What are the best headphones you would recommend in the $100-$250 range? What headphones do you have?

[Linus]

W

Had the Grado, not really comfortable and my ears would hurt really quickly unless played at super low level.
Now own the AT, nothing bad to say. great sound + good comfort. Bonus, they come with 3 different cables; short straigh, long straight & long curly.

Read a bit too fast, I now own the ATH M50x. Closed back and in your budget range. Love mine!!

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

Can't seem to find "AKG 167", is that the correct spelling?
My current limit is around $127 so most of the items in the list do not work for me, plus I am picky about comfort (even more than sound quality), I do not like a snug fit (i.e., pressure on the side of my head).

If you want comfortable fit you must buy Sennheiser HD 598. Most comfortable headphones I have ever purchased. Grados are not comfortable. You can wear the 598 all day. I also have their 650 and not as comfortable.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

I noticed the price of 598 jacked up to $250. I bought my second pair 2 years ago for $150.

 

[Robin L]

I noticed the price of 598 jacked up to $250. I bought my second pair 2 years ago for $150.

Check BLINQ, they have returns at discounts. Have phones with the same design of cups and pads, the 599 & 579. A little more comfortable than AKG K167. Don't know if there's a closed back version of the 598.

 

[milus]

Check BLINQ, they have returns at discounts. Have phones with the same design of cups and pads, the 599 & 579. A little more comfortable than AKG K167. Don't know if there's a closed back version of the 598.

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/headphone-around-ear-home-mobile-hd-598-cs

 

[Bernard23]

Not tried them nor heard them (no dealer nearby) so am opinion-less.
Did measure/play with the better known HPH-MT220
my conclusion:


Not a real high flyer for hi-fi, good for studio usage/monitoring.

Are you inferring that there are different requirements, or have I misunderstood this? Simple logic might conclude that the best headphones to use objectively are the ones that the producer used in the studio? Context for my question is I'm looking for some accurate closed back phones to counter the Grados that I have. Bearing in mind that I'm nearly 56, and my right ear is a bit shot above 12k I don't have an issue with bright tonality, but I would like to try some neutral or "accurate" phones even if it just serves to calibrate my subjective preferences.

 

[solderdude]

In studios headphones are mostly used for monitoring.
For mixing, when a headphone is EQ'ed or the one using the headphone knows what the results will sound like when using this headphone is yet another thing.
Studio work is something entirely different from enjoying music.
Totally different properties are needed.

 

[Bernard23]

Studio work is something entirely different from enjoying music.
Totally different properties are needed.

Why should that be? Not suggesting that a studio engineer doesn't enjoy listening to the music, but will presumably attempt to create a repeatable signature reference artefact, or master. If that master is the reference artefact, then why not use the same instrument to inspect it later? So long as my digital carrier is bit perfect into the analogue transducer, isn't that going to be closest to the original source intention? I'm probably massively oversimplifying the process! I have made my own home recordings using a Yamaha modelling amp, cubase and those ultimate studio monitors, Grado 325e! So, I don't really know much about sound engineering, but really wish I did.

 

[solderdude]

Not all headphones used for monitoring can be used for mixing and or enjoying music.
Some professional headphones can also be used for mixing (when EQ'ed or well known) and with some you can even enjoy music.
It also works the other way around. Some hifi headphones can be used for mixing and even monitoring.

It's a frequency response thing, or isolation or clamping force or rigidity thing

 

[LaL]

when you remove the foam from the rear of the driver it comes close but not quite the same.

The hd650 actually has 2 layers of foam over the back hole of the driver, the hd600 only has 1 layer.
I wonder if you could remove just 1 of the pieces of foam from the 650 would they sound closer ?
I have the 600 and just got the 6XX and can't believe I don't like it and I've been listening to it for a week.
It sounds so closed in and with less detail compared to the 600.

 

[pk500]

HiFiMan HE-400se - $150 regular retail. The perfect entry-level planar can. Astonishing sound for the price.

