a headphones recommendation thread

yeah those look good but honestly I'm more concerned with the headphone weight. it doesn't say how heavy they are, but the shipping weight of 2.2 lbs is concerning. like I said those Grados just crush my ears, I can't even listen to a full album without feeling uncomfortable. I was thinking something like this but I'm worried the sound isn't as good:

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-100-II-Ear-Miniheadphone-Black/dp/B002VPDOH8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428422684&sr=8-1&keywords=Sennheiser+PX+100-II+On+Ear+Miniheadphone

audio-technicas look heavy but sit pretty lightly on my head

is it actually the weight or the clamping action that is getting to you?

Yeah, I don't think the weight is necessarily the problem. I used to have Sennheiser HD25s, and I had similar issues as you, after using them for a couple of hours they started hurting my ears, they were pressing them so hard. (I have a fairly large head, which made the clasp even tighter.) Then I bought a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770s, which are pretty heavy headphones, about twice as heavy as my Sennheisers, but because their frame is so sturdy and well designed, and because the cushions are so big and comfy, the clasp is actually much lighter, so I can use them for hours without my ears getting sore.

Sony's made the MDR-V6 for 30 years for a reason. Comfortable, closed, fold into a desk drawer, very accurate (the lack of coloration is often considered a flaw by some listeners).

is it actually the weight or the clamping action that is getting to you?

um. I guess I don't really know. I do have a big head. I can't even wear a hat, for instance

Grados are pretty light, so yeah, it's probably the clamping, not the weight, that's causing discomfort. Those Sennheisers you linked are open-style headphones, so they'll leak sound like the Grados. You might be more comfortable with over-ears anyway rather than on-ears; that way the pressure is more spread out rather than concentrated on your ear. Anywhere near you where you can try headphones on? Guitar Center usually has Audio-Technica and I'd think they'd have the Sonys mentioned above too (or probably the very-similar 7506). The V6/7506 can usually be had for around $85 but there seems to be a bit of a supply shortage at the moment and they're going for over $100. Will probably come back down when Sony re-supplies.

If you get a set with a metal headband (I think the A-T and Sony are both metal) you can usually stretch them a bit for more comfort on larger heads. Some people like to replace the stock ear pads which are pleather on most over-ear headphones with velour pads which you can find on Amazon or eBay.

Have you considered in-ears? That'd eliminate clamping, but some people don't find them comfortable for other reasons.

I have some cheap in-ears, they're fine for working out but otherwise I don't really like them, like I tend to find the good ones really amplify all the noise going on within you. I had a decent pair and every time I moved I heard a loud rustling, really annoying and I dunno how to fix it.

a lot of the really big over-ear ones just kind of sit on the top of your head instead of clamping your ears

Does anyone have a decent workout earbud recommendation for under $50? I tried some skullcandy something-or-others and they sounded like absolute garbage, plus they didn't really stay all the way in my ears, in spite of having the over-ear clip.

I actually think the apple iphone earbuds sound fairly good, but they slip out -- is there an option of some kind of cover/adapter thingy that will hold them in without losing sound quality, or is there something else worth getting?

For keeping them in my ear, I've had the best luck with putting shure triple flange tips on my (decidedly non-shure) earbuds. I've managed to stretch them onto both Philips and Monoprice earbuds successfully. Comply foam earbud tips work pretty well too but they go 'stale' after a month or so.

I don't think either of those tip types would fit on the iphone earbud though. Apple makes a tip especially for that shape iirc.

I brought up headphones in the metal poll and figured I'd expand here. I know a lot of people who want to graduate from stock iPhone buds to full size headphones but don't want to spend much money. My recommendation in the past few years has been the Creative Aurvana Live!, available for $57. A half dozen friends and colleagues have gotten them and have been very happy.

They were designed by Foster, the Japanese company that owns Fostex, and were initially used for the Denon AH-D1001 headphones that originally sold for $150. I own those and use them in the bedroom, and are now discontinued. They are closed headphones, and some say the seal isn't perfect (blocking out outside noise, keeping headphones from leaking). They must play them at ear-damaging volume, because I use mine regularly and my partner can be sleeping (or awake) right next to me in bed and not hear anything. The most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. They are smaller than average full-size (more in line with other portables like NAD Viso HP50, Sennheiser Momentum, etc).

