[Challenge] BEST headset / earphone / headphone up to €50 MAX.

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betoNL

Senior Member
Ok, I have been searching here but have not found concrete information about kickasz :eek: headsets/phones (as our sgs/voodoo devices deserve), without spending a small fortune!

There are tons of excellent headsets out there but quite pricy...

So the real challenge is to find , good quality/low price :cool: or let's say low-budget / high quality ones ...

I tested many and I found it :


Is the AKG K 430​

B239694.jpg

( The one I got is all white)More pics here



Some specs:

Impendance : 32 ohm
Sensitivity : 125 dB/V
Max input power : 30 mW
Frequency response : 12Hz - 28kHz

Not bad for the price huh? I paid actually 42 euros here in Holland (Makro) , it's maybe cheaper on e-bay, but who wants to wait ;) ? http://www.ebay.co.uk/ctg/AKG-K-430-Headphones-/99791688#

It's reasonably comfortable, foldable (3D axis - to fit the included case) and got a volume slider !

Dont ask me about durability, I just bought it ... ( Edit_ it's durable !)
And what a sound !


And...for the " in-ears" category I got these ones :​

JVC HA-FX1 Extreme Explosive Bass
27640.JPG

Frequency Response 5-23,000Hz!:D
10mm large diaphragm neodymium driver units and Extreme Deep Basse Ports deliver ultimate bass sound
Rubber protectors for body durability
Superior sound isolation
Comfortable fit with ergonomic contoured form and three sizes of silicone ear-pieces
2.6mm-thick and robust 1.2m pure copper cable (Y-type)
Special hard carrying case included
S/M/L silicone ear-pieces included
Gold-plated 3.5mm stereo straight plug
iPod, iphone and iPad compatible

I paid around * 17.00 * euros for it :cool: and it seems that it's even cheaper right now

Great sound - great value for money !



When posting also specify the specs, like Sensitivity, frequency response, impendance, input power, etc etc. , meaning not only name and price !

.
 
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betoNL

Senior Member
I've been happy with the Klipsch S2 Earphones - $24.99 with free shipping from Buy.com

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Klipsch+Image+S2&cid=1239532654331838885#p

Klipsch S4 specs

  • Response Bandwidth 10 - 19000 Hz
  • Sensitivity 110 dB/mW
  • Impedance 18 Ohm
Klipsch S2 specs


  • Impedance: 18 ohms
  • Frequency Range: 12Hz-18kHz
  • Sensitivity (1mW): 106dB

For less that 50EURO, I will go for the MDR-EX310SL
For slighty more than 50EURO, I am using now the MRD-EX510SL

Specifications MDR-EX310SL

Type: Dynamic, Closed
Driver Unit: 13.5mm, Dome type (CCAW adopted)
Sensitivity: 105dB/mW
Power Handling Capacity: 100mW
Impedance: 16ohms at 1kHz
Frequency Response: 5-25,000Hz
Magnet: Neodymium
Cord: OFC litz cord neck-chain
Cord Length: 0.6m
Plug: L-shaped stereo mini plug (Gold)
Weight: 7g

Ps: all above mentioned are more expensive than the AKG
 
Last edited:

sirbrian

Senior Member
Jan 3, 2011
102
2
Sony EX Monitor Earphones

For less that 50EURO, I will go for the MDR-EX310SL


For slighty more than 50EURO, I am using now the MRD-EX510SL
 

movrshakr

Senior Member
Jan 20, 2011
848
62
Perhaps, but they also cost 5-6 times as much as the Klipsch S2 Earphones. :cool:
And therein lies the difficulty.

My perception is that there are people who like music, but aren't "into" spending a lot on it. They 'like' good music, but like their pocketbook more--relatively. They want to keep spending in the $20-$40 general area.

Then there are people willing to spend a little more, say up to $100 area to get a big step up in perfotmance.

Then there are those *I* define as serious music people who will spend what, to me, is a LOT of money on the reproducer ($150 into multiple hundreds).

Here, we can talk to ALL of these groups, but I suspect more interest from the lower groups--people for whom cost is a pretty significant factor, to a big degree or to some degree.
 

H3llstorm

Senior Member
Jun 26, 2008
965
84
Ronkonkoma, NY
And therein lies the difficulty.

My perception is that there are people who like music, but aren't "into" spending a lot on it. They 'like' good music, but like their pocketbook more--relatively. They want to keep spending in the $20-$40 general area.

Then there are people willing to spend a little more, say up to $100 area to get a big step up in perfotmance.

Then there are those *I* define as serious music people who will spend what, to me, is a LOT of money on the reproducer ($150 into multiple hundreds).

Here, we can talk to ALL of these groups, but I suspect more interest from the lower groups--people for whom cost is a pretty significant factor, to a big degree or to some degree.

I understand what you're saying, but I assumed this was a high value/low budget thread.

Besides, if you're listening to MP3s or streaming audio/video through your phone's headphone jack, "better" headphones may not necessarily provide a better experience. It's just as likely that they'll point out the limitations of the encoded file.

If you're listening to audiophile quality FLACs, on the other head, I suppose the sky's the limit. :cool:
 

betoNL

Senior Member
Well, the essence of this thread , to find the best value earphone, which is a difficult task, specially on this budget, but not impossible....

But even if you are willing and CAN afford to pay 150 euro (and more) for a headset, are you sure, that this or that headset is better than the one I found?

