Anything but Beats

jflail2 · October 2014

Gents. I need some help/input from the crowd here. My niece is asking for a pair of Beats headphones for her birthday. I gave my sister the standard, "there are better headphones from better brands at lesser prices" spiel, but she reminded me that look/brand are an integral part of an 11 year old's decision making process.

Sooooo, any ideas for "colorful/fun" headphones that still sound pretty good, and don't break the bank? I have a pair of these AT's, which are in purple. They're just waaaaaay too big for her tiny head. Does anyone know of any other fancy/colorful cans from a better brand than Beats? Any recs are greatly appreciated.

EndersShadow · October 2014

Beyerdynamic DT-770's are blue and have a silver pad. That said it cant be TOO hard to pull the earcup off to paint it hot pink or whatever.

For an open can look at .... Grado SR60e, Grado SR80e

Otherwise dont really have any suggestions....

Dennis Gardner · October 2014

I'd buy the Beats and leave the lesson on quality for some time other than a specific birthday request. Being cool and seen having the "right stuff" is pretty important at this age and I can't think of an item more visible than headphones. I still remember wanting my first "blue" jeans at age 10 and my folks decided that blue denim was too tacky and faded too quickly. Those light green(almost yellow) denim jeans stuck out like a sore thumb and I still remember it 46 years later......

I'm a big believer in teaching life lessons on value and brand awareness, but not in place of specific requests. There is a lot of years left to teach a 10 year old those lessons, but once they shut you out, the lesson falls on deaf ears, and I don't mean deaf due to Beats......

sucks2beme · October 2014

I say go beats. Sure they aren't the best. But it will make her happy.
At that age, you can't tell her something else is better. She will have
to discover it herself or be told by a peer.
If you aren't 19 or under, your input is suspect. Get used to it.

jflail2 · October 2014

Yea........I think you guys are voicing the same thing I've been feeling out of the gate. I remember how important it was to "be cool" at that age. And it's not like their cans are terrible........just not great, and not priced in line with what you get.

I did find some colorful Sennheiser's, but they're only in an orange/white or red/black combo. Which apparently she wouldn't like.

Hahahaah, sigh...........I'll probably end up getting those damn Beats.

Dennis Gardner · October 2014

You could always play dumb and buy her a bag of these.....

EndersShadow · October 2014

jflail2 wrote: »

Yea........I think you guys are voicing the same thing I've been feeling out of the gate. I remember how important it was to "be cool" at that age. And it's not like their cans are terrible........just not great, and not priced in line with what you get.

I did find some colorful Sennheiser's, but they're only in an orange/white or red/black combo. Which apparently she wouldn't like.

Hahahaah, sigh...........I'll probably end up getting those damn Beats.

Supposedly the NEWER beats are not "as bad" as the originals... that might make it easier to swallow....

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/time-rethink-beats-solo2-excellent-page-2

Otherwise @jeremymarcinko‌

jeremymarcinko wrote: »

The Noontec Hammo is a better alternative to the Beats IMO. It looks a lot like the Beats Studio but has much better sound quality. I purchased a pair about 3 months ago and have been quite impressed given its sub $125 price tag on amazon. The Noontec Zoro HD's are styled after the Solo, but again sounds much better. I haven't heard the new Solo2 yet however. I think if anyone is considering the Beats because of their style they should give the Noontec's a look.
https://www.noontecusa.com/product/noontec-hammo-stereo-headphones

They have some REALLY cool colors:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DTWIH1A/ref=twister_B00F46IF3Y

61cwR-Nq9KL._SL1196_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_electronics?ie=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=Noontec&node=172282

http://www.amazon.com/Noontec-Adjustable-Earphone-Headphone-Cellphone/dp/B00EV1MOGM/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1414520533&sr=1-2

61-uKL2pAKL._SL1200_.jpg

Dennis Gardner · October 2014

^^^Nice looking phones.......decent pricing too.

MrBuhl · October 2014

I had the same dilemma for my two girls - picked up two pair of these: Beyerdynamic DTX 501P in different colors so there was no argument over who's was whose. They actually sound better than the Beats, and the girls were happy. But... as others have said, they were not initially happy necessarily - funny enough though, now their friends are getting these too instead.

AsSiMiLaTeD · October 2014

Posted above, but the Beats Solo2 are actually good sounding headphones. They're not good enough to make it into my collection, but they actually do sound good. Another great thing is their sound signature, they have a somewhat relaxed top end which I think is important for headphones and especially kids, they are safer on their ears and easier to wear for long periods.

If I were buying for a kid I'd likely go that route because they're less likely to damage their hearing, this is something that often gets overlooked.

