6 ms·

You're a knowledgeable lot, so I think I'll put this question out to you all. I'm looking for a budget pair of cans, I usually spend about 20 bucks because I'm

by oxide 11y ago

You're a knowledgeable lot, so I think I'll put this question out to you all. I'm looking for a budget pair of cans, I usually spend about 20 bucks because I'm both cheap and poor. I was considering the HD202's, I usually get by with HD201's but the cords short out and fray after a year or so of everyday use. I only have two requirements: over-ear headphones with a comically oversized cord appreciate any recommendations in advance.

dangerlibrary 11y ago
Koss PortaPro. They leak sound like crazy and look like they came out of a time machine from the 1980's. But they're cheap and they sound great.
- darkstar999 11y ago
  Also Koss KSC75's. They are $15 on amazon right now and I swear they sound better than most $100+ cans. The self-proclaimed audiophiles over at head-fi.org love them. I wonder if they use the same speaker/driver as the porta pros?
- brandall10 11y ago
  That's a popular Head-fi recommendation, as well as their sibling the KSC-75 (same drivers). The great thing about headphone audio nowadays (as opposed to just 10 years ago) is there are quite a few low cost options that sound great. Unfortunately they're not well known unless you do some research. That said, if you want top-tier audio out of something extremely portable that isolates to a degree, I cannot recommend Sennheiser's IE800 highly enough. I've spent many a kilobuck over the past 15 years and these are some of my favs. Not cheap at $800 retail (used in the $500-600 area), but totally worth it if you listen often while working. I have other IEMs that cost 2-3x as much and prefer these. Most of time I use these in conjunction w/ Roon audio player and a Tidal sub straight out of the headphone port of my 13 rMBP - total audiophile bliss.
  - andrewblossom 11y ago
    How do you find Roon? Worth the money?
- an_ko 11y ago
  I've owned 3 pairs of these. They're great for walking around in traffic or when you otherwise need to hear everything around you, and really do sound excellent for the price. All of mine died really fast though! The cable is so thin and the connector tail bit so short and inflexible, that plugging them into a phone and putting the phone in a trouser pocket daily is a 6-month death sentence tops.
  - darkstar999 11y ago
    Search images for "portapro cable mod", it looks like it's pretty easy to replace that cheesy cable.
brillenfux 11y ago
Ask in https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/ https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/ Those guys are usually eager to help and your question would actually be welcome there. They usually have a sticky thread for recommendations.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
danielvf 11y ago
I've used my Sony MDR-7506 daily for 18 years now. They sound good. You can get new pair from Amazon for $80. And it has you totally covered in your wish for an oversized cord.
- Someone1234 11y ago
  Sony's studio headphones are seriously underrated. I suspect because they aren't marketed to the hip and trendy crowd. They actually look pretty ugly (like a 1970s reject) but they work so freaking well. I've had mine for twenty years, no issues, no frays, and I'd replace them with other Sony studio headphones if something were to happen. The cord is a beast. I'm not worried about it failing.
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
- strictnein 11y ago
  Yep. The MDR-7506 and the similar Sony MDR-V6 are stellar choices. Might as well listen to the music on the same headphones that were likely used when they recorded it.
  - acomjean 11y ago
    I love my MDR-V6s (one for home and work). You really hear everything and (tight) Bass. Comfortable too. Durable, though I've only had mine for 10 years (GP 18 years... wow) My only gripe is the material they use for the padding degrades after 5 or 6 years. Its super easy to replace however. I like the coiled cord too. I think the "Pro"MDR-7507 which have the same form factor cost the same as the V-6s now.
- LesZedCB 11y ago
  I've also done the removable cable mod[1] on one of my pairs and it works great. I use them for both listening and gaming now because I can attach a cable with a boom mic on it, or I can switch it out for the stock cable for listening normally, or even a short cable for the rest of the time. [1] http://www.head-fi.org/t/606937/sony-mdr-v6-detachable-cable-mod http://www.head-fi.org/t/606937/sony-mdr-v6-detachable-cable...
stcredzero 11y ago
Superlux HD668B Dynamic Semi-Open Headphones http://amzn.com/B003JOETX8 http://amzn.com/B003JOETX8 Only $35 refurbished. $42 new, Amazon Prime. I think you might have to find your own cord, depending on what you mean by comically oversized.
telesilla 11y ago
Find yourself a pre-loved pair of Audio Technica M50x. You'll wear them all day, and they are currently considered the best available for mid-range cost. Oh and they come with 3 cord sizes, one of them mega-long. http://www.cnet.com/products/audio-technica-ath-m50x/ http://www.cnet.com/products/audio-technica-ath-m50x/ http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86 http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-M...
- kehoyo 11y ago
  M50x is known for being very uncomfortable. Don't know how you would wear them for the whole day.
  - steckerbrett 11y ago
    I've been wearing mine for 5 hours (since I got up) without noticing them at all.
an_ko 11y ago
Sometimes being cheap and poor is expensive: more expensive sound equipment is more durable. I also used to also buy new headphones (with about the same budget) every 6 to 12 months, usually with the cable breaking somewhere near the connector. I had similar buying criteria as you, but just to test a hypothesis, I spent a weekend researching what to buy and arrived at the MDR7506 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AJIF4E http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AJIF4E for many times my usual budget. However, they've lasted for 2 years of being shoved in a bag or pocket many times a day and running to lectures, and still show no signs of wear, so they've almost paid for themselves in dollars per day even if they didn't sound better than a $20 pair which, of course, they also do. Highly recommended. Edit: I see other comments also praising these. Yep, we're clearly a knowledgeable lot. :)
- coldpie 11y ago
  Wow, I don't think I've seen that price-hiding thing before. What the fuck? I'm tempted to avoid buying them just to stick it to the manufacturer for having such a stupid policy. I don't log into Amazon at work, so I can't see the price; how much is Amazon charging for a pair?
  - an_ko 11y ago
    $80. Haven't seen that before either.
noir_lord 11y ago
I own the 201's, the 202's and the 205's. Sound quality on all of them is pretty indistinguishable however on-head comfort ironically is an easy win for the 201's, the 202's are very tight, the 205's not quite as bad but still not great. I ended up giving the 202's away to a female friend who really likes them (she has a smaller head than me). If the cords are fraying there isn't much to replacing them, the other option is to cut the cord about a meter from the headphone and put a female connector on, then you can use arbitrary length patch's to extend the range. One of my next projects is to drill through my desk and surface mount another female connection so I can sit down and plugin (otherwise the damn cable manages to get wrapped around the chair, the desk or usually a cup of coffee on the desk).
heywire 11y ago
I love my HD202's. I wear them for several hours a day almost every work day. Best ~$25 I've spent... I did have to resolder the connection on both ears after a few years, but haven't had any other problems with them. I tend to play with the cord a lot when I'm thinking...
112233 11y ago
igrado! seriously torturous ergonomics, but sound is above expected for the price. throw out everything except drivers, sew them to a headband :)
rangibaby 11y ago
I just bought a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M20x headphones. They are $50, and have a very nice sound considering the price. They have a nice fat cord.
mastax 11y ago
I've quite enjoyed my JVC HA-RX700s. They're about $35 on amazon and they sound pretty decent to my ears. People on Head-Fi seem to like them at least. I can say that they are over-ear and have a comically oversized cord. They're built pretty well, too. If I have any complaints it's that they're too big, and the cord is too long but those might be a plus for you.

