new headphones reccomendation

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xero404

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 8, 2007
Messages
387
So i've been looking to replace my 5 year old pair Senn HD280s (i loved these things) with multiple location broke headband (thank god for super glue) and was looking to spend under $200.
I have a set of shure e2cs and e3cs from back in the day and i really didn't like the in ear thing and mainly use them when i go for a motorcycle ride and would like to get a good pair of cans.

The studios seemed like a rip off at 299 but at $170 are there really headphones other that blow it out of the water? The noise cancelling and built in amp would be nice on the subway and i listen to alot of hip hop so any suggestions before i make a mistake on one of these units? I did listen to them without an external amp from a friend and they seemed decent enough like a bose unit.

Any audiophiles want to educate me and not get blasted like the snobs from head fi?
 
I'm seriously NOT trying to blast you, but I would steer clear of the Studios. I think people want to believe they are good; stick with manufacturers known for producing quality headphones. Check out the Beats display at your local BestBuy; they will be broken, I would bet money on it.

In that price range I would probably recommend the Audio-Technica ATH-M50's for what you are looking for. They isolate well, they look decent (if you are looking at Beats, then I know you are looking for some style with your headphones, which isn't a bad thing), and they have a very positive following.

Here is a recent [H] thread on the M50's.

Hope this helps, and good luck.
 
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I would take a look at the M-audio q40s.Can get them for 115 from B&H right now.Heard they are rather fun headphone.M50s are also good as already mentioned.The Shure srh750DJ are also one to take a look at.Around the same price as the other two and have some nice bass.Comfort might be an issue with them because of the small headband but otherwise really solid headphone.
 
I just got my Shure SE530's back.

They came with a 2 year warranty, and I had them for 4 years before they wore out from old age. The problem I encountered was that the rubber on the cord literally dried up and started cracking, which compromised the strength of the wires, and they ended up fraying and snapping.

I sent them back expecting the $150 repair fee, but Shure replaced them free of charge even though they were long out of warranty.

Excellent company that makes excellent products. Best sounding ear hardware I've ever used, and the company stands behind their products with top-notch support. If I get another 4 years out of the replacements, I will happily shell out another $350 for their new model.

I stand by the statement that these earbuds are one of the best things I've _EVER_ bought. I use them 5 days a week at least 2 hours a day.

Be warned though, the noise isolation is so good I've missed my subway stop a few times because I wasn't paying attention.

Edit:
I totally wrote all of the above before reading the OP. I saw a post about headphones and was like woo, Shure rules!
 
dave3533 said:
I'm seriously NOT trying to blast you, but I would steer clear of the Studios. I think people want to believe they are good; stick with manufacturers known for producing quality headphones. Check out the Beats display at your local BestBuy; they will be broken, I would bet money on it.
Click to expand...

haha, I took you up on your bet just because I was bored the other day and yes indeed the set of Beats I saw at BB were broken. ;)
 
I'm not from America, but if you can get a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M50's or Ultrasone HFI-580/780 for $200 or less then I would recommend them. Fantastic headphones.

It's pretty hard to give you recommendations because you've not really given us a good idea of what you're going to be doing with them...will they be amp'd? What kind of music do you listen to?
 
mellon said:
headfi has a good guide on headphones
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/271258/headphone-buyer-s-guide

read it, lol
Click to expand...

I guess it's a place to start, but the information was posted in 2007. There's been quite a few more superior models worth looking into in the different price ranges. This is especially evident in IEMs which have made absolutely astonishing quality strides in the low-mid range budget spectrum. I can bet you almost none of the sub $70 models listed would be recommended today on head-fi.
 
thanks for all the suggestions. i'll be going to guitar center to try out the beyer dt770s and the ultrasones this weekend. the 558s and 598s look great too, the biggest reason that i was looking at beats were the price at 170 since my buddy works at bestbuy. its too bad that his discount sucks for the sennhessers and Best buy doesn't carry the beyers or ultrasones. They have a couple of audio technicas in stock but not the m50 :(.

These will be my rig headphones but mainly for headphones at work through my nexus one (phone) playing flac files. I guess i should be looking for an amp now.....
 
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