Sub $15 USD on or over ear headphones.

[Hulkbert]

I just need something that can last me a while (1 year) given sub optimal conditions, do an at least decent job of blocking out noise, cost less than $15 USD ,and, preferably, not leak that much audio. Amazon preferred.

Thank you.

Edited January 13, 2017 by Hulkbert

[Techicolors]

you can spend a little more and get a superlux 668b. quite good for the price 

[Hulkbert]

1 minute ago, Technicolors said:

you can spend a little more and get a superlux 668b. quite good for the price 

They are not so good at blocking out noise, however.

[kokakolia]

Most people on these forums have no clue when it comes to cheap headphones. They recommend out-dated, or over-sized headphones for portable use etc...It usually ends up being some kind of cheapo Sennheiser that sounds dull (HD 201), some Ok-ish Monoprice headphone (Monoprice 108323), or worse! a Superlux! 

 

Superlux = screeching treble from the depths of hell

 

I hate Superlux so much. Their HD 681 probably gave me permanent hearing loss. The treble was so horrid. 

 

These headphones just don't cut the mustard. 

 

These days, many overlooked headphones from 2 years ago that used to be sold for $100 are now sold for less than $40.

 

$15 doesn't get you much or anything. But, if you're willing to spend a measly $10 on top of that, well, you can get this beauty:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Skullcandy-Navigator-button-Royal-Black/dp/B009RXUAB0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484273563&sr=8-1&keywords=skullcandy+navigator+headphones

 

These headphones used to cost $100 at launch, they're now $24. 

 

And for another $10 on top of that, you can afford Beats killers:

 

https://www.amazon.com/JBL-Synchros-S300-Headphones-3-Button/dp/B00FF9FOE8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1484273618&sr=8-2&keywords=JBL+s300

 

I know that $38 is way over budget. But you get awesome build quality, superb bass and clear highs. This is the ultimate V-shaped sound profile headphone on a measly budget. 

 

That said, you can afford a plethora of awesome earbuds for around $10:

 

- KZ ED3, ED7, ED9 etc...

- Aukey earbuds

 

You're looking at China earbuds. 

 

EDIT: I searched some more and there are absolutely no headphones worth buying under $20. Even the TASCAM Th 02 are $20. That's another great headphone. The Skullcandy Navigator is probably your best bet. It's an absolute steal for $24. 

 

 

[Hulkbert]

11 minutes ago, kokakolia said:

Most people on these forums have no clue when it comes to cheap headphones. They recommend out-dated, or over-sized headphones for portable use etc...It usually ends up being some kind of cheapo Sennheiser that sounds dull (HD 201), some Ok-ish Monoprice headphone (Monoprice 108323), or worse! a Superlux! 

 

Superlux = screeching treble from the depths of hell

 

I hate Superlux so much. Their HD 681 probably gave me permanent hearing loss. The treble was so horrid. 

 

These headphones just don't cut the mustard. 

 

These days, many overlooked headphones from 2 years ago that used to be sold for $100 are now sold for less than $40.

 

$15 doesn't get you much or anything. But, if you're willing to spend a measly $10 on top of that, well, you can get this beauty:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Skullcandy-Navigator-button-Royal-Black/dp/B009RXUAB0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484273563&sr=8-1&keywords=skullcandy+navigator+headphones

 

These headphones used to cost $100 at launch, they're now $24. 

 

And for another $10 on top of that, you can afford Beats killers:

 

https://www.amazon.com/JBL-Synchros-S300-Headphones-3-Button/dp/B00FF9FOE8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1484273618&sr=8-2&keywords=JBL+s300

 

I know that $38 is way over budget. But you get awesome build quality, superb bass and clear highs. This is the ultimate V-shaped sound profile headphone on a measly budget. 

 

That said, you can afford a plethora of awesome earbuds for around $10:

 

- KZ ED3, ED7, ED9 etc...

 

 

Wow. Thank you so much. Although, how rugged should I expect the skullcandy to be?

[kokakolia]

The Skullcandy are surprisingly rugged because they're simple and lightweight. 

 

They have a metal headband with sliding earcups. This is the most fail proof design for a headband. That said, it's folding system looks pretty delicate. But you shouldn't have any issues due to the lighter weight. The number 1 issue with headphones is always the audio jack. This headphone has a detachable cable so you should be fine. Just don't stuff them at the bottom of a book bag and you should be fine. I have the Skullcandy Grind, and I can confidently say that it's the most durable cheap headphone ever built. But it has a much simpler design. It doesn't fold. 

 

Surprisingly, something like the JBL S300 is less rugged because the headband is overly complex with lots of tiny pieces that may fail over time.