Anyone who genuinely cares about the quality of their audio is likely going to spend at least $100 on a good pair of headphones. The best bang-for-your-buck spot is in the $200-$300 range, IMO. (currently wearing my Beyerdynamic DT 990 Premiums)
@Dankk re. bang for your buck, I went with the Wirecutter's recommendation to buy a pair of Sony MDR-7506's. I think I picked them up for $75, and I've been nothing but happy with that decision. They're not $300 headphones, but they sound great for the price, and are relatively neutral, meaning they're versatile, without making music unfun. (They're also closed, great for blocking out the office chatter.)
@Dankk I was able to get a pair of Sennheiser HD 598's around Christmas time for $100. They are absolutely incredible. Really nice sound quality and extremely comfortable for long listening sessions.
@Dankk OMG, only the unwashed masses only spend $200-$300 on a good pair of heaphones. Shipping alone for mine cost more than that; I had the Queen of England carry it over the Atlantic in a little gold box on her back. Be prepared to spend your child's inheritance for passable audio, wake up , people!
@Dankk I care about my audio. I also spent $17.99 on my earbuds and have been thrilled. They sound fantastic and I was able to spend the rest of the money on whiskey so it was a win/win/win.
For really good headphones without getting extreme, around $100. But actually I've been to too many rock shows to tell the difference between anything better than that. Presence is important, but anything over 15 KHz is masked by the ringing in my ears.
I usually just use a cheap pair of whatever $5 clip headphones I can find for when I'm outside, and when I'm at home I usually use a headset instead of headphones. With headsets you aren't really going to get as good of a mic or headphones as you would having them separate, but my Gamecom 780 was $60 on sale and it's good good enough audio for me for now.
@Jocosity I don't know of this Gamecom you speak of, BUT it brought back memories of the old Tiger Game.com handheld gaming system, anyone remember those? Had two cartridge slots, a crappy resistive touchscreen, and built in speech synthesis. Extremely unreliable, poor game selection... but at the time it felt like the future had arrived!
Most of my ear-time that isn't through speakers is a pair of Sennheiser IE-800s, which ran me about $600. Commuting bliss. At home I mostly use speakers these days, but I still have a pair of Sennheiser HD-650s (~$400) on my desk that get occasional use, and up in bed are some HD-558s (~$100). I guess I like Sennheiser.
@ebatch Meh, it's a matter of priorities. Saving up for nice things that will last for something that makes life all the more pleasant... There are plenty of other areas of my life that I'm certain I spend much, much less on than most folks. A lot of audio equipment that I've had has kept its value enough to where upgrades can happen easily in incremental steps as well. I'm rather tempted to sell the HD-650s as well, as I just don't use them enough currently to justify them.
@brhfl In all honesty, I get it and would do the same if "Mrs. ebatch" wasn't spending every damn dime on groceries, electricity, water, gas, mortgage...
I've never spent more than $50 on music headphones. I currently have a pair of Sony athletic buds that I got for Christmas (probably about $30), a pair of Wicked buds that were only $9 and sound great, a pair of noise-cancelling ones that double as ear protection for $17, a pair of active noise control (different from noise cancelling) headphones that I got just to try out for $40, and then two turtlebeach headsets, one wireless with 5.1 surround sound for $80 refurb and one stereo wired for $50 new. Obviously the headsets are a little more expensive since they come with a mic and additional features for gaming, but I don't use them for music very often.
Overall, I cannot see myself spending more than $50 just to listen to music. Do I doubt the quality of the fancy $200-$300 ones? Of course not. They're probably amazing. But if I can spend $9 on a pair of simple buds and get passable sound quality, there is no way in heck I'm going to be able to find $200+ worthwhile.
I am also a composer, so if the day comes when I want some sort of home studio for producing music, maybe then I would consider spending $100+. Until then, I'm staying on the cheap-but-good-enough side of things.
@beokabatukaba a nice pair is a big jump, purchased Sennheiser HD 650s 5 years ago and they exceeded expectations. One extra benefit if your in the dating game part of your life, have the person(s) your seeing listen with them and they'll be coming back like fresh crack addicts.