Sami · October 2014

Get her these and if she don't like them then take them for yourself and get her the beats...win-win...

jeremymarcinko · October 2014

I wouldn't want to encourage disappointing the birthday girl, but I would still recommend the Noontecs mentioned above to the beats. They are very stylish, build quality is on par with Beats, maybe a little better, but they really do sound great. In addition they are VERY comfortable although noise isolation could be better. Of course noise isolation isn't great on the Beats either. I wouldn't say audiophile quality sound but for a portable, light weight headphones with a Mic they have exceeded my expectations.

cfrizz · October 2014

She wants the Beats, so get her what she wants. This isn't about you, it's about what she wants, and what she will use. If you get her something else, she will just stick them in a drawer never to see the light of day. She'll be unhappy and you will have wasted your money.

But most importantly, she will learn the lesson that you don't believe in listening to her or thinking that her opinion is important! That's a life long lesson you do NOT want to pass along.

vmaxer · October 2014

I had to buy my 13 year old daughter a set of "Beats" - in her school you had them if you were cool - nothing more!!

Sad the way kids see things, but I wanted her to be "Cool".

Stew · October 2014

We bought Beats for my then 14 yr old last Christmas. I suggested he listen to some other options but it quickly became apparent that sound quality was not the driver. The cool factor won out. I wouldn't buy them for myself but they still make him happy a year later.

coolsax · October 2014

I'm with all the people saying just get her what she wants, but as Assimilated said. Get her the Beats Solo 2. they are getting good reviews from respected reviewers.

jflail2 · October 2014

Yup, I'm giving in and going the Beats route. My sister's going to take her to Best Buy and let her try on over ear and on ear models, and I'll probably just get her whichever she liked the fit/feel of better.

Thanks for the help all. And thanks for the Noontec recommendation as well guys. That was what I was looking for, prior to deciding why not go ahead and get her exactly what she wants.

Toolfan66 · November 2014

I bought my daughter a set of Beats Mixers, she loves them, and the smile it put on her face was priceless...

I'm not understanding the dislike for them, I have borrowed them a couple of times from her, and I like them. Not everyone is going to be an audiophile junkie, I would have loved to have a set of Beats headphones when I was younger..

gudnoyez · November 2014

jflail2 wrote: »

Yup, I'm giving in and going the Beats route. My sister's going to take her to Best Buy and let her try on over ear and on ear models, and I'll probably just get her whichever she liked the fit/feel of better.

Thanks for the help all. And thanks for the Noontec recommendation as well guys. That was what I was looking for, prior to deciding why not go ahead and get her exactly what she wants.

Yep must agree with most of the responses here the smile your niece gives you when she's unpacking those Beats will have been worth the cost. Good decision on your behalf. The wife just had to have a Bose I phone dock, so I bought her one, the smile I see on her face wether she has it in the laundry room, or in the kitchen making omlets on Sunday morning with her iTunes America station on was worth the cost, as its what she had her heart set on.

madmax · November 2014

Dennis Gardner wrote: »

You could always play dumb and buy her a bag of these.....

Its a good idea to give in on the Beats this time. However, I would package a few of these real beets, give them to her first and while she is unwrapping them I would tell her I picked the red ones.

jflail2 · November 2014

Purple over ear Beats Studios on the way. I've been in Europe for work the last 11 days, so finally getting back in the saddle here in the US. I think she'll be pleased. Thanks to all for pointing out the obvious that I was trying to ignore. Brand matters at that age! And I'll be the "cool uncle" again, hahaha.

RamZet · December 2014

Kids are only interested about "cool", I bet she has an iPhone too. There are about 50 phones better than the iPhone but the iPhone has that cool factor that kids like.
While I don't like Beats I do have to accredit them with getting the masses in on better, higher quality sound.

jflail2 · December 2014

Ipod touch. They don't have cell phones yet. And honestly, all the "good" cell phones seem nearly 6 of 1, 1/2 a dozen of the other these days.

For an update, she LOVES her new headphones. Loves them. Mission accomplished!

RamZet · December 2014

jflail2 wrote: »

Ipod touch. They don't have cell phones yet. And honestly, all the "good" cell phones seem nearly 6 of 1, 1/2 a dozen of the other these days.

For an update, she LOVES her new headphones. Loves them. Mission accomplished!

What did they settle on, Solo2?
I would get her one more gift so they stand out a bit more and maybe convert her at a young age. I would maybe look at a small cheap inline amp like the Fii E6 or E1.
That small stupid device opened my younger brother's eyes up.

jflail2 · December 2014

I got her the over ear NC version (apparently discontinued but still available new.) She didn't like the feel of the solo2's, or on ear in general.

And I'm pondering upgrading my can amp at work, so she may be receiving a used Emmeline SR71 soon. It would be perfect for her BC its small and runs off of 2x 9 volts.

Yea....I'm gonna have them both hooked on good music if at all possible.

Anything but Beats

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