Hard to say, but we can at least compare the specs:

Denon AH-C710
Frequency Response 5-25,000 Hz
Sensitivity 110 dB
Impedance 16 Ohms
Max Input Power: 250mW

AKG K430

Impendance : 32 ohm
Sensitivity : 125 dB/V
Max input power : 30 mW
Frequency response : 12Hz - 28kHz

So while the more expensive Denon got just a little wider frequency response, the AKG got higher sensitivity/Impedance, but once again, quite a good frequency response for a headphone with that price !

And the K430, also comes with a case. extra adapter and got a volume slider!

So the practical question I have for you is:

Based on specs, is it really worthwhile to spend 2 or 3 times more on the Denon C710 when you have the AKG K430 out there?

«»

Edit: Just found out that the Denon got a much higher max input power...
But what is the mW power of our sgs devices?
 
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vasra

Senior Member
Jun 3, 2009
375
50
For headset (must include a mic!) a contender would be:

Sennheiser MM-50 iP . c. $32-40 (depending on store) (no direct linking)
http://www.google.com/search?complete=0&as_qdr=all&num=20&q=sennheiser+mm50

Review:
Link removed as per forum rules (?). See a true (non-advertising) review of MM-50i at headphoneinfo.com.

However, as it is an iPhone model, it requires a *working* adapter. The following '3.5mm TRRS to 3.5 TRRS Adapter for Select Phones' from Meelec.com works:
http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=12549786&postcount=45

Works also with MM 70 iP model from Sennheiser: Answer button, headphones and microphone. Doesn't work with volume +/- controls (they do nothing).

The cheap $0.99 eBay Nokia adapters do NOT work (yes, I've tried).
 
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sicmofo

Senior Member
Aug 2, 2011
119
14
Manila
Koss Portapro
I'm quite surprised no ones mentioned these.

Price: $33.33 (I know you guys are lazy but do the math yourself :p)
Frequency Response: 15-25,000 Hz
Impedance: 60 ohms
Sensitivity: 101 dB SPL

I've had these for over a year and I must say these headphones are excellent especially when considering the price. not to mention it comes with a no questions asked lifetime warranty (just pay for shipping). If these things broke or got stolen, I'd happily go out and buy another pair.

For the hardcore audiophile on the budget (a paradox) I recommend these for use at home when not on the move:
Grado sr60i

Price:$79.00
Sensitivity: 98 dB/mV
Impedance @ 1kHz: 32

These are quite large though so I really wouldnt recommend wearing them while walking/running. On the other hand its probably the best sound you can get within that price range

This is my first post so i cant seem to include pics :(
 

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    JVC HA-FX1 Extreme Explosive Bass
    27640.JPG

    Frequency Response 5-23,000Hz!:D
    10mm large diaphragm neodymium driver units and Extreme Deep Basse Ports deliver ultimate bass sound
    Rubber protectors for body durability
    Superior sound isolation
    Comfortable fit with ergonomic contoured form and three sizes of silicone ear-pieces
    2.6mm-thick and robust 1.2m pure copper cable (Y-type)
    Special hard carrying case included
    S/M/L silicone ear-pieces included
    Gold-plated 3.5mm stereo straight plug
    iPod, iphone and iPad compatible
    1
    I guess that everything is about the role of every specification, for instance, i always searched for a headset with high sensitivity and in this field the AKG headsets/phones are the leader.

    But what impendance means exactly? Cause the Koss Portapro you mentioned got the higher value of them all, but is that a good thing or bad? Specially for in-ear headsets......

    If you want you can PM some good links and I will post them for you

    Thanks

    To be quite honest I really dont know what the majority of those terms mean in terms of headphones. I just assumed most of you knew what you were talking about so I decided to include those values :p my apologies

    Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but:

    Frequency Response: Basically the range of a headset. To what extent it can produce frequencies on both high and low ends.(Bass and Treble)

    Impedance: From my understanding, impedance is somewhat related to resistance. the higher the impedance, the lower the maximum volume possible and vice-versa. But high quality headphones boast high impedance values. I suppose this can mean less possible noise and clearer sound quality overall.

    As for the Koss portapros, they are headphones. Not in-ear plugs.extremely comfortable, and sometimes I even forget I'm wearing them. Good sound overall
    1
    Well, the essence of this thread , to find the best value earphone, which is a difficult task, specially on this budget, but not impossible....


    Hard to say, but we can at least compare the specs:

    So while the more expensive Denon got just a little wider frequency response, the AKG got higher sensitivity/Impedance, but once again, quite a good frequency response for a headphone with that price !

    And the K430, also comes with a case. extra adapter and got a volume slider!

    Just wanted to say that, at least in the case of headphones, the specs matters very very little . (Especially the freq response).

    Best value ? Easy answer: SoundMagic PL30 !
    http://mp4nation.net/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=294

    Those are better than everything else I have tried under 60€.

    If you don't like IEMs, Sennheiser PX100 are of great value also.

    For 20 bucks, I agree that PL30, is really good , [ I own one] especially if you are not too fond of bass-heavy earphones. But, there will surely be quite a few phones better than it in sub-50 $ range, I believe. Brainwavz M2 trumps PL30 , IMO.
    1
    for me, im quite satisfied with the sony mdr-ex50

    Frequency Response 5-23,000Hz
    Impedance 16ohms at 1kHz
    Magnet Neodymium
    Sensitivity 100dB/mW
    Power Handling Capacity 100mW
    1
    I'm using the klipsch s4 image
    And i just can recommend them
    The best headphones i've ever head
    You can get them in amazon for 50 up to 60€
    Why pay 60€?
    Because they can even compete with headphones that cost up to 200€

    I think the klipsch s5 have the same drivers and i think they cost about 120-150€
    I think that says all

    But it's pretty hard to recommend headphones for other people because everyone hears different(i know it sounds weird).

    Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App