Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Many others have spoken to either the audiophile crowd (or the "I'm not one of those audiophiles, but watch me be just as hilariously condescending" crowd). So I thought I'd write to help those who, like I was about 6 months ago, are wondering about whether spending good money on headphones was worth it, and what to expect if you make the leap. I spent many years scrimping and saving to get to where I can comfortably enjoy wonderful luxuries like expensive headphones, so I hope this is helps others get the most out of their hard-earned money. First off, if music is just an occasional or background thing for you, and you don't really listen closely to the music, I don't think you're going to get a lot of bang for your buck in life out of expensive headphones. It is also not so much benefit if you use a mass market streaming service like Pandora as your daily soundtrack, because the audio quality of the underlying files isn't really good enough to support high end headphones. Not knocking the service - I enjoy it very much - but it would be... kind of like putting high end racing tires on a Kia. As I did my own research, I listened to a ton of headphones and can say that with careful selection, this type of listener can find satisfactory sound under $20. A little higher up, there are a large number of really enjoyable headphones in the $20 to $50 range if you want something better or more stylish, but don't want to break the bank. So what do you get if you choose wisely when spending more on expensive headphones? A few things that may make them worthwhile for you. First, the sound quality is usually very noticeably better (although not always). If you choose well, have good source content, and listen attentively you will hear clarity and precision that just isn't found in cheaper headphones. Individual instruments will stand out, the words will be clearer, and you'll hear many subtle details that you might not have noticed, even in your favorite songs. You can also expect more attractive designs, better comfort for longer listening, and better build quality. For certain genres (hip hop and EDM come immediately to mind) you can choose headphones that are tuned specifically to emphasize the qualities of that music, rather than a neutral presentation (which is my personal preference). In my research, the sweet spot for headphone "bang for the buck" for the average consumer is generally in the $100-300 MSRP range. The difference with good phones in this range really stands out from the entry level range. Above that level, my experience was that I really hit the point of diminishing returns pretty hard. So how do these headphones do for the money? Simply put, they are probably the best headphone purchase I've made. I was able to get them on sale before last Christmas at around $85. This is a rare case where I would have felt like I got more than my money's worth at full price. After subsequently trying, borrowing, buying and/or trading literally dozens of different headphones in the $100-300 MSRP price range, these are still my go to set when I want in-ear phones - the only ones I kept, in fact. The clarity is wonderful, the many genres I listen to are uniformly presented well, male and female vocals are crisp, bass is strong without overwhelming the rest of the music, and a broad range of instruments are crisp and well defined. I've used these regularly for about 6 months now, and have had no troubles with the build quality. The accessories included and the packaging and presentation are among the best I've experienced - pretty luxurious for this price. They are not the most comfortable pair I used, but they are comfortable enough for extended use. I use the included memory foam tips, and find them quite comfortable and well-fitting, with several sizes of regular and foam tips to choose from. Overall, the sound on these is very high quality and very fun to listen to. They are comfortable and have stood up well to regular use, although I do take good care of them so I can't vouch for more rugged usage. They are also very stylish in silver. These are easily competitive with models costing more than twice as much. A final note about MSRP. In my experience, it is primarily useful only as a guide to understand the class of competitors a set of headphones is targeted at. Use it to understand what level the manufacturer thinks they are competing with, but understand that it's definitely a guideline, not a rule. For headphones in the $100-300 MSRP range, you should never pay full price, and can often find amazing deals. Look for recently discontinued models, sales, etc. For example, as I write this the discontinued Sennheiser HD558s can be had at the "yellow tag" store at $80, which is a steal. Do your research, happy hunting, and enjoy your music! I'll be posting my experiences with several of the other headphones I've tried, as I have a chance. Cheers!