I should be getting my new Fostex TH-X00 via Massdrop later today. Their release last week inspired me to write about what I'd been using the past couple years:

http://fastnbulbous.com/metal-cans-for-the-holidaze-fostex-th-x00/

I've been using these for several years and have been pretty satisfied: http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/headphones/7041339ec2fdcc12/

finally got a pair of Sennheiser HD598SEs for $95 on cyber monday, and they are pretty great

AKG 240s have been on sale for $70, I just got some and like them quite a bit

I recall that 240s are very comfy

I had the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 for a few years. They sounded good, and are extremely well built, but their vice-like grip was too uncomfortable for me, and I ended up selling them. Sennheiser and AKG all make great stuff, it's all a matter of what king of tuning you prefer. So far the Fostex designed D1001/Aurvana Live beat out any other headphone I've heard for under $200.

I got a pair of Sennheiser HD-598s recently too (mine were about $150, I must have missed the sale) and they're awesome. A little more bass than my Sennheiser HD-439s, and surprisingly not as hot on the ears after extended use-- surprising because the ear cups are friggin' velour.

I also have some Polk Ultrafit 1000s for running, which sound good enough that I switch to them if I'm listening on my phone and my ears get too hot from the 439s. I had Polk Ultrafit 500s before that, but I had trouble with one channel cutting out on them. I had the first (defective) pair replaced for free, no questions asked, so +1 for their customer service. I lost the replacement pair, and for the price difference the 1000s seemed like the better deal, they were only $10 more than the 500s and they're on-ear-- I've never been a huge fan of earbuds.

In the US, amazon seems to mark them down by ~$50 for one day of the Thanksgiving weekend every year (I say 'seems to' because I only have 2 data points). I think it was the Friday after Thanksgiving this year. I've had the HD-280 Pros for around 10 years, so I hope these are as sturdy. The detachable cable is nice, but then again the HD-280s have the only headphone cable I own that didn't fail after ~2 years.

I recall that 240s are very comfy
They are indeed, and self-adjusting to boot.

Wow, and the 240s are currently selling for $56 on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001ARCFA?keywords=AKG%20240&qid=1449768287&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

I never tried Porta Pro until the middle of this year and I'm totally stuck on them, just fantastic for everything and not painful to wear several hours in a row (Grado is my favorite sound signature but yeah they hurt)

I had porta pros for all of undergrad and my only complaint is the band pulls your hair out

fyi for anyone who wants some cheap earphones https://www.wired.com/2017/01/review-kz-ate-hi-fi-earphones/?mbid=synd_digg

^ sounds impressive.

I've been using Soundmagic ES18s as low cost semi-decent in ear phones. Not amazing but better than anything else I'd come across for around £10. When I'm walking around I'm usually not that focussed on sound quality as long as it's not totally awful.

Superlux HD668Bs still sound great for the price (£24 from Thomann.de). Up there with ~£100 models like DT770s IMO. They just look very daft.

got the Kz ATE headphones and can confirm they are a steal, great great value

there's like 20 versions on amazon, which ones did you get?

I actually got them 2nd hand but this model https://www.amazon.com/Earphone-Headphones-Running-Eartips-Microphone/dp/B00Y0F6IBG

Grados are the best by far but you kind of look like a dork using them.

Beyerdynamic and AudioTechnica are the best I've used the range of $100/$200.

I'm too cheap to buy headphones over $200.

PS: unless you have superhuman ear or are extremely picky about certain qualities and specification in sound, mostly every headphones in the range of $150 are awesome and more than what you need.

It's the emperor's new clothes. Think of them as bottles of whiskey. Any blend or single malt of 12 years will be good, almost noone tells the difference after that. I've fooled snobbish friends into drinking Chivas 12 and even red label and told them it's Chivas 18 or 21 by flling old bottles of 18/21 (I don't usually do this, it was a social experiment) They start saying "now this is a fine whiskey" and I'm silently laughing about it.

well I don't think many ilxors need convincing of that

this is however the first time I've come across a pair of in-ear headphones of such a quality for less than 100$

I love my Beyerdyamic DT 770s...however, I just had to send them back because the left driver went out....previously I'd sent a pair back to Amazon (in the first month) because the headband became detatched from an ear cup (this was in the Amazon return window)

to their credit they are repairing it for free (though I had to drop $20 on shipping)...but a little concerned their QC is slipping

that said, for office use, they are tremendous at blocking out noise (frankly work as good as any noise canceling ones i've heard), sound great and are extremely comfortable

That's really strange, DT 770 Pro? Those are built like a tank, I felt like I could run mine over with the car and they'd be fine. Now that there are many newer models out, like the DT 1770 Pro and 1990 Pro (open, which is what I have now), you can get such great deals on those, around $115 to 135. Definitely a great deal, and all parts are replaceable in the pro versions. The 250 ohm version is ideal with an amp, but can be used without one.

