Im sure there’s been a thread or six before but you know, the search…
So as title really, for a friend’s teenage daughter if that makes a difference… What are your recommendations pls.
Personally I'd be getting Austrian Audio Hi-X15's or Hi-X18's for that budget. Closed back so good for on the bus, in the office etc. fold down so easy to carry, fairly robust, look pretty cool to my middle aged eyes, these things matter fot the yoof.
If for home use only and Bass isn't the priority then I'd add Grado SR80x's into the mix, they are very open back so useless in public spaces and have an er... 'unique' aesthetic which she'll either hate or adore.
They are never going to be ideal if all you want to listen to is bass heavy Hip-hop and EDM but if you put up with their quirks you'll superb clarity and the soundstage on them will be unmatched at this price point.
Depends on where she's going to use them and what kind of stuff she wants to listen to really.
For a yoof, you want wireless (bluetooth) and probably noise-cancelling.
Youngest rocks Sony headphones from Argos (WH-CH720N but more expensive models also exist.
Eldest and I have Sennheiser. The Accentum is £100.
Probably worth factoring in a 3-yr warranty too. Headphones never seem to last long.
I got the earlier version of the 1More Sonoflows from Amazon, and I was amazed at the sound quality. Surpass even my beloved
Audio-Technica M50xs. The latest ones look like they've improved on the buttons (bloody tiny things on mine) - right on budget too --- here
How are they going to be used?
Depending on what's generating the signal for them, you will need to look at the impedance. If you get it wrong, they may sound very quiet without an amp.
Ones with a cable will generally be useless for using with a modern phone as they don't normally have jack ports anymore so you would need bluetooth capable. There are workarounds for this, but they are often a little inelegant tbh.
e2a if you do go for a set that is cabled, try and get a set that has a removable cable as that's usually the first thing to break ime
At the risk of sounding like an arse, if it's for a 15yo, image is probably quite high on the agenda as well as sound quality. You may be able to get the best sounding things ever, but if they don't look right, they're not going to be used. I'd be trying to get the parent to do a bit of digging as there may well be a certain model, or at least style, that they're really after. And that almost certainly won't be what a load of middle aged bike beards would recommend.
And with that in mind there's no way I'd consider anything with a cable.
I bought some Soundcore Space One headphones for work, and they're great albeit quite a bit under budget. The Pro model is slightly over budget, but Anker is a decent brand and they have other models.
But yeah another vote against anything with a cable.
"For a yoof, you want wireless (bluetooth)"
Apparently wired is the cool thing amongst young trendies:
https://iphonewired.com/common-problems/906722/
I tend to use wireless earbuds for everyday convenience (I always have them with me), but use wired over-ear phones if I know I'm in for a long listening session. It seems 'yoof' agree.
Yeah, should have clarified a bit more, was posting in a hurry between meetings.
Wireless Bluetooth with noise cancelling is in the brief and presumably out and about use.
Cheers all, recommendations sent. 🎄👍
If for home use only and Bass isn't the priority then I'd add Grado SR80x's into the mix, they are very open back so useless in public spaces and have an er... 'unique' aesthetic which she'll either hate or adore.
Grado are designed for folk over 80 who have no ability to hear over 6khz, they sound shrieky, shouty and generally absolutely ****ing gawd-awful to anyone with a smidgeon of normal hearing acuity
Check out the CMF headphone brand from nothing, relatively very decent reviews (considering the £60 current price) from the audio crowd and good measured frequency response
https://nothing.tech/products/cmf-headphone-pro?color=Dark+Grey
Apparently wired is the cool thing amongst young trendies:
H says "Niche.Celebrity Deathmatch".
Then he went back to mixing his music.
Apparently wired is the cool thing amongst young trendies:
H says "Niche.Celebrity Deathmatch".
Then he went back to mixing his music.
Youd also need to factor in a dongle dac/amp if going wired - no point considering such a setup
At the risk of sounding like an arse, if it's for a 15yo, image is probably quite high on the agenda as well as sound quality.
From my experience of traveling quite often on buses to and from Bath, which have quite a few school kids on, the headphones they wear seem to be quite a wide variety and many don’t appear to be at the high end price-wise.
Also, there’s a fair number using wired headphones, including AirPods.
My favourite headphones are available for around £120, are wired, and sound quality is superb, because they’re studio monitor phones.
Røde NTH-100 ftw.
You’d also need to factor in a dongle dac/amp if going wired - no point considering such a setup without.
Well, an Amazon 3.5mm > USB-C converter costs about a tenner, is very robust, and as all such things do, has a DAC built in, I use one most of the time, although I do have a Fiio DAC as well, which works very well but is rather hard on the battery.
