good cans under $150

siava1018 · « **on:** 27 Sep 2010, 06:18 pm »

im lookin to buy my first set of headphones and ive been lookin at the sennheiser hd555 their $108 on amazon with free shipping, are there any other cans i should look at? My requirements are good mids and highs and comfort.

coke · « **Reply #1 on:** 27 Sep 2010, 06:30 pm »

If you don't mind an IEM, look at etymotic er-4p or 4s

siava1018 · « **Reply #2 on:** 27 Sep 2010, 06:40 pm »

yeh not a fan of in ears but thank you.

roscoeiii · « **Reply #3 on:** 27 Sep 2010, 08:03 pm »

First question would be what music you prefer. Second is whether you want open or closed headphones. Answers to those will determine a lot.

And the big heaphone site, if you haven't checked it out yet is headfi Blow your mind numbers of recommendations over there. Worth looking at for sure. But any recommendation will be very dependent on your answer to those questions. Knowing what speakers you like might help too...

siava1018 · « **Reply #4 on:** 27 Sep 2010, 08:07 pm »

i dont have a spkr pref but i listen to opera,jazz,classical,R&B and classic rock. their going to be for listing at home so sound bleed is not a big deal but comfort is.

Tyson · « **Reply #5 on:** 27 Sep 2010, 08:15 pm »

Check out the used section at head-fi, they have lots of great headphones for sale at steal prices. I like Beyer DT880 and DT250 and Sennheiser HD580 and HD600.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #6 on:** 28 Sep 2010, 03:51 am »

Quote from: siava1018 on 27 Sep 2010, 06:18 pm

im lookin to buy my first set of headphones and ive been lookin at the sennheiser hd555 their $108 on amazon with free shipping, are there any other cans i should look at? My requirements are good mids and highs and comfort.

I just bought a pair of 555's not long ago and am very satisfied and would give them very high marks on all those criteria. Adjust the headband to JUST touch the top of your head and you can hardly feel them. They have significantly more high end than the 485's I replaced with them so on some material I back off on the treble a bit. When "dialed in" they sound great, very neutral and detailed.

The low price is due to the fact that they were just replaced in the line by the 558's. I'd buy the 555's and spend the difference on source material.

Noseyears · « **Reply #7 on:** 3 Oct 2010, 09:03 pm »

If you want a more analytical sound, the M50's are good.

SteveFord · « **Reply #8 on:** 3 Oct 2010, 10:30 pm »

If you can go used, I really like the AKG701 and Beyerdynamic 880 models.
The Beyerdynamics are kind of like wearing ear muffs, though, so if you live where it's really hot these may not be for you.
I can't speak for Sennheisers but they're very highly thought of by an awful lot of people.

adydula · « **Reply #9 on:** 3 Oct 2010, 11:27 pm »

You said under $150, some of the suggestions are over that amount.

I just got a pair of these for $106...

Audio Technica ATH M50

Well worth the price and VERY comfotable. Comfort and Quality are both big deals
with me.

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50-Studio-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B000ULAP4U/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1286148275&sr=8-3

All the best
Alex

Noseyears · « **Reply #10 on:** 6 Nov 2010, 05:24 pm »

For Jazz, opera and classical the AKG 701's are a nice choice.

raindance · « **Reply #11 on:** 19 Nov 2010, 03:42 pm »

No one mentioned Grado? I have the SR60 and they are pretty natural sounding, just not very in your face in the bass department. Very comfortable.

AVnerdguy · « **Reply #12 on:** 19 Nov 2010, 03:47 pm »

I have the Grado 225 which are a bit more than $150 but I auditioned the Grado 60 and they are a bargain.

They were reviewed here recently http://stereophile.com/headphones/grado_sr60i_headphones/

denjo · « **Reply #13 on:** 19 Nov 2010, 04:00 pm »

Radius earphones! Japanese quality!

11rufus11 · « **Reply #14 on:** 27 Nov 2010, 03:50 am »

The Audio Technica ATH-A700 Headphones are selling on amazon for $112 now w/free shipping. They are closed backs and they are a tad big for some, however sound great. Comfortable, audiophile, clear, and somewhat colored sound. My other choice would be the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 around $100-110 which has been previously mentioned. Great headphones. Smaller than the A700's but a bit more analytical in sound. If you like the open-air style headphones, Grado sr80i for $99 are a good choice. Good highs and mids without the overbearing bass. Bass is accurate and tight, though. More open soundstage. I have all three and each one has a style of its own but I love 'em all. I never had a chance to listen to any Sennheiser, Bose, or Sony so I cannot comment on any of them.

Noseyears · « **Reply #15 on:** 8 Dec 2010, 08:22 pm »

I second the Recommendation on the A700's. They have a wide soundstage for opera and classical..with a decent amount of bass.

eclein · « **Reply #16 on:** 12 Jan 2011, 02:40 pm »

In my search for good sound with the least amount of stress on the wallet, I totally went insane. I started out with one pair of Ultrasone Hfi-700's that I bought from Alienware years ago, its OZMA offering at the time. They are excellent headphones top to bottom and I have no complaints about them, but my problem is I think too much!!! I started thinking if they sounded this good 4 years ago what is todays technology sounding like-and that was all she wrote.
I now have 5 pair of phones and more on the way....LOL...after all it is Headphone Mania.
I found a pair of SONY's recently that actually sound good and were really inexpensive...check these out:

SONY MDR-XD200...sounds like a jet plane name, but the look is what made me buy them...and let me tell ya they are comfy, really comfy, lightweight surprisingly but really big. Your not taking these on a bus or train ride to work more than likely. They cost $25.00 shipped, peanuts for what you get, they sound good, not great run and tell everyone but good solid performers. If this was my only pair of phones I would be fine with them, they have a nice wide soundstage and sound very open considering the build and size. I played music through these unattended for 24 hrs. after a brief listen when unboxed...they opened up and seem to be getting better and better. So if you want some good headphones on the cheap these deserve a look.

WerTicus · « **Reply #17 on:** 12 Jan 2011, 02:44 pm »

I like my Grado Labs too.

eclein · « **Reply #18 on:** 12 Jan 2011, 03:07 pm »

My favorites at the moment are my Grado SR60's but these are not bad, especially for the money.

tomwhite · « **Reply #19 on:** 12 Jan 2011, 04:14 pm »

The Shure SRH840's have a nice midrange, with a nice level of bass (not boomy) my ipod drives them well.