You definitely can get better headphones than ever for right at $200, especially when Massdrop offered the Sennheiser HD 6XX at that price. And currently Massdrop has the AKG K7XX also for $200. Both of those open headphones were flagships that sold for much more about a decade ago. I still use my K701 for movies in the living room when my S.O. goes to bed early. People are really into the Meze 99 Classic, and the 99 Neo, basically same headphone without the wood cups for $60 cheaper at $249 is shipping soon. I heard it at Axpona and it does compare really well against headphones twice it's price. It's closed and has iPhone controls/mic on cord like many portable-friendly headphones do.

So one can argue $200 as the diminishing returns drop-off. There's varying opinions in the hobby, but I would move that point to more like $700. Which is exactly what the MrSpeakers Aeon cost. I heard it at Axpona too, and was very impressed. It outperforms anything I'd heard in that range. My pre-order arrives soon.

I'm on board the KZ hype train. ATE, ATR and ZS3 are all really good. ATR is more mid focused and has a spherical soundstage, ZS3 has clean and massive bass along with crisp mids and highs. I use those the most. Detachable cable is also nice.

I've really loved my Sennheiser Momentum 2.0s (now called "HD1" apparently) for the last year. Closed, over-ear, really great balanced sound when wired and frankly about indistinguishable over a solid Bluetooth 4.0 AptX (non-iPhone) connection, very durable, light but solid, and to my taste a very attractive refinement of classic 60s aesthetics while being all-day comfortable.

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/img/9673/product_detail_x1_desktop_square_louped_HD_1_BT_AE_ivory-sq-01-sennheiser.jpg

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/hd1-wireless-headphones-with-mic

I paid more like $350 than the $500 list, but given they'l last me at least a decade (based on previous Sennheisers I've had), that seems reasonable. I used Etymotic ER4P in-ears for years, but started having issues with ear infections and have switched back to over-ears.

I've got a pair of on-ear wireless Senn's (450-x) and love them. Looking forward to their next gen BT5 models.

for on-ear I've got the Bose QuietComfort and while the sound is not remarkable (it's just fine) the noise cancelling is fantastic, esp since I mostly use them on the road

thx for the kz recommendation, niels - got a pair over the weekend to replace a pair of rha's which fell apart, and the kz's are fantastic value for money

the memory foam tips ended up nearly lodging in my ear canal when i first put them in, though, which was a bit alarming - replaced them with the rubber ones from my old rha's though and they work great

GRADOs >>>>>>>>> everything. Also, per the dork comment back there, if you get the RS1s or any of them that incorporate wood into the mix, your dorkiness becomes very artisanal with a side of avocado toast.

GRADOs >>>>>>>>> everything

otm i just wish there was one that I could wear for more than a couple hours comfortably

Yeah, it's weird after all these years Grado's still look and feel like they were made in a garage, with the possible exception of their $2,695 PS2000e.

There's 5 days left on the AKG K553 Pro drop, for $110. A great deal for those wanting a closed headphone. 11 days left on the Massdrop x Fostex T-X0 Planar for $150.

KZ ZS3 are so uncomfortable : /

i'm looking for a good pair of over-ear phones. i've been using the same pair of sennheiser hd280s for years but i'm not that crazy about em. they're sturdy as hell but not super comfortable, kind of heavy. i'm not nuts about how they sound, the mids and highs seem harsh to me.

I bought my Grado SR60 headphones back in 2007 and they're still going strong. They're dorky as hell but the sound is awesome. And "only" $79.00.

HiFiMAN marked down their HE400i Planar from $449 to $249. I'm guessing they're clearing stock to get ready for a new model.

Also the Sennheiser HD 6XX drop starts Monday. Last time it sold out in a few minutes, so they figured they might as well up the price to $249 (it's around $315 in general market).
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-sennheiser-hd6xx

Last 8 hrs of drop, priced dropped to $199.

I've been enjoying the used HifiMAN HE-6 I got a couple weeks ago, the best magnetic planar headphone I've had so far, including the Audeze LCD-2.2. Today a new collaboration with Massdrop was released, the HE4XX. At $170, a no-brainer, as nothing else in that price range comes close. Closest might be the Monoprice Monolith M1060 for $300, that's not as good.

The drop ends in a few hours for the AKG K7XX. At slightly more at $200, these very comfortable, one of the lightest former flagship open headphones at 235g (compare to HE-4XX's 370g, Focal Utopia's 490g, Abyss AB-1266's 620g), it's great for classical, jazz, acoustic and movies with a wide soundstage. I still use my white K701 that I got in 2006 in the living room for movies/TV.

*kicks rock* I fell for the Sennheiser HD 6XX drop