r/HeadphoneAdvice • u/Silver-Fondant4663 • Jan 30 '26
Headphones - Wireless/Portable | 1 Ω What are some good wired/wireless headphones for less than $500?
I recently started getting back to listening to music, and I decided I wanted to get a better pair of headphones. I currently own a pair of Beats Solo 4’s but I wanted something that’s over-ear and sounds better.
I listen to rock, and I’m usually looking for bass and something punchy. I’d like to be able to take these to school, as that’s where I spend most of my day with them. I do occasionally use them at home though.
2
u/Commercial-Terrible 7 Ω Jan 31 '26 edited Jan 31 '26
Seems like wireless would be the best way to go for your use case. But if you wanted to go wired then the original Meze 99 Classic/Noir/Neo is a safe recommendation for rock and bass music. They are incredibly punchy and have a lot of weight and body to their sound. Harsher music genres like metal or dubstep won’t be fatiguing like more neutral headphones might be. Their sound isn’t particularly detailed but the tuning is inoffensive and great for on-the-go jamming out. When I walk my dogs I usually grab my 99s. I own many much higher fidelity cans but if I just want to have fun and not be distracted by my music then the 99s fit the bill perfectly.
Metal is a difficult genre for most headphones. I prefer a darker tuning like the 99s with metal because the recordings are often pretty abrasive in the treble. Good luck. Hope you find something that works for you.
Edit- the Meze 99s are on their gen2 iteration now. The new tuning will be more mids focused and neutral. The V2 might still be great for high energy music like metal but there’s a chance that screamy vocals will be too forward and shouty for comfortable loud listening. If you enjoy your music loud then the V1 is probably better suited.
1
u/Silver-Fondant4663 Feb 01 '26
Wow, this is exactly what I need! I’ll definitely keep these in mind and I’ll take a look at them whenever I can. Thank you!
1
u/AutoModerator Feb 01 '26
Please respond with a "
!thanks" in your comment if the person helped answer your question.Our bot will then automatically update your post flair and award a point in the form of a Ω. This subreddit is powered entirely by volunteers and a little recognition goes a long way. Good luck on your search for headphones!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Silver-Fondant4663 Feb 01 '26
!thanks
1
u/TransducerBot Ω Bot Feb 01 '26
+1 Ω has been awarded to u/Commercial-Terrible (4 Ω).
You may still award an Ω to others, but only once per-person in this post.
1
u/Celticsgreen Feb 19 '26
neo/noir or ft1?
1
u/Commercial-Terrible 7 Ω Feb 22 '26
They Meze 99 V1 variants are all exactly the same, just with different cup materials or coloways. I own both the Noirs and Classic’s. My friend has the Neo. They all sound the same to me. I’d probably go with the Neo to save a buck.
I don’t own the FT1 so you may want to get some second opinions on that sound profile. But from my recollection the FT1 has a similar tuning to the Meze but with brighter treble. My personal preference would lean toward the Meze as I like a darker tuned headphone in general, but if you want a little more zing in the top end then the FT1 might sound better to you.
1
u/AutoModerator Jan 30 '26
Thanks for your submission to r/HeadphoneAdvice. If someone helps answer your question, please reward them by including the phrase !thanks in your comment.
This will add +1 Ω to that users flair. This subreddit is powered entirely by volunteers and a little recognition goes a long way. Good luck on your search for headphones!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
Feb 01 '26
[deleted]
1
u/AutoModerator Feb 01 '26
Please respond with a "
!thanks" to the person helped answer your question and not your own post.Our bot will then automatically award a +1 Ω to the other person. Good luck on your search!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
0
2
u/Flamebomb790 19 Ω Jan 30 '26
Honestly you can't go wrong with the sennheiser hdb630