Headphone help
 

OK, my son has a pair of Skull Candy UpRock headphones. I messed them up. I want to get him some good headphones - good/great sound quality and durability.

I'd like to spend no more than $140.

So guys, talk to me.

Thanks.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

Re: Headphone help
 

I've heard good things about Audio Technica. The ATH-M50's have gotten some decent reviews, and come in just under your target budget on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica.../ref=pd_cp_e_0

I'm also just getting into the market for a new pair of headphones. Just bought a new guitar amp, and figured may as well buy a new pair of headphones to go along with it.

Re: Headphone help
 

Sennheiser is also a pretty well recognized brand as far as audio equipment goes. You might want to look into the HD 449 (http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-.../dp/B005SNPV8K) as a possible replacement.

Re: Headphone help
 

My DJ friend said to check out, while talking to him about them he told me he loved them 3 times :tu
http://shop.solrepublic.com/b/3313067011
http://shop.solrepublic.com/b/3313069011

Re: Headphone help
 

Stay away from those Dr. Dre Beatz ones..............junk.

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While he wants good headphones, they are more for listening to music to - in the car, at home, etc... He doesn't need studio phones.

Re: Headphone help
 

How so?

Re: Headphone help
 

A lot of reviews I read on the above audio technica's was from reviewers who use them for the same purposes as your son. Not for studio/dj'ing/mixing, but just listening to music.

Though, I think $140 headphones is a huge upgrade from skullcandy uprocks.

Re: Headphone help
 

I wouldn't go so far as to call them junk. Overpriced? Definitely.

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That's what I've heard. Pretty good sound, but no way would I pay that much for them.

Re: Headphone help
 

Yes, Junk as in you don't get what you pay for.

I have thought about buying some of these for my brother as he is in the music business. I started asking around and lots of random people that have bought them said their quality is comparable to a $20.00 set of headphones.

Re: Headphone help
 

Quality and price of a product are two different things.

Re: Headphone help
 

no, if you pay $1,000 for a new tv at best buy, you have expectations for that TV to perform like the rest of the $1,000 TV's.

If it doesn't preform as it should for what you paid, you have bought "junk".

Price and Quality are directly related.:2

Re: Headphone help
 

So price=quality?

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this is a snare smitty:r

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If price=quality, how come I've smoked $5 smokes that taste better than most $20 and up smokes? Just because you buy a $25 Tat desn't mean its any better than a $4 601 Blue. Just as a comparison, not knocking Pete's smokes. Now back to your regular scheduled program.

Re: Headphone help
 

I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for. You buy a $200.00 car thats in a car lot clear in the back, your going to get a $200.00 car, not a Bentley.

Those Dre headphones, for the price they sell for, they are junk.

If they sold for around $35.00 or so, I wouldn't have a problem with them. I have expectations, If I spend $35.00 on headphones, I will expect the quality to be $35.00 worth.

Now if I spend $175.00 on headphones, I expect the quality to be $175.00 worth, not $35.00 worth.

They are junk for the price they sell them at.

Re: Headphone help
 

Have to disagree with you on this one Josh. I have the Beats By Dr. Dre - Beats Pro (the $ 399.99 pair) and they are superb headphones. Awesome sound quality...after wearing them, I hear things in songs I have never heard before. :tu :tu But not within Todds price point.

For the price point you are looking for Todd...Shure SE215 Sound Isolating Earphones...around $ 95.00, ear buds but great sound. I had these before I bought my Beats By Dres.

Re: Headphone help
 

Taste is much different IMOP. Everyones taste buds are quite different rather it be food, cigars, beer...........

Hell, I prefer cheap Rum over expensive Scotch......

When it comes to buying a functional item, most everyone will have expectations as to how it should preform.

Your not going to find to many people that buy a $800.00 humidor but the quality is such of a $60.00 humidor and they are just going to say oh well.

They have an expectation that they are buying an $800.00 humidor and it should preform accordingly.

Re: Headphone help
 

I guess I wasn't really talking about the sound MAC, I agree, they do sound nice. I have tried some out..............

From what I have gathered from other previous owners, the actual quality of the headphones do not hold up well. People are having problems with the cords and the plastic breaking on them. They said they held up like a $20.00 pair of headphones.

YMMV.

Re: Headphone help
 

So you don't own a pair... have you tried them? How many of "lots of people" did you ask?:sh

Granted that I did not pay for mine but the headphones are hands down one of the best headphones I've used.

btw price equals quality is absolutely ______ I'm sure you get it. Like most things.

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This is getting off topic, Sorry REV. I'm done.

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I've had mine for almost two and a half years without an issue. They are noise cancelling and do not take batteries...they draw power from your ipod. As stated before...superior sound quality. I'd recommend 'em to anyone. Just a tad pricey. :2

Re: Headphone help
 

Grado or Shure for my money just depends on whether he wants in ear or over. Shure for in ear Grado for over

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ok, simply, price isn't determined by value or "quality", it's determined by the intersection of supply and demand... Value is very subjective remember;)

Re: Headphone help
 

I've read great things about both of those as well. I have a couple friends who have had Grado's for years, though I can't remember the models they own. Other than normal wear and tear (foam does tend to collapse over time) they have held up very well.

