Hello, I am looking for a quality and durable headphone with high audio quality on a budget around $200, I want it to last long and be comfortable when I wear it for hours, I primarily listen to music and audio-books and do some casual gaming like story games and Minecraft, I don't usually carry headphones around but portability would be nice, preferably it's not from a niche brand since the availability of brands is low in my country does anyone have any recommendations?

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[–] 9 points 10 months ago*

A bit less than $200, but the Audio-Technica ATH M50Xs are a durable and quality workhorse. I've been using mine going on 10 years now and the only thing I've needed to do is replace the ear pads and add a protector around the head cushion. Highly recommend. Plus it has detachable cables of varying lengths and coils.

Side note: they do fold up for portability.

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  • [–] 7 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    If you're willing to hit up Ebay for "new in box" options, you can get some pretty good stuff under $180. For wireless:

    Fairbuds XL: Made by the Fairphone folks, who have a very good reputation for repairability and longevity.

    Sonos Ace: Stainless steel pivots, replaceable earpads, huge battery, no glitchy touch controls. Mine have treated me well so far. Absurd you can find them this cheap, considering the original MSRP.

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  • [–] 3 points 10 months ago

    If OP lives outside of England or the European Union, Fairbuds might not be worth it because the company won't send replacement parts overseas. Which is a shame, because if I were ever to upgrade to Bluetooth, it would be the Fairbuds XL.

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  • [–] 6 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    Sennheiser HD 6xx. Hands down the best for what you're looking for aside from portability. Although their build quality is amazing and you can toss them around without worrying you'll break them under normal use. They're so comfortable I almost prefer not to take them off.

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  • [–] 3 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    and anyone who doesn't want to do business with drop.com will be well served either buying second hand or with the 560S

    that said, if you go second hand also consider the 650 witch the 6XX is a clone of

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    Why is drop.com not cool anymore?

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    So. Anything I say should be taken as hearsay and unsubstantiated since I can't cite it other than people I've worked with with direct experience working there. Drop had a particularly... Tech-bro-y chudly corporate culture. I seems the company has since been bought by Corsair but the whole thing still leaves a really bad taste in my mouth, however not bad enough that I haven't still bought things from them when the product was unique and the price was right

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  • [–] 6 points 10 months ago* (3 children)

    I use the Sony MDR-7506 headphones with the Fosi Audio P3 Tube Preamp which together come to around $200. The headphones on their own are $98 and work very well with sound quality that for me seemed better than the slightly more expensive Audio Technica M40x head phones I had been using for years prior. Combined with the preamp the MDR-7506 headphones really take on a rich sound with the added benefit of adjustable Bass/Treble and bluetooth connectivity. I also really like that the band on the Sony headphones is made of metal, and the hinges (they do fold) are sturdy since I have a big head and have had problems with other ones breaking over time.

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  • [–] 4 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    I have a pair of 7506. I desoldered the cable and replaced it with a 3.5mm jack, and picked up a BT receiver from AliExpress. So I can use a cable when I want quality, or BT when I want convenience. They're pretty much perfect to me.

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  • [–] 6 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    I've had the same bose quietcomfort headphones for at least 8 years now. I've replaced the ear pads a couple of times over the years. They were on every day during my commute before I was WFH, almost constantly at the office so I could concentrate, and now indoors every weekday and outdoors several days a week where I do farm work. Still no issues and great battery life. If you can find new old stock or used but well-cared-for, that would be great.

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  • [–] 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

    Ditto on the QuietComfort headphones. I've had a pair of QC35's for 10 years now with heavy use on weekly flights.

    Runs off a AAA battery which is good for like 18 hours or so. Works as regular headphones when the battery goes flat. 3.5mm cable with media controls and a mic in it.

    Still in its original hard case, have replaced the ear pads a couple of times, decent pads are cheap enough on eBay and etc.

    I also bought a Bluetooth insert for it for ~AUD75, it plugs in where the cable goes and has it's own rechargeable battery with only about 6 hours life which is a bit of a nuisance.

    Edit: regarding audio quality, I can say that if you're using headphones in any sort of urban environment, noise cancelling absolutely trumps audio quality. But the QC35's aren't too bad in the quality stakes, especially if you're using them on the move.

    Small edit: The major thing that stops portable electronics from lasting 5+ years is the little rechargeable battery inside that dies. Removable batteries like the AAA battery in the QC 35 solves that, and as a bonus it's "instant charge" when it goes flat, as long as you keep a tiny packet of AAAs in your bag. 4 x AAAs lasts me about 3 months.

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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago

    For the last 15 years I've bought 3 pairs of headphones from AKG and I'm extremely happy with them (why 3 pairs, because the first one was stolen, I gifted the second one to my dad and I am still using the last one)

    They are extremely durable, especially if you pick a model with removable cable. I've used the K702 almost every days for the last 6 years and it barely shows any sign of wear.

    I personally love the way they sound but it's not for every one. They are more built for professionals with a very neutral sound but very precise.

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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago

    I can recommend against getting the Shure SE215s durability wise, mine went back to the factory twice for cable/connector/monitor issues.

    I can also say the same about my Isotunes free aware bluetooth ones. They died about a month out of warranty.

    Sound wise, I prefer the foam ear tips vs the silicone because I listen in a loud environment. They are both pretty good in that regard. The Isotunes tips fall off after a couple months and need replacement though. They are both noise isolating and the free aware has mics that can allow limited sound through but I turn that feature off because I have not found it to be a quality implementation at all.

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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    I have had my paid of Sony wh1000xm2 for about 7-8 years now. They still sound incredible but the leather is peeling a bit on the replaceable ear covers, I have never got around to it cause they are still comfy. Some of the best noise cancelation ever, wireless and wired operation and controls on the headphones.

    Essentially I am saying, a good option would be picking a headphone in that line. Honestly any newer generation is likely to still be incredible and durable.
    Just recently I had seen the 5th generation of those headphones on sale with a pair of wireless earbuds as a combo for around $200 and you can get just the headphones for cheaper than that. Or just spend $40-50 and get an old pair of wh1000xm2 and be happy.

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  • [–] 4 points 10 months ago

    Does anyone else rely on the media controls on headphones? I feel like once you add that requirement the options are a short list. I checked out a few mentioned here but none seem to have media controls. What does everyone else do when they listen to podcasts or something?

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago

    I occasionally play bass guitar and keyboards and have found Behringer's studio-monitoring range of headphones provide excellent quality reproduction for around AU$50 - better than many AU$200 consumer-focused brands. Sennheisers are also good but more expensive.

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  • [–] 1 point 9 months ago

    Ploopy makes an open source headphone that could be repairable https://ploopy.co/headphones/

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