Best headphones under $150 (£100)

[Arras]

That's still a better option than listening to MP3s. While a pair of cheap headphones won't make a huge difference it's benough to hear how much better a FLAC lossless rip is to an MP3.

Edit: I've got a Seinheiser (HD201) that I bought from Amazon UK for £12 back in 2014, they're the same model as I had from 2008+. I like 'em that much!

Eh? My headphones (also HD201) are clearly much better quality than the shitty earbuds I was using before (then again, I suppose that's the difference between cheap tier and garbage tier), but I've never been able to hear the difference between FLAC and (320) MP3.

 

[sarkwalvein]

I tried a local store but all they had were like £200 sennheisers or the dreaded beats. Ive read some good things about the duni's, I don't really have a preference for open of closed backs but i'll mostly use them to and fro work

Don't use open cans if you are going to be in public transport or so, they leak a lot of sound and you will annoy the fuck out of the other passengers.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-MM-400-X-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B007JG54DG
I have these and they are great. Bluetooth with aptX support for using with your phone, and wired for everything else.
They have balanced sound, not overly bassy like what seems to be popular today (Beats etc.) which in my opinion just ruins the music. They sound about as good using Bluetooth as long as you have an aptX enabled phone (Samsung/HTC devices and probably some others) and I really like the freedom to move around without having a wire dangling down going into my pocket. I can even leave my phone in any room and walk around my entire apartment while listening to music without the signal dropping, the range is pretty good.

They are on-ear but they are quite comfortable once adjusted for your head. They fold flat so they are quite compact too. It doesn't isolate against noise a lot which to me is a good thing because I don't like being completely unaware of my surroundings when I listen to music, they isolate a little though, and they don't leak too much sound.

These are the best (most expensive too!) headphones I have ever owned, I couldn't be happier
They are quite solidly built so I don't see them breaking any time soon, and with a replaceable battery (the replacements are cheap) and a removable 3.5mm-2.5mm cable (since it's wireless after all) that can be easily replaced, I can easily see these lasting me a lifetime. Definitely worth the money I spent on them (I got them at full retail, Amazon has them a LOT cheaper)

I recommend reading this review: http://www.whathifi.com/sennheiser/mm-400-x/review


You could also go the cheap route, and get PortaPros.

Those were what I used on the go previously, they sound very good for the price but they have a lot of flaws. The wires are not soldered to the monitors very well, they can easily come loose if it gets caught on something. And I had a serious problem with the monitors coming loose at the hinge, I popped them back in every time but the problem got so bad over the course of a couple months of occasional use that they would come off just from putting on and taking off the headphones normally, even if I was gentle and barely even touched the monitors until the headphones were securely on my head.

They leak sound like a mofo, seriously it sounds like a loudspeaker to everyone near you when you're listening to music with the volume turned up. You could literally use this thing as a loudspeaker if you wanted to.

The other flaws are just little things like how it looks, and how loose they sit on the head unless you use the slider to adjust the "firmness", but every time you take them off the slider will reset to its original position because the pressure from your head is the only thing keeping the slider in its place.

That said, they do sound very good for the price which is important. I was happy with them for years until I got them replaced (for free, KOSS has a lifetime warranty) because the cable was getting bad contact on one side. Ever since I got the new pair which were slightly different I have had problems with the monitors coming off at the hinges, it seems like they made some changes to make them easier to take apart for repair as they didn't seem to be removable at all on the previous pair.
That kind of ruined them for me because they would constantly come apart in my bag, in my pocket, or often just by touching them, and the L and R aren't marked on the monitors themselves, so I had no idea which one was left or right whenever both came off at the same time.
Maybe they've since revised the design to fix this, who knows.

 

[WiiCube_2013]

Eh? My headphones (also HD201) are clearly much better quality than the shitty earbuds I was using before (then again, I suppose that's the difference between cheap tier and garbage tier), but I've never been able to hear the difference between FLAC and (320) MP3.

FLAC rips usually have a clean cripsy bass which is lost within MP3 rips. Of course it's not noticeable to everyone so it's debatable also.

I also use SRS Audio Sandbox but it's just an audio enhancment, though it can make quite a difference for certain users.

 

[sarkwalvein]

Eh? My headphones (also HD201) are clearly much better quality than the shitty earbuds I was using before (then again, I suppose that's the difference between cheap tier and garbage tier), but I've never been able to hear the difference between FLAC and (320) MP3.

You need very good ears and a source of audio that kills MP3 particularly bad.
I can't listen to the difference normally, and that is using equipment and headphones that are not cheap.
Anyway my listening is not that good.

 

[Par39]

If you are not in a rush and want to adorable like a kitty cat, AxentWear promises to be high quality, but since it's not out yet, not sure.

 

[sarkwalvein]

If you are not in a rush and want to adorable like a kitty cat, AxentWear promises to be high quality, but since it's not out yet, not sure.

Sure they are kind of cute, but I don't know if I would go to my workplace and back with those.

