$50 Headphones with Bose Quality

Is there any headphones that costs $50 or less but has equal quality with Bose Around Ear Headphones? The Bose sound quality is excellent and relatively comfortable to use, but for $125, it is too expensive. I want ear cup headphones and not earbuds or canalphones. Again, equal quality with Bose.

EDIT: The headphones would be used mostly for watching Blu-ray and not necessarily for music stuffs.

 

hahahah "Bose Quality"

that bose around is is a pretty comfortable headphone, but good quality it is not (like most other product bose sold).

i never experienced with any sennheiser brand to be honest. but this one has quite a good reputation for value headphone. Sennheiser HD201.

 

you can find your answer at head-fi. Bose is overpriced so you should be able to find comparable quality in that price range.

 

i bought a bose only because it is comfortable as a ear cup for winter in edmonton... quality? it is alright if they are half priced

 

Bose is to audio, kinda like what Monster Cables is to video cables


Try going to the HeadFi forums to inquire about good headphones.

 

BOSE - Buy Other Sound Equipment
I'd go with something from sennheiser, or something from head-fi, but if you go to head-fi then you'll most likely end up spending alot of money, even if you don't buy into all the things they say.

 

haha..why do u wanna waste $50?

i mean for $50 u can get headphones which sound better than Bose.

checkout Sennheiser PX100...over the ear headphone.


for $50..u can get Sennheiser HD205..sound is impressively detailed but it is not very comfortable as it sits on your ear and exerts some pressure.

 

Hah! Funniest thread of the day.

Bose =/= Quality

Beware Of Superficial Electronics

 

LOL I came in here to join the fun I knew would be happening, and it sure is!

Bad
Overpriced
Sh***y
Equipment

Grado SR-80

Sennheiser HD-555

Seriously Bose? I thought with the advent of the internet word had gotten out.

 

There are some problems with Bose stuff, but the Head-Fi guys are way too shrouded in nerd to be able to understand there are considerations such as comfort, isolation, etc. They bash Bose without even buying it, and when that's said, they say they don't have to - so it becomes a self-fulfilling fallacy within their nerdtastic community.

They've also got some weird yardsticks for sound: The oft-recommended HD201 is an extremely mediocre headphone even for the money, although it features some of the best next-to-zero-budget industrial design I've ever seen in a headphone.

I'd go for the Sennheiser HD212 / HD215 or the AKG K81DJ if you're looking at Bose alternatives, and if budgets are very tight than I'd consider the mini closed phones like the Sennheiser PX200 and the AKG K430. The HD212 is a little on the rough side in comparison to the Bose and too bass-heavy, but it is closed, isolated, lightweight and not terrible to wear (although the style works best on shaven heads). The 215 is a standard DJ-issue phone which combines excellent accuracy for the money, a very even tone, good comfort and decent isolation. It's on the large and bulbous looking side though, while the K81DJ is more compact.

Personally I use the Bose Triport AE as my winter commuter when I'm not using the Shure SE530 or the Ultimate Ears UE-11. There's definite signs of closed headphone reverberation but the tone is OK, the fit is good, comfort is excellent, weight is low and it doesn't look stupid (something that many Head-Fi members have yet to realise) when on the head.

 

i've test this headphone in store a while ago, i found the BOSE "around-ear" to be better sounding that the "on-ear" one. too bad they were pretty airy and comfortable headphone...

the sound coming out from it is just horrible though... the bass sounds like... fart... it has such a heavy bass an it sounds is very loosely defined. both of the on-ear and around-ear has this. although the slightly cheaper around-ear is a better sounding one by a bit, if i remember correctly.

 

sennheiser px100, koss porta pro, grado sr60, and akg p414

all very good sounding headphones at the $50 mark

 

The OE maybe, not the AE. Google is an unreliable source of personal 'experience'.

