Audible Dilemma

One problem that I have been running into with my current earbuds is that I feel the quality of them makes the music that I'm listening to quieter and more muddied. For context the only pair of headphones/earbuds that I have at the moment are the Apple Air Pod 2nd gen. I find myself turning up the volume all the way up just to get a better feel for the music, but I also want to keep my hearing by the time I'm 50 so I haven't been listening to much music as of late, because it feels like a chore at this point. The ingenious conclusion that I came up with to solve such a pressing issue is that I should probably get a new pair of headphones. 

[From Pinterest]

One of the many quirks that I have is that whenever I am deciding to buy something that serves a functional purpose, like headphones, I like to go into embarrassingly extensive detail before deciding on a final product. I have sometimes spent days looking across different websites, forums and reviews to find the best possible outcome. The site that always ends up offering the best options is surprisingly reddit but let me explain. Usually, you'll find people on certain subreddits that go into extensive detail on products and reviews sometimes creating a whole culture around one thing. Audiophiles are those who take a unique interest in the sound quality of certain audio devices, whether it be speakers, headphones, microphones or amplifiers. Through my experience looking through different guitar amps, pedals and microphones, I’ve gotten a decent amount of exposure to some of the culture around high end audio, but in no way would I call myself an audiophile as I'm not that deep into certain high end audio brands. I find it more helpful to look at the opinions of people who have extreme attention to detail in audio than to just go in blind and buy something I may end up regretting.

[From Pinterest]

So today I will be going through all of the potential headphones that I am considering buying. The first thing that I do is set up criteria for the characteristics that I’d want my ideal pair of headphones to have 

• I want to have actual headphones as earbuds fall out easily and make the overall sound thin

• Next is that I need them to have a wire because I can't stand it whenever my earbuds die because then I can't even listen to music anymore

• High quality sound across base and treble 

• Comfort

• Sturdiness

• Comes with a case

• In the price range of $75-$150

Okay so now to get into some of the models I was considering

GRADO SR60x Prestige Series / SR80x 

[From Amazon]

I have read a lot of reviews about this series of headphones and Grado seems to have really good sound quality, which is what I am looking for, but there seems to be a lot of emphasis on the bright treble (highs) frequencies based on many customer reviews. Another thing that I have noticed with both models is that people describe the ear pads as comfortable although it seems to be made out of a “cheap foam” that can be easily replaced. One person said that the muffs keep your ears very warm, which is good for the cold winters in Chicago, however the muffs do look less durable and that is something that I am looking for in a pair of headphones. Another thing to note is that people complain about its durability and the Y shaped chord design which attaches on both sides of the headphones. Lastly, price. The SR60x comes in at around $99 whereas the SR80x is $125, a decent price jump but not too bad, however most of the differences that I see are in the sound quality where the SR60x has more of a focus on the high range frequencies, making the overall sound brighter, whereas the SR80x has a wider soundscape, focusing more on the mid-range frequencies. All in all, due to the lack of the build durability that I have found, along with the potential issues with the cable tangling, not to mention both the headsets don't come with a case makes me think that I would regret buying this pair of headphones down the line.

Sennheiser HD 599

[From Amazon]

Based on the reviews, this model seems to have very high-quality sound, and even some noise cancelling capabilities, although some people have cited that they’re not completely soundproof. One person says that the bass seems to be “artificially dampened” but there are no apparent critiques on the high and middle frequencies, while others don't have anything to say about the bass, and say it is on point, so this may just be one pretentious reviewer. Not only that but the headphones come with multiple different chords that I think I could plug into my amp, meaning I can play guitar in my dorm without annoying anyone, which is a plus. Other than that, the pricing, $150 dollars is on the higher end of my budget, but this seems on par for the quality so it could be a viable option. Although it does not come with a case, this is one of the better pairs I’ve seen so far.

Audio Technica M40x / M50x

[From Amazon]

These immediately stood out to me because of the highly durable, robust design, with stitched in leather padding they had. The soundscape of the M40x is a bit wider and mids focused whereas the thing that grabbed my attention about the M50x is the fact that it has pronounced bass and treble, which is exactly what I’m looking for. The price difference however is a bit noticeable where the M40x comes in at $109 compared to the M50x which is around $159 but may be worth the extra money considering it matches my criteria nearly to the tee. Not only that but it has a collapsible design, comes with a case and detachable cables, one of which is a coiled cable. Meaning the M50x can also plug into my amp which is a plus. Overall, the M50x is seeming like the best option even regarding the fact that it is a bit over budget, because it seems to be comfortable, durable, and have the right type of EQ I’m looking for. 

Anyways thanks for listening to my rant and I hope you found some of this interesting!