Looking for my first set of Headphones, have some questions...

Hello all,

I'm new to the forum here. I'm looking into buying my first set of nice headphones and had a few questions.

My primary use for these will be mostly gaming and music on my computer.

I currently have a soundblaster x-fi platinum pro soundcard. I'm not interested in investing in an amp at this point although in the near future I may be looking into a soundcard that has one built in. That said, I don't need to be blown away by sheer volume anyways, I would just like them to sound great at a normal listening level. I do a lot of gaming and listen to music on my comp. I'm looking for a set of cans that will sound good but, very important to me, they have to be very comfortable. Because of gaming, I have to be able to wear them for hours and not even feel them. I realize most headphones, under these circumstances, are going to leak sound. That's fine. I prefer comfort as generally nobody is around when i'm listening. If there are a set of headphones that can provide noise canceling/low leakage and are super comfy, then all the better.

My budget is ~$150 although I would consider good value for a bit more.

So far, I looked at Sennheiser HD 518 and HD 558. Mostly because I read they're super comfy and I absolutely love the look. The HD 598 are out of my price range and I'm not sure about the HD 515 and HD 555 (are those older models? I don't mind going for an older generation if they comfy, sound good and will cost me a bit less). Also looked at Sennheiser HD 280's but I hear they have strong clamping force.

Any other suggestions will be welcome...

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: Also just saw sennheiser hd 449. Supposedly noise cancelling and closed design. Anybody know about these?

Thanks. Although the music is def less important than gaming, i'd like it to do well in that area. Doesn't have to be the best. Is there something specific about it you didn't like?