 

With Bose quality? If that's what you're looking for, anything that costs under $10 should be fine. If you're looking for good sound quality, these sound like surprisingly good headphones for $30:

http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/...7_7-32897197.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody

 

IMO, bose is NOT to sound as monster is to cables.

i think Monster makes very good cables, just not good enough to match their price.
i think Bose sound is just bad, flat, inaccurate, and have bad range.

 

u ve got it all wrong..

actually if u look at the number of people who are fooled into thinking Bose is a high end audio..u ll be shocked.

Hence, forums like head-fi spread awareness of wannabe brands.

to them its mainly about Sound and all other things are secondary..so if someone says 'Bose sounds good'..obviously they ll speak the truth to him.

 

DX-"BOSE" Premium In-Ear Headphones with Case- $8.50 w/Free Ship.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.18470

 

Sure there are a lot of people around head-fi who crap all over bose without ever trying them, but most of the senior members there have tried them. I've listened to the triports on a couple of occasions and can assure you that they don't surpass headphones costing 1/3 of what they cost. Of course most good sounding headphones in that price range aren't going to be found at best buy or radio shack, so the bose shine in that setting. I tried a pair of triports on display at target and was surprised at how sloppy the bass was; it was like having my ears farted directly into and totally dominated the sound. Also the build quality was very suspect for the price.

 

first thing u shud see at the Bose stores is that they NEVER have a Bose directly connected to the player..

the headphone cable goes into the kiosk...and then its a different cable which is coming out and connected to the player

this is a clear indication they use some kind of EQing and DSP's at the store itself to give u false information....so what u hear is Not what u get when u buy the headphone of Bose.

Bose itself knows how their products suck and hence u ll see they try to give as less technical information as possible..

lot of people havent heard Bose i agree...but the ones who have including me would agree with saintalfonzo as well.

 

Sony MDR-V6's
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-V6-M...3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1232428576&sr=8-3

a bit above $50, top-notch quality.

 

Here's an inconsistency for you: The most popular 'high-end' portable on Head-Fi, even among 'senior members' - the ESW9 - has an even more unruly bass than the Triport AE, the sole difference affecting perception being a more open sound devoid of the closed-phone acoustics of the Triport (due to the total lack of isolation of the Audio-Technica).

This is why I mentioned practicality. You would use them everyday. And your environment is something you can't control. And the other problem with Head-Fi (and in fact, any number of places where people get together to exchange opinions) is that a lot of the seemingly user reviews are done / opinions formed in exactly the same conditions yours was. saintalfonso is right in a way: Head-Fi is a place where if you ask 'what phones for commutes on noisy train?' you'll be recommended a Grado SR60 at least twice

I've had almost every competitor to the Triport AE: And I've yet to find anything else that balances comfort, decent sound and genuinely usable isolation. To me sound is important, but not at the complete expense of everyday usability: I'm just not that big of a nerd like the majority of the core Head-Fi members. The HD25-1 is a close second being superior in resolution and isolation, but it scores too low on comfort in general and the nature of the sound is fatiguing - I've kept it around for the longest time, but I find myself picking up the Triport almost always when I'm walking out with a pair of headphones as opposed to IEMs. I would definitely like better, but I've yet to find it. If you have my experience and do find it, let me know* since Head-Fi isn't any help.


* Off the menu: ATH-ES7,ESW9 / Sony D777,V700,7506,7509 / HD25,215,280,etc / Beyer DT250 / AKG K81,K181 / Various current and defunct Ultrasones and many others

 

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Shure-SCL3-Sound-Isolating-Earphones-104607122-i1371899.gc

Shure E3s/SCL3.

The white ones are going for 60 bucks. Sure its 10 dollars above your price range but they will kill anything you find that is near 50 bucks.

 

Whats wrong with Grado SR60?

its a fashion statement imo.

