$40 headphones for a friend

[philodox]

Hey all,

So, a friend of mine needs some headphones that he will be plugging in to the 1/8" jack on his TV for quiet listening at night.

Requirements:

Must cost around $40 CDN.

Closed

1/8" jack preferable

circumaural preferable

not complete shit

That is about it. If anyone has any recommendations, let me know.

Thanks,

Jay

[hYdrociTy]

Philips HP460 is nice, and sells for 40 usd on amazon. They sound way above average for the price.

[jinp6301]

ZOMG WHAT NEW HEADPHONES SHOULD I BUY SINCE IM A NOOB??!?!?! I LIKE BASS FOR MY MUSIX!!!!

seriously how about a senn px200 or a used yuin pk-2? the pk-2 is kinda closed

[granodemostasa]

just get the px100 and forget about the closed part.

[socrates63]

How big is the TV, and how far does he need to sit from the TV? I mean, the cord on headphones like the PX100 are not very long.

[philodox]

Good point, I didn't even think about the cord. His TV is a 32" (or around there) widescreen LCD. He'll be using this for Xbox360 duty, action movies and quite possibly porn. I think that is why he wants closed.

So far, those Phillips are looking like my best bet. More recommendations are welcome though.

[n_maher]

Senn HD201's and get a friend to recable them for you with whatever length he needs. For short money I think these are pretty darn decent.

[philodox]

Actually, I have a pair of HD201s in my closet, but sort of ruled them out since they are a bitch to drive. Maybe I'll bring them over to his place to try them out just in case. If memory serves, the cord is pretty crazy long on them stock.

[n_maher]

Yeah, the stock chord has to be 10 to 12' long. And I haven't had much trouble driving them direct from portable players, of course my expectations are pretty low when I put them on.

[bhd812]

201's would be my choice.

[boomana]

Stagg SHP-4500. $35.

They're cheap, damn comfy, not bad sound, especially if your friend is using them primarily for tv. I'd put them up there with the Equation Audio (I've only owned the RP-22X, and not the liked R-21s) but without the clamping, and the seal is good with little to leak out and annoy others (assuming that's the goal). I bought them as beaters, but wasn't really going to use them much. I sold them to Nikongod so he could play with modding them.

[n_maher]

Vicki, correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't that headband look exactly like the Equations?

[boomana]

Pretty much. I sold the Equations (the guy finally paid me 6 months later after flecom kicked his ass) long before, so I don't really remember. Mine had a pretty brutal clamp, and I have a small head. These were as comfy as any headphones I've ever had on.

[n_maher]

I wasn't really going for the fit comparison, more wondering if they shared more components with the Stagg's than just the headband?

[boomana]

I didn't have them at the same and spent very little time with each. Could be that they shared other components. I do recall thinking that they were similar in sound, but again, had I had them side by side, would I say that? I dunno. I do think for $35 they're as good as you can get.

[holland]

Vicki, correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't that headband look exactly like the Equations?

I'm starting to notice bands looking similar these days. The pictured headbands look more like Ultrasone to me.

[boomana]

I suspect that many of the smaller companies (heck, maybe even the bigger ones) that make cheaper headphones source from the same companies for parts.

[n_maher]

I'm pretty sure that Ultrasone uses the same headband as the HD 280 for just about all their headphones, regardless of price.

[boomana]

Well, the first time I ever saw Ultrasones, all I could think of was Fisher Price toys. I actually bought the 2500s for that reason as I could take it to the middle school I taught at and not worry about the kids breaking them or anyone wanting to steal them. Too bad I didn't like them well enough to use them for even that.

[holland]

I didn't like the Proline when I first saw them, looked cheap, as noted. The HFI series, IMO, look better due to the black.

HD280 looks a bit different in the knuckle of the headband, as does the RP-21. The noted picture looks almost exactly like an Ultrasone.

http://www.ultrasone.com/htdocs/08_frameset/hfi_index.php

[boomana]

The thread that turned me onto these was trying to compare them with Ultrasones, saying they looked and sounded the same, but for under $40. I thought the Ultrasones sounded great for $40 headphones! It was worth a try for what I needed at the time (cans to leave at work and not care if they got stolen) especially at 3 AM. They look a lot like the Ultrasones, except better due to the black. They don't really sound the same, but still good for under $40.

[philodox]

Yeah, the stock chord has to be 10 to 12' long. And I haven't had much trouble driving them direct from portable players, of course my expectations are pretty low when I put them on.

That's true, and I don't think he has as discerning ears as we do. They can sound quite nice for the price when amplified properly, but at that point you are spending much more on the amp than on the headphones.

I'll let him try them anyways, and if he likes them that is the way we'll go. Otherwise I'll look into these Stagg headphones and the Phillips. Thanks for the help guys and girls.

[philodox]

FYI, he tried the HD201s and liked them, so all is well.