Newbie needs help deciding on headphones!!

[i.have.ears]

Hi! I’m a newbie…been researching for the past couple months trying to find the perfect headphones, and I need some help. Here’s some Info

FEATURES I WANT:

• Over-the-head style
• Circumaural
• Lightweight (no more than 10oz, and that’s pushing it…4-6 is ideal)
• Comfort is very important. I need to be able to wear them for 2+ hrs at a time without having to take more than a 2-minute break. I don’t want things that will have too much pressure. I want a loose fit.
• Can’t decide between open or closed. I prefer the sound of open, but don’t want nearby people to be disturbed, as I’ll mainly be using these in places that are usually more quiet. At the same time, I prefer that closed keep more sound out. Ideally, I would like an open phone that didn’t leak too much and kept a good amount of sound out (i.e.. wearing them with no music muffles conversation)
• Portability isn’t a very big issue. I don’t need anything collapsible or anything. Just something I can stick in a backpack and that isn’t too huge.
• No noise canceling…I don’t like the buzz they produce, and sometimes they work so well that I literally can’t hear people yelling at me. So I’m fine with just having a circumaural set block out some of the noise.
• Good sized cable length (i.e. at least 5ft, though I’d prefer 10)

PRICE RANGE:

• Up to $100 using Amazon prices, which are considerably cheaper than other places. They have several $200 pairs for under $100.
• Would prefer a set around $50ish, but if there is something amazing for $100, I can do that. Even if it’s more, ebay may have it new for cheap, so mention it anyway.

ABOUT ME

• Average sized ears
• Big head
• Mainly listen to R&B, Jazz, Blues, Classical. I do some pop, some reggae. No rock/punk, and almost no country.

WHAT IM CONSIDERING

• Mainly Sennheiser (apparently they are AMAZING)
• For Open:
• HD 485 (Nervous about how much sound is leaked)
• eH 350 (nervous about supposed comfort issues)
• For Closed:
• EH 250 (Nervous about supposedly “overpowering” base)
• HD 212 (same concerns)
• Basically, I’m in conflict between all 4 because of the conflicting reviews I’ve read on Amazon and cnet.

WHAT IVE TRIED (this may help you to get a feel for what I like)

• Sennheiser EH-150’s (closed) in a store. There ear-cups were on the smaller side, but fit me just right. They had a lot of bass, which was surprising, but I think I liked it. I admit that the base was muddy, but I figured they probably just need breaking in. Highs and mids seemed pretty good to me, but I’m no audiophile. I sampled it with R&B.
• Sennheiser HD-280: A friend has these. They sound amazing. The reason I don’t like them is because they are so cumbersome. I couldn’t really carry them anywhere unless they were on my head. So that’s a negative.
• Bose Triport Around-Ear TP-1: These were the most comfortable pair of phones I’ve worn to date. Unfortunately, I wasn’t that impressed with the sound. Even though the sound was fairly even in highs and mids, it missed a lot of the bass parts in some of my jazz favorites. Still, though, comfort was unbelievable, and exactly the fit I was looking for.
• Koss UR-40s: Amazing comfort, but cheaply made (as in I could tell it would fall apart after a few months of intense use). Also, that cord was WAY too short. Sound wasn’t too great either.
• I wish I could try more, but I’m not near anywhere that sells sennheisers

So that’s it. Please give me some feedback and/or recommendations, especially if you own a set of any of the models I’m looking at, or if you think you know of a pair of headphones that aligns well with my interests. Thank you!!

[i.have.ears]

Any opinions?

[jgonino]

Take a look at the Sennheiser HD555. I think it will fit most of the requirements.

[Geir]

Equation audio Rp 21 should also fit your bill with a little bit of modding.

[argyledk]

I think you ought to seriously consider the HD201's. They are cheap, but sound very good (relative to the price of course). They are circumaural and sealed and comfortable to wear.
You can also read about them at Sennheiser HD 201 @ HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears.

[nickchen]

Originally Posted by jgonino

Take a look at the Sennheiser HD555. I think it will fit most of the requirements.

...or even the HD485. AKG K530 eats them both IMO though. Consider closed fons only if isolation is a must, as the average closed fon mostly does not sound as good as its open contenders.

[zhenya]

How about the Sony MDR-7506 or it's twin, the V6? I think it meets all of your requirements. I've been spending a lot of time with the set I picked up recently, and I think these are really something. They are comfortable, provide good, but not total isolation, and sound really fantastic. For all of these reasons I've been spending all of my listening time with these, and my Ety er4p's, Grado SR-60's, and Senn HD-580's have all been set aside for the moment.

I'm really impressed with these; they provide much of the accuracy (to my ears anyhow) of the other higher-end phones, and in some ways are the most enjoyable of the quartet to listen to. They do vocals exceptionally well, have tight, controlled bass that is clearly there, but doesn't overwhelm, and provide excellent sound staging for a closed phone. All in an extremely well built package that folds up nicely, and doesn't cost a fortune. Two thumbs up from me!

[moogoob]

The HD280s can (surprisingly for their size) fold flat enough to fit in a knapsack or laptop bag. That's what I do with them while traveling. My only problem with their sound is their anemic bass, which can be alleviated if you aren't afraid of your MP3-player's equalizer/bass boost functions. They can handle a surprising quantity (and quality) of bass, it just needs to be brought out of the music through EQ.

[freckling]

i can't stand the sennheiser hd555; give the grado's a go

[Philco]

In my opinion you should forget the V6/7506 and look forward to the Sennheiser HD280 which are much better. The V6/7506 are awful cans IMHO.