 

It's very usable and very portable and a very good compromise especially for the money - but not sure about a single-driver armature phone with a distinctly tinny quality (even with a proper fit) in the sound 'killing' anything though. Still, you pays your money and you takes your compromises. Seems a better one than most, but the E3c is definitely an acquired taste. An E2c ironically provides a more balanced sound, but the design, fit and potential isolation is nowhere near as good. Compromises again...

In the context of my post? I think that pretty much sums up exactly why I have mild contempt for anyone who bashes anything without actually even bothering to compare properly, instead just repeating the words of other peers who seem plausible. It goes for anything - people, cars, audio, etc etc. People seem compelled to do it on the Internet though.

 

The same applies to u..

actually i dont like Grado SR60..they are too bright..hurt my ears unlike the Warm sound of Sennheiser HD205

 

I totally agree you. Bose tripots does sound horrible. I had a chance to try the entire line of Bose headphone because my friend is a accountant for a audio store. The problem I have with Bose is the sound and the quality of their products. Their entire headphone line has super bassy, boomy and muffled. The mid and lows are totally unbalance. My biggest problem is their MSRP. The quality and sound does not justify for their insanely inflated price.

In the end my friend told me I could get any Bose headphone 70% off its MSRP price. Even at 70% off, I would rather buy a pair of JVC Marshmallow or Senn 202 / Grado 60/80 at their manufacturer's suggested retail price.

My 0.02 cent.

The bass is muffy, and boomy,

 

How so? I don't 'try at a friend's store'. I buy everything I'm interested in and give each one an equal shot. I don't rely on the non-wisdom of the masses. I'll take it as a guide, but I won't take it as fact because it often isn't. Vista's a good example of that - it wasn't perfect, it's not perfect but from what is ranted out there by the majority who know nothing you'd think it was unusable. The same with anything else which is deemed by your peers to be crap.

 

i got the akgk81 like the other guy mentioned...i had advise from head-fi

http://www.amazon.com/AKG-Closed-Back-Foldable-DJ-Headphones/dp/B000BDD56W

these are awesome and i still havent found ones better under $100
the bose sucks compared to these

 

Congrats Shadman...they are one great pair of headphone..and very portable

 

Vista is not a good example. People that know, know that Vista does not have the problems it used to and is just fine.

Bose is just bad all around.

 

Vista still has problems, I've tried using it, and I had to go back to XP because it wouldn't do some of the things I needed it to. Now I'm using windows 7 and even it has issues that don't allow me to do what I need to. But like others have said, bose is just over priced.

 

Well, we can talk about wine too, I could go on all day on why anyone would want to drink it before its distilled(brandy).

 

Nothing is better than the taste of a good cognac.

Now, don't get me started on ports/sherries.

 

X2 on Cognac..j'adore Remy Martin Cognac

 

Since this thread has been hijacked already, let me throw this out there. What's the best set of headphones I can get for watching movies on my lappy for $100. Around or On-ear o.k. (no canal).

 

try the senn hd555 or senn 280 or akg k81. personally i prefer the akg k81 or senn hd 280.

 

Hijacked? Ok, maybe a little. Yeah, I'd go with something from sennheiser.They're usually a good bet. I personally use the Ultrasone HFI-780's which you can get for about 180USD shipped, and I'd say they're worth it.

 

Thank you.

 

for 100 usd n movies..hd555 are perfect and for music..ad700 by audio technica are also good.

 

Depends on if you want open or closed, or closed with useful isolation.

In terms of a fairly expansive sound with good quality and with decent practical usage characteristics, you could do a lot worse than the Beyerdynamic DT231 - which is typically around $70 from Amazon and the like. It's advertised as closed, but unfortunately offers no usable isolation. I'd say it gets to within the last 10%, especially in casual listening, of at least one of my higher-end systems - the $2,500 Omega II. It's an incredibly dated design, looks cheaply made and is on-ear for the most part, but the velour pads make the ear pressure somewhat bearable and it definitely sounds a lot better than it looks. The compact size makes it quite handy though.

