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Which headphone(s) of "inferior prestige" do you come always back to?

Ralph_Cramden

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Sennheiser PX 100-II. Bought them with a gift card back in 2015 to use at work, long before I retired. Super lightweight and comfortable. Still my only headphones - never could stand to wear IEMs.
 

Wes

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Beats - wireless and free
 

Vict0r

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Koss Portapro's, Grado SR60, Blon BL03. The holy trinity. :p
 

_thelaughingman

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Headphones that I made from removing the OEM drivers in a Monoprice Stage Right headphones with 30 ohm drivers from an OEM off aliexpress. They sound similar to my Sennheiser HD555 for tonality except with lot more bass.
 

LearningToSmile

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Not sure if this counts but Final Audio E3000($50 or $60 tiny little IEM with attached cable) were my gateway drug into hifi and after they broke I'm constantly tempted to buy a new pair to compare with the gear I own now just to see if they still hold up.

But the big ones are probably Phillips shp1900, literally $15 plastic headphone that I still use for watching youtube videos in bed despite the earpads starting to disintegrate. They're extremely light with no clamp at all while at the same time being pretty sturdy in their simplicity, so it's perfect to just put on before going to sleep then toss aside with no care. The sound is also quite laid back. Funny thing is I looked up measurements for the first time just now to see how bad they are, and they seemingly have a large 5kHz dip:
Screenshot_2015-05-20-15-42-54-1.png

And now this got me wondering if years spent listening to those is why I like my Elear with their similar 5kHz dip so much.
 
OP
Nango

Nango

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Not sure if this counts but Final Audio E3000($50 or $60 tiny little IEM with attached cable) were my gateway drug into hifi and after they broke I'm constantly tempted to buy a new pair to compare with the gear I own now just to see if they still hold up.

But the big ones are probably Phillips shp1900, literally $15 plastic headphone that I still use for watching youtube videos in bed despite the earpads starting to disintegrate. They're extremely light with no clamp at all while at the same time being pretty sturdy in their simplicity, so it's perfect to just put on before going to sleep then toss aside with no care. The sound is also quite laid back. Funny thing is I looked up measurements for the first time just now to see how bad they are, and they seemingly have a large 5kHz dip:
View attachment 123482
And now this got me wondering if years spent listening to those is why I like my Elear with their similar 5kHz dip so much.
Counts!!!
 

bobbooo

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HifiMan HE4XX. One of their most affordable models, and according to professional measurements and the best science we currently have, they are also HifiMan's (and Drop's) best sounding headphone. Those blinded by pricing bias will tell you otherwise of course ;)
 
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Loathecliff

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Superlux HD681. Must be over ten years old, and still in one piece; (& unlike two Sennheisers, the cord plastic hasn't disintegrated).
 

Jimbob54

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HifiMan HE4XX. One of their most affordable models, and according to professional measurements and the best science we currently have, they are also HifiMan's (and Drop's) best sounding headphone. Those blinded by pricing bias will tell you otherwise of course ;)

Sadly they feel like you've put carpet offcuts on your head and I reckon physical feel /comfort has a significant impact on one's perception of a pair of phones. As does look /branding /price etc but the sonics and feel can't be negated by shutting your eyes.
 

Honken

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I'm quite the fan of how earbuds sound and my favorite pair is probably the "headphone" I use the most, as I use this pair for video calls for work and my work involves a lot of that. The earbuds are the Vido MX500, which I think is based off some generic OEM design. Either way, I find it very easy and airy to listen to.

No doubt, my HD600 headphones that I use with my main computer here at home sounds objectively better in every way, but the sensation is a lot more closed in. I don't think I would want to listen to the HD600 for 8 hours every day.
 

Robin L

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Philips Fidelio X2 HR. I can hear what's messed up in the upper registers. On the other hand, that resonant behavior works well with brass, and these are the best phones I've got now for out of head imaging. Good for jazz.
 

RayDunzl

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I only have one pair, so, regardless of their prestige, they are the ones I go back to.

(haven't had them on my head for at least a month, maybe more)
 
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