Cheap (£70) 'open' sounding headphone/earbud/IEM recommendations needed!

[Misguided]

Truthear Hexa
AKG 702
Hifiman 400se - there are often sales on the Hifiman web site.
Sennheiser hd560 - if you can find a deal

I own the Hexas and they are pretty nice, described as neutral with bass boost. AKG 702 is supposed to be great for gaming but can be a bit bright for music, loads of people love them though so it's subjective. Hifiman 400se are great headphones at the price and Hifiman often have deals and the HD560 are great also, I saw a refurbished pair on the Sennheiser website for under £100.

Appreciate they are a bit over budget.

Also I have the NX4 DSD, it's a lovely little DAC / AMP, the best thing about is that you can use it as just an amp via the line in or as a DAC via the USB, so handy.

 

[marX]

Guys, thanks for the input. But I'm a bit surprised to see no earbuds are mentioned here. When the Ve Monk was launched I bought one and was surprised by how good it sounded.

So, at this point is Superlux HD 681 vs AKG K371 vs Truthear IEMs vs Philips SHP 9500. As for Sennheisers, they are a bit outside my budget.

 

[Misguided]

Have a look on Crinacle’s website and You Tube videos, he does a good one on gaming headphones. Interestingly he says his favourite under £150 is the Koss KSC75 which is about £20.

If you don’t play FPS games you may want to think about something less gamer ish as the neutral bright sounding headphones are great for picking out footsteps but not so much fun for the cinematic moments.

 

[marX]

Have a look on Crinacle’s website and You Tube videos, he does a good one on gaming headphones. Interestingly he says his favourite under £150 is the Koss KSC75 which is about £20.

If you don’t play FPS games you may want to think about something less gamer ish as the neutral bright sounding headphones are great for picking out footsteps but not so much fun for the cinematic moments.

I'm not a 'gamer'. I just happen to play a lot of PC games. As I sad above, I need a flat frequency from the system.

 

[Berwhale]

I'm not a 'gamer'. I just happen to play a lot of PC games. As I sad above, I need a flat frequency from the system.

EQ will get many head/earphones to flat. In which case, things like comfort, build quality and features like replaceable cables and earpads become more important.

 

[marX]

I see some Sennheiser HD560S open box/lightly used for less than £100 in the UK. Also, brand new models for £118.
Is it worth it?

 

[Berwhale]

I see some Sennheiser HD560S open box/lightly used for less than £100 in the UK. Also, brand new models for £118.
Is it worth it?

I would say so.

 

[marX]

I would say so.

Well, I bought it!
Lets see how good it is.

Fingers crossed its not a scam

 

[paudio]

Maybe try Kph40 or another Koss with a similar driver. Cheap and comfortable. Though the Kph30i has a lot of clamp

 

[marX]

Maybe try Kph40 or another Koss with a similar driver. Cheap and comfortable. Though the Kph30i has a lot of clamp

Already got the HD 560S. No more headphone buying for now

Edit:
My listening impressions are that it has a nice wide stereo image, similar to my previous non-name brand full-size headphone. Bass is there but the quantity is a bit low (with NX4's bass boost on) but the quality is good though.

 

[marX]

Update: I take that bass not enough thing back!
I'm listening to some Aarmin and my ears are literally shaking
With the bass boost on, it's insane!

 

[Misguided]

Yeah the bass boost is decent, I use it with my Sundaras. You could always try equalising, there are a lot of threads on here about it. I use Equaliser APO on my PC.

 

[marX]

Yeah the bass boost is decent, I use it with my Sundaras. You could always try equalising, there are a lot of threads on here about it. I use Equaliser APO on my PC.

Thanks. Will do that.
But I just can't seem to be comfortable wearing them for long times.

 

[markanini]

Moondrop Lan is the closest to a AKG K612 I've heard in a IEM. It's harder to find an over-ear of comparable quality in your budget unless you hunt for used deals.

This is what measurements tell. One caveat is that Moondrop Lan fit is a bit floaty if you have big ears. Lastly IEM bass is overestimated with these rigs when using the same target.

 

[paudio]

Thanks. Will do that.
But I just can't seem to be comfortable wearing them for long times.

This is my experience with most headphones and why I recommended KPH40 for $30. I can wear them without limit and without any discomfort. No clamp, they don't get hot, crazy light and yaxi pads make them even more comfortable. I quite enjoy the tuning. Even if I really want to listen to another pair of headphones I'll end up falling back to these once the discomfort sets in. As good or better than custom iems comfort wise because they breath.