Headphones for $100

My experience with the Sony 7506 (bought from Guitar Center) is petty much the same as the reviewer's:

The best way I can describe them is that they are technical and analytical. They can bit a bit cold at times, which is perfect if you’re looking for an honest reference headphone. They do well as pure listening devices, but the main focus with these should be in studio.

I found them to be fatiguing, especially late in the evening hours when my ears were tired. They are excellent for analytical listening, but not especially pleasing if you require a little color. They are good for the money though.

To the OP:
If I were you, I'd double the budget. This is one of those situations where spending twice as much will get you double the quality and performance. There so many good headphones at the $180 to $200 that will sound much better than most anything in the $100 range. From the $200 point on up, I believe is where the law of diminishing returns kicks in. You'll need to start investing in DACs and dedicated headphone amps to take advantage of any real sonic improvements from there. My opinion of course. I'd consider the NAD HP50 as a blind buy. They're pretty neutral without sounding harsh, and ruggedly built. New on Amazon for $179, used ones are closer to your original budget.

 

Well, I'm glad that it wasn't just me, but the fact that you had two pair that did the same thing points to some quality control and/or design issues. As good as they sounded I won't be considering Grado for my next pair.

 

The parts for Grado cans are inexpensive. I'd rather have cans that sound good than are just built good.

 

Another vote for something from the Senn 5xx line-if you can find 558's go for it, but the 579's are a great value on Amazon right now. I also own the Philips SHP9500-they're insanely comfortable, but the pads are made of some kind of weird cloth that many people dislike (I'm ok with it). They would be very good with acoustic music. These are all open phones so take that into consideration. Amongst closed backs I would go with the Audio Technica ATH-M40x-a better value than the M50x's, but the earpads might be slightly too small for comfort (they were for me).

 

Thank you all for the input. I have a lot of reading to do.

 

How would you compare the 579's to the 598 cream colored version?

 

Grado has excellent customer service. I have a pair of SR-60s that I have had for a long time. They offer repairs for a very fair price as well.

 

I have a pair of 80's that are over ten years old and they have never had an issue. I haven't heard everything but I can't imagine a better sound under $100.

 

I have used Grados for over 25 years and never had this problem. I would have sent them in for repair and the cost probably would not have been much. They may have even done it for free. The service and products at Grado are hard to beat especially for the price.

 

Yeah, this was a long time ago. Really before the days of the interwebs being a fact of life, so it wasn't as easy to get information like you would today. That being said, the current design is exactly the same as it was 25 years ago, so I'd still consider something else at that price point. "May have done it for free" isn't enough to get me to spend my money on them again considering there are better made alternatives that probably sound just as nice for the money.

 

I already own a few open headphones, but found myself needing a pair of affordable closed headphones.

After all the usual web searches & hand wringing, I settled on the ATH-M40X.
Wow! What a nice set of phones, and nicely priced too! Most of my phones sound best on one amp or another, but the ATH-M40X's sound really nice on all of my head amps and even surprisingly pleasant on my iPhone 8 with the Apple dongle!

I don't know if the ATH-M40X would meet your needs as well, but I am really happy to have found this set of sealed phones for my needs.

 

I picked up a pair of Sennheiser 598's for around $120 if I remember correctly. If your budget is in this range, I think these will do nicely. Nothing spectacular, just good neutral sound and you don't have to spend a few hundred on a good headphone amp. ala the HD600's.

 

Is there a difference between the cream colored 598's and the new versions in terms of sound at all?

 

Noontec Zoro HD might be worth a look. Great on-ear choice. I bought them a few years ago when they were around $100, but they should be less than that now. I use my pair more often than the M50x these days (the Zoros have better midrange and are more comfortable IMO).

 

Don't think so. Just which color you prefer. I went with Black but it matches my system better.

 

The Sony V6 and 7506 have a sonic signature and style that makes them very good for monitoring, which is what they were designed for. Unfortunately those same sonic traits cause them to not be very suitable for music listening enjoyment and audiophile listening.

