Buying new headphones, please advise

[killdozzer]

I sold my beloved Grado and am now looking for a new pair.

Budget is 150$. I'm looking for over-ear headphones. I really dislike most of the new features and most of what connects headphones and smartphones.

The reason I'm saying this is to help you help me!

I'm only interested in the sound and driver quality. I don't need to pick up calls, no mic, no gaming, nothing.

I just want them to be capable of truly neutral and faithful reproduction. I always go for neutral equipment, I like it, but I also listen to some EDM so I don't want them to add bass, but when there's bass I want them to confidently play that bass.

If you know of a good noise cancelling model for the money, recommend it, but it’s not a must.

If you know of a good wireless model for the money, again, it’s not a dealbreaker, but I could go for them.

They coud as well be some classic over the ear headphones with a cable and a killer driver inside.



What do you think are the best performing music only headphones for 150$ (and a few bucks over that)?

 

[mazersteven]

Sennheiser HD600

 

[killdozzer]

Sennheiser HD600

Never heard one bad thing about these, but they are almost double my budget.

 

[mazersteven]

Never heard one bad thing about these, but they are almost double my budget.

Worth it.

Sony MDR-7506 less then your budget. Great for Music

Sony MDR-7506 Headphones

Buy Sony MDR-7506 Headphones featuring 40mm Neodymium Drivers, Closed Design, Swiveling Earcups, Single-Sided Cable, Coiled Cable, Soft Case. Review Sony MDR-7506

www.bhphotovideo.com

 

[John Parks]

I do not know how available it may be in your neck of the woods, but my recommendation at your budget would be the Philips Fidelio X2. It is an open back design (home use only) and is discontinued (for the new X3) hence the discounted price (original price was around $350). I have the previous generation X1 and cannot say enough good things about it - they sound wonderful, are well built and extremely comfortable. The X1s have a slightly elevated bass signature (for an open back design) and, from what I have read, the X2 is very similar, just more refined.

A review:

Philips Fidelio X2 review

Brilliant headphones for a brilliant price

www.techradar.com

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I sold my beloved Grado and am now looking for a new pair.

Budget is 150$. I'm looking for over-ear headphones. I really dislike most of the new features and most of what connects headphones and smartphones.

The reason I'm saying this is to help you help me!

I'm only interested in the sound and driver quality. I don't need to pick up calls, no mic, no gaming, nothing.

I just want them to be capable of truly neutral and faithful reproduction. I always go for neutral equipment, I like it, but I also listen to some EDM so I don't want them to add bass, but when there's bass I want them to confidently play that bass.

If you know of a good noise cancelling model for the money, recommend it, but it’s not a must.

If you know of a good wireless model for the money, again, it’s not a dealbreaker, but I could go for them.

They coud as well be some classic over the ear headphones with a cable and a killer driver inside.



What do you think are the best performing music only headphones for 150$ (and a few bucks over that)?

The most important question is Open Back or Closed back. If you're interested in any noise insulation, the likely answer would be closed back. but I'll rather you learn the difference and provide an answer.
If closed-back you want, then Ideal phones for you would be BD's DT 770

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO Review

The Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO are closed-back, over-ear studio headphones handmade in Germany. Thanks to their closed-back design, they're more versatile and have ...

www.rtings.com

DT770 sells in 3 OHM versions. Generally, if you're looking to use these with mobile devices, go with a lower impedance number.

With Sennheiser HD 569 as runner up.

If I were you, I'd buy both and return the one you like less.

 

[killdozzer]

Why would you assume I don't know the difference? You don' like me very much, do you?

Also I think, somehow, there's a part of your answer missing. When I click quote I get something on Beyer (exactly the ones I was looking), but I don't see that part like this.

 

[killdozzer]

Hm! Strange! Now it appeared.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Why would you assume I don't know the difference? You don' like me very much, do you?

I am sorry. Don't feel bad. I don't hold any bad feelings towards you specifically. I am an equal opportunity hater.
Jokes aside, what I am expecting is for you to do your homework, ie: enter in google " Open vs Closed-back headphones"

Amazon link for DT770: https://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-770-PRO-Studio-Headphone/dp/B0016MNAAI?th=1

 

[Trebdp83]

Hater lost its power when Taylor Swift watered it down in that silly pop song. I always go with equal opportunity offender.

 

[killdozzer]

I am sorry. Don't feel bad. I don't hold any bad feelings towards you specifically. I am an equal opportunity hater.
Jokes aside, what I am expecting is for you to do your homework, ie: enter in google " Open vs Closed-back headphones"

Amazon link for DT770: https://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-770-PRO-Studio-Headphone/dp/B0016MNAAI?th=1

What I meant was, why would you assume I don't know the difference? Not only that, I wouldn't stop at Google.

