Under $100 headphones

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#618058 1-May-2012 20:00

Spend $16, then when you break them you won't be upset :-)

martyyn

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#618062 1-May-2012 20:09

Buy the $16 ones and you'll win on two counts.

1. you wont waste any more of your time on researching headphones which are going to be rubbish.
2. you wont waste too much money when you bin them after realising how rubbish they are.

How much have you spent the phone/ipod/laptop/pc which will play the music ? Dont you think you should spend more than $16 on what will actually put that music into your ears ?

Id rather put cotton wool in my ears than spend $16 on a pair of headphones.

qwerty7

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#618092 1-May-2012 20:55

what about the other ones ?

I am looking at headphones around $50 because that is all I want to spend. I honestly do appreciate opinions that spending $200 or so would give me far superior quality. However i don't really need or want to spend $200 on headphones right now.

Every post i make on a forum for reviews around a certain price always seems to end up the same. People say you get alot better if you spend twice what your wanting to. I know that but i don't want to spend $200 on headphones that is why i didn't ask what are the best headphones for around $200

In summary i want headphones because:
I am currently using standard ipod earhpones, and when you push them into your ears more with your fingers you can hear sounds in the music you cannot hear wearing them normally.

I bought skull candy ear buds once and did not like them. The noise picked up from the cord rubbing on my shirt was horrendous. I know that is only one brand but i prefer some full size headphones.

I will only use them at home listening to my ipod or music on the computer.

I don't want those koss porta pros because a)they look weird b)i want over ear headphones not on ear

paulspain

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#618108 1-May-2012 21:44

Try the Sennheiser HD202 (or HD201). Can both be had for under $50 currently - likely the best at that price point.

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timmmay

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#618109 1-May-2012 21:45

Sennheiser are worth a look, try out different models in the store. At that price point in-ear headphones will give you much better sound.

Hobchild

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#618110 1-May-2012 21:45

qwerty7: Just been having a googlethon. I know if i spent more i could get better but i really want to stick to my budget for now.

Philips shp-2000 $16

Panasonic rp-ht160e-k / rp-ht161 about $25 don't know the difference between the two models look the same and the same price

Sennheiser hd 201 $39.99

Sony mdr xd 100 $49

I've had the same Sony pair for... I have no idea actually, got them back when I got my first PC so over ten years. Quite surprised they're still available, mind you I was quite surprised a few years ago when I saw them in Dick Smith.

Obviously long lasting, good sound, cheap, comfortable. You could do a lot worse.

Stu

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#618114 1-May-2012 21:52

I have the HD201's and bang for buck they're fine. I use the KOSS Port Pro when travelling and have no complaints at all [about the headphones anyway ;-)]. Now looking for a pair of in-ear 'phones for when it's not practical to take the KOSS.

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ArcticSilver

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#618125 1-May-2012 22:16

After reading all this I have to jump in and say - Just because they are cheap doesnt mean they arnt good!

Phillips are EXTREMELY under rated when it comes to headphones.

The Philips shp-2000's are a absolute STEAL for $16, where is this from? (I want one haha)

For instance, the Phillips SHP9000's have the same driver in them as well branded $300 headphones and currently they are only $100 (Clearance price I believe).

I have had these myself, they are AMAZING, my only griple would be that they seem slightly fragile (not extremely, but not as robust as would be ideal). That being said they are extremely comfortable.

As for the Philip's SHP-2000's, I used to have a pair of these and I can honestly say they are the best value for money headphones I have ever purchased. They should be around the $80-100 mark in my mind, not $16. They sound quality is extremely good. For $16 I highly recommend you give them a go! You may well be surprised. I would personally buy them over any sub $100 headphones.

I'm not just a Phillips fan though, I have some Sennheiser's (2 different pair's in fact), but I believe they come into their own in the more expensive price range. Even then they are still comparable to the cheaper Phillips.

Too many people here are relating cheap with bad (while generally true it isnt always). do a google for "Phillips and Under rated" and you'll see a lot of topics talking about how under rated Phillips headphones are!

qwerty7

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#618138 1-May-2012 22:44

the sony mdr xd 100's are a clearance item at dick smiths, although they havn't cut the price, it just says limited stock

The philips shp-2000 are $16 at harvey norman
http://www.harveynorman.co.nz/philips-full-can-headphones.html

I really liked the look of the shp-9000 but also saw a thread about them being fragile (they fixed them with cable ties) and if i was spending 100 + i would want something more sturdy.

right now im trying to decide between the philips sph 2000 and the sein hd 201

qwerty7

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#618207 2-May-2012 09:08

ok well i was reluctant to spend more. I am either going to do it one way or the other I am either buying cheap headphones for $16-30 or good ones i will still have in 5 years for $100 - 200

If i spent more they would have to sound really good.

