In the $20-50 range, the JVC HAS600 and HARX700 are standouts. They offer great bass, and great sound overall. The HARX700 would be considered too large by many for portable use. The HAS600 is much more compact. The HAS600 is only around $30 on Amazon.
The Sennheiser PX100 MKII is only around $40-50 It is very compact and open, while the two JVC headphones I mentioned are closed, and much larger.
The Sennheiser MX580 earbuds is a great value for around $25, as is the the Sennheiser CX300 iem. Make sure to buy Sennheiser earphones from an authorized dealer, as there may be many fakes around.
The JVC HAM750 is a good value in a larger closed folding headphone around $50, although those who can stretch their budget up to $65 should consider the Sony V6. There is even a Wiki for the Sony V6. I have had the Sony V6 for over 20 years, and it still works fine, except that I needed to change the earpads.
I bought a set of Klipsch ProMedia in-ear earphones. They’re the same driver as the S4i, just missing the fancier control. Comfortable (many tip sizes to pick from and they’re oval so they’re more naturally shaped to the ear canal), surprsingly nice sound and often are sold for $35 at Tiger Direct/Circuit City/CompUSA. They are a bit bass shy but the mid-range and treble more than made up for that. No, they’re not as nice as my BeyerDynamic DT990 Pros or my Grado SR60i cans but for sound on the go they’re great. IT also does a great job of filtering out background noise like on a plane trip.
They come with a nift carrying case, an adapter for use with a PC (the native tip is designed for an iPhone) and a cable clip for exercise use. I got a set for $40 at a local CompUSA but saw them for $35 on Circuitcity.com (same people supposedly) two weeks ago. I got two sets of them for my kids for Christmas.
Props for the SR60i! Still love mine after several years.
I like them too and for the price they’re great. A bit bright/bass shy but tweak of the tone controls on my preamp fixes that. They’re not as comfortable/well built as my Beyers but at 1/4 the price I didn’t expect them to be. The surprising thing to me was the SR80’s I demo’d when I was looking didn’t sound as nice as the SR60’s. The Beyers are my main audio system cans, the Grados I use while working.
If I could change a few things it would be the cord design (too bulky), the headband (I had to put a pad around it to make it comfortable) and the adjusters/sliders for the cans themselves slide to easily. Basically I’d gladly have paid a bit more for more robust mechanical build/comfort. How they can pack that much sound quality for such a low price is amazing though.
As an aside, have you tried the Grado IEM earphones? My local Grado retailer doesn’t carry them.
I’ll also put in a word for some Koss phones. The Portapros are tough to beat in the $50 price range. Ancient design/dated looks but they’ve been around for decades. They are another personal favorite of mine and typically get excellent reviews.
Another cheap one is the Koss KTX Pro1. Cheap build quality but sound is pretty nice for the $15 they typically cost. Personally, I prefer them to anything over Sony. I’ve never been impressed with any Sony transducer. Their popularity (like with Bose) mystifies me (I know, I’m in the minority in my opinions).
As for Sennheiser, test before buying. I’ve had experience with Sennheiser that’s sometimes great but often quite dissapointing; muddy, bloated bass and muffled high-end. For “on the go” cans when running you can’t beat their Addidas/Sennheiser behind-the-neck phones (that’s what I mainly use with my Clip Zip).
I tried to restrain myself from making negative comments about the Grado SR60, however I have had it for many years and hated it. I finally gave it away. I didn’t even try to sell it. The highs on it were harsh and painful. It leaked plenty of sound, and had a huge and heavy cord. Perhaps my SR60 might have been defective? I still have the SR80, which has much better highs and better bass, but imo still isn’t a great headphone. Imo the cheaper Sony V6 sounds much better.
I have had the Koss Portapro for over 10 years. imo the Portapro sounds much worse than the Sennheiser PX100. Imo even the JVC HAS160 which is under $15 sounds much better than the Portapro. If someone really loves the Portapro sound though, they can get almost exactly the same sound for half the price by buying the Sportapro. The HAS160 has better highs than the Portapro or PX100, however the PX100 has better bass. The Portapro and Sportapro sounds muddy at times, which isn’t an issue on the PX100 or HAS160(could the PX100 mk2 sound muddy at times?). i used to like the Portapro and Sportapro many years ago, until I found better lower cost alternatives.
It is funny that you mention the Koss KTX pro1. I actually like the sound quality on the KTXpro1 much better than the Portapro, as it has much better highs, and the bass doesn’t sound muddly. The latest version of the KTXpro1 looks very cheap though. Why don’t they make it all black like they did in the past?
As for Sony, the under $10 Sony MDR-E828 earbuds sound great for the price. They have good bass and good highs, although the midrange isn’t that great(hey, they can’t give you everything for under $10). The Sony V6 is one of the best headphones under $100, however very recently its price on Amazon went up from $65 to $80(will it drop back to $65 or less in January?). Some of the more expensive Sony headphones are also nice. Some of the lower priced Sony headphones are awful though.
