Piggybacking on the best headphone album. I’m wondering what the best budget headphones are? Grado, sennheiser etc. What are the best headphones vintage or new to buy? Wireless , wired ?
Depending on your source (ie if it's laptop or phone streaming high res) you may also want a decent DAC. I'm sure there are much better sounding more expensive solutions but I've been using this combination for a while with a laptop and it sounds good: Headphones - Amazon.co.uk (Were £95 when I got them in sale) DAC - Amazon.co.uk and same headphones with this DAC and my phone Amazon.co.uk
I suppose it depends on your definition of “budget”. I loved my AKG K451’s (wired), and they were £50. My Soundcore Q35’s (wireless) sounded a lot more expensive than the £64 I paid for ‘em (£80 normally) - as do my everyday Cambridge Melomania 1+ buds (wireless). £50 from £130. My current favourites are my Sony WH1000XM4’s (wireless). I paid £240 for them (which is a lot for me, but probably a drop in the ocean for those with £20k music systems. They were a works leaving present to myself. I was the only one left at the end and I bloody deserved them).
Audio-Technica ATH - M50x about $150. Or Beyerdynamic DT 880 $219. The Beyer's are very comfy and can be worn all day.
Soo many to choose from! I’ve had quite a few and settled on these primary ones (Obviously can go very expensive and they’ll be amazing but these sound really great for fairly modest $ output). • Grado HF-1’s (basically a kicked up 225 model) are my all around favorites. •Beyerdynamic 880’s (600 ohm) are great and comfy but need an amp really to run them well (I use a Woo Audio WA 6SE tube amp). •Koss PortaPros for portable/phone play
These are my favorite wired headphones...I've bought a few pairs over the years, and use these when I'm listening to music or editing music. CB-1 by Status I like their Core ANC wireless, but not as much as the BT One which they've discontinued. I have an extra BT packed away for when my current pair dies. I use them daily on my commute, and I use the Core ANC at home to watch TV.
Bose "QuietComfort 35" (QC35), two pairs, upstairs-downstairs and I chose them because they fill my needs.
I have both nowadays and second the reccomendations There was a period of time where the m50x was so namechecked that it got some backlash due to being overhyped, but I think for the price range they do a great job at what they do and I still use them for tracking/mixing on my laptop as well as just for casual listening
I quite like mine as well. Maybe not for critical "need a flat response curve" listening , but they sound really good for pleasure listening to me.
I love my Sony MDR V6 over ear phones. They’re wired of course but not too bulky. I’ve had them for many years and I believe they can still be found and are not too pricey. Sony has a similar model but most reviewers prefer the V6s. I paid under $100 for mine. I just replace the pads every so often and they’re good as new.
I love the Grado SR60x Prestige and feel they are the best bang for the buck. Around 100$. They are very comfortable and sound great. They are NOT noise canceling and if you listen to your music loud people near you will hear(not good for an office). They are wired.
Might want to post over in Audio Hardware - there are also a number of threads about headphone opinions, I landed on a pair based on those threads.
Agree! They sound pleasant with any genre / style. However, the headband covering and earpads deteriorated after only a couple of years. Additionally, the cable began to get very stiff a couple inches past the plug that connects into the headphones. I’m a fairly disgustingly greasy dude and my sebum was causing chemical reactions with the points that were contacting my body. I peeled off the outer layer of the headband to reveal the foam cushioning beneath and then placed a zippered cover over it. Then I replaced the cable with a new one. Lastly, I replaced the on-ear earpads with over-ear ones. Doing so changed the sound for the better by placing slightly more distance between the drivers and my ears thus reducing bass by a few db. Headband cover: Amazon.com Over-ear earpads: Amazon.com Replacement cable: Amazon.com
I also have the Sony WH1000XM's. Think I paid around $250 for them a few years ago. Love 'em, although I don't use headphones as much as I should/could. This thread is a nice reminder to bust them out again soon! Can be used blue tooth or plugged in. Sound is great!
Mark Levinson 5909 until I bought Dali iO-12. Haven'g gone the wired route yet because of issues concerning white noise with the Chord Mojo 2 DAC.
Five favourite headphones - all wired: Sennheiser HD800S Hifiman Arya Stealth Meze Audio 109 Pro Ultrasone Edition 11 Beyerdynamic Amiron Home
They are indeed great, although I’ve never actually tried ‘em wired. I wouldn’t describe them as strictly “accurate” - Sony’s so-called flat EQ setting sounds a little V-shaped to me, although the overall effect is so smooth, revealing and just so damn enjoyable that I really couldn’t care less. It’s all in the listening!
To the OP, your question has resulted in a list. All of the above work when you plug them in or switch them on. None of them are downright bad (to my knowledge). You're thinking of buying a car? OK, try Audi A4, Mercedes E220, VW Tiguan, etc... But they all travel and they all carry folks, so I'm not sure that a list of brands and models really helps. The main headphone manufacturers and their ranges are easily looked up and each has its fans. Headphones, like speakers, have different voices. Some might prefer the neutrality of many Senns, others might prefer the more upfront sound of many Grados. That's a personal thing. Each of us has different head shape. Each of us has different listening environments. They're personal things too. One good thing about the world we're in, even though hi-fi shops have reduced in number, is that it's still easy to demo headphones since many kinds of shops sell them. My answer is have an afternoon out at a shop that stocks some of the brands in the thread and trial them for yourself . Enjoy
