Was killing some time at the mall today while the wife was off doing her thing and I stumbled into brookstone and saw the Klipsch M40 headphones they had on display. Hooked up my iPhone was was shocked at how great they sounded and now I want to get some quality over the ear headphones but I have no idea what is good vs bad (I haave heard beats are overpriced). I am thinking that I want to keep it around $200 would go higher if it really was worth the difference. I don't listen to things with a ton of bass in it, at least not rap. My musical preference is more rock, indie music, and post rock. Don't really care about the looks, just want something that sounds good and are comfortable to wear.

Any suggestions/advice?

3/2/2013 10:03:37 PM

The best way to find out which headphones sound best is to go actually listen to a bunch of them. Luckily, you don't have to go to a pro audio store anymore to try out nice headphones, just about every BestBuy has an entire section dedicated to them.

I think the following things are to consider, other than the sound quality obviously: where you are going to listen to them, how long you are going to wear them each time you listen to music, whether you want to be able to use them with your iPhone for phone conversations.

If you are going to wear them for extended amount of time (if you listen to music while working, for example), comfort and lightweight construction is essential. My over-the-ear Shure SRH-440 start to hurt the top of my head after a few hours and I have to sometimes switch to a lighter on-the-ear design.

If you are going to listen to them at the office, consider how the design sounds to the bystanders. Some headphones are designed to seal the music from "spilling out". Nothing like having a cubemate blast Cannibal Corpse all day long through 40mm drivers and an open-back design. This also may be useful if you have a certain taste in music that may make you a target for social alienation (aka if you are a Justin Bieber fan)

If you are going to listen to them in a noisy environment and don't require audiophile-quality sound, you may want to get an active noise-cancelling design.

Finally, many headphones can come as an iPhone specific variation with a cord that contains mic/phone controls. I have one pair of on-ear headphones and one pair of earbuds that have phone controls and use them quite often (super useful for conference calls and long-distance relationships)

I also recommend getting a detachable cord design (most of the 200 dollar headphones will have that nowadays). Nothing like throwing away a set of nice headphones because of an internally frayed or broken wire.


[Edited on March 2, 2013 at 10:56 PM. Reason : reading comprehension]

3/2/2013 10:41:35 PM

I had Sennheiser HD 280 pros which sound nice, but are uncomfortable.

Switched to Audio Technica ATH-M50s and am really happy with both the sound and the comfort. They're like $120 on Amazon.

3/2/2013 10:43:00 PM

^^ thanks for all the great advice, that was really helpful!

3/2/2013 10:52:10 PM

I'll second the Audio Technica ATH-M50s. I'm no audiophile but I've had them for a couple months and love them. The reviews are fantastic as well.

FYI when I was looking at them, the price was fluctuating from $120-$150 on Amazon in a short amount of time.

3/3/2013 12:31:11 AM

Just ordered a set for $115 shipped.

I can't wait!

3/3/2013 5:23:03 AM

sennheiser hd497, 59x, and 56x

3/3/2013 11:02:21 AM

I also have the Audio Technica ATH-M50s and recommend them.

3/3/2013 2:20:11 PM

Well you guys convinced me, just ordered the ATH-M50s

Used my credit card points from my corporate card so it was all free to me

3/3/2013 3:23:09 PM

Finally started listening to the M50. Damn. They are EXTREMELY comfortable... I love how clear they are... I wish there was a tad more bass intensity... It hits the notes clear, however, I enjoy the "concert" feeling bass that the Dre's provide... But the Dre's were much more expensive, not as comfortable, and more importantly not nearly as clear.

M50 is a damn good buy.

[Edited on March 12, 2013 at 5:53 PM. Reason : .]

3/12/2013 5:53:25 PM

i don't understand why people think beats are so good. its a slightly above average headphone with bass boost but still a muddy sound with weak mids

3/12/2013 8:33:49 PM

Quote :

" was shocked at how great they sounded and now I want to get some quality over the ear headphones but I have no idea what is good vs bad"

It's a very simple check list:

-What sounds the best to you
-Feels the most comfortable
-at the price point you're willing to pay

I know there are much better earbuds out there than apple earpods, but I haven't found any that sound markedly better at the same price point of $29, so I stick with them.

