I do not have either of those brand headphones, and I currently use brands like Audio Technica, and Sennheiser. I was recently watching a Youtube video comparing Beats by Dr. Dre to SMS Audio by 50 Cent. I may get one of those brands soon. But, to help you with your choice, I think you should search for those brand models reviewed on Youtube. I already did, and there are several video reviews of those models. After you watch some reviews, they may help you decide which is best for you. That way, you are hearing from people who already own the headphones. At first glance the Sonys look better, the others are an eyesore…yikes!! I did not post the reviews here for you, because I did not watch them in their entirety. Good luck.
Do yourself a favor and get a legitimate brand, like Shure, Sennheiser, Audio Technica, etc.
Beats and their clones are horrible and overpriced.
I’m currently using Shure SRH440’s. I enjoy them more than the passing moments I had with Beats, and they are being sold for ~$90 on Amazon and other sites (msrp $120, but msrp is hardly ever the actual price you’d pay for them).
EDIT: I looked at those Razers, and I’m sorry to say that they look like total junk. Even at $50 I wouldn’t bother. Better to just get something that’ll be worth it in the long run, even at a higher (albeit fair) price.
I have some song MDR-XB500 headphones and they’re great. I’ve had mine for 3.5 years and they work just as well as they did when I first got them. Pretty comfortable.
I thought about it. Since you are on a budget, have you considered the Skullcandy brand? A friend of mine who owns Beats and tried Skullcandy said she was happy with Skullcandy. They seem to be getting consistent average 4 out of 5 star reviews from what I’ve seen. When I see them in the stores around here, they have a lot of variety of looks and colors to match different styles. I wonder if anyone has tried those…they seem popular for everyday wear. I tend to keep a cheap pair of random headphones for when I’m doing yard work around the house or working out (sweating). Otherwise, I like a studio quality pair. I really don’t have anything in the middle ground, because I’m usually driving when I’m out and about. Curious about those Skullcandy ones, I keep seeing them around.
I’m going to tell you right now this probably isn’t true. Beats aren’t the best in the world, but the definitely aren’t bad and are worlds above what you are typically going to get for 45 bucks. I’m not saying that they will be terrible, but don’t have false expectations without really getting a listen to them first.
Me personally, I have a pair of Bose that are pretty expensive for the house, and I also have some Skullcandy that I dropped around 50 bucks on for the gym. they get the job done and they aren’t bad, but there isn’t really a comparison between the two as far as sound quality. You typically get what you pay for with headphones. stretch your budget as far as it can go because its generally worth it.
Beats are okayish. They have a pretty muddy low end and their sound is certainly not worth the price. The Razor Electra is definitely overpriced and sounds extremely compressed, both in terms of dynamic range and soundstage. Skullcandy aren’t the worst thing ever, but there is nothing special about them. I would also be wary of a company that is not trying to compete with sound quality, but by marketing to impressionable buyers.
I would stick with a brand that puts sound quality above everything else, because at the end of the day, that is what matters. As PatCon suggested, Shure, Audio Technica, Sennheiser, and others are all great choices. To strictly fit within your budget, Superlux sounds like your best bet.
I’ve personally never tried them but I’ve definitely heard great things about superlux. Depending on where you’re going to use them you might want something designed to be more isolating though.
I actually second this. I have a pair, and there is not a more comfortable headphone on the market. I’m certain of this. Obviously that is not the whole picture but it is very, very important when you’re looking at really living with headphones. Sound quality is very good for their size/weight, and the price is not bad at all when compared to all headphones. You could do a lot worse than these.
At home I use Sennheiser HD598’s which is like, a whole other world of sound quality. Totally impractical for portable use though because they’re open back. Before this I had both both Beats Solos and Studios, and I wouldn’t buy either of them over the Sennheiser’s or the Bose AE2’s.
as others have said, bose and beats are way overpriced and overhyped. The beats pro are the only ones I would say are even decent, but even those are way overpriced.
The sony mdr xb500s though are pretty good. I have a pair of xb700s, and they’re the most comfortable pair of headphones I’ve ever worn. It’s like putting pillows on your head.
plus they have pretty good sound quality (especially if you like headphones with good bass) and they have a flat cable. I’m not sure how much they are now, but I got mine 2-3 years ago for $70 at amazon. I saw them at the sony store for around twice that though.
xb500s were $50 when I got my 700s, and about $70 in store.
As far as bootleg beats go, I’ve gotten a pair of bootleg tours for $15 that were decent. They didn’t stay in my ear that well though, and hit the floor when I was out for a jog and broke. I was able to superglue them back together, but they broke again a few days later and I decided to just chuck 'em.
edit: another positive for the xbs is they’re comfortable even after hours of use. I’m a pc gamer, and I’ve done my fair share of all day sessions. not once have I had a problem with them.