FWIW, most of my music is Apple Lossless, on an iPhone 17ProMax
Well, an Amazon 3.5mm > USB-C converter costs about a tenner, is very robust, and as all such things do, has a DAC built in, I use one most of the time, although I do have a Fiio DAC as well, which works very well but is rather hard on the battery.
yeah I'm aware of them, I have 10+ of such in my drawer, jcally jm6, jcally jm20, jcally jm20max, hiby D1, apple dongles, filo jk11 moondrop echo-B etc..etc. all with various dac chips from ESS or the CS variants and multiple variants of amplifier chips some of them are single ended and others are pseudo balanced outputs with power from 19mw to 400mw
I was originally going to run them through my RME ADI 2 dac/amp using REW to analyse the stability/power and claimed sinad but never got round to it as its been done on Audio Science Review by actual practising electronic engineers not merely a gobshite with a bsc in electronic eng so I left it to experts and I trust their measurements and published data
😀
I thought the answer to this was the Sony CH720? Or whichever Sony best fits your price range? They sound amazing, the noise cancelling is as good as any other and are robust enough to withstand being chucked around a bit
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/sony-wh-ch720n
I apologise and withdraw my earlier comment as I have just seen this:
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025/dec/19/bluetooth-wired-headphones-trend
If the Guardian is telling everyone it's cool then the trend must be already over. Back to Bluetooth everyone!
I work in a college. I haven’t seen a set of wired headphones on s young persons head for years
In the same situation i bought my daughter Anker Soundcores
These seem to be a good price today. Nearly half price at £75
Deal: soundcore by Anker Space Q45 Adaptive Noise Cancelling Headphones, Reduce Noise By Up to 98%, Ultra Long 50H Playtime, App Control, Hi-Res Sound with Details, Bluetooth 5.3, Ideal for Traveling https://amzn.eu/d/fioFbcE
+1 for the Sony ch-720.
i got mine from richers sounds a few years ago.
nothing comes close for £80.
You’ll probably just keep them for yourself!
Yeah you can't really go wrong with whatever Sony fits the budget/requirement if its a gift, it about a safe a bet as youll get.
Yep, Sonys purchased. Cheers all. 🎄🎄🎄😊
As an elderly person with sub-perfect hearing my requirements are maybe not the same, but how do the recommended Sony headphones stack up if you want good noise cancellation and solid BT connection ? Looking at Anker Soundcores, the foldability might be a crucial factor.
As an elderly person with sub-perfect hearing my requirements are maybe not the same, but how do the recommended Sony headphones stack up if you want good noise cancellation and solid BT connection ? Looking at Anker Soundcores, the foldability might be a crucial factor.
A way to EQ them, via a companion app I would say is important, which they have.
£64 quid on amazon and some other places too, at the moment, what-hifi gave them 5 stars tested at the older £100 price point, gotta be worth a punt at that price!
These https://amzn.to/4pSgOc6
They will tick the boxes, really like mine.
I like Edifier stuff, don't get me wrong, I have some of their M60 desktop speakers...
But I think I'd really struggle to look past the Sonys for circa £65 at the current pricing.
Different kettle of fish but I have sony wcf500 buds for out and about, and I've never once thought 'I should have spent a bit more money', and to me that's the real acid test.
Another vote for Anker Soundcores. One child had the Q30s. When they fell apart, as such things inevitably do with the constant use and handling they get, they replaced them with some Q35s. Other child had Q35s and then got some JBL Lives. Both Soundcore and JBL Live should fit the budget and requirements.
Neither child was interested in Sony branding or any of my ‘old man’ other suggestions like Austrian Audio, B&W, Apple, …
forget wires for kids. Less flexibility, more faff.
I bought my son a pair of the Sony WH-CH720N to replace a pait of Soundcores which he had broken. He's remarkably hard on clothes and tech. I was dubious initally about how robust the Sonys would be as they are quite light, but they have worn remarkably well and are still going strong 18 months later - despite being left and subsequently retrieved from various pubs/cafes/music venues.
I'm considering a pair of the slightly more expensive Ult Wears ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-Wireless-Cancelling-Headphones-Assistant-Black/dp/B0CX1TJXKV) as a replacement to mySony WH-1000XM4 which my daughter has adopted.
The UltWears are supposed to have the same ANC tech as the XM5s
Aside from wearing out the ear pads I dunno how people are breaking headphones unless they are relly poorly made, I'm still rocking some from 2011 🤣
Unless they are the same sort of people that have a permenantly cracked phone screen and can't understand why 😉
Aside from wearing out the ear pads I dunno how people are breaking headphones unless they are relly poorly made, I'm still rocking some from 2011 🤣
Unless they are the same sort of people that have a permenantly cracked phone screen and can't understand why 😉
We've had a few where the hinges have broken either the structural part or the wires within.
