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which Headphones to get?

W

WhiteFireDragon

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 16, 2009
Messages
495
i'm looking for a set of headphones to get, but i'm a bit overwhelmed by the choices on newegg. here are some factors to consider:

1) price. i'm willing to spend up to $100 if it's really worth it. for example, if there's a decent pair that's $30, then there's one that's just a little better for $100, i'm not going to fork out over 3 times the cost just for very small differences.

2) comfort. almost every day, i will listen to 3-6 hours of recorded classroom lectures in one sitting. my ears would appreciate it if they wouldn't ache after a few hours.

3) purpose. they will be used for music (mostly mp3 and FLAC format files), very little gaming (only starcraft2), and listening to recorded lectures. mic would be nice, but not required. they will be plugged in to either onboard computer ports or my z5500 speaker pod.

here are some i've considered on newegg, or please suggest some other ones if it's better

SONIC HP-259
Rosewill RHM-556
RAZER Carcharias
Creative Fatal1ty
Logitech G35
steelseries 61001SS
 
Look at the ATH-AD700s - right around $100, great sound, very comfortable. Much better (in my opinion) than what you listed.
 
I wouldn't get any of the ones you listed.

Grado SR80, Audio Technica AD700, Sennheiser HD555s, or Alesandro MS1 will be good depending on what type of music you listen to. If you need portability consider the Koss Portapros or Sennheiser PX100s.

Some people have issues with the comfort on Alesandros and Grados.
 
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i'm using a set of open air aduio technicas for gaming right now, it sounds amazing, you will not be disappointed. I also have a set of sennheiser hd555's that i just got and are mostly used for music, these cans are also absolutely amazing, i would reccomend either of these choices to anyone i liked. the auido technicas are more open so i can hear people beside me if im at a lan event, where as the senns are still considered open phones but people beside you sound slightly muffled. both are absoluely fantastic choices. audio technica also make slightly cheaper models other than the ad700, they have an ad-500 and an ad300 that are also solid phones in the price range.
 
Audio-Technica ATH-AD700 (open) or ATH-A700 (closed). Crystal clear, great soundstage, and very comfortable. Go for the 500 series if you just can't part with the ~$100. Amazon has the ATH-AD700 for $88 right now...
 
WhiteFireDragon said:
i'm looking for a set of headphones to get, but i'm a bit overwhelmed by the choices on newegg. here are some factors to consider:

1) price. i'm willing to spend up to $100 if it's really worth it. for example, if there's a decent pair that's $30, then there's one that's just a little better for $100, i'm not going to fork out over 3 times the cost just for very small differences.

2) comfort. almost every day, i will listen to 3-6 hours of recorded classroom lectures in one sitting. my ears would appreciate it if they wouldn't ache after a few hours.

3) purpose. they will be used for music (mostly mp3 and FLAC format files), very little gaming (only starcraft2), and listening to recorded lectures. mic would be nice, but not required. they will be plugged in to either onboard computer ports or my z5500 speaker pod.

here are some i've considered on newegg, or please suggest some other ones if it's better

SONIC HP-259
Rosewill RHM-556
RAZER Carcharias
Creative Fatal1ty
Logitech G35
steelseries 61001SS
Click to expand...

Fixed one of the links in the above quote.

After looking at the headphones in the original list, I can safely say that unless you need a microphone for hands-free chatting or conferencing, all of those particular headphones are way overpriced for their sound quality. You see, in order to accommodate their added features the quality of their audio reproducing innards had to be sacrificed greatly. I find absolutely no value at all whatsoever in a headphone that uses the innards and design quality that are typically used in a pair of conventional headphones that cost no more than $30 but actually costs $100 or more.

And based on your needs, you don't need a microphone at all. Unfortunately, all of the ones on your original list come with a built-in microphone, which cuts into the quality of what's left for those prices. As a result, all of the headphones on your list don't sound any better than a cheap $25 pair of mediocre-sounding mass-market headphones.

So in other words, the headphones in your original list are all rip-offs in terms of bang for the buck.
 
