I'm on a budget here, i can't spend that much on a new pair of headphones because i will get a new computer, so anything below $35 is good. The only features i need are
1- a long cable (5 feet at least)
2- On/Off control
3- Both respectable bass and treble response
Thnx for your time
P.S.: If you can post a link to buy them online it would be great
I think Sony produces some acceptable low end headphones.
I had one that cost me around 25 dollars, but it broke. (Not because of bad quality, but because I accidentally put a heavy box over it. :-P)
Regards;
Roberto.
um... most people seem to agree that the ksc-35 (koss) is the best headphone under $35, but i think it's got a 4 foot cable and i know it doesn't have an on/off switch... what do you need the on/off switch for anyway? i actually have never heard of a pair of headphones that had one of those... anyway, the ksc-50 and ksc-55 both use the same driver, and those are $20 (again, 4 ft. cable). you can pick'em up at circuit city for $15+tax. the only place i know of that sells the ksc-35's is www.headphone.com (http://www.headphone.com), and it'd be $30+$7 (shipping). i've seen the ur-20's (again, koss) for $25 at towers, and iirc they've got an 8 ft. cable. they sound alright for cheapa$$ sealed headphones. if you didn't already guess, this one don't got an on/off switch neither. i know it isn't what you're looking for, but i hope it helps anyway.
Grado SR-40's are around $40 a pair..
I have a pair of SR-60's($70), and I've never really tried any other hi-fi headphones, so I can't comment on how they sound compared to other 'phones, but they DO sound great.
*edit* Oops, just noticed you needed an on/off switch, sorry
well people, forget about the switch, i wanted an on/off switch to plug an adapter to the soundcard so i could have both my speakers and headphones always connected and just turn either one on/off to use the other as i please (and maybe dont screw up the sound card plug/unplug speakers/headphones so many times, its an audigy ), but since i can plug/unplug manyaly with relative ease, maybe i can forget about the damn switch to get some better headphones. I just got the idea from a friend who bought a pair of cheapass Pro-Am headphones that have volume control and if you set it to the minimum it will switch off, cool leather ones but i doubt the sound quality is worth it...
Panasonic RP-HT355 headphones are probably just what you're looking for. Inline volume control, 16 foot cord, and comfortable. I have a set myself and they sound great (though not transparent). I got them for $30 US. No on/off switch, though...
almost forgot... if you absolutely must have a long cord and are having trouble finding them (most cheap headphones don't seem to come with 3m cables for some reason), you could consider an extension cord. they aren't expensive; $5+tax for me from "wherehouse" or however the hell you spell it, and it came with a 1-to-2 line adapter, airline plug adapter, and 1/8" to 1/4" adapter. sure, the quality sucks, but if the headphones are cheap, it doesn't really matter, does it?
i think so, i dont want to add more crappyness to crap, so i guess ill search for those panasonics...
You might consider the Koss KTX-Pro (~$20 street price), they don't have an on-off switch but do have a volume control. They're somewhat bass-heavy but there's nothing else sonically wrong with them, sound quality is great. Build quality leaves something to be desired, but that could be said of almost any headphones under $100. Try 'em, you won't be disappointed. They're a steal at $20.00.
Edit -- the cord is over 5 feet long, I just measured mine.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00001P4ZD (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00001P4ZD)
Originally posted by fewtch
They're somewhat bass-heavy but there's nothing else sonically wrong with them, sound quality is great.
What do you mean with that? so much bass its anoying??? THAT ROCKZ!!!
I picked up a pair of those Koss phones you speak of about 3 months ago for 20 bucks at Radio Shack. They sound amazingly good for $20 headphones, especially for lightweights. One thing I don't like about them is the clunky inline volume control. . .mine has some dust in the conductive lubrication inside the potentiometer and thus sounds static-y when I slide the control. I'd rather not have the control at all, personally. Also, the drivers have a tendency to rattle when playing music with lots of bass too loudly (easily mitigated by turning the volume down ). Despite that, they are a great deal for $20.
