Best over-ear headphones for music under $300

[youarenotimmune]

What would be the best pair of over-ear headphones I can get under 300 USD for music listening? I'm not a bass-head; other than U2 I listen to classical music and bands like Radiohead and Animal Collective, so I'm interested in something which can provide a good listening experience for rich, highly textured music.

Would love to get some suggestions. Thanks!

 

[Diemen]

Grado SR-225 is $200 and is a fantastic headphone - very revealing (you will definitely hear more detail in your music than you ever have before, and it does particularly well with voices and guitars), with great balance and fantastic bass (and by that I mean very detailed and deep without being boomy or boosted like a lot of cheaper headphones). It's probably my favorite headphone for rock and pop (though because of the balance and detail it's also great for classical). The only ding I can think of is that they're not the most comfortable headphones out there, especially if you wear glasses, and even if you don't after about an hour.

My go-to jack of all trades/master of none headphone is the Sennheiser HD-598 at $250. It doesn't sound quite as nice as the Grado (though it is still well balanced and detailed, and does have a wider soundstage than the Grado), but it is suuuuuuper comfy, and that's not insignificant if you like to listen for extended periods.

 

[kiwilad]

I had the same query and that is a great answer! Re the Sennheiser, how big a step down is it tonally? I can handle some discomfort if the sound is worth it...

Sent from my SM-G920I using U2 Interference mobile app

 

[Diemen]

The Sennheiser still sounds really nice, and if you're moving from Beats or similar consumer headphones to the Sennheisers, then they'll blow you away. And you can listen to them for hours without any comfort issues. The Grados sound like you're closer to the music though - more impact, more detail and realism, but they can be a little more fatiguing because of that (and that's before getting to comfort).

If I got a new cd that I was excited to listen to, and really wanted to take it in, I'd grab the Grados first, no question. If I was going to be listening to music for a few hours, I'd grab the Senns.

Hope that helps a little.

 

[youarenotimmune]

Thanks for the detailed response, Diemen. I'd actually shortlisted the Senns and Grados you mentioned based on perfunctory online research. The Audio Technica ATH m50x are also quite good apparently.

The Senns 598, Grado 225 and Audio Technica m50x are all really popular, each with a multitude of detailed online reviews. They're all quite a few years old, so that got me thinking that perhaps I should look into the latest incarnations of these models. The current models are the Senns 599, Grado 325 and Audio Technica m70x. So I'm wondering if I should get one of these instead, since surely they would be better, improved versions of their legendary predecessors. Or would they?

The other, and bigger, conundrum I'm facing is whether or not to get a headphones amp with these, since I will mostly use my headphones with my phone and Sansa Clip + music player. The World Wide Web has not been helpful in this area. Some claim it's a necessity, while other's say you only need one with really powerful headphones (impedance over 100 ohms) which generally cost over $500.

Do you use a headphones amp, Diemen?

 

[Diemen]

Do you use a headphones amp, Diemen?

I used to use one, but I don't now (mainly because I rarely have the time to sit down and just listen to music on headphones anymore). The Grados are very easy to drive, and while they benefit from a dedicated headphone amp, the improvement is relatively subtle (unless you want to spend a ton of money on an amp), and just about any decent headphone jack will drive them with ease. The Sennheisers are a little more power hungry, and seem to benefit more from a headphone amp, but are still pretty easy to drive. I might question whether the headphone jack on a Sansa Clip would be enough to drive the Senns well.

 

[Diemen]

The Senns 598, Grado 225 and Audio Technica m50x are all really popular, each with a multitude of detailed online reviews. They're all quite a few years old, so that got me thinking that perhaps I should look into the latest incarnations of these models. The current models are the Senns 599, Grado 325 and Audio Technica m70x. So I'm wondering if I should get one of these instead, since surely they would be better, improved versions of their legendary predecessors. Or would they?

Missed this part. The 325 is a different model entirely than the 225, not really an update (and both have been out for a long time). I haven't heard the 325, but it seems like the consensus is that it's better than the 225, but maybe not enough better to justify the price increase. As to the Senn 599 or Audio Technica, it's probably a safe bet to go for the newer model there.

The other thing I should mention is that both the Grado and the Sennheiser are open backed headphones, which means that sound leaks out and they don't really block out any sound. I tend to prefer open back headphones - they sound more natural to me, but if you want sound isolation or plan on going portable with them, I'd look into sealed back/closed headphones only.

 

[youarenotimmune]

I used to use one, but I don't now (mainly because I rarely have the time to sit down and just listen to music on headphones anymore). The Grados are very easy to drive, and while they benefit from a dedicated headphone amp, the improvement is relatively subtle (unless you want to spend a ton of money on an amp), and just about any decent headphone jack will drive them with ease. The Sennheisers are a little more power hungry, and seem to benefit more from a headphone amp, but are still pretty easy to drive.

Yeah, I'm not keen on the mobility issues an amp would introduce, so it's good to know the Grados don't really need one (which are the headphones I'm leaning towards now, primarily because sound quality is the most important factor for me).

I might question whether the headphone jack on a Sansa Clip would be enough to drive the Senns well.

This is what I was worried about as well, but the Sansa Clip is a surprisingly efficient and well built player, apparently: NwAvGuy: Sansa Clip+ Measured

Missed this part. The 325 is a different model entirely than the 225, not really an update (and both have been out for a long time).

