Best Bang for the Buck headphones?

Well, theres a huge difference between a $50 and $150 headphone. It is really user opinion.... but here we go.

The dt770 pro/80 is a good choice, along with the hd 485's, hd 201's, hd 595's, hd 600's (if you can find them), Head-Fi is a great forum for headphones, www.head-fi.org..... just follow your ears, also a more specified price range would help us narrow down the choices.
 
Icemat Siberia for $10 AR. @ buy.com

I don't care what you all say, $10 for a decent pair of cans is your best bang for your buck.

If your a true Audiophile however, get something from AT or Sennheiser.
 
K, Im looking at the HD485's. Whats the difference between circumaural and superaural?

How are the HD485s compared to HD280s?

And whats teh difference between 465s and 485s?
 
For $50 range I'd recommend the Grado SR60's. If you like their sound. For the $150 range the HD580's are at amazon for $130 I believe.
 
Is the only difference between the HD465 and HD485s the supra-aural and circumaural?
 
circumaural covers ure ears completely (i beleive) and suparaul goes on "top" of your ears., I own both the hd 485's and the dt770 pro/80 ohm. Both are great, and are good in thier own respects, I like the dt770 better because: a. it has a better soundstage, b. it has much better bass c. better highs, and decent mids and d. its closed

the hd 485's are a very fine choice for the price though
 
Gautama said:
How are the HD485s compared to HD280s?
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The 485s are open whereas the 280pros are closed.

The 280pros isolate a lot of sound. They're almost like having noise canceling headphones. Also, their tone is very neutral. If you like a lot of bass, these are probably not the headphones for you.
 
I suppose it also kind of depends on what you want to use them for. Gaming, music, general use or what?
 
Lots of music, lots of games, occasionally a movie. In short, if im at the computer they will be producing sound.
 
either some ATH A500's or Senn HD555's both are around $100 and are much better then lesser costing headphones for gaming/movies/music
 
I suggest avoiding the impending upgrade sessions so many fall victim too. Just splurge 300$ on ebay and get Sennheiser HD650. Most comfy, best sound, most reliable. You won't look back. Sure they are way out of your price range, but who can honestly say they absolutley can not save up 300 bucks? Probably the best purchase I made in audio in my life.
 
The best thing to do would be to go to an audio/video store (a good quality store where you'll actually get some real help and an opportunity to audition them on a decent setup, not a box store like Best Buy) and try some out to determine what you like. Then thank them for their time and buy them online for half the price.
 
maingearprelude said:
. Sure they are way out of your price range, but who can honestly say they absolutley can not save up 300 bucks?
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I can say I cant in a reasonable amount of time. My only source of income is my leftover lunch money (50cents a day), and money from my birthday and Christmas. Birthday wont be until September, Christmas is already booked with costily presents. Not to mention my private stash is depleted since I decided to splurge and build this new pc. Just want to get something to replace these X-230s >.<
 
When researching on what pair of cans to buy, some also advised me to think about going for a high-end pair to avoid upgrading in the future. I opted not to and got the Sennheiser HD-485's for ~$65 shipped from Amazon and am very happy with the purchase. They sound great (in my opinion of course), are extremely comfy even for extended periods of use, and even come with a neat stand that attaches to your computer desk.

If that's too much for you, look into Sennheiser HD-202's. I don't have any personal experience with them, but I've heard good things about them (or is it the HD-201's?) from this forum. They're ~$25 at Amazon currently, which isn't bad for headphones that at the very least look comfortable and should sound pretty good.

If you don't mind clip-on's, grab a pair of Koss KSC-75's for ~$13. I got them with my HD-485's, and they sound much, much better than the iPod earbuds I was previously using. They're most likely not suited for gaming, but they're arguably the best bang-for-the-buck headphones out there especially for portable use.
 
Newbie to audio -

I've got a pair of Aiwa HP-X222, close cans. I've had 'em for years. I as wondering - would upgrading to one fo the cheap Senn's make a difference? One of the $30-$50 pairs?
 
Gautama said:
I can say I cant in a reasonable amount of time. My only source of income is my leftover lunch money (50cents a day), and money from my birthday and Christmas. Birthday wont be until September, Christmas is already booked with costily presents. Not to mention my private stash is depleted since I decided to splurge and build this new pc. Just want to get something to replace these X-230s >.<
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Don't even listen to maingearprelude. That's just a stupid suggestion especially for someone that's not an audiophile and just want to some good cans for music and games. You'll probably barely notice the difference from a pair $100 Audio Technica A500 cans to a pair $300 Sennheiser HD650. There won't be any "impending upgrade" like the noob said. You can get the AudioTechnica A500 at AudioCubes.com for $89 plus shipping (which is like 9 bucks). Trust me, you'll be glad you did.

But if you decide to go with the Sennheiser HD485, although I personally would never pick'em over the AT A500s, they are good choice for the money too.
 
