Best Headphone That Is Below 300$ for Music ?

[OmidelF]

Hi Everyone



I Want a Great Headphone That is Below 300$
[Only For Listening To Music !]

I Listen To Genre Like Rap/Hiphop , House and Sometimes rock !






And Do I Need An amp/dac for it ? If the answer is Yes , plz tell me which Amp/Dac is best for that Headphone that u choose

[ I have a Onboard Soundcard ]

 

[twiggy0]

I use Denon AH-D1100 headphone's, they are very comfortable and I would compare them closely to beats by Dr. dre, though the bass is not as pronounced, they are much more affordable, and the overall quality is very good. They cost around $200.

You can look up the specifications and reviews on amazon. (average 4.5 stars) Amazon price is $200

http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AH-D110...TXRQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329463776&sr=8-1


Also, the cheapest I could find them online was on eBay for $130

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Denon-AH-D1...ltDomain_0&hash=item4cfe2e1471#ht_3022wt_1384

Hope this helps!

 

[OmidelF]

I use Denon AH-D1100 headphone's, they are very comfortable and I would compare them closely to beats by Dr. dre, though the bass is not as pronounced, they are much more affordable, and the overall quality is very good. They cost around $200.

You can look up the specifications and reviews on amazon. (average 4.5 stars) Amazon price is $200

http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AH-D110...TXRQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329463776&sr=8-1


Also, the cheapest I could find them online was on eBay for $130

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Denon-AH-D1...ltDomain_0&hash=item4cfe2e1471#ht_3022wt_1384

Hope this helps!

Tnx for reply but im sure there is a better headphone that this which is below 300$

 

[Consultant]

Where would you listen to music?

In house? Out of house?

 

[twiggy0]

Tnx for reply but im sure there is a better headphone that this which is below 300$

Well I guess for $299 you could probably find a better one, like I said beats are better, but they're certainly not at the price range of the Denon I own.

I found some bose that are $299, the reviews are outstanding, maybe you'd be interested in these.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0054JJ0QW

 

[OmidelF]

Where would you listen to music?

In house? Out of house?

Both ! but mostly in house

----------

Well I guess for $299 you could probably find a better one, like I said beats are better, but they're certainly not at the price range of the Denon I own.

I found some bose that are $299, the reviews are outstanding, maybe you'd be interested in these.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0054JJ0QW

I never heard of it before ! but do you try this before ?
and do you think its the best headphone that is under the 300 ?!?!

 

[Eddy Munn]

http://amzn.to/7KA9iN
Shop around and you can find cheaper.

 

[OmidelF]

http://amzn.to/7KA9iN
Shop around and you can find cheaper.

does the Denon D2000 Need an amp/dac for using with laptop and Home Pc ?



because Everyone who buy this headphone says that if someone use an onboard audio , an amp/dac would strongly recommended

 

[toxic]

I wouldnt bother spending $300 on headphones if I'm just going to use onboard audio.

skip to tier A or the summary: http://www.head-fi.org/t/433318/sho...pq2-and-philips-oneill-sho9560-added-01-02-12

 

[iBram]

I've been a DJ, producer and some sort of audiophile for quite some years. fellow DJ's, producers and myself always fall back to the professional Sennheiser line.

Each and every time we need or advise a headphone: Sennheiser HD-25-1 II (1.5 meter cable) or the Sennheiser HD-25-C II (3 meter cable)

Original selling price: 299.95, now available for ±200.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD...ZOXG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329471843&sr=8-1

Why we fall back to these headphones:
- They're really light (easy to cary with you and on your head)
- You can replace individual parts (cable, speaker, etc...)
- They're really strong
- They've got fantastic passive noise canceling which is always better then fancy active noise canceling with only a little passive noise canceling. So you can listen to your headphones without hearing people around you and without them hearing you
- They're rated at 70ohm so they can be used on normal devices (there's also a more expensive 600ohm version for headphone amps)
- They sound amazing in the low, mids and highs without doing the "Look it says Dr. Dre so we put way to much bass in these cans" idea. They give a really pure and crystal clear rendition of your recording. Want more bass? simply download/rip a higher quality version of your track. These headphones really let you hear the difference between 128kbps - 192kbps, but also between 192kbps and 256kbps and between 256kbps and 1411 AIFF or lossless codecs.