by oxide 11y ago

dangerlibrary 11y ago

Koss PortaPro. They leak sound like crazy and look like they came out of a time machine from the 1980's. But they're cheap and they sound great.

darkstar999 11y ago
Also Koss KSC75's. They are $15 on amazon right now and I swear they sound better than most $100+ cans. The self-proclaimed audiophiles over at head-fi.org love them. I wonder if they use the same speaker/driver as the porta pros?
brandall10 11y ago
That's a popular Head-fi recommendation, as well as their sibling the KSC-75 (same drivers). The great thing about headphone audio nowadays (as opposed to just 10 years ago) is there are quite a few low cost options that sound great. Unfortunately they're not well known unless you do some research. That said, if you want top-tier audio out of something extremely portable that isolates to a degree, I cannot recommend Sennheiser's IE800 highly enough. I've spent many a kilobuck over the past 15 years and these are some of my favs. Not cheap at $800 retail (used in the $500-600 area), but totally worth it if you listen often while working. I have other IEMs that cost 2-3x as much and prefer these. Most of time I use these in conjunction w/ Roon audio player and a Tidal sub straight out of the headphone port of my 13 rMBP - total audiophile bliss.
- andrewblossom 11y ago
  How do you find Roon? Worth the money?
an_ko 11y ago
I've owned 3 pairs of these. They're great for walking around in traffic or when you otherwise need to hear everything around you, and really do sound excellent for the price. All of mine died really fast though! The cable is so thin and the connector tail bit so short and inflexible, that plugging them into a phone and putting the phone in a trouser pocket daily is a 6-month death sentence tops.
- darkstar999 11y ago
  Search images for "portapro cable mod", it looks like it's pretty easy to replace that cheesy cable.

brillenfux 11y ago

Ask in https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/ https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/ Those guys are usually eager to help and your question would actually be welcome there. They usually have a sticky thread for recommendations.

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

danielvf 11y ago

I've used my Sony MDR-7506 daily for 18 years now. They sound good. You can get new pair from Amazon for $80. And it has you totally covered in your wish for an oversized cord.

