[Question] New Headphones

[mikerc]

My headphones on my PC have broken & I'm in the market for new ones. Any recommendations HalForums?

I prefer over ear ones to in ear headphones. Comfort is main priority with sound quality a close second. I rarely use Discord or voice chat so mic quality isn't a major concern. Also, I wear glasses so they need to fit comfortably over those.

 

[DarkAudit]

My headphones on my PC have broken & I'm in the market for new ones. Any recommendations HalForums?

I prefer over ear ones to in ear headphones. Comfort is main priority with sound quality a close second. I rarely use Discord or voice chat so mic quality isn't a major concern. Also, I wear glasses so they need to fit comfortably over those.

The answer is always ATH-M50. Or nowadays the M50X. And there's always an option to add a third party microphone if desired.

 

[Bubble181]

Depends on your preferences, of course, but I've been using a Trekz Aftershokz for a while now and I'm a big fan. They're under-ears using bone conductivity, which has the big advantage and disadvantage that it doesn't cancel out or cover any other sounds (ideal for use on a bike, or at work where you still want to hear colleagues, but pretty annoying in a train or bus with a lot of surrounding sounds that you prefer filtered).First headphones I've ever owned that I can comfortably wear for 10 hours on end. Sound quality (especailly bass) is a bit lower, though good enough for my tastes - it won't satisfy audiophiles at all, though.
Depending on use case and preference, these can be a great choice or complete rubbish. I'd definitely recommend giving them a try if you're in doubt, though, bone conductivity is different.
Of course, for a wired desktop-only solution, yeah, there are probably cheaper options.

 

[GasBandit]

I will also say you can't go wrong with a good pair of Audio Technica headphones. It's just a shame they don't make my ATH-A700's any more.

 

[drifter]

Open or closed-back? Price range would be useful as well. For comfort and SQ I've heard a lot of good things about the Phillips SHP9500. They are open-backed so they will leak sound and let sound in, so may be a deal-breaker depending on what you're looking for.

I'm also generally a proponent of replacing stock earpads with aftermarket ones if you're looking for comfort. I have some old Brainwavz HM5 hybrid pads on my headphones and I could wear them all day. Different pads can alter sound though, so it does require a bit of research.

 

[PatrThom]

The answer is always ATH-M50. Or nowadays the M50X. And there's always an option to add a third party microphone if desired.

I’m not going to gainsay this. It’s solid advice unless you actually need your headphones to be able to do something the M50s can’t do.

—Patrick

 

[drifter]

In that price range, I might say try the Sennheiser 598 Cs over the M50x since comfort is the first priority.

 

[drifter]

Oh, I've also heard good things about the Creative Aurvana Live, both in terms of comfort and sound quality. This one is closed back. The original with the rounded earcups, not the Live 2 with the angular design.

 

[mikerc]

Since the consensus seems to be the ATH-M50



And just for fun, with the old ones