Headphone/earbud advice?

[AuburnTehDragon]

I'm Bad-Luck Brian when it comes to headphones and earbuds. When I buy a headset they last forever (I've had my headset; a Sony Studio Monitor MDR-V600 ever since 7th grade which is pretty much about 6 or 7 years) but they hurt my ears after listening to music for ten minutes. However when I get earbuds (my earbuds before they broke were Auvio Pearls) they break within a few months.


Anyone know of any headphones or earbuds that have noise-cancellation, are really comfortable, and last a long time; and are in the price range of $20-$30 (so please don't tell me to get a pair of Beats; can't afford them)?

[anoni]

Generally you won't be able to find earphones that have excellent sound quality, are comfortable, long-lasting AND are cheap. But there are a few places.

If you're looking for desktop headphones, I find that logitech headphones can be quite durable. They aren't exactly noise cancelling and they're not the best in quality but they're very robust and quite cheap. Generally headphones for me only last a few months, but logitech can last up to a year and I'm relatively abusive with my headphones.

If you're looking for earbuds these ones seem like the best. They're cheap, comfortable, noise cancelling and (as long as you're not too rough on the plugs) will last a while.

http://au.skullcandy.com/shop/headphones/earphones-and-earbuds/inkd

I'd definitely recommend those ones ^ (Though that's Australian, so I dunno)

[MrRazot]

Skullcandy are very good for quality and comfort at low prices, and trust me, you don't need noise cancellation. All it does is use up batteries, and there's no difference when you're actually listening to the music.
If you want noise cancellation, go to a pharmacy and get ear plugs.


It's also probably my opinion that Over-Ear and Earbuds are the most comfortable. On-Ear presses on my ears and causes eventual pain.

[Timmy Fox]

I'm not too knowledged in this price range, but it seems like Superlux has some pretty compelling stuff as far as headphones go.

In terms of earbuds it's really a large hit or miss for comfort, although I can vouch for the Sennheiser CX300 II

Here's a good video about the Superlux headphones:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0UOju9Ruxw

[AuburnTehDragon]

Well, I have tried Skullcandy before and I didn't have good experiences with them... Only earbuds from them, though. Maybe I should try a headset from them?


But anyway, thanks for the advice so far, guys. ^^

[MrRazot]

The Skullcandy headsets are good, just not the inexpensive ones
I had a very good experience with the Skullkrushers and the Aviators look cool.
lower range is just not comfortable.

[Timmy Fox]

Personally I'm not too much a fan of Skullcandy. I don't have much experience with their range but they seem to be more about looks than actual sound quality. I had a pair of earbuds by them once but they were really bass-heavy and didn't sound very natural to me. It was kinda 'enclosed' sounding, very little dynamic range and barely any fine details whatsoever. I suppose the proper term for it would be muddy.

Of course your mileage may vary, but personally I see them as more of a fancy accessory brand than audio brand.

[AuburnTehDragon]

Personally I'm not too much a fan of Skullcandy. I don't have much experience with their range but they seem to be more about looks than actual sound quality. I had a pair of earbuds by them once but they were really bass-heavy and didn't sound very natural to me. It was kinda 'enclosed' sounding, very little dynamic range and barely any fine details whatsoever. I suppose the proper term for it would be muddy.

Of course your mileage may vary, but personally I see them as more of a fancy accessory brand than audio brand.

Now that you bring it up, I agree.


To be honest, I don't care what the headphones look like. I just want a set with nice audio quality and it isn't super static-y or treble-y.