Headphones and Earphones Benchmarking Test Files

http://www.audiocheck.net/soundtests_headphones.php

by 6cxs2hd6 • 12 years ago

247 137 12 years ago

falcolas6• 12 years ago

Great idea, but it's not just evaluating your headphones, but also your DAC, amplifier (both of which are typically crap in most computers), and your own hearing limits.

[EDIT]: Headphone tone and response also changes over time - what sounds ideal at 0 hours will sound very different after 100 hours of break-in and use.

Would help if there was a note about this on the site, and recommendations for basic steps you can take to correct for these.

I'm spoiled - headphone.com is based out of my hometown, so I can listen to any headphones I want on their expensive equipment and find what really works the best.

minikites7• 12 years ago

Headphone "break-in" is a myth up there with coloring the edges of your CDs with a green magic marker.

TylerE2• 12 years ago

No, it's not. I've observed it on my own with several sets of high quality 'phones.

falcolas6• 12 years ago

"What I do know is that during the course of these measurements some things changed. While the data showed only very small differences, the data was clearly above the noise, and a general trend observable. The data also showed a discontinuity around the 20 hour mark in both the FR and THD data. While, it seems to me, much of the change observed could easily be due to movement, especially in the frequencies above 5kHz, some changes seem more likely due to break-in. In particular, the changes in frequency response around the fundamental resonance of the driver at 80Hz, and in %THD+noise at the same frequency and at around 40Hz."

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/evidence-headphone-brea...

gadders• 12 years ago

Yeah, but to get the full effect you need gold plated optical leads from Monster.

Wingman4l7• 12 years ago

(For anyone who isn't familiar with the latter myth: http://www.snopes.com/music/media/marker.htm)

jedberg• 12 years ago

but it's not just evaluating your headphones, but also your DAC, amplifier (both of which are typically crap in most computers), and your own hearing limits.

That's a good thing though. I want to know which headphones or speakers work best with my equipment in my normal conditions with my hearing. I don't care which ones are "the best". I want "the best for me".

falcolas6• 12 years ago

I want "the best for me".

I agree - this should absolutely be your goal.

That said, as an example of why these differences matter, my MacBook pro spits out a lot of noise and has a different sound profile when compared to my iPhone, which sounds completely different than my Mac mini which is connected to my headphone amp/dac. When evaluating headphones, evaluate them on the device you'll be listening to them on. Don't trust your laptop to tell you how your phone will sound (or vice versa).

Also, if you do transfer the files to your mobile player - make sure they aren't automatically converted to lower quality files.

atwebb2• 12 years ago

Still checking out the post but to anyone looking at getting a nice set of headphones, the Sennheiser 600s (mentioned in the post) can be picked up (especially used or open box) much cheaper than $500. I'd actually recommend going ahead and looking at the 650s which run $350 and under on eBay or directly from Senn during a sale. Gotta be able to have open backed headphones though, they leak a lot.

mnw21cam2• 12 years ago

I'm using Sennheiser HD280 Pro, and they performed perfectly in the tests. Really excellent headphones. They're closed cup, so people don't hear what I'm listening to, and I use them on flights to cut out flight noise.

aaronem9• 12 years ago

I used a pair of HD 280 Pros for about a year before I got my 558s, and I have to say, isolation is the only area in which the former outdoes the latter; in particular, as far as comfort goes, the 280s made me feel like I was wearing a bench vise on my skull, while the 558s sit so lightly that I barely notice I'm wearing them at all.

Since I was working in a cubicle environment at the time, I figured I'd keep the 280s at work, primarily for their excellent isolation, and the 558s at home, where I maintain a quiet environment in which open headphones' lack of isolation doesn't pose a problem. That lasted about a week before I started carrying the 558s to work, because I could simply no longer stand to wear the 280s.

It really is a shame the 280s are so big and clunky, because they are, as you say, quite good headphones otherwise, albeit IMHO a little weak in the lower part of the frequency range. HD558s being as cheap as they are, and from all I can gather being also the price/performance sweet spot of the Sennheiser 5x8 range, my experience leads me to suggest that it'd be worth your while to consider picking up a pair.

