better clarity than closed, but at the cost of bass loudness. In this case, upper bass is actually rather loud (think bass guitar) and its deep bass that isn't loud enough (think orchestral bass drum). I don't know how much it costs across the pond, but it's $79 here.

The Audio-Technica AD700 is another popular pick, and it improves on the Grado in several ways. It's circumaural (more comfortable), and has overall better build quality than the simply designed Grados. The frequency response is more neutral, though the AD700 themselves aren't ruler flat since they have a considerable bass roll-off (decrease). It's also open, which aids in clarity and tonal accuracy since reflected back waves and housing resonance aren't there to ruin the party.

If you want to try closed headphones, since you'd rather not tick off your classmates/roommate in the library/dorm room, there is a host of good options. The Sennheiser HD280, Audio-Technica ATH-M50, and Shure SRH440 are all great all-around performers, but cost a bit more than you'd be happy spending. If I remember right, the ATH-M50 has the greatest bass response of the three.

If you're seriously on a budget, check out the Sennheiser PX100 or Koss KSC75. Both are polarizing, but universally agreed upon as PHENOMENAL deals. Two others that I have less experience with/knowledge of are the JVC HA-RX700 and JVC HAS700. They get alot of buzz on bang-for-the-buck, and the HA-RX700 is often preferred over the pricier HA-RX900. In fact, I'll go right ahead and say that you should get the JVC HA-RX700.

Since you're happy to seek out deals, try buying used from the head-fi.org marketplace.

 

They do not have bloated bass. I hear crisp, punchy bass, and clear sound. It is probably the most natural sounding AT phone. I agree it is somewhat comfortable to wear for a long period of listening. You can get a refurbished pair(just like brand new) for under $60 from an authorized dealer.

In terms of sound reproduction, I rank the es7 higher than the grado sr60i or even AT's own ad700. The es7 is my favorite budget headphone along with Shure srh440.

 

If you don't think the bass is bloated on the ES7, then the earcup is probably not sitting all the way on your ear - or there is a problem in perception.

The sound is pretty scratchy once you take the 'consumer-agreeable' tone out of the equation. A Bose Triport AE for example delivers superior resolution - and for barely being isolated, the stereo soundfield is not that wide. Apart from the tone with an agreeably bloated bass for casual listening, not a huge fan.

Anyhoo - recommendations

14 quid: Sony MDR-XD200 Hi-Fi Headphones - Electronics at Play.com (UK)
I'm fairly certain that is cheaper than 'dodgy deals'.

Sounds better than the 13 quid HD201 showing up on a lot of heads, although the HD201 is designed to be more robust in use and looks better on the head, if that sort of thing worries you. Both seem to get the thumbs up from the broke-fi contingent, and while to me they are something of a lesson in 'you get what you pay for', I think the Sony is the better deal.

If you can add a tenner to your budget and care more about sound quality than looks (because these do really look like a dogs dinner) or absolute comfort (velour cushions, but a shape not comfy for all ears), then I'd recommend these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beyerdynamic-DT-231-Headphone-Closed/dp/B0002DDGFG/ref=pd_cp_ce_1 They do a fair stab of batting in the Grado range sonically (albeit with a milder sound) but with more practicality and, you could say, better build quality.

If you want something always portable, Sennheiser's PX series are not a bad choice. I wasn't a huge fan of the PX 200, but the current PX 200-II's ( 20 overbudget) still seem to be the most practical closed folding miniphones. The aforementioned older PX 200 is still available at a price in your budget.

 

Wow, thanks for the responses guys. Lots of information for me mull over, I'll let you know what I go with and if I find anything else .

+rep to all of those with detailed answers.

 

I guess we all have different ears.
I don't think the bass is bloated at all. I think it is punchy and crisp. At least compared to my Denon d5000. It's really hard to judge a headphone based on just few people's opinions, IMO. Take head fi for example, there are more es7 lovers than haters in almost 95:5 ratio.

 

I noticed that you quoted the prices in £, does that mean you're in the UK ? You might not have a lot of choices then. Grado and Audio-Technica are scarce and too expensive in Europe, compared to the US.

I'd strongly suggest the sennheiser PX100 if you're on a budget. They're at 22.5£ on Amazon UK, with free delivery. Clean, punchy sound. The PX200 aren't as good (a bit short in the bass and too smooth) but they offer some isolation (not that much to be true). No idea about the new PX100-II though.

 

Anyone know of any other good sennheiser's? I have about a $150 or so budget. I prefer in ear ones though, or does it make a big difference between those and others?

