Opinions wanted, please. :)

[firecat88]

The short version: I'm contemplating getting some over-the-ear headphones for at-home use.

The long version: I love my earbuds for things like running, long car trips, and just generally being outta the house. However, being that I've had two ear infections in the past decade, it occurs to me that prolonged use of them is probably not a good thing. Thus, I am pondering the idea of getting over-the-ear headphones to use at home. I would prefer something that isn't stupidly expensive. Also, I would not be opposed to the idea of it having a built-in mic for my recording projects, but that's not an absolute must-have. I just want something that I can wear that isn't horrendously uncomfortable.

Now, being that I've been pretty much exclusively using earbuds for the past several years, I'm not sure what brands are good for other types of headphones. Thus, I turn to you guys for advice.

[wolfie]

Haven't actually used them, but I've heard that Beats by Dr. DRE are overpriced crap.

[catcul]

Haven't actually used them, but I've heard that Beats by Dr. DRE are overpriced crap.

You're absolutely right, Wolfie. I have bought good Harman headphones with a microphone for less than ⅓ of what Beats headphones cost. They sound good.

Firecat, you should ditch the ear buds. I have a strong suspicion that they push the earwax deeper into the ear. I am prone to ear impactions. I don't clean my ears with Q-Tips either.

[EricKei]

I've been using TekNMotion Yapster TM-YW100A headphones for a couple of years now. Great if budget is an issue, and they're pretty decent, period. I wouldn't put them up against headphones that really *are* worth $150, but still ^_^ Used them for raiding in FFXIV and Teamspeak with other groups, with no issues

Downside -- they don't "breathe" very well, so I gotta remove them every half hour or so (ya see, I sweat...). That could also be because I'm a big dude who is using them in the deep south during the summer... >_>

Upsides -- very clear sound on both the input (flexible mic) and outputs; the earpieces are well-padded and comfy. $13 to $20 depending on where you get them (sorry, guys, no direct commercial links allowed if there's an affiliate program included (it's OK if you can't get money from it), but you can mention the store) - I got mine from Amazon.

Other -- mic has inline volume control and separate on/off toggle slider. Uses two standard connector jacks that go into your sound card (green and pink). Worked fine out of the box in Win7. I'm 6 foot 4 with a head to match and they fit over my noggin just fine even when not at maximum extension.
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And yes, Beats By Dre are indeed $30-40 headphones with a $100+ markup for the name engraved on the side.

[dbuzman]

I use a pair of sony headphones I bought from walmart. Sony ZX Series Studio Headphones

[Kittish]

My opinion: Cats are cute and entertaining companions.

Headphone advice: I got nothin'.

[Yfandes]

I got the Razer Kraken Pro Over Ear PC and Music Headset on WOOT, but they are on Amazon too. Mine are green They are comfy and they sound good to my non-audiophile ears. My only complaint would be that they aint small and they are very very good at blocking all ambient noise. So when I'm gaming I cant hear hubby yelling - good thing / bad thing

[csquared]

If you have the money for it, Bose QCs. I have had my QC2s for 12 years. Well worth what I paid.

[dawnfire]

I use hyundai (cjc-8216), they were very cheap (I got them for under $20)but good .

[KuariKaydrith]

I got the Razer Kraken Pro Over Ear PC and Music Headset on WOOT, but they are on Amazon too. Mine are green They are comfy and they sound good to my non-audiophile ears. My only complaint would be that they aint small and they are very very good at blocking all ambient noise. So when I'm gaming I cant hear hubby yelling - good thing / bad thing

My son has a pair of these, and I can attest to how well they block out all ambient noise! He loves them to pieces and so far they are the only set that has lasted him longer than six months. I keep considering buying myself a pair because I really can't use earbuds - they actually hurt to wear for any real length of time, and do prefer the over-ear styles so much better because you get better sound.

[ApolloSZ]

I've got two sets of Turtlebeach X12's. Two because one lives on my computer, and the other is handy for my xbox (the setup of each means its easier having dedicated sets, rather than unplugging each time)
Its console capable (needs USB power, can't use them casually off your MP3 player, for example) - has separate Mic and 'speaker' connection, and comes with cables to connect to RCA ports for gaming, and the mic input on the controller. But works straight away with the computer. Had mine over a year now, comfy as. And I've only damaged one slightly because i swung it around by the earpiece (was fixed with a firm wrapping of electrical tape around the cracked plastic.) Sounds is fine to me (non-audiophile) and I come across clear to mates in recording, team speak and Steam Audio chat.

[EricKei]

edit: Me goofed, and fixed the above caveat -- I should have clarified:

Commercial links are OK if they are NOT affiliate links, and they do not otherwise allow the poster to make money

[BearLeeBadenaugh]

I've got a set of Audio Technica's that I love. ATH-M50, iirc. Sound quality is really quite good and they have absolutely huge ear shells. Another nice feature is that you can get them with a dual ended cord if you want. Kind of bar-DJ specific, but I like being able to leave the headphones around my neck and not have to deal with a 6 ft tail.

Speaking as an audiophile, ditch the idea of a headset mic for anything other than voice chat. Do yourself and your listeners a favor and get a separate mic. Mics are like headphones in a way, given equal component quality, bigger drivers are usually better. You do hit a point of diminishing returns, of course, but where that is tends to be situation specific.

Heck, when DJing at a buddys bar, I'm more likely to plug my headphones into the mic port and talk into the ear cups than I am to use the piece of crap he calls a mic.

[Tama]

I thought dual-ended anything relating to electronics was considered a fire hazard?

[dalesys]

I thought dual-ended anything relating to electronics was considered a fire hazard?

Only if it's carrying power. (greater than about 30-50V, depending on code & location)