Yeah 2.1/no center is fine if you’re sitting center. There’s not an issue and it’ll work. I’m just saying for a proper theater setup you’ll want a center. With a center channel, if you aren’t center or others are watching it with you, you can still both enjoy.
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Hey! I have received a bday gift to spend on HEADPHONES under 100$ and I need some recommendations. I am having troubles making a decision cause I am not an expert in sound, even tho I am very picky and always paying attention to little details.I am currently in Spain so prices might differ.
I am in search of recommendations for Bluetooth on Ear Headphones, with long battery life, good sound quality and an functional microphone. My use would mostly be on music, mostly electronic music with lost of layers where the lows have to be very well balance.
I have recently bought the MPOW 059 and the sound quality is very disturbing. I Know I can’t expect amazing deals for less than 100$ but I am very picky with sound and I want to get the best possible product. I have Audio Technica with cables for DJing and I am happy with it.
This is what I have found so far:
Audio Technica ATH SR30BT - 79eur
Sennheiser HD 450BT - 99eur
Skullcandy Hesh 3 - 50eur
JBL LIVE 500BT - 99eur
Soundcore life Q20 - 40 eur
Sony WH CH510 - 49eur
Monoprice BT-300ANC - 40eur
Taotronics - 49 eur
Plantronics backbeat go810 - 80 eur
Which one should I go for?
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A plane roundtrip to New York is $350 from here, so financially it makes most sense to go buy the items in person there, as the price difference Norway–USA is several times that. So the best I can do is to save impressions and money until corona is over, and then see if I can do a trip there. Or maybe some more nearby European country, if any of them have near-US prices.
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The usual recommendations here in the US probably won’t help you in Spain at that price point. @SenyorC would probably have the best advice.
If you were in the US, AND used Android not Apple, I’d say Koss Porta Pro wireless, and get YAXI pads with the spare change. I’ve heard a lot of Skullcandy and they have proven tiring in the long run, as they are tuned to make you say wow at first, but then you start listening to details.
I think I heard the JBL in a store here, and they were OK, Not sure if model is identical. SenyorC is in Spain also and is an excellent reviewer.
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Thanks for the kind words but “excellent” is pushing it 
@Ateno, I really can’t help you much on sub 100€ Bluetooth headphones as I really haven’t tried out that many in that price bracket. I did try out the JBL LIVE 500BT but I found them to be a little too dark for my tastes.
I went on a test run a while ago, looking for some BT ANC headphones and tried out most JBL, Sennheiser, Sony and Bose offerings (that were all well over 100€) and my favourites were the Sony WH1000XM3 but I didn’t like them enough to spend 300€ at the time. In the end, I picked up the Mpow H12 (I tried a few Mpow models and preferred these) which has semi decent ANC and I wear cabled IEMs underneath them.
I haven’t tried the BT version of the Portapro but they can be purchased here in Spain for less than 50€ and I really like the wired version. As @pennstac mentions, you can pick up a set and some Yaxi pads for less than your budget.
As you mention that you like your Audio Technica headphones, another option is to pick up a Bluetooth receiver, such as the BTR3 or BTR5 (you can find the BTR5 for less than 100€ if you shop around) and a short cable. You can then attach the BT receiver to the outside of your current headphones and voila, a set of BT headphones that you know you like 
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Good input already offered that I agree with. For home theater, rear speakers are the least important since the least sound comes out of them. The center channel is highly important (dialogue), as is the subwoofer (low frequencies/bass).
Whether to prioritize center channel or subwoofer depends on whether the mains are floorstanding vs stand-mount (or how well they do the low frequencies), whether the speakers will be used for both/only home theater and/or music, whether home theater or music is a priority, whether you value sub bass rumble versus left-center-right imaging.
I value subwoofer over center channel, but I can see the opposite being preferred also.
Well again, I was previously watching more movies. Now I am listening to music about 6-8 hours per day. Before it was 2-3 movies per day.
So again that is why this suggestion was made, I know I’ve mentioned it a few times. You guys, @Roark, may have not read and I don’t expect you to remember. But I have no income right now, I am only living on money I have saved.
So I need to balance what I spend on and what I don’t. Especially if I can use that money to save else where. I got a pair of cleer enduro’s for 60, so I didn’t spend as much as I expected.
But still pointing out, this is only temporary as detrimental as maybe. If I get the sales I expect I will purchase the center as well.
