Sub 100$ headphone choice

Sledgers

New Member
Hi all,

I know this kind of "help me choose budget headphones" thread is not something you're all waiting for, yet i do hope you lot can help me out a little!

My girlfriend's headphones recently broke (some shitty $20 sony's i don't know exactly what type) and she's looking to replace them. I know this price range isn't really in audiophile regions, but i do believe that its a price segment where there's still some good choices available.

First off the requirements:
  • budget: 100$
  • Over-ear
  • Aesthetically pleasing (yup i know)
  • will be used with phone/laptop
  • Solid bass probably most important sound wise
I've looked around a bit myself and so far the best option i've come across seems to be the AKG K92. As far as aesthetics go it's definitely ahead of most contenders in that price range imo. I was hoping some people here could give some more insight or could give me some other options to look into.

Thanks!
 
Grado SR60e @ ~$80
Grado SR80e @ ~$99
FWIW: I have a pair of SR60's
Oops! I just realized you asked for over the ear. Grado's are on the ear type.
HiFi Man HE-350 @ $99 from Massdrop. I have a pair of these also. They are definitely over the ear type.
 
Do phones even have enough power to drive regular Headphones like a pair of Grados?

Good question. I don't use my phone for listening to music. However, Grados work fine via my Sansa ZipClip. So do a pair of JBL J88i's (on ear) @ $24 that I also have.
 
Good question. I don't use my phone for listening to music. However, Grados work fine via my Sansa ZipClip. So do a pair of JBL J88i's (on ear) @ $24 that I also have.
Thanks Joe. I don't even have a phone that plays music so I never tried with my 125s.
 
Thanks Joe. I don't even have a phone that plays music so I never tried with my 125s.

I'm not that far removed phone wise. The only reason I have a "smart" phone is because my carrier gave me an especially good deal on one. It only does MP3's so I've never tried using it. My Sansa player is loaded with 36GB of FLAC files
 
Grados don't take much. A phone will have more than enough power. In fact, a phone can drive many 16-32ohm headphones well enough assuming they're sensitive. And Grados are sensitive. For higher impedance headphones you really need a dedicated amp with more voltage. A few select phones can drive more power hungry headphones though. The ZTE Axon 7, the HTC 10, and the LG V10 and V20 can all handle intermediate headphones. The 55ohm AKG K240 studio is a good example. It trips my V20 into high-impedance mode, however the V20 also has the ability to deliver the current that Harman's XXL driver wants. It's one of the few phones that can do it.

What many over at Headfi are using their V20s for though is low impedance, high sensitivity IEMs. The V10 and V20 have lower noise floors for those kinds of headphones then a run of the mill iPhone or GS7 does.
 
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Audio Technica ATH-M40x.

Thanks for the tip, I hadn't really thought of it myself which is odd 'cause I own an M50x myself. Any idea how the M40 compares to the M50?

Maybe too bulky, but check out the Superlux 681EVO. Amazing value for the money and strong bass.

I'll check it out thanks

Grado SR60e @ ~$80
Grado SR80e @ ~$99
FWIW: I have a pair of SR60's
Oops! I just realized you asked for over the ear. Grado's are on the ear type.
HiFi Man HE-350 @ $99 from Massdrop. I have a pair of these also. They are definitely over the ear type.

Well I myself can't stand on-ear headphones for long. I'm not sure if that's due to the ones i've tried because i've never had decent on-ears headphones. I just always assumed over ear would mean more comfort for long listening, and i think my girlfriend assumes the same considering her cheap on-ears are a pain to wear for multiple hours.
 
I must admit that I've replaced the cushions on my Grado's. The stock ones felt truly awful after 20 minutes. I prefer over the ear models because of the sound and feel. Grado's with alternate cushions sound (IMO) pretty good.
 
Thanks for the tip, I hadn't really thought of it myself which is odd 'cause I own an M50x myself. Any idea how the M40 compares to the M50?

The mids on the M40x aren't quite as recessed as on the M50s but the bottom end isn't quite as plump either. I'd say the 40s are a bit more neutral but still not really truly neutral.

Overall a great headphone for someone that wants a closed design and doesn't value true neutrality over an enjoyable euphonic sound. If I primarily listened to rock, classic rock, Steely Dan type 'jazz' and movies, at their price point, the M40s would be my top choice.

I use velvet/terry cloth type pads on my M50s. Not quite the isolation as the stock pads offer and you lose just a bit of bass, but they are more comfortable and they get less warm.
 
If open is OK, I recommend philips shp9500. The bass might not be as powerful as closed cans, like the audio technica m40x mentioned. But it's extremely detailed an articular bass I haven't found in anything $100 and under, and I've owned a lot of sub $100 headphones.
 
I absolutely prefer the 9500s for many musics but for someone that mentions bass as the primary desired sound quality, the 40x would get my nod.
 
I'd probably go for the Sony MDRXB800 if your budget is under $100.
I did try these headphones out in store, but went for the Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro instead, just because the bass was a little more vivid, and I had a bit more money to spend lol. There's a few more options listed here, which stack up as I also tested the monster inspiration. I didn't go with those ones as they just looked weird on my slightly balding head. haha.
 
Audio Technica ATH-M40x.

Really like mine. Well balanced top to bottom. They sound real nice on either the desktop computer, the headphone jack on the pre, and sound wonderful on my Onkyo C-7030 CDP which has a discrete headphone amp built in.
 
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