Basically these are the headphones you go for if your serious about sound but do not own (or plan on owning) an additional headphones amplifier.

P.S. The 600ohm versions are widely regarded as the best headphones for field recordings ranging from recording music performances to audio for television/movies.

P.P.S I've been the proud owner of a HD-25 for 6 years and would never, ever buy anything else.

P.P.P.S Never buy rubbish from brands like Monster (Dr. Dre) or Bose.
With monster you pay an enormous amount for the Dr. Dre badge with the so called Dr. Dre technology which is basically a wrongly equalized product.
Bose uses philips parts (A great company from my country. While it makes great products, audio is no longer their no.1 priority) which are okay and then lets you pay an enormous amount for active noise canceling which is useless in almost all situations (and never works properly in the right situations) and then adds another premium for the Bose badge.

 

[OmidelF]

I've been a DJ, producer and some sort of audiophile for quite some years. fellow DJ's, producers and myself always fall back to the professional Sennheiser line.

Each and every time we need or advise a headphone: Sennheiser HD-25-1 II (1.5 meter cable) or the Sennheiser HD-25-C II (3 meter cable)

Original selling price: 299.95, now available for ±200.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD...ZOXG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329471843&sr=8-1

Why we fall back to these headphones:
- They're really light (easy to cary with you and on your head)
- You can replace individual parts (cable, speaker, etc...)
- They're really strong
- They've got fantastic passive noise canceling which is always better then fancy active noise canceling with only a little passive noise canceling. So you can listen to your headphones without hearing people around you and without them hearing you
- They're rated at 70ohm so they can be used on normal devices (there's also a more expensive 600ohm version for headphone amps)
- They sound amazing in the low, mids and highs without doing the "Look it says Dr. Dre so we put way to much bass in these cans" idea. They give a really pure and crystal clear rendition of your recording. Want more bass? simply download/rip a higher quality version of your track. These headphones really let you hear the difference between 128kbps - 192kbps, but also between 192kbps and 256kbps and between 256kbps and 1411 AIFF or lossless codecs.

Basically these are the headphones you go for if your serious about sound but do not own (or plan on owning) an additional headphones amplifier.

P.S. The 600ohm versions are widely regarded as the best headphones for field recordings ranging from recording music performances to audio for television/movies.

P.P.S I've been the proud owner of a HD-25 for 6 years and would never, ever buy anything else.

P.P.P.S Never buy rubbish from brands like Monster (Dr. Dre) or Bose.
With monster you pay an enormous amount for the Dr. Dre badge with the so called Dr. Dre technology which is basically a wrongly equalized product.
Bose uses philips parts (A great company from my country. While it makes great products, audio is no longer their no.1 priority) which are okay and then lets you pay an enormous amount for active noise canceling which is useless in almost all situations (and never works properly in the right situations) and then adds another premium for the Bose badge.

Tnx for the suggest but i think there should be a better headphones than this that are below 300$


Like AKG k701 ANd Q701 ? how about these ?

 

[iBram]

Tnx for the suggest but i think there should be a better headphones than this that are below 300$


Like AKG k701 ANd Q701 ? how about these ?

The fact that it is cheaper than $300 doesn't mean that it isn't good.

I've worked at apple and currently work at the oldest Apple reseller in the Netherlands, so I've seen quite a lot of headphones including the top AKG models, bose, B&W, Monster (Dr. Dre), sennheiser etc...

- AKG is awesome but the more expensive models such as the k701 (which I bought for my father) do not fare well on a simple device. The k701 needs a strong headphone amplification to function correctly. I ended up getting a mid-range Sennheiser for his daily needs because the k701 did not work correctly on iPhone, Mac Pro and television.

- I've only found one sub 300 product that comes close to the HD-25 quality: the B&W P-5 @ €299 (don't know the dollar price). I bought that one for my girlfriend because I find it to have a warmer sound which is great for classical music, which she tends to listen to a lot (she's a classical musician). The build quality of the P5 is really great and so are the materials and the build quality. I do find it quite heavy and the isolation isn't as good as the HD-25, it also has a warm sound which is great for her but not for me as I prefer uncolored reproduction.

