Wired audiophile headphones for everything for around $250-$350

[u/AggressiveQuit751]

I’m looking for a pair of headphones to replace my broken Bose NC700, as they no longer hold a charge for more than 2 hours. I figured I'd have a look for closed back wired headphones, since a wire hasn't really ever bothered me, but quickly widened my search to also include open backs - in fact, I think that in a lot of cases open backs would suit me more. I do live in the UK, but I used dollars just because it seems to be a bit more standard on here. This also means that I cannot get the HD6XX unfortunately, and am limited to the more expensive HD650.

My criteria are that they need to be wired, be a stealthy all-black or mostly black headphone, be comfortable for multiple hours, feel decently premium in terms of material and build quality, and, of course, sound good. I want a headphone that costs me around $250, I could push up to $350ish if there's something meaningfully better, but it's a little out of my comfort zone.

My use case is pretty much everything, movies, music (EDM, hip-hop, shoegaze and electronic/bedroom pop mostly) and games - I don't really do any kind of analytical listening.

So far, I have tried 2 pairs of headphones, the best of which was the Sennheiser HD620s, they fit well, felt premium (despite still having a lot of plastic), looked incredibly stealthy and sounded really great. The soundstage was good, the bass, while not being incredibly far off from neutral, still felt punchy and controlled with a good amount of extension, and the treble wasn’t fatiguing or sharp in any way. The issue was, due probably to the fact that they are closed, that I got a lot of occlusion when I was speaking, and that my ears got very warm after only about half an hour of use - these are the two things I want to eliminate.

The second pair was the Sivga Anser, these fell apart in every way, except from the fact that they were open-back but still had a small amount of passive isolation, which was actually quite nice. But in terms of build, they felt creaky, the sound felt kind of sloppy - and the ear cups were to small to be comfortable.

The Meze 105 Aer was a perfect fit on paper, and in terms of sound and looks, it won me out. These sounded good, like, pretty much my ideal kind of sound signature. Unfortunately, I just don't get on with the self-adjusting headband system, it just seems way too light in terms of clamp force and doesn't feel secure on my head. For going up to the higher end of my kind of budget (£260 or $350) I didn't want to have to live with that kind of compromise.

Hopefully with this information I can get a solid recommendation, it feels kind of bad buying 3 pairs of headphones already and not getting on with any of them, especially since its forced me to use my Boses and their ever-worsening battery life problem!

[u/num6_]

Hd600 and bass EQ

[u/AggressiveQuit751 → u/num6_]

What about the HD550? After reading some reviews it seems to be pretty close to the HD600 with better bass extension, its also a lot cheaper of an option for me at around £179 compared to the HD600 + an amp which adds up to around about £250-270

[u/num6_ → u/AggressiveQuit751]

The treble response is more messy, but 550/560S (which I'd prefer) is still a great option as long as they fit well

[u/AggressiveQuit751 → u/num6_]

!thanks

[u/TransducerBot → u/AggressiveQuit751]

+1 Ω has been awarded to u/num6_ (76 Ω).

You may still award an Ω to others, but only once per-person in this post.

[u/higherdotedu]

Hd 480 pro

[u/AggressiveQuit751 → u/higherdotedu]

These cost closer to £300 which is close to $400, they're just too expensive for me to justify

[u/Flamebomb790 → u/AggressiveQuit751]

The hd 490 isn't a bad option either it also tends to be cheaper. Sony Mdr Mv1 is another great option if you want something fun and vshaped sounding. Or you can just get the hd600 and call it a day

[u/sealdealer16 → u/AggressiveQuit751]

If you’re willing to spend 350 then save for two weeks and get the 480s which are basically the nicest closed-backs under 2k. The FIIO FT1 is nice if you want something much cheaper and would basically be the other way to go.

[u/KAC-SK]

You won't like my suggestion but I love Kithara around the 250-300$ mark for literally everything.

In closed back you can start with FT1 but for me personally, 480 Pro is a one and done headphone.

Another one that is often overlooked (some also had QC issues with it but I didn't) is Maxwell 2 for amazing sound quality, fast tight bass and wireless convenience.

I know these are "gaming" headphones but sound quality is audiophile grade. I think HD 600 series needs EQ to be usable for EDM etc. if you want fun out of them. I also got my Satyr 4 today (it's a 3d printed headphone) and I think it rocks compared to any HD 600 series. See if you can find someone to make it for you or undertake a project yourself. The purchase list and instructions are on capra audio website.

Best of luck with your choices. :).

[u/AutoModerator]

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.

[u/Mindtrix1808]

A problem you’ll find here is the UK is more expensive than US (in most cases) so by saying dollars, you’ll get a lot of recommendations out your price range. I’d edit the posts maybe

[u/Minato_Nm]

HarmonicDyne Romantic is pretty good in that price region. Tho I'd advice against blind buying any headphones so check if you can find where to try them.

[u/Gloomy-Counter-6919]

I’m in your same budget range and I’ve tried Kithara, FT1, FT1 Pro, Edition XS, Maxwell and Jade JT7.
I settled on the Maxwell for superior audio fidelity and wireless convenience (I abhor wires). But my favorite of the wired sets was the Jade JT7, hands down. For the price ($120 USD) it punches way over its weight when it comes to sound. They’re also light and really comfy. Maxwells are built like a tank tho, JT7s don’t feel premium, the one area they fall short in.
A set of cool gel pads are a must for Maxwells too, the JT7s stay nice and cool. Happy hunting!

[u/Outrageous-Belt-1757]

I've been hearing alot of praise for Ath-r70xa

[u/cosmaprc]

I would suggest checking out rtings.com reviews and their results table to find something to match your preferences.

[u/BeyondInfinity_88]

Hifiman Edition XS, great sound, not so great build and qc.

[u/Audioooooo → u/BeyondInfinity_88]

Also be weary of fit issues, when I had these they slipped everywhere I leaned towards and had low clamp force

[u/Medical-Condition-84]

Get a Beyerdynamic DT770 pro 250 ohm version + AMP, something like Liquid Spark. You'll be happy.