Headphone Advice Thread
 

Headphone Advice
So, after seeing countless posts of lost souls purchasing Beats/Skullcandy/Souls/whatever, I've decided to make this thread for those of you who wish to purchase new headphones in the near future, or if you still have Apple stock buds or the Skullcandy Ink'd IEMs with money to blow. Without further ado....

What You'll Need to Tell Me

1. Budget:
2. Music Preference:
3. Form Factor (Type):
4. Open-backed or close-backed (not for IEMs):
5. Source (MP3 player/desktop/etc):
6. What's above everything else? - Sound quality / Looks or Design / Build quality / Portability

Budget: How much you are willing to spend on a set.

Music Preference: stfu

Form Factor: IEM - In-ear monitor (Skullcandy earphones) / Full-size (Beats Studio) / On-ear (Beats Solo)

Open-backed or close-backed: Open-backed headphones have a ventilation system that leaks sound from your headphones for less distortion that is caused by reverberating sound in close-backed headphones. Open-backed headphones generally sound better, but leak sound and do not provide much noise cancellation. Close-backed headphones do not leak sound (some exceptions), generally have sub-par sound to open-backed headphones (again, some exceptions) but offer excellent noise cancellation (...exceptions) when music is playing through them.

Source: What will be powering your headphones. I'm going to guess that 9/10 of these will be iPods or iPhones, considering this is a Graalians forum, but some of you may have nice sound cards out there...

One last thing...
Do not post about how great you are convinced that your Beats, Skullcandy, Turtle Beaches, or your dad's Bose headphones are unless you're genuinely curious why they're bad values. I don't want nor need to take time to explain why they aren't as good as you think you are.

I WANT THAT FOR SUMMER!

And remember folks, the sound quality is only as good as the weakest link! You can have the most expensive reciever + sound system/headphones, but if the music is coming from your low-end soundcard/motherboard chipset then the quality will still suck.

ahaha, gained so much respect for you now.

Bit off topic but my dad has a home theatre system and the two side speakers are Bose, mostly for the mid and high range sound. I still poke fun at them. Nowadays they're stacked on top of the two front tower speakers (:love: Cerwin Vega in terms of bang for buck) for some extra sound.

Budget: 50-70$
Preference: Bass boost
Form Factor (Type): on ear
Open-backed or close-backed (not for IEMs): closed back
Source (MP3 player/desktop/etc): iPod and Laptop
What's above everything else? - Sound quality / Looks or Design / Build quality / Portability:
Portability and sound quality

I'm going to point you towards the Koss PortaPros. They look sorta retro-ish, but the sound quality is rivaled by none in its price point. Good bass extension with good punch as well, although it might encroach on the mids. It's extremely lightweight and has a nice folding mechanism for portable users. Its actually only about $40, but its by far the best on-ear for bass lovers in the sub-$100 price point. If you want something of a more treble-focused sound and don't mind open back, you can't go wrong with the Grado SR-80i.

Thanks alot. Im thinking of getting them, now i just need 30 more dollars P:

Budget: $10-15
Preference: N/A
Form Factor (Type): on/in ear (kinda like the earphones that come standard with iPods)
Open-backed or close-backed (not for IEMs): closed back
Source (MP3 player/desktop/etc): Laptop
What's above everything else? - Build quality / Portability

I'll have to recommend either the Sennheiser MX270 ($15) or JVC Gumys ($10). Those are just for earbud-style (iPod stocks). For IEMs (like earbuds, but go in deeper) in that range, there are much better options. If you want to consider IEMs, I'll point you towards the Monoprice 8320 ($9) or the Meelectronics M9 ($15). Pick which one best suits you, I suppose.

MX270 - Bassier sound (apple/earbud style)
Gumy - Like Skullcandy minus the bloated bass (apple/earbud)
Monoprice 8320 - Great and balanced for the price (IEM)
M9 - Balanced sound (IEM)

Budget: the cheaper the better but $80 at the most
Music Preference: Dubstep and Electro
Form Factor (Type): on-ear
Open-backed or close-backed (not for IEMs): Open
Source (MP3 player/desktop/etc): iTouch
What's above everything else? - Sound quality

Again, I'll have to recommend the Koss PortaPros as the budget king for on-ears. They have plenty of bass while still retaining a refined treble and midrange, eve if slightly recessed. The Grado SR-80i is also amazing for its price point, though it may not suit your bass-craving needs. If you decide to go outside the on-ear world, there are loads of other options at your price point.

In-ears
[$65] VSonic GR06: In-ear bang-for-your-buck king right here. Thick sound which is great for bass-heavy music like house, hip-hop, dubstep, EDM, etc. These will run you around $60-$70, but they punch well above that price point.

[$80] Audio Technica ATH-CKM500: My favorite sub-$100 IEM. Has fantastic bass extension, while representing Audio Technica's house sound perfectly - emphasized bass and treble while keeping the mids at a lower volume. This IEM has sparkly treble (might be too bright for some), complmented by good bass punch, but the bass is slightly bloated. Above average soundstage. Great for rock and dubstep, but the overpowering bass might be too much for hip-hop (that's why we have EQs, right?)

On-ear (Listed Above)
($40-50) Koss PortaPro: See above - in a nutshell, overpowering bass with thick treble and midrange. Good for dubstep, not so much for non-vocal.

