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What are the best-sounding headphones $100?

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Category: Other music related lounges
Forum Name: Tech Talk
Forum Description: Discuss musical instruments, equipment, hi-fi, speakers, vinyl, gadgets,etc.
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=111709
Printed Date: April 18 2024 at 09:55
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Topic: What are the best-sounding headphones $100?
Posted By: cold103
Subject: What are the best-sounding headphones $100?
Date Posted: August 13 2017 at 08:18
I only have about $100 (US dollars) to spend on headphones. What are the best-sounding headphones I could get? What brand should I get? What model should I get? Thanks very much in advance for your help!



Replies:
Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: August 13 2017 at 09:19
I have (and like) this

https://www.marshallheadphones.com/mh_us_en/major-ii-black

The Marshall site offers it at 119$ but I'm sure you can find a better deal somewhere on the web.




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Curiosity killed a cat, Schroedinger only half.
My poor home recorded stuff at https://yellingxoanon.bandcamp.com


Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: August 13 2017 at 10:40
Sennheiser HD 558 - Best Buy has them now (limited) for $80.  Run don't walk.
 
 


Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: August 13 2017 at 10:42
Originally posted by dwill123 dwill123 wrote:

Sennheiser HD 558 - Best Buy has them now (limited) for $80.  Run don't walk.
 
 

Yes, great headphones for the price.


Posted By: mbzr48
Date Posted: August 13 2017 at 11:11
Sennheiser ONLY!!!


Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: August 13 2017 at 11:30
Superlux HD 668B.


Posted By: Mascodagama
Date Posted: August 13 2017 at 11:48
Adding to the chorus - I don't know the HD588 specifically, but I've never gone wrong buying Sennheiser.  

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Soldato of the Pan Head Mafia. We'll make you an offer you can't listen to.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: August 13 2017 at 11:57
Unfortunately I can't wear headphones because they affect my tinnitus. Unhappy However, I have something called sleepphones(or something like them)that aren't too bad if I put in cotton or something in my one bad ear. 


Posted By: JD
Date Posted: August 14 2017 at 23:43
I'm going to go across the grain here, Sennheiser are a fine brand, and while I don't know this particular model I've always found Sennheiser's a little light in the low end and a little thin overall. For my money I'd check out the AKG240 Studio cans. A much warmer and fuller sound. I've used them for 30 years in live and studio environments and have been very pleased.



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Posted By: AEProgman
Date Posted: August 15 2017 at 06:54
I will also go against the grain here with Audio-Technica ATH-M40X studio headphones.  I have a pair and am very pleased with them.  They are right at $99 on Amazon (link below).  They are very neutral in sound, which means the way it was recorded is the way you will hear it, you can always tweak your equalizer if you want more bass or more treble, etc..

You may want to visit music/guitar stores and ask to try some headphones (which I did), most likely they will have Senns, AKG, and Audio-Technica and will let you test drive them.

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M40x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR54/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1502801193&sr=8-3&keywords=audio+technica+ath-m40x



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Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: August 15 2017 at 06:57
Alwas been happy with Sennheiser, ever since the 80's, and haven't noticed that much difference between their cheaper and more pricey sets. I bought my last set about ten years ago. Still working perfectly. I think they cost around £70.

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Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!


Posted By: Muso Goodshot
Date Posted: December 20 2017 at 14:08
Ive been using AKG K99's for a couple of years now, and no complaints they sound great.


Posted By: Jzrk
Date Posted: December 20 2017 at 19:24
I am still n the market for some too.
I am looking for on ear and something smallish to use at the gym and or outside walking. I am not a fan of earbuds.
I did d have a pair of Klipsch that were under $100 and really like them.
The model is discontinued but still on Amazon .
My issue was the design was easy to break.
But the sound was top notch and good bass.
The newer ones are redesigned and closer to $200
I am considering the Marshall headphones as they seem to get good ratings and have also made some changes since the first generation.Anybody here have the new ones?


Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: December 20 2017 at 21:30
I think there are several decent ones at that price and my Shure shr 440 pair are well under $100 and I love them.
https://www.amazon.com/Shure-SRH440-Professional-Studio-Headphones/dp/B002DP1FTU


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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin


Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: December 21 2017 at 02:31
These have been my favorite $100 headphones for a long, long time:
https://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-SON-MDR7506-LIST#FeaturedReview


Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: December 21 2017 at 05:37
Originally posted by Jzrk Jzrk wrote:

I am still n the market for some too.
I am looking for on ear and something smallish to use at the gym and or outside walking. I am not a fan of earbuds.
I did d have a pair of Klipsch that were under $100 and really like them.
The model is discontinued but still on Amazon .
My issue was the design was easy to break.
But the sound was top notch and good bass.
The newer ones are redesigned and closer to $200
I am considering the Marshall headphones as they seem to get good ratings and have also made some changes since the first generation.Anybody here have the new ones?

They're alright I guess but you can do a lot better for a hundred bucks imo. Marshall headphones are made by the Swedish company called Zound. They make a very very popular headphones named Plattan, which basically is the exact same as the Marshall just in colours. Not a particularly renowned company in terms of sound quality. People buy them for their design methinks.