Aside from wearing out the ear pads I dunno how people are breaking headphones unless they are relly poorly made, I'm still rocking some from 2011 🤣
Unless they are the same sort of people that have a permenantly cracked phone screen and can't understand why 😉
We've had a few where the hinges have broken either the structural part or the wires within.
Sound cores or sonys?
I'm guessing the sonys are just built better then?
The soundcores are the ones that have failed. They do look better made than the sonys, but just haven't lasted.
The soundcores are the ones that have failed. They do look better made than the sonys, but just haven't lasted.
I guess that's the thing.. Looks better built vs actually better built are two very different things.
Under the hood there's things like thinner wires and cheaper soldering, especially when wires are running past hinges etc. and subject to more movement /flex. It's the little, sometimes less obvious design details that make all the difference.
I can’t believe I’ve only just discovered to joys of headphones vs ear buds! I finally got fed up of my buds falling out again and spending the next 15mins searching for it that I bought some cheaply Amazon things for wearing for DIY / working on the car etc - a revelation!
Now I want some decent ones for everything else, was about to get the Sony ones recommended about but see that they don’t fold? Do the ears still twist so they sit flat, they just don’t have the extra hinge to fold one of the ears inside the band?
If I decide I really want more foldability what’s the next choice?
Cheers
I can’t believe I’ve only just discovered to joys of headphones vs ear buds! I finally got fed up of my buds falling out again and spending the next 15mins searching for it that I bought some cheaply Amazon things for wearing for DIY / working on the car etc - a revelation!
Now I want some decent ones for everything else, was about to get the Sony ones recommended about but see that they don’t fold? Do the ears still twist so they sit flat, they just don’t have the extra hinge to fold one of the ears inside the band?
If I decide I really want more foldability what’s the next choice?
Cheers
Folding just refers to the head band... So you can basically fold them in half to put in a travel case or whatever.
On any half decent ones the cans themselves should be in hinges or whatever so they conform to your particular head shape and sit over your ears comfortably.
Generally speaking, folding headphones are more a lifestyle /convenient choice if you are out and about all the time, can pack them into a cute little case or whatever when you're not using them.
Christ, but those Pioneer things are bloody ugly! Definitely an affectation for a club DJ, less useful for someone who actually cares about music and listening in comfort. 😖
Aside from wearing out the ear pads I dunno how people are breaking headphones unless they are relly poorly made, I'm still rocking some from 2011 🤣
Unless they are the same sort of people that have a permenantly cracked phone screen and can't understand why 😉
We've had a few where the hinges have broken either the structural part or the wires within.
I think I said my Røde ‘phones broke where the headband adjustment point is, but as they have a lifetime warranty, and they’re registered, they just replaced mine after three years of use. Considering they were less than £150 when I bought them, and you can get them cheaper now, I have no complaints about their actual quality of performance or backup, and they are really comfortable to wear, but then, they’re designed for extended use in a studio; I think they’re outstanding as headphones for listening to music that’s been well recorded.
I’ve been using my Apple EarPods lately as well, and for £20, listening to Lossless downloads, I’m constantly amazed at just how good they sound! The only problem is the lack of sealing where they sit in the ear, so background noise is a bit of an issue, but otherwise they’re a steal at that price for the sound quality.
Christ, but those Pioneer things are bloody ugly! Definitely an affectation for a club DJ, less useful for someone who actually cares about music and listening in comfort. 😖
It was an example to make a point. A picture I found on the internet, Nothing more.
I'm puzzled why anyone would use proper headphones when out and about as they are just too big and cumbersome, for me anyway. I guess it's a trend of sorts for hip youngsters, but wireless buds are by far the best way to go when on the move, big fat headphones on the train, plane or bus just makes you look stupid, unless you simply want to advertise that you've spent a lot of money to inconvinience yourself IMO.
I'm puzzled why anyone would use proper headphones when out and about as they are just too big
Because I’m yet to find a pair of buds that actually fit properly and stay in my ears. I’ve had loads over the years and there’s always an issue with them, so I’m willing to give something else a go.
My current Sony buds, one fits perfectly but the other is always coming loose. Because it’s got touch controls whenever I poke it back in I end up accidentally changing modes.
I’ve ordered some Sony XM4s pretty cheap which I may find I never use but I’ll give them a go.
Sennheiser HD25 - classic DJ/radio/sound recordist phones. Completely rebuildable (you can buy all the parts as spares). On ear so a bit smaller, but closed back so minimal sound leakage and reasonable isolation. Flat sound profile (a lot of yoof headphones have overemphasis on bass which sounds crap to me) but far more than you'll get from buds. easy to move a phone off the ear dj style if you need to speak to someone.
https://www.juno.co.uk/products/sennheiser-hd-25-dj-headphones-with-1-5m/601625-01/?