'Best' Headphones $150-$200?

[vElectrixx]

A friend of mine recommended these; http/www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD25-1-II-Closed-Back-Headphones/dp/B000TDZOXG

He said they're the best he's ever used, but I'd like other thoughts. Anyone else use these?

 

[andrew_berge]

I haven't used that specific model. It is pretty popular, though.
There is no 'Best pair of headphones', it all depends on the listener's preferences.

Do you like a lot of bass in your music, or maybe more treble, an even sound throughout all frequencies, or maybe a V shaped frequency response (lower midrange)? You also have to decide whether you want open or closed type.
The best thing you can do is listen to your music (it's important that it's music you know well) through the headphones you're considering. Borrow your friend's set or go to a store and try them out. Otherwise, look up as many reviews as you can.

I personally use a pair of Shure SRH840. They're really good, but very slightly lacking in treble (to my ears anyway).
Another pair that often is recommended to your price range is Audio Technicha M50. I haven't personally tried them, though.

 

[vElectrixx]

I haven't used that specific model. It is pretty popular, though.
There is no 'Best pair of headphones', it all depends on the listener's preferences.

Do you like a lot of bass in your music, or maybe more treble, an even sound throughout all frequencies, or maybe a V shaped frequency response (lower midrange)? You also have to decide whether you want open or closed type.
The best thing you can do is listen to your music (it's important that it's music you know well) through the headphones you're considering. Borrow your friend's set or go to a store and try them out. Otherwise, look up as many reviews as you can.

I personally use a pair of Shure SRH840. They're really good, but very slightly lacking in treble (to my ears anyway).
Another pair that often is recommended to your price range is Audio Technicha M50. I haven't personally tried them, though.

I'm not a fan of "sloppy" bass when it comes to headphones, and often my treble is maxed out. I was thinking an even level of all frequencies would be great. Unfortunately, none of my friends own any of these high-end headphones (if you consider Beats high end), so my best bet would to visit Best Buy or some store that sells headphones. I listen to DnB, House, Dubstep, etc., so unless there are headphones known for being amazing in that category, I'd love to hear about it.

 

[ssddx]

beats by dr dre are junk. no i do not consider them high end at all.

i personally own the audiotechnica ath-m50s (m50= coiled cable, m50s=straight cable).

i also personally listen to electronica including DnB, Dubstep, Trance, Techno, House, Acid, etcetera as well as listening to just about every other musical genre.

now, how do the headphones perform in those categories? superb. the honest truth is that they may be the best headphones you can buy for under $200 and that the reviews are definitely not all smoke and mirrors. considering that i've seen them as cheap as $100 online and more readily $130 on ebay and amazon its hard to go wrong. they have plenty of bass while not being muddy while at the same time still delivering crisp highs. i've heard from some that they are lacking mids but from years of listening to them with everything from games, music, movies and more i've never had any such perceptions.

as far as build quality is concerned they are rather solid albiet plastic but they arent prone to breaking unless you decide to throw them at a wall. the cable is very thick and is not going to break or fray unlike some other manufacturers which use thin cables (bose is bad for this). they include a 1/4" plug which can be used with an amp or receiver which unscrews to reveal a 3.5mm standard plug. due to the low resistance of the headphones they can be driven perfectly fine with portable devices without an amplifier.

the only known issue with the headphones is the earcups. over time they will harden and crack (2 years of daily use for me) however this is a common problem with just about any headphones that you buy today so its a non issue. you can buy replacement pads for relatively cheap as well.

 

[vElectrixx]

beats by dr dre are junk. no i do not consider them high end at all.

i personally own the audiotechnica ath-m50s (m50= coiled cable, m50s=straight cable).

i also personally listen to electronica including DnB, Dubstep, Trance, Techno, House, Acid, etcetera as well as listening to just about every other musical genre.

now, how do the headphones perform in those categories? superb. the honest truth is that they may be the best headphones you can buy for under $200 and that the reviews are definitely not all smoke and mirrors. considering that i've seen them as cheap as $100 online and more readily $130 on ebay and amazon its hard to go wrong. they have plenty of bass while not being muddy while at the same time still delivering crisp highs. i've heard from some that they are lacking mids but from years of listening to them with everything from games, music, movies and more i've never had any such perceptions.

