A beginner audiophile

I don't own much gear but when I'm picking the headphone I'm going to use, I consider the following things 

How safe is the environment going to be for the headphones ? (rain, snow etc)

Which form factor is the most practical ? (IEM, headphone, ear bud etc)

What am I going to be listening to and which headphone is the best for it ? (Signature and genre)

 -What is the most comfortable for the time I'll be wearing them.

 -Where will I be wearing them.

 -What genre will I be listening to.

 99% of the time I'm with my Grados :)

Well I only really have 1 (and only need one) at home headphone. LCD 2 Rev. 2...but when it comes to portables I have 4 choices. 

It's usually either my XB700 or DJ100. DJ100 if I feel like leaving my typical EDM listening, or want a more detailed sound. The XB700 is there if I wake up in the morning and everything else is going wrong I know at least I can have some fun with my XB700.

I usually consult the ancient headphone spirits in a dark and archaic ritual involving some form of sacrifice.

Failing that, it's eenie-meenie-minie-mo time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hal Rockwell 
Hi all,

I'm a beginner audiophile and this question is directed towards all the long time audio enthusiasts who own tons of top notch audio gear.

I was wondering... How do you choose which headphones from your collection you are going to use today? What are your motives? Your considerations regarding the one pair of headphones that you're going to take with you today when you leave the house or staying in and just listening to music?

I like to rotate the headphones so they all get break in time.

But I use my Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro 250-Ohm for ultimate sound for Blu-ray movies.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuppetFace 

I usually consult the ancient headphone spirits in a dark and archaic ritual involving some form of sacrifice.

 

Failing that, it's eenie-meenie-minie-mo time.

headphone spirits!?!?  sounds scary. 

I'm a big believer in not having too much choice. That's not saying that others are wrong, but I could never choose so I don't give myself the need to do so.

That said, I do like having a few practical options like Parall3l and Hifianddrumming mentioned.

For me the choices are simple:

Always with me: HiFi Man Re0 (may be upgraded for different IEMs soon)

Always with me if I'm carrying a bag: Ultrasone HFI 680

Always for home use except in very rare circumstances where it's worth packing them: Audio Technica AD900

I should also add that I'm yet to find an high value headphone that I can justify the extra expense of. I don't doubt the improvement, but the cost to improvement ratio just hasn't cut it yet. Hence why all of my 3 options are around $300 or less.

Look into the used high end market. The price/performance ratio there is much better. With the HE500 dropping and the market getting a bunch of LCD 2s soon you can get some excellent headphones for hundreds of dollars off. Or take a look at the D7000..Street price is already low and it's great, too.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loquah 

I'm a big believer in not having too much choice. That's not saying that others are wrong, but I could never choose so I don't give myself the need to do so.

 

That said, I do like having a few practical options like Parall3l and Hifianddrumming mentioned.

 

For me the choices are simple:

 

Always with me: HiFi Man Re0 (may be upgraded for different IEMs soon)

Always with me if I'm carrying a bag: Ultrasone HFI 680

Always for home use except in very rare circumstances where it's worth packing them: Audio Technica AD900

 

I should also add that I'm yet to find an high value headphone that I can justify the extra expense of. I don't doubt the improvement, but the cost to improvement ratio just hasn't cut it yet. Hence why all of my 3 options are around $300 or less.