Great Headphones Under US$ 200

I've been looking (and saving money) for a new headphone. I listen to dance music most of the time by streaming some EDM stations via TuneIn Radio on my iPhone and notebook, so my preference should be DJ headphone, closed-back, high on bass, and sweet looking design.

I've been using Sennheiser HD 205 DJ headphone and Logitech Ultimate Ears 200 and 700 in last couple of years, and satisfied with the three headphones. I recommend all three, but it's time to get a new one. I set my budget to US$ 200 max, so here are the nominees.


1. Shure SRH750DJ

This headphone is definitely my first choice. Shure is a synonym of quality in entertainment industry, especially for live performance. I've seen professional musician and entertainer use Shure microphone and headphone in clubs, cafes, even conferences.

The design is great and looks rigid. It has wide frequency range, 5 Hz - 30 kHz, much wider than say Beats Solo HD's 20 Hz - 20 kHz. The two 50 mm drivers able to deliver 106 dB/mW, so it's powerful enough for my liking (for comparison, Solo HD has 104 dB/mW).

Price: US$ 180

ASUS VivoBook X201e, Sub US$ 300 Lightweight Notebook

When looking for affordable, durable, and full packed of features, ASUS is the brand to choose. ASUS VivoBook X201e is one of the best 11.6-inch notebook there is out there. Its 1.3 kg (2.9 pounds) weight and 0.8-inch of thickness won't give you neck pain when you carry it in your backpack.

Don't be fooled by the presence of Intel Celeron 847 powering the VivoBook. The dual-core CPU has more than enough power to run most office and internet application nowadays. Even its Intel HD graphics is good to run video playback up to 1080p.

ASUS VivoBook X201e is currently for sale at around US$ 295. We were only able to pick up a netbook with that amount of money back in the days.