I own studio monitor headphones from Sennheiser. They cost me $150. They work great and have a wonderful range. That's my sweet spot.
I use them to edit sound for music and video. It's really necessary if you want balanced sound response. The Beats are too bass heavy and are too muddled. The Sennheisers have a great soundstage and don't cost an arm and a leg.
I have a pair of Audio-Technica ATH50S's that I got for $129. I use them with a HiFiMAN EF2A amp to block out all the people making noise at work. They are comfortable and I think they sound good. I'm not 100% sure the amp sounds better than just plugging the headphones into the MacBook's headphone port, but I bought it so I use it.
I have two pairs of musician's in-ear monitors: A pair of Westones that cost around $200 plus the cost of the audiologist visit to have them fitted, and a pair of Ultimate Ears (pre-acquisition) that cost about $300. Used both extensively on stage and in studios. Day-to-day use, I have 4 pairs of Apple Ear-Pods I cycle through, which are fine for podcasts and the office. I have an old pair of Sony studio headphones that get used for recording purposes. Plus JBL Studio Monitors. and speaker docks.
@ChadP Sweet. What do you play? I have friends in 2 bands that are at the point where they are now seriously shopping for mid-price IEMs. It's always cool when you finally hit that point :)
I usually have spent $5-$15 on headphones. I haven't had any issues with what I bought
Anyone who genuinely cares about the quality of their audio is likely going to spend at least $100 on a good pair of headphones. The best bang-for-your-buck spot is in the $200-$300 range, IMO. (currently wearing my Beyerdynamic DT 990 Premiums)
@Dankk re. bang for your buck, I went with the Wirecutter's recommendation to buy a pair of Sony MDR-7506's. I think I picked them up for $75, and I've been nothing but happy with that decision. They're not $300 headphones, but they sound great for the price, and are relatively neutral, meaning they're versatile, without making music unfun. (They're also closed, great for blocking out the office chatter.)
@Dankk I was able to get a pair of Sennheiser HD 598's around Christmas time for $100. They are absolutely incredible. Really nice sound quality and extremely comfortable for long listening sessions.
@Dankk OMG, only the unwashed masses only spend $200-$300 on a good pair of heaphones. Shipping alone for mine cost more than that; I had the Queen of England carry it over the Atlantic in a little gold box on her back. Be prepared to spend your child's inheritance for passable audio, wake up , people!
@Dankk The question isn't about excellent headphones, it's about pair of good headphones, which would be a step below excellent.
@Dankk I care about my audio. I also spent $17.99 on my earbuds and have been thrilled. They sound fantastic and I was able to spend the rest of the money on whiskey so it was a win/win/win.
$3 for 2 pairs on Two-For-Tuesday. Duh!
@theco2 So true, but mine haven't arrived yet so I can't tell if they are good.
@Kyser_Soze I haven't received mine, either, but I thought it was just obvious.
about tree fiddy
Headphones for serious listening, probably some grados. for everything else cheap disposable earbuds.
@Headly Not a huge fan of the Grado sound myself, but I still feel a lot of respect when I see someone rockin' 'em.
For really good headphones without getting extreme, around $100. But actually I've been to too many rock shows to tell the difference between anything better than that. Presence is important, but anything over 15 KHz is masked by the ringing in my ears.
Unless you're just settling for something cheap that you don't really care about, you're not going to get a "good" pair for less than $100ish.
Though this also depends on what you classify as a "good" pair of headphones.
I've got a pair of Superlux HD668B's. They're the best headphones I've ever put on my head, and I got them for 35 bucks off Amazon.
I usually just use a cheap pair of whatever $5 clip headphones I can find for when I'm outside, and when I'm at home I usually use a headset instead of headphones. With headsets you aren't really going to get as good of a mic or headphones as you would having them separate, but my Gamecom 780 was $60 on sale and it's good good enough audio for me for now.