I don’t know which Sennheiser headphones disappointed you. The only Sennheiser headphones or earbuds that disappointed me were the MX300 earbuds. I have had well over a dozen Sennheiser models over the years. The Sennheiser MX580 earbuds at under $25 are a great value. Imo they are close in quality to the Sony E-888 earbuds which are at least $75 if you can find them.
Props for the SR60i! Still love mine after several years.
I like them too and for the price they’re great. A bit bright/bass shy but tweak of the tone controls on my preamp fixes that. They’re not as comfortable/well built as my Beyers but at 1/4 the price I didn’t expect them to be. The surprising thing to me was the SR80’s I demo’d when I was looking didn’t sound as nice as the SR60’s. The Beyers are my main audio system cans, the Grados I use while working.
If I could change a few things it would be the cord design (too bulky), the headband (I had to put a pad around it to make it comfortable) and the adjusters/sliders for the cans themselves slide to easily. Basically I’d gladly have paid a bit more for more robust mechanical build/comfort. How they can pack that much sound quality for such a low price is amazing though.
As an aside, have you tried the Grado IEM earphones? My local Grado retailer doesn’t carry them.
Agreed on the cord design and headband. I keep my hair buzzed short enough that a drill sergeant would be happy with it, so a little padding would have been nice…and yeah, the cord is big and unwieldy.
I haven’t tried their IEM’s, but IEM’s and my ears don’t get along, so I won’t.
I tried to restrain myself from making negative comments about the Grado SR60, however I have had it for many years and hated it. I finally gave it away. I didn’t even try to sell it. The highs on it were harsh and painful. It leaked plenty of sound, and had a huge and heavy cord. Perhaps my SR60 might have been defective? I still have the SR80, which has much better highs and better bass, but imo still isn’t a great headphone. Imo the cheaper Sony V6 sounds much better.
Well, if you weren’t so averse to using an EQ, you might have enjoyed them more. I don’t honestly know how different the older SR60 and the 60i really are, but with my 60i’s, it’s easy to slighty tweak them and get fantastic sound.
Agreed on the cord design and headband. I keep my hair buzzed short enough that a drill sergeant would be happy with it, so a little padding would have been nice…and yeah, the cord is big and unwieldy.
I haven’t tried their IEM’s, but IEM’s and my ears don’t get along, so I won’t.
I have a cheap and sleazebag “fix” (okay, kludge) for the padding: get some black felt, velcro and some kind of soft material (for example perhaps terrycloth from a black sock). Wrap to your taste the terrycloth or some other cloth around the vinyl padding then wrap a piece of the black felt, with the velcro glued/sewn into place, so that you can secure the velcro on the top of the headphone vinyl. Viola, cheap padding. I had to play with the velcro location, felt width/lenght and padding to get it to my taste and not look like a complete goofball when wearing them. Not the prettiest thing but it’s functional.
I honestly thought of going to my Grado dealer, who happens to carry Beyer products too, and getting the nice leatherette padding strap for the DT990s and using it with the Grados. Problem is the pad is $35. I wasn’t willing to shell out $35 for a set of cans that cost me $75.
As for IEMs, give the Klipsch a shot. You and I seem to have some similar taste in transducers. If you like the Grados, the Klipsch ProMedia will be to your liking I believe. They’ve got 3 or 4 different tips and it’s easy to find a set that fits right. I love the oval design to the tips, makes the fit more precise. They work well with my ifruit phone and are wonderful for sealing out engine drone during a flight. If you have a local CompUSA/Tiger Direct store they carry them there for $35-40. You an also get them on-line at those two and CircuitCity.com (all 3 are T/D if you didn’t know). I sure was pleasantly surprised at how nice they sound for the price. The added bonus is they double for phone calls.
Agreed on the cord design and headband. I keep my hair buzzed short enough that a drill sergeant would be happy with it, so a little padding would have been nice…and yeah, the cord is big and unwieldy.
I haven’t tried their IEM’s, but IEM’s and my ears don’t get along, so I won’t.
I have a cheap and sleazebag “fix” (okay, kludge) for the padding: get some black felt, velcro and some kind of soft material (for example perhaps terrycloth from a black sock). Wrap to your taste the terrycloth or some other cloth around the vinyl padding then wrap a piece of the black felt, with the velcro glued/sewn into place, so that you can secure the velcro on the top of the headphone vinyl. Viola, cheap padding. I had to play with the velcro location, felt width/lenght and padding to get it to my taste and not look like a complete goofball when wearing them. Not the prettiest thing but it’s functional.
I honestly thought of going to my Grado dealer, who happens to carry Beyer products too, and getting the nice leatherette padding strap for the DT990s and using it with the Grados. Problem is the pad is $35. I wasn’t willing to shell out $35 for a set of cans that cost me $75.