But enough of this, back to headphones 
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Absolutely do what you can with what you have. Nothing wrong with just 2 speakers and no sub. Nothing wrong with just using your TV speakers for movies. I was just speaking on the ideal setup.
Just enjoy the best you can!
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Hello and welcome!
Hmmmm I was just looking for some decent headphones as well for Bluetooth purposes. I don’t feel like they are amazing as passive headphones.
However I would suggest Cleer, they seem to be a low flyer in the BT headphones department. I just bought a pair of Cleer enduro 100 also the flows with ANC is 10 dollars more go direct to the manufacturer website and honestly I see a really good deal with Grado GW100, and Grado does have some top notch audiophile grade headphones.
Audioaffair UK has them for 167 euros, I think to invest the extra 70 euros you can get a very premium wireless headset.
Usually they run for 250 usd and euros.
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I’m going to have a 4 channel set up, 4.1 to be precise for certain, and possibly the center if it drops in price.
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Yes it will be all the same line of speakers, but I doubt they will go on sale. They are new and as I have been monitoring them at the end of last week without sales they were sold out. So demand is high. I feel like under those circumstances they won’t drop. I waited 2 months in hopes they would
@HeadphoneNoob, exactly what @Rhodey stated above. I was not aware and was writing in terms of ideal home theater.
Wish you the best of luck in finding your ideal balance for music and home theater.
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I agree with @HeadphoneNoob about the Grado. Note that my recommendation for the wireless is for non-iPhone use. I did a quick impression of them here:
I hope this helps, @Ateno
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I have a subwoofer already, the only thing I am currently missing is the floors and center.
I take it like this, if I never experienced it then I got nothing to lose. I don’t know what I am missing out on. So with that being the case nothing is lost or be disappointed about.
These are my first passive speakers I’ve owned and my current 2.1 setup is far better in every aspect than my sound bar and accompanying wireless woofer it came with.
Second, you are right, but I already have the surrounds purchased. So what do I do with those? They are paid for and part of the 5.1 set, which is creating this predicament.
So I think that’s something to consider, you guys are experienced and you have had home theaters before, if you got a 4 channel setup with no center you would feel like something is missing.
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Thanks for this - this is the closest to what I’m after I’ve seen. It seems there are lots of RCA switch boxes available that sit between the DAC and amp(s), but very few (if any) RCA to 6.35mm switch boxes that would enable you to connect your headphones to a single port and switch with ease between sources. Is this also your understanding, or is there another way of switching between amps without having to plug and unplug your headphones all the time?
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You are very welcome, that is exactly what I used it for. I had to use a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter to connect the headphone amps then I was able to switch between 2 different types of amps to compare on the fly. It also helped that one of my headphone amps has a line out to piggyback the same source without the need for a second switching unit.
Alternatively you need not rule out other switch boxes with rca only connection. I also was able to use the Schiit SYS; https://www.schiit.com/products/sys
When using this, I had extra rca to 3.5mm cables that would facilitate the output of the amp to this box, to my
None of these are ideal for my daily use, only used to attempt a hypothesis of which amp paired better with a particular set of
In retrospect, I should have bought the TC 7240 recommended by @PaisleyUnderground
@Solan - there are a lot of great options within that range, and sure lots of members here have recommendations. From your description, If you pick up a pair of Focal Utopias, or Clears, you won’t be disappointed - low impedence, exceptional detail and easy to drive, very well-regarded, and will sound amazing even with a fairly modest and simple source like an ifi xDSD.
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I think another great option for you would be Cleer, I just got the enduro 100. I’m honestly shocked how good these headphones are even as Bluetooth, it’s a 100usd brand new but they have a sale going on and 10 dollars off your order if you subscribe to emails, it was 55 dollars total.
These are definitely top of the line headphones. In that price bracket possibly even higher ones
I have gotten lots of good reciommendations, like Focals, ZMF, etc, and then I have followed them up to watch reviews. Via the reviews I found one that looks like the goddamned Garden of Eden given my desire specs list: Meze Empyrean. But is it as good as the reviews look? Does it have expensive amping needs?
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There are at least a couple of people who have the Empy here or at least have had it, you should be able to get some thoughts. It might have its own thread… yes it does…
Like everything in the top end of the can world, it can divide opinions but some really do love it.
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