# What is a good pair of over the ear headphones (various price ranges) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 25, 2015, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787 "2015-08-25T00:17:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/1 "2015-08-25T00:17:40Z")
Lets say you have various price ranges \<$25 \<$50 \<$100 What would be good over the ear headphones in each price bracket? Is the quality difference between them noticeable? This would be for MP3 files. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/2 "2015-08-25T00:23:43Z")
It is my understanding beats are highly overrated. What about Audio-Technica M30x? ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/3 "2015-08-25T00:36:04Z")
Are you looking for cordless or “with cord” headphones? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/4 "2015-08-25T00:43:50Z")
I asked a similar question years ago regarding the \<$25 range, and was recommended these [Koss headphones](http://www.amazon.com/Koss-KTXPRO1-Titanium-Portable-Headphones/dp/B00007056H/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1440463131&sr=8-4&keywords=koss+earphones). I have used them for years and found them to work really well and be very reliable. I’m not an MP3 listener, but some of the Amazon reviewers say that they work very well for that purpose. Wow. Amazon says “You purchased this item on February 15, 2006.” I didn’t realize it had been quite that long. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/5 "2015-08-25T01:37:19Z")
I love my $49 eGrados. They’re mainly for portables but I use them at home as well. I had to return the first pair but it was worth the minor headache. It uses the same drivers as the SR60 which is the $79 ‘stay at home’ model. [http://www.gradolabs.com/headphones/prestige-series/item/41-egrado](http://www.gradolabs.com/headphones/prestige-series/item/41-egrado) ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/6 "2015-08-25T01:38:57Z")
Mod Hat On Zipping this over to IMHO ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/7 "2015-08-25T01:50:30Z")
Depends what you need them for. I use Bose noise reduction headphones for traveling (movies and music in loud environments) and conference calls (kids, dogs, cats, MiL in background). I’ve tried a number of other things and nothing else comes close to checking all the boxes. It’s got great noise reduction, very good sound quality, and very good mic. Definitely over $100. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/8 "2015-08-25T02:11:55Z")
A cheap Bose or Sennheiser headset will blow away an expensive headset from other companies. Sound companies are good at what they do. You do get more if you spend more but for most people you can get a good enough set for 30-50 bucks. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/9 "2015-08-25T02:25:54Z")
Be aware there are different kinds of headphones. Closed headphones provide isolation from outside sounds. Open headphones provide no isolation from outside sound so they are useless in noisy environments. (But they are useful if you’re jogging, etc and want to be aware of what’s around you.) Open headphones generally have better overall sound quality (more transparent, realistic) but are usually weaker in the deep bass. (With earphones, it’s the opposite. “Open” earbuds have low quality sound and the good earphones are all in-ear phones that have isolation.) Headphone magazine Inner Fidelity’s wall of fame is a good place for quick recommendations. [Home Page | Stereophile.com](http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelitys-wall-fame) There are substantial gains in quality until you get to the Sennheiser HD600 or HD650 for around $400 and diminishing returns above that. Those 2 are two of the best headphones at any price in most respects except for bass depth and bass distortion. This is assuming you get the best headphones at any given price point. There are a lot of crappy, harsh sounding headphones at all price points including very expensive ones. For the best overall sound quality for in the $100 price range you would want the Sennheiser HD558 which is $108. Or, the cheaper $70 HD518 which is similar but not quite as good sounding and the earpads aren’t as good. They’re open phones so they have no isolation and the deep bass is weak compared to good closed phones. For closed phones the $60 Creative Aurvana Live are good but they only have good isolation at high frequencies. The Noontec Zoro II HD are good but they’re on-ear compact phones. The Bose Soundtrue Around-Ear for $120 have good isolation and comfort. The overall sound quality is OK but not great. For open headphones the cheapest good quality ones are the Koss KSC75 for $13. They are ear-clip open phones. If you don’t like the ear-clips you can remove them and install the headband from [these](http://www.amazon.com/Parts-Express-Stereo-Lightweight-Headphones/dp/B0002KQZJS) headphones which are horrible sounding but useful for the headband. The slight pressure from the headband also makes the KSC75 sound a bit warmer/bassier than they do with the earclips. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/10 "2015-08-25T02:28:11Z")
I’m old fashioned. I like the Koss Pro 4AA. $99.00. ---
**Author:** ![fc1114](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@fc1114](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fc1114)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/11 "2015-08-25T03:14:17Z")
Any recommendations for over-the-ears headphones that don’t make your ears hot? Preferably wireless ones. ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/12 "2015-08-25T13:48:56Z")