You'll probably barely notice the difference from a pair $100 Audio Technica A500 cans to a pair $300 Sennheiser HD650.
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Yeah... like you would problably barley notice falling off a bridge. :rolleyes:
 
Mister X said:
Yeah... like you would problably barley notice falling off a bridge. :rolleyes:
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There is a difference, yes, but I doubt that to his ears there will be any big one, especially one that's $200 more. So don't exaggerate it. I know you're really into headphones but apparently he's not.
 
There is a difference, yes, but I doubt that to his ears there will be any big one, especially one that's $200 more.
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Pft, as someone that has owned both cans I would say there definitely is a $200 difference.


So don't exaggerate it. I know you're really into headphones but apparently he's not.
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Who are you to tell me or anybody else what to do? :confused:
 
just get yourself some $20 HD201's and save up for one of the higher tiers ($300 range) etc
 
At .50 cents a day. I'd get something in the 20-30 price range and when you get out of school or get a summer job I'd splurge on something nicer.
 
MakubexGB said:
Don't even listen to maingearprelude. You'll probably barely notice the difference from a pair $100 cans to a pair $300. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.
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A statement like that deserves only one thing.
Just added you to my list of people to ignore.
~_~

Of course there's a difference between 100$ headphones and 300$ headphones in general. In time, you'll realize this........ all it takes is time.
 
Gautama said:
I think im gonna grab the HD485s.
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Oh please, don't!
At least start at a higher level of headphones. Especially for the very very small price difference. (if not for the sound quality, at least for the comfort (get something with comfy velour)).

I'd recommend you seriously look at the Beyerdynamic DT770pro 80ohm or the Sennheiser HD580. The HD580 can be had for 125$ at amazon.com brand new, and the DT770pro can be had for about 140$ brand new from ebay or from guitar center(?).
The comfort alone is worth the price premium over the HD485's! Think about it, if you want to use these headphones for hours at a time, you'll want a very comfortable headphone........ one that you don't even notice.
Cheap out on comfort, and you'll be sorry every time you put them on. ^_^

Well, knowning what I know now, that's what I would do.
 
Mister X said:
Pft, as someone that has owned both cans I would say there definitely is a $200 difference.
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Of course there is. When did I say there wasn't? :confused:

Mister X said:
Who are you to tell me or anybody else what to do? :confused:
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Wtf r u talking about old man? I didn't say it in an order kind of way. I just meant you're exaggerating. So chill grumpy gramps.

towert7 said:
A statement like that deserves only one thing.
Just added you to my list of people to ignore.
~_~

Of course there's a difference between 100$ headphones and 300$ headphones in general. In time, you'll realize this........ all it takes is time.
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LoL you have an ignore list?... oooo i'm so sad now. What are you a 13 year old girl? Anyway, first of all, if you're gonna quote me please don't edit my post so much as it makes it sound different. Second of all, It seems your reading isn't that good. I'm not saying there's not a difference. I'm saying that to him and for what he wants it there won't be that big of a difference, and most likely not worth playing triple the price. He's not an audiophile, he's just looking for some good cans to game and listen to music.
 
lol, you know I was half expecting that type of reply but anyone that types to the resident idiot (towert7) like that gets a pass from me so.......... ;)
 
I'd recommend the A500s. They are really comfortable and give you a pretty nice sound. A lot of people have been talking about the dt770s, but you can't really bring out their potential without an amp. I personally think for your gaming buisness and things, the A500s would be better than the sein 485.
 
Whatever happened to the Grado SR-80s? I got a pair of these 3 years ago for $85 but I never see anyone recommending them anymore, just the 60s. For the price you'll pay getting a better set of ear cushions (the 60s are pretty wimpy, they actually started to hurt me after awhile) with shipping you might as well look at these and save the time.
 
Oh look. Mister X slinging mud in a thread. Never seen that before. Nope. :D

Seriously though, don't listen to the guys that are saying "Get HD580" or "Get HD600". Those cans need an amp to sound decent.

For under 100 bucks, the at500-something that someone suggested is pretty decent. Grado SR60s have the reputation for being the best sub-100$ headphone you can get. For right at 100 you can have a set of HD555s or for a little more, DT770/80s or HD595s. Ive owned the DT770/80 and it sounds pretty good and is quite versatile even without an amp.
 
the problem with this forum is, they all seem to think you have to spend 150+ for a "decent" pair of headphones.

not everyone are audiophiles. not everyone has had an extensive list of headphones theyve used.

of course, if youve been using 300 dollar headphones for months, or years, and then try out some headphones that cost 60-100, youll go "no. dont get those. theyre HORRIBLE." etc. its just idiotic.
 
Actually if you want to buy a very expensive audiophile headphones, you should first make sure that your other components also have audiophile standards. If you buy a very expensive headphones and use it to listen to 128kbps mp3 on an onboard sound, it wouldn't sound much better than a cheapo headphones in the $70-$100 range, as people said, garbage in garbage out. IMO if you are only using the headphones directly from a PC sound card, don't go for anything higher than the HD-595 range because you'll only waste your money.
 
The HD555s are $93 at amazon, Im probably gonna spring for those. Ive got about $40 now, another $40 from Xmas, then I can beg the rest lol :)
 
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