 

[Hells Malice]

Unless your an audiophile or plan on playing Vinyls or FLAC rips you don't need to spend no more than 30$ on your headphones

Spoken like someone who has never heard good audio quality in their entire life.

I pity you slightly.

 

[Xenon Hacks]

Spoken like someone who has never heard good audio quality in their entire life.

I pity you slightly.

My comment is based on the assumption hes going to play his music through a shitty iPod or android device. Paying for expensive headphones without something to play high quality audio through is pointless, its like taking the engine from a 1999 mazda slapping into a porsche and telling everyone you have a porsche.

 

[vincentx77]

I'm sorry, but most of you guys are just plain full of crap. You don't need an to use an expensive amp or to limit yourself just to flac files to enjoy the difference that a higher quality pair of headphones makes. Even with big, over-the-ear gear, unless your buying 600 ohm variants that specifically need more power, most of them sound perfectly fine with an iPod/iPhone or android (most of which, incidentally, are capable of playing back 24-bit audio files). That's what most of them are made to be paired with now. Headphones with good sound stages and instrument separation can actually negate the effects of mp3 and aac compression to an extent. There was a test not too long ago that was posted on youtube of audiophiles at a university in Australia (I think) each using their own gear (pretty much all headphones in excess of $1000), and only one did better than chance at identifying 128k AAC from flac.

There are plenty of people who aren't into playing a lot of money for headphones, and if you're one of those, that's cool. But stop saying it's because you don't have the $10 million worth of audiophile equipment you need to go with it. That's just absurd.

 

[sarkwalvein]

I'm sorry, but most of you guys are just plain full of crap. You don't need an to use an expensive amp or to limit yourself just to flac files to enjoy the difference that a higher quality pair of headphones makes. Even with big, over-the-ear gear, unless your buying 600 ohm variants that specifically need more power, most of them sound perfectly fine with an iPod/iPhone or android (most of which, incidentally, are capable of playing back 24-bit audio files). That's what most of them are made to be paired with now. Headphones with good sound stages and instrument separation can actually negate the effects of mp3 and aac compression to an extent. There was a test not too long ago that was posted on youtube of audiophiles at a university in Australia (I think) each using their own gear (pretty much all headphones in excess of $1000), and only one did better than chance at identifying 128k AAC from flac.

There are plenty of people who aren't into playing a lot of money for headphones, and if you're one of those, that's cool. But stop saying it's because you don't have the $10 million worth of audiophile equipment you need to go with it. That's just absurd.

That post is a little harsh, but wording aside I completely agree. The quality of headphones makes the difference even with an inexpensive music player.
That said, a device with a good output amp also makes a difference (eg. PONO, bash it all you like as expensive as it is for a "portable" device, but its amp is awesome), but your money is better invested in good headphones first.

 

[Joe88]

I just use the ones that came with the zune and they sound just fine

 

[vincentx77]

That post is a little harsh, but wording aside I completely agree. The quality of headphones makes the difference even with an inexpensive music player.

You're totally right. I was in a mood when I posted that, and I came across as a bit of a douche. For that, I do apologize.

 

[GhostLatte]

You can buy a fake pair of Beats from those Nigerian guys who counterfeit them.

 

[sarkwalvein]

You can buy a fake pair of Beats from those Nigerian guys who counterfeit them.

And they would probably sound as "good" as an original pair of Beats. (sarcasm implied, Beats are awful)

 

[GhostLatte]

And they would probably sound as "good" as an original pair of Beats. (sarcasm implied, Beats are awful)

Bose headphones are better.

 

[Zerousen]

ATH M50-X is ~160 USD or so on Amazon. V-Moda headphones are a more fashionable option if you're into that, the LP series can all be found for under 150 USD, and the M-80's are the smaller version and are under 100 USD. I have all three of the headphones mentioned, and I enjoy them all, however, I would not consider myself an audiophile, as I don't have extensive knowledge or experience with a wide variety of higher end headphones, and I typically just go by reviews on audiophile forums or YouTube reviewers.

 

[sarkwalvein]

Bose headphones are better.

Yes they are, and the Bose QC25 may not have the best sound quality possible, but its noise cancelling is probably the one with the best sound in the market.
Also they are small, foldable and comfortable... Probably the best option to go if you have the money.
If you go around in noisy environments, like public transport, airplanes or a noisy office... they are a godsend.
Weak point: they are expensive as fuck.

 

[GhostLatte]

Yes they are, and the Bose QC25 may not have the best sound quality possible, but their noise cancelling is probably the one with the best sound in the market.
Also they are small, foldable and comfortable... Probably the best option to go if you have the money.
If you go around in noisy environments, like public transport, airplanes or a noise office... they are a godsend.
Weak point: they are expensive as fuck.

Yes. That's true.

 

[WiiCube_2013]

You can buy a fake pair of Beats from those Nigerian guys who counterfeit them.

Buy Beats logo stickers and they're identical.

It's ridiculous that there's people who actually spent (or still are) for these overpriced headphones over the likes of Sony, Seinheiser and other quality brands. No wonder Apple picked up Beats.. totally fit together as one.