I apologize if the question I am about to ask has been asked too many times, particularly because I know that it is a common discussion. I'm going to try to make my question as specific to my needs as I can so that it doesn't turn into another "Headphone X vs headphone Y, which is better?" type question.
I, like probably most people, dipped my toe in the shallow water of headphone purchases by buying a pair of Senn HD280. They've served me very well and after just short of 2 years, they are still in practically new condition, despite very heavy use. However, I spend so much of my day working at a desk and listening to music that I feel like it would be a worthwhile investment to upgrade. Here are my criteria for headphones, in order from most to least important:
- Closed Back/Good Sound Isolation: I share an office with another person so open headphones and/or poor isolation aren't really an option.
- Comfort: I wear my headphones probably a good 5-8 hours a day, if not more, so any headphones which I have to "take a break" from won't do me any good. With that said, I've heard many people complain that the HD280 are very uncomfortable and I've never experienced any noticeable pain. I don't know if that just means they fit me especially well, I'm impervious to pain (probably not this one) or I've gotten used to them.
- Sound Quality: I probably won't bother upgrading if the sound quality isn't noticeably better than my current headphones.
For the most part I listen to IDM (Chris Clark, Aphex Twin, Venetian Snares, Autechre, Squarepusher, BoC, Mouse on Mars), Jazz/Funk styled electronica (Ratatat, Quantic, Bonobo, RJD2, Amon Tobin, The Octopus Project) and a lot of Classical Music. I'm currently just listening to everything off of a macbook so, at least for the time being, these headphones won't be on an amp or DAC and also won't be leaving my desk (i.e. I don't care about portability).
I'm aware that the common recommendations for my criteria will be the Shure SRH440 and the Audio Technica ATH-M50 but I was hoping that, based on my specific musical preferences, you could offer more accurate advice than what I've pulled up with searches. For example, it's my understanding that the SRH440 would probably be preferable for the classical music while the M50 would probably be preferable for the electronica. Since I want all purpose headphones, do either of these two do a better job of filling both roles? Are there any headphones, other than these two, which fit my criteria better
As for cost, I'd like to keep the price below $150. I can get the Shure's for $89 shipped or the Audio-Technica for $133 shipped, both from Amazon. I realize that there are other places online that might sell them cheaper but, unfortunately, I live in Honolulu and this means shipping for an object this size can be upwards of $20+ so the free shipping I get with Amazon is a big plus. Also, When searching amazon I see that there exists 3 versions of the ATH-M50, specifically the
- ATH-M50 -> $132.98
- ATH-M50 Professional -> $159
- ATH-M50S -> $136.33
and I don't have the foggiest idea what the difference is between these.