So when I think of the quality of the product and the quality of the sound even those cans, which in my opinion are the only ones that come close, aren't worth getting over the HD-25 in most cases. Especially if you have to buy it at retail price, which makes it way more expensive than the HD-25.

P.S. about the AKG: I love AKGs but I find them way to big and heavy for everyday usage and again: top line AKG requires a very decent amplifier and It'll sound like **** on devices like an iPhone or any on-board audio due to the lack of signal power.

P.P.S. The best way to choose headphones is to listen. Simply make a list of the mentioned headphones, go to a store and listen on one of the devices that you are going to use.

 

[iBram]

skip to tier A or the summary: http://www.head-fi.org/t/433318/sho...pq2-and-philips-oneill-sho9560-added-01-02-12

The above link also has a very positive review on the HD-25

(A3) Sennheiser HD25-1 II: – The HD25-1 has been my favorite (trans)portable headphone for quite a few months. I spend a few nights a week away from my home rig and the HD25 works wonders with my iBasso D10 and netbook. Hi-fi on the go has never been so rugged and simple. Best of all is their sonic versatility – though my backup portables, the AKG K181Dj, excel with certain genres and recordings, the Sennheisers perform more than adequately with anything I can throw at them.



Build Quality (10/10): When it comes to build quality, Sennheiser’s flagship portables can do no wrong. The structure of the HD25 is painfully elementary. They are neither flat-folding nor collapsible, with very simple rotating joints and removable metal hardware. The rough black plastic is resistant to cracks and scratches. A thick and sturdy steel cable, terminated in a beefy L-plug, completes the picture. The headphones are also very light and not likely to get damaged from falls. Lastly, every single part of the headphones is user-replaceable. From the detachable cabling to the headband padding to the cups and joints, the HD25 can be disassembled completely in just a few minutes.

Comfort (8/10): The HD25 is surprisingly light compared to headphones such as the AKG K181 and M-Audio Q40. The adjustable dual headband exerts very little pressure – the majority of the force is applied by the supraaural coupling. Though clamping force is fairly strong in the HD25, the structure does a great job of distributing it over the entire surface of the pads. The cups have a good range of motion despite lacking any joints whatsoever and conform very well to the shape of one’s head. Vinyl pads come installed on stock HD25s but some versions include the optional velour pads as well. Even if that isn’t the case, at $7+shipping the velour pads are a worthy investment, providing a comfort improvement at the expense of a tiny bit of isolation. Overall comfort falls just behind the likes of the impossibly light Senn PX100s and the circumaural CAL!.

Isolation (9.5/10): Though portable headphones can never isolate as well as the IEMs, the HD25 can compete with certain shallow-insertion in-ears. While the vinyl pads isolate just a bit more than the velour ones, the tradeoff is unlikely to be worth it for most users. Even with the velour pads the isolation crown of the HD25-1 can be usurped only the hard-clamping AKGs and only if you’re lucky enough to get the AKGs to seal properly.

Sound (9/10): Upon first hearing the HD25-1 I was absolutely convinced that I would be giving them a 10/10 in sound quality. Having owned them for a while, however, I can’t help but notice that for $200 headphones they are just slightly lacking here and there. But the fact that I am still using them as my primary portables is certainly telling of the fact that they are a competitive product. They are well-balanced with a slight reduction in midrange emphasis, have good clarity and detail, and are quite transparent when it comes to sources. The bass is tight and accurate. It’s hard-hitting in character and more punchy than powerful as opposed to something like the K181Dj or M-Audio Q40. It has impressive extension, though it won’t keep up with the M-Audios down to the lowest reaches. It is also well-textured and does not bleed into the midrange. For a portable headphone the quantity of bass is just right – a bit more than what one would expect from an analytical headphone but far from AKG K81/K181 quantity.