Who would've thought a simple question about a pair of headphones would breed so many different responses. I mean, after a certain pricepoint, you're really just splitting hairs or touting personal preference. What you actually hear is so subjective. From the source/processing of the composition you are listening to, to how sensitive the individual's ears are when they actually perceive the sound. In this sense, I would think the best bet is to have your son try out a few pair, and see which HE likes the best. Though I suppose that's the same concept as "smoke what you like, like what you smoke." In which case, I'm only telling you something you innately already know.

I wonder if on some audiophile forum, if someone posted a topic about "I want to buy some decent cigars for $200 or less," how many different responses would come from that as well lol.

Honestly, Sennheiser, Audio Technica, Shure, and Grado are all well-respected brands. Stick with something in the 100-140 range, and you should be light years ahead of his old phones.

Oh, and try not to mess up the new ones. :)

Re: Headphone help
 

this is the honest downside to the grado's the foam earpieces they do collapse but price is a huge upside I have the 60's which were $80 when I bought them but the sound quality is amazing and yes they make a lot of noise and can even function as small speakers so they will make the kid happy. The shures I have both the e3's and e5c's both are worth the money for what you get but the 3's seem more comfort driven than the 5's. THe fives can take you away to a whole different world.

Rev all of the brands that pektel compiled from our posts are great. What it comes down to is, how do they look like they will hold up to the way he treats things.

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In ear/on ear/over ear style? Someone mentioned Grado and I am inclined to agree for on/over the ear styles.

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Gimicky or not I've heard from several people that the Beats line of headphones has great audio quality

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I didn't read through the entire thread, but I will throw out a recommendation for Dr. Dre Beatz...they're awesome.

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Rev, I've gotten my kids various headphones over the years. I like the over the ear models. Out of all the ones we've been through, I consistently go back to the Sony MDR-XB500 (actually hid them before so only I know here they're at :)). You can get them under $60 if you look around and they are great. Go up one step to the XB700 and another $25 and you'll have a sweet set of phones. The bass is low and great, so much so you'll find it hard to believe you're listening to headphones. The studio is also good. They have huge, padded ear covers and feel like wearing a cloud. They're bulky - not made for exercising or yardwork, but for sitting around listening to movies or music, I'd highly recommend them.

http://righttrigger.com/wp-content/u...adphoneiii.jpg

Re: Headphone help
 

Todd, why not just get him another pair of the Skull Candy? I mean hes a kid right, could get broken, lost, stolen, etc. Not saying hes irresponsible by any means... but things happen. How old is he btw?

If not, you cant really go wrong with Bose:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=REG&A=details

Re: Headphone help
 

I have several pairs of RAZER Moray gaming headphones and I love them. For $35 they provide very realistic sound for games and movies, as well as a good range. Of all the headphones I own, they're the only ones that have had a strong enough mid-high range so that I don't have to turn up the volume on movies to hear the dialog over other sounds.

Re: Headphone help
 

He is 15, has a job, is very responsible, loves his music.

I broke (and then repaired) the Skull Candy. He left them in the computer in the study, the phones on the desk, and the cord hanging down by the tower sitting on the floor. I got up quick, my foot hooked the cord hanging on the ground, and yanked the cord out of the plug. I felt pretty bad. I got a new plug from radio shack did some repair work, and got them to work. They just are not what they were. Skull candy will replace them at 50%, but he's listened to some other headphones and wanted to upgrade. The ones he listened to were $500 and up at a top end electronics store in San Diego. He didn't want to go that far out, but wanted to get something better than these.

I said that since I broke them, I pay to get them replaced by Skull Candy, or go up to the next model, or 1/2 of something up to $60.

He went with the Sennheiser HD 449 Headphones.

He will use these for at home. Then he can take his Skull Candy (in their limited ability) with him to football games and to the gym for working out.

Thanks for all the help guys, it is appreciated.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

Re: Headphone help
 

I bought my boys Philip's O'Neill headphones from Radio shack with a no questions asked return policy for 40-45 a pair, for the money they work very well and have held up "better than 20.00 ones".:r

"lots of random people" may disagree.

Re: Headphone help
 

I've tried them, they're actually not bad, and they're way better than what most people are used to listening to, it's just that there are many headphones at lower price points which are considered by most experienced listeners to be much better, and many at much lower price points which most people would not be able to hear a difference in. Many people like them, and if you can afford them, who cares?

The thing that gets lost often in this discussion is headphone amps. A good headphone amp will make all music sound way better, and if you're carrying around a big pair of over the ears anyways, a little headphone amp isn't a big addition. It'll rock your world if you've never listened to your headphones through a real amp. For my money, there are a few cheaper headphones than the beats that look way cooler, imo, and coupled with a decent headphone amp would blow them out of the water, so my money would go that route, but I'm not hating on those that can and choose to afford beats. That being said, just check out head-fi, Beats are probably the most contentious discussion, lol.

If anyone is interested in a quick buyer's guide, I'm not endorsing the opinions, but just linking a resource some people might find useful, since the people who wrote it generally know what they're talking about. http://www.head-fi.org/t/618255/chec...2-buying-guide

Re: Headphone help
 

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Maybe take him with you and let him pick something reasonable out?

That way you know he will like them and use them.........

Just an idea

Re: Headphone help
 

As an update, he loves them. And to be honest, they sound much better than the Skull Candy did. I listened to a few different headphones lately and I am thinking I might have to get a pair.

Thanks for all the help, again.

Peace of The Lord be with you.