Drop Sennheiser HD-6xx - $220 regular retail. The most easy-to-listen headphone I've heard. Great mids, solid bass, rolled-off treble, very comfortable. Can listen to these for hours with no brain or head/ear fatigue.

I own and love both.

 

[solderdude]

The hd650 actually has 2 layers of foam over the back hole of the driver, the hd600 only has 1 layer.
I wonder if you could remove just 1 of the pieces of foam from the 650 would they sound closer ?
I have the 600 and just got the 6XX and can't believe I don't like it and I've been listening to it for a week.
It sounds so closed in and with less detail compared to the 600.

Removing the foam makes the headphone less damped and increases the lower midrange hump. It will sound a bit darker and less like the HD600. grey = foamy removed, green is stock.
The drivers are different.

 

[LaL]

Removing the foam makes the headphone less damped and increases the lower midrange hump. It will sound a bit darker and less like the HD600. grey = foamy removed, green is stock.
The drivers are different.

View attachment 172696

Thanks for the graph.
The upper treble looks a little bit more like the 600, but as for the rest of it, the 650 is already dark enough.
So maybe that doesn't really look like an improvement, I might just be a hd600 Man then.

 

[Sal1950]

I have the 600 and just got the 6XX and can't believe I don't like it and I've been listening to it for a week.
It sounds so closed in and with less detail compared to the 600.

Don't mod it, just return it if possible.
Once you got it in your head you don't like something I doubt you'll be able to shake it.

Personally you couldn't pry my HD-650's out of my cold dead hands.
YMMV

 

[LaL]

Don't mod it, just return it if possible.
Once you got it in your head you don't like something I doubt you'll be able to shake it.

Personally you couldn't pry my HD-650's out of my cold dead hands.
YMMV

Yeah, I'll put a pair of old used pads I have back onto the 6XX and try them for another week just to see if I can like them. It's just they are supposed to sound so similar with just minor differences, I mean everybody can't be wrong.

 

[edahl]

From what I've gathered 560S, 6XX, K371 or HE400se is where you want to be at that price; maybe you can find an open box Sundara.

 

[vinnik]

HiFiMan HE-400se - $150 regular retail. The perfect entry-level planar can. Astonishing sound for the price.

Drop Sennheiser HD-6xx - $220 regular retail. The most easy-to-listen headphone I've heard. Great mids, solid bass, rolled-off treble, very comfortable. Can listen to these for hours with no brain or head/ear fatigue.

I own and love both.

Hi. Can you say how is the sound of the HE-400SE in classical music? Specially compared to Beyer's DT880 and Senn's HD599?

 

[pk500]

Hi. Can you say how is the sound of the HE-400SE in classical music? Specially compared to Beyer's DT880 and Senn's HD599?

Sorry, not enough of a classical devotee to properly analyze the music on different cans. Plus, I've never heard the DT 880 or HD 599. I own HD 6xx and have owned HD 560s.

But one of my favorite qualities of the HE-400se is that it sounds really good with the genres I like -- rock, classic rock, hard bop jazz, alt-country, bluegrass, alternative rock.

 

[LaL]

Hi. Can you say how is the sound of the HE-400SE in classical music? Specially compared to Beyer's DT880 and Senn's HD599?

Specifically for classical music I find the DT880 very good, but for other genres of music the highs can be too sharp/sibilant.

 

[Snoopy]

'best headphones' as in do not break easily, are most comfortable to wear, on-ear or over-ear, driven from portable gear or desktop or 'best sounding' ?
If the latter than you will get 20 different recommendations and some of the recommendations won't be pleasing to you.

When you liked the piercing Grado sound you could look into Beyerdynamic DT990 Edition. Cheap, comfy, durable but may need the 32 Ohm version.
But it is not as forward as the Grado and has more bass.

Would drive me crazy.. Bayer and Grado.