Newbie looking for best pair of headphones in £100-£150 range

[Frugert]

Sorry if this isn't the right place to post this as I'm new here. I'm a newbie who's only ever used cheap gaming headsets and am looking for a good upgrade is sound quality and comfort.

Budget - My budget is strict as I can't go above £150 and £100 is my minimum.

Source - I'll be plugging this directly into my PC motherboard (b450 gaming pro carbon) one of the better motherboard audio solutions.

How will the gear be used - I'm using it primarily for indoor use. Sharing a room with someone else too. Closed back is preferred due to this. These headphones will also be used for fps gaming primarily.

Preferred tonal balance - something which has good bass which is clear and prominent however, not overpowering with accurate mids and highs.

Music genre - I tend to listen to movie soundtracks which tend to be intense or sombre. My preferred examples are game of thrones and westworld.

Past gear experience - well to be honest I've only ever used "gaming" headsets, with the best pair I've used being the hyperx cloud stinger. They've gotten the job done, but I'm looking for something more.

What aspect I'm most looking to improve on - everything basically, although sound and comfort are my number 1.

Bonus - I'm not able to spend extra money on nodding the headset with different earpads or amps/dacs at the time being.

 

[BillG]

Industry standard and ~$100USD:

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E

 

[BillG]

Industry standard and ~$100USD:

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E

By the way, they're very durable - I've a set that I've owned since 1996 and they're still going strong...

 

[Veri]

I used to recommend the AD700x/AD900x for sure but then I read this https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/bvwo6b
Cooler Master MH751 is apparently quite good value

 

[M00ndancer]

Cooler Master MH751 is apparently quite good value

Very true, I own the MH752 with the included USB DAC/AMP. An even better value with the included digital volume control and mic volume. I primarily use it for games (PS4/PC) and as a VOIP headset for work. The microphone is stellar, better than the mics on the Sennheiser G4ME headsets.
Compared to my MDR-1a (42 Ohm version) is has a narrower sound stage and less bass (but the MDR-1a is a bassy headphone). Good imaging.
Even use them when I'm listening to vocal tracks and classical music.

 

[solderdude]

Beyerdynamic DT770 / 32 Ohm.
Sturdy, comfortable, prominent but not overpowering bass, used in many studios, pads and headband will be available for many years, closed and can be found in the requested price range.

Not THE best headphone (does not exist) but good for a closed headphone in this pricerange.

Also consider the Takstar Pro 82. (edit: Cooler Master MH751 seems to be the same)
You can even adjust bass levels on these.

 

[Rja4000]

AKG 702
Grade SR60i

 

[solderdude]

Both AKG K702 and Grado are not closed and don't have the bass the OP is looking for.

 

[Rja4000]

So sorry... indeed.
For closed cans, I went for Sennheiser HD25CII.
But, after further testing, I thought I should have tried the Beyer DT770, whatever the model.
They are pretty good for the money.

By the way, looking for a closed pair, I recently went for the Focal Elegia.
Not same budget though.
(About bass: there usually is a tuning knob. So I don't care here)

 

[andreasmaaan]

NAD HP50 fits the description. I find them to be clean and smooth-sounding with emphasised but not overpowering bass, and a generally pleasant overall tonal balance. I also have Audio-Technica ATH-M50X, which I find a little darker and warmer but more pleasant/forgiving.

I would take @solderdude’s advice though - there are few headphones he hasn’t measured and listened to

 

[JJB70]

You can easily find the Audio Technica MSR7 in that price range. It is on the bright side but is an excellent pair of headphones.

 

[solderdude]

The MSR7 is a bit light on the bass (unlike HP50and M50X) and the cheaper ones might be fakes so only buy those from reputable sellers.
The originals are good headphones but possibly a bit bright for the OP but detailed and realsitic without the typical 'closed headphone' sound.
The M50X is a good candidate as well which slipped my mind, maybe a tad 'warm'. Bass slightly bleeds into the mids sometimes.

I blew up one of the drivers on my HP50 and after a while a non replaceable wire broke in the headband. Had to rewire the internals and make it dual entry. The sound is pleasant but getting a good seal takes some effort on my head. Its for sale.

 

[Frugert]

The MSR7 is a bit light on the bass (unlike HP50and M50X) and the cheaper ones might be fakes so only buy those from reputable sellers.
The originals are good headphones but possibly a bit bright for the OP but detailed and realsitic without the typical 'closed headphone' sound.
The M50X is a good candidate as well which slipped my mind, maybe a tad 'warm'. Bass slightly bleeds into the mids sometimes.

I blew up one of the drivers on my HP50 and after a while a non replaceable wire broke in the headband. Had to rewire the internals and make it dual entry. The sound is pleasant but getting a good seal takes some effort on my head. Its for sale.

I've been reading through this thread and taking suggestions into consideration while looking for new headphones. I've been looking into AudioTechnicha headphones specifically and have found the ATH ws1100is. They seem very well built and looking amazing in my opinion. They also have a detachable cable which works with the V-MODA BoomPro which is really convenient for me. What are your thoughts on the headphones since reviews seem to be quite scarce for them.

Thanks!

 

[solderdude]

Never heard nor measured them alas.

Saw this review and glanced through some other reviews by Carroll Moore of some headphones I know and heard and agree with most of those reviews.
His views on the HD650 are 'off' from my impressions though.
The review HERE thus is most likely accurate.

 

[MRC01]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the Massdrop HD58x. It's got to be the best sound quality available at that price point. They are open back, which the OP doesn't prefer, but the sound quality is in a different league from anything else at that price.

 

[JohnYang1997]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the Massdrop HD58x. It's got to be the best sound quality available at that price point. They are open back, which the OP doesn't prefer, but the sound quality is in a different league from anything else at that price.

58x is way better than anything at that price range.

 

[VMAT4]

The NAD VISO HP50 may be out of your budget. I just bought a pair of Sennheiser HD 569. And, they sound good to me.
But, I think I prefer the sound of my HP50 'phones.

 

[Tim6622]

I second the HD58x. Good drivers for the price. My b350 Strix F powers them pretty good so I'm sure your msi board can handle them.

 

[JJB70]

My advice is to keep an eye on the Sennheiser outlet store, they often have excellent B stock deals and in Europe can be more attractive than Drop.

 

[solderdude]

Drop is currently shipping Sennheiser and AKG models from the EU so no importaxes for us EU guys for certain drop products.

drop.com/talk/23671/testing-local-shipping-in-european-union-part-2