Best inexpensive general everyday headphone reccomendations

Hi all, I'm trying to figure out a good solution for a good pair of phones to walk around in with my rockboxed Sansa Clip+. Currently I have the Sennheiser HD518 and HD380pros for at home, but have absolutely nothing for on the go, jogging, doing the dishes etc. The 380's are great but they clamp too hard, aren't portable at all and probably need an amp to better match my Clip.

I'd like something at least close to the range and general flat quality of the 380s but have no idea what that would apply to. Budget is also a major concern, so I've been wondering about some of the old standbys like the Sony MDR-V6 or a pair of m50's. I can't do earbuds at all.

 

The Sony V-6 is perfect with my Nano and Shuffle. Plenty loud, plenty of bass without being overbearing about it, smooth clear highs, not too much pressure on the head. I use them at work, they last longer on my ears than the other earbuds and headphones I used with my I-pods.

 

Does the "earbuds" exclusion also apply to earplug style phones?

 

M50's for sure. Very well built great sound. I got a pair on ebay listed as refurbished for $99, they shipped M50X that were in factory box. Same as M50 but with removable cable. Love these things. Easily driven by iPhone, etc.

 

I loved my koss porta pros...

 

My Bose AE2's might fit the bill for you (now called "SoundTrue" around-ear headphones). They're light, extremely comfy and sound really nice other than being a bit midrange prominent. If I could only keep one of my four pairs of headphones, it would probably be my AE2's because they are so versatile. My Sennheiser HD580's sound better and are even more comfortable but they are too big and clunky for portable use. My Sennheiser HD380 Pro's are too big and bulky; and my old AKG K270S's just lose out all the way around -too heavy, too hot and too floppy. But the AE2's are kind of like the utility infielder of the bunch. They can do everything well.

 

M50s are only for bassheads, if you want a flat sound look at Beyer - esp the DT1350
which for me is still the best on ear portable, if you can stretch try the T70p

The Vmoda XS is also a litttle gem and not overly bassy like the rest of their range.

 

Just a couple of days ago I bought the Audio Technica M50x Professional - got the one in the middle just cause they look a little different - I had them on for about 3-4 hours and I was pleased by the sound and comfort level and pretty excellent for the price.



But I don't think they would be a good jogging headphone - they are pretty big being an over the ear headphone - they do fold up though which is good - but not really a sportswear headphone IMO.

For working out or running you might want to check out the AKG K430 for about $45. And then have the nicer closed back headphones like the AT 50 or Sennheisers for non sporting mobility. I have HD600s and I was surprised how much I like the Audio Technica.

I have read comments about the bass - but it depends on your take - I find most headphones to be bass lite so having some bass is not a bad thing and it doesn't smudge the midrange or treble (which would be an issue). I have to listen more to wider range of music - and I don't know what they sound like yet on my phone or iPod. But the main thing is to find a headphone that is comfortable - it really is first, second, and third consideration. Most headphones from the big makers sound quite good. For instance I was planning to buy the Momentum but for me they were so terribly uncomfortable (as was Bowers and Wilkins) that it doesn't matter what they sound like I was hurting within 2 minutes. And I can't do earbud headphones at all.

The new Denon headphones are said to be extremely comfortable and they look it so maybe give some of them a try

 

Not sure about shipping to the USA but for budget headphones the Superlux Evo HD-681's are amazing once run-in for a week or so, especially if you fit the spare velour earpads. The Euro currency is weak and these are a real bargain. I bought the first pair for my son-in-law in Los Angeles and a pair for myself. Then my brother-in-law and also my local indie Record Shop owner heard mine & immediately bought some too. We are all very impressed

Black: http://www.thomann.de/gb/superlux_hd_681_evo_bk.htm
White: http://www.thomann.de/gb/superlux_hd_681_evo_wh.htm (note: the white ones make you look a bit 'Princess Leia')

Thomann Germany seem a really impressive and professional supplier - personal emails with updates at every stage, fast shipping and delivery on all four sets. In fact the ones for my son-in-law were delivered to the UK 3 days after the order was placed, the 'slowest' took 7 days

I also use Sennheiser HD 540 Linear II's and HD650's and the Superlux 'phones more than hold their own, considering how ridiculously cheap they are. There are also a lot of positive reviews on the web

 

I just bought a pair of Shure SE-215 for $99 and really like them as they are in IEM, the style of the touring vocalists. Once you get used to installing them and finding the right size tips to use, they are great. I use them more than I thought with my portable Tascam DR-2d 2496 recorders. I also have AKG 701s and a couple of pairs orf Sony 7506's from my recording gear. Bought mine from Sweetwater.com and Ben Porter.

