Looking for a good pair of headphones, know very little about audio

[Cyber Akuma]

I know only some very very basic information about audio systems.

I have been looking for a decent AFFORDABLE pair of headphones, around the $50 or so mark, and trying to Google for Top 10 lists of good headphones only results in lists of headphones ranging from $150 to $2000.

Yeah yeah I know, a lot of you want to get up and shout "You need to pay for quality!" or other such things at me right now, but I just can't afford it ok? I just want them to be able to use my computer and gaming systems at night without having to have them at near-mute volume levels (especially since my damn 360 is an older model with an insanely loud disk drive that essentially drowns out the audio anyway) or risking waking everybody up. I don't even have a 5.1 system.

A friend who is very expirenced in audio systems recommended to me the AKG K44 headphones............. but I looked them up only to find that they have been discontinued. Apparently the AKG K77 headphones replaced them, which are around $50-60. Problem is, I have no idea if the K77 are any good or not. I also saw many good reviews fo the K77.... but there were also people in those reviews recommending the Sennheiser HD 202 over the AKG K77, which were to my surprise $20, I find it hard to believe that a $20 pair can outdo a $60 pair.

Are the AKG K77 good headphones? Would you feel the Sennheiser HD 202 are any better? Or is there a different brand/model you can recommend over both of these?

[SuperSparks]

I'd definitely recommend Sennheiser, especially where the budget is limited. I have a pair of very cheap Sennheiser 'phones that I use with my MP3 player, and the quality is excellent for the price. I also use Sennheisers for my high-end phones too. I doubt you'll find any within your price range, but Bose is another brand to look out for.

[SpywareDr]

IMO, for ~$20.00 (USD) the Sennheiser DJs HD202 are an excellent buy.

[fink]

Senns and AKG make quality products and there's absolutely nothing wrong with either of them. Personally for my pro needs, as an audio engineer, I use Sony.

These is the MDR-V300 model. I use the MDR-V400 which are a few years old and no longer made.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...itionalImage1"

They are collapsible.

There are many quality headphones available. They all sound different from each other some more some less and it's not always price dependant. Really expensive ones may sound less pleasing to an individual than a lesser expensive pair. Point being that like home loudspeakers listening to headphones is a very subjective thing. Time was when you could go into an audio shop and compare... not so much any more.

I use Sonys because they are well made, efficient (volume wise) very comfortable and I find them to be quite uncolored in terms of sound reproduction. Someone else may prefer other phones that exaggerate the low end (usually larger with bigger earcups/bigger diaphragms).

Recommendations only go so far. You should try to listen to a pair before you buy.