Recommend a pair of headphones for me

The Dr Dre headphones are, from what I've heard and read, passable but overpriced. Don't buy products from Monster, Whiney.

anyone here from the uk ever redeemed their koss lifetime warranty, and if so do they recall which retailer did it for them? (the left can has gone in my portapros.) one of those listed is quoting me £10 "handling fee", one hasn't replied to email, and the other one is giving me the runaround wrt getting a order reference # before i can send anything. >:[

heres the list: http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/dist?openform&United%20Kingdom

http://www.ballerstatus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/2009-09-07-gaga1.jpg

^^ secretly what whiney wants

I have been happily using Koss Portapros for gym/home listening for a few years and using the guarantee a couple of times a year to get a new pair when they inevitably crap out but now I'm looking at spending a little more (but not that much more, I'm a broke grad student) to get something sturdier, particularly as I do some amateurish sound recording for my films and need a better pair of monitor cans. So, any up to date suggestions in the $50-$75 range that would be a noticeable improvement on the (quite decent) portapros?

I also need something excellent-sounding and portable and under $50. Can anyone weigh in on:

Sony MDR-EX56LP
Maximo iMetal iM-590
Denon AH-C360

Or should I spring for something else? They're for riding the train/walking around with my Zune.

r/t/c I had my pps serviced by hama PVAC ltd back in sept. 06

don't know if they still do it; the contact e-mail I have for them is jlunn at hama dot co dot uk

Been using my Alessandro M1s as my primary listening, uh, thing, for months now here in Argentina. They sound great (part of this can be chalked up to re-listening to stuff like Talk Talk on headphones instead of speakers and being amazed, but still) and are comfortable as hell... I frequently fall asleep with them on.

I was surprised how big they actually are when I picked up a pair

I bought some Grado SR60's two years ago, in large part because of the praise they received from posters, especially sick mouthy, but I'm thinking of getting something else soon.

Ideally the next pair should be under $100, able to fit inside my laptop bag without my constant fear of them breaking, and preferably canned -- or at least not as open as the Grado's, which tends to put what I'm listening to on a sort of display for people nearby.

Ideas? Recommendations?

I prefer open designs, but the Denon AH-D1001s I picked up last year have held up well. They're light and comfy, though not collapsable. Very little sound leakage. I'm not sure if you can get a pair for less than $100 yet.

I'll look into them. Thanks.

Any recommendations for good-sounding headphones with replaceable parts? It's always the lead that breaks.

Do such things exist?

I think sennheiser hd25s are studio quality headphones with fully replaceable parts

Think all $100+ Sennheisers and possibly some of the cheaper ones have replaceable leads (with varying definitions of "replaceable" - my HD590s have a lead which just plugs in on the outside of the left headphone, but my new 595s require the plastic casing to be taken apart and things to be unscrewed - haven't had to do that yet so I'm hoping it's less complicated than the diagram looks).

The 590s were pretty expensive but after a succession of $30 headphones where the lead broke within a year or two (and in some cases only a few months) they paid for themselves. The leads tend to be a proprietary fitting and cost $20, but I guess I got 4 years out of each lead so far.

It's on the move headphones that I'm most interested in, I guess having them not ruined in my bag is the biggest hurdle.

Bose Quite Comfort 15s have a replaceable leads--they sound good and are super comfy.

(also nice case to protect them in a bag)

Is there such thing as an affordable pair with easily replaceable parts?

Need to replace my lost HD25-Is. List is Sennheiser HD25-IIs, B&W P5 and Beyer Dynamic T50p . Look for good sound but more importantly isolation. Did my first overnight flight without my HD25s last week and it was hell without my cocoon of solitude.

Damn, I think I lost my AKGs.

My Grado SR60's are starting to lose connectivity in their right ear and the warranty has passed. Can anyone recommend some under $20 headphones to pix up at Best Buy or whatever until I can afford to either get these fixed or get something more expensive and good online?

if you have a soldering iron Grados are very easy to fix, sounds like the lead might be coming off at the right driver Cunga. Ed have you considered IEMs? I think you probably can't go wrong with another pair of HD25's.