The V6 and 7506 have a flat frequency response that makes them well suited to hearing EQ changes and frequency issues while monitoring. They have a treble sonic characteristic that accentuates things like ticks and pops and sibilance and wind noise picked up by the microphone and other similar things. That makes them very well suited for monitoring because you're going to be able to hear if there are problems with the audio and be able to correct them. Very good headphones for monitoring in the studio and in the field. Very good headphones for cleaning up pops and ticks in needledrops.

Unfortunately, they're not so good for pleasurable music listening and audiophile music listening. For pleasurable audiophile listening you want the response to tilt slightly downward (see info about the Harman target response). The Sony V6 and 7506 stay flat, or even tilt slightly upwards. That makes them sound bright compared to what I consider neutral sound on headphones. This isn't an issue when using them to monitor, but is an issue for pleasurable music listening.

The sonic characteristics that make things like pops, ticks, sibilance, hiss, and wind noise more audible is due to an effect I consider faux-detail. The headphone is exaggerating something in the sound that ends up making those sounds more audible in a fake way. You'll be able to easily hear the pops and ticks and sibilance, but it won't be presented in a natural way. The sound has been altered in a way that makes those things more audible in an unnatural way. Maybe it's due to a weird behavior of the transient response, or something else. In any event, it is presented in an unnatural way. That isn't desirable for music listening. Very helpful for monitoring. Not desirable for music listening. Compare the Sony headphones to headphones that do true detail and micro-detail without any hype and you'll hear the difference. The headphones that do true detail and micro-detail will be more enjoyable to listen to. But the pops, ticks, and sibilance won't be as hyped and easy to hear.

The worst part about the V6 and 7506 for audiophile listening is that the headphones are very poor at imaging. The headphones are unable to image properly outside the head even with binaural recordings or even with 3D audio processing for games or virtual reality. Listen to high-end gear that has a spacious and deep soundstage and the V6 or 7506 won't let you hear that spacious and deep soundstage. The headphones simply cannot image well at all. Apple earbuds image better. For monitoring this isn't an issue. Most monitoring is done in mono. Imaging isn't important for monitoring. But for audiophile listening the imaging is everything. Imaging and the sense of space and place is what separates high-fi from mid-fi or separates the men from the boys. And unfortunately for the Sony headphones, the V6 and 7506 have been some of the worst "good" headphones I've ever heard for imaging. On technical measures they are very good headphones. For monitoring needs they are very good headphones. But for audiophile listening and pleasurable music listening they are the worst "good" headphones I can think of. I'll recommend the V6 and 7506 for monitoring. I will never recommend them for music listening.

 

I second the recommendation about a Sen 5XX for listening at home.

I don't recommend the ATH-M50x at all and IMHO their V curve makes them completely unsuitable for jazz. I think that the ATH-M40x would be slightly better f you must but an ATH.

 

Great review. I need headphones for monitoring, and the V6 is what I am going to get.

 

Make sure to get a real one. There are convincing fake counterfeits of both the V6 and 7506 out there. Buy from a reputable store that sells Sony. Don't buy from eBay and don't buy used.

 

Yes, I am aware of this. Good advice.

 

Has anyone else used this pair before? I bought myself a second pair a few minutes ago because I really love the sound. There's a cheap one on eBay right now. For almost a quarter of the original MSRP, it's a bargain.
Noontec ZORO HD Fashion Hi-Fi Corded Headphones (Black) MF3120 [90-6] | eBay

 

+1 on both comments. I've had HD-595s for years and enjoy them quite a bit with acoustic music. They are a bit bass-light, but a touch of EQ can take care of that. I really didn't care for the ATH-M50s either, sound or comfort. Sold them awhile back, for closed I now have the HD-569 which work well when I need a little isolation. They're good with acoustic music as well but may be a bit more than $100.

 

I keep losing ebay bids. LOL I wish I could compare the 597 and 598's/ But no one has them locally. Any input?

 

Best cheap headphones I ever owned;

Monoprice Premium Hi-Fi DJ Style Over-the-Ear Pro Headphones with Mic - Monoprice.com

Waaay better than they should be.

Monoprice 8323 headphones- Wow!

How good can $21.59 headphones be?

 

Grado SR60, where good headphones start.