If you want something isolated, I'd also suggest one of the DJ-style phones recommended above. Personally I find the HD215 more comfortable than the HD280, as the 280 has a very heavy headband which drags the CG of the headphones upwards and puts additional pressure on the head. The 215 has similar accuracy as the 280 and the same ability to let you hear very low tones, but both are fairly light in the amount of bass they'll provide.

 

Thanks alot. I don't need noise cancelling as I will mostly be using them in the cab of a parked vehicle (my work truck) Are there any retail locations where I could check them out. It sounds like the kind of thing where I'd want to try a few different pairs as opposed to just ordering over the internet. Guitar Center maybe?

 

Yeah - the best arbiter is you in terms of self reassurance, but not all shops carry what we'd recommend.

The problem is of course that there's no way you can tell how much experience - or most importantly, relative experience - any of us have: There are those who for example recommend the AKG K81DJ's as being vastly superior to Bose Triports - while apparently not being aware that the K81's are notably more muffled, boomy and slop-bassy than the Triport. The problem is like most places in the Internet - you'll get replies where the person typing has zero experience in reality, just whatever s/he's culled off Google or in this case, Head-Fi - with no comparative frame of reference.

If you don't need isolation, I'd try various open Sennheisers in your case - the HD485 from the newer lineup for example, along with the HD555 - and if you can spot a Beyerdynamic DT231 around, all the better.

 

I realized that most of the time I'm watching movies in my truck it will be w/ the windows rolled down and therefore I decided to go with a closed back headphone to reduce the amount of ambient noise I'm sure to hear. I went with the Sennheiser 280 Pro's. My only complaints are as follows.

They seem kinda bulky. They stick out pretty far from my head which makes em' look kinda funny IMO. However they do collapse nicely.
They are by no means heavy but somethng lighter w/ sleeker profile would have been nice.
Also, no case. Now I'm stuck trying to find something that they will fit in perfectly. No easy task.

That being said I watched the Blu-Ray version of The Dark Knight yesterday and it was indredible. The picture on this screen (Vaio Z 1600X900) is AMAZING and the sound with these headphones was equally incredible. I'm no audiophile so I really can't elaborate much here. All in all for $100 I think I could have done much worse.

 

U could have bought Denon D1001 ..they are much more comfortable, lighter and sound better IMO.

 

Well - you've got them now, but as I said before the HD215 is a better-human-designed equivalent to the 280 with a similar type of sound. The rubber headband makes it - as you now realise - a bit 'individual' However better deals are to be had on the 280 in the US, so the HD215 is a harder sell over there - the 215 is cheaper for us Europeans.

 

HD215 is a pathetic headphone...its midrange is very muddy and it suffers from poor dampening.

In Closed full size headphones...sennheiser is not the best option.

 

Portability was a big selling point and it doesn't look like the Denons collapse as small the 280's. Also they've got a cord going to each ear and I kinda like the cord going just to one side. I'm sure they are great headphones though. This stuff is just so hard to find. I went to several best buys, circuit citys, specialty shops etc... They carry a relatively small selection of "high end" headphones. I finally found the 280's at a huge Sam Ash music store and even they didn't have a great selection.

 

Considering few other things he's said actually hits anywhere near the truth, I'd say you probably made a decent choice. The 1001 is next on my list for a Triport replacement: Perhaps I'll update this thread if it's worthy.

 

Yeah, some people say what they heard about headphones, not what they know about them. I've tried the 280's and they work, definitely not the best that I've used, but they are somewhat portable and pretty cheap. I think they're great for some one who just want something a bit nicer and isn't going to invest alot(time and money, cause it takes both) into it.

 

Mid you, collapse 'small' is somewhat subjective for the 280. It occupies the same volume as about 12 160Gb iPods stacked 3 x 4. The V6 is a much smaller and more practically portable ball, although it is almost over-ear for most, unlike the 280.