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Best Headphones $150?

Hello everyone

I need some help as I’m looking for a nice pair of ‘new’ headphones under $150.
Predominate use will be on the PC or DAC listening to music and movies,

Not for use while cycling, playing Polo, Jogging, Parasailing, Sky diving, SCUBA, pet grooming, Fondu-ing, listening to C-span, or while Noodeling, Armadillo hunting, spelunking, lumberjacking, surviaval outings, high wire walking, skiing, Safaris, and definitely no Ostrich racing will be involved, neither as jockey or spectator.

I’m thinking open back types as I need to hear things around me when I’m using them.

Primarily I listen to Jazz, Blues, R&B, Classic Rock, Big Band Jazz, C&W, Folk, Americana and Jazz Vocals… and of course the PC’s adaptive talking software as I use it for purely PC stuff too.

As extended use is a necessity, comfort is key. Thereafter, in audio, I’m all about natural sounding re-creations. I also lean towards something with a bit of jump to it over laid back finesse, albeit never to the point of the sound being bombastic or throbbing.

Clear, coherent, solid bass and musicality fill out the balance of my preffs.

Being able to upgrade or replace worn out parts would be really nice.

Not sure about how much impedance matters in this regard, or even if one has a choice in this price range.

So far, I’ve noticed Grado Prestige Series SR-60i, and 80i get much positive press and I’m leaning towards the 80i’s. I’ve not heard the 60s or 80s. Nor any others for that matter, but I feel pretty secure in going on what is predominately mentioned here as good solutions without actually auditioning them first. I’m thinking pretty much anything recommended in this thread will surpass the performance levels of those $20 - $25 Sony’s, JVC’s, etc., I’ve used for years.

I did own some plannar types once, but never liked the feel or the sound to much and they went for $300 about 20 years ago. Sure? STI? Sennheiser?, tight and bulky with flat foam on the ear pads. Yech.

Please help… thanks so very much.
blindjim
blindjim OP
3,092 posts
 

Finding something that meets your needs is fun. Finding something that meets your needs and is less expensive than you thought it would be is outstanding.

FYI …. Just to provide closure.

Certainly by now, some other brand or model will exceed what I finally acquired.

I went Koss HPs as recommended here. They eventually fell apart got tossed into a bag and into a drawer and forgotten. They did sound pretty good while they lasted. Surprisingly so. And very lightweight. An all day pair of phones for sure. Only caveat was their uduly short wires.

I was given an Iphone recently. It came with an optional ‘on bone’ headset which ran $100. It worked but not well with music. iPhone stuff and telephone use were OK.

Wanting wireless portable high functioning HPs I took a flyer on a pair of Jabbar Revo 3.5s from Office Depot online. $125 landed.

Blue tooth, NFC, wired, or as USB HPs, these are significantly very nice sounding HPs in each area of connectivity or facility. They integrate with the iphone readily. Control the apple music app and other like wise IOS apps. Have nearly a 12 hour rundown interval before they need recharging via USB port.. their battery life shows up in the info bar on IOS devices so you know when they need a bit of juice.

Very nice sounding phones. Really. Comfortable on ear cushions. Easy to use controls. Broad padded head band. Foldable. Comes with USB charging cable and single wire stereo cables.

My one knock would be on the sound stage they present. Its fairly closed in and doesn’t resemble much of what one would get from entry level one box home audio gear, although the music is engaging and enjoyable with very good bottom end and great mid range and top end clarity. They play very loud without losing coherency or becoming non musical.

Given the feature set, flexibility, and sonic presentation which sure exceeded expectations, for $125 I’m going to call these no brainer blue tooth HPs.

Still, a desire exists for better personal audio but picking out better dedicated head phones will wait until a personal portable headphone amp arrives. Either as a USB DAC or one of the new ‘all in one’ portable player devices like the Aurender Flow or Cort hugo, or some other similar unit.

Nothing is for sure these days, but the newer version of the Jabbar Revo or its replacement should get your attention if you need or want, a pair of really nice BT HPs with nice sound, and great versatility with various interfaces.

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big_greg
6,560 posts
 
I would suggest bumping your budget up 50 dollars and get the Sennheiser HD 6XX from Massdrop. The current drop is about to end. The AKG 7XX is also very good at $200, but I like the HD 6XX better. It's very comfortable and easy to listen to. I have some high-end headphones that cost thousands and often reach for the HD 6XX over those. They are a great value. 
big_greg
6,560 posts
 
If you haven't found something already, here's something else to look at on Massdrop, right at your budget -  Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee

I don't have any experience with these, but they are said to be similar to the HD 600 and HD 650 and I have owned and enjoyed both of those.  The reviews are very positive.
erik_squires
15,772 posts
 
AKG K701 through K712 are just a little higher than your budget.


https://amzn.to/2VIKc6Z

Range is $175, $220 and $300
I own the K712s and I couldn’t b happier with them, except at work when they let too much noise through.

I just bought the ESS headphones for $200 :


https://amzn.to/2SLh6C4


And the mid to treble is really phenomenal, but the bass is pretty elevated. It’s not a rocker headphone, but I find myself activating the EQ in my player to bring the bass down a couple of notches. I’ve read you can fix this with better earpads:


https://amzn.to/2M4QFop


The thing I love about these phones is how much detail in the BASS they have. Even after adding EQ, the bass is super smooth and extended, and you feel like you can tell the brand of drums, cymbals and double bass being played.


Best,


E
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