Please help me out of headphone obsession

May 24, 2011 8:49 PM

I'm looking for the perfect closed headphones for under $100 that fold up for portability. I am currently trying out the Sony MDR-V6. I like the sound and they're comfortable enough (a little tight) and the size is right. The problem is the stupid coiled cable - it's driving me crazy.

I have a pair of Bose QC2 which I like, but they are big and bulky to carry around. They're also a little fragile (I've broken one pair already), and at $300, I'd rather save them for travel.

I tried a pair of Shure SRH440s, which sound just as good, and since the cable is removable, I could get a replacement straight cable. I don't love these either... they are about 25% larger than the Sony's, don't stay on my head as well, and are a little heavier.

I've looked into the option of getting my Sony's recabled with a straight cable but after emailing a few places recommended by Head-Fi, they all told me that the cost to recable them would be more expensive than the headphones themselves.

I've tried finding someone in St. Louis that could change the cable for me with no success.

I've asked for recommendations on Head-Fi for other alternatives with no success.

Any advice? If I could get the Sony's with a 4-5' straight cable, I think I'd be happy.

posted by kdern to technology (12 answers total)

One more thought - I've considered the Audio-Technica ATH-M50s, which come with a straight cable, but at $160, I am having trouble justifying the cost.
posted by kdern at 8:55 PM on May 24, 2011

Skullcandy offers headphones in a similar style, and in your price range. They have solid colors, too, not just patterns and such.
posted by cp311 at 9:06 PM on May 24, 2011

I use the Sony V6/7506 style at work every day, they are great. To deal with the coiled cable, many folks run a length of short rope down the middle of the coil and tape it at the top and bottom of said coil. This keeps it from stretching, and the length comes out about right to reach a pocket.
posted by stephennelson at 9:41 PM on May 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

Oh yeah, two more things! First, the tight fit will loosen over time as you break them in. Also, when the pads around the ears wear out, you can easily order replacements. I have pairs over a decade old that still fit and sound great!
posted by stephennelson at 9:46 PM on May 24, 2011

I'm very happy with my Audio Technica ATH-M40s. (or maybe 45s?) They're much cheaper than the 50s, pack up well, and are comfortable to wear for long stretches.
posted by ladypants at 12:43 AM on May 25, 2011

Grado SR80?
posted by TrinsicWS at 2:25 AM on May 25, 2011

I've heard that the Sennheiser PX 200-II's are very good. (Note: the original, non-II version is meant to be quite poor.) They also make a PX 200-IIi, which has an inline iphone remote/mic. Worth investigating at least.
posted by Magnakai at 4:17 AM on May 25, 2011

The Sennheiser HD 280 Pro are my closed headphones of choice.

You can usually find them in the range of 60-100$, so look around.
posted by zombieApoc at 5:45 AM on May 25, 2011

If you are up for a little soldering, you can replace the MDR-V6's cable. From a quick Google it seems like you are not the only person who finds the coiled cord pretty annoying.
posted by Kadin2048 at 8:00 AM on May 25, 2011

I have a pair of Sennheiser with noise cancellation (don't know the model). I like them. Full disclosure: I've never compared them to any others.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:46 AM on May 25, 2011

I've always preferred Sennheiser, too. I actually like my fairly low end PX-200 Sennheisers better than all Sonys and Skullcandys I've tried (not that I've tried really, really high end versions of anything). Koss would be a much cheaper option with reasonably good sound quality, even though I've found the collapsible ones hurt my head after an hour or so.
posted by wending my way at 10:44 AM on May 25, 2011

Thanks for the feedback.

stephennelson, I just put a rope in my cable like you suggested - definitely an improvement. I would love to get it recabled if I can find a place to do it for $20-30.

I've considered the PX200-IIs, but the lightweight style doesn't look appealing to me - can't imagine that the sound is nearly as good as an over-ear style.
posted by kdern at 11:48 AM on May 25, 2011