I had some etymotics for a while and although I liked the sound but I found them uncomfortable. IEMs aren't really for me I think.

Thanks for the advice, dyao. This happened before to them last year and I just sent it back for repair free of charge.

I'd recommend calling Grado's customer service. They repaired the left channel on my SR-60s for $15 (including shipping) even though the SR-60s had been out of warranty for years.

In fact, I've found Grado's customer service to be some of the most accommodating I've ever dealt with. It seems like they take pride in their product.

http://gilmore2.chem.northwestern.edu/projects/showfile.php?file=grado_prj.htm

advice for how to open up the cups

if the break is in the wire itself however it may be more complicated.

are grados still made in the US?

I was looking for good cheapo headphones and I found a link to Avlex HD668B Enhanced Bass Headphones (the write up is here) and for $40 you get semi-open phones with pretty great sound quality and a range from 10 to 30,000 Hz.

What's the best set of canalphones I can pick up for around/under $30 that can withstand a beating? These Sennheiser CX300's didn't even last a year (though I stored them wrapped around my Zune in my bag...)

@docfunk: Oh, good. My Dr. Dre headphones are malfunctioning. That was my worst buy of 2009 even before this. #TheySuckEvenWhenTheyWork

are grados still made in the US?

pretty sure they're still made in Brooklyn

@Stevie D: Here's some good cheap canalphones - Creative Creative Labs EP 630 (site recommended + good reviews on amazon + under $30)

I got the HD668Bs in the mail and they're doing me good.. the sound is excellent

just broke my 3rd pair of sony md-180's. done with them. and then i tried out my high-school age sister's JBL "Roxy" headphones (in neon green and pink) and was blown the fuck away. Bass is a little much but I couldn't believe that impulsive tweens all over the nation weren't even realizing the level of quality sound they were getting to listen to tay swift with.

Anyone ever send back portapros for warranty repair? original packaging,no receipt,never registered.

Yeah, I've done it two or three times, it's never been a problem. They send them back within like 2 weeks.

yeah. they're THE BEST, they will reinstill your faith in corporations. a couple of times they sent me a new pair. i am okay with this as my enthusiasm has probably made a bunch of other people buy some = good business model

Anyone tried those extremely cool looking TMA-1 hp's by AIAIAI?

http://www.itechnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Aiaiai-TMA-1-Headphones.jpg

those are cool looking

portapros are like $30 on amazon right now vs $200 for tma-1s. hard to beat that.

those tma-1s are waaaaaay too expensive. $100 sounds about right, form factor excepted.

I got the impression they're gunning for the Sennheiser HD-25 market.

I think they sell for 200? The TMAs actually look way better in the, err, flesh - that matte black finish is quite something. I fear tho that sound quality was an afterthought

I've just dropped 90 quid on a pair of Gradio SR80s - awesome, just awesome.

i agree, but i got my sennheisers for $120 and i think they're better than the tma-1s.

$200 seems awfully steep, cool looking or no.

personally think design-wise aiaiai did a better job w/ these

http://www.turntablelab.com/images/content/1/0/100735.jpg

mh otm, if you're thinking about the tma-1's why not just go w/ the original

http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/public/product_images/altimage/06%2007%202006sennheiser_hd-25.jpg

Pulled out my cheap-o Skullcandys on the train this morning and they were done for, so I had to swing by Walgreens to buy a cheap pair for the day. God these JVC Gummys are awful, no low end and they fit in the ear in a way that lets every sound in the world in around them.

so. for wearing about the place, usually wandering around, seems like it's between koss portapros or sennheiser HD202s? if I am concerned abt noise leaks bothering others it seems like the 202s are more the way to go...?

i have only used earbuds up until now, this is a new and magical world.