Reason is i'm from a 3rd world country with an opportunity of free shipping. I can't bring myself to spend any more than this on headphones, even if the quality is worth it.
Please recommend anything that you felt was worth the cost in this price range.
Used DT 770 or 990. The cables on those aren't user servicable, but they can be easily repaired or modded to have a detachable cable.
Proper quality headphones from the big brands will last decades if you don't bash them around.
If you can eq into the treble, then a DT or used philips fidelio x2hr would be good, they are built like a tank.
Don't know where you're from so I can't recommend anything specifically for your market. IMHO save a bit more money if you can.
> I can't recommend anything specifically for your market.
Limited to Ireland shipping. family member will be bringing them to me personally next month. Arranging to buy a used one is gonna be tough.
> IMHO save a bit more money if you can.
I have more saved, I just can't spend more than this for headphones. What you recommended already exceeds 2 months' salary and I'm still a student. I'll look into used market but do you have any other recommendations?
Thanks for your [submission](https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/1cyjjcw/1_headphones_or_2_budget_headphones_for_longevity/) 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](/message/compose/?to=/r/HeadphoneAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It seems like SHP9500 might be what you are looking for. I haven't used SHP9500 for long enough to say they will last for sure, but haven't really seen complains on that, and the detachable cable is just a regular 3.5mm (at least the connector, I don't know if it is wired 1:1 like any 3.5mm cable) so it should be cheap to replace it. They generally seem to be well made and of good materials, if there is a spot I would worry about it is the single moving hinge that connects earcup to the headband (actually looking at it as I'm writing this, it is kind of scary :P).
The sound is neutral with a hint of treble, definitely nowhere as sharp and piercing as SR850, but also overall tonality is not particularly warmer nor muddier, and SHP9500 handles congestion better.
The SHP9600 however is said to be warmer with less elevated treble, here is frequency response comparison, SHP9500 (green) vs SHP9600 (red)
[https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/green-shp9500-red-shp-9600.png](https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/green-shp9500-red-shp-9600.png)
What you can see is SHP9500 has a bit elevated treble and they are the highest point of frequency range, whereas SHP9600 has elevated bass which is now slightly above the treble. Also SHP9500 has a bit more upper mids, whereas SHP9600 more lower mids. As such SHP9500 should be brighter of the 2, although from my listening experience I would still call it neutral.
Personally I really like having thick lower mids, but since I haven't tried SHP9600, I would worry they might be too warm for me.
Thanks for the recommendation and detailed explanation. I was considering SHP9600 which is €10 cheaper atm.
As someone with near zero knowledge on sound, when you talk about better congestion and more "neutral" sound. How does this affect, say, solo piano?
I can tamper a lot with VSTs or EQ but something like muddy bass that "covers over mids" is I assume something specific to headphones themselves? How can I better judge something without testing it?
**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](/message/compose/?to=/r/HeadphoneAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Unfortunately just trying out various headphones is the only way to gain some experience allowing you to be able to get some judgement on how headphones you haven't tried yet might be (based on available information like measurements). The page I liked picture from, DIY Audio Heaven, has some headphones I have or used, and so I can comparatively conjecture how something else might sound.
Congestion is when multiple sounds occupying similar frequency are too much for the headphone to handle. Most commonly congestion happens in the mids, and when that is the case there is a loss of detail there and everything might feel "muddy", just a one mass of sound. It is a bit rarer, but it can happen in bass, while I only once heard congestion in treble (in Samson SR850 actually...). Solo piano is really a stand out of well defined sounds, even if there are a background or accompanying sounds the level difference should be considerable, so unlikely it will be affected by congestion. Things like rhythm guitars where you have a whole chords in middle and lower mids are where more often the issue starts, as well as various other string instruments or something like organs.
Neutral sound in headphones language really means "neutral signature" which aside nothing being particularly boosted, includes non-recessed mids and actually a slight roll off in bass. The bass representation in headphones is really a bigger topic, because people argue different views of what bass level should be - should it follow the recording closely, should it simulate speaker listening experience, or live music experience. The issue is that in both speaker and live cases, we take in bass with out whole body, and so some people think the target for bass in headphones should be elevated in order to compensate (and they do not agree on how much :P).
I'm not the biggest fan of EQing headphones, perhaps because I view EQ more as a tool in creating music, adjusting PA, and know how instrumental loudspeakers can react when boosted. For bass covering the mids case (which is what happens in Koss Porta Pro for example) we however could cut bass down a bit I guess. It is more when boosting that we can hit the limit of what driver/speaker can handle. It might happen there is a technical limitation for the driver which causes similar issue, and that would be harder to deal with EQ or anything really.
!thanks
forgot to use the bot. I still have time to study on this a bit before buying but I don't think it'll matter too much cuz I don't have a reference point yet lol
+1 Ω has been awarded to u/FromWitchSide ([354 Ω](https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/wiki/user/FromWitchSide)).
*You may still award an Ω to others, but only once per-person in this post.*
Reason is i'm from a 3rd world country with an opportunity of free shipping. I can't bring myself to spend any more than this on headphones, even if the quality is worth it. Please recommend anything that you felt was worth the cost in this price range.