I have a pair of Bose QC2 over the ear headphones. They sound pretty good, but I'd never buy them with my own money (was a gift). I'd probably put them in the same category as beats.

3/13/2013 11:08:17 AM

I find it weird when people are listening to music on devices as big as their palm with headsets as big as their head.

3/13/2013 11:44:01 AM

Quote :

"Finally started listening to the M50. Damn. They are EXTREMELY comfortable... I love how clear they are... I wish there was a tad more bass intensity... It hits the notes clear, however, I enjoy the "concert" feeling bass that the Dre's provide... But the Dre's were much more expensive, not as comfortable, and more importantly not nearly as clear. "

Get a headphone amplifier, most of them have a bass boost or bass setting depending on how much you spend. An amp will make a pretty big difference.

3/13/2013 12:24:52 PM

Now I know that most high end audio speakers often come with a break in period...

I didn't think much of that, but damn. I've listened to these headphones for about 50 hours now, and the bass response has really improved where my previous post was after only listening to them for ~15 minutes. I love these headphones as they are, but thank you for the suggestion. There were times when the Dre's were overkill on the bass. M50's are REALLY balanced. I'll listen to pandora for 8 hours straight without fatigue or sore ears. The m50 is unbeatable for the price. I've tested many, many other headphones in the $100-$400 range and I've found the M50 to be the best out of them all.

.

[Edited on March 16, 2013 at 2:37 AM. Reason : .]

3/16/2013 2:32:30 AM

3/16/2013 5:02:25 AM

I really recommend the Sony MDR-V6 headphones

the build quality is excellent
I've had mine for several years of somewhat strenuous (semi-pro) use and they are still in great condition

I eventually had to replace the ear pads cause the pleather flaked off
I got the Pearstone velour deluxe ear pads and they are UNBELIEVABLE

if I were to buy this again I'd go ahead and get the new ear pads up front - they don't get hot and sweaty and they are soft as clouds

3/20/2013 3:50:55 AM

JVC Flats. Cheap and good (upper eschelon of decent) sound quality.

3/20/2013 9:36:10 AM

Replaced the leather/foam pads on my M50 with some David Clark gel pads.

These things are even more awesome now. Better sound isolation and increased comfort over long periods of listening.

I want to say theres a bit more bass now because of the improved sound isolation, but it's not overpowering. Sound balance is still excellent. YMMV.

6/11/2013 8:26:23 PM

I like Sony MDR-7506. They are comfortable, don't fatigue (you can wear them and listen for a long time without having to take them off) and they sound very clear.

6/11/2013 9:33:53 PM

message_topic.aspx?topic=637447


[Edited on June 14, 2013 at 12:57 PM. Reason : .]

6/14/2013 12:56:37 PM

Any recommendations for the $40-$80 range? Looking for something I can wear all day at work...a healthy bass response is high up on the list for me.

12/8/2014 12:59:44 PM

I have the Audio Technica ATH-ANC9 and can wear them for a 5 hour flight no problem

[Edited on December 8, 2014 at 1:41 PM. Reason : i got them for 150 tho]

12/8/2014 1:40:37 PM

SoundMAGIC HP100

12/8/2014 6:40:30 PM

I personally like ear buds. Much easier to travel with. Little easier to get noise isolation too without having to go active noise canceling. I do like the new Bose QC 25's. They vastly improved sound quality compared to the 15s.

12/8/2014 9:50:30 PM

sennheiser hd497s

12/10/2014 9:05:14 AM

I have a set of superlux hd 688B that i spent $35 bux on on amazon and they i have to say are pretty good headphones.

I also just got in on the vmoda m80 deal for $80... I have to say the Vmoda phones sound better, but hell the retail is 7 times that of the Superlux.

I think the superlux will be my at work phones for a while simply because I don't give a crap about them.

12/19/2014 12:23:35 PM

If anyone wants to cross over to the dark side....

12/19/2014 12:47:49 PM

^ You seem to have continual problems reading the title of this thread

12/19/2014 12:58:27 PM

Love my Q701s, could use a bit more bass extension for certain types of music and movie/gaming, but pretty much perfect otherwise. If you're playing stuff off your PC, get an external DAC if you don't have a high end soundcard like an Asus Xonar or SB Z. That'll make as big of a difference as upgraded cans.

