Best Value Headphones in Australia/ACT

celiotte on 18/02/2015 - 01:46
Last edited 18/02/2015 - 23:53

I've been after some good headphones for a while now to use at home while I'm on the computer ! (I find the headphone experience better in comparison to getting some good speakers). I've seen occasional deals here and there on Ozbargain but I was always reluctant to part with my money :(

HOWEVER, I have now decided to commit to buying a pair and I was wondering if anyone could recommend some good headphones based on sound quality/value for price (budget: <100 but if necessary up to 150). It can be from an online source or in store preferably somewhere in Canberra :)

Thank you for your help !

Edit: I would like headphones that cover my ears completely not the little headphones that go on the ear

Regarding sound quality, I'm no expert so anything with good bass maybe?

FINAL EDIT: Thanks so much for the responses guys, now I'm thinking of getting the ATH M30X. Does anyone know of a good place to buy these pair of headphones? I read horrible reviews regarding CPL and I'm not sure where else to try

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • iridiumstem on 18/02/2015 - 01:51
    +1

    I know that we have Miranda Hi-Fi at Civic that specifically sells audiophile stuff, but they are way too overpriced. I suggest you to buy from JB HiFi or Dick Smith if you really want to get headphones from Canberra brick and mortar store, though that limits your choice by heaps.

    Also, good headphone is a subjective concept in a way. Even if the headphone costs like $1,000 and everyone loves it, if it doesn't sound the way you like, then you'd probably want something else. My suggestion is, go to Miranda HiFi or any brick mortar shops in Canberra and try them. Last time I visited Miranda HiFi, I think they had Sennheiser HD700 out for people to try, but it's been almost a year since then. So I can't guarantee anything.

    In terms of cheap headphones that people seem to like, I recommend KOSS KSC-75. Well it's a clip-on headphone, it looks bad, it's really hard to get it to sit on your ears comfortably. If you get PortaPro, you can use the headphone band and I personally like how it sounds. KSC-75 costs ~$15 USD from Amazon + Shipping, which makes it AUD $26.30 inc shipping to Canberra. I think Amazon is the cheapest option, it's been at that price since last November. This being said, KSC-75 has nostalgia values to me, so I might be slightly biased in this recommendation.

  • Kozhutki on 18/02/2015 - 03:29
    +1

    Sennheiser HD280Pro - $122 — These headphones have an accurate amount of bass that the artist would have intended. They don't exaggerate the bass, so if you're looking for bass that is completely overwhelming then these aren't for you. They don't need an AMP and I haven't needed to use an EQ to make them sound better. They have great isolation, they are a little bulky and they fold fine. Some consumers have expressed that they hurt their head after a while but YMMV.

    Audio-Technica ATH-M30x - $99 — These headphones are great if you want great isolation and good sound quality for the $100~ price range. They're quite sturdy and bulky as well. These are comfortable but may end up hurting your ears after 4-5 hrs, but you can buy another set of pads if they're too uncomfortable. For the price range you can't go wrong with these, if your budget was a little higher you could pick up a set of ATH M50Xs which are vastly superior.

    Prices are based on the lowest from Staticice, you may find cheaper. These are the only two I've had that are within your price range. Shop around though, sound is subjective so maybe try and demo a pair at a music shop.

    Good luck, do tell us what pair you get!

    • celiotte on 18/02/2015 - 16:40

      I think I might go for the ATH-M30X, although I'm a bit worried as you said they might be uncomfortable. I forgot to mention comfort for my ears is quite an important factor as I'm going to be using these at home and they'll be on for long periods of time.

      And yes, I think the ATH M50XS might be a bit too expensive and I probably won't even be able to tell the difference between the sound quality anyway haha.

      • iridiumstem on 18/02/2015 - 22:38
        +1

        There was one thing I wanted to add that I forgot to add. Sound quality =/ Price and Satisfaction from sound =/ Price. I used to gawk at expensive headphones, just because they are expensive. Every description about them made them look perfect for me etc etc. There is certainly a hype on expensive headphones.

