First pair of good headphone: ATH-M50, DENON AH-D1001S, AKG K271 MK II, Shure SRH840, or...

I don't think the AKG K271's would suit you very well. Their biggest flaw being that they aren't very portable. They're big, the don't fold in any way, and they don't come with any sort of carrying pouch. They also don't sound good out of iPods. Sorry I don't have a suggestion for one that would work well for you, but hopefully being able to cross one headphone off your list should help you. :P

i have both the Denon and the AT's mentioned.  I am a student as well, and did most of my listening on the go, in the library etc... this meant my cans being in my bag a lot.  which unfortunately meant a fair amount of abuse.  the denons broke (( but my ATs seem very sturdy(and they fold flat).  as to which one "sounds" better only you can decide that, and i think you will find that most will agree with me on that last point.  But if you are looking for a set that will not be in danger, the Denon's are supremely comfortable.

Welcome to Head-Fi!

My first pair of headphones were the AKG K240 MK II and they were very nice but not very portable as they do not fold.  Because of this I would not consider them a viable candidate.

The HD 25's are very good headphones, but they are not circumaural and found that they did not stay on my ears very well when moving around the house.  I also thought that they were warm and sometimes boomy, which was something I liked in a headphone because of the music I listen to - hip-hop, jazz, funk, soul, electronic.  If your taste is rock, vocal/folk I would not recommend these as my first option.

If you want very good sounding, full-ear headphones that fold away well I would choose between the ATH-M50 and the SRH-840.  Both are very well respected around here.  I can't help in regards to sound signature, but if I was to choose between the two I would opt for the SRH-840, but only by a hair.  I don't think you would be displeased with either of them.

Of your shortlist the only ones I own (or have heard) are the Shures. They sound very good to my ears, isolate very well (both in & out) and are very comfortable. Having said that I personally wouldn't recommend them for portable use as they're far from discrete when on the head. They are built well though. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffyo 

Hello, I am an avid music listener and have finally decided to take my first step into the high-quality headphone market. I intend to use these headphones mostly (if not exclusively) to listen to my ipod on the go so portability is somewhat important.

 

I am a university student so I often find myself in noisy environments.

 

My all-important price range is between $100 and $200

 

I know very little about sound characteristics etc. but I play drums and bass guitar so I definately want the bass to be present, however not overpowering.

I listen to Hard Rock, Classical, Jazz, Classic Rock, and guys like Paul Simon/Billy Joel (I don't know what you would classify them as,lol).

 

Some heaphones that have caught my interest are:

Shure SRH840

AKG K 271 MK II

Audio-Technica ATH-M50

Sennheiser HD 25-1-II

DENON AH-D1001S

 

Please provide preferences and opinions on those headphones or suggest others that you think may suit my needs

thanks.

shure 840 works well as does the M50 I preffered the shure 840

Haven't tried the others, but I can vouch for the HD 25-1. I find the Sennheiser's to be quite a neutral headphone - and to my mind they handle any genre well. I wouldn't describe them as bass heavy, but they do have a very solid bass which makes itself known when necessary. They're one of my favorite headphones thanks to their balanced and detailed sound.

They make a good portable headphone because they are rugged, isolate well and comfortable, however their functional design gives them quite a distinctive look in my opinion (ironically), and I've received the odd look while wearing them out and about.

I've got a pair of M50S, and I was ecstatic about them at first, but now that they are broken in (~500 hours), they don't seem to have quite the same liveliness that they did when they were new. Then again, they aren't really aimed at my genres (classical piano and alternative rock). They certainly have good bass though, and the build is fairly indestructible. It sounds like they might be right up your alley.

I suppose I am on the hunt for a new pair of cans as well, except with more focus on mids and highs, but still closed and easy to drive. Why can't Senn make a closed 595?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jr41 

Haven't tried the others, but I can vouch for the HD 25-1. I find the Sennheiser's to be quite a neutral headphone - and to my mind they handle any genre well. I wouldn't describe them as bass heavy, but they do have a very solid bass which makes itself known when necessary. They're one of my favorite headphones thanks to their balanced and detailed sound.

 

They make a good portable headphone because they are rugged, isolate well and comfortable, however their functional design gives them quite a distinctive look in my opinion (ironically), and I've received the odd look while wearing them out and about.

well, I love my HD 25-C II and I really fu*k what odd people with some "mp3 in-ears" think about me, You, the same I supose. HD25 are great all-rounder. No need to say more.

So you want portable headphones for use from an ipod and in noisy environments. IEMs are good for this. I suggest posting in the portable headphones forum.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffyo 

Hello, I am an avid music listener and have finally decided to take my first step into the high-quality headphone market. I intend to use these headphones mostly (if not exclusively) to listen to my ipod on the go so portability is somewhat important.

 

I am a university student so I often find myself in noisy environments.

 

My all-important price range is between $100 and $200

 

I know very little about sound characteristics etc. but I play drums and bass guitar so I definately want the bass to be present, however not overpowering.

I listen to Hard Rock, Classical, Jazz, Classic Rock, and guys like Paul Simon/Billy Joel (I don't know what you would classify them as,lol).

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Time 

So you want portable headphones for use from an ipod and in noisy environments. IEMs are good for this. I suggest posting in the portable headphones forum.
 

Read the OP.  If he wanted IEMs he would have not only posted his question in that forum, but asked about which IEM to purchase.

I will be receiving HD25-1 II tommorow and will post my first impressions, but from all the reviews I read they are the Russian Tanks of headphones, meaning they are hard to break, every part can be replaced and is user servicable (oh no one of the drivers got eaten up by pure HCl, you can replace it, oh no the cable got chewed up by a chewawa, you can get a replacment...same goes for everything else) From the reviews regarding sound quality, they slightly emphasaize bass but slightly roll of on the highs, wich makes them great for rock and hiphop style music.  Classical sounds badly on this headphones. I will Post my impressions and some pics after I get them but here is a good indepth review on these

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/70938/review-sennheiser-hd-25-1

Good luck. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by soviet911 

I will be receiving HD25-1 II tommorow and will post my first impressions, but from all the reviews I read they are the Russian Tanks of headphones, meaning they are hard to break, every part can be replaced and is user servicable (oh no one of the drivers got eaten up by pure HCl, you can replace it, oh no the cable got chewed up by a chewawa, you can get a replacment...same goes for everything else) From the reviews regarding sound quality, they slightly emphasaize bass but slightly roll of on the highs, wich makes them great for rock and hiphop style music.  Classical sounds badly on this headphones. I will Post my impressions and some pics after I get them but here is a good indepth review on these

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/70938/review-sennheiser-hd-25-1

 

Good luck. 

I don´have any issue even with classical....and yeah, they´re definitely like AK47 of headphones

Quote:

Originally Posted by soviet911 

I will be receiving HD25-1 II tommorow and will post my first impressions, but from all the reviews I read they are the Russian Tanks of headphones, meaning they are hard to break, every part can be replaced and is user servicable (oh no one of the drivers got eaten up by pure HCl, you can replace it, oh no the cable got chewed up by a chewawa, you can get a replacment...same goes for everything else) From the reviews regarding sound quality, they slightly emphasaize bass but slightly roll of on the highs, wich makes them great for rock and hiphop style music.  Classical sounds badly on this headphones. I will Post my impressions and some pics after I get them but here is a good indepth review on these

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/70938/review-sennheiser-hd-25-1

 

You will like them as long as they stay affixed to your ears.  I do miss mine, they were great headphones.  Enjoy!