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Best Headphones for $60.00 or less?

I use the Koss KSC75's for mobile stuff and I hear that the Portapro's are much the same so I'll 2nd rushfan on that basis. The 75's are a steal at less than $20 over there.
 
rushfan said:
Love the Koss PortaPro's. Comfortable open ear design, deep, punchy bass. Best of all, a lifetime no-questions asked warranty. Don't buy them for the warranty - buy them for the sound. If you have a chance to audition them, it's worth your time. They have been making them since 1984. That says something right there.

http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/p?openform&pc^pt^PORTAPRO
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I'll third that. Had mine since '88. They're on their 3rd set of foams and sound great. Didn't know they had that warranty, though...
 
z11man said:
You might want to try a pair of these cans! They may not be the last word in high fidelity, but they really block outside sounds, and I swear I can almost see the music! :banana:
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For PEAK performance they appear to be positioned too far to the rear.
 
Blast said:
I'll third that. Had mine since '88. They're on their 3rd set of foams and sound great. Didn't know they had that warranty, though...
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My wife accidentally broke my first pair of PortaPro's but I manged to fix them with a little glue. I didn't feel right trying to make a warranty claim for that but after a buddy cranked them to max with bass boost engaged, one side developed a slight buzzing sound. They were almost twelve years old at the time. I called up customer service and they said "no problem" even after I 'fessed up about the prior damage. I sent the broken set in with $6 return postage and a couple of weeks later I had a brand new pair.
 
rushfan said:
My wife accidentally broke my first pair of PortaPro's but I manged to fix them with a little glue. I didn't feel right trying to make a warranty claim for that but after a buddy cranked them to max with bass boost engaged, one side developed a slight buzzing sound. They were almost twelve years old at the time. I called up customer service and they said "no problem" even after I 'fessed up about the prior damage. I sent the broken set in with $6 return postage and a couple of weeks later I had a brand new pair.
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I'm also a big fan of the PortaPros - great sounding and great design - and also a big fan of the way Koss stands behind these. I had a loose connection in a wire, probably from overuse. They replaced, no questions asked.

Jazzgoose - These aren't headphones, but for your scenario you might consider ear-canal phones like the Shure e3C's. Can be had for about $70 online - with a proper fit these sound FANTASTIC, so good they should be illegal. :smoke: :music:
 
My Koss Pro 4AA's are more than 30 yrs old and still impress me and many other people that hear them. Koss still stands behind them, and for about $6 they will repair just about anything that could go wrong. There are radio stations and studios that still use them.
 
tboat4 said:
My Koss Pro 4AA's are more than 30 yrs old and still impress me and many other people that hear them. Koss still stands behind them, and for about $6 they will repair just about anything that could go wrong. There are radio stations and studios that still use them.
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I've heard good things about the old ones, but I have the new ones and they are pretty awful. Big midrange hump, tinny, good for disco and thats about it :no:
 
Hi,

Sennheiser PX 100 phones are seconded for quality and comfort on a budget. A fine choice as well for those who have portable gear (iPod heaven). I like Koss PortaPros also and have used them since 1984. At home, I like AKG, Stax, Sennheisers, and Beyer Dynamic phones. Grados are nice with superb quality electronics and sources but overbright and harsh with anything else. Not in love with their comfort aspects. Dislike the Shure in-ear phones after a colleague got a pair stuck in their ears and required surgery to remove them.
 
For under $60 I think there are two great choices. The first are the Grado SR-60's. I have had a pair for a year and love them. Sound great from an MP3 player or from one of my receivers. They love to just rock.

The other option is the Koss KSC75's. As said elsewhere in this post, they sound great and have a lifetime warranty. And if you don't like the ear clips (I didn't), they are very easy to remove and mount on any cheapo pair of headphones (I use free ones from flying on Jet Blue).
 
rushfan said:
---snip--- I sent the broken set in with $6 return postage and a couple of weeks later I had a brand new pair.
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That IS impressive. My only problem with the Porta Pros has been disconnection of the wires at the speakers due to stress on the wire. I have opened the earpieces several times and resoldered the connections. It's always been because I was too rough on them in outdoor settings.
Brian
 
I vote for the SR60s. I also have a pair of the KSC75s mentioned earlier, but I am not a fan of the clips. They are very inexpensive and sound great, so I can live with that one small issue.
 
uofmtiger said:
I vote for the SR60s. I also have a pair of the KSC75s mentioned earlier, but I am not a fan of the clips. They are very inexpensive and sound great, so I can live with that one small issue.
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Sorry to thread jack, but if the clips bother you so much, pop them off. They separate easily and there is a ball joint behind them. Many cheap headphones (like those given out free on most airlines) will fit once you do the same thing and pop the frame. Just pop headphones onto the nice frame and you are good to go. This is how I have worn my KSC-75's right from the beginning and I really like them.
 
TheCrunge said:
Sorry to thread jack, but if the clips bother you so much, pop them off. They separate easily and there is a ball joint behind them. Many cheap headphones (like those given out free on most airlines) will fit once you do the same thing and pop the frame. Just pop headphones onto the nice frame and you are good to go. This is how I have worn my KSC-75's right from the beginning and I really like them.
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Thanks for the advice. I will give that a shot.
 
NicoR said:
The Grados are very good, but theyre bright, so not for everyone.
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The Grado SR headphones (with the possible exception of the 325) are usually thought of as warm actually. I guess it has to do with the other components you're using, but that's how they've sounded to me.
 
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