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Best closed back, over-ear headphone under $250?

Cahudson42

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Can't say they are the 'best' as they are the only closed back I own. Got them after seeing Steve Guttenbergs YouTube review. $69. Lightweight (some say flimsy). Comes with 2 nice cables - both much better than the one that came with my open-back SHP9500..

Easily driven directly by my ZTE Qualcomm based Trex K88. (wdc9xx dac?) tablet. Sound pretty good to me. But I'm 77 and can't hear much over 12k..


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BDX1IVW/

Amazon usually gives no-hassle return if unsatisfactory..
 
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donpablo

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If you would like to save some money from the $250 and still have amazing headphones (in that price range), also you do not have too large ears, then look at Bosshifi B8.
 

Erik

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I’m sure you’ll get a fair few recommendations, but the best I’ve personally heard around this price point are the Meze 99 Classic. Lovely little set of cans
Second that. Meze 99 is pure value for money.
The current version of Meze 99 with the new pads are one of the worst headphones on the market. They sound so bad they were used as a low anchor in Harman listening tests. Only one pair of headphones out of 30 scored lower than Meze 99. Even Beats scored two times higher. One look at their frequency response explains why. And they absolutely do sound like this mess you see on the graph, I have no idea why would someone recommend them. The only explanation I see is that these people have experience only with the original version of Meze 99, which was kinda ok. But you can't buy it anymore and the current version is a big no-no.
1569448234600.png
 
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riker1384

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NAD VISO HP50.

It was the first closed headphone I tried that didn't have that 'can' sound.

I agree in terms of sound quality. However, its earcups are a bit undersized so it isn't fully "over-ear" for me at least. It puts some pressure on my earlobes that gets uncomfortable after a while. It also has a pressure point on top of the my head due to the weird squared headband. I really wish they had put more work into the comfort of those things.
 

monkeyboy

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Another vote for the PSB M4U 1, great sounding headphones, with good outside attenuation

I like them better than the MSR7 and DT770
 

DDF

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SRH840 if you need good sound but also noise occlusion and low leakage
 

Fluffy

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The current version of Meze 99 with the new pads are one of the worst headphones on the market. They sound so bad they were used as a low anchor in Harman listening tests. Only one pair of headphones out of 30 scored lower than Meze 99. Even Beats scored two times higher. One look at their frequency response explains why. And they absolutely do sound like this mess you see on the graph, I have no idea why would someone recommend them. The only explanation I see is that these people have experience only with the original version of Meze 99, which was kinda ok. But you can't buy it anymore and the current version is a big no-no.
View attachment 34481
This is all good and well, but you are doing OP a disservice by trying to convince him to not even consider the Meze. In the end of the day, what counts is what do you want from your headphones. Are these cans flat, transparent and reference-like? Absolutely not and I will be the first person to point out how much they deviate from neutrality.

The FR you brought represents them perfectly well, but your conclusion is misleading – one should look at the Herman response not as a goal to achieve, but as a standard to compare to. If you want a perfectly balanced sound that does not add or detract anything by itself, that is the target for that. but who really wants to listen to a flat, studio-like sound signature? Even in speakers most people apply some kind of a house curve to tweak the sound in a desirable way.

As I see it, in the sound domain the Meze 99 comes with a built in "house curve" that some people really find satisfying. The elevated levels in bass are perfect for delivering deep punches and full basslines in electronic and rock music. They also have very pleasing natural resonances in this area. The subdued lower treble takes away harshness from overly produced recordings. And the untouched upper treble keeps in the air and the presence, giving an overall V-shape sound signature, but not nearly as abrasive and fatiguing like most Beyerdynamic cans.

Plus, this would be a good time to mention they have really low distortion from 200 hz upwards (bass distortion is higher unfortunately), and a very good seal. Here are the Innerfidelity measurements: https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/Meze99Classicwithnewpads.pdf

In other domains, the Meze are super comfortable, and a lot of people also admire their looks.

I personally tried listening to many dozens of closed back headphones trying to find something that sounds better to me than the Meze. So far I could not find it in any price getting close to these (the 2000$ Sony MDRZ1R are the only closed-back I liked more, and it's definitely has something to do with the Sonys being also not very neutral).