($80) Grado SR-80i: The best (in my opinion) on-ear at this price point if you don't mind sacrificing some bass punch. Iconic aggressive treble and mids, making it perfect for rock and other vocal music. Keep these away from electronic, they might not have enough bass punch. The bass quality is definitely there.

Over-ear
($80) Audio Technica ATH-WS55: Bass, bass, bass, bass, bass. These represent emphasized bass (great quality and punch) and laid-back trebs and mids. Not much else to say here, but these should fit each and every basshead's needs.

Sony XB Series: Any of the headphones in this series should also fit your bass needs. The models in your price point are subpar to other options there, however.

(for a friend)

Budget: $800 (and a $200-$400 secondary option would be nice)
Music Preference: Hip-Hop/Dance/Indie
Form Factor (Type): Over Ear
Open-backed or close-backed (not for IEMs): Closed
Source (MP3 player/desktop/etc): MP3, Laptop with Waxx 3.0 Audio
What's above everything else?: Sound quality, good midrange.

b-bump

Wow, rather large budget I see. Okay, for your price ranges I've got 2 options with different qualities for both of your price ranges so you can pick the one you feel is better suited for your friend.

$800 Budget

Option 1: Audez'e LCD-2 ($825)
Alright, for a mid-forward signature and a great thick sound that's perfect for hip-hop, nothing beats this headphone at the sub-$1,000 price range. It has a warm, detailed, and punchy sound that's also a favorite amongst mixers and sound engineers. The mids are the real sweet spot on these headphones, sporting some of the best in any set in the world, minus Stax and the upgraded LCD-3. They've got very rich and lifelike tonal balance which stays true to the real world. Everything is fantastic throughout the whole sound spectrum, though. It's a very well regarded set by the Head-Fi community, and is actually ranked as the community's overall favorite headphone. In my opinion, its big, retro wooden look is a huge plus for me, though I don't think he would want to be wearing it out on the street (although, other audiophile will definitely notice them from a mile away). Another thing about this option is that it doesn't fit the closed-back preference - it's a semi-opened back set and isn't too suitable for outdoor use. It won't isolate a lot, and leaks a little sound. If its bearable, this is the #1 option for this price range (It might run you a little over $800). If not, I'll have to point you towards the Audio Technica ATH-W1000X.

Pros: Very balanced sound across the spectrum, thick/warm and punchy sound, sexy wooden look, can be driven by an iPhone (as claimed by Audez'e), reference class headphones, true to life sound, godly mids
Cons: Price, open-backed

Option 2: Audio Technica ATH-W1000X ($675) - Now this here is one of my personal favorites. Audio Technica is really known (and this set in particular) for their bright, clear treble, punchy bass, and a V-shaped sound signature. Now because the bass and treble are emphasized over the mids does not make the mids bad. The mids still remain natural and lifelike, and with some EQ to reduce the bass, the mids really shine on these headphones. These are great for bass-heavy music and vocal music; dubstep, drum n bass, hip-hop, rap, etc. but I wouldn't recommend them for rock as the bass is too prominent and the sound isn't as aggressive as one might like for rock. These should run you around $600-$700 MSRP.

Pros: Punchy with good bass extension, laid-back sound, clarity in trebles, amazing wooden look
Cons: Shy mids, might need amplification

$200-400 Budget

Option 1: Audio Technica ATH-A900X ($230) - Another candidate by Audio Technica here, this is also much representative of Audio Technica's house sound that I mentioned in the above paragraph - though, the sound is more balanced out and less colored throughout the whole spectrum, which is all personal preference. The A-series by Audio Technica is also renowned for its above average soundstage which makes it very suitable for recordings at live concerts, classical, video games and movies alike. This is a really promising set that's on the lower end of your price range, but high end on the sound side.

Pros: Powerful and deep bass, clarity in trebles, very comfortable, very good soundstage, closed-back
Cons: Recessed (but lifelike) mids

Option 2: AKG K701 ($275) - These are another legendary set produced by AKG, which is one of the best - and not just at its price point - headphones in regards of midrange, and especially soundstage. The overall sound signature does not provide much punch to its bass, but has a great mid-forward sound complemented by nice treble. Now, these have a couple downsides based on your personal preferences, and it includes extreme need for amping, as as mentioned, weaker bass. It's also open-back, but if he's going to be using these mostly for home, and can get these to work with a decent $150 amp whicthese would be spectacular.

Pros: Amazing soundstage, fantastic mids and trebles, iconic look (featured in quite a few animes)
Cons: Shy but deep bass, requires powerful amp, open-backed

Hope this helped you man, best of luck pairing your friend up with the perfect set.

Budget: $50
Music Preference: Hip Hop/Rap, Techno
Form Factor: In ear
Source: iPod
What above all else: Sound Quality, Looks

MEElectronics A151 Balanced Armature
The Meelec A151 is a great sub-$50 IEM that is well regarded by audiophiles especially for their bass punch and quality at such a low price. The A151 has a slight V-shaped frequency response in which trebles and bass are both emphasized over the midrange. I think this set should well fit your needs, as it has plenty of bass for hip-hop and techno, while still retaining decent treble clarity. The midrange isn't too special, though it isn't bad either. They also look very nice in my opinion, with an expensive-looking braided cable and a nice aluminum driver housing. These should run you about $55; and I think its a perfect match.

Regards.

how to pick out headphones/earbuds properly: go to walmart, get lost until you find the electronics section, stare it the rack of audio devices for 30 seconds until you've found the cheapest pair, buy them.