as far as build quality is concerned they are rather solid albiet plastic but they arent prone to breaking unless you decide to throw them at a wall. the cable is very thick and is not going to break or fray unlike some other manufacturers which use thin cables (bose is bad for this). they include a 1/4" plug which can be used with an amp or receiver which unscrews to reveal a 3.5mm standard plug. due to the low resistance of the headphones they can be driven perfectly fine with portable devices without an amplifier.

the only known issue with the headphones is the earcups. over time they will harden and crack (2 years of daily use for me) however this is a common problem with just about any headphones that you buy today so its a non issue. you can buy replacement pads for relatively cheap as well.

Awesome! I think I'll get that then. Thanks for the input!

**Edit

I went in on further reviews and decided to read all of the one-star reviews. These, apparently, are poor quality. Everyone has said that the sound is amazing, but they break after a year or two. I will be going places with the headphones and hoping to have them for a very, very long time (5 years+?).

 

[sora]

A friend of mine recommended these; http/www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD25-1-II-Closed-Back-Headphones/dp/B000TDZOXG

He said they're the best he's ever used, but I'd like other thoughts. Anyone else use these?

Considering that product has really good reviews I think it is good quality and is definitely worth the money.

 

[ssddx]

i have had mine for 2-3 years and they are perfectly fine.

i used to travel to and from work with them in a backpack full of other goodies and they are fine. besides the earcups starting to harden they are practically like new. my thoughts are that those people who complain about them breaking would have the same problem with any headphones since they are abusing them.

as long as you take care of them... wrap the cable up, fold the headphones up and put them in the bag they will be fine. so long as you dont smash the bag against anything or otherwise abuse them.

 

[audioranger]

listen to ssddx

ATH-M50's are the bomb. far better than nearly every model in a comparable price range.

i absolutely wouldn't let some questionable reviews about build quality prevent you from trying these out.

i've haven't owned mine for 2 years yet but they don't feel particularly shoddy, nor do they show any signs of cracking. not saying it wont happen, but like any good gadget - take care of it!.. and you'll likely avoid this. i wouldn't say the build quality is bad at all.

reviews are tough sometimes. i tend to avoid the extremes - 5 start / 1 star ratings. those are the more emotion-filled ones. some small part breaks..BAM horrible product blah blah blah. if you look at most of the other reviews on there, people will sing hymns about this headset.

you can always return it too if you feel the quality isn't up to par. but seriously though, try em out!

happy listening bro

 

[ankit2951]

V-moda Crossfade LP2 These headphones are amazing. These things are very durable and when I mean very durable, I MEAN VERY DURABLE. I've dropped these things many times but they don't break. There made of metal not plastic. I've had the V-moda Crossfade LP for 2 years and now i'm onto the LP2. I listen to a lot of House, Dubstep, DnB, and Rap and these headphones are probably the best headphones I've ever used. The High are great, the mids are great, and that bass is nice and punchy. Some headphones overpower the bass which makes the highs and mids sound bad but the LP2 don't overpower. I highly recommend these headphones. Also these headphones actually looks really good.

http/www.amazon.com/V-MODA-Crossfade-Over-Ear-Noise-Isolating-Headphone/dp/B005HMBQR2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1384304298&sr=1-1&keywords=lp2

 

[audiom]

listen to ssddx

ATH-M50's are the bomb. far better than nearly every model in a comparable price range.

i absolutely wouldn't let some questionable reviews about build quality prevent you from trying these out.

i've haven't owned mine for 2 years yet but they don't feel particularly shoddy, nor do they show any signs of cracking. not saying it wont happen, but like any good gadget - take care of it!.. and you'll likely avoid this. i wouldn't say the build quality is bad at all.

reviews are tough sometimes. i tend to avoid the extremes - 5 start / 1 star ratings. those are the more emotion-filled ones. some small part breaks..BAM horrible product blah blah blah. if you look at most of the other reviews on there, people will sing hymns about this headset.

you can always return it too if you feel the quality isn't up to par. but seriously though, try em out!

happy listening bro

I absolutely agree about the ATH-M50's, it's also what for example this guide on the topic recommends: http/www.headphonesunboxed.com/best-headphones-under-200/

Anyway, good luck with your search