        Some of the moments when a song has reached my heart were when I was listening to said song with KSC-75 and a crappy MP3 player with lots of white noises. I now have access to a reasonable set up (HD600 with a DAC/AMP digitally connected to my PC), but do they add more enjoyment? It sounds like an easy question with an easy answer but in reality, I have to think about that. Yes, they sound better, but…

        What I am saying is, try to look behind the price tag. This is one reason why I think you should give several headphones a listen, before you decide on what to buy. When people have nothing to rely their decision on, people can choose something completely irrelavant as an indicator of quality.

      • Kozhutki on 19/02/2015 - 02:00

        The comfort is only really an issue if you have a big head (if I remember correctly) if you have a normal sized head it should be fine, even then, you're getting 4 + hours of listening without being interrupted for a short break to alleviate the stress on the ear/head. I hope you pick out a pair that suit you.

      • iridiumstem on 20/02/2015 - 02:32

        Quick seach on static ice shows UMart and PC Case Gear sells them at same price… Though I am not sure how ATH-M30X sound so I cannot really comment on the sound quality.

        Anyways, a review for M30X: http://www.head-fi.org/t/119043/mini-review-audio-technica-a…
        Links to ATH-M30X:
        UMart
        PC case gear

        • celiotte on 20/02/2015 - 03:26

          I couldn't wait ! I went ahead and bought them off studio dj. I got it for 110 but from the reviews I read, they sounded pretty good? I hope that extra 10 dollars is worth it :D

        • iridiumstem on 20/02/2015 - 03:31

          @kennethmzh: Well, hopefully it's that good. I have to warn you, if you become an audiophile and start collecting stuff, it costs a lot. A LOT. A LOT. (Unless you compromise).

          Those things aside, first decent headphones alway leave that impact. You can hear things that you normally couldn't with less expensive headphones etc etc. I seriously hope you enjoy it :).

    • Manh on 18/02/2015 - 22:03

      Definately go demo before you buy.

      I didn't follow this advice when I bought the Yamaha MT220 for $130 from Catch of the Day (temporarily out of stock ATM). Now I'm always wondering if I tested some headphones whether I would be more interested in the sound signature of those other headphones. Mind you, I absolutely love my MT220 and it blew my mind when I first put it on, but after getting used to it for a month, I can tell there's a difference between the left and right side. Quickly followed instructions to replaced the felt pads inside the headphones with cork and beefed up the earpads and now it's sweet. But I'm still wondering about other headphones if that makes sense.

      People who loves the MT220:
      http://www.head-fi.org/t/658673/yamaha-hph-mt220-thread-merg…

      People who are disappointed in the MT220:
      http://www.head-fi.org/t/750619/debunk-the-yamaha-mt220-myth

      • iridiumstem on 23/02/2015 - 03:25
        +1

        If you wanna spice things up a little, why don't you just get Foobar2000 and use equilisers to play around. It's free and it's worth a try I think.

        • Manh on 23/02/2015 - 19:26

          I have equalisers already but that's not my dillema. It's just my Ozbargaining heart is questioning whether the Yamaha MT220 for $130 was the best I could do for myself (I was also eyeing some of the Audio Technica models).

          I definately won't be trying out any headphones in fear I might like them more so I'm left with a small consolation that nearly all of the people on the internet agree that it's the best headphones for themselves at the price range around US$200. Plus, these headphones really blows my mind and body when I play the Star Wars ep7 trailer on Youtube :)

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMOVFvcNfvE

        • iridiumstem on 23/02/2015 - 19:37
          +1

          @Manh: But if your headphone is relatively flat, you can use equilisers to try to immitate what other headphones might sound like ;) That was what I was implying.

        • Manh on 23/02/2015 - 20:28
          +1

          @AznMitch:

          True if you want more bass or mid or highs in certain songs but that only changes the volumn level for that frequency (and I do like to turn up the bass for some songs hehe).

          I'm interested in the construction of the whole headphone and the effect it has on those said frequencies. Whether it causes bass to linger for too long or causes resonances higher up.

          eg. Comparing the Audio Technica AD2000 vs the M50 you can see that most of the AD2000's frequencies decays very quickly making it a clean sounding headphones (no wonder it costs so much). Just a bit worried about the long decay at 4KHz. As for the M50, it's no slouch either and is pretty quick with it's decays but you can tell it's not as clean and bass does rumble a bit in the low end but I'm fine with that.

