Just want a good pair of headphones is all...

Ill go ahead and suggest the Audio Technica A700 (the closed back version of the ever popular ad700). These headphones are very, VERY well balanced, and provide a good amount of isolation. The soundstage from the AD700 carries over onto this fantastic phone, but this one retains a better low end. The can responds very well to EQing too, so its potential is near limitless. And whats more, theres nothing i enjoy more on them than folk rock and acoustic instruments. Only one drawback...the cups are massive, i mean MASSIVE. Not a portable in any sense of the word. But you said full sized so i went for it. 

Welcome to head-fi, sorry about your wallet.

Semi-open headphones, with low prices.

Panasonic RP-HTF600-S, with Beyerdynamic EDT 200 Velour pads.

Superlux HD-668B

Samson SR850 (made by Superlux)

With semi-open, it blocks enough outside sound that you can still listen to you music.

But you can still hear cars driving near you when walking around.

Take a look at the HD-25 I II

If you don't mind open cans (lack of isolation) but appreciate natural sound reproduction

Grado SR60i $79USD or Grado SR80i $100USD.

Cannot go wrong for rock, acoustic and jazz. They're a guitar listener's dream.

Shure 440 if you need the isolation though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gwarmi 

If you don't mind open cans (lack of isolation) but appreciate natural sound reproduction

 

Grado SR60i $79USD or Grado SR80i $100USD.

Yes, with Bowl pads. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by LJLee 

I have been looking at the Grados since i have heard they do sound pretty balanced and natural. Is there any replacement cups , those donot look comfortable at all. What about the sr 125s? And are there any similar headphones that look like they might actually stay on your head?

Comfort can be hit and miss with some people and Grado headphones.

If you check out the Grado mods threads you'll find a tonne of cup replacements, usually wood and alloy for

the SR60/80i.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/119314/post-your-grado-mods

I recommend the Beyer DT770 headband ($10) that slips right on. Here's a pic.

Nothing wrong with the SR125i, most people make the jump though from the SR60/80i to the 225i.

If you are worried about comfort, you can always order some G-Cush bowls 

http://www.amazon.com/Grado-G-CUSH-Headphone-Cushion-GS1000i/dp/B0039VP3X6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1320124091&sr=1-1 They are pretty large, but they are not that outlandish. They will make the headphone more comfortable. If you are really concerned with comfort and fit, Grado may not be for you. They sound great, but their ergonomics are a bit lacking. The Audio Technica's or the Shure's aren't slouches, either. Their ergonomics is definitely better as well.

I can vouch for the Shure SRH440s. I've had my pair for 18 months now, and I've found them to be generally pretty great. I have some Neil Young in my library and all I can say is that they sound great with him.

However, I enjoy listening to The Flaming Lips, MGMT, Third Eye Blind, and The xx more with these headphones than Neil Young. I'll admit, though, that I don't really listen to much music similar to him. The phones do sound great with folk(Neutral Milk Hotel), progressive rock(King Crimson, Pink Floyd), and music like Tool.

I just listened to some Sufjan Stevens online, and the phones seemed to perform pretty well, considering it was YouTube. I got a little bored with the music, but I'm sure that's just my musical taste. I could have sworn when I listened to Sufjan Stevens a couple of years ago that his music was much different... Maybe it was a different album -- I'll take a look at his discography and see if anything rings a bell.

But honestly though, the Shures are a really great pair of headphones. Their isolation is absolutely amazing, and can sound very full even at low volumes if you need to hear incoming vehicles. For example, for the past few months I've had a large air conditioner in my bedroom and could "hear" it constantly at low volumes, though even without music playing the cans manage to literally drown out outside noise -- everything sounds like it's underwater. I know the second sentence in this paragraph sounds contradictory, but I can't help it if the headphones contradict themselves, haha. For the record, I don't have a DAC or amp with these headphones. I'm using them on my laptop and iPhone 3GS. I've also used them on an iPod Classic 80GB, and they've been loud and clear with every source.

If you were to get these headphones though, I would probably suggest getting the SRH840 earpads as they apparently help even more with the isolation; and they are supposed to make the cans more comfortable as well. When I first got the headphones, they felt really heavy, slightly bruising the top of my head. But after a week or so, that went away and I was able to enjoy them completely.

Recently sold my A700 and bought SRH440 because I also wanted something more (trans)portable. I really loved the AT's, but yeah, the only way they would fit in my bag is if there was nothing else in it :( Stock I've found the SRH440 to be really uncomfortable. After 20-30 min the top of my head hurts pretty bad, and my ears are pressed up against the plastic grill over the drivers. Got SRH840 pads in the mail today which helped A LOT, and I've also got HD600 headband padding in the mail. With a budget of $200 you could probably do better though. Guitars do sound orgasmic on Grados in my experience, but didn't you say you wanted something closed?. Haven't heard it but have also read a lot of great things about ESW9.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisterDeadeye 

 

If you were to get these headphones though, I would probably suggest getting the SRH840 earpads as they apparently help even more with the isolation; and they are supposed to make the cans more comfortable as well. When I first got the headphones, they felt really heavy, slightly bruising the top of my head. But after a week or so, that went away and I was able to enjoy them completely.

Skip the Shure 440s and go right to the Shure SRH840! If you keep an eye out, you can get them from Amazon for $129 or less......and that includes shipping. There are a ton of threads on their performance and for under $200, they are a real steal. Checkout this review: http://www.avguide.com/review/playback-23-shure-srh840-professional-monitoring-headphones

And here is their 2011 buyers guide for full-sized headphones - this is extremely detailed and should provide you with a great overview of the different cans in your price range: http://www.avguide.com/buyers-guide/playback-guide-full-size-headphones-2011

Happy listening!

Quote:

Originally Posted by LJLee 

Im reallyconsidering the Grado sr125i and with the money Im saving i can buy the adapter and Beyer head strap thing. Im just curious how much do these leak, and how much will other people hear when i listen to them in public? 

They leak like crazy, people near you can hear what you're listening.