Hi there. Firstly great forum you guys have here as it is very informative and a great resource

Now I'm looking at getting a pair of headphones for $200-$300 Australian dollars or in other words around $150 US dollars.

Im planning to use them to listen to music on the computer and hi fi and also to watch DVDs through my Onkyo 777 receiver at night when I don't want to wake people up in the house. It may also be used for the occassional gaming on the PC but thats not a priority.

I won't be getting a headphone amp in the near future so I need something that will work decently in the standard headphone socket in the receiver or the computer.

I've listened to a pair on Sony Eggo D66s and they sounded quite good to me but were a little uncomfortable IMO and seem to be designed to be portable. Portability is not an issue with me. I've also heard the Sony CD780 at the store and that is very comfortable and again sounded alright to me.

I haven't had much experience with headphones so the D66 and the 780 I've heard may be total crap compared to the Sennheisers out there for the same price!

So what can you guys recommend I have a look at in that price range? Also where in Sydney is there a good range of headphones?

thanks. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Check out Snufkin's ad in Mall-Fi section. Headphonic - Australian based headphone specialists.

The Philips HP890 might be what you're looking for. Retails for about $150 AU, easy to drive, and apparently very reminiscent of the Sennheiser sound.

I've just paid for the Beyer DT531's, and they'll be arriving mid next week. Snufkin recommended them the most, and they seemed a better bet than the Sennheiser and Grado's which are VERY expensive over here (AU, NZ)

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I got my sennheisers with a WTB request in the for sale forum. Even with air shipping, the price is much, much lower than anything you'd pay here.

If you're prepared to pay more than $150, the Beyer DT531 is easily a better headphone than the Philips HP890 in every way.

To get any significant improvement in sound you'd need to go for a headphone/amp combo IMHO, and even then the DT531 with an amp stacks up well against more expensive models

Ahh the Beyer 531 i see at heaphones.com.au for $239. That sure is probably better than the sony 780s which are the same price.
Paying over $200 AUD is no problem for me....under $300 though preferably.

I saw the Sennheiser 570s i think it was for just under $300 at a store today. Does anyone have any opinions on that particular model?
Otherwise the Beyer 531s could well be the ones.

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The HD570's are terrible IMHO. They don't have the balanced, and musical presentation of the DT531's. If I were on your budget, I'd get the Beyer's - no doubt about it.

Ahhh great thanks for all the advice guys. Any other opinions always welcome

Does anyone know places in Sydney where I could go and listen to these Beyers as I'm a bit hesitant to buy without trying.

Oh the 531s are open phones right? Does that mean everyone will hear what I listen to. Just asking because I will be using them on my computer in a room where someone else will have to be working at the same time and I don't want to disturb them too much......but hopefully they won't mind hehe

Yeah, the DT531's will be clearly audible to those around you.

Depends how loud you have them, how close the other person is and how much background noise there is

I listen to mine while my girlfriend is in the same room and I have to tell her off for bopping to the music I'm listening to sometimes, other times I listen to them quietly and she can hardly hear them.

Alright great sounds good then. I'll go and give that headphone a try.
Thanks for the help

Sorry for the persistent questioning.....

My friend wants to get me headphones now as a sorta belated xmas present hehe. She's going back to japan soon and she saw on some jap store's website that the Sony CD2000s are in that $200 -$300 mark just.

Are they worth considering?