Originally posted by Phobos
What do you mean with that? so much bass its anoying??? THAT ROCKZ!!!
No, not to an annoying extent, the response is just not "flat" in the bass regions, but emphasized.
Cygnus, I've heard about the "rattle" problem when playing music loud, but I never crank my music high so I've never had the problem . And no issues with the volume slider, but the rebranded Radio Shack ones use a different slider. I've had a pair of the Radio Shacks too and I seem to remember that problem. It hasn't happened with my "genuine" KTX-Pro's (yet).
These are the headphones I use with my portable MP3 player, I've heard better of course but Phobos was looking for under $35, I don't think you can beat these.
Final notes -
* they are an "open air" design, and might not sound good with a loud computer fan in the background.
* supposedly Koss has a "lifetime" warranty on these and will replace anytime for the cost of shipping. I've never tested this out.
thnx man, definitely my best bet, small, stylish, cheap and good, with a long cord... LOL :rofl:
ill definitely get em since i plan to use them with an mp3cd player or the computer
For What It's Worth, my headphone recommendations are always the same:
Cheap As Possible: Grado SR40 (~$40)
Inexpensive, Indestructible: Grado SR80 (Had a pair in my backpack for remote jobs for three years now) ~$80
Slightly more neutral response, much more comfortable: Sennheiser HD 580 ~$200
Best possible noise isolation: Etymotic anything
I personally tune Vorbis using both the Grados and Sennheisers.
Things to watch out for:
"These have great bass!" usually means that the bass is boosted 15 to 25 dB, completely obscuring the midrange. To make it seem even more heavy, your treble rolloff is probably starting at ~12-14kHz. Super-bass headphones are stylistic shit. The only way they could pander more to People Who Don't Know Better is to plaster naked women all over them.
"These cost, like $100!" if it's not on the list above, that $100 probably went more to cool styling and packaging than anything else. Honestly: I've not yet heard a Panasonic or Sony headphone I considered respectable. The Sony MDVR is good for sealed cans, but they don't hold a candle to open designs. Koss cans are usually also seriously subpar, but the Porta-Pros (Not the sport ones) are decent quality and rugged.
If you've not yet read product reviews on headphone.com, please go do so. I arrived at my conclusions myself, then found this site which nicely correlated with my own findings and wrote it all up in a comparison shopping site. They'll also let you know what the occasional unexpectedly good models are from otherwise porr quality manufacturers.
I have a pair of Grado SR-60's, and to be honest I only like them for certain types of music. The open-air design is almost like a coloration itself, even though the headphones are pretty neutral in response. This probably sounds irrational, but it seems like part of the music is escaping through the back of the earpieces... just lacking something, but I can't put my finger on it (up-front presentation maybe?). In some ways I prefer my Denon AH-D550's, the music is "right here" and not 10 rows in front of me.
Bottom line with headphones (& most other audio equipment) -- go with what your ears like, not with product specs and audiophile magazine reviews. You're the one who gets to listen to 'em.
ok, ill check that website, thank you ppl
Originally posted by fewtch
I have a pair of Grado SR-60's, and to be honest I only like them for certain types of music. The open-air design is almost like a coloration itself
??? The open air design avoids most of the low frequency resonance peaks that are impossible to avoid in closed designs. They're not nearly as colored in any respect. You're simply used to the skewed response... When I bought my first pair of real cans (Grado SR60), I thought they sounded harsh and over-brilliant-- because my Koss $20 specials had no high end to speak of and a huge boost in bass. Putting on the Grados suddently revealed huge numbers of high frequency problems in the codec I was working on at the time. I'd never actually heard the high end of it before.
Monty
Open-air does have a different sound-staging though. You're probably right, I'm just used to the sound of the closed designs (or just like it better for whatever reason).
Discussions about audio gear could go on forever... for example, the vinyl vs. CD debate. That's why I say, go with what sounds good to your ears. For purposes of testing a codec, neutral response is the most important of course.