 

No, it's about perspective. And perspective is what most Head-Fi members lack, because they upgrade from one peer-approved phone to another. The AH-D5000 you mention for example is the most 'consumer-fi' of the higher-end (in terms of price) headphones I've heard for a while - I dumped it in short order as I felt it was a high-end for people who didn't understand what high-end audio was because it sacrifices technical capability for a decent patina of quality but above all an entertaining tone. And sure enough, the D5000 is very popular. It's basically a higher step up in the vein of the ATH-ES7 / ESW9 and the sound design has a similar philosophy.

 

My perspective tells me the ES7 has no similarity to the D5000 in any way. I will be straight forward. The es7 is a great headphone with its own flavor from my experience. Did you really try these headphons? Because you sound like you know nothing about these headphones. The denon is insanely smooth with bass. Too smooth that it makes me feel like melting at one point. There is almost no impact at all because it's so smooth. Compared to that the es7 has punchy, solid, and crisp bass that rocks your world. And the D5000 is not even a high end headphone. I have it because there are certain songs I like to listen with it. It's more of a mid fi headphone with a lot of coloration in its character. I only compared the ES7 to the D5000 because the D5000 is the only closed, bassy headphone I have with me at the moment.

 

The ES7 has waves of bloated bass that hits you over the head for sure. I suppose it depends on your definition of 'punchy'. It certainly has volume and a certain bounce to it. For me, 'punchy' even at the price level would have to have a faster transient response with less bloat in the mix.

The D5000 is of course smoother - it doesn't have the somewhat sandpapery grate of the ES7's relatively lo-fi sound. As I said before, even a Bose Triport Around-Ear can comparatively easily outpace the ES7 for quality - while being better isolated and more comfortable.

 

That kind of bass is expected from almost every closed headphone. What's funny is my AD2000 produces a similar bass to the ES7. Does my AD2000 have bloated bass also? I guess you're entitled to your opinion.

 

The HD215 doesn't. Neither does the HD280. Nor - even - does the DT 770. I could go on.

I'm not sure I get your point. A closed phone usually tends to have stronger bass than an open one. Not all of them are however of the bloated 'wall-o-bass' variety of the ES7.

Take the Sony MDR-V700DJ: It used to be well known for being a bloat-o-phone. The ES7 has more bloat in a direct comparison. Unfortunately it's not opinion, but pretty much as near to fact as you'll get.

 

I've tried the bose at my local best buy. They were no better than the monster beats and you tell me the bose is more clarifying in details than the ES7?
I'm not bashing Bose because I actually use Bose M2 as my main pc set up, but their headphones are simply terrible. More so than the Senns HD595 which gave me a nightmare. Are you sure you didn't get one of those knock off ES7's? 99% listings on ebay are fakes.

Which DT770 are you referring to? The DT770/80 is what you'd wanna call overly exaggerated bass.

 

Yes. It's kind of different when you actually compare them, like you know, side by side in an actually controlled setting, without having made up your mind already that the phone you own is better than the phone you plan to bash.

I was kind of wondering the same thing to be honest.

 

I no longer own the ES7, but I did compare it side to side with my D5000/AD2000/AD1000PRM/AD700 when I had it.

All of those headphones in your picture are heavily colored headphones including the ES7. I now understand where you're coming from. Your ears grew up to your environment.

 

Come on guys a little help?

 

*clap clap*

Oh after all that you 'no longer own' it?

I guess I'm different in that I also keep headphones I don't like so that I can stay honest in my comparisons.

 

How dare you sir, interrupting a low-level flamewar in which one side walks off with the usual loser retort!

You're going to have to be more specific in terms of what you want. $150 covers a lot of the Sennheiser range. One of their high-end in-ears is in range of that price, but you still do get more sonic bang for your buck with headphones. It depends for example on where you plan to use it.

 

I bought it mainly because I was interested in it for its portable design. I have one main reference pair for my main system, the LCD2, and everything else just comes and goes. Don't worry, the ES7 was sold only a few days ago and I still remember exactly how it sounded.

This is more like you overly forcing your opinion onto another person and I have a different idea. Too bad, I can't agree with you.

 

Good debate, although I don't understand half of the lingo!

 

Not really, when the other guy keeps moving the goalposts for discussion.

First it's:
"They do not have bloated bass. I hear crisp, punchy bass, and clear sound. It is probably the most natural sounding AT phone. I agree it is somewhat comfortable to wear for a long period of listening. You can get a refurbished pair(just like brand new) for under $60 from an authorized dealer.

In terms of sound reproduction, I rank the es7 higher than the grado sr60i or even AT's own ad700. The es7 is my favorite budget headphone along with Shure srh440."

and afterwards it's:
"I bought it mainly because I was interested in it for its portable design."

I like real debate, where I can engage with someone with a different opinion arrived at through decent amounts of experience. This was not one of them.

