The best Headphones: Reddit reviews

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

Sony MDR-7506

They've been a standard for professional audio engineers for decades for good reason - and they only cost $79.99 on Amazon.

I've had mine since the mid-90s and have traveled around the country with them crammed in a backpack and they have held up like a champion. I keep saying I'll replace them with the same model if they ever die, but they just keep working.... The only issue is that the ear pad covering wears away over time, but this is easily fixed by purchasing BeyerDynamic velour pads. These pads are super comfy, and well worth the $23. They're not just a replacement for the original, they are an upgrade.

Philips SHP9500 HiFi Precision Stereo Over-ear Headphones (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ENMK1DW?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf. And the mic is V-MODA BoomPro Gaming, VoIP Headset Headphone with Mic (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BJ17WKK?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf. I highly recommend them, sound quality is amazing but the only downside is everyone can hear your shit.

I use Etymotics and love them. Inexpensive, and pretty discreet. The other day I was at a small but loud show and with these in, I was able to tell a guitar was out of tune. With them out, all I heard was a wall of noise.

Etymotic ER20s. $20 on Amazon..

Have a pair, highly recommend.

piggy backing on the top comment to add: the little brother of these headphones are also on sale for $74 (usually $100) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HVLUR54

also both of these work great with the VMODA boompro mic for gaming https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BJ17WKK

these together would be better than much more expensive "gamer" branded headsets which are normally much lower quality than similarly priced headphones alone

****EDIT: some leg work required, see below

A few people are saying Cloud II, which I respect but don't honestly recommend. Having had bad experiences with headsets that utilize a USB connection, I recommend staying away from them. The original HyperX Cloud headset uses both a mic and audio jack and that's the only true headset I can honestly recommend.

I'd also suggest you look into other alternatives for audio though. Right now, as they're on sale, I'd highly recommend the Audio Technica ATH-M40x since it's on sale on Amazon right now. I'd also recommend getting an Antlion ModMic. I have the 4.0 Omnidirectional and I can't recommend it enough, the sound quality on it is absolutely fantastic

You really asked for a link after he gave you the retailer’s name, the product manufacturer, the model number and the price?? REALLY?

Here: Etymotic High-Fidelity Earplugs, ER20XS Standard Fit, 1 pair, Polybag Packaging

Sony's MDR-7506 is a robust, even toned set of over ear headphones that I've been using for the past 2 years or so. Durable, comfortable, and sounds great.

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E

These are pretty standard for the industry. Sound great and are not too expensive. I use them pretty much everyday when I'm editing. The only thing is they aren't noise cancelling, so if that's something you want then you might want to go for something else. But I've used them in the office with other people working/talking near me and I've been fine.

Get these ear plugs. Should lower the volume down a tad and you can enjoy the movie without your ear drums bursting.

Yeah I have a similar pair that I will take when I’m going to a show or if I know i will be at a bar with loud music. My ears hurt too much with all of the sharp sounds at shows and my tinnitus has gotten worse as a result of years of metal/rock shows.

I love mine, the do a great job and I think the make the music sound better!

Get yourself a good pair of audiophile earplugs, you wont want to break the seal because they actually make most concerts sound better.

The Etymotic earplugs are tuned to let in a natural sounding frequency curve and will smooth out the harsh peaks that a lot of concert halls have.

If you're hardstuck at 50 bucks these are ok. Be aware that the "7.1" is SIMULATED and often sounds weird depending on game.

I think people should consider the Philips SHP9500 on a deep sale for $55 for Black Friday + VModa boom mic $30 as this is a pretty significant improvement in both headphone and mic quality with the bonus that the SHP9500 can be used for listening to music.

If you're willing to accept permanent hearing damage just because you don't want to be teased then by all means go ahead, I would strongly advise against it but it's your choice at the end of the day. Who are the people who tease you? I was having way more fun at the show with hearing protection than the people without it, everyone around me was sitting still and recording with their phones like zombies. I could care less what those people think of me while I'm at a show for a band I love. On the topic of hearing loss, I listen to 1000+ hours of music per year and I'd like to keep doing so as I get older without having impaired hearing. Shows are very fun but the music quality is never as good as through a nice pair of speakers or headphones at safe listening volumes. Our ears aren't meant to hear things at concert volumes and there are tons of great hearing plugs made for concerts.

https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-High-Fidelity-Earplugs-Standard-Packaging/dp/B00RM6Q9XW/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1549145291&sr=8-3&keywords=etymotic+earplugs

Check these out, or go to an audiologist and get molded ones made. I had molded ones made about 4 years ago and they’re still going strong, and I use them fairly often as a live sound engineer. I have 15dB reduction, but if you are always that close for shows I’d go for 20dB reduction. Live music, especially Radiohead, is awesome, but early onset hearing loss is not. Get plugs so you can enjoy Radiohead for a long time to come.

Edit: Great spot btw!!

These are game changers

Anything is better than nothing

I use these:

Etymotic High-Fidelity Earplugs, ER20XS Standard Fit, 1 pair, Polybag Packaging https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RM6Q9XW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_bCQpCbQZFZP4Y

Inexpensive, effective. Comes with a small carrying case, multiple fittings, and a little neck cord

This is a really misleading and uninformed comment.