@Jocosity I don't know of this Gamecom you speak of, BUT it brought back memories of the old Tiger Game.com handheld gaming system, anyone remember those? Had two cartridge slots, a crappy resistive touchscreen, and built in speech synthesis. Extremely unreliable, poor game selection... but at the time it felt like the future had arrived!
Most of my ear-time that isn't through speakers is a pair of Sennheiser IE-800s, which ran me about $600. Commuting bliss. At home I mostly use speakers these days, but I still have a pair of Sennheiser HD-650s (~$400) on my desk that get occasional use, and up in bed are some HD-558s (~$100). I guess I like Sennheiser.
@brhfl I'd guess you have disposable income.
@ebatch Meh, it's a matter of priorities. Saving up for nice things that will last for something that makes life all the more pleasant... There are plenty of other areas of my life that I'm certain I spend much, much less on than most folks. A lot of audio equipment that I've had has kept its value enough to where upgrades can happen easily in incremental steps as well. I'm rather tempted to sell the HD-650s as well, as I just don't use them enough currently to justify them.
@brhfl In all honesty, I get it and would do the same if "Mrs. ebatch" wasn't spending every damn dime on groceries, electricity, water, gas, mortgage...
@brhfl (I say all that jokingly and wish you well, ok?)
@ebatch :)
I've never spent more than $50 on music headphones. I currently have a pair of Sony athletic buds that I got for Christmas (probably about $30), a pair of Wicked buds that were only $9 and sound great, a pair of noise-cancelling ones that double as ear protection for $17, a pair of active noise control (different from noise cancelling) headphones that I got just to try out for $40, and then two turtlebeach headsets, one wireless with 5.1 surround sound for $80 refurb and one stereo wired for $50 new. Obviously the headsets are a little more expensive since they come with a mic and additional features for gaming, but I don't use them for music very often.
Overall, I cannot see myself spending more than $50 just to listen to music. Do I doubt the quality of the fancy $200-$300 ones? Of course not. They're probably amazing. But if I can spend $9 on a pair of simple buds and get passable sound quality, there is no way in heck I'm going to be able to find $200+ worthwhile.
I am also a composer, so if the day comes when I want some sort of home studio for producing music, maybe then I would consider spending $100+. Until then, I'm staying on the cheap-but-good-enough side of things.
@beokabatukaba a nice pair is a big jump, purchased Sennheiser HD 650s 5 years ago and they exceeded expectations. One extra benefit if your in the dating game part of your life, have the person(s) your seeing listen with them and they'll be coming back like fresh crack addicts.
@Catdad Alright, another 650 owner!
I own studio monitor headphones from Sennheiser. They cost me $150. They work great and have a wonderful range. That's my sweet spot.
I use them to edit sound for music and video. It's really necessary if you want balanced sound response. The Beats are too bass heavy and are too muddled. The Sennheisers have a great soundstage and don't cost an arm and a leg.
There is no "right" price. There is only what sounds good to me vs. what doesn't sound good to me.
The only brand headphones I own are Sennheiser HD201s. They work nicely, and are a nice step up from generic cheapo packins.
They all break in the same place no matter how much you lay down
I have a pair of Audio-Technica ATH50S's that I got for $129. I use them with a HiFiMAN EF2A amp to block out all the people making noise at work. They are comfortable and I think they sound good. I'm not 100% sure the amp sounds better than just plugging the headphones into the MacBook's headphone port, but I bought it so I use it.
I have two pairs of musician's in-ear monitors: A pair of Westones that cost around $200 plus the cost of the audiologist visit to have them fitted, and a pair of Ultimate Ears (pre-acquisition) that cost about $300. Used both extensively on stage and in studios.
Day-to-day use, I have 4 pairs of Apple Ear-Pods I cycle through, which are fine for podcasts and the office.
I have an old pair of Sony studio headphones that get used for recording purposes.
Plus JBL Studio Monitors. and speaker docks.
@ChadP Sweet. What do you play? I have friends in 2 bands that are at the point where they are now seriously shopping for mid-price IEMs. It's always cool when you finally hit that point :)
@ChadP so does this mean you volunteered to make the demo for @hubbird?
@ChadP Speaker docks rock. I have proof.
Free