Best headphones $75 or under?

Nope. It's not me. Anyone who knows anything about the changes in manufacturing of consumer items in the past 50 years knows that products are not built to last like the used to be. Many parts that used to be made of metal have been replaced with plastic. And even the types of plastic have changed. The cheaper plastics are less durable.

Every set of headphones that have failed on me have failed because of plastic parts that cracked at a stress point, or had cable failure (which is a result of overly thin-wires or not enough strain relief or just cheap insulating material. The Grado cables usually fail here, because there is no strain relief:






These are someone else's, but I've had two pair fail exactly the same way:




You might wonder why Grado doesn't just add strain relief, since it would cost them almost nothing, and would add years to the life of their cheaper headphones. The answer is they make a good amount of money by replacing the cable if you send the headphones back to them. Unfortunately, they just replace the crappy cable with the same crappy cable.

 

What are people doing with these Grados that causes this? No problems here after 4 years with my SR325is.

 

I've heard nothing but raves about the PortaPros for years. May go ahead and order a set.

I would bet you can find thicker replacement ear cushions for the MDR-V6. There are many companies making after-market replacements.

 

Using them

the cable on the SR325 is also prone to breakage. I think it may be the same crappy cable as on the lower-end models.

Broken "y" joint on Grado sr-325 cable. What are my options?
Grado SR 325i - Need Cable Repair (Again)

 

from this same forum:

"The 'Y' split is a common spot for the Grado cable to fail."
My Grado headphones died on me, which headphone should replace them?


and again:

Help! Grado SR60 cable is coming apart. The black insulating cable is coming loose from the "Y" connector; the wires are showing and it's only a matter of time until they snap.
Help! Grado SR60 cable is coming apart

 

I've heard good things about those and other Monoprice headphones. They definitely seem to punch above their weight, at least in terms of sound quality. The plastic construction probably means they won't last a long time if used as heavily as i use my headphones...but the price is really low....

They swivel at the stress point, right? That might help them last longer.

 

I can see this happening if the ear cups get twisted around often, since they're able to rotate 360°. I have one of their extension cables that has a small break in the conduit near the strain-relief. I haven't had any issues otherwise but I use them only a couple hours a week or less.

ZReviews raved about the Koss KPH30i, only $30

 

I’ve had the same Grado cable problem. It’s a weak spot and ends up looking pinched at first.

 

That rod might be metal, but what it slides through is plastic and that's exactly what failed on mine (SR60's).

 

That's precisely the problem. 360 degree swivelling and no strain relief.

 

oh wow. thanks for the info. sorry about your SR60s.

were you able to repair?

 

Looks like the charger for my apple phone. Oh what crap those are!

But seriously, I haven't had this happen to my Grados. The build quality, for the price especially, is quite nice.

 

The sound quality is quite nice for the price. The build quality is ****.

 

I'm a big fan of the Koss KSC75's. Fantastic sound for about $17.

These KPH30i's look interesting...this is from a review:
"The KPH30i actually feels more solidly constructed and upscale than the more expensive Porta Pro, and the KPH30i's thicker cable and plastic barrel plug certainly feel durable. The Porta Pro is more transparent and clear, so in that sense it's a more audiophile-oriented sound. The KPH30i is less so, with a more prominent mid bass and fatter midrange. It's a sweet and non-fatiguing sound, very easy on the ears."
Koss’ all-new $30 KPH30i headphone is a real winner


and another review:
Koss KPH30i Review: Lush Audiophile Sound for Only 30 Bucks!

"When comparing them to the Grado SR60i which cost more than double the Koss headphones when I bought them, the 30i’s held their own. While the Grado clearly beat them when it came to overall resolution and detail, the Koss’ superior dynamics and drive just made them more fun to listen to on the song I just mentioned.

Comparing them to Koss’ own KSC75, the sound was actually very similar. The older KSC 75 has a clearer midrange, but they can’t compete with the KPH30i’s deeper bass and openness. I prefer both the 75 and Grados for vocals. But for instrumental tracks, the 30i’s do a better job of drawing you in."

 

I didn't. This was quite a long time ago. Pre internet age (mid to late 90's) back when everything wasn't just a click away. I probably just junked them.

I don't have first hand experience, but a buddy of mine has a pair of Philips SHP9500's that he really likes and have been pretty well rated by others.

https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9...&qid=1566243244&s=gateway&tag=onsitertings-20

 

yes, thanks for reminding me about those. They get outstanding reviews. The construction looks pretty robust...especially if that silver part is metal. If it's plastic, not so much.

 

peskypesky wrote the following as part of a post:

Just purchased another pair as a backup. The only difference between my current PortaPros and the pair I just ordered is that the newer pair is called "Porta Pro Black" and it seems the only difference is that, with the exception of the silver parts in the original headphones, everything on the new headphones is black. Considering how unchanged the PortaPros have been for decades (the only previous changes I was aware of were [1] the addition of an in-line remote version, and [2] a Bluetooth version), it was a surprise.

When I mentioned them in another thread (mentioning that they had an impedance of 60 ohm, much higher than many more recent headphones, but they still worked fine with modern audio players), a poster mentioned that they are very efficient and that it's because they are from a time when portable audio players used batteries. Due to this, power consumption was an issue.

 

That's an interesting point about their relatively high impedance (by current standards). Totally makes sense.

 

I really like these. At less than $70, they are a bargain.

https://www.amazon.com/AKG-Professi...g+headphones&qid=1566243803&s=gateway&sr=8-13

 

the headphones I'm currently wearing are knock-offs. Very possible made in the same factory.

https://www.amazon.com/Samson-SR850...=B002LBSEQS&psc=1&refRID=H2MSC6K7Q3C5KTPNJT2E




They sound quite good. Very well balance in terms of frequencies. They are lightweight and pretty comfortable, but they do clamp a bit hard.

The sound is not quite as crisp and clear as my Grado SR80's, but I might try modding them a bit.

 

the superlux headphones, which are also knock-offs of AKG's have been getting rave reviews for years. this is one i've been considering:
https://www.amazon.com/Superlux-681...=gateway&sprefix=superlux+head,aps,164&sr=8-4\

but it might be pretty much the same as the Samsons I'm wearing.

 

I hear you, and understand. Try delving into the world of aftermarket car parts for a real eye opener in "less quality."

Still, my Grado headphones are 20 years old, or there abouts. They get used very frequently, at least 3-5 times per week. They get put on and off about 30 times per week.
The only issue I have had in that time was the ear foam dried out and began to come apart. I replaced those two items last winter.
My wife and teen age kid also use these same headphones when they desire.

By the way, I originally had the open cup style ear foam surrounds and went with the full foam cover because the full foam cover is much more comfortable than the open style foam covers...a lot more comfortable.

 

AMEN! You beat me to it.

 

In addition to the Sony phones you initially reference, and the Grado 80e referenced above, I own a black set of these Senns for sale right here in the SHF Classifieds. They sound excellent also.

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/sennheiser-hd-598-ivory-brown-headphones.867900/

 

Big Superlux fan here.
I have the HD661's (closed design) and I love these.
Recently have added the HD668B's which have a open design. Again...brilliant for the money.
I have replaced the pads on both with aftermarket velour pads,which makes them more comfortable. The HD661's are the more comfy of the two.
I have had expensive Beyer and Sennhieser's in the past and I feel the Superlux match them.