headphones advice

[soniafresh]

Hey guys,

Its my little brothers birthday coming up and for his present I want to buy him some "high quality" headphones. He has been using skullcandy hesh 2.0's for a about a year now, but complains that they are uncomfortable after a while (he's always on them). They aren't that expensive, but this is unfortunate because they aren't exactly cheap either.

I have a budget of 100-200$ but would prefer to stay closer to the $100 range if possible. He uses them mostly for music, but also does play online gaming on his xbox one. Also, I think his current headphone is Bluetooth, so would like to keep that the same also. I've been skimming the boards for help and think I've narrowed it down to either the JBL E50BT's or the Bluedio R+'s... they seem to get some of the best reviews. Opinions?

Also, if you think of another product that would be better for me please be sure to let me know. I'm kinda new to the whole headphones thing. Back in my day all I had to do was walk down the aisle and grab the cheapest pair I could find, ha!

Thanks for the help.

 

[Muadib]

Welcome to Anandtech!! Checkout the jaybirds $125

http://www.amazon.com/JayBird-BlueBuds-Sport-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B00AIRUOI8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1434748369&sr=1-1&keywords=jaybird+bluebuds+x

 

[s44]

Over-the-ear or in-ear?

What's he listen to?

 

[ImDonly1]

http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide

 

[JeffMD]

huh.. that list really makes it seem like if you want to listen to anything worth listening too, you should spend $150. Fact is %95 of the music listening public would be happy with Shure SE215, Ostry Kc06a (This is what I am rocking now), or JAYS a-JAYS Five.

The list sums up tonal strengths and prices but doesn't really tell you if it sounds like crap or not.

 

[gus6464]

Beyerdynamic DT1350 CC. Can be had for $170 right now on the bay. You will not find a better bargain.

 

[Karl Agathon]

huh.. that list really makes it seem like if you want to listen to anything worth listening too, you should spend $150. Fact is %95 of the music listening public would be happy with Shure SE215, Ostry Kc06a (This is what I am rocking now), or JAYS a-JAYS Five.

The list sums up tonal strengths and prices but doesn't really tell you if it sounds like crap or not.

+1 on the Ostry Kc06a

 

[ThatsABigOne]

Xiaomi Piston V2.1

 

[mikeford]

I have no idea what Skullkandy sounds like, but its the sound your brother is used to, good or bad anything "different" won't sound right to him. Where is my bloated undefined bass, screeching mid range, etc.

I prefer a neutral accurate headphone, so stick to mostly Sennheiser.

 

[dawheat]

Xiaomi Piston V2.1

I like the Piston 3.0 more than the 2.1 and for $20 odd, it's a screaming bargain.

 

[soniafresh]

Thanks for the fast responses guys..

I've been scanning all over the internet trying to learn as much as I can about this so any help you can give is great. I think i've actually started leaning away from my original choices of the JBL E50BT's or the Bluedio R+..

I have heard good things about the jaybirds and the shure's and would probably prefer something like that for myself actually, but since he is used to his over-ear headphones I think my best bet is to just stick with the same style.

pcmag says the hesh's are pretty balanced, decent bass (not overly bassy) but they dont leave anything to be desired. They also specifically stated that the fit is "awkward" so it makes sense that hes been having problems. He tends to listen to rock / hip-hop / dubstep - all completely different styles of music so i should probably get something that has an overall more well-rounded sound signature, right?

I agree with mikeford and don't want to completely change up from what he is used to - im just going for an improvement from what he has been using. Thats also not the first time I've heard good things about sennheiser. I found the Sennheiser HD 598's on pricenfees (they were rated #2 there for the best under 200$), and they seem to get good reviews almost everywhere else.

I don't believe they are bluetooth unfortunately, but from what I've read wired headphones will actually sound better? Plus, he does occasionally use his for gaming, which i also read that wired headphones are generally a better choice because they are more compatible.. or something along those lines?


So what do you think about the HD 598's? Any personal experiences? From what i've read they sound pretty good (not overly bassy but good enough - like the hesh 2.0's) and they're "above-average comfortable". Plus, i have a store near me that is selling them for lower than listing price (around $125) which is also a plus.

 

[MrSquished]

check out the sennheiser momentums. best portable headphones. you can get version 1 for under $100 on amazon cause version 2 came out at $350. version 1 was around 300 bucks when they came out. it's the best deal.

 

[Karl Agathon]

So what do you think about the HD 598's? Any personal experiences? From what i've read they sound pretty good (not overly bassy but good enough - like the hesh 2.0's) and they're "above-average comfortable". Plus, i have a store near me that is selling them for lower than listing price (around $125) which is also a plus.

I owned the 598's for about a month. The second most comfortable (behind the Sony MDR-1A) over ear cans I've ever worn.

Sounsd wise I found them to very analytical. They shined with classical, Jazz, light rock, and acoustical type recordings. Bass was present, but on light side.

 

[JeffMD]

If you hate someone, buy them $20 headphones. If you want someone to like music.. start at the $70 mark and find the mainstays like the grado 60/80.

Bluetooth isn't bad persay, it is a drop in quality though. It is a huge convenience but 1) bluetooth isnt free, so if you are buying a $70 pair of BT headphones, it is more like a $40 bluetooth modual attached to a $30 pair of headphones. 2) because more audiophiles are inclined to buy wired headphones, you will find it easier to get reviews and opinions on wired headphones. I also find that buyers of BT headphones are looking for convenience and don't have much experience with GOOD headphones, so when they say it sounds really good, it really doesn't (This is what I see in most youtube videos of BT headphones and earbuds).

 

[Rayb]

If you can gift him something he'll cherish and still suit his preferences, you're a great sister.

Although, I still prefer the Audio Technica ATH-AD900X over the HD 598's, while similar in price, the sound stage is better with the ATH-AD900X. IMHO, after owning both of them for a while until I decided to part with the HD 598's without regret.

 

[bradly1101]

You'll get a million recommendations. We are very happy with these.

 

[MrSquished]

haven't heard the 598's though i have the hd 600's and am in love with them. keep in mind the 598's are open eared headphones. i have the hd 600's and love them and for portable use am in love with both the senn momentums which i mentioned in a post above and the triple.fi 10 pros. for closed ear portables the momentums are tough to beat.

 

[Jembo]

I just bought these.
http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-BackBeat-Wireless-Canceling-Headphones/dp/B00MBWIL0G
They're more than you wanted to spend but maybe you can find them cheaper. They sound great. Wired & wireless. I get like 30 hrs wireless out of them. I've owned a few Grados & Sennheisers & AKG's along the way & I must say I really enjoy these. They are large though.

 

[mikeford]

I wouldn't buy wireless headphones, just get a wireless adapter for those times you need it.

Sennheiser and all good headphone will reveal how much poor material sucks.

 

[JeffMD]

Mike, adapter would really be cumbersome. I'm all for cutting the cord but even I am not gonna drag around something to hang off the end of my cord.

Wireless headphones are a whole nother ball of wax. For one thing, don't even think about a2dp headphones. If it does not use AptX (And if your phone does not use aptx) then don't even bother. It will sound like crap.

If you are going with wireless headphones you will need to do what pixel squish did.. pay more then your are wanting too. You are paying for both the bluetooth tech (~40 or more price inflation) on top of the heaphone tech. So If I wanted my earbuds in bluetooth, I would have to consider something in the $150 range.