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Cheapest over-ears headphones with some sound quality?

Zek

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Harman target - is this flat?
harman.png
 

Bear123

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How does the Sony MDR-7506 stack up? I've had a pair of these for many many years, although I never use them. My teenage daughter now uses them extensively as she's been through many pairs of inexpensive ear buds that break. She has worn out the ear cups and I replaced them. Headphones are still in like new condition. They seem pretty durable.

Also browsed around a bit for "decent" headphones when i bought them and they seemed to pop up frequently on recommended lists for under $100. Response above 10-12K looks...well, just not there.

I'm really surprised(not really, I suppose) about expensive well regarded headphones that don't measure up. I can't imagine dropping that kind of money on headphones without better objective data available other than marketing and subjective reviews. Or do some of them have superb test results on other sites, such as the $1500 Focals that just got tested?
 
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Robin L

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How does the Sony MDR-7506 stack up? I've had a pair of these for many many years, although I never use them. My teenage daughter now uses them extensively as she's been through many pairs of inexpensive ear buds that break. She has worn out the ear cups and I replaced them. Headphones are still in like new condition. They seem pretty durable.

Also browsed around a bit for "decent" headphones when i bought them and they seemed to pop up frequently on recommended lists for under $100. Response above 10-12K looks...well, just not there.

I'm really surprised(not really, I suppose) about expensive well regarded headphones that don't measure up. I can't imagine dropping that kind of money on headphones without better objective data available other than marketing and subjective reviews. Or do some of them have superb test results on other sites, such as the $1500 Focals that just got tested?
If it's speech intelligibility you seek, the Sony MDR-7506 is what you want. The V-6 is essentially the same headphone. It's voiced with more bass. My guess is that their frequency response curves are designed for use in pro audio, particularly live sound. They're nearly unbreakable. Stuff like a/c line buzz is exaggerated both top and bottom. Everything is the middle is harsh and up close, you can hear every word. My understanding is these are favored monitors for the folks recording dialog for films & TV. So great for Pro Audio, sucky for music. I owned/used the V-6 for many years, a very useful tool.

Among cheap headphones, I favored the AKG K167 phones for many years. Since I got my Drop 6XX, I stopped using them. The harsh quality of the intelligibility range, peaking around 2khz, made the Tiësto unlistenable. Also, they do break too easily, kinda the opposite of the Sony 'phones. However, as a close-out item, they went for $50, were easy to drive, had a better bass balance than the Sonys, and overall sounded better. But, having experienced the breakage problems that go along with its nearly all-plastic design, no more.

I got a couple of Sennheiser 'phones discounted as returns from Blinq, around $100 a pair. Compared to the Drop 6XX, the HD 599 and HD579 are not worth it. Chalky and vague in the upper registers, bloated in the midbass and lacking deep bass. The 6XX/HD650 is also bloated in the midbass, but that's easy to EQ out. The bottom doesn't distort when jacked up with EQ, the treble is pristine. I like it better with the treble tipped up a little with EQ. It's really good as far as price/performance is concerned and appears to be really durable in construction.

Seeing how good the Philips Fidelio X2HR is for $150---it's like the Large Advent of headphones, balanced top to bottom, easy to drive, gets you 90% of the way there for not much money---I wonder how much Philips' similar but cheaper designs sound. But not enough to buy them, I'm covered for the moment.
 
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julian_hughes

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btw: Superlux 681 meassures close to this curve
....

Which makes for an extremely effective demonstration on why looking at the frequency response of a headphone in isolation gives you no clue about whether that headphone sounds good or not. These days it's ridiculously easy to use software to eq a headphone and make its FR exactly the same as some other headphone. But what that *does not do* is make those two headphones sound the same.
 