(And I hear elsethread that the 558 foam mod makes them effectively indistinguishable from the twice-as-expensive and even more neutral HD598; I can't speak to that from personal experience, as I have yet to do the mod, but if true then the HD558 is most certainly the standout performer of its range.)

mattgreenrocks4• 12 years ago

I use HD280's for guitar practice from my POD. They work really well in this case: as they're very analytical, and they don't leak. The closed cup helps me focus on listening to my playing v. the drums/bass.

However, they're really hard on most music that hasn't been mastered well. And that is pretty much all modern music.

aroch• 12 years ago

To add, if you're looking for a great overall performer that isn't super expensive ($300+), look at the Sony MDR-7506 (~$100 on Amazon) or AudioTechnica M50 (~99-$130 depending on model).

These plus a good USB-DAC (like those based around NwAvGuy's ObjectiveAmp) will make your listening experience much nicer.

Qworg• 12 years ago

I'm a huge fan of my Sony MDR-V6's - I'd love to do a comparison test between the V6's and the 7506's some time.

How do audiophiles get a chance to do this? I've never seen a "headphone store" on a street corner.

crunchcaptain• 12 years ago

+1 Sony MDR-7506

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=sony+mdr-7506+%22on+set%22

Sephiroth872• 12 years ago

+1 for AudioTechnica from me, definitely the best headphones I've ever owned, especially at that price

fpgaminer• 12 years ago

I'll chip in my experience with the ATH-M50, which I bought after my Sennheiser HD280 Pro died (after 10+ years; cracked the headband). They have great reviews, but I simply did not enjoy the sound. The high frequencies were far over expressed, and I was genuinely surprised that others seem to like them. Maybe I just got a bad pair.

I returned them and grabbed the V-MODA CrossFade LP. Its bass response is heavier than even the ATH-M50s, and a much better high frequency response. Their only downside is a dip in the middle frequencies. It gives them that club sound (DJs general dip the mids in clubs, as it makes it easier for people to hear one another). I like it for most of my music, but they definitely suck the life out of classical music and other similar, balanced sounds.

I'll probably grab pair of open Sennheisers to compliment my V-MODA. I'm hesitant only because Sennheiser, despite the HD-280 Pro being built like a tank, they've burned me multiple times now on shoddily constructed portable headphones.

gtani• 12 years ago

If you're going high end, the head-fi meetups can be great, listen to hundreds of pairs of AKG, Beyer Dynamic, Shure, ATH, Denon, Grados etc, many more than any store stocks. (I also like the gear reviews in Recording mag, which are pitched at people building their own studios

http://www.head-fi.org/f/62/meets-get-togethers-factory-tour...

here's buyer's guide also http://www.head-fi.org/a/2013-head-fi-summer-buying-guide-in...

clarry• 12 years ago

Just keep in mind that the expensive and well regarded headphones aren't always the best for you. There's no best really, as far as subjective listening experience goes.

I have the Sennheiser HD650s and AKG K701s. Used to have the HD595 also. I tend to prefer the latter for most music, as well as speech. The Senns I find more preferrable for movies and classical music.

I also have an ancient pair of Grado SR-80s (or SR-60s?), which are by no means an expensive high-end headphone. But I still like their sound on some things.

Other people prefer considerably bassier headphones and I can see how that is a valid preference, especially considering how some electronic music is mixed.. in fact, I wouldn't mind having such a pair for myself.

atwebb2• 12 years ago

Absolutely agree, I was more wanting to point out to people not fully in the know that $500 was either an old price or a non-US price.

I've got a nice set of GE monitors from probably the mid 70s and they sound fantastic for music that's not incredibly bass heavy and were a quarter so that was nice.

Have you tested the Senn Momentums? They are closed and have a lot more low end than the 600/50s. I really liked them but, since I'm mostly alone at work, I went with the 650s.

fourk• 12 years ago

HD595s aren't worth buying directly. It's cheaper to buy HD555s and mod them. They have the exact same driver, with a piece of sound dampening material that can be removed.

http://mikebeauchamp.com/misc/sennheiser-hd-555-to-hd-595-mo...

laxatives• 12 years ago

Yeah, I have to agree that you really start to see diminishing returns. Going from Koss PortaPros to HD595's was a huge change and I spent most of my free time the next week listening to music. I just upgraded again to HifiMan HE500's and thought they sounded better, but my listening experience is more or less unchanged. Worse, they are quite heavy planar magnetic headphones and I don't enjoy wearing them as much. Maybe I need a better headphone amp, but part of me is convinced I might have hit my ceiling for my listening perception. Maybe I should have just gotten those Grados...

baddox2• 12 years ago

I had Grado SR225i's, and they were probably the best sounding headphones I've used. Unfortunately, they caused fairly intense and immediate ear pain. The headband has the tightest I've ever encountered (I might have a large head, but most other headphones I've used have fit well), and the ear cups are apparently designed for people with tiny, perfectly circular ears. After doing a bit of research, it seems a lot of people do extensive modding on Grado's to make them bearable to wear. I didn't feel up to that, so I returned them.