I also have some Koss Porta-Pros which I like as well.

 

Are the 681's overly bright?

 

I think you really need earbuds or IEM for jogging. I like the Klipsch S4i or S6i. These with foam Comply tips stay put and sound great.

 

I use Etymotic Research ER-4 for mowing the lawn and air travel. In ear monitor with many options for tips. I use the square ended foam tips.

 

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Nothing like a great, budget set of cans nearly anyone can own.

 

I had started this similar thread a few months ago:

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/nice-headphones-not-earbuds-for-a-sanza-clip-zip.389134/

.. and ended up buying the Koss Sportapros:

http://www.amazon.com/Koss-155475-SportaPro-Stereo-Headphones/dp/B00001P505/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414389553&sr=8-1&keywords=sportapro koss&tag=viglink20252-20

They're ok and I'm glad that I bought them, but you can't expect too much for 25-dollar headphones. I'd buy them again, though.

 

I too have used my ER-4s for years for all around use. only real issue I might have with them for jogging is the extreme isolation. I think being isolated from the environment while running or biking, or sometimes even walking is a bit crazy. We've all seen folks do stupid things while oblivious to their surroundings. I think some on ear clip ons would be in order, but haven't listened to any in years to cite which I would recommend.

 

The original 681's have a reputation for being bright but the Evo version is pretty well balanced and Superlux have addressed this issue - especially if you fit the velour pads that are supplied in the packaging as alternatives. They really do sound good

 

Not too big, sounding pretty good in my picky opinion, and under $7!:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004T8R2
The Panasonic RP-HT21 was good for jogging, though I changed to earbuds because due to physics, nothing without a seal in or around your ear can really get the bass right.

 

Koss Porta-Pro if you can't do IEM.

 

The Grado 60...

 

Thanks for the input guys. I guess I should clarify a bit: I'm not really looking for jogging phones but certainly something more mobile than my 380s. They clamp rather tightly and have a bit of booming low end bass without an amp, but otherwise I'd like to find something with a similar sound so I don't feel like I'm missing out on too much when on the go.

 

Any thoughts on how these would be for airplane use? I rarely use headphones except for the gym, for which inexpensive in ear phones are fine.

I've sampled the Bose noise canceling cans and share others' observations of how well the technology works, but I only take 2-3 round trips a year, so I'm having trouble justifying the $300 price tag.

Sound wise, I prefer a flat but true sound. My reference track is Rocket Man, specifically the portion at the start of the chorus where the acoustic guitar starts in the background.

With that in mind, any recommendations in the $80-$200 price range are welcome.

 

Having used Grado 60/80's a lot when I was a freelance recording engineer—if you want to move about at all, the way they seat on the ear can be a problem, as moving the cans about a bit will change the sound. Another feature of the Sony V-6, walking around will not change their sound quality.

 

It was John Marks of Stereophile who recommended them to me - he uses them in the studio. They're over the ear so they should cancel a fair chunk of noise but they are not noise cancelling. I fly homein mid July so I will know then how they fair on the plane.

 

Believe it or not I was on a plane after having them for only 3 days. I found that they block out some outside noise very well but planes are SO loud that they're not gonna make the flight silent. Sound will seep in, but iirc it wasn't a whole lot. I could still hear the music well without the plane noise being distracting. This was a while ago, but I'm taking a trip on Wednesday so if I remember I can report back my thoughts about how they fare on planes

In general use I love them. They're pretty flat and accurate sounding but I believe they have a touch of extra bass. This gives them good balance, though, imo.