Best Overall Headphones for Under $275

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by youraveragevinylcollector, Aug 18, 2016.

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  1. youraveragevinylcollector

    youraveragevinylcollector Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hartwell, GA
    Those look rather promising. I like the bass settings, and how they would help during travel, but are they durable enough to withstand being put in and out of bookbags and on trips and rather sturdy?
     
  2. Spsesq

    Spsesq Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    The are very durable. The come with a soft bag whic I have brought on a plane and Berydynamics sells as more substantial case on their website. They also sell accessories like aluminum earphone cap inserts ($18.95/pair) so you can customize the look as well as being able to purchase replacement ear pads, foam head band inserts etc. I am very happy with them and most importantly they sound great.
    Steve
     
  3. Spsesq

    Spsesq Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    By the way, these headphones cover your entire ear and isolate outside sounds. When I use them I cannot hear anyone who walks in and tries to speak to me. Excellent sound isolation and soundstage. Remember they are designed for precise Studio monitor work.
    Steve
     
  4. Diver110

    Diver110 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Camas
    Check out innerfidelity.com. I also lean to the Sennheiser 600 for home, though it is an older design.
     
  5. Diver110

    Diver110 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Camas
    PS But HS made a very good point about the amp. I have the 650's and found them okay without the amp, but you really need the amp, and a pretty powerful one, to really get optimal performance. Newer designs tend to be more efficient. Head-fi is also worth a look.
     
  6. merlperl

    merlperl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Omaha, NE
    I've got some grado sr80i's but I much prefer my Sony mdrv6.

    On the go it's a 25 year old pair of etymotic er4s
     
  7. TheRavenPoe

    TheRavenPoe Forum Resident

    Sennheiser HD 600 I love mine.
     
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  8. husafreak

    husafreak Great F'n music that's difficult to listen to!

    Location:
    NorCal, Bay Area
    I had a pair of HD600's for about 20 years and never liked them... I just thought headphones kind of sucked in general. Headphones are so personal. Try before you buy is all I'm saying.
     
  9. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    Wow, the Shure SRH840 have got nary a mention? I have the 840s, P5's, HD700, and Sony x1000 and whilst I think my favorite is the Sony due to the outstanding ANC, the Shures are built like a tank, very comfy and do a nice job. The P5's are also nice but can be a little tight on my size 8 head.

    The NADs that I have sampled have sounded great and same for Denon's offering.
     
  10. Clay B

    Clay B Forum Resident

    Yours is the first criticism I can recall reading on HD 600s. But you're absolutely right about trying before buying. Your experience being a good reminder that we don't all see/hear things the same.
     
  11. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    Absolutely! There's a reason its called Personal Audio. If they don't feel right on your noggin, you're not gonna be happy.
     
  12. beercanchicken

    beercanchicken Legendary Stickman

    Location:
    Chicago
    What amp do you power 650s with? I currently have a pair and am not sold on them but can tell they need serious power to shine, definitely more than the 600s though they're somehow rated at same efficiency.
     
  13. rodentdog

    rodentdog Senior Member

    I used Senns for years, including HD 580 (kissing cousin of the HD 600). They really need a pretty good amp to shine. That's if you end up liking the Senn "house" sound. Sold mine several years ago and haven't looked back. Now on Team Grado, although I do have Headphile AKG K-340.
     
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  14. husafreak

    husafreak Great F'n music that's difficult to listen to!

    Location:
    NorCal, Bay Area
    I like a meatier "fun" sound in a sub 275 headphone than the HD600. So the HP50's or even better the Meze 99 Classics. Once you get into the high end then the amazing qualities of something like the Ether Flows reveal themselves. I do think the HD6xx's might sound more similar to high end cans than the others I listed in very casual listening. Or with really good equipment driving them. The cans that blew me away when I got them, the ones that made me realize I wasn't an HD600 man, were the Mass Drop Fostex TH-X00's. They aren't in the OP's price range at 400$ but the bass and just how they deliver was very exciting to me. I could not listen to the Senn's after that. But I think a lot of people have reached a certain audio nirvana on a budget with something like a Garage 1217 Sunrise or Bottlehead Crack feeding HD6xx's. A level where they are not tempted to shop for better. I would like to hear that combo sometime.
     
  15. dbsea

    dbsea Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Thanks for all the good advice in this thread. I ended up pulling the trigger on a pair of the NAD HP50s a couple of days ago when the price dipped to $229.00 on Amazon. (It looks like they are back up to $249.00 unfortunately.) They will arrive tomorrow and I'm really excited.
     