If you notice the graph with the frequency response curve, it goes up to 100khz.

Literally no headphones go up that high.

For comparison, one of the most successful, widely used professional pair of studio headphones (the kind engineers sometimes use in place of monitors{a kind of speaker} use when recording albums), Sony MDR7506's

Youre right to say theyre "Not as good" as something like this, but anybody reading your comment will look even at that pair of sony headphones and declare them "definately not good headphones" based on provided info.

PS the sonys are cheaper https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E

everyone, do yourself a major favor. these have changed the mf game for me. no muffle, just decibel reduction

Koss KSC75 iirc. They're very highly regarded in the budget audiophile community iirc.

https://www.amazon.com/Koss-KSC75-Portable-Stereophone-Headphones/dp/B0006B486K/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1BCRA5FCLBI1H&keywords=koss+ksc75&qid=1561576214&s=electronics&sprefix=koss+ks%2Caps%2C237&sr=1-3

I purchased a rift S a little over a year ago. After the Facebook fiasco I sent it back and upgraded to an Index, to this day I still question the decision. I loved my Rift. You're going to want to upgrade a few things:

1. Headphones, I purchased these [Koss KSC75](www.amazon.com/Koss-KSC75-Portable-Stereophone-Headphones/dp/B0006B486K) unbent the ear pieces and wrapped them around the headband of my headset. The difference is night and day and was the difference between an interesting experience and an immersive one.

2. Grips, I purchased these: https://www.amazon.com/AMVR-Controller-Oculus-Anti-Throw-Protective/dp/B07X117LPR/ They keep you from having to hold on to the controllers all the time and make the controllers fill your hand a bit better. There may be better ones on the market now.

3. A Pulley system. https://www.amazon.com/KIWI-design-Management-Retractable-Accessories/dp/B07VQZYN3M/ keeps you from getting tangled up in your cable.

Enjoy your headset and welcome to the community.

I went through dozens of sets of failed headphones my first twenty years.
Bought these Sony MD7506 in 2000 and they've never let me down.
I had to replace the foam, cheaply, about ten years ago.

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=sony+headphones&qid=1573133248&sr=8-6

In case you weren't aware, iPads can use any headphones. You don't need to use headphones that are specifically made for Apple or iPads.

So you probably are going to want to figure out how much you want to spend and what style of headphones you want. Then you might want just to go to Amazon and see which ones are well reviewed in your price range.

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And not everyone finds earbuds comfortable. He may prefer a different type. For example, the Koss PortoPro are well reviewed and extremely comfortable. However they don't do a good job blocking out background noise and they will leak sound if they volume is turned up loud. So depending on how he uses them, they may not be a good choice.

Something like this would cut it

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E/ref=sr\_1\_5?crid=2A0I40VNP9YR6&dchild=1&keywords=sony+mdrv6&qid=1631965474&sprefix=sony+mdrv%2Caps%2C191&sr=8-5

I'm baffled that I never see more than 2 or 3 other people wearing plugs at shows.

These are a good starter pair. If you have more coin to spare, I'd recommend getting custom fit.

https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Fidelity-Earplugs-ER20XS-Standard/dp/B00RM6Q9XW/ - if you search around amazon for this brand, you can find additional sizes, I've linked to standard fit.

Definitely not. They are very uncomfortable. The vinyl covering the pads is as thick as shoe leather. The headband is too narrow and doesn't expand properly for larger heads; it just flattens out, causing a poor fit. The sound is meh.

The absolute best headphones you can get for cheap are the Koss KSC75. They are super light weight, and sound great. They sound better than headphones that are 10 times the price. They are open, so they have little distortion, but you will be able to hear your surroundings. That's a both a pro and a con in my book. Plus people sitting right next to you will be able to hear what you hear (sightly).

They're $16 with Prime shipping on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006B486K

Eventually, I break them, but I keep buying them. I just ordered my 5th pair in as many years. I also own the Sportapros. Same sound, but with a headband.

This is for prices being below the Minimum Advertised Price so it's actually usually a really good deal. Amazon frequently sells one of my favorite headphones like this. The price for it is very good and it isn't being manipulative or anything. It's a genuine deal.

People in this thread are being a bit too cynical.

Also on sale at Amazon for $88.13, an all time low for Amazon.

For general listening, these headphones are quite good but I prefer other cans. For competitive gaming, I think these are the best you can get for under $400. The soundstage on these are enormous.

Misleading price drop by Frys, they are normally $99 on Amazon. Good headphones nevertheless.

Not sure about metal specifically, but in general I can't recommend the Audio Technica ATH-M40x's enough. Some of the most commonly praised headphones are the M50x's, and the M40's are very similar. The specs are listed on that Amazon link, but basically the range sounds practically identical to a casual listener so there's no need to worry about a loss of frequency response unless you're looking to do some professional mixing. They're also lighter than the M50's so they're more comfortable to wear.

I listen to a fairly wide variety of music, metal included, and I'll tell you that the M40's are a very good value for only being $100. Do your own research and get plenty of opinions, but the M40's are a very good option for the price.