As for IEMs, give the Klipsch a shot. You and I seem to have some similar taste in transducers. If you like the Grados, the Klipsch ProMedia will be to your liking I believe. They’ve got 3 or 4 different tips and it’s easy to find a set that fits right. I love the oval design to the tips, makes the fit more precise. They work well with my ifruit phone and are wonderful for sealing out engine drone during a flight. If you have a local CompUSA/Tiger Direct store they carry them there for $35-40. You an also get them on-line at those two and CircuitCity.com (all 3 are T/D if you didn’t know). I sure was pleasantly surprised at how nice they sound for the price. The added bonus is they double for phone calls.
It’s not the sound of IEM’s that bugs me…it’s the fact of the airtight seal…which in most every case is what you need for them to sound right. My eardrums are very sensitive to air pressure…even driving through Vermont mountain country can be unpleasant.
If I could use them, I would, because the convenience factor is great, they take up so litle space and can sound very, very good.
It’s not the sound of IEM’s that bugs me…it’s the fact of the airtight seal…which in most every case is what you need for them to sound right. My eardrums are very sensitive to air pressure…even driving through Vermont mountain country can be unpleasant.
If I could use them, I would, because the convenience factor is great, they take up so litle space and can sound very, very good.
When you’re stuck on a plane for 6 hrs. you welcome the air-tight seal. :smileyvery-happy: These Klipsch’s were a heaven- sent gift last time I had to fly cross-country.
The Klipsh phones don’t seal that tight for me, likely that’s why I find them bass light. I never minded bass light (the SR60i’s are that way) as long as mid-range/treble is balanced. For the price these IEMs are a steal. I’ve always preferred the transducers of American speakers and the Klipsch IEMs capture that. I just don’t care for the sound of Japanese transducers: speakers/IEMs/headphones/phono cartridges (my personal tastes). They always came across as honky and just peculiar sounding. Same goes for nearly all Bose products, again it’s my personal tastes. European ones are varies; my experience with AKG and Sennheiser has been spotty. Beyer hits the spot for me and my DT990Pros still sound fantastic after 25 yrs. of ownership.
What you might want to find with an IEM is one that uses the foam ear pieces. They contour nicer in the canal, are more comfortable but the foam is a replacement item and air will get to the canals. That sounds like your best option.
I’ve got the JVC HAS600 on my Amazon wishlist. I was happy enough with the sound of the Flats when I had them that I think these are worth a try. I almost pulled the trigger yesterday, but decided I should get my X-mas shopping out of the way first…lol.
As far as IEM’s or bud’s, I’ve never been a fan, could never find any that were comfortable. I like on the ear or over the ear better.
I’m kind of suprised about the negative comments on the Portapro’s. I love them. I think they run neck in neck with the Sennheisers MX-100’s but I find the MX-100’s more comfortable.
I recently got some Bose QC15’s for air travel and spent way too much for them, but the Bose payment plan (25 dollars a month for a year, no interest) made it less painful. I would definitely miss $300.00 for a single purpose, but $25.00 x 12 is just one dinner out a month.
The QC-15’s do not sound as good as the Portapros or the Sennheisers, IMHO, but in the air, the Sound Isolation has to be heard (or not heard) to be believed.
The nice thing about the Bose QC-15’s is that I don’t have to turn up the player very loud due to the sound isolation.
For casual listening in an appropriately quiet environment, I like both the portapro’s and MX-100’s (the portapro’s do seem more bass heavy). But in the air, QC-15’s are the king.
I liked the Portapros, with a bit of EQ, and they were comfortable enough and portable…but the cheap cables that don’t last turned me away from Koss. Just like my KSC75’s, the cable stated to short out down near the jack…and in less than 10 months! I know there is a warranty, and If I had paid more for them, I might have bothered with returning them…but in this case, I just moved on.
Marvin, how do you like the HAS600? Keep in mind that JVC headphones need plenty of burn in to sound good. The HAS600 in particular needs it. I actually prefer the HAS160 to the HAS600, however the HAS600 is fun as an extra bass headphone. I love the neutrality and detail of the HAS160. Lately I have been reaching for the HAS160 most often when I want to listen to music, even though I have several headphones that are much more expensive.
Marvin, how do you like the HAS600? Keep in mind that JVC headphones need plenty of burn in to sound good. The HAS600 in particular needs it. I actually prefer the HAS160 to the HAS600, however the HAS600 is fun as an extra bass headphone. I love the neutrality and detail of the HAS160. Lately I have been reaching for the HAS160 most often when I want to listen to music, even though I have several headphones that are much more expensive.
So you actually have the HAS600 also? I didn’t realize that. I haven’t received mine yet…they should be here Thursday or Friday.
I’ll test them out, and if I think a little burning in would help, I’ll dig out the ZuneHD and let them run overnight with that on shuffle.
