Are expensive earphones worth it?

Generally, you wouldn't notice a difference in the more expensive headphones. The impedance value of more expensive headphones is higher. This means the headphones are more efficient. Most computer sound cards and MP3 players won't be able to drive the headphone very efficiently. So, you're not going to notice a difference between a $30, $50, or even $200 headphones on gear that can't power it well.

I have a pair of SHURE shr240 headphones rated at 40 ohms impedance. Forty ohms impedance is a little high for a p.c. sound card; 24 ohms would sound about the same and would be cheaper. Basically, the quality of headphones you should use depends on the quality of the source that will be driving them.

Side note: The brand plays a roll in the quality as well. Some can't be trusted to print real specification on their packaging.

I have done a lot of testing (especially when there is a good return policy

Generally after the $60-70 range, you wont notice any better sound quality, even if you go into the S200 range.

While there may actually be better quality, you will need to be a pro measuring it with your ears to notice. The main thing to focus on at a $60-70+ price point is to make sure that the cables are quality. the most common problem is the wire breaks and you want one that will last a long time.

To be quite honest! I think the cheap ones are equal to expensive ones!

i just bought a sony pair that cost me $10.00 and they sound the same as my last apple that cost 50 +. No i don't see big difference.

I use the IDR300d from Scosche, and the sound quality is really good. They cost about $30, and they are some of the best earbuds that I've ever used.

The price point at which the quality improvement becomes unnoticeable is completely dependent on how finely tuned your ears are. Generally speaking, people can't tell the difference between quality sound hardware and music tweaked with software. As long as you get a brand that has a good audio reputation you can't really go wrong.

I think it's worth investing in better ones. For example, the Bose noise canceling headphones are far superior to most of their counterparts. I had the Sony version and recently upgraded to the Bose. They seem over priced, but they really work and sound great.

I think the sound quality does not improve that much overall if you spend a lot but you may get better noise canceling and they may feel nicer to wear for long periods of time. You may find that they insulate everyone else from your noise so that you can have your music loud without the noise traveling over to the person next to you or the other people in the room.

I've got a cheap pair of Sennheiser HD201 Closed Back Headphones and with the realtec hd audio manager (pretty standard) on my comp and they sound pretty good. They sound better overall than my PC speakers that cost about twice the price but they still let sound out to the the room. But for the price the sound is pretty good for day to day use, not the coolest looking mind. I've got an old comp with an older on board card and you do notice a slightly lower quality through the headphones.

If you are on a budget then something in the $15 - $30 range will be fine for day to day use. I would go for full headphones. You will generally get a better sound quality.

There are other things to consider too such as the media quality, bad input will result in bad output no matter how good the speakers or headphones are. The quality of your system will affect the output and thus what your headphones are able to throw at you. Then you have to consider your own hearing.

The only true way to know the difference is if you can go into a store that allows you to have a sample of a low end vs a high end pair on the same audio track.

I have Lenntek Sonix3 that I picked up on sale for about $25, and they're easily the best I've ever used. Normally, at the time anyway, I think they were closer to the $100 range, though I'm too cheap to spend that much.

I highly recommend checking out head-fi.org. You will get amazing answers there in terms of audio equipment.

Take Care :-)