Yes, I'm looking at those Beyers (not through Amazon, not my cup of tea), and I even found some decent discount. Some suggest AKG K371 going by my descritpion of FFR. I'm comparing the two. They come quite close.

Yes, yes. I know. Closed for the most part have bad sound stage (the one that seems to be inside your head) and Open are leaking so they have to overpower the noise etc.

I'll use them exclusively indoors, but I'm still thinking about closed bc my lady can hear my music with the open back.

 

[eljr]

Never heard one bad thing about these, but they are almost double my budget.

triple and not worth it

 

[Trell]

The most important question is Open Back or Closed back. If you're interested in any noise insulation, the likely answer would be closed back. but I'll rather you learn the difference and provide an answer.
If closed-back you want, then Ideal phones for you would be BD's DT 770

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO Review

The Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO are closed-back, over-ear studio headphones handmade in Germany. Thanks to their closed-back design, they're more versatile and have ...

www.rtings.com

DT770 sells in 3 OHM versions. Generally, if you're looking to use these with mobile devices, go with a lower impedance number.

With Sennheiser HD 569 as runner up.

If I were you, I'd buy both and return the one you like less.

I've the DT 880 Edition 250 Ohm (there are 32, 250 and 600 Ohm variations) that I bought some years ago for myself and my wife, and they are very comfortable with a very nice sound. They are half-open (open, really), so anyone near you will hear them, including any microphone.

The professional videographer/photographer Curtis Judd often uses the DT 880 Pro (harder head clamp, curled coil) in his YouTube videos:

https://www.youtube.com/c/curtisjudd/videos

 

[killdozzer]

Here are one for 140$

beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro 32 Ohm

Studio Headphones Closed-back, Circumaural, Dynamic, Diffuse field equalization, Impedance: 32 Ohm, SPL: 96 dB, Frequency range: 5 - 35 000 Hz, 1.6 m Straight cable with 3.5 mm plug connector, single sided, Screw-on adapter to 6.3 mm stereo jack,...

www.thomann.de

For the same price I can have those AKG K371 which allegedly follow the Harman curve the closest. Otherwise they perform very close to one another.

 

[killdozzer]

No one here mentions AKG701 anymore. They dropped in price here big time. They are less than 50% of what they used to be.

 

[davidscott]

No one here mentions AKG701 anymore. They dropped in price here big time. They are less than 50% of what they used to be.

Never heard the AKG 701s but the 240s that I own sound pretty good at under $100. I still prefer the sound of my Grado 60s.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

No one here mentions AKG701 anymore. They dropped in price here big time. They are less than 50% of what they used to be.

I own k712pro and hd600, and senns are winner hands down. I’d suggest vs going with akg

 

[mazersteven]

No one here mentions AKG701 anymore. They dropped in price here big time. They are less than 50% of what they used to be.

Maybe it's because they are no longer made in Austria but now made in China

 

[killdozzer]

Once again, thank you.

Black Friday is making it extra difficult. Each day an interesting offer popps up. I just found a shop in Germany offering 50% off this Denon wireless:

Denon AH-GC25W

Denon AH-GC25W Premium-Wireless Kopfhörer. Der kabellose Denon Kopfhörer AH-GC25W zeichnet sich durch aptX HD-Bluetooth sowie…

www.sg-akustik.de

Maybe it's because they are no longer made in Austria but now made in China

And it shows. I found many users complaining about a wire detaching. There's even a self made tutorial how to fix it. My brother bought a pair before we knew this and had the same problem.

Perhaps I shouldn't risk it and just go with Beyer 770... I'm slowly leaning that way.

 

[tyhjaarpa]

Once again, thank you.

Black Friday is making it extra difficult. Each day an interesting offer popps up. I just found a shop in Germany offering 50% off this Denon wireless:

Denon AH-GC25W

Denon AH-GC25W Premium-Wireless Kopfhörer. Der kabellose Denon Kopfhörer AH-GC25W zeichnet sich durch aptX HD-Bluetooth sowie…

www.sg-akustik.de

And it shows. I found many users complaining about a wire detaching. There's even a self made tutorial how to fix it. My brother bought a pair before we knew this and had the same problem.

Perhaps I shouldn't risk it and just go with Beyer 770... I'm slowly leaning that way.

Cheaper Denon models have quality issues and the headband breaks easily. I would look for Beyerdynamics DT770 if you want closed or Sennheiser HD569/599 if you want open back.