          CSD Waterfall Plot of Audio Technica ATH-AD2000:
          http://www.head-fi.org/t/566929/headphone-csd-waterfall-plot…

          CSD Waterfall Plot of Audio Technica ATH-M50:
          http://www.head-fi.org/t/566929/headphone-csd-waterfall-plot…

        • iridiumstem on 23/02/2015 - 20:29
          +1

          @Manh: It definitely would, but, if you go too far in, you'd end up with Stax SR009 and Blue Hawaiian with empty bank account ;) I've frequently came across the argument between close backed and open headphone, how open headphones are better at staging but closed ones are better at bass response (I believe), maybe it has something to do with it.

        • Manh on 23/02/2015 - 20:32
          +1

          @AznMitch:

          LOL. Yeah, let me win the jackpot of the lotteries first :)

        • iridiumstem on 23/02/2015 - 20:37
          +1

          @Manh: If you do, :P I am willing to take your MT220 since you wouldn't need it after getting a SR-009.

          Though, as far as I see, after certain level of price, everything seem to go down to preferences. Like nobody can say which one is better without going into preferences and such. That is what I love about my beaut. I can claim that I like that one and stop worrying too much about getting a better one.

          I think I've seen why price tag doesn't necessarily mean better experience with my portapro and KSC-75, so I've ended up stop caring about it. Sometimes my gawkings with expensive headphones occur again, with Ultrasone and Edition 5, with Sennheiser and Orpheous, with Stax and SR-009, with ATH and ATH-W5000, with Philips and Fidelio X2, with Sony and MDR-1A, but I know that my greed will know no ends :P If my HD600 breaks, I might go for different one, but til then, I am a happy man.

        • Manh on 23/02/2015 - 20:58
          +1

          @AznMitch:
          Even if I did win lotto, I doubt I'll go for the outrageously priced headphones. I don't think I'll be able to tell the difference to normally priced ones. But one day I would like to own an open-back headphones to complement my current closed-back.

          drools at your HD600 :D

        • iridiumstem on 23/02/2015 - 21:00
          +1

          @Manh: They are actually really cheap now, to extent that the bargain that I've got it for, around 400 AUD, looks bad. I've been hearing really decent things about Fidelio X2 though. I really wanna try them if I ever get the chance to. In a way, I am drooling over your closed back stuff, I've never had decent closed back headphone ever. :P

          Also, one of the Orpheous out of the 3 Orpheouses? Orphei? I dunno, that exist in Korea is used as a decoration in one of the rich person's house, so I've heard. So if you do win a lottery, I don't think it's bad to just dive in.

        • Manh on 23/02/2015 - 21:07
          +1

          @AznMitch:
          LOL. Dude, don't tell me that! I've been avoiding looking for sales of these open-back headphones since I got my MT220.

        • iridiumstem on 23/02/2015 - 21:09
          +1

          @Manh: It's $328 delivered with 2 years warranty from NoisyMotel. HD600 is really generous with amps too unlike some of the headphones you hear about. ;)

          Though honestly, if you want to try something new, open headphone that is cheap, I recommend KSC-75. :P They cost 20~30 bucks.

        • Manh on 23/02/2015 - 21:12
          +1

          @AznMitch:
          My birthday is coming up, so maybe I can….. ;)

        • iridiumstem on 23/02/2015 - 21:12
          +1

          @Manh: Yes, then you'd need a O2 AMP, perhaps a dac and more? I've heard decent things about Schiit… ;)

        • Manh on 23/02/2015 - 21:19
          +1

          @AznMitch:
          I've got that covered. The HD600's 300ohm impedance won't be a problem when plugged straight into my AV receiver (won't be taking these bad boys outside) :)

        • iridiumstem on 23/02/2015 - 21:29
          +1

          @Manh: Good luck then :).

        • iridiumstem on 23/02/2015 - 21:56
          +1

          @Manh: Btw, that was just static ice, there might be better deals out there.

  • RockyRaccoon on 18/02/2015 - 03:46
    +9

    Love how the OP separates the ACT and Australia

    Australia/ACT

    Always thought the ACT was a little foreign to the rest of the country.

  • cobRAJ on 18/02/2015 - 07:52

    AD700s always been really good for the price, and one of the most comfortable ones around

  • MasterScythe on 20/02/2015 - 11:42
    +1

    StoreDJ have amazing range and amazing prices most of the time.
    Proper studio monitoring stuff too.

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