Audio-Technica - ATH-M30x

No one here said Hexa is endgame or flagship-tier. What I did say and still stand by is that it delivers audiophile-level sound quality (i.e., high-fidelity, neutral tuning, detailed mids) for under $100, especially when compared to the bloated, muddy tuning of most gaming headsets. And that’s objectively true unless you’re redefining “audiophile” as “$300+ only,” which is just gatekeeping and uninformed like i stated earlier. Also, mocking gear as “Chinese” as if that disqualifies performance is just lazy. You realize brands like Hifiman, SMSL, Topping, and Moondrop are all Chinese and respected across audiophile communities? Price-to-performance from Chi-Fi is why the landscape has shifted so hard the past five years. OP has a Rode mic great, so that already frees him from needing a headset mic. The question was headphones or headset under $100 with audiophile sound for gaming, and yeah, Truthear Hexa or Moondrop Aria absolutely check that box. Just because something isn’t your preferred form factor or price tier doesn’t mean it’s “trash.” If you’ve actually listened to Hexa or Zero Red with a proper DAC and still feel that way, fair enough. But if you’re just dismissing it from the spec sheet and origin country, that says more about you than the gear.

Here’s my list of recommendations Headphones Audio technica ATH M30 or M40x AKG K240 Phillips SPH9500 Sennheiser HD 599 on sale you can get these around 100$ If your open to IEMs there is a ton for under 100$ that are leagues ahead of most gaming headsets.

It’s really hard to find good headphones in that price-range. That said… a pair of [ATH-M30x](https://a.co/d/4cH6BFg) are probably your best option. They’re not exactly audiophile quality cans but they’re well-built and sound really good for the price. They’ll get the job done. If you’re not totally opposed to buying used you can find [ATH-M50s](https://www.ebay.com/itm/405436557217?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=RXcKeo8NSnG&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=R6gBWXEPSBu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY) for about the same price and then replace the ear pads for $10. Those are absolute classics and I still use mine all the time even though I own much more expensive sets.

This is exactly the setup I use, Spark Go to ATH-M30X. Was planning on getting the Spark Neo this week, but there’s no stock here in Hong Kong and I have to order.

I have m30x and also not much comfortable at the begining whe lie in the bed, but with some days I'am quite used to it. But fter 1 hour of listening, my ears and face will be stamped

In my opinion, your best bet is the Audio Technica ATH-M30x. Just barely above your budget ($60 or so), but they have a decently flat response for the money. I’ve used them for years - I was able to get my headphone mixes to reliably translate to other systems after I started using them.

ATH m30x is the only good choice here imo