ZolaIII

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I do not understand. can you try explaining again? sorry
That's the simulation of how speakers in the room should sound on headphones that's why you have some lose of energy (- dB) in the lows. Headaphones depending on what they are can go lower in Hz than speakers. The 5128 curve (to call it like that) so far is the closest one (to me) and even there i like to shave hump a bit. There's something which i tend to call traditional Japanese tuning and curve is pretty much towards mentioned Hifiman HE400i, numerous Fostex (Foster - Onkyo drivers) models & cetera where speakers emulated behaviour is done with 70 Hz roll-off.
I hope I menaged to explain it.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...omparing-headphone-measurement-systems.12634/
 

Jose Hidalgo

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I do think the X2 is the first headphone in the mid-priced, open headphone class that might deliver a superior listening experience. [...] The only good reason to purchase an HD 600 over the X2, in my opinion, is when you're pairing it with a high output impedance tube amp. [...] Neutral in sounding
Seeing how good the Philips Fidelio X2HR is for $150---it's like the Large Advent of headphones, balanced top to bottom, easy to drive, gets you 90% of the way there for not much money
I'm not taking sides here, but it's funny how people can have different subjective opinions on the same headphones :oops: :

John said:
These headphones are definitely treble cannons! The treble is very harsh and sibilant. Some music can be unbearable such as female vocals and anything with sssss sounds. This doesn't change over time either so burning them in will not change this. [...] So If you can live with the issues then I would definately recommend you buy a pair of these but if you are sensitive to high frequencies like me then I would look elsewhere
(source here, at the bottom).

Again, not taking sides at all. I'm very happy with my HD600. :)
 

Robin L

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I'm not taking sides here, but it's funny how people can have different subjective opinions on the same headphones :oops: :

(source here, at the bottom).

Again, not taking sides at all. I'm very happy with my HD600. :)

I think this is Solderdude's measurement of the Fidelio X2HR. Yup, the treble is up between 5khz and 12khz, peaking at those two frequencies.
fr.png


This is Solderdude's measurement of the Sennheiser HD650, smoother up top:

fr-hd650.png


The level of excess treble in the Philips might be more trouble for some people. I'm old enough to potentially have enough loss of high frequency that I'm missing something. However, I do prefer the HD 650/Drop 6XX, so maybe I'm not. In any case, the bass balance of the Philips 'phones strikes me a better than the Sennheiser 'phones, at least without EQ.
 

restorer-john

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I am pretty satisfied with many in-ear headphones I listened, but most of them got its life ended in my dog mouth.

Buy some Koss and show them this old advertisement from the 1970s. One of my favourite HiFi ads of all time. :)

1608507850154.png


They still have the same warranty AFAIK.
 
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Jose Hidalgo

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Another criteria to consider would be having access to EQ. I'm very happy with my 600 once EQed by Oratory, especially in the bass region. I'm sure the Fidelio once EQed would sound great too.
 

Robin L

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Another criteria to consider would be having access to EQ. I'm very happy with my 600 once EQed by Oratory, especially in the bass region. I'm sure the Fidelio once EQed would sound great too.
Not quite as: The upper registers of the 600 and 650 have less distortion than the Fidelio phones in the frequency range where the Philips have a little too much going on. Then again, the X2HR is also a lot cheaper [a little cheaper if one is in the states and can get Drop's version].
 

Jose Hidalgo

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Not quite as: The upper registers of the 600 and 650 have less distortion than the Fidelio phones in the frequency range where the Philips have a little too much going on. Then again, the X2HR is also a lot cheaper [a little cheaper if one is in the states and can get Drop's version].
Thank you :) So maybe the mystery finally unravels :
  • You tend to equate the X2HR and the 600, and even may prefer the X2HR, but that may be for two reasons :
    • Because your ears may be less sensitive to treble (lots of people actually love treble - I personally appreciate just a hint of it, no more). The X2HR frequency response shows that it's not warm but slightly V-shaped. The 650 would be neutral-warm, and the 600 neutral-neutral I guess.
    • Because we're talking about "out of the box" non-EQed versions
  • But once EQed, I think we can agree that the 600 sounds better. It's only logical, and yes, the X2HR is a lot cheaper. A great product for its price.
 

Jose Hidalgo

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Koss Porta Pro are really worth a listen. So clean at low volume, and quite flat. Very light also. And cheap of course.
Well yes, but the topic title says "over ear", not "on ear".
 

Jimbob54

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Well yes, but the topic title says "over ear", not "on ear".
Indeed. Side note, there is nothing worse than cans that purport to be over /around ear and for someone with lugs on the larger side of normal (but perfectly formed) turn out to be half on ear. Looking at you meze 99, Sony wmx whatever wireless and (I suspect) akg k371.
 
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