I now use the Beyerdynamic DT990's (32 ohm version, because the FUD about needing a headphone amplifier scared me away from the higher resistance versions) and couldn't be more happy with them.

sturmeh2• 12 years ago

I'd much rather stick with the Beyerdynamic DT990 PRO's that you can get for less than $150 USD.

dclowd9901• 12 years ago

Everyone has them, but my ATH-M50s blew those tests away. I had thought originally they were shitty because the music I listened to through them sounded like it would distort on occasion, but I'm pretty sure now it's just how poorly those songs are mixed, and the headphones were impartial observers, and they're right around the $100 mark.

aaronem9• 12 years ago

Most popular music produced in the last twenty or so years has been horribly mismastered, with effectively no dynamic range whatsoever; once they're done smashing the shit out of it, the result consists of nothing but silence and peaks, which can easily produce distortion and clipping at any volume level high enough for the music to be audible at all.

A lot of older music gets remastered the same way when it's re-released; this is one of the legitimate reasons for preferring vinyl, since you can be sure you won't find that problem on an LP. (Granted, you'll have to put up with Rice Krispies instead, but some find that preferable to trying to suffer through modern mastering, and I can't really say I blame them.)

driverdan• 12 years ago

If you want closed cans check out PSB M4U 1. They fold up for transport and are low impedance for use with phones, laptops, etc. Obviously they sound better with an amp but they still sound very good with a MBP's crappy DAC + amp. For $300 they're very hard to beat.

mattgreenrocks4• 12 years ago

I've heard some people saying recent MBP's have very decent DAC's now. Not sure how true it is, but worth pointing out.

wazoox• 12 years ago

I have a pair of Sony CD-1700 and they're really wonderful headphones, I love them. Light, comfortable, and great sound (hardly distinguishable from the CD-3000, quite close to the Sennheiser 600 but more aerial and comfortable). Probably bought 15 to 18 years ago.

fuzzix• 12 years ago

I own Grado this and Sennheiser that, even a decent pair of JVC the other, but one of my favourite, best sounding and most comfortable sets is my Superlux HD681s. €20.

I believe they use the same drivers (and superficial design) as AKG K240s.

In this case, they passed the tests reasonably well I think. Great frequency response (cut in at the limits of my hearing), no rattle, all the rest... I might put together a few sets for this test, though I suspect the Grados will fail rattle :)

notacoward3• 12 years ago

I have a pair of HD681s that I was using until just a moment ago. The sound isn't as good as my Shure SRH440s, but for 1/3 the price and greater comfort they're sure (heh) close enough. Great value, indeed.

abhn• 12 years ago

650s require a decent amp to get the most out of. More $$$

fr0sty• 12 years ago

The binaural recordings are more than a little spooky. Even knowing before hand that they were going to play the sound of someone knocking on doors I had to fight the temptation to turn and look at sho was knocking on the desk next to me.

Sephiroth872• 12 years ago

I have to say that I never heard anything like that... I was expecting some immersion but not at that level, definitely going to check more binaural stuff now

MarkTee• 12 years ago

Not quite as good, but here's a classic (Virtual Barber Shop):

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

mnw21cam2• 12 years ago

Wow, yes, I really did turn to see who was knocking on my desk.

Is it just me, or does the left channel id clip have quite a different equalisation/sound to the right one?

Also, regarding the centre/twisted test clips - these are encoded as mp3 (for playing - the downloads are wav). Mp3s often encode stereo by encoding the average of the two channels and the difference between the two channels, with a lower bit rate. If one channel is inverted, then the average of the two channels will be zero, so all the sound information is encoded in the lower bit rate difference, which would give it a lower quality. Something to be aware of when making test clips like this.

