I am looking for a pair of headphones with a list of wants
Closed back
Light cable
Durable quality
Around 100-200 £
Comfortable
Sound signature that isn’t exhausting to listen to for long periods of time (no harsh treble)
Doesn’t require an amp
I’m not too worried about the design of the headphones, as long as they fit the above criteria I’m fine with it.
Thanks for reading and if you have a recommendation I’d love to hear it
Sony mdr1 AM2 fit the bill. They have sony’s consumer house sound without all that extra bass. the bass itself is nice and controlled though is pronounced, the mids are decent and the treble is smooth to most ears. the build quality is pretty great. and at 16 ohm 98 db/mw a phone or dongle should have no trouble driving these.
thanks for the reply! I’ll check them out
Edit : I looked at some reviews and people are commenting on harsh treble which I absolutely do not want, also the fact that the bass is heard in front of the mids is something I’m not looking for
yes the treble seems to be a weird give or take as I said the treble is smooth for most ears including mine. everyone has different treble sensitivitie some people really notice it on these others like me don’t. you could buy these and return them to amazon if you don’t like them but other suggestions are.
The akg k361 and 371 don’t be fooled by the price tags they honestly are the same tier of headphone just different tuning. The K361 is flat , the 371 is harman neutral ( which to some ears can be shouty) nowhere near as well built as the sony or as comfortable but they are built good enough and are fairly comfortable.
Other headphones I wanted to recommend are the NTH 100
the problem with these are the build quality they may look solid at first but Ive been reading plenty of reports of the locking connector of the headphone snapping only after months of use so be warned.
I have heard a lot of about the k371 but unfortunately with the build quality and comfort they do not reach my threshold.
only other ones I can think of that can fit the bill are the meze 99 noir or neo.
I wish I knew more about the chifi market when it came to close backs but there may be some options there good well tuned closed backs are unfortunately rare
The neo’s seem quite appealing…
the neos are pretty good, very good build and really fun bass forward sound if your into that. Their like old school beats headphones but done right.
ehh nevermind, I heard a review and they said that the seperation of instruments is bad. Especially bad because apparently the sound gets blended together and detail is lost.
Hey, you’ve done a bunch of research - and are going to poke holes in every recommendation because no headphone is perfect especially in a budget tier, and someone will comment on a negative in peer reviews somewhere online. So, which headphones are you considering?
Sivga Robin
Have you tried the AKG K361 or K371? The build quality and comfort are fine for a lot of people. Sure, if you toss them about or stuff them into a backpack, they’ll break. So will most headphones.
The AKG K371 should be one of your top picks. The Meze 99 Neo for $199 also is a solid pick if you don’t mind extra bass. Very comfortable and superb build quality, too.
Rode NTH-100 fit the bill too
You’re not going to find a closed-back can with great separation and detail for less than $200, especially one that’s easy to drive.
Build quality in these have proven to be a bit questionable sadly.
The mdr 1 am2 I reccomended for him fit his budget at the current sale but their afraid of the few treble spikes it has.
Fair, mine have been fine so I can’t speak to it personally
Yeah it’s reminiscent of the yoke problem with the original he 400. Where some people are fine to this day but many just snapped under normal use. It’s a shame too as I was planning to buy a pair as I need a closed back for a overseas trip.
I would just like to let you people know that I ended up purchasing a headphone, my choice was the hd 280 pro, and I must say it doesn’t fit every criteria but I immediately enjoyed the sound (personally) and the comfort and sound isolation are just pluses. Thanks for your inputs and I hope this thread can help someone in future decision making!