So the question said friend needs to ask him\herself is – what do I want my headphones to do? If the answer is to be super comfortable, kinda stylish, and deliver a bassy warm sound that doesn't cause fatigue, the Meze 99 should definitely be an option. If they want a super accurate and neutral sound signature that doesn't add any flavor of its own, than they should definitely stay away.
 

Robin L

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B + H is still blowing out the AKG K167 "Tiësto" 'phones for $50. Sonically, one of my favorite headphones. Better sounding when connected to a more powerful amp, with clear, articulate bass & plenty of detail. As good with symphonic tracks as with hip-hop. Main issue will be comfort; there's heavier than average clamping. The trick is in bending the very top of the headband, one of the few spots on these 'phones made of metal. Judicious bending of the very top of the headband will reduce clamping. Big earpieces, big cushions, decent isolation.

What I'm using now is the Sennheiser HD 599. It's got an upper bass/lower midrange boost in the neighborhood of 200 hz, 5 db up relative to the rest of the frequency range. Requires little power, is a low impedance [50 Ω] design. Open backed, so forget about isolation, but also the most comfortable headphones I have owned so far. Highest price right now is $199 but I got mine as an open box return from BLINQ, around $120.
 
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OP
Stump909

Stump909

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Wow, thanks for all the replies. Sadly, it seems apparent this price-segment is overwhelmed with options, without a HD6XX comparable product of consensus.
 

Erik

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This is all good and well, but you are doing OP a disservice by trying to convince him to not even consider the Meze. In the end of the day, what counts is what do you want from your headphones. Are these cans flat, transparent and reference-like? Absolutely not and I will be the first person to point out how much they deviate from neutrality.

The FR you brought represents them perfectly well, but your conclusion is misleading – one should look at the Herman response not as a goal to achieve, but as a standard to compare to. If you want a perfectly balanced sound that does not add or detract anything by itself, that is the target for that. but who really wants to listen to a flat, studio-like sound signature? Even in speakers most people apply some kind of a house curve to tweak the sound in a desirable way.

As I see it, in the sound domain the Meze 99 comes with a built in "house curve" that some people really find satisfying. The elevated levels in bass are perfect for delivering deep punches and full basslines in electronic and rock music. They also have very pleasing natural resonances in this area. The subdued lower treble takes away harshness from overly produced recordings. And the untouched upper treble keeps in the air and the presence, giving an overall V-shape sound signature, but not nearly as abrasive and fatiguing like most Beyerdynamic cans.

Plus, this would be a good time to mention they have really low distortion from 200 hz upwards (bass distortion is higher unfortunately), and a very good seal. Here are the Innerfidelity measurements: https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/Meze99Classicwithnewpads.pdf

In other domains, the Meze are super comfortable, and a lot of people also admire their looks.

I personally tried listening to many dozens of closed back headphones trying to find something that sounds better to me than the Meze. So far I could not find it in any price getting close to these (the 2000$ Sony MDRZ1R are the only closed-back I liked more, and it's definitely has something to do with the Sonys being also not very neutral).

So the question said friend needs to ask him\herself is – what do I want my headphones to do? If the answer is to be super comfortable, kinda stylish, and deliver a bassy warm sound that doesn't cause fatigue, the Meze 99 should definitely be an option. If they want a super accurate and neutral sound signature that doesn't add any flavor of its own, than they should definitely stay away.

Both experienced and casual listeners want to listen to a flat, studio-like sound signature. That's why Meze 99 scored so low in the listening tests.
I have not made any conclusions myself, I just shared the conclusion of the listening tests: people hate how Meze 99 sound, they rate them two times lower than some Beats headphones. And the Harman target has nothing to do with this fact.
Meze 99 started to sound so bad only after the manufacturer began to use non-original pads for some reason. It's not a "house curve", it's a manufacturing fiasco. And the elevated levels in bass caused by this change are not perfect, they sound like you stuck your head in a subwoofer. The uneven treble response does not help the situation too.
Nonlinear distortion is not a factor here. It does not play a significant role in subjective sound quality evaluations as long as it's low enough.
 
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