LeoPanthera2• 12 years ago

You are describing the "Joint Stereo" encoding mode. I haven't tested his files, but MP3 encoders also offer a "Stereo" mode, which encodes the channels entirely separately.

theorique• 12 years ago

I have a door to the right of me, so when the recording started, I had that exact sensation. "The door! ... oh, wait..." Amazing how powerful sound is as a trigger of urgent emotions and responses.

simbolit• 12 years ago

i did not read the text before. and i have a flatmate who sometimes knocks on the wall to alert me to something. i actually did stop the audio file and went over into the other room, only to find that he was not home. SPOOOKY. even after i read the text it was perfectly convincing. even when i held my hand to the wall to check the (nonexisting) vibrations the immersion did not fully end. Wow!

mxfh• 12 years ago

Even spookier might be the inadvertently following discovery of the ASMR role play sub-community on YouTube.

aaronem9• 12 years ago

https://www.google.com/search?q=ASMR+role+play+sub-community...

Different strokes, I suppose.

girvo• 12 years ago

/shrugs

Seems weird from the outside, but the feeling is really quite nice, and very relaxing. The pseudoscientific name is annoying though.

sturmeh2• 12 years ago

I didn't read it, I was wearing open headphones and I just spent 5 minutes trying to work out who had knocked on the door near me.

Even when I replay it I get freaked out.

izzydata• 12 years ago

Binaural recordings are fantastic. I love listening to binaural asmr (preferably without talking) using headphones in bed. It is a very relaxing experience.

rabino2• 12 years ago

Can you recommend a source where to get some?

rabino2• 12 years ago

I'm on a second floor, right beside a window. I clicked play without reading the description. It scared the life out of me.

mscman• 12 years ago

Same here. I work right next to the sliding glass door in our kitchen (door is to the right of me). Didn't read the description fully and jumped when it sounded like someone was knocking at my door, then at the window to the rear-left of me...

woobar• 12 years ago

I'am also on 2nd floor next to window. I read this comment first and then went to play the test file. And I still moved my head to the right to see who's knocking.

slantyyz• 12 years ago

I didn't have my headphones handy, and I just randomly played the 22 kHz >> 8 kHZ test on my MBP's built in speakers and all of a sudden my dogs just started going nuts when the announcer gets to around 14 kHz. Oops!

tempestn• 12 years ago

ME TOO. That was my exact experience: second floor, window, didn't read ahead. My volume was near cranked too. Just about jumped out of my skin.

Also, extremely cool!

cnvogel• 12 years ago

Happened to me. I way laying in bed already, next to a window, when I did the same... ;-)

marquis• 12 years ago

I recently heard an extremely accurate 7.1 binaural recording in a laboratory setting. It was quite extraordinary, but mind that it takes quite a lot of production effort. The day isn't here yet that we can go outside with a pair of mics and come home with accurate binaural recordings.

blago• 12 years ago

I just dodged a slap in the face from my petrified girlfriend on her way back form the door :-) Sounds like it works even without headphones.

gabzuka2• 12 years ago

This reminded me of this (somewhat related) article about the science behind audio quality, signals and all the myths surrounding it. Very recommended.

http://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html

rtk74• 12 years ago

But these are mp3s, they're 44,1 kHz VBRs. How is this supposed to be accurate? Shouldn't these files be PCM .wav or at least .FLAC?

rsync2• 12 years ago

This surprised me as well.

shawabawa3• 12 years ago

They are 320kbps mp3's. The difference between that and flac is practically undetectable to the human ear[0]

  [0] http://www.music.mcgill.ca/~hockman/documents/Pras_presentation2009.pdf

edit: The knocking one is 320kbps, the others seems to be lower. I imagine the pure tone ones compress very well.

rtk74• 12 years ago

Yes. What my concern about this is is actually the lower and higher frequencies in the mp3s. With these the loss was neglectable. I thought preserving the full range and quality was paramount with audio testing, but I'm not an expert or an audiophile, it was just my preconception. (Listening to an original .wav song with my headphones and then an mp3 of 192 or 320 kpbs quality, the difference seems obvious, but mostly at the low- and the high-ends.)

cthalupa2• 12 years ago

The difference between that and flac is practically undetectable to the human ear

For most things, yes. There are some sounds that do not compress well, however. Harpsichords and trumpets in particular are pretty noticeable.

This is probably a failure of the major algorithms rather than a damnation of audio compression in general. I imagine even they will someday be basically imperceptible in difference.

