** Note: I previously posted this incorrectly here. That was the wrong forum, but this should be the right one. Sorry!! **
Alright Head-Fi, another first post noob looking for a point in the right direction. I'm looking to buy my first set of nice headphones (I'm sick of jamming $20 POS IEM's in my ears) in the $200 and under range. I've done my research (I think, though you are free to point out what I've missed) and read tons of reviews and I don't know how to narrow my list from here. About me:
Genres: A mix of everything with emphasis on spoken word (I listen to a lot of podcasts), indie/alternative, folk and acoustic, and ambient or mellow electronica, though recently I've found myself listening to a lot of dubstep. That was is no particular order; I'd say it's a pretty even mix of those genres. I'm definitely not a bass head, but I'd say I tend to like a bit more oomph on that end of the spectrum.
Listening Set-up (or lack thereof): Mostly straight from my laptop, a Sony Vaio S if that matters, and my iPhone 4S. No amp. I like to listen on the go, so sound isolation is important for those noisy coffeeshops and buses, but portability is handy too. At the end of the day, it doesn't have to get too small in my backpack, but if it didn't take up the whole thing, well, I wouldn't mind.
iPhone controls are a must. That really limits the selection, but I've been thinking that if I get a pair with a detachable cord, I could replace it with a 3rd party cord that includes the mic and remote. With further research, it seems like a lot of manufacturers use proprietary connections (is this true?), but if you can point me towards ones just with a detachable cord, from there I can research whether this is possible or not.
On-Ear vs Over-Ear: At first I was trying to look at over-ear only, for the isolation, but this with the iPhone controls seemed too restrictive. Plus, on-ear tend to be more portable. So this one's up in the air at the moment, but I'd be happy to hear people's thoughts as to what makes sense for my needs.
Closed: For the noise isolation.
I listen to bad sources: It's sad to say, but I transcoded my music way down to fit more onto the iPhone, so cans that go easy on poor quality sources would be good.
Looks are somewhat important: No Koss PortaPros, but no Beats or Fanny Wangs either. I prefer simple understated designs. Here's looking at you, TMA-1's. But, looks are about the least important aspect of the cans.
So that's my criteria. I have very little experience with cans, but this is what I've learned from trying on ones in the stores:
I like the Senn PX100's. Too new to it all to accurately describe why, but they just sounded great. I realize that they are open-back, which gives them a better soundstage. The Sony Studio Monitors were too cold and crisp; I like warmer than that. Beats and the Sony Extra-Bass are both way too bass heavy. I liked the Bower & Wilkins P5's.
Finally my list of options I'm still considering:
AiAiAi TMA-1
AKG K450
Denon AH-D310R
Klipsch Image/Reference One
Pioneer HDJ-500K
Sennheiser HD 218i
Sennheiser PX 200 IIi
V-Moda Crossfade LP
V-Moda Crossfade M-80
How am I doing? Any advice is greatly appreciated!! Let me know if there's any more information that I left out or could be helpful. Thanks in advance!!!
- t
Edited by tbern - 12/27/11 at 4:15pm
