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Headphone showdown

I'm currently in a dilemma over the next pair of headphones I'm buying. Does anyone have anything bad to say about certain ones? (Or better yet good things). The three I've narrowed down to are:
- Solo HD's  from beats
    - These are a tad more expensive, but I personally like them and have heard great things.
    - Detachable cord
    - Great sound
    - Most expensive (119USD)

- Skullcandy Lowriders
   - I've gotten mixed reviews here, some say that they are crap yet I personally know someone who had a pair of these for 3 years and they were still in one piece.
  - A little uncomfortable, but durable.
  - Decent sound
  - Also the cheapest (40USD)

- Ifrogz Vertex
   - I have a pair of these which are broken, the cord is a tad cheap but the quality is fairly good otherwise.
   - Decent sound
   - Mid priced (50USD)

Thank You - Nerdman

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ifrogz-vertex-headphones-with-microphone-red-largefrontimage-320w.jpg
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4
whatsisface says: Aug 26, 2011. 3:57 PM
Pro tip: Don't buy any of those. Seriously.

Both Skullcandy and Monster (who make Beats) are trying to sell you a fashion accessory, not a pair of headphones. Both manufacturers charge you through the nose for something that looks cool but sounds like garbage.

If you want a decent pair of cans, look for something by Sennheiser, Audio Technica or AKG (certain Sony models are pretty good as well).

Value for money wise, Sennheiser make (IMO) the best cans you can get. I have a pair of HD-25 MK II's and they're just fantastic (probably out of your range though). I'd recommend for around the same price as some of what you have up there:

Sennheiser HD280 Pro
Sennheiser HD205 / HD215

They'll last you for years and sound fantastic throughout :)
10
thegeeke in reply to whatsisfaceSep 20, 2011. 8:28 AM
+1

I totally agree. Beats and skull candy are NOT worth the price. If you are looking for pro headphones, Sennheiser, AT or AKG are normally the best. However, for consumer, your BEST bet is Bose. Once you have used Bose for you personal listening, you will not want anything else. (Can't use them for pro stuff though) :(

Personally I like Sennheiser the best.
emerson.john in reply to thegeekeSep 24, 2011. 11:24 AM
I am in agreement with your opinions, too. Sennheiser, Audio Technica or AKG are excellent choices. Higher end Sony and Pioneer models are good as well. I have not tried the Bose, but am confident I would like them, as I have always liked how Bose interprets Hi-fi.

BUT don't rule out Grado headphones. I have their next-to-cheapest model, the SR60, and it is among the best I have ever used, and the best I auditioned at anywhere near the price. Certainly the best under $100. And tough, I've had them over 10 years.

10
thegeeke in reply to emerson.johnSep 24, 2011. 7:40 PM
To be honest, I have never used Grado headphones, so I can't give an opinion on those, but I have never been too impressed with sony's high end stuff. They don't sound bad, but for the money, there are a lot of better headphones out there. Also, my personal experience with sonys has shown that they don't stand up to professional abuse like I would expect in high end headphones.
emerson.john in reply to thegeekeSep 24, 2011. 9:58 PM
To refine my take a bit further, I don't think AT phones should be in the same group as Sennheiser and AKG. They are really better placed with the Sony and Pioneer products. I would also place Grado as at least equal to or better than Sennheiser and AKG in any price range, up to $1500 or more. I own the least expensive of the Grado over the ear phones and have had them for 10 years. I have had to replace the cushions once, but I use them a lot. At the beginning of the summer I toured the high end stereo stores in the area and listened to headphones, and I did not hear anything that made me want to spend big bucks to replace mine. Those high dollar phones are not that much better. Well, except the Grado PS1000, but they are worth more than my old car. They are perfect.
10
thegeeke in reply to emerson.johnSep 25, 2011. 5:32 AM
AT doesn't sound quite as good as AKG or Sennhieser, but they put up with more abuse and are better priced than sonys. (At least in my neck of the woods they better priced... not sure about the rest of the country/world.)

So my take is that they're better than sony, but not quite as good as AKG,or Sennhieser. I guess you could say that they're in a class of their own. ;)
27
The Ideanator says: Aug 26, 2011. 9:54 AM
Ive had skullcandy stuff,if you're hard on stuff, don't get them since they won't stop breaking. I've had the Ti's and I repaired them 8 or 9 times before I got fed up and bought some retro pioneer headphones.
165
Kiteman says: Aug 26, 2011. 1:16 AM
Kitewife and Conker-X both use Lowriders, and are perfectly happy with them.

I used to use them, but somebody sat on them - I use Skullcandy earbuds now, and prefer them, because they shut out more external noise than the Lowriders did.

Roger-X uses, I think, Skullcandy GI headphones (which, bizarrely, have a bottle-opener in a pocket hidden in the padding...?)

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