I've had the Radio Shack version of the Koss KTX-Pro for a few years... I love them, but I think something happened when I forgot to unplug them from my Stereo once (turned the speakers on without unplugging the headphones) I think playing Van Halen at full power (~100w RMS) nuked it.
I was using an extension cord that stretched across the room and I always left that plugged in, but I forgot to check the other end.
I'm surprised the drivers didn't suffer any damage.
As such, now I have to leave the volume control all the way up for it to operate properly. I don't think the speaker out jack on the Audigy will fry the volume control, but I thought I should share my experience with them.
Inexpensive, Indestructible: Grado SR80 (Had a pair in my backpack for remote jobs for three years now) ~
If only. Yesterday I went into my local hi-fi store and asked how much their Grado SR 60's were - £90 (that's around $150). Anyone know a decent place in the UK to get/order these from?
I gotta recommend BeyerDynamic DT 250-80s
Easily driven, good sounding (very transparent), closed & easy to customize (e.g. Beyerpads = godlike soft paddings = pleasure).
ehumm... yeah well anyway
Originally posted by Phobos
well people, forget about the switch, i wanted an on/off switch to plug an adapter to the soundcard so i could have both my speakers and headphones always connected and just turn either one on/off to use the other as i please
You might try to find what I have here on my PC.. a little switch gismo I found at at computer show, it cost $8, has about a 4' cable itself, and has a switch body with connectors in it.
It basically acts as a extension cord (for both speaker out and microphone input) AND a speaker or headphone switch.. Hit the switch, and your speakers are disconnected, and your headphones are connected.. so its good to mute your speakers quickly for a phone call, besides just switching to the 'phones. And, since you plug your 'phones into the switch body, 3-4' of cord becomes more than enough with it sitting there next to the keyboard.
It's been the handiest accessory I've ever bought for my system..
I wish there was a manufacturer that you could find someplace.. it's a no name Chinese product that one or two vendors of stuff at the shows I go to regularly have... There's got to be some place near you that has them..
BTW, I have the Koss KSC-35's.. and really like them! Great sound for the money.. and the cord is 4 1/2' long.
Originally posted by godzilla525
I've had the Radio Shack version of the Koss KTX-Pro for a few years... I love them, but I think something happened when I forgot to unplug them from my Stereo once (turned the speakers on without unplugging the headphones) I think playing Van Halen at full power (~100w RMS) nuked it.
I was using an extension cord that stretched across the room and I always left that plugged in, but I forgot to check the other end.
I'm surprised the drivers didn't suffer any damage.
As such, now I have to leave the volume control all the way up for it to operate properly. I don't think the speaker out jack on the Audigy will fry the volume control, but I thought I should share my experience with them.
w00t, i saw a pair of those here in my city for $280, and they look cool, seems thats what ill get after all, thnx all ppl
Originally posted by xiphmont
Things to watch out for:
"These have great bass!" usually means that the bass is boosted 15 to 25 dB, completely obscuring the midrange. To make it seem even more heavy, your treble rolloff is probably starting at ~12-14kHz. Super-bass headphones are stylistic shit. The only way they could pander more to People Who Don't Know Better is to plaster naked women all over them.
heh, every pair of headphone's i've bought so far said that on the box: ety's, akg, porta-pros. and here i thought those were supposed to be good...
Thats odd. Nobody has mentioned the Sony-V6. Absolutely the best headphone under
100 dollars. I've found it online for 60 bucks. The best clearest bass extension possible (not boomy like the stupid sony v600). There easily driven and built like a tank. The coiled cord is about 6 feet un streched. I can't recomend these enough I love them!...and so do alot of other people.
But I must say I can't wait for my Beyerdynamic 770 pros to arrive.
I have (had) Sennheiser HD 495 , very good sound quality, not closed, power hungry
around $90
Nice link:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=2 (http://www.head-fi.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=2)