First Pair of Real headphones $100 or less

B

biasoccerboy

New Member
hey guys, I'm looking for my first pair of real headphones, and am looking to spend $100 or less.

Right now I'm looking mainly at open back headphones because I hear they sound better and I'm not super worried about isolation.
However, I would certainly prefer the benefits of a closed back headphone as long as I can get the same sound quality.

I like a nice warm tone, not looking for reference quality or monitoring at all. I dont' mind if the headphones color the sound a tiny bit, as long as it is still enjoyable.
I don't like bass that'll give you a concussion, but I'd like some punch in the low ranges.

Oh, and I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO BE POWERED BY AN IPOD ALONE, although I will use an amp occasionally.

So far, these are what I have looked at:
-Grado S80i- open backed but look uncomfortable, I don't like that they sit on your ear instead of around it. They are made in USA which is awesome.

-Audio Technica ATH AD700. Open Backed

-Shure SRH440- close backed, but not sure how they sound compared to the Grados.

-Sennheiser HD280s- Close backed, I don't think they are very warm and melodic sounding though

-AKG K240- Open backed. I think I'm leaning toward these because they look awesome, I just can't help it. Sound quality comes first though.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
 
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The Koss PortaPro is an impressive headphone, and a bargain. Lifetime no-questions-asked warranty, too.
 
I have the SR60, same design, weight, etc. as the SR80. The pads do cover your ears instead of go around the ear. You can always wash the pads in a solution of mostly water and a bit of soap then let them dry. That softens them. They're actually a very light headphone to wear. No clamping force. No isolation. But great sound.
 
Check out JVC harx900'S. I own them and have been very satisfied. You can see reviews on Youtube. JVC packed alot into $50 headphones.
 
RamblinE said:
I have the SR60, same design, weight, etc. as the SR80. The pads do cover your ears instead of go around the ear. You can always wash the pads in a solution of mostly water and a bit of soap then let them dry. That softens them. They're actually a very light headphone to wear. No clamping force. No isolation. But great sound.
Click to expand...

Me too.
The SR60s sound excellent and are very comfortable.
 
Audio Technica ATH AD700

I bought the Audio Technica ATH AD700 a while aback, and made the mistake of letting my nephew try them.

He ordered a pair (thru me) . . .

Another friend wanted a pair, and took mine . . .

I now keep mine to myself . . .

Quiet . . .

Audio Technica ATH AD700 all the way . . .

Cheers
 
The Grado SR80i are indeed uncomfortable and not very durable. They also leak so much sound that they're basically unusable anywhere but your own house or private office.

I own a pair and they sound amazing for the cost. However, I find myself using my Sony MDR 7506 much more. They are much more comfortable, more durable, more portable, and they sound damn good. They are actually a flatter response than the Grados, which are kind of bass heavy.
 
I have a pair of mdr-v6s and to my ears they are unlistenable with the iPod driving them.

Harsh, fatiguing and brittle.

They sound okay on my studio gear though.
 
biasoccerboy said:
hey guys, I'm looking for my first pair of real headphones, and am looking to spend $100 or less.

Right now I'm looking mainly at open back headphones because I hear they sound better and I'm not super worried about isolation.
However, I would certainly prefer the benefits of a closed back headphone as long as I can get the same sound quality.

I like a nice warm tone, not looking for reference quality or monitoring at all. I dont' mind if the headphones color the sound a tiny bit, as long as it is still enjoyable.
I don't like bass that'll give you a concussion, but I'd like some punch in the low ranges.

Oh, and I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO BE POWERED BY AN IPOD ALONE, although I will use an amp occasionally.

So far, these are what I have looked at:
-Grado S80i- open backed but look uncomfortable, I don't like that they sit on your ear instead of around it. They are made in USA which is awesome.

-Audio Technica ATH AD700. Open Backed

-Shure SRH440- close backed, but not sure how they sound compared to the Grados.

-Sennheiser HD280s- Close backed, I don't think they are very warm and melodic sounding though

-AKG K240- Open backed. I think I'm leaning toward these because they look awesome, I just can't help it. Sound quality comes first though.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

Have you worn phones that sit on your ears? If your one of those people who can't tolerate it, then maybe you should eliminate those from consideration. It might be hard to find one set that meets all your criteria. I think some on your list are over $100. The K240 sells for around $199. Maybe you'd like the K99. They look very efficient.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/559750-REG/AKG_6000_H_09230_K_99_Circumaural_Semi_Open.html

The K240 has a cooler look but I doubt if your ipod will be adequate.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/555359-REG/AKG_2058_Z_00190_K_240_MK_II.html

If you're going to consider less efficient phones, with a little modding the Fostex T50 is great.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/281431-REG/Fostex_T50_RP_T50RP_Studio_Headphones.html

The Senn 280 pro is closed back, has been around for yrs and efficient.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/240764-REG/Sennheiser_HD_280PRO_HD_280_Pro.html

Senn has a couple of new efficient models, the 439, 449.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/833514-REG/Sennheiser_HD439_HD_439_Around_Ear_Stereo.html

The Superlux 668B and Samson 850 are semi-open and use the same driver. Not super efficient though and both have a little extra sizzle up top.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...ASR850C_SR850_Semi_Open_Studio_Reference.html
http://www.headphone.com/headphones/superlux-hd668b.php
 
For me the yellow Sennheiser HD414 pads made my Alessandro MS-1i bearable to wear. The comfies are like sandpaper on my ears, and the bowls aren't any better as sandpaper concentrated on the outsides of my ear pinnae. And they're all of $5!

Honestly, I listen to my Koss KSC-75 more than anything else now... $15 has outshadowed the hundreds spent on better headphones. It is quite astonishing how good they are; the poor bass extension is usually the only thing leaving me wanting more. But I wouldn't get rid of my better stuff either. It's definitely better. But as far as bang-for-buck goes the KSC-75 is really killer - maybe a good place to start if you're not really sure what you want.
 
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