This song has a really low end bass beat all the way through it which you can only slightly hear with standard ipod headphones unless you push them into your ears with your fingers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2OCSWF7sAw

I have read about the hd 201 poor low end bass performance and am wondering if the philips sph-2000 would even pick it up considering they are half the price of the hd201

networkn

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#618208 2-May-2012 09:15

http://www.amazon.com/Koss-PortaPro-Headphones-with-Case/dp/B00001P4ZH

Within Budget and with 606 4.5 star reviews, I am not sure what more you could want.

To be fair I wouldn't buy these, because I do have a thing about audio quality and I would prefer to spend more and get more (I have about 5 pairs of various headphones), mostly Sens, but I have some Klisch in ear and image somethings I can't recall which are exceptional.

qwerty7

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#618210 2-May-2012 09:22

I want over the ear headphones , and I don't like the style of those koss headphones

NZtechfreak

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#618229 2-May-2012 10:13

qwerty7: ok well i was reluctant to spend more. I am either going to do it one way or the other I am either buying cheap headphones for $16-30 or good ones i will still have in 5 years for $100 - 200

If i spent more they would have to sound really good.

This song has a really low end bass beat all the way through it which you can only slightly hear with standard ipod headphones unless you push them into your ears with your fingers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2OCSWF7sAw

I have read about the hd 201 poor low end bass performance and am wondering if the philips sph-2000 would even pick it up considering they are half the price of the hd201

You're going to have a fair amount of difficulty getting well represented and controlled sub-bass in your price bracket I'm afraid (I will check that track out with my LCD-2s though, they're unbelievable for sub-bass).

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#618362 2-May-2012 14:21

just a couple of things - the philips 9000 only has one good review and the rest are negative (but then they are comparing with much expensive ones)

when buying headphones shouldn't you need to check the impedance rating as the 32Ohm philips needs a lot of power to drive it and i doubt your ipod could handle that at loud volumes ... the higher the impedance the lower the power requirements but i'm not familiar with how high is adequate for phones, ipods etc without the needs for an amp

qwerty7

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#618459 2-May-2012 17:25

I went to jb today with my ipod and tried out some songs with the senn hd201's. Obviously I can't compare to more expensive headphones like the Philips shp-9000 but to me they had enough bass even on the track i listed above with which bass is not picked up when using crap computer speakers etc. They felt ok. Not the greatest high end fit or feel on the head but ok for the price.

I then went to harvey norman to look at the Philips shp-2000 at $16. Didn't take my ipod in as i didn't think they would have a set for you to test but they did. I thought $16 was the normal price, it wasn't they rrp at $49.95. I thought screw it and bought them.

I am satisfied with them. If you want a cheap set of spare headphones go and get them. They don't have any fancy ontop of head padding but i cannot complain about the fit. Any more bass would be sickly in my opinion. I guess there is a difference between bass quantity and bass quality though. In a more expensive headphones i would expect the bass to be cleaner and more defined. I reckon the bass was slightly cleaner in the hd201's. All in all the senn hd201's and the philips shp-2000 are on par with each other in my opinion. BOTH seemed to be lacking something in rock music. Whether it is treble or what, I don't know.

I bought these Philips sph-2000 because if i ever get a good set i would still want a spare set. For $16 you can't complain. I have already noticed in one song during a solo where there is a foreign sound of someone moving an instrument or something. That is about 70% off. Has 2 meter cable and comes with stereo adapter. They do get sore on the top of your head if wearing them for more than an hour, so lie down or change the position in which they are sitting.

Constructive criticism in some songs it feels like the voice and instruments is drowned out by crappy uncontrolled bass and they lack something when playing rock music. But do not let that put you off. The most i would be prepared to pay for these Philips shp-2000 while still going home with a smile on my face would be about $50, and I am a tight arse.Regardless of price I would give them about 4.5/10 compared to pure liquid sex pouring into my ears. I score of about 10 would not even be possible with the standard computer and cd-ripped mp3 tracks I am testing them with. They work fine with my ipod too, not too quiet or anything unless you plan on going deff. Noise cancelling is minor or non existent but that is irrelevant as they are not sold as noise cancelling and that is not what they are designed to do.

If you are looking for entry level headphones for home use these are a steal at $16! Overall sound+feel no better or worse than the senn hd201's. And regardless of the rrp, honestly worth about $50.

Now that's out of the way, I still wouldn't mind some good headphones one day. I wish more stores would have some out for you to test, even in jb hifi it was only some models. Testing them is the only real way to see what your buying.

I was looking at these the other night. Guess they are the replacement for the shp-9000 etc. Wonder how much they will be when they hit the shelves. http://www.philips.co.nz/c/Fidelio/fidelio-l1_00/prd/

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