Here's a very quick overview of the different sets of headphones I've tried.
A quick disclaimer: I'm not a sound expert by any stretch. However I am an amateur musician with a strong passion for both playing and listening to music.
Since I listen to music for long stretches at a time (sometimes lasting up to 10 hours), I value comfort more than anything else. This means being able to wear the headphones for long hours without them hurting my head, but also being able to play music at a decent volume (to avoid inner ear aches) while maintaining a clear sound. Some people will look for headphones that will shout music as loud as possible in their ears, that's not me.
I am partial to lightweight comfortable gear, I don't like the big buff stuff.
Also, I have a fairly large head. I've always had troubles finding glasses, hats and other head gears. Keep this in mind when I write that a certain piece makes me ache.
Beats
I never actually owned Beats headphones, but I did try them on several occasions. (I actually considered buying them for a while). There's no denying that these are very good pieces, but they're not the best in the market. Their main problem is that they're clearly overpriced. I was not ready to spend this much while competition had higher quality products for half the price.
I would suggest them for anyone who needs strong basses, enjoy the "fashion" factor, and don't want to spend time and energy looking for the perfect fit in the myriad of choices others are offering.
Also you must be able to afford them.
BOSE - OE
link on Amazon
I got these a year and a half ago for the price of 160 euros (~190$).
It was the first time I ever bought Bose gear. By far, their greatest quality was comfort. There's a perfect cushion between the ear and the speakers making it very enjoyable and not intrusive at all.
Sound quality is decent, although it suffers from lack of noise reduction. This can be fixed by playing music at a slightly loud volume, especially in crowded places, but this can be tiresome on the long run.
The biggest flaw of this piece is that it's fragile. You have to take great care of it and cannot leave it hanging around (or stuff it in your bag/pockets/...). Most notably, the (retractable) audio jack got ruined after 9-10 months of extensive use. Since it's retractable, it's easily replaceable. The bad news is that Bose discontinued the model so they don't sell the jack anymore. The good news is that it's a pretty standard male/female jack, so I had no problem finding a replacement.
Since Bose discontinued it, this model has now been replaced by
the OE2. According to online reviews and accounts from friends, it has similar sound and improved build quality.
I definitely recommend these if you enjoy listening to loud music for prolonged periods of time.
Marshall Major
official link
This piece is a great choice if you're on a budget. It sells to approximately 80-90 USD, has a decent sound quality and presents an overall solid body.
Sound quality suffers a bit from lack of noise reduction (just like above, you'll play at loud volumes). And generally speaking, the headband is not very flexible. It starts hurting after an hour or two, so you have to take regular 10-15 mins pauses throughout the day.
I recommend this piece if you're on a budget and are willing to sacrifice comfort a bit.
Sennheiser HD25-1 II
official link
I just got these for Christmas (because I have the coolest girlfriend in the world!). It's a bit early to give a full review, but I can already say I'm very pleased. Since it's a gift, I don't know the exact price, but I assume it's somewhere slightly above 200euros (~250$).
First of all, the headband is very flexible and lean, making it very comfortable for prolonged use. Being closed headphones, I was skeptical about this, but clearly I was wrong. Carefully laid out cushions on the top and on the ear pieces makes it fit very smoothly. The headband is perfectly adjustable, and presents a slightly unlikely characteristic: It can be split into 2 bands to adjust to your skull.
It does provide decent noise reduction, although nothing comparable for higher end Noise Reduction like the
Bose Quiet Comfort line, but it's enough to play music at a decent level even in the most crowded places (Paris metro in the morning rush hour is insanely noisy). It has wonderful bass (although not the out-of-balance kind of bass the Beats give), mid range are really mellow and trebles feel light and clear. Overall it provides a similar sound quality to the Supra, but at much lower volumes :)
Despite its flexibility and super light weight, the piece looks and feels very solid. Moreover, parts look easily detachable/replaceable although you will need to pull out a screwdriver to pick them apart.
Finally, I love the look and the design of the piece. In contrast to the Beats which are heavy, flashy and very intrusive, this one presents a lightweight minimalism that will go unnoticed. Honestly, most people won't notice you're carrying (mid-to-)high end gear when looking at you.
Final words
As usual, I hope this helps. I don't know much about the availability of each of these models in Lebanon, maybe others can fill in for me?
In any case, if anyone has further questions about each of these models (mainly the last 3 ones), feel free to ask. I'd love to expand more.
