"beats" headphones... (dr. beats, etc.)

[gdv]

Not really familiar with these cans...  Not looking to get any, have a nice set of AKG's... 

Just curious, are these headphones THAT good that can demand a $200, $300 even $400 price!   

Or are they a "Bose" type product?  Thanks for any usefully comments...   


George

[SunnyDaze]

Absolutely not. At ~$30.00, Koss PortaPro headphones are superior in all aspects with the obvious exception of noise cancellation and external noise leakage.

Beats headphones cost what they cost because youngsters who don't know better will spend money on the brand name and the affiliation with Dr. Dre.

P.S. - I'm going to have Grado SR60's and SR80's up for sale, if you're interested.

[gdv]

SunnyD, thanks for comments!!!  Look at my first line...  ""Not looking to get any, have a nice set of AKG's...""   

thanks,
George

[SunnyDaze]

I'm sorry, I didn't read the whole thing. I was anxious to jump into the Beats bashing.

Which AKG's do you own?

[bmwr75]

I've read Beats are the Bose of headphones.  Have never heard a pair, so that is just hearsay.

[OldiesButGoodies]

During Christmas a friend from PR asked me to buy several and ship them over.  When I saw how expensive they were I inquired further.  It seems these are of a fashion/status statement for young people at the moment.  I have tried them out and the bass feels exaggerated.  Bose does far better at that price range with the Quite Comfort line. But at 1/4 the price you can get Grado 60s.  Or for even less the Porta Pros from Koss (of which I have had three - they break very easily Sunny... that was a turn off).

P

[Sir Thrift-a-Lot]

SD, I love my 60s.   What will you be asking for the 80s?   Are they vintage or 80i?

[SunnyDaze]

Well, Pepe, Koss PortaPros have a lifetime warranty. Send Koss a copy of the receipt (I have a receipt if you can use) and they send you new PortaPros, no questions asked.

I also own a set of the 25th anniversary PortaPros, which have stronger magnets and have a slightly more peaky top end, which I of course enjoy.

Beats are made for and marketed toward folks in their late teens and 20's who believe that they are purchasing a top quality product simply because they trust the "Dr. Dre" name. Everyone on Cal U's and IUP's campus believes that the Beats Studio Pro headphones are the be-all-end-all of personal audio. One day I let an acquaintance listen to my MDR-V6's. He was blown away. I dare not let him listen to any of my "good" cans . My guess is that Dr. Dre uses Sony MDR-V6's or 7506's in the studio, as most recording professionals do.

In the PortaPro price range, you can also get JVC HA-RX700's, which sound surprisingly adequate for that price point.

[OldiesButGoodies]

Ok - good to know  - may consider pair number 4.  The three porta pros I have owned were all when I lived in PR,  where the warranty game is played differently,  to put it nicely.   

[Sir Thrift-a-Lot]

SD, do you know anything about those Monoprice cans that are getting all the attention?   Have you heard them?   I love the idea of the detachable cable.

[Sir Thrift-a-Lot]

Not for hi-fi but for doing sound.

[SunnyDaze]

SD, do you know anything about those Monoprice cans that are getting all the attention?   Have you heard them?   I love the idea of the detachable cable.

Unfortunately I do not. My guess would be that they sound no better than good 20 dollar headphones, such as the Koss UR20. If you are interested in bang for the buck and aren't into the Grado sound, check out Superlux and their line of open cans. They've got nice detachable cables too. 

When you say doing sound, do you mean for monitoring, mixing, and other professional applications? Check out Sony MDR-V6 or the 7506. From what I understand, they are the industry standard for broadcasting and the like. You can even order velour pads for them. Superlux also has a line of monitors that are closed, foldable, and get decent reviews.

[gdv]

Elijah, I own the AKG K240's... (& have owned Koss'es in the past...)

Again, thanks for your comments...

Just curious, how much for each of the Grados?

Have a great one!
George

[Sir Thrift-a-Lot]

I found out that the Monoprice are a rebranded Kicker HP-541.   Have you heard those?   There is a thread about them on AK.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=430026&highlight=monoprice

My use will be for my church sound.   To that end, I need fully sealed and like the removable cord (the point of failure for every pair we've had) and the vinyl ear pieces (easy to clean between users).   Plus, cheap is very much a consideration.

SD, do you know anything about those Monoprice cans that are getting all the attention?   Have you heard them?   I love the idea of the detachable cable.

Unfortunately I do not. My guess would be that they sound no better than good 20 dollar headphones, such as the Koss UR20. If you are interested in bang for the buck and aren't into the Grado sound, check out Superlux and their line of open cans. They've got nice detachable cables too. 

When you say doing sound, do you mean for monitoring, mixing, and other professional applications? Check out Sony MDR-V6 or the 7506. From what I understand, they are the industry standard for broadcasting and the like. You can even order velour pads for them. Superlux also has a line of monitors that are closed, foldable, and get decent reviews.