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Which headphones do you recommend below 100€?
I'm looking into the ATH-M40X, which seems to be the best below 100€, but i would like to know other tilders opinion :)
EDIT: preference to over ear and portable (portable is not a key feature that i'm looking, but it would be nice to be easy to carry around)
I was looking into over ear headphones, but those also look pretty cool, how is the construction quality, they seem quite fragile? do they fold for portable use?
As a counterpoint, I've had two sets of Alessandro MS-1s (comparable model, similar design, made by the same company) fail on me, and I don't treat my gear particularly roughly at all - these would have stayed plugged into my computer and had no worse treatment than the very occasional drop onto the floor. For their price range I found the sound quality to be excellent (or else I wouldn't have bought the second pair), but the build quality unacceptable.
Can you share anything about comfort with those? I have limited experience with on-ear headphones and have never owned any. The few I've tested really hurt my ears, as it felt like they were mashing my earlobes into my head. Most had harder leathery kind of covers, whereas it looks like those are foam. Any thoughts on that? For those reasons, I've generally gone with over-ear.
As I said in another comment, I've had several pairs of Alessandro MS-1s, which are basically identical. Comfort wasn't a massive issue for me, and I also dislike that feeling of having my ears pressed back. From memory, that did happen on occasion, but the way that the sides swivel and the ability to bend the headband to prevent too much pressure being applied meant that it wasn't as much of a drawback as it might sound.
However, the two pairs I've owned both had internal cable failures and failures in the connection between the cables and the speaker itself.
Interestingly enough, I'm actually in the market for a new pair of headphones as soon as I get my next paycheck (the Koss headphones I replaced the Alessandros with also ended up failing), and have looked at both the ATH-MX40 and Sennheiser HD 280 as mentioned in this thread because I don't want to risk an uncomfortable on-ear experience. I'll probably end up going with the former. I also looked at V-MODAs because I heard great things about their build quality, but apparently the sound is lacking for the price.
Sennheiser HD 280 are the best headphones that I've personally owned at that price point (100 USD, not sure about the exchange rate / tax differences).
Oh man, these were my first pair of good headphones. But I bought them ten years ago, at this same price. Surely there's an updated model in this price range?
Yeah, they were my first love for serious headphones as well. I eventually traded up to HD 380s which for $150 I thought were well worth the upgrade over the 280s. My current setup (which I'm listening to as I type this) are 250ohm Beyerdynamic DT990s and a Fiio E10K.
Ah nice, I upgraded from my HD280's a few years ago to the Beyerdynamic DT880s, with a Mayflower O2 Amp+ODAC.
If you are open to IEMs, the Fiio F1 is the best bang for your buck. It costs about 20 USD and has a mostly flat profile. It also comes with a case, multiple tip sizes, and swappable plates to customize it's colors.
IEMs are nice to be portable, but from what i read they lack a little bit on "space" and they make the sound "come" from inside the head.
I have a pair of cheapo IEMs (3€) and they are not that bad, but i haven't actually tested anything "good", so i can't really tell if they are good or not XD
Anyway, thanks for the sugestion, they are now on my "watch list" :) where can i buy them if i decide so?
I bought mine on Amazon. @NessY mentioned they are $10 on US Amazon right now.
I can't say that I have ever heard about people complaining that the sound is coming from inside their ears before. I have experienced the sound seeming far away, but that is usually a symptom of cheap or poorly designed headphones. Usually you want music to surround you.
Only 10$ right now on Amazon.
I use Sennheiser HD 518s and they're the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. I wear glasses and these things don't push the frames into my temples like other models I've tried. I can and do wear them for several hours in a row, it's like a pair of pillows around my ears. I know you didn't specify you were looking for comfort but imo that's a very important feature, especially if you plan on using them for longer periods.
I wouldn't call them portable. They don't fold but they're a reasonable size. Each cup is about the size of a toilet paper roll (I am writing this on the john so that's my closest source of reference, lol). If you carry a backpack or a handbag they should fit in there nicely. You might be able to wear them around your neck if you're like me, but you might also think, "gosh, I look like a tool with these big headphones around my neck."
The sound quality is, well, quality, especially for the price. I listen to a lot of different genres and they have a fairly balanced sound that plays everything well. They're open-ear which gives music a bit of a "live" quality like it's coming from a live source as opposed to the sound-producing chambers you currently have on your skull. It's subtle, but noticeable if you try swapping them out with a closed-ear pair. The downside to open-ear cans is that there is some bleed so people nearby can hear it if you have them turned up. This is also not great if you record music and monitor yourself while playing; the mic might be able to pick up the sound coming through your headphones. Again, this is only a problem if you turn them up high enough.
