OT: Beats by Dre - looking to buy headphones
Looking to buy a nice set of headphones for working out. Currently using a 5 dollar earbud attached to my phone.
However, Beats by Dre is very pricey. I am a noob to the entire headphone line and am looking for some recommendations. Obviously, price is the number one paramater - what is the best bang for the buck? Anything comparable (hell, maybe even better) to Beats at a fraction of the cost?
* EDIT *
Thank you everyone. Many have been extremely helpful and pointed me in the right direction. Much appreciated.
/That Guy
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Anything but Beats and Bose.
You got Sennheiser, Audiotechnica, Klipsch, and Bower Wilkins
Pick one. Can't go wrong with any of em.
Funny that you mention Monster, as Monster initially was the contract manufacturer for Beats.
is a great resource for this type of thing.
http://www.cnet.com/topics/headphones/best-headphones/sports/
AudioTechnica ATH-M50 or M50X. Buy a set and thank me later.
These are what most mixers and studio cats are using these days. Very balanced, accurate and clear sound.
Yeah, those look great for working out.
The ATH-M50(x) are everyone's first good pair of headphones for a reason, but you're right they would be terrible for running. OP needs something else.
This.
I bought a pair of ATH-M50X to replace a pair of similarly priced Skullcandy headphones and there is NO comparison. The ATH-50Xs sound amazing and are very comfortable. I can't recommend them highly enough.
Probably not great for cardio, but would be fine for lifting, etc.
Yes. I love my AudioTechnicas.
Well shit, if the mixers and studio cats are wearing them, I probably need a couple pairs at least.
groupon has them at $89 right now...
Well I was going to get you some but since you made a thread about it....
You won't regret it.
They're delicious.
....I would go the other Beets route....
As others have said, Beats are not great. They are OK, but absolutely NOT in the category of "bang for buck". Check out this summary from Marques Brownlee:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsxQxS0AdBY
I have the Audio Technica ATH-M50x that he discusses and I agree they are fantastic. They aren't cheap but are miles ahead of anything by Beats, especially when it comes to the value proposition.
Also, top 5 headphones under 200 $:
Look into Sennheiser brand. I'm sorry I don't have a more specific model, but I think Sennheisers are great value. They aren't as trendy looking, but the sound high quality for the price. My first pair were a $50 Sennheiser HD428 but this model is discontinued. They have a broad price range. I read a lot of reviews before buying most tech items (including amazon reviews, various tech blog reviews, etc) because you'll find a lot of people who are pretty knowledgeable.
I also liked the AudioTechnica ATH-M50, however, for some reason these were really tight on my head so I couldn't keep them. Best bet is order somewhere with free returns and try some for yourself!
If you want a Sennheiser model that's similar to the Beats brand but more accurate (i.e., less boosted audio and more what the engineer who mixed it wanted it to sound), try the Momentum.
Sennheisers definitely hit the sweet spot in the price to quality relationship. I have a pair of 598's I use at home for pretty much everything.
Beats is a fashion brand. If you're buying them as a status symbol or because you think they lok good, then fine, but don't expect top quality as far as the actual headphones go.
I personally care a lot about noise cancelling capabilities because I fly a lot and work in a loud city center, so I got the Bose quietcomfort 25. Best $300 I've spent in a while, you can't hear a plane taking off that you're sitting in if you have the noise cancelling turned on and music playing at a normal volume, it's incredible. It's not the absolute highest sound quality on the market, but it's perfectly crisp and clear for my purposes.
Bose is a marketing brand as well. Better quality than Beats, but they have a massive marketing budget and aren't considered audiophile-grade (whatever that means) by those who are obsessed with audio. They do have some pretty decent noise-cancelling tech though.
Right, which I'm fully aware of and willing to accept for the superior noise-cancelling. I don't care enough about extreme audio quality to sacrifice noise cancelling for slightly improved sound quality.
Beats (which have been known to insert weights to make them feel higher quality) will not offer you bang for your buck. I've made the mistake of getting PowerBeats earbuds in both generations thinking they would be good for working out & running, but in both generations they've died within 2 months due to sweat damage.
I'm a fan of Sennheiser for headphones and Anker for cheap bluetooth earbuds.
You can take a look at these links from Gawker Media (the group behind Deadspin) for some places to start:
http://co-op.kinja.com/five-best-headphones-1617713676
http://co-op.kinja.com/what-are-your-favorite-bluetooth-earbuds-1770285616
I'm a fan of the House of Marley earbuds (their lower cost sets are pretty decent for the price). For on/over ears I'm not super familiar with their offerings since I generally only use headphones for exercise an have always preferred earbuds for that.
http://www.thehouseofmarley.com/headphones.html?utm_source=google&utm_m…
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When the AudioTechnica ATH-M50s first came out about 10 years ago, you could find them online for about $79. However they blew up and got so popular that now they are much higher up to $150+.
I have two sets....
The ATH-M40x are less expensive and probably sound good. AudioTechnica is a Japanese company that has been making good studio microphones and things for many years. Their AT4033 and other mics are killer studio mics.
B&H always has the best prices and free shipping
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1024222&gclid=CO…
The only other thing I can recommend, is when you decide on a brand/model that you like...stick with it so that your ears get used to them. If you are mixing, listen to different material though the cans that you are familiar with.
April 15th, 2016 at 10:37 AM ^
Amazon has the ATH-M50(X) for $122... cheaper than the ATH-M50 for some reason ($134).
I use these everyday/all day at work and love them.
Sony MDR7506
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/…
I swear by my Beyer Dynamic BT 990s. $200... I've had them now for four years. Great to listen to music on, even better to compose + record + mix on. Mixed https://soundcloud.com/mardarh/serenity on my pair, they have served me well.
Beats are such garbage that they've added metal components whose only job is to make them heavier...seeming like better headphones.
Sony MDR-7506 are about $99 and are excellent headphones. If you want to drop $300 on Sennheisers or those Bose noise cancelling cans, they're TERRIFIC headphones. That's a bit more money than I have to spend, but if your budget can handle it, they are great.
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I got a pair of the bluetooth Bose over the ear jobs for Christmas and they are very nice sounding. You can also take phone calls on them, too.
If you want near-perfect sound and don't mind dropping $250, The AKG K545 BOR are uncolored and flat across frequencies. They are not workout cans, though. AKG is a German audio electronics company, they invented the cardioid microphone.
Thanks. Clicked to post the same thing. I'm pretty much using them all day and I can move around the office while toggling between phone and music. They'll also pair with more than one device.
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I either buy Sony earbuds for $20 or Panasonic for $35 and the sound quality is great. Dont spend money on a name. If youre willing to spend the money, then get Bose. Beats are bullshit that sold a ton because of marketing.
I'm rocking the Momentum as well as my travel/everyday pair and then have some higherpriced studio headphones that I use at home/in studio.
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I have had nothing but etymotic for the last 10 years or so. They are in-ear so you have to be cool with that, but they are reasonably priced for high quality headphones.
Note they are closer to truer sound accuracy so if you are expecting / hoping for enhanced bass then move along to another pair
Because I wear mine daily and commute in them (public transportation) I go for the lower end (MC3 for 79) since I admitably don't take good care of them.
http://www.etymotic.com/consumer/headset-earphones/mc3.html
April 14th, 2016 at 10:44 PM ^
Solid choice. Very true sound.
As others have said, Beats are overrated and more importantly overpriced for what you get. Look into Audio Technica MH-50 for a decent set of headphones. AKG, Grado, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic... other good brands.