Best Headphones Under $40

Koss Porta Pro

The Koss Porta Pro headphones have been around for decades for a reason; they are very good and are an excellent value. The design is a little different from other headphones with the little temple pads and they definitely have a retro look to them, not surprising given that the design hasn't changed in decades. They are very comfortable to wear even for prolonged listening sessions because they are light weight. Unsurprising given their name, they are also very portable. They produce a very clean sound with a massive soundstage. The sound is excellent throughout their range with bass and subbass frequencies being particularly nice. They also come with a lifetime, no questions asked guarantee; just mail them back to Koss with $9 shipping and they will send you a brand new pair.

Sennheiser HD 202

The Sennheiser HD 202 headphones are a good bargin. They come with a very long cord which is nice when your audio source is far from where you want to listen to it. The earcups are adjustable and removable which is also a nice feature. They have pretty good noise isolation. The sound they produce is fairly neutral. Mids and bass sound the best as the highs can be a tad muddy especially at low volume but not enough to keep them off this list.

Monoprice Premium Hi-Fi

The Monoprice Premium HI-Fi headphones are DJ-style headphones and each ear piece swivels. They have good padding which provides good noise isolation but some people say they can become a little uncomfortable during long listening sessions. They feature a detachable cable which is something usually not seen on lower cost headphones. They sound good with good balance. Like many DJ-style headphones, the highs tend to roll off a bit but the mids are rich, in general, but vocals can be a tad dull. The bass is very good but not overpowering like with many other lower cost headphones.

Monoprice Modern Retro

The Monoprice Modern Retro headphones are a good bargin. They have a self-adjusting headband which provides a nice, comfortable fit. Unfortunately, the stock pads are a tad thin and stiff. They are fine for shorter periods of time but they can become uncomfortable after about 2 hours of wearing them. Luckily, there are several aftermarket ear pads which really help their comfort level and how they sound. They produce a good sound with a surprisingly massive soundstage considering they are closed back headphones. The bass is punchy and the mids and highs are good. Overall, they are well-rounded headphones that are good for a variety of uses.