Sub $100 for Headphones + Amp, Is it possible?

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Ruffy

[H]ard|Gawd
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Mar 31, 2001
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Ok first off Im not a big headset guy. Never have been. But my situation is changing and I just cant have my speakers cranked up all the time. I was about to buy a set of Logitech z5500's But Thought id save money and buy a set of cans instead seeing as I mostly use my current cheap ones over the speakers.

Here are my current Headphones


Very Cheap Jwin, Bought at "Ross Clothing for Less". About $6 dollars. What surprised me was how decent they sound. Now I've had 50 dollar platronics before and personally they sucked. I've listened to a a bunch of earbuds and cheapo headsets but never found headsets with the bass these provide(Not much. but it blew me away. Esp the price)

Now I know the difference between these and a Real set of cans would be night and Day. And someone with a decent setup would easily blow these away. So here I am wanting some real quality.

Should I...
A: Buy a $50-100 Dollar Unit alone. and Power it off my soundcard
or
B: Buy a $30-55 Dollar Unit, and get a cheap amp? Are there any amps that are decent for that price range? All I ever see is $200+ So I never got into it.

I've been looking at a bunch of sites posted here and now Im alittle overwhelmed. I cant find anything really stating this price range.


As for specs im looking for.
* I Would prefer closed as it blocks more backround noise out
* Noise cancellation doesnt really interest me because if I pay for that feature, that means the actual speakers are lower quality for the pricerange
* I would be using them for hours at a time. So comfort is a must. I know this clashes with closed design. If there is an Open that blocks alot of external noise then I would consider
* Need something remotely durable.
* Grados are highly regarded by they look fugly to me and seem like I could easily break them

I'm currently running off the onboard sound on my Gigabyte K8NXP-SLI But I have a Via Envy HT-S(Chaintech Av710) That I will pop in once I get the headphones.
 
Also What id be using them for

TV Shows
Anime
Games(FPS Mostly, Throw in Console and RPG)
Music(R&B, Rock, HipHop, Rap, Classical, Jpop/Jrock, Reggaeton)

There are guitar centers here in Georgia so I might end up going to one to check thing sout but I'm pressed for time
 
your budget is to limited, get a Good headphone with low impedance. There is some alessandro 100$ phones that have 32 ohm impedance, extremly easy to drive. There are other options that are easy to drive as well. Don't mess with an amp on your limited budget.
 
At that price range forget getting an amp. Instead, spend all that money on a decent set of efficient headphones. Since you prefer closed headphones with a reasonable amount of comfort, then the Sennheiser 280s might be what you're looking for. They are closed circumaural headphones; they block a good amount of ambient noise and are comfortable (though they exert quite a bit of pressure on the sides of your head; that doesn't bother me though some will think otherwise).

If possible, try out headphones before you buy. I'm not an expert when it comes to headphones, but I do know that headphone sound quality and comfort are quite personal.
 
I was in the same position as you a few weeks ago. After reading a bunch over at head-fi.org and headphonereviews.org, I ended up purchasing the Audio Technica A500's. They're low impendance, so they sound good without an amp. They're HUGE, but not heavy, so I find them comfortable, even after hours of wearing them. For all purpose cans, they are quite good. I've listened to music, gamed, and watched movies with them and the sound keeps surprising me. They also carry them at Guitar Center so you should be able to give them a listen there.

Good luck, I hope you find the right phones for you.
 
Just get these.

Studio Monitor Series Stereo HeadphonesMDR-V600

I have a pair of the older MDR-CD580 phones and love em to death. No amp needed. The bass is incredible.
 
You really would be better off getting a pair of good quality cans that are efficient. Things that come to mind:

HD555 (50ohm)
ATH-a500

Really good amped sound in the <100 range would have to be from a KSC-35/75 paired with Go-Vibe or PocketAmp2, but I doubt you'd want to use a clip-on.

For gaming and music purposes in this range, I'd go with the Audio-Technicas. They'll stretch over the $100 budget by a bill though.
 
CannibalTrout said:
Just get these.

Studio Monitor Series Stereo HeadphonesMDR-V600

I have a pair of the older MDR-CD580 phones and love em to death. No amp needed. The bass is incredible.
Click to expand...

I hope you meant the V6's and not the V600's. Because the V600's are baaaaaad.
 
I'll toss in a vote for the a500s. I had them for a while before I got my alessandro ms-1s (which i'd also recommend, but they're open). The only issue with them is that your ears might get warm after a while because they surround them. They are uber-comfortable though.
 
schapman said:
I'll toss in a vote for the a500s. I had them for a while before I got my alessandro ms-1s (which i'd also recommend, but they're open). The only issue with them is that your ears might get warm after a while because they surround them. They are uber-comfortable though.
Click to expand...


I cant find the ATH A500's for under $100 so thats out of my price range.

Scratch the Closed Design, it doesnt matter anymore

I was looking at Sennheiser HD 465, and 485, both under $80 shipped

Or maybe the AKG K 26 P which can be had for under $40, I like how it looks and it seems like it might be a good set to take withme outside

http://www.headphone.com/products/headphones/sealed-and-noise-canceling/akg-k-26-p.php

Dont know Ohm of it tho
 
i am really happy with my hd-202's but they seem to get pretty mixed reviews. before the sennheiser hd-202 cans i had the hd-497, and i think the 202's sound alot better.


they have a good amount of bass, and to me they sound really clear and they are super comfortable on my head (i am a pretty big guy, and i like how these stay put on my head when i am moving around/walking/biking)

the 202's were only like $25 shipped, and i am powering them off either my dell mp3 player or a denon receiver depending where i am using them. to me they sound the same from either source
 
Ruffy said:
I cant find the ATH A500's for under $100 so thats out of my price range.

Scratch the Closed Design, it doesnt matter anymore

I was looking at Sennheiser HD 465, and 485, both under $80 shipped

Or maybe the AKG K 26 P which can be had for under $40, I like how it looks and it seems like it might be a good set to take withme outside

http://www.headphone.com/products/headphones/sealed-and-noise-canceling/akg-k-26-p.php

Dont know Ohm of it tho
Click to expand...


you can get a grado SR60.
 
swatX said:
you can get a grado SR60.
Click to expand...

I've tried them
yeah they sounded good but

They seemed easy to break
They hurt my ears after using them for under 10 minutes
 
This thread really caught my attention.
The 'sennheiser hd-201' + 'turtle beach audio advantage micro soundcard' combo seems to have it going on!
Anyway it cant be bad for 43 bucks!
 
Well I bought the AKG 26p's today at GuitarCenter

And letme say. They sound Awesome. They're perfect for portability and completely stomp the jwin. After listening to both side by side. The jwins sound muddy. And boy the AKGs are LOUD. I find myself having to lower the volume down greatly.

Im still gonna end up buying the Sennheiser HD485 or similar as I need something for desktop use with a longer cord


Sadly i didnt get to demo many cans because they only had the $150+ Dollar models on display. There was an awesome pair of Beyerdynamics that cost $200. They were incredibly comfortable with their soft cloth velvety pads. They also only had cheaper Sennheisers. They had the 202 and some others.




Anyway onto some pics. Warning Large


 
Well I just bought some Shure E2cs outta curiosity and I found that I like listening to them more than my Senns. At 16ohms they don't require an amp and when you get them in your ear correctly (it takes practice) they sound superb. Definately worth the $100 I spent on them.
 
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