Someone1234 11y ago
Sony's studio headphones are seriously underrated. I suspect because they aren't marketed to the hip and trendy crowd. They actually look pretty ugly (like a 1970s reject) but they work so freaking well. I've had mine for twenty years, no issues, no frays, and I'd replace them with other Sony studio headphones if something were to happen. The cord is a beast. I'm not worried about it failing.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
strictnein 11y ago
Yep. The MDR-7506 and the similar Sony MDR-V6 are stellar choices. Might as well listen to the music on the same headphones that were likely used when they recorded it.
- acomjean 11y ago
  I love my MDR-V6s (one for home and work). You really hear everything and (tight) Bass. Comfortable too. Durable, though I've only had mine for 10 years (GP 18 years... wow) My only gripe is the material they use for the padding degrades after 5 or 6 years. Its super easy to replace however. I like the coiled cord too. I think the "Pro"MDR-7507 which have the same form factor cost the same as the V-6s now.
LesZedCB 11y ago
I've also done the removable cable mod[1] on one of my pairs and it works great. I use them for both listening and gaming now because I can attach a cable with a boom mic on it, or I can switch it out for the stock cable for listening normally, or even a short cable for the rest of the time. [1] http://www.head-fi.org/t/606937/sony-mdr-v6-detachable-cable-mod http://www.head-fi.org/t/606937/sony-mdr-v6-detachable-cable...

stcredzero 11y ago

Superlux HD668B Dynamic Semi-Open Headphones http://amzn.com/B003JOETX8 http://amzn.com/B003JOETX8 Only $35 refurbished. $42 new, Amazon Prime. I think you might have to find your own cord, depending on what you mean by comically oversized.

telesilla 11y ago

Find yourself a pre-loved pair of Audio Technica M50x. You'll wear them all day, and they are currently considered the best available for mid-range cost. Oh and they come with 3 cord sizes, one of them mega-long. http://www.cnet.com/products/audio-technica-ath-m50x/ http://www.cnet.com/products/audio-technica-ath-m50x/ http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86 http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-M...

kehoyo 11y ago
M50x is known for being very uncomfortable. Don't know how you would wear them for the whole day.
- steckerbrett 11y ago
  I've been wearing mine for 5 hours (since I got up) without noticing them at all.

an_ko 11y ago

Sometimes being cheap and poor is expensive: more expensive sound equipment is more durable. I also used to also buy new headphones (with about the same budget) every 6 to 12 months, usually with the cable breaking somewhere near the connector. I had similar buying criteria as you, but just to test a hypothesis, I spent a weekend researching what to buy and arrived at the MDR7506 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AJIF4E http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AJIF4E for many times my usual budget. However, they've lasted for 2 years of being shoved in a bag or pocket many times a day and running to lectures, and still show no signs of wear, so they've almost paid for themselves in dollars per day even if they didn't sound better than a $20 pair which, of course, they also do. Highly recommended. Edit: I see other comments also praising these. Yep, we're clearly a knowledgeable lot. :)

coldpie 11y ago
Wow, I don't think I've seen that price-hiding thing before. What the fuck? I'm tempted to avoid buying them just to stick it to the manufacturer for having such a stupid policy. I don't log into Amazon at work, so I can't see the price; how much is Amazon charging for a pair?
- an_ko 11y ago
  $80. Haven't seen that before either.

noir_lord 11y ago

I own the 201's, the 202's and the 205's. Sound quality on all of them is pretty indistinguishable however on-head comfort ironically is an easy win for the 201's, the 202's are very tight, the 205's not quite as bad but still not great. I ended up giving the 202's away to a female friend who really likes them (she has a smaller head than me). If the cords are fraying there isn't much to replacing them, the other option is to cut the cord about a meter from the headphone and put a female connector on, then you can use arbitrary length patch's to extend the range. One of my next projects is to drill through my desk and surface mount another female connection so I can sit down and plugin (otherwise the damn cable manages to get wrapped around the chair, the desk or usually a cup of coffee on the desk).

heywire 11y ago

I love my HD202's. I wear them for several hours a day almost every work day. Best ~$25 I've spent... I did have to resolder the connection on both ears after a few years, but haven't had any other problems with them. I tend to play with the cord a lot when I'm thinking...

112233 11y ago

igrado! seriously torturous ergonomics, but sound is above expected for the price. throw out everything except drivers, sew them to a headband :)

rangibaby 11y ago

I just bought a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M20x headphones. They are $50, and have a very nice sound considering the price. They have a nice fat cord.

mastax 11y ago

I've quite enjoyed my JVC HA-RX700s. They're about $35 on amazon and they sound pretty decent to my ears. People on Head-Fi seem to like them at least. I can say that they are over-ear and have a comically oversized cord. They're built pretty well, too. If I have any complaints it's that they're too big, and the cord is too long but those might be a plus for you.