My recommendations for cheap and good audio (≤100$, no amp needed)

Xeraser · May 8, 2022

"I'm tired of hearing about your Hifimans and Audeze's dying for the 4th time this year."

Warning: opinions ahead.

Headphones:

AKG K361 - Closed Back (BT version is available if you need it) ~100$ (no amp needed)

Pros: Close to the Harman curve (still an extremely flawed test IMHO), less harsh than its bigger brother (K371), pretty good soundstage for cheap closed backs. Would rather keep these than my old M40X. There's really not much to praise here, it's just decent overall

Cons: Plastic-y as hell but they work. The end that goes into the headphones is a 2.5mm plug like ATs/Sennheisers but it's much stubbier, kind of a pain to replace

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Audio-Technica A900X - Closed Back (discontinued) ~125$ on the used market (101 db/mw - no amp needed but they benefit from one, just use a decent DAC - my 7th Gen iPod Classic, Meizu HiFi USB-C DAC and Onyx Producer 2.2 drive these just fine) - These are my favorites

Pros: excellent soundstage for closed backs, comfortable (provided that they fit your head), decent isolation, close to flat with just a bit of warmth in the mid-bass, not a lot of bass roll-off, excellent midrange, treble is clear, lush and not harsh at all. Just extremely pleasant overall. Throw your DT770s away. And yes, I'm willing to die on this hill. You won't get better closed backs unless you start spending big, big bucks. I love these so much.

Cons: beefy, might not fit small heads, non-detachable cable (but they're easy to mod)

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Sennheiser HD 599 - Open Back ~100$ (no amp needed)

Pros: decent soundstage, good tuning with emphasis on the mids, good jack of most trades, don't need an amp, very lightweight, VERY comfortable

Cons: depending on your taste there might be too little/too relaxed bass, mostly noticeable on heavy EDM. On very bass heavy tracks the bass "breaks apart" and becomes a muddy mess. It's a low-end Sennheiser so it feels cheap and it's not as durable as you might think. Just don't throw it around

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IEMs:

Blon BL-03 ~27$ on the Linsoul site (no amp needed)

Pros: overall very well balanced tuning, good for all genres, very good soundstage and good instrument separation for the price. A low-price jack of all trades and a good one at that.

Cons: fit and stock eartips are hit and miss (in that case buy the Final Audio Type E tips for 12 to 20$), cable could be better (but it's swappable)

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KZ ZS10 Pro ~45$ on the Linsoul site (no amp needed)

Pros: good (but not as good as Blons) soundstage, better instrument separation than the Blons, more "fun" to listen to due to the v-shaped (emphasis on lows and highs with more relaxed mids) tuning if you're into rock and metal. Can get them with a mic too.

Cons: Not everyone might like the v-shape, much less of a jack of all trades. Bass sounds a bit exaggerated/artificial.

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Extreme budget pick:
KZ ZSN/ZSN Pro/ZSN Pro X ~20$

Essentially the same IEMs with different tunings

ZSN has less soundstage than the others but it's much more relaxed in terms of bass and highs. The other two sound more open but with boosted bass and overemphasized highs. The Pros aren't too bad but the Pro Xs are way too much for me. Go for the non-pro ZSN as an all-rounder but at this price point you're better off looking at the next section. Can get 'em with a mic tho.

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Moondrop Starfield ~100$ (no amp needed but they benefit from one) - These are my favorites

Pros: I don't care if you don't care about how IEMs look but these are fucking BEAUTIFUL. The pictures and videos don't do them justice in the slightest. If the light hits them just right they shift from blue to purple

Both the bass and the treble are EXCELLENT (some people find the treble to be a bit lacking but to someone who's somewhat treble-sensitive and hates Beyerdynamics the treble is just fine) and the soundstage is by far the best of all the other IEMs listed here and the absolute best for the price point. They're extremely well balanced and there isn't a single bump or dip in the frequency response. They're not the be-all end-all of IEMs but for the price point? They might as well be. Be prepared to get well acquainted with the law of diminishing returns if you go past the Starfields' price point.

Cons: isolation has been sacrificed in exchange for sound quality so you won't feel completely isolated but it's more than good enough. Fit *can* be hit and miss for people with small ears due to the shape of the shell and/or the shallow tips. Just keep trying different tips. The cable is beautiful but it's somewhat short. If you're into VERY bass-heavy tracks the bass might take a while to decay. People reported that the paint can chip easily but here's a solution: don't toss them around like pitbulls do with children.