I'm going a bit long here so I'll wrap up by saying that I've had this pair for 6 years and had to have them repaired once because someone set a bunch of heavy stuff (at least 20 pounds) on top of them and broke them. If you don't do that, they'll last a while. So yeah, they're not portable but the build quality is solid, they're comfortable for long periods, and the sound is excellent for the $100 range. If you don't feel comfortable buying used, check out the HD 579s. They're apparently 50% off on Amazon right now which puts them at almost exactly $100, which is a hell of a deal. I haven't used them but they're in the same line as the 518 and they look to be similar in build and sound quality.
Thanks a lot for the review
What you mean high enough, like when it starts to become painful? I don't quite have access to some to test :/ (this is my main worry, sound leakage is a little bit out of question cause i'm going to use the headphones either on quiet or loud enviroments)
Those HD 579 you referred seem to have velour pads, aren't those hot when wearing for a while?
Do the cups fold so they stay on the neck(like this instead of this, bad stock images, but hey, got the point :D) ?
Ultrasone HFI-580. These were my first pair of good headphones. Last year, I decided to upgrade. I did hours of research then went to a store to sample a list of 10 or so, ranging up to $500. I ended up leaving the store with my old 580s and not buying anything new. I like them that much. They are similar to the M40X, but to my ears have better mids and crisper bass.
I'm not much of a sound guy, but I really love my AKG 240s. Bought them to replace a failing gaming headset for PC usage. Part of the reason why I chose them is because they have fewer moving and plastic parts than most other headphones I saw, which generally is where my headphones begin to fail. The other point where most headphones begin to fail is the cord, and these have a replacable cable. Only downside is the one that comes with it is sorta on the crummy side, and since it uses mini-xlr the cables aren't as cheap as 3.5mm to 3.5mm. I replaced it with -a coiled cable.
If you haven't done this, I would recommend you replace the earpads with hifiman. The comfort improvement was unreal.
Cool, I'll look into those. Thanks for the suggestion.
my main worry with open headphones is that the sound leaks from them, how are those about it? it there much leaking?
About portability? are those portable? i don't see any reference to folding
EDIT: What is the difference between AKG 240s (that @RabidTurtl sugested) and AKG 240mk ii?
so, what's the difference between semi-open and open?
There is some leakage when it it turned up high, but not as much as I expect. My wife only tends to notice sitting in a desk right next to me wheb the volume is turned up to near max.
They dont really fold up, but I dont exactly feel like they are huge. And honestly I find durability and portability to be at odds with one another; folding ear cups are just another weak point that can break. The simplicity of these are what really drew me to them.
As for the difference between the 240 and 240 mk II, I dont know, other than the mk II looks more expensive.
Unfortunately in portugal that is not an easy task, there are almost no music shops (at least that i know of) :(
I can personally recommend the Status Audio CB-1 headphones. I have had them for about a year now and I really like them. They have a neutral sound and are closed back. I can wear them for 2-3 hours at a time, though that is because of my glasses. If I were to take my glasses off I don't see a reason I couldn't wear them all day. I typically use this pair at my desk but I can drive them with my phone, they just don't stay on super great if I'm working around the house.
Also if you are looking for some cheaper, bassy IEMs, I can also recommend the KZ ATE earphones. These I carry in my bag for use anywhere. They are mostly good for music because they have a lot of bass, but they also work fine for youtube or something in a pinch.
Those seem pretty cool, but i don't know if they ship on the EU, if they don't it will be more than 100€ counting with customs taxes and etc :(
I had KZ ATE (bought on aliexpress, not sure if original, but price was similar) and i quite liked them, but after some time they started being uncomfortable to me
I checked on the Status site, it says they ship internationally but it doesn't give a price unfortunately. Hopefully it's something reasonable if you decide to go with them.
Audio Technica ATH-M40x
Right now these are $99, but I was able to grab them when they were on sale a few years ago. I absolutely love them, and use them nearly every single day without problems. They're fairly roomy and I only start to notice discomfort if I wear them for a few hours at a time. My only gripe is that the 3.5mm cord that comes in the box is like... really long, and sometimes gets in the way. It also comes with a 1/4" cord, so if you've got a guitar amp or something you can totally use it with that.