Right now, though, I can score 100% on a blind ABx test on most horn instruments =\

kevinh• 12 years ago

If you click the arrow next to the play button, it will download a .wav file.

rtk74• 12 years ago

Haha! Thank you! I wasn't paying enough attention (or not enough coffee).

chiph• 12 years ago

In the heyday of car audio, there were test CDs that had similar material - tracks to compare left/right, phasing, soundstage, frequency response, and so on. They're still available from Crutchfield - look for "AutoSound 2000".

While geared for car audio (tight control over listener position, questionable speaker placement and acoustics), they're also good for home systems, and somewhat good for headphone/earphone selection. You want disc 2 for basic setup, and disc 1 if you plan on using an oscilloscope or spectrum analyzer.

robert_tweed3• 12 years ago

There's actually at least one on Spotify - search for "Sheffield Lab". Very handy for end-to-end testing your streaming setup.

cantgethenode• 12 years ago

The article mentions headphones priced from 500, 400, 300 and 40 USD. Anybody got any recommendations for something around 100-120 USD? I Currently have the Audio Technica ATH PRO5 MS and looking to upgrade.

And I just saw aroch's link https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7685820

jc4p• 12 years ago

http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide

Head-Fi has excellent recommendations for all types of headphones (IEMs, closed, etc) at different price points.

billbrown• 12 years ago

I bought what The Wirecutter recommended (RBH EP2) and absolutely love them. Here are their other picks:

http://thewirecutter.com/leaderboard/headphones/

notacoward3• 12 years ago

Shure SRH440. I've owned and extensively used Sennheiser, Sony, Koss, Audio-Technica AKG, KRK and probably others I've forgotten. For sound quality, the 440s just blow the rest away. In fact, I needed to get some new phones for gaming quite recently, because the Shures' one drawback is that they're heavy and uncomfortable for long stints, and my daughter had effectively taken over the KRKs. I actually used these very recordings to do a quantitative test of the new kids vs. what I already had. I also listened to several different music tracks, and even ran them through a splitter so I could do a true side-by-side comparison. The Shures were simply better than everything else I own, every single time, and they seem to be available for under US$100.

auxym• 12 years ago

I'll add a +1 for that. I love the SRH440's sound, plus they are closed-back so I can use them at work. Like you I found them to be so-so comfortable so I got SRH840 replacement pads for them on ebay. Cheap and they are super comfortable now.

Avshalom• 12 years ago

If you're okay with open headphones Grado makes a couple in that range that are very well regarded. My sr-80s have always treated me well.

Bognar• 12 years ago

I'm super happy with my Audio Technica ATH-AD700:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CMS0XU/ref=pe_175190_21431760_M...

They're great as long as you don't mind them being bright purple.

aaronem9• 12 years ago

If your upper limit's a little flexible, you might consider the Sennheiser HD558, which usually retails around $150; I've had mine for some months, and it is my considered opinion that they're the best headphone to be had under $300.

In particular, they make the MDR-7506 look bloated in the lows and weak in the mids and highs; I once compared the two headphones with a Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic recording of Tchaikovsky's overture '1812', and it wasn't even a contest -- the 7506 rendered the final crescendo so badly, with the cannon fire so thoroughly overwhelming the entire rest of the orchestra, that I couldn't even stand to listen to all of it.

As with almost all Sennheiser products, the HD558s are as neutral as possible (modulo the odd bit of foam, so I gather), and that's not for everyone; I listen mostly to music from the common practice era, so neutrality suits me well, but more modern music probably wants a more forgiving headphone -- listen to new pop masters in a set of "warts and all" cans, and you're going to hear a lot of warts. In any case, if you can make the opportunity to try out the HD558s before you make your choice, I think it's well worth your while so to do.

mattgreenrocks4• 12 years ago

Any recs on a headphone that doesn't destroy modern music? I listen to prog rock/metal/classical/techno and I think I'm just looking for a nice soundstage and 'fun' headphone. I listen to some of this stuff on the HD280 and it sounds really flat.

I tried the HD700 in the store and it was unbelievable. But I'm not paying that much for headphones.

rsync2• 12 years ago

I'd like to do some audio tests / checks on some normal home theater speakers ... no headphones involved.

Any reason not to use these, or are there better sample/reference files for that ?

keithpeter• 12 years ago

I've seen a local public address/sound system company using filtered noise with a spectrum analyser to set up loudspeaker systems in 'difficult' halls. The people in charge suggested that single sine waves at high power may not be so good for the speakers.