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THE KOSS KORNER (FUCK YEAH KOSS):

Koss KSC75 - Open Back ~15-20$ (no amp needed)

Pros: they sound so good you'll feel like YOU'RE ripping them off, they're so light and comfortable you practically won't feel them on your head, can sound FUCKING HEAVENLY with replacement pads (Yaxi pads, 30$ for pads alone but it's more than worth it), easy as fuck to modify (MMCX/2-pin, bluetooth, just replacing the shit cable in general) can get them with a mic, they don't leak much, can get a headband if you don't like the clips. They're more or less transparent so if you want to listen to music while still being more or less fully aware of your surroundings these are great.

Fully modified with the headband and Yaxi pads for about 50 bucks total and they're fucking heavenly for the price.

Cons: bass might not be as strong as you like OUT OF THE BOX (plus they're open back) unless you bend the clips to fit the contour of your ear (partsexpress headband solves this, yaxi pads solve this even further), the cable is pretty bad, even worse if you get the one with the mic, clips might not be for everyone/might take a while to get used to, especially with heavy/thick glasses. Clips might be hit or miss in bed.

Special mention: Porta Pros ~50$ (no amp needed)

Essentially the same drivers but with a different coating and stuck on a foldable headband. A bit less clear, muddier bass, eh. Used to be amazing value until the 75s came along.

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Alternative to the KSC75: Yuin G2A - Closed Back ~40$ (no amp needed) - These are my favorite but I'd still go for 75s on a budget

They're essentially better built and better sounding (I'd say ~20% better?) KSC75s, clips included. Definitely better out of the box in terms of comfort and sound. Partsexpress headband and Yaxi pads fit these too so consider these if you're not trying to save up

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Koss KPH30i - Open Back ~30$ (no amp needed)

Pros: "darker" than the KSC75s but not in a bad way, definitely more "relaxing". If you get "pads" (more like fucking cupholders) meant for Grado headphones (~$10) you can turn these into FUCKING BEASTS. (but you'll look ridiculous) Nobody is gonna steal these since they look like speak and spell headphones. Plus they come with a mic and the cable is alright.

Cons: hard to modify, fit might be hit and miss for small heads

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DACs:

Apple USB-C to 3.5mm dongle ~10$, US VERSION AND NOT THE EU ONE

Pros: genuinely good value for the price

Cons: might not provide enough power, "aPpLe bAd"

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Meizu HiFi USB-C DAC ~20$, don't get it from Aliexpress

Pros: provides enough power for all the headphones and IEMs I recommended, is just an excellent dac and anything past this is genuinely wasted money in terms of listening equipment.

Cons: doesn't work too well on bad desktop front panel I/Os, might not work too well on your phone depending on the USB-C spec.

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Last edited: May 8, 2022

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synths4grins · Jul 19, 2021

Totally agree on the Koss KSC75. They sound really good and at $18.50 on Amazon there's no better value. They are a bit brighter than the other Koss headphones mentioned, but I like that better than the darker muddier sound of the others. I bought all three and only kept the Koss KSC75. There is also a cheap $9 headphone you can get and it will replace the over the ear clips with its headband, it just clips right on. Don't remember the model number off hand. Highly recommend the Koss KSC75 for casual listening and on the go with your phone.

Xeraser · Jul 19, 2021

synths4grins said: ↑

Totally agree on the Koss KSC75. They sound really good and at $18.50 on Amazon there's no better value. They are a bit brighter than the other Koss headphones mentioned, but I like that better than the darker muddier sound of the others. I bought all three and only kept the Koss KSC75. There is also a cheap $9 headphone you can get and it will replace the over the ear clips with its headband, it just clips right on. Don't remember the model number off hand. Highly recommend the Koss KSC75 for casual listening and on the go with your phone.
Click to expand...

Yep! The headband is the Parts Express headband, comes with drivers nobody uses but it's perfect for the KSC75s and Yuin G2As. It's comfier than the clips (not that they're bad) and they improve the clamp and sound too.

They're definitely the brightest of the 3 (PP, 75s, 30is) but they're also the clearest so it's a good tradeoff. The treble isn't even bad imho.

I'd like to get another headband, make a mold with it and have one made out of aluminium or something. Or find someone with dead PPs and use that headband.

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My recommendations for cheap and good audio (≤100$, no amp needed)

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