The mids are neutral, clear, and detailed. Articulation is very good and sounds are well-separated. However, the HD25 is lacking noticeably in both soundstage width and depth, at least when compared to most full-size headphones. Most of the other closed portables I own don’t exactly shine in soundstaging either but I can’t help but be disappointed that the smaller and cheaper PX200-II has a more spacious sound. Sheer size aside, soundstage positioning is fairly precise and instrumental separation is excellent on all but the densest tracks. Towards the upper midrange the HD25-1 struggles to stay smooth and as a result is very unforgiving of sibilant tracks. The high end is quite present and reasonably extended but comes off a bit edgy and clinical at times. The overall sound, though, is quite pleasant and works particularly well for genres not dependent on soundstage size for the full experience. All of my quibbles aside, the HD25 is as good for use on the go as any portable headphone I have heard.

Value (8.5/10). (MSRP: $299.95; Street Price: $199) By far the most expensive headphone of the bunch, both in street price and MSRP, the HD25-1 is on another level in terms of balance and detail compared to all of the other featured portables. Compared, however, to full-size cans in the price range, as it sometimes is, the HD25 can come off as dull and rather compressed-sounding because of the narrow stage. The hard treble can also be a bit fatiguing for home use. But of course such comparisons are unfair precisely because I am not comfortable wearing my full-size cans outside while using the HD25 comes naturally. It is this versatility that makes the Sennheisers well-worth the $200 price tag and one of the easiest portable headphones to recommend.

Manufacturer Specs:
Frequency Response:16-22,000 Hz
Impedance:70 Ω
Sensitivity:120 dB/1V
Cord:5ft (1.5m), single-sided; Angled Plug
Space-Saving Mechanism:N/A

 

[OmidelF]

The fact that it is cheaper than $300 doesn't mean that it isn't good.

I've worked at apple and currently work at the oldest Apple reseller in the Netherlands, so I've seen quite a lot of headphones including the top AKG models, bose, B&W, Monster (Dr. Dre), sennheiser etc...

- AKG is awesome but the more expensive models such as the k701 (which I bought for my father) do not fare well on a simple device. The k701 needs a strong headphone amplification to function correctly. I ended up getting a mid-range Sennheiser for his daily needs because the k701 did not work correctly on iPhone, Mac Pro and television.

- I've only found one sub 300 product that comes close to the HD-25 quality: the B&W P-5 @ €299 (don't know the dollar price). I bought that one for my girlfriend because I find it to have a warmer sound which is great for classical music, which she tends to listen to a lot (she's a classical musician). The build quality of the P5 is really great and so are the materials and the build quality. I do find it quite heavy and the isolation isn't as good as the HD-25, it also has a warm sound which is great for her but not for me as I prefer uncolored reproduction.

So when I think of the quality of the product and the quality of the sound even those cans, which in my opinion are the only ones that come close, aren't worth getting over the HD-25 in most cases. Especially if you have to buy it at retail price, which makes it way more expensive than the HD-25.

P.S. about the AKG: I love AKGs but I find them way to big and heavy for everyday usage and again: top line AKG requires a very decent amplifier and It'll sound like **** on devices like an iPhone or any on-board audio due to the lack of signal power.

P.P.S. The best way to choose headphones is to listen. Simply make a list of the mentioned headphones, go to a store and listen on one of the devices that you are going to use.

So If I Buy a Akg k701 With an amp/dac like E7 , It will Become a great headphone ? better than denon D2000 ?

----------

The above link also has a very positive review on the HD-25

So You are saying That Sennheiser HD25 Are better than Denon D2000 ?

 

[D.T.]

I prefer open designs (full ear), and my current favorites are Audio Technica AD700s. They very available for under $110, MSRP at $250 or so.

Beautiful sound stage, clean, tight punchy bass but a little “light” if you’re looking for something with more “boomy” or “fuller” type bass.

They also work great without an amp which is kind of plus for portability. They physical design is a little funky which might turn some people off, but they’re extremely comfortable too (especially for folks with bigger noggins like me )

Also, open designs by nature allow sound in/out more than closed designs, so depending on your environment, you may want a closed config.

These replaced an older set of Senns, that I may still try to repair

I listen to alt, rock, some R&B and folk/folk-rock, lots of acoustic stuff. Might not be the best match, but figured I’d toss them out there, might even be helpful for someone else reading this thread.