It’s been a while since I’ve used them, but I have a pair of [Sennheiser HD 280 PRO](http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-PRO-Headphones/dp/B000065BPB/ref=sr_1_2?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1440510235&sr=1-2&keywords=sennheiser+headphones) headphones that sounded great. I do have severe hearing loss and it is hard to distinguish different instruments/sounds with cheaper/lower quality speakers and headphones. But with the Sennheisers I could hear background instruments and vocals very clearly. I would highly recommend these if you use headphones enough to invest $100 in them. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/13 "2015-08-25T14:08:46Z")
I’ve had a pair of [Sony MDR-V6 headphones](http://www.cnet.com/products/sony-mdrv6/) since about 1990. The cup fits around your ear rather than on it, so it’s very comfortable and provides good isolation from ambient noise. The overall sound quality is great, and they can throw out bass so loud you can _feel_ it on your ears, with no distortion (provided your source is up to it). Price is about $110. They fold down into a compact shape that fits in its own carrying case. I’ve replaced the earpads on it a couple of times; those earpads continue to be available. I use these on trans-Pacific flights; they aren’t noise-cancelling, but they offer enough isolation to enjoy whatever audio program I put on without having to turn it way up to drown out ambient noise. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/14 "2015-08-25T14:47:20Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > It is my understanding beats are highly overrated. Overpriced is probably a better descriptor. They’re great headphones, especially if you want bass, but you can get similar performance at a lower price. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/15 "2015-08-25T15:41:31Z")
> [@Apocalypso](#): > > It’s been a while since I’ve used them, but I have a pair of [Sennheiser HD 280 PRO](http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-PRO-Headphones/dp/B000065BPB/ref=sr_1_2?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1440510235&sr=1-2&keywords=sennheiser+headphones) headphones that sounded great. I use the HD280 Pro as my every-day-don’t-want-to-annoy-the-neighbors headphones. They don’t sound as good as my 600’s, but as closed-ear models go they are pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/16 "2015-08-25T15:47:56Z")
There are different models and versions of Beats headphones. The newer versions (Beats Studio 2, Beats Solo 2) are better than the originals. The one you especially want to avoid is the original Beats Solo. They have exaggerated bass, which some people like, and the overall sound quality is good on the new ones but not the best for the high prices they charge. Comfort and isolation are good. ---
**Author:** ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/17 "2015-08-25T16:39:48Z")
> [@Apocalypso](#): > > It’s been a while since I’ve used them, but I have a pair of [Sennheiser HD 280 PRO](http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-PRO-Headphones/dp/B000065BPB/ref=sr_1_2?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1440510235&sr=1-2&keywords=sennheiser+headphones) headphones that sounded great. I do have severe hearing loss and it is hard to distinguish different instruments/sounds with cheaper/lower quality speakers and headphones. But with the Sennheisers I could hear background instruments and vocals very clearly. I would highly recommend these if you use headphones enough to invest $100 in them. Seconded. I bought a pair of these three years ago for my last job, and they served me very well. I recently upgraded to the HD380s, which are comparable in sound quality but are noticeably more comfortable. The 380 used to be $200, but is around $100 these days. I’m not an audiophile and I can’t speak objectively to their quality, but both headphones get good sound IMO. Both are closed, so they do partially block outside sound, but they also have a tendency to get a little on the warm side with extended use. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/18 "2015-08-25T17:16:24Z")
I’m an audiophile. Went for a (used) pair of Beyerdynamic Tesla T1’s, and am very happy with my decision. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/19 "2015-08-25T17:18:27Z")
I’m going to buy a pair of these behind the neck sennheiser’s sometime this week - > **[Amazon.com: Sennheiser PC141 On-Ear Headset with miicrophone &...](https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC141-Headset-miicrophone-noise-canceling/dp/B000PJA1YG)** > > Amazon.com: Sennheiser PC141 On-Ear Headset with miicrophone & noise-canceling feature : Electronics I had an earlier model that I’ve been using for ten years but the wire has stopped delivering sound to my right ear so I’m going to replace them. Behind the neck is really the only way I ever enjoy wearing headphones, so I’m going to stick with this model. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787/20 "2015-08-25T17:29:53Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > It is my understanding beats are highly overrated. > [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Overpriced is probably a better descriptor. They’re great headphones, especially if you want bass, but you can get similar performance at a lower price. Some tech site torn apart a pair of Beats and found the electronic parts are valued at about $25.00. Beats added extra weight (actual lead or steel bars) so the perceived weight is seen by customers as quality. They are not worth the price at all. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-pair-of-over-the-ear-headphones-various-price-ranges/728787.md?page=2)