Hello! I've been a huge audiophile, but I've yet to buy my first pair of higher-end headphones.
I've tried on a couple of pairs and I realized exactly what I'm looking for, but I haven't found a pair that is perfect so I'm hoping I can find help here.
Criteria:
-Versatile clear Bass-heavy headphones, but not muddy.
The amount of bass in the Beats Studio is fun to have. I perfect something a bit cleaner. The Klipsch Image One also has a good amount of bass. I like bass, but I want to also be able to enjoy vocals like when I would listen to Michael Buble.
As I will explain later, I love how the bass is in the Sony MDR-V6s but with a bit more bass.
-Clarity/Vocals/No Distortion
This is important when I'm not listening to Hip-Hop/Techno/Rock. I need to be able to enjoy Jazz and certain Pop songs.
-Style
Looks are very important to me.
I'm not into the retro look like the Grado SR80i. I like leather earpads.
I'd like to have something that stands out- not to other people, but just for me to enjoy. I don't like the generic looking headphones. I want something that is not just all black. Stainless-Steel is a plus.
Like:
-The Bowers and Wilkens P5 look amazing!
-Phiaton MS400 in red/black/cf look great too! They don't look classy like the B&W P5's but they're better than plain ones.
-Beats Studio- look fine, but everyone has them!
-SOL Republic- These don't look too bad either.
-V-Moda Crossfade LP- I love how these look! Too bad the sound quality isn't that great.
Dislike
-Audio-Technica ATH-PRO700MK2- Too generic looking.
-Sony MDR-V6- They look nice, but too generic looking.
-Audio-Technica ATH-M50S- These are pretty plain. If they look any more boring than this, then I don't want them. I'd be settling for the looks of the M50S
-Klipsch Image One- Too much plastic. Felt cheap and look cheap.
-Portability
These are going to be used for my iPhone for when I travel. I prefer not to have a 10-foot cable. I do not need full-sized headphones. I would like something no bigger than the Beats Studio headphones.
Price
-I'm looking to spend $70-$140. I wouldn't want to spend more than $160, but will spend up to $200 if these headphones are exceptional in every way.
________________________________________________________________________________
-Exactly what I'm looking for (in terms of sound)
Sony MDR-V6- I've had extensive time with these headphones. These are also great for me all-around! The price is excellent for the quality! They look great, but still look a bit generic. The cable is a bit much for me. I love how they sound. I do not notice any much distortion at high volume. The lows, mids, and highs are excellent and the treble is very clear!
The bass is excellent, responsive, and clear, but for me it's slightly lacking. I would love to have a little more bass and they'd be perfect!
Bowers and Wilkens- These are almost perfect all-around! I love the sound, style, and size!
The problem I have with these is that I feel they're lacking in bass. I would enjoy these headphones for everything except Techno/Trance/House and Hip-Hop. If these were $200, I would've bought them by now.
Monster Beats Studio- I like the quantity of the bass in these headphones. I've never experienced headphones that actually thump because of the bass! It was a fun experience. If I can find something with similar quantity of bass with at least slightly better quality, then I'll be happy.
Phiaton MS400- I haven't had a chance to listen to these, but it seems like these headphones are the complete package! They're just out of my price range though! Are they worth the $230? I really don't want to spend over $200.
Denon DN-HP700- I haven't listened to these either. They don't look bad and the shootout thread rated these headphones and the M50s pretty high! How are they? They're also cheap/affordable like the M50s.
Edited by MrNurse - 12/22/11 at 1:36am
