Most of us in this forum have outgrown this price range but us as a group have definitely tried our fair share. I would love to create a guide and space for what we consider great and our overall impressions. I would also love what genres these particular products excel in cause mid fi and low end is all about compromises so they usually excel in something but lack in others. what source is recommended. Im hoping to have this space for newer people in the hobby too allow them to navigate this oddly confusing section of the the price range especially midfi where many cant seem to leave.
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My vote is on the OG Focal Clear. At the price it’s at new ($900), I think that’s kind of a steal.
It’s a great all-rounder imo but I guess if you value tone/timbre and stage then you might not like it.
Timbre didn’t bother me, personally, and I actually kind of enjoy how it sounds. lol
As for source, I definitely would not recommend any pairing with a THX amp; sounds baaad.
Other than that, it’s very easy to drive and responds well to equipment if any upgrades are desired source-wise.
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I would say the best headphones in for this price range are the many really good $1000-1300 headphones that have b-stocks or are available used for under $900.
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If you can find things like an lcd 2 pre fazor (or even fazor) from 500-700 used, a hex v2 from 600-800 used (or even an he500 if you can find one for around 300), something from fostex like an emu teak/x00/d7?00 used around 400-600 ish, koss esp 95x around 300-400, t1.2 for around 400-500, eikon around 800-900 used etc. That clear at 900 is real solid, likely even less used now. Ah also nighthawks at around 200-300 too lol
But let’s not forget about the classics all around 200, things like the 880/990 600 ohm and the 600/650 are kings in this range lol. And for planar options the he400se or he5xx is pretty damn solid at that 200 ish price point as well. But don’t skimp on electronics for any of these lol
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$40 monoprice retro w/ upgraded XL pads still a fun listen for rap, hip-hop, techno, EDM. Long chord reaches all the way to whatever crappy input i find to plug it into, AVR, old radio etc.
Same with my Sivga 006 Closed back. I have taken them with me on extended trips and for under $100 playing off my phone or tablet they work just fine. There are a bunch of old workhorses under the $150 price point that thousands of folks own that work just fine for those not obsessed w/ the fine nuances and constant upgraditis this hobby has.
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Fisher M12s, they scale well w/ higher end Tube amp and DAC. Yes I am running them on $15k worth of system at the moment but very much enjoying some Blues on them and to top it off they look nice too w/ the wood options available.
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Yeah my top 3 bang for the buck headphones under $1000 used would be lcd 2.2 pf, focal clear, and zmf eikon. But there are other really great sets to be had in the range like the nighthawks, elegia, and lsa hp-2. Also lets not forget classics like the senn HD 600 & 650. Also beyerdynamic 880 600ohm.
Lots of good quality stuff in this price bracket for sure
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Elegia, HEX V2, LCD2pf, TH610 were all for me, very good to great headphones in the <=$800 a nice assortment of dynamic, planar, open & closed scenarios. All worked very well with mid tier sources too.
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The biggest issue i see most often is folks thinking they can spend $100, $500, $1000, on a pair of HP’s plug them into their phone, tablet, laptop, PC and then play music off youtube, spotify, pandora, amazon or files they ripped and stole off the internet over the years and get a quality set-up. When they read reviews and their experience doesn’t match the reviewers they too will get on the internet and give you their opinions on a product and the whole while everyone blames the HP.
I made 2 posts in this thread, and used very specific wording but never referenced the nuances of sound and I did that for a reason, it would be worthless info.
The past few years, specifically related to this hobby I have learned so very much and as everyone currently in this Forum can relate to it is that when dealing w/ digital music, (analogue has its own issues) every little bit seems to count. (Just read the cable threads and fight me on that opinion.)
So to all newbies on the forum who are here to learn and as everyone always is, working within a tight budget w/ hard earned cash. Read and ask questions, get your ducks in a row, from your power source and environment all the way to the cables, ear-tips and pads. Understand what your musical preferences are and for goodness sake if you have hearing disabilities or issues take that into consideration too. Get the FREE stuff in place, get a budget ready and then shop to your hearts content.
If nothing else everyone here loves to spend other peoples money and you have come to the right place for experience, between the core group of individuals available i don’t think there is a budget point we could not help you hit.
Back to your regularly scheduled post of Budget minded HP’s… 
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I haven’t outgrown the $800 price range yet but now I’ve got a nicer source (pre box s2 + RNHP) so while I save for my clears (which I have to pay heavy ass taxes for here in mexico) I wanted to get a nice bassy open back that doesn’t break the bank.
My punchiest cans are the hd6xx followed by the ath-wp900 and the T1.2.
Are the Nighthawks carbon still the go to or something like the harmonicdyne zeus could be better for open back bass?
also maybe if I get the BHC+speedball instead I would get enough of an upgrade on the 6xx/t1.2 so that the nighthawks would be redundant?
what do you guys think
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Agree with Elegia, Nighthawks, and HP-2 recs for sure. Also I’m happy to be the first one to mention Koss Porta Pro and KSC75!
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I haven’t heard the zeus, but the hawks do have pretty enjoyable bass, although more semi open tbh. On that note, looking into some of the foster driver variants like the d7000/7200, emu teak, or x00 ebony might really be worthwhile (as those are more semi open tbh). Would you say you are looking more for a bassy v, or an overall warmer signature, and something more forward or relaxed?
Regarding the crack, that’s a damn nice pick for the senns and still pretty enjoyable with the Beyer’s, worthwhile hearing for sure, although I don’t know if it will assist on getting a more bassy experience depending on what you are looking for. But it is worthwhile getting if you enjoy your sennheisers a lot, it will make those both more bassy and punchy depending on the tube (among other things)
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So much good stuff in this range…only what I’ve owned/heard, and some could potentially qualify for more than one category, but I put them where I see them primarily aligning
Vocals/Mids/Natural Instruments - HD58x, HD600, D880 600, R70x
Bassy Fun - Nighthawks, TH610/Lawton, Eikon (used)
Punchy/Dynamic - Elex, Elegia
Best price to performance - KSC75, PortaPro
All Rounders - M1070, LCD-2 F/PF, Eikon could go here too for me
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Thats nice info on the crack, thanks, maybe the best option
regarding what im looking for, it has to be highly dynamic I don’t mind the heavy v-shapes or the warmer neutralish signatures, as long as they deliver a very punchy and relatively extended bass (for an open), Its for electronic music genres but the hd6xx lack the extension so a lot of detailed sub-bass gets lost.
semi open is better than closed tbh, because I get headaches on closed backs after a few hours regardless or their boominess or brightness. Zeus still seems a strong contender considering its very open.
Would like to spend less than 450 incl. taxes and shipping .
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I’d really consider a hawk or the aforementioned Denon/emu/fostex if you can find them at that price
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The HD6xx and the Elex were the only headphones I owned in this price range I really liked.
HD598’s we’re OK, and if you don’t own an amp, are worth owning, I liked the comfort of the AKG 7XX.
Hated the T50RP3’s and the Dan Clark Ether CX’s.
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Zeus is actually pretty good I feel it’s overpriced though and a carbon is more worth the price cause you can usually spot one for $200-$300. It’s more comfortable and has better detail retention with good lean bass.
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Ill be joining the nighthawk gang in september 
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Nighthawk gang still going strong and growing every day! lol
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Aren’t all the Audioquest headphones discontinued now? Meaning you can’t buy anymore unless you find one used?
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