My old sony noise-canceling headphones finaly broke after a year and would like to get another pair before the start of a new semester. Requirements:
-Not oversized
-a warm sounding headphone
-decent build quality
-comes with a case
-No more than $50
The Superlux HD681 seems to stick out to me.
If I am lucky, I might be able to snag a Grado Prestige SR60 off ebay.
Any other options?
I know it's out of your budget, but I'm sure you can find a deal. The headphones are Audio-Technica ATH-M50's. I have them and have been using them as my headphones for everything (I don't have a gaming headphone atm). They sound absolutely incredible, and you won't turn back once you buy them.
They have a nice, clean sound, maybe a tad bit shallow in the highs, but otherwise they have nice, balanced sound. You can hear every detail, especially if you have a good DAC. They also sound nice and crisp. I'm not an audio expert, but they do sound a little warm. The treble is really nice, maybe slighly rolled off. The highs are quite nice, and bass is excellent.
Here are some options. Look up reviews for them if you are interested. Head-fi.org is a grest place to look. Also, check reviews of the hd681. I am not sure that you would like tham all that much.
http://www.amazon.com/JVC-HARX700-Precision-Sound-Headphones/dp/B0013OWPV4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375822498&sr=8-1&keywords=harx700
(don't be fooled, these are always this price, it is no sale) http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-RPHTF600S-RP-HTF600-S-Stereo-Headphones/dp/B004MMEI8W/ref=pd_sim_e_4
http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-108323-Premium-Hi-Fi-Headphone/dp/B007SP2CO2/ref=pd_sim_e_9
http://www.amazon.com/Superlux-HD661-Closed-Back-Professional-Detachable/dp/B0062OOFAY/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1375822599&sr=1-4&keywords=hd681+evo
http://www.amazon.com/Incipio-NX-100-Hi-Fi-Stereo-Headphones/dp/B005Q311QI/ref=pd_sxp_grid_i_1_2
P.s. Don't take recommendations from people who are recommending the only pair of headphones they have ever tried. That is the reason that the M50 got so popular a while back. People got into audio, got the M50 for their first set of real headphones, and were wowed with how much better they are than stock shit, and then they would go around recommending them all the time. The M50 is in no way a bad set of cans, but they aren't some value giant, and are way out of your budget anyway.
Not necessarily. He says that he wants a warm sound. The M50 fits that bill a lot better than the SR60 does. I am not sure why he is looking at the hd681 and the SR60 if he wants a warm sound, but whatever.
The SR60's sound excellent, even a little bit warm like you're looking for. But, if you're looking for build quality - I wouldn't really recommend them. They're made of quite cheap plastics (all the money in producing them is put into the components - which is why they are such a good value). 1080 mentioned the JVC HARX, which my brother owns and I have used quite a bit. They do feel more solid than the SR60, and also sound quite good. The sound stage is a bit bigger as well and have an open sound to them. I'd definitely recommend them for the money.
I've read a lot of good things about the monoprice cans as well, but haven't had a chance to try them. They do come recommended from lots of people though as a value set (for whatever that is worth to you).
In my opinion if you don't have a problem with the cheapish build quality of the Grados, they sound very good and are a good value for the cost. The Harx also sound very good for the money (half the cost of the SR60s) and offer a pretty sturdy build.
Yeah, they are pretty much exact opposites.
Was thinking about the Incipio Nx-100 but the JVC HARX900 looks like an absolute beast. (38 mm vs 50 mm drivers) I think im going to go $10 over budget.
Avoid both those, at this point you should be looking at audiophile grade headphones. I've owned a pair of cheap JVC headphones and I didn't like them, I imagine the pricier ones are the same. It's the same thing with Skullcandy. They have headphones over $100 that sounds like crap. Beats too but for bass-lovers they're good. Everything else sounds "washed out" in Beats.
Review of the HARX900: http://www.head-fi.org/t/379853/jvc-ha-rx900-after-100-hours-of-burn-in-a-mini-review-pics-added
Review of the HM3 (a rebranded Nx-100): http://www.head-fi.org/t/581298/brainwavz-hm3-review-with-video