Phone screens break and cost a lot to replace and batteries can no longer can easily be replaced either so it really isn't a BIFL thing but you can usually get at least 4yrs out of a flagship from the last year or two. Full MSRP of flagship phones are insanely high so you need to get a good sale/trade in to justify getting the best otherwise the current mid-end market has some great phones and https://swappa.com/ is great for used like new phones. You often find people selling their B1G1 phones or you can find someone who will throw in some accessories too plus it will show you recent sales and average prices over time for each model so you can see if you are actually getting a decent deal.
Like here is a good condition S21 Ultra 256GB for $454 with 2x cases and a basic 15w charger (better than the zero chargers the phone normally ships with). The back is scratched up a bit but will be hidden by the case and the screen looks like there aren't any issues. That is quite a bit cheaper than the $1250 day 1 MSRP for the 256GB model without a trade in.
I currently use the 2020 Hifiman Sundra headphones + an amp since planar headphones are hard to drive properly. They respond very well to a proper EQ profile but Hifiman is know to have some subpar QC issues. Horrible travel headphones but amazing for desktop use.
For my friends I usually recommend the Sennheiser HD 6xx (if they have an amp) or the HD 58x (no amp). Both are pretty solid price/performance headphones but you missed the Black Friday sale when they were at $180 and $130 so current pricing doesn't feel great since they raised the default MSRP vs a year or two ago.
The Philips SHP9500 is a good budget open back headphone for $75 or less and the similar Philips SHP9600 was $51 just 2 weeks ago. The SHP9600 seems to have a tighter clamping force vs the SHP9500 which ran loose but some people prefer it that way and the sound profile is a bit different.
For closed back headphones the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO is pretty nice but the cable cannot be removed which sucks. The Audio Technica ATH-M50x is another alternative but the pleather pads will break down and you will need to replace them with new ones ($15-25). My ATH-M50x had the plastic hinge tab break so the left cup no longer locks into place and will hyperextend away from my ear if I attempted to put it on now making them unusable. There is a free 3d printer fix file you can find by googling "m50x hinge 3d print" and the only reason I haven't done it is because it also needs a new set of pads and I don't want to invest $25 into it when my current headphones are way better. Still got a ton of hours of use out of them.
If you want a wireless noise canceling headphone then the refurbished Sony wh-1000XM4/XM5 from Secondipity on Ebay is amazing deal when they go on sale since they come like new, have a 2yr warranty, and generous return policy. Got a pair of the refurb XM5s as a gift for someone $220 and they were pretty great.
UsePreparationH t1_j6cprg3 wrote
Reply to Phones and Headphones. by skykyub
Phone screens break and cost a lot to replace and batteries can no longer can easily be replaced either so it really isn't a BIFL thing but you can usually get at least 4yrs out of a flagship from the last year or two. Full MSRP of flagship phones are insanely high so you need to get a good sale/trade in to justify getting the best otherwise the current mid-end market has some great phones and https://swappa.com/ is great for used like new phones. You often find people selling their B1G1 phones or you can find someone who will throw in some accessories too plus it will show you recent sales and average prices over time for each model so you can see if you are actually getting a decent deal.
Like here is a good condition S21 Ultra 256GB for $454 with 2x cases and a basic 15w charger (better than the zero chargers the phone normally ships with). The back is scratched up a bit but will be hidden by the case and the screen looks like there aren't any issues. That is quite a bit cheaper than the $1250 day 1 MSRP for the 256GB model without a trade in.
https://swappa.com/listing/view/LXAY66893
Or a Mint Pixel 6 Pro for $358 which is less than what a new Pixel 6a costs at bestbuy ($399).
https://swappa.com/listing/view/LWHL37073
Mint S20FE for $176
https://swappa.com/listing/view/LXAW83431
.
.
I currently use the 2020 Hifiman Sundra headphones + an amp since planar headphones are hard to drive properly. They respond very well to a proper EQ profile but Hifiman is know to have some subpar QC issues. Horrible travel headphones but amazing for desktop use.
For my friends I usually recommend the Sennheiser HD 6xx (if they have an amp) or the HD 58x (no amp). Both are pretty solid price/performance headphones but you missed the Black Friday sale when they were at $180 and $130 so current pricing doesn't feel great since they raised the default MSRP vs a year or two ago.
The Philips SHP9500 is a good budget open back headphone for $75 or less and the similar Philips SHP9600 was $51 just 2 weeks ago. The SHP9600 seems to have a tighter clamping force vs the SHP9500 which ran loose but some people prefer it that way and the sound profile is a bit different.
For closed back headphones the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO is pretty nice but the cable cannot be removed which sucks. The Audio Technica ATH-M50x is another alternative but the pleather pads will break down and you will need to replace them with new ones ($15-25). My ATH-M50x had the plastic hinge tab break so the left cup no longer locks into place and will hyperextend away from my ear if I attempted to put it on now making them unusable. There is a free 3d printer fix file you can find by googling "m50x hinge 3d print" and the only reason I haven't done it is because it also needs a new set of pads and I don't want to invest $25 into it when my current headphones are way better. Still got a ton of hours of use out of them.
If you want a wireless noise canceling headphone then the refurbished Sony wh-1000XM4/XM5 from Secondipity on Ebay is amazing deal when they go on sale since they come like new, have a 2yr warranty, and generous return policy. Got a pair of the refurb XM5s as a gift for someone $220 and they were pretty great.