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I'm a Sennheiser fan after I bought a cheap pair of open air headphones from Amazon. They don't make them anymore, but they cost about $45 and sound great. Now I use a pair of Sennheiser HD 600s (also open air) that cost $350 and sound even better.. The 555s look like great buys for $115 at Amazon and either these or the the others mentioned should blow away any desktop speakers you can find for the same price.

I'm not an audiophile, but my understanding is that open air headphones yield better sound although it makes it easier for others to hear what you are listening to.
 
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G35's are great, but the main drawback with the G35 is that it is USB only and only works on PC's
I bought a pair when they were on sale for $65 and ended up getting them for $52 or so shipped with some added discounts.

For what you want, I'd go with some Sennheisers. I've been using that brand for over 23 years now.
 
To listen for 3-6 hours... no headphones will be good. Sorry.

HD555s suck. No treble. I suppose I'd go with the AD700s if I had to pick something. I have AD900s. I can't listen to them for more than a couple of hours, and no longer than I could stand my HD555s for, either.
 
I have the ATH-AD700 Open and they're absolutely fantastic. I do a lot of gaming for extended periods of time and have no problem wearing them the entire time and the audio quality is excellent as well. I would definitely recommend them.

If you need a mic, do as I did. Zalman has a clip on mic that hooks onto the headset cord with no problems and I've had no complaints from any friends about sound quality.

Zalman Mic Anywhere from $7 to $15
This has been linked several times already, Audiotechnica ATH-AD700 Open for $90.
 
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dandragonrage said:
To listen for 3-6 hours... no headphones will be good. Sorry.

HD555s suck. No treble. I suppose I'd go with the AD700s if I had to pick something. I have AD900s. I can't listen to them for more than a couple of hours, and no longer than I could stand my HD555s for, either.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you just have a personal issue with headphones, comfort wise. Many many people swear by them for a variety of purposes and can listen for hours on end with no discomfort; especially with headphones like the Sennheiser HD5xx/6xx and especially the Audiotechnica AXXX/AHXXX series... which are some of the most comfortable, non-fatiguing headphones on the planet.
 
Kett said:
Sounds like you just have a personal issue with headphones, comfort wise. Many many people swear by them for a variety of purposes and can listen for hours on end with no discomfort; especially with headphones like the Sennheiser HD5xx/6xx and especially the Audiotechnica AXXX/AHXXX series... which are some of the most comfortable, non-fatiguing headphones on the planet.
Click to expand...

For 6 hours? BS.
 
if you are interested in the senn 555's then do a google for the 555 foam mod

from what i hear, the mod changes the 555's in to the 595's in about 3 minutes
 
lol

Google Stax if you want headphones that you don't want to take off. Of course, they are way out of this threads price range. Mine were pretty bare bones used prices and still cost $300+.

Get the AD-700s or the A700 or the 500 versions. Nothing else compares for what you need under $100.
 
I have the new Corsair HS1's for gaming, and they are really good. Dolby headphone really helps with the fatigue. That being said, DH really muddies the music at times and it loses the clarity (not to mention it has a bit too much treble). For gaming and movies though, pretty awesome for its price.

What about the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Studio Monitor Headphones? I hear really good things about that set (from Head-fi) and its around $108 on Amazon.

Looking for another headset to go along with my Corsair HS1's and a Xonar Essence STX down the line so any opinions would be appreciated. My musical tastes goes from metal, rock, rap, trailer music (Two Steps From Hell, Immediate Music, etc), and trance. I want something that can handle all that well. Lower the price the better but I'm willing to go as far as a Sennheiser HD-650. Would the Essence STX be able to drive it properly?
 
dandragonrage said:
For 6 hours? BS.
Click to expand...

Not BS at all. I have never once, not even in an 8 hour marathon gaming session, thought my A700s were uncomfortable or making any part of my head sore. They are far and away the most comfortable headphones I own. These are the kind of things that the longer you wear them the more you forget they are on your head at all.
 
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