I'm looking for a full size set of headphones to plug straight into my computer. I might upgrade various things in the future, but for right now I'm just looking for phones that don't need an amp.
My number one use is music, namely old school rap. That means that bass is very important, but I'm in no way just looking for power. Strong bass kicks are fun, but I'd prefer clarity and such. Sorry, I don't really know the lingo. Some good example of songs I'd like to sound especially good are:
YouTube - Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
YouTube - Eric B. & Rakim - I Ain't No Joke
and
YouTube - Biggie Smalls - Party And ******** - ORIGINAL
But don't get me wrong, I listen to a lot of rock and just about everything else, too.
Next come movies. Obviously intelligibility is a top priority. Once again, bass is important here too because I'd like powerful explosions, gun shots etc.
My final use is gaming. Is it safe to assume that headphones which are good for movies will perform equally well with games? My desires for games are the same as for movies.
I suppose I'll be going with open backed phones. As I said I'll only be listening at my computer, anywhere else and I'll be using some cheap ear buds, for now. What is the sound leakage like? Will someone walking by my door (around six feet away) hear the sound? This isn't really a huge concern but I tend to be up late into the night. Someone in the Sennheiser Headphone thread said that the noise outside of open headphones can sometimes be louder than the sound inside. Seriously? My main purpose for getting headphones is so I can listen to things very loudly and not disturb anyone.
Like I said I'm currently focusing on the Sennheiser HD555s, but the more I read about them on these forum the less inclined I am to get them.
Thanks for putting up with the long read and I look forward to hearing your suggestions!
My number one use is music, namely old school rap. That means that bass is very important, but I'm in no way just looking for power. Strong bass kicks are fun, but I'd prefer clarity and such. Sorry, I don't really know the lingo. Some good example of songs I'd like to sound especially good are:
YouTube - Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
YouTube - Eric B. & Rakim - I Ain't No Joke
and
YouTube - Biggie Smalls - Party And ******** - ORIGINAL
But don't get me wrong, I listen to a lot of rock and just about everything else, too.
Next come movies. Obviously intelligibility is a top priority. Once again, bass is important here too because I'd like powerful explosions, gun shots etc.
My final use is gaming. Is it safe to assume that headphones which are good for movies will perform equally well with games? My desires for games are the same as for movies.
I suppose I'll be going with open backed phones. As I said I'll only be listening at my computer, anywhere else and I'll be using some cheap ear buds, for now. What is the sound leakage like? Will someone walking by my door (around six feet away) hear the sound? This isn't really a huge concern but I tend to be up late into the night. Someone in the Sennheiser Headphone thread said that the noise outside of open headphones can sometimes be louder than the sound inside. Seriously? My main purpose for getting headphones is so I can listen to things very loudly and not disturb anyone.
Like I said I'm currently focusing on the Sennheiser HD555s, but the more I read about them on these forum the less inclined I am to get them.
Thanks for putting up with the long read and I look forward to hearing your suggestions!











