Can any of you Audiophiles recommend me a pair of headphones under $150.00

[blary54]

Im looking for a nice pair of headphones under $150 to listen to music on my computer and ipod. All I currently have are the ear buds my ipod came with. Don't really care about portability. Wont be wearing them much out of the house unless I take them on a roadtrip.

Ones im currently considering:

Audio Technica ATHM50S $120.00. Ive heard nothing but good things and leaning toward these headphones. However the cable seems a little long and might be a pain to drag around. They have a curled cable version but im not sure its worth the extra $30.00

Grado SR80i $99.00: Heard they sound great and one of the best bargains for the sound they produce. Looks like they leak noise quite a bit and probably less sound proof because of the ear cushion design.

Sennheiser HD-280 $95.00

Shure SRH440 $95.00

Any opinions/suggestions on these or any other headphones?

 

[Mick]

Stax

http://www.stax.co.jp/index-E.html

 

[CJayhawk]

I have a set of the Sennheiser HD 280 Pros, and am extremely happy with them for at home or at work listening.

I would not trade these headphones, but here are two things that I wish they did better:

1) They are not very soundproof regarding other noise in the room. For best results, you need to have very little sound around you. In my opinion, they're not ideal for airplanes, where I still hear quite a bit of the standard airplane hum. (That being said, I still use them when flying.)

2) They're heavy, and if you wear them too long, your ears may be hot/sweaty/hurt. It's a relatively minor concern, but anything over a couple of hours of use, and you'll know it.

Even with those two negatives, 9/10, would buy again.

 

[superbleu]

I soured on Sennheisers when my HD590 stopped working. I emailed them to see about getting them repaired, and they said they don't support/service that model anymore. What kind of company refuses to repair a 200 dollar set of headphones?

I got some noise cancelling Denon's (NC800)and have been very happy with them

 

[maxman]

Any open style headphones "bleed" a little sound out to your environment. Nor a big deal unless you are frequently listening to music in public (and are concerned about it). I have Sennheiser HD 555 cans and Grado SR 80's. They are very different from each other.

The Sennheiser headphones put you in the audience while the Grado's put you onstage. This is a common comparison but it is very true. My brother has the Audiotechnica cans and he loves them. I think the are the same model you are speaking of.

 

[professorchaos]

I've read promising things about Creative's Aurvana headset.

 

[buffdaddy]

V-Moda Crossfades LP cans. Best bang for your buck. They're well made, very comfortable, sound great and come with 2 kevlar reinforced cords (1 is black and has Ipod controls, the other is a red no controls and is longer). Also comes with a great carry case, a plug adapter a carabiner to hang outside the case , and you can also replace the metal plates on the outside of each can. Picked it up for $80.00 at Costco.

 

[jazzman]

I've had the Audio Technica ATH-AT 700 for a couple of years. Amazon has them for about $93. They are great. I've also used Grado SR 60's and their portable iPhones, which use the same drivers; I use them while working out and traveling. The Grados are very good and practical, but the AT 700 is superb and surprisingly comfortable, at least for me.

 

[ricardo9505]

Grado or Sennheisers. at that price range, Grado though. superb quality for the money. I have the 60's. and sennheiser 580's. powered by creek . sold my sennheisers just recently. awaiting pickup. (tear)

 

[blary54]

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I actually decided to go with the Audio Technica M50. B&H had them on sale for $122.00(about 20 bucks cheaper than amazon.com, got the coiled cable version). Would you guys recommend that I buy a mini headphone-amp or are those not really needed?

 

[Mick]

you can't go wrong with AT products

 

[maxman]

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I actually decided to go with the Audio Technica M50. B&H had them on sale for $122.00(about 20 bucks cheaper than amazon.com, got the coiled cable version). Would you guys recommend that I buy a mini headphone-amp or are those not really needed?

It depends a lot on the headphones.
if you have a set that runs at 50 ohms impedance it will be fine with an ipod or whtever device you are using.
most headphones are in around the 50 or so ohms impedance.
some higher end cans or studio models may have higher impedance and require an amp to really drive them.

Of course thats just by the numbers.
a lot of people will say that if you drive the headphones with an amp is will sound better regardless of your impedance.

My suggestion if youvare looking at one is to save your money and get a cheaper solid state one.