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  16. DonnyMe

    DonnyMe Forum Resident

    Location:
    SC
    I'm sure after you spend some time with them you will be very pleased with your selection. I find myself quite satisfied still a few years later. Enjoy!
     
  17. bcaulf

    bcaulf Forum Resident

    Last night, I ordered a pair of DT 770 Pro's (Beyerdynamic). I suppose I could wait until I get them tomorrow, but I'm really curious to hear the opinions of folks on here. I got the 32 Ohm version, as I plan on using them with my phone and laptop.

    I bought these to replace my 3 year old Audio Technica M50x's. I didn't buy these in hopes of getting something miles better than the M50x's. In fact I love the M50x's and I'll always hold them near and dear, as they were my first premium headphones (i.e., not cheap earbuds). I always thought they sounded very good, especially for the price. However, over time I started to realize how uncomfortable they are and they put a huge damper on things. When I got them they felt great, now I find they have too much pressure, a little too firm on the sides of my head, and find I have to adjust them a lot. Sometimes, it makes me not want to listen to music.

    I went with the 770's as they seemed to come up a lot when searching for headphones under $200, and they're closed back (which I need as I listen to music in an office). Of course, since I'm replacing the M50's because of the comfort factor, these seemed great. Supposedly a lot of high marks in the comfort department. I was looking at the HD 598 closed back model, but I haven't heard many good things about them...

    I'm really curious about how these will sound, though. I've read a lot of people saying the treble is harsh, which concerns me a little bit. However, the bass is supposedly incredible. Sounds like the impact of the bass is great, and I'm more of a bass guy, but it's not muddy, still very tight. I did feel like sometimes the bass on the M50's bled into other ranges a little bit. Fine comments on the mids too. A bit recessed apparently, but still very present. Soundstage is supposedly very good.

    Only negative thing I can see right out of the gate is that they don't seem to be very portable, even with the 32 ohm model that comes with a shorter cord. They look big and maybe a bit goofy due to their size. Hoping I don't get too many weird looks in the office...

    Anyway, for those who have these I'd love to hear comments, especially the 32 ohm version.
     
  18. Robert C

    Robert C Forum Resident

    Location:
    London, UK
    They're a studio favourite. Kind of the modern equivalent of the MDR-V6 as they are very rugged and comfortable. Most modern recordings will have been listened to at some point on the DT770 during recording/mixing, which should bode well if you listen to newer stuff.
     
  19. Thomas_A

    Thomas_A Forum Resident

    Location:
    Uppsala, Sweden
    For closed headphones: The DT150 with DT100 ear pads sounds really good to me. Goes deeper than the HD600-650.

    DT150 (250Ω)
     
  20. bcaulf

    bcaulf Forum Resident

    Good to hear! I’m excited to try them. I’ll be honest it’s a very strange thought to me, probably retiring my M50’s that I enjoyed for three years. If only they stayed as comfortable as they were when I first got them. I was considering just buying another pair of these but was afraid of running into the same issue again.
     
    Robert C likes this.
  21. Claude Benshaul

    Claude Benshaul Forum Resident

    For me the ATH-M50x are the headphones I'd rather forget I own. I really can't say anything positive about them, which only further prove that each of us is unique and has different preferences.
     
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  22. bcaulf

    bcaulf Forum Resident

    This is why, for headphones reviews sometimes aren’t helpful. Most people have rated both of these headphones in high regard, and both have also gotten plenty of criticism. It really does come down to personal opinion.

    As I said before I personally thought the M50’s had great sound, but the discomfort I experience has made me no longer want to use them.
     
  23. vs_jk

    vs_jk Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Many years ago I was looking to buy my first serious set of headphones. I did a lot of reading on which ones would be best for me and went to some stores to try some. I remember reading one post where a person said that it's good if you can start with a headphone you won't outgrow anytime soon. With that, I decided on the Sennheiser HD580's. I have heard many headphones since then but haven't felt any need to upgrade from these. They are truly scalable in the sense that as I've upgraded my system over the years, they have scaled right with it and have never felt like the bottleneck. I have no doubt that I would have to spend several multiples to get better. So, my recommendation would be to look at the HD600's which are very similar or the Massdrop HD6xx. That way you get a headphone that you can grow with for a very long time and put your focus on buying better support gear.
     
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  24. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    Sony MDR-V6
     
  25. beercanchicken

    beercanchicken Legendary Stickman

    Location:
    Chicago

    They're good and really comfortable. The treble didn't bother me; I've only listen to the 80 ohm version though.... The 32ohm may have a more "normal" sized cable since they're intended for portable use?
     
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