12/19/2014 1:09:19 PM

Quote :

"^ You seem to have continual problems reading the title of this thread"

That's why I said come over to the dark side. I've gone through quite a few over the ear headsets and nothing beats the noise isolation and sound quality of a good pair of IEMs.

On the note of over the ear headphones I do like the new Bose Q25s. They're a vast improvement over the Q15s in terms of audio quality. If you travel a lot or want the noise cancellation those are great.

I also love these:

http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Headphones/Headphones/Headphones/P7.html

The Parrot Zik 2.0 are pretty cool too but they're "on ear" instead of over the ear.

12/19/2014 1:18:10 PM

I've been eying these: Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
Amazon says these are a newer model of the ATH-M50S.

Should I bite the bullet and drop some coin for them?

12/31/2014 1:28:27 PM

^opinions anyone?

1/8/2015 11:55:13 AM

I've got the http://www.amazon.com/Bose-SoundLink-Around-Ear-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B00CD1FB26 and they're pretty sweet. Double as bluetooth headset too.

1/8/2015 4:55:23 PM

Ended up going with the AT's. I wore them most of the day yesterday at work. They're comfortable and they sound great - like really great. I'm pleased.

1/14/2015 11:28:10 AM

Yeah, those are nice, and they'll sound good right off the headphone jack on anything with a decent DAC.

1/14/2015 12:16:54 PM

For years I've used Sennheiser HD202s and needed DSP in Winamp to get them to sound decent. Like you say, these don't need anything special to sound great right off the line - especially FLAC.

1/15/2015 1:07:15 PM

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Over-Ear-Circum-Aural-Dynamic-Headphone/dp/B001OTZ8DA

2/19/2015 12:11:31 AM

Quote :

"I've got the http://www.amazon.com/Bose-SoundLink-Around-Ear-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B00CD1FB26 and they're pretty sweet. Double as bluetooth headset too."

do both of the ears rotate so it folds flat(ish)? I've decided that I really want over the ear headphones but they need to be somewhat packable or i will never carry them.

2/19/2015 11:02:06 AM

Ordered these the other day...http://bensbargains.net/bargain/jbl-j88i-premium-over-ear-headphones-40-at-newegg-138448/

2/19/2015 11:04:55 AM

lewisje won this thread.

2/20/2015 12:01:21 AM

Just got the Sennheiser HD 380 Pro. Totes satisfied.

[Edited on February 24, 2015 at 1:36 PM. Reason : ~$100, comfortable, great sounding]

2/24/2015 1:34:46 PM

^^^ those are lame. do not buy.

2/24/2015 3:06:47 PM

bttt

5/12/2015 3:42:30 PM

I bought these replacement earpads a while back for my ATH-M50Ses and they're awesome.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F2ZM6CS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A++ would recommend.

5/12/2015 9:54:00 PM

Velvet? Interesting...

5/14/2015 3:49:49 PM

I got the ex some Sennheiser HD 439's that I've modded. They sound great and have some bass to them.

Extremely comfortable as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-439-Headphones-Black/dp/B005N8W1TM

Your budget of $200 is not bad at all.

5/19/2015 7:39:06 AM

in the market for some over the ear active noise canceling headphones and strongly considering sony's mdr-1000x - any other recommendations?

mainly used for music at work and movies on a plane - i have some shure se-535s that these would be replacing

[Edited on June 27, 2017 at 5:38 PM. Reason : .]

6/27/2017 5:34:46 PM

I've used the Sony's and really like them. I still use my se-535's on the plane but just recently got a pair of Bowers and Wilkins P7 wireless over the ear headphones as I enjoyed the sound much more than the Sony's. There's no active NC though so that was a trade off.

--Every implementation of active NC I've used has either given me a head ache or ruined the sound quality.

[Edited on June 27, 2017 at 6:15 PM. Reason : s]

6/27/2017 6:14:30 PM

ive also never enjoyed the sound quality of an active noise canceling headphone. it always sounds like white noise piped in. i had my se425s stolen a few months back and replaced them with these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A60I4P6

at first I missed the dual driver clarity up top, but the balance on these is better and im still in the breakin period, so i'm hoping the upper end gets a bit more pronounced.

6/28/2017 10:19:08 AM