 

[OmidelF]

I prefer open designs (full ear), and my current favorites are Audio Technica AD700s. They very available for under $110, MSRP at $250 or so.

Beautiful sound stage, clean, tight punchy bass but a little “light” if you’re looking for something with more “boomy” or “fuller” type bass.

They also work great without an amp which is kind of plus for portability. They physical design is a little funky which might turn some people off, but they’re extremely comfortable too (especially for folks with bigger noggins like me )

Also, open designs by nature allow sound in/out more than closed designs, so depending on your environment, you may want a closed config.

These replaced an older set of Senns, that I may still try to repair

I listen to alt, rock, some R&B and folk/folk-rock, lots of acoustic stuff. Might not be the best match, but figured I’d toss them out there, might even be helpful for someone else reading this thread.

You are saying that AD700s Is better than Denon D2000 ?!

 

[iBram]

So If I Buy a Akg k701 With an amp/dac like E7 , It will Become a great headphone ? better than denon D2000 ?

----------




So You are saying That Sennheiser HD25 Are better than Denon D2000 ?

I think this is a really weird comparison:

The Denon D2000 costs $329.95 which isn't sub 300 and requires a DAC of at least another $250 making this a total of $579.95. This combination will only work on your computer with the DAC making it useless for iPod, iPhone, iPad, TV, etc.. So no mobility and only audio from one single source. Secondly these headphones are way larger and heavier than the HD-25. Third: A DAC with high-end headphones is only useful if you have all of your music in lossless quality. The potential extra quality compared to the HD-25 will be diminished with lower quality recordings.

The HD-25 on the other hand can be used on all your equipment without a DAC and will come very close to the D2000 in real-life quality (a few mp3's, aac's, some lossless, some uncompressed, some surround)

Concerning the listening pleasure during longer sessions: The D2000 is off-ear which is great for longer sessions, provided you do not have glasses. The D2000 is also quite heavy so you'll start feeling the weight of the headphones after some time. The HD-25 is on-ear which might irritate you during 4 hour + sessions but is the only viable solution for very good isolation, people with glasses, etc. It's also a lot lighter making it easier to have on your head for multiple hours.

So it's on-ear vs off-ear and light vs heavy.

If I would have $600 to spend on audio and have to choose between a DAC with D2000 (or Byerdynamics for that matter) and the HD-25. I would still choose the HD-25 and keep some money in the bank for more interesting investments... maybe buy some music?

 

[basesloaded190]

http://www.earphonesolutions.com/we3newtrdrea.html

Fantastic headphones. Look online for a coupon and you get 15% off i thin which would bring these down to the $300 level.

Of course these are in-ear and not over the ear like many have suggested.

 

[OmidelF]

I think this is a really weird comparison:

The Denon D2000 costs $329.95 which isn't sub 300 and requires a DAC of at least another $250 making this a total of $579.95. This combination will only work on your computer with the DAC making it useless for iPod, iPhone, iPad, TV, etc.. So no mobility and only audio from one single source. Secondly these headphones are way larger and heavier than the HD-25. Third: A DAC with high-end headphones is only useful if you have all of your music in lossless quality. The potential extra quality compared to the HD-25 will be diminished with lower quality recordings.

The HD-25 on the other hand can be used on all your equipment without a DAC and will come very close to the D2000 in real-life quality (a few mp3's, aac's, some lossless, some uncompressed, some surround)

Concerning the listening pleasure during longer sessions: The D2000 is off-ear which is great for longer sessions, provided you do not have glasses. The D2000 is also quite heavy so you'll start feeling the weight of the headphones after some time. The HD-25 is on-ear which might irritate you during 4 hour + sessions but is the only viable solution for very good isolation, people with glasses, etc. It's also a lot lighter making it easier to have on your head for multiple hours.

So it's on-ear vs off-ear and light vs heavy.

If I would have $600 to spend on audio and have to choose between a DAC with D2000 (or Byerdynamics for that matter) and the HD-25. I would still choose the HD-25 and keep some money in the bank for more interesting investments... maybe buy some music?

Denon D2000 Is 299$ on Ebay ! and The E7 [ Which Is Amp And Dac ] Cost 80$
Total 380$ !