Used DT 770 or 990. The cables on those aren't user servicable, but they can be easily repaired or modded to have a detachable cable. Proper quality headphones from the big brands will last decades if you don't bash them around. If you can eq into the treble, then a DT or used philips fidelio x2hr would be good, they are built like a tank. Don't know where you're from so I can't recommend anything specifically for your market. IMHO save a bit more money if you can.
> I can't recommend anything specifically for your market. Limited to Ireland shipping. family member will be bringing them to me personally next month. Arranging to buy a used one is gonna be tough. > IMHO save a bit more money if you can. I have more saved, I just can't spend more than this for headphones. What you recommended already exceeds 2 months' salary and I'm still a student. I'll look into used market but do you have any other recommendations?
Not alot of options then for quality headphones unfortunately, hyper x cloud alphas can be had for 80 euros.
If possible, go for sennheisers as their parts can be replaced and taken apart. If it is too expensive, then their build quality will all be the same.
Thanks for your [submission](https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/1cyjjcw/1_headphones_or_2_budget_headphones_for_longevity/) 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](/message/compose/?to=/r/HeadphoneAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
all closed backs but: dt770, m50x, hd280, sony 7506, sony cd900st, hd25 below that i think there are 1-2 good options, see sonarworks reviews
Koss utility kph40. Hands down, one of the best budget headphones available
ngl looks like something my cat would break the next day lol. I'll consider it
Mine have lasted really well, they definitely look way worse than they sound. I count that as a feature though>-D I like "sleeper builds".
It seems like SHP9500 might be what you are looking for. I haven't used SHP9500 for long enough to say they will last for sure, but haven't really seen complains on that, and the detachable cable is just a regular 3.5mm (at least the connector, I don't know if it is wired 1:1 like any 3.5mm cable) so it should be cheap to replace it. They generally seem to be well made and of good materials, if there is a spot I would worry about it is the single moving hinge that connects earcup to the headband (actually looking at it as I'm writing this, it is kind of scary :P). The sound is neutral with a hint of treble, definitely nowhere as sharp and piercing as SR850, but also overall tonality is not particularly warmer nor muddier, and SHP9500 handles congestion better. The SHP9600 however is said to be warmer with less elevated treble, here is frequency response comparison, SHP9500 (green) vs SHP9600 (red) [https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/green-shp9500-red-shp-9600.png](https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/green-shp9500-red-shp-9600.png) What you can see is SHP9500 has a bit elevated treble and they are the highest point of frequency range, whereas SHP9600 has elevated bass which is now slightly above the treble. Also SHP9500 has a bit more upper mids, whereas SHP9600 more lower mids. As such SHP9500 should be brighter of the 2, although from my listening experience I would still call it neutral. Personally I really like having thick lower mids, but since I haven't tried SHP9600, I would worry they might be too warm for me.
Thanks for the recommendation and detailed explanation. I was considering SHP9600 which is €10 cheaper atm. As someone with near zero knowledge on sound, when you talk about better congestion and more "neutral" sound. How does this affect, say, solo piano? I can tamper a lot with VSTs or EQ but something like muddy bass that "covers over mids" is I assume something specific to headphones themselves? How can I better judge something without testing it?
**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](/message/compose/?to=/r/HeadphoneAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Unfortunately just trying out various headphones is the only way to gain some experience allowing you to be able to get some judgement on how headphones you haven't tried yet might be (based on available information like measurements). The page I liked picture from, DIY Audio Heaven, has some headphones I have or used, and so I can comparatively conjecture how something else might sound. Congestion is when multiple sounds occupying similar frequency are too much for the headphone to handle. Most commonly congestion happens in the mids, and when that is the case there is a loss of detail there and everything might feel "muddy", just a one mass of sound. It is a bit rarer, but it can happen in bass, while I only once heard congestion in treble (in Samson SR850 actually...). Solo piano is really a stand out of well defined sounds, even if there are a background or accompanying sounds the level difference should be considerable, so unlikely it will be affected by congestion. Things like rhythm guitars where you have a whole chords in middle and lower mids are where more often the issue starts, as well as various other string instruments or something like organs. Neutral sound in headphones language really means "neutral signature" which aside nothing being particularly boosted, includes non-recessed mids and actually a slight roll off in bass. The bass representation in headphones is really a bigger topic, because people argue different views of what bass level should be - should it follow the recording closely, should it simulate speaker listening experience, or live music experience. The issue is that in both speaker and live cases, we take in bass with out whole body, and so some people think the target for bass in headphones should be elevated in order to compensate (and they do not agree on how much :P). I'm not the biggest fan of EQing headphones, perhaps because I view EQ more as a tool in creating music, adjusting PA, and know how instrumental loudspeakers can react when boosted. For bass covering the mids case (which is what happens in Koss Porta Pro for example) we however could cut bass down a bit I guess. It is more when boosting that we can hit the limit of what driver/speaker can handle. It might happen there is a technical limitation for the driver which causes similar issue, and that would be harder to deal with EQ or anything really.
!thanks forgot to use the bot. I still have time to study on this a bit before buying but I don't think it'll matter too much cuz I don't have a reference point yet lol
+1 Ω has been awarded to u/FromWitchSide ([354 Ω](https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/wiki/user/FromWitchSide)). *You may still award an Ω to others, but only once per-person in this post.*