Ah, thanks for the clarification.

I haven't heard the 325, but it seems like the consensus is that it's better than the 225, but maybe not enough better to justify the price increase. As to the Senn 599 or Audio Technica, it's probably a safe bet to go for the newer model there.

The other thing I should mention is that both the Grado and the Sennheiser are open backed headphones, which means that sound leaks out and they don't really block out any sound. I tend to prefer open back headphones - they sound more natural to me, but if you want sound isolation or plan on going portable with them, I'd look into sealed back/closed headphones only.

I definitely want to go for open backed headphones, since sound leakage isn't a concern (given how I'll use them at home).

Thanks for all the info Diemen, really appreciate it. Just need to decide between the Grado 225 and 325 now!

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

forgot to post in here, i too had been looking to buy a decent pair of headphones around this same price bracket so i was glad to see this thread as i was coming to make a thread about it like the day after it was made. i ended up going with the sennheiser ones, simply based off of diemen's report of the grados ones being less comfortable, especially for those wearing glasses. i'm wearing them all day at work so usually a couple hours at a time, plus i wear glasses. i can report that the sennheisers sound awesome. plus, amazon prime now let me be lazy and get them within two hours with free shipping.

the only downside is at work i can't really turn the volume up because i don't wanna be that guy who isn't mindful of their surroundings and blasts everyone out, even though 80% of my coworkers wear headphones too.

 

[youarenotimmune]

forgot to post in here, i too had been looking to buy a decent pair of headphones around this same price bracket so i was glad to see this thread as i was coming to make a thread about it like the day after it was made. i ended up going with the sennheiser ones, simply based off of diemen's report of the grados ones being less comfortable, especially for those wearing glasses. i'm wearing them all day at work so usually a couple hours at a time, plus i wear glasses. i can report that the sennheisers sound awesome. plus, amazon prime now let me be lazy and get them within two hours with free shipping.

the only downside is at work i can't really turn the volume up because i don't wanna be that guy who isn't mindful of their surroundings and blasts everyone out, even though 80% of my coworkers wear headphones too.

Nice! I wear glasses as well, so I'm reconsidering getting the Grados instead of the Senns now.

Did you get the 598 or 599?

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

Nice! I wear glasses as well, so I'm reconsidering getting the Grados instead of the Senns now.

Did you get the 598 or 599?

the 598. they're really comfy.

 

[cobl04]

I've got Sennheiser HD280s I think, and they're awesome. Huge and clunky as hell (they're really only studio headphones) but they're great.

 

[youarenotimmune]

Nice, glad to see such positive feedback on the Senns. I'll try them at my local Best Buy to check out the sound quality now.

 

[bono_212]

I'm on the hunt for a new pair of headphones. I want Grados, but noise bleeding out isn't a good option for me with wearing them at work. I loved my Aviators because everything out of them was pretty bright. I'm not a fan of the Audiotechnicas I use at work, or the Senns that Travis has at home. Balanced is good for mixing, but it feels so flat.

Anyone have any recommendations?

 

[DaveC]

what don't you like about the audio-technicas?

 

[Diemen]

Gonna update this thread because there is an amazing bargain in the headphone world that is way better than anything in its price range.

Massdrop Sennheiser HD 58X

This headphone uses the same drivers and enclosure as the Sennheiser HD 660S, which is getting strong reviews as a successor to the venerable HD 600 and 650, and as far as people can tell there are only a couple minor differences between the 660 and 58X (the 58X has foam on the outside of the drivers, the 660 doesn't), and comparison reviews say that the two headphones sound so similar it's actually hard to tell them apart if you don't know which one you're listening to. The 660S costs between $400-500 depending where you buy. The 58X costs $160. You pay roughly a third of the price for a headphone that sounds almost the same.

I bought a pair after watching a review where the guy basically complained that he could have saved almost $300 bucks if he'd known that the 58X was practically the same as his 660S. I just got it today and am currently listening to it - it is by far the best headphone I've ever owned. Waaaaay better than my Senn HD595 or Grado SR-225 - much more refined and detailed, with scary good imaging. Seriously people - these are amazing headphones that have no right to be as affordable as they are.

The only caveat is that Massdrop has limited runs, so availability can be iffy. I got lucky and had my headphones ship quickly, but I've heard that sometimes people have to wait as much as two months before they receive their stuff. That and they're open headphones so not good for an open office environment or mobile use.

If you've got a little more money burning a hole in your pocket, you can get the Massdrop Sennheiser HD 6XX for $220, which is basically a Sennheiser HD 650 for a little less than half off.

(I know this sounds like a paid endorsement of Massdrop, but I'm just geeking out over how good these headphones are, and what an amazing deal it is)

 

[Diemen]

Also, if anyone is looking for a cheap but good headphone amp, look no further:

JDS Labs Atom

$100, and measures ridiculously flat, distortionless and efficient - with plenty of power on tap for pretty much any headphone you'd want to use.

I've got my own office/shop at my job, so I put together a nice desktop audio setup for the computer with this amp, a decent dac (Topping D30) and some nice speakers (Edifier S2000 Pro). Now that I have the 58X I'm feeling super happy with the setup.