JVC Flats On-Ear Wired Headphones - Flat Foldable Design - 30mm Driver for Powerful Sound - Soft Ear-Pads for Comfort – Steel Headband - Lightweight & Portable - PC/Laptop/Gaming - 3.5mm Slim Plug

Before I purchased these JVC HAS160A headphones, I had looked at an compared a large number of "cheap" headphones. These seemed like the best value hands down. I had considered price, lightness, comfort, looks, compactness, and apparent durability. And I was looking for fairly accurate sound quality and the ability keep my sounds to myself during audio/video computer labs at school.In actual use the phones exceeded my expectations - in all areas. Something I hadn't anticipated was their helpfulness in reducing the level of distracting ambient sounds. The ear pads are not so huge as to cover the ears entirely and their unobtrusive shape allowed them to be positioned comfortably either on or slightly off of the ear. That way I found that I could quickly and easily adjust how much outside sound to let in. I'd owned other cheap headphone units and they all broke fairly quickly under my ownership. Surprisingly, these JVCs were sturdy enough to last well over a year through a ritual of daily abuse (being crammed into and taken out of my heavily loaded backpack; with no protection for the phones whatsoever). The speakers swivel sideways to become somewhat compact so they've always acted like "compliant citizens" while in the pack. The point of failure was one of the black plastic pieces that rise above each speaker enclosures. That piece's function is to handle head-size adjustment by accommodating a sliding metal band into the top end, and also to hold a swivel on the bottom end where it meets the speaker enclosure. The piece is lightweight but sturdy plastic of some sort; but it eventually cracked under my abuse, the detented adjustment mechanism inside quit keeping the metal band in place. And eventually the plastic piece failed entirely & broke off completely. It would have needed some duct-tape/epoxy magic to keep it in service.As a recently graduated student of audio/video production, I do not anticipate these as being accurate & precise enough for the professional reference applications that I'll be growing into as a professional (like mixing music and video post-production); but I think they might make a serviceable backup. And for me, a lifetime music lover and recent student of audio/video production, they've done the job admirably. I've never found any aspect of the units sound to be an issue when listening to sound effects and/or music of all styles. I hear a consistently clear and balanced sound that seems to cover the entire range of human hearing. And from some of the better classical recordings, I even think I can hear subtle 3D placement of instruments within the sound stage. I also hear nice clear stereo separation and time-based effects on modern pop and rock recordings. And when used with either Mac or PC at higher volumes, I've never heard any evidence of these gems being over driven - my ear drums have always complained before ever getting that far...The JVC HAS160A Flat Headphones have found a place on my "practical lifestyle list" - for the price there's no reason not to always have a pair or two around. So I just purchased 2 more sets...

I bought these along with the somewhat coveted JLabs Rewind ( gen 2 ) Bluetooth headphones. I bought both because I've been looking for something that won't cause me physical ear fatigue or hurt immediately upon wearing.I REALLY wanted to love the JLabs because they offer something that the JVC Flats cannot.... No wires. I LOATHE wires.That said. I will take the cables on these JVC Flats ANY day of the week because of what they offer over the JLabs Rewind. Before I state what that is exactly, let me just say that the JLabs are about as comfortable as the JVC Flats. Maybe more... But not quite, without modifications. I'll explain, because it's relevant.I have small ears. And small ear canals. This is why I can't wear in-ear buds for too long, and is also why certain headphones hurt my ears or skull, depending upon how where and how they sit on my head and ears. It's a freaking curse.I started looking for headphones where one of the main selling points is being lightweight and comfortable. Both these JVC'S and JLabs seemed to fit the bill when looking at their descriptions and reviews. So, I bought both.I went into buying the JVC Flats knowing there was no mic or volume control, which I am actually fine with. So I won't ding ding a star for it.What I wasn't expecting from the JVC Flats though.... Was how freaking good the sound quality would be! I have had several pairs of JVC marshmallow in ears, and now that I think about it, those sounded great, and are like fifteen bucks, so... Maybe I shouldn't be surprised?I should not that I also primarily wanted these for podcasts. But when I heard the JVC Flats, I put on some music and was kind of floored.They instantly reminded me of Koss PortaPros, but with a tad more forward low and mid bass, maybe? I used the PortaPros A LOT in my 20s and 30s and am now 53, so I've lost frequency range throughout the years.And they're LOUD! I don't need them to be this loud, but this is a terrible issue with the JLabs Rewind. They're incredibly low. Maybe lower voltage to increase battery life, but it's horrible.I'd have to put the volume to about 85% on the JLabs for basic, comfortable listening levels, whereas with these JVC'S, it's about 40% or less. Fantastic. And again, loud means nothing if it's loud and garbage. These are loud and clear with no real bass mushiness even at uncomfortably loud levels. Crystal clear. Awesome.They fit snug on my ears, and the ear pads are cushy and fairly soft. The outer layer is that faux leather material that always seems to eventually tear on headphones, so we'll see on that one....My only wish is that the actual driver housing was a TAD wider because while the driver seems to be positioned perfectly against my ear canal, the housing edges kind of hit the edges of my ear, causing some minor discomfort.Someone with normal, non-freakishly small ears, (which is most people), won't be bothered by this I guess. What else. The head band, even though it has no padding, is barely noticeable. Likely due to how light the frame is. The band adjustment gives you a really pleasing tactile single groove click when adjusting. Nice touch.I might give the JLabs a slight win in comfort, but ONLY if changing the foam pads on them, to something more foamy/cushy and soft. As they are, the JLabs driver housing is very rigid and my ears really feel that. If I kept them, I'd modify them with some extra foam. Otherwise, they're lighter than the JVC 's with a smaller earpiece frame.I might actually try to modify these JVC ear ups to make them wider. I'll likely also buy a few spare sets because this pair is a gem.Great job JVC.If there's one negative thing I can say about them, it's that they're not being made with USB-C instead of just the 3.5mm input plug. I hate having to use dongles. I already had one, but I hate cables as it is, so....Anyway, if you're cool with cables, don't have freak ears, and want something super comfortable and want very good sound quality at a STEAL of a price...( Get a few now before the tariffs double their price), GET THESE!P.S.PortaPros are more detailed and have better soundstage. But for $13 bucks, these are the ONES to beat.

Likes: low price, choice of colors, lightweight, clean clear sound, nice indents on the headband so you know what side is which without looking, a nice click when adjusting size, easy to pack in a bag.Dislikes: lacking somewhat in bass even with a headphone amp, can become uncomfortable after a few hours of use, no right angle 3.5mm jack(nice to have if you use a tablet, and a bluetooth keyboard with a tablet slot), no inline mic, not the most robust build.These are a decent option if you need a low cost, lightweight set of on ear no frills headphones for medium to small ear sizes(not for kids as they are not volume limited), but do know they have no inline mic.Also the build quality, comfort, and overall sound quality(a bit lacking in bass due to the smaller drivers) is not as good as compared to a pair of SONY MDR-ZX110( i own them with, and without mics), which are about at the same price point, and are only a bit more for the version with an inline mic.Lastly when it comes to JVC wired headphones, and earbuds, I'd say go for the Gumy Plus earbuds over these with an inline mic(I own several pairs with, and without the mic), and mod them with memory foam aka comply foam eartips for a tighter seal to block out more nose, and better sound quality while being more comfortable than the stock silicone tips.