The lingo can be a bit of a problem - but there's not too much industry-specific stuff.

So, you decided on one yet? The XD200 is actually pretty good given the price - but I would say if you can, spend more.

 

This is why I always say, just go with what sounds best to you. Sound is subjective. Some people may be ear-trained, while others won't ever notice some stuff. Kind of like handing a vintage Leica to a point-n-shoot user. Most just don't realize how the Leica is better, and never will.

@Vogelbung... I had the XD200's and they were the most uncomfortable things I've ever put on my ears. They literally made my ears hurt, but my ears are bigger than most. But I admit they did sound decent. $.02

 

Since you like to produce a drama, I will clearly explain to you.

1) The ES7 does have a solid, impactful, and crisp bass. A little exaggerated, but not as much as the DT700/80, which you've mentioned. I can't help the fact that you feel differently.

2) Clearly what I said. I rank the ES7 > SR60i = AD700 in terms of overall musicality.

3) I bought the ES7 mainly to test it against my other portable gears. I was intrigued by its portable design /w relatively small frame. It was cheap and it performed beyond my expectations so I said it is my favorite budget pair. I got rid of it because it could not replace my JH13 in my portable set up.

I can conclude that I doubt your ability to properly judge a headphone. You can think whatever you want, but your judgement will only be your own fact, and not others.

 

I can see how that might be the case for the bat-eared The cushions are fairly shallow, which is the biggest issue for people whose ears stick out more than normal. It's also composed of that less-dense, easily compressed foam that's pretty common to many budget phones. I doubt you'll get hugely better in a phone of a similar class though - although particularly sticky-out ears frequently find supraaural phones to be more comfortable. The comfort (or not) of phones like the XD200, which is a big round earcup form factor, is less variable than most for most ears though.


@anodize, there's a time to quit when you've been called out. You can drop phone names for ever but it doesn't change anything.

 

Hmm so you think headphones would be better? Plan on using them mostly for my laptop and iPad.

 

Well, it depends on how you want to use it as I said. If it's mainly home use, it's fair to say headphones are in contention - they give you more sonic 'bang for the buck' than in-ear phones. And $150 will buy you a pretty awesome set of phones chosen wisely.

But if you're going mobile, then the balance tips in favour of in-ears. Personally, I've never been a fan of mini-phones like the Sennheiser PX series for mobile use, because I think they're a half-assed answer. They deliver better sound quality than equivalent-priced in-ears, but the chances of you being able to hear that quality is rendered less likely because these isolate less than in-ears. You get the idea.

But there are phones which are pretty suitable for portable use. Things like the Sennheiser HD25-1, which provides high isolation and is very compact / lightweight. But once again, I don't find these as good as other phones which don't make concessions for high levels of isolation for home use, and once again personally, I find these far sweatier / uncomfortable for everyday use portably in comparison to in-ears.

So that's the first point of choice. Headphones or in-ears?

 

What the ****? Flame war, when the **** did I get left out, I started this thing. -.-

Them be fighting words. You were wise to edit them out of your post, lest you incur a thousand facepalms.

Unlike the average pooplet, Vogelbung knows enough to distinguish fact from preference, critique from judgment. Stop trying to make him out as a fool.

 

I just ordered Logitech G35 7.1 surround sound headphones... got them on sale from amazon for 100 bucks... When I get them Ill let you know, but I've heard AMAZING things about them... Thus why I laid down the cash.

 

Good headset, good results playing the game

 

I don't know if they're less expensive in UK but I'm really happy with the A&H Xone XD-53. I found a new pair for 109 bucks in US. They're $199 almost everywhere I looked. They're just awesome, no cons... well maybe except the price. I don't care much about 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound I just want the best sound quality, crisp clear lows, midrange and highs, very comfortable. I had a pair of Sony MDR-XB700 and with all their extra bass don't come even close to the A&H headphones. There's no distorsion at all. If you catch a pair for a low price grab it.

ALLEN & HEATH :: WORLD CLASS MIXERS

 

Would these be good? They're like half price:
Skullcandy Lowrider 09 Headphones (Black/Chrome) - Electronics at Play.com (UK)

 

No

10 char

 

I'm looking for an headset too. Around 40$ or so... Have any ideas?

 

If you're referring to a headset with a microphone, for that price I highly recommend the Plantronics GameCom 377. It sounds way more expensive than that.

 

Is the Creative Fatality HS-800 good?

Btw, i like to listen some music too.

 

Sony MDR-XB700 Extra Bass Stereo Headphones MDRXB700 - B&H Photo

Can't get anymore bass than this.

@ Above, I have the new MKII one and I'd say it's okay, but before burn in it does sound muffled. Bass is pretty strong. I'm not really an audiophile, so I could really care less though. :/