Recs:
Koss Porta Pro (open back)
Akg Y50
Yamaha hph-150 (open back)
Ultrasone hfi-15g (open back and brilliant!)
Beyerdynamic dt240

Bigger but still portable:
Audio Technica ath-m40x
Beyerdynamic dtx-910 (open back)
Koss Dj100
Ultrasone Dj1


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“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams


Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: December 21 2017 at 05:40
Oh and be sure to drop by our designated headphone thread: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=111396
A very cool hangout where we also frequently talk about exotic pets and Dolly Parton

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“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams


Posted By: Davesax1965
Date Posted: December 21 2017 at 08:36
Believe it or not, I'd go for a pair of studio headphones. Flat response, no treble or bass boost. 

That allows you to hear exactly what the producer intended you to hear. 

However. 

Personal preference comes into this and headphone manufacturers bias commercial headphones to produce more bass, midrange or treble. So the simple answer is that your personal preference means it's not possible to actually say "These are the best headphones", full stop. 

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Posted By: AEProgman
Date Posted: December 21 2017 at 08:51
Yes, the last pet discussion was quite informative in the Cans thread... :)

Regarding the thread title, I can vouch for the Audio Technica ATH-M40X, great neutral sounding closed back headphones, that are also easy to drive.  They fold up for portability, but are still a over ear set of cans.  I got them for $99 a few years ago, I believe they are cheaper now.

Some great on ear portable cans are the Sennheiser PX-100ii.  I amazingly got them for $42 in 2016, now they are $70.  They are open back.

Regarding the Koss Porta Pro, I have the little brother clip on style ear phones, Koss KSC75 which I have forgotten about until this thread.  They are sort of ugly as ear clip ons, but are under $20!  I have read where some users have removed the ear clips and put them on the Porta Pro head band and rave about it!  I will try and post a photo of them below but may give up if captcha gives me too much grief.

Related image


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Posted By: Jzrk
Date Posted: December 23 2017 at 22:15
Thanks all for the info seems like it’s never easy to pick one!


Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: December 24 2017 at 00:43

These are pretty wacky for 40$ more. Lol


https://youtu.be/d-JrEX-mB-8" rel="nofollow - https://youtu.be/d-JrEX-mB-8

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Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣


Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: December 24 2017 at 06:18

Wow that was weird. Gotta love that packaging! 'I have no name...'

He doesn't really mention the sound though. Just the ol head bobbing going down.

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“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams


Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: December 24 2017 at 07:17
Hi,
Originally posted by Davesax1965 Davesax1965 wrote:

Believe it or not, I'd go for a pair of studio headphones. Flat response, no treble or bass boost. 
That allows you to hear exactly what the producer intended you to hear. 
...

I sooooooo agree with this. In the old days, the main reason why the music sounded so good on the new FM dials of the late 60's and early 70's (BEFORE it went corporate 5 years later!), was exactly that ... the music was adjusted on the station side, and the split FM signal helped make a lot of the music deeper, heavier and better than it really was.

I have tapes of several shows from as far back as 1974, and some of the music on LP's and CD's STILL does not sound half as good, or as strong ... and a pair of headphones like that, might not have all the shine and the blahandblah, but you will KNOW what you have ... and if something gets done to it later, you already have the "source" and know your OWN music better!

So, in terms of enhancing your experience of listening, that is another story ... but by the time you hear 6 versions of Beethoven's 9th, I think you will find that the headphones are not helping the music in most examples, since each maestro tends to emphasize different elements and details.


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Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com


Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: December 26 2017 at 06:25
Problem with the whole 'neutral' thing is that there aren't that many headphones that are neutral. Even the ones that claim to be professional studio monitors are often boosted.
They're not boosted in the bass region like so many consumer headphones are - no they're boosted in the mids and treble so as everything turns brighter ie it is easier to pick up mistakes in one's mix. Does this translate into pleasure?
Entirely up to your own ears.
I've heard supposedly flat cans that sounded woefully boring and I've heard ones that took my breath away. Both were professional studio monitors.

Another thing is, they're still discussing what exactly flat and/or neutral sounds like in a headphone. It is not the same thing as speakers.

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“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams


Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: December 28 2017 at 06:34
Originally posted by Guldbamsen Guldbamsen wrote:

Problem with the whole 'neutral' thing is that there aren't that many headphones that are neutral. Even the ones that claim to be professional studio monitors are often boosted.
They're not boosted in the bass region like so many consumer headphones are - no they're boosted in the mids and treble so as everything turns brighter ie it is easier to pick up mistakes in one's mix. Does this translate into pleasure?
Entirely up to your own ears.
I've heard supposedly flat cans that sounded woefully boring and I've heard ones that took my breath away. Both were professional studio monitors.

Another thing is, they're still discussing what exactly flat and/or neutral sounds like in a headphone. It is not the same thing as speakers.


Yeah Dave. I agree.

Trouble with achieving that 'neutral thing' is that so many amps and especially DACS really colour the overall sound canvas artificially.
To achieve reasonable neutral sounding headphones you gotta do it from the ground up, but it will never be perfect. You get it close like my current home headphone rig is pretty close but I think no headphone really is entirely neutral, so I'd agree with you on that however you can get it petty dang close. :)

🎃


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Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣


Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: December 28 2017 at 06:38
Originally posted by Guldbamsen Guldbamsen wrote:


Wow that was weird. Gotta love that packaging! 'I have no name...'

He doesn't really mention the sound though. Just the ol head bobbing going down.


Absolute madness. I'd never buy it. Lol

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Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣



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