LeoPanthera2• 12 years ago

The site has a catalog of generic test tones designed for all audio equipment: http://www.audiocheck.net/soundtestsaudiotesttones_index.php

bdamm• 12 years ago

I discovered that I have a ton of internal noise in the 17kHz to 22kHz range, so I cannot even hear those tones because they do not exceed the noise tones I apparently am hearing all the time.

petarb• 12 years ago

The door knocking sound is absolutely phenomenal in a sense that my brain has never been tricked like this by such a simple sound into thinking that it wasn't from my headphones but from the surrounding area.

sizzle2• 12 years ago

can anyone here comment on the S-Logic tech in Ultrasone headphones?

agoeldi• 12 years ago

Yes. S-Logic is designed to give you a much broader soundstage in a closed headphone. It uses a driver that doesn't hit the ear canal directly, but that is slightly angled to use the ear's outer rim in order to add some depth. Depending on the headphone model it works very well.

Ultrasone sells a lot of different headphones that target different audiences. For instance, the Edition models tend to be very design-oriented and typically get very mixed reviews in terms of sound quality (I can't confirm that from my own experience). Others are for the pro market and tend to sound much more balanced.

I own the Signature Pro, which has the newer generation S-Logic Plus, and I'm extremely happy with it. The soundstage is as wide as that of great open-back headphones (e.g. Sennheiser HD650, which I also have), but you get the isolation and bass punch of closed headphones. I retired all my older headphones (HD650, Grado RS1, Shure SE-535) after getting the Signature Pro. Unfortunately, this model is not exactly cheap ($1300 list price) and quite ugly, but I've never heard better music reproduction.

sizzle2• 12 years ago

thank you for the thoughtful reply, much appreciated. I am looking to upgrade from my audiotechnica ath-m50 studio monitors

parkaboy• 12 years ago

Happy to see Beyerdynamic finally getting some much needed love.

nodesocket• 12 years ago

I've had a set of Sol Republic Tracks HD's (http://www.solrepublic.com/) for a bit now, and absolutely love them. Their sound quality is amazing, especially lows.

jgeerts• 12 years ago

I almost got a heart attack listening to the 'Binaural Test', I have a v-moda crossfade m-100 and it's so incredibly realistic.

It's even freaky when I know that it's just an audio file playing.

lucb1e3• 12 years ago

Can anybody tell me why not all music or audio is recorded binaurally? Because it sounds incredibly realistic, I really do not understand why this is not used at all, not even released together with normal releases. Or at the movies or something.

This is the first time in years I even see it mentioned and people sound all surprised and somewhat freaked out. It's not new technology or something, as far as I know anyway. My father happens to be an audiophile so that's why I happen to know, but it seems like really cool technology that nobody uses.

robert_tweed3• 12 years ago

Most music isn't recorded live. Most instruments are recorded individually in mono, either because they are mono (e.g., and electric guitar, keyboard) or because they are rigged with a mic (e.g., drums). The stereo effect then gets added in the mix.

lucb1e3• 12 years ago

Hmm right. What about movies though? Those would sound super great, wouldn't they?

Edit: Or wait, they record sounds for movies individually too, most of the sound you hear is not there "live" or something... Or at least I think I saw that in some making-of once.

sergiotapia• 12 years ago

What's a nice pair of wireless headphones that are rechargable? I'm not interested a $500+ pair, but something a bit more mid-range.

I'm tired of tangled wires and my imac sort of spoiled me in that regard.

PakG1• 12 years ago

You know what's funny? After the left-right tests, I realized that I'd been wearing my headset wrong the whole time I owned them... @@

DonGateley2• 12 years ago

A real sleeper in headphone market is the $33 Philips SHL9705A-28. They are as comfortable as anything on-ear that I have listened to and better sounding than most of the high-end devices. They put the ATH-M50 to shame. The AKG-K702, not so much. I like their sound better than either the Senn HD598 or HD650 to which they are very similar. I listen to and objectively measure and test 'phones for a living.

Aw shucks. I see they are discontinued (some left on Amazon though.) That's the problem with Philips, they have such a huge line that consumers can't find their way through it to find the gems and thus they languish. In general I will say emphatically that nobody offers better cost/performance than Philips.

Headphones and Earphones Benchmarking Test Files

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