 

[iBram]

Denon D2000 Is 299$ on Ebay ! and The E7 [ Which Is Amp And Dac ] Cost 80$
Total 380$ !

Hmmm it's more expensive in europe. Imo I find it weird to buy expensive headphones and then try to save money on the DAC.

And still: 380$ is almost 400$ and certainly not under 300$.

 

[msugarpants]

JVC xtreme xplosives

dude, i know you will think i am crazy, so just read amazon reviews. But, the JVC xtreme xplosives in ear headphones are amazing. Great highs and lows. (5-23,000). They are only 30$ but blow away most headphones according to the reviews. i just got these and couldnt be happier. I was debating between these and the AKG, and decided to save money. I will get those 110$ AKG's next, as they are an open, over the ear design.

most of what i listen to are apple lossless and 320/256 mp3's on an ipod. naturally, the ALAC sound best. Next i will be getting one of those tiny portable amps that run between 30-70 bucks.

I have the SRS surround module, and it works really well with regular headphones when listening to mp3s but totally destroy any lossless audio with the JVC's. just in case anyone ever looked into them.... I have no use for it anymore. check out the JVC's. (i listen to all genres. hip hop, acoustic, punk, country, pop, rock, classical).

 

[ghellquist]

Different kind of headphones for different usage

First,
there are currently at least three different types of headphones you could look at.

1) Open back
These do not isolate from outside sound. They generally has more true sound stage and this kind is which I use when mixing and mastering classical music recordings at home. Most used by me is Sennheiser HD650. These definitely requires a headphone amplifier as they will not work well on a normal sound card. I use either a Benchmark DAC1 or a RME Babyface.

This category is what you would use in a quite indoor setting when really listening to music.

2) Closed back
These has sound isolation. They also, in general, has a more boxed sound and does not really work for the very detailed listening when mastering recordings in my experience. Some of these can run decently well on a normal sound card output, especially the 30 to 70 ohm versions. The 600 ohm versions generally does not work.
I tend to use a lot of different headphones of this category, my current favourite is probably the Sony 7506, not sure it is made today. They are not totally flat but has a bit of added discant and added bass that seems to work for my work on location as it pinpoints flaws in the sound. Normal people find them flattering to well recorded music as they tend to highlight a lot of details. A possible second, and sometimes first, is the Sennheiser HD25-1 (note that the hd25 sp is a lower quality version). One really good thing about this level of quality stuff is that spare parts are and will be available for a long time.

3) In-ears.
Today most singers on a stage uses in-ears for feedback and of course the things we get with an mp3-player sort of comes in the same category. There are quite a few variations on the theme and quite a lof of variation in price. I tend to use simple stuff hear, wants to go for the Shure SE535 but has not quite gone there yet. Best effect is if you custom mold the in ear part, they will then give a very good sound isolation, tends to be a bit expensive though.

So a few pointers there. For normal standard usage in-doors and out-doors without going too deep into things -- a second the choice of 70 ohm Sennheiser HD25-1 II.

Gunnar

 

[imported91]

You are saying that AD700s Is better than Denon D2000 ?!

Honestly, based on the information you have provided, it does not sound like you would even notice the difference between a pair of headphones that cost $80 to those that cost $300. But if you cannot be dissuaded, I really love my B&W P-5s. As another commenter stated, the natural and warm sound that these things give off are a pleasure to listen to. Plus, they have a very solid build quality to them and aesthetically, they are very pleasing to look at. Just my two cents.

 

[geoffreak]

Sennheiser 555 $169

Great sound for the price. Very light and comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. I have very much enjoyed mine thus far.

 

[Waffl3s]

Hi Everyone



I Want a Great Headphone That is Below 300$
[Only For Listening To Music !]

I Listen To Genre Like Rap/Hiphop , House and Sometimes rock !






And Do I Need An amp/dac for it ? If the answer is Yes , plz tell me which Amp/Dac is best for that Headphone that u choose

[ I have a Onboard Soundcard ]

I got the Sony MDR-XB500 Extra Bass with my MBP. They suction to your ears but that could be due to me not having a small head. I like them besides that, the bass is pretty nice.

If I had money, I would go for the Grado Prestige Series SR225i.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006GCCN6