Looking for a good sub $300 pair of phones

I've been using the HD-25 I II for some months..its a fast headphone with punchy bass. Does a good job with metal and rock genres. 

If you want comfort, I'd go with the Denon D2000's. You can wear those buggers for forever.

They have great bass, especially subbass, but the mids are a bit recessed, which may take a bit away from the guitar, but it's *very* hard to find a headphone in your price range that has great bass without a recessed midrange (usually much more recessed than the Denons). The Denons have a great warmness and natural sound which does help with guitars, though.

The Denons also have a great soundstage, but in order to get this soundstage, a lot of the headphone is hollow, which means the isolation isn't quite as good as most closed headphones. People won't be able to hear your music, but you may hear them a little bit if they're being extra loud.

 

The Sennheiser HD-25 I II's are a nice portable set. If you want to walk around with headphones on, they're a great choice. They won't be nearly as comfortable as the Denons, though, and they may not sound quite as good (depending on taste).

Heya,

 

Fischer Audio FA-003 (or Brainwavz HM5) - Really good passive isolation, good sound stage, great neutral headphone with good sub-bass capability.

Denon D2000 is a no brainer, but it does not isolate as well, so if that's really important to you, it may hamper this choice.

Beyer DT770 PRO - Another good passive isolation headphone with great bass.

HD598's are open-air, take them off your list, they are wide open.

 

Very best,

Edited by MalVeauX - 2/9/12 at 10:17am

Are you interested in modding? If so, the Fostex T50RPs are the best cans in the world <$400, if you're willing to spend some time, buy a few materials off Amazon, and follow online instructions. They do require a decent amp to get the best out of them, but they really are something special.

How hard is it to make a pair of thunderpants? Are there any cheaper wooden cup options? If there is a way I could buy and mod these for less than $150, I'd be *very* interested. What is their sound signature like? How would you compare them to your D7k's?

You don't even need to go as far as wooden cups, just the Rastapants mod is sufficient, and I only have $120US in mine, 130 when V-MODA gets more stock of their red CF cables.

Their sound signature is more analytical, where the D7000s are a little relaxed. Think HE-500s with a bit smaller soundstage, slightly less bass, and slightly more substantial and detailed highs (I'm not joking). They're very textured and precise, with hyper-quick bass. My RP2s are more like a sabre compared to the D7000 velvet hammer, and quite unforgiving of bad material and weak sources. Still fun, though.

For pleasure, I'd still rather put on my Denons, but for critical listening and analyzing my Rastas rule. Example: in Nightwish's Seven Days to the Wolves I didn't know they had triple-layered Anette Olzen's voice in parts of the track, I'd always thought it was two layers. I can't hear that with my D7000s, or my B&W N802s with fairly high-end Integra gear, but the Rastas revealed it.
Edited by Magick Man - 2/9/12 at 11:46am

I heard some people compare it to the LCD2's, which are headphones I've been lusting over for quite some time. That's what originally got me interested. A good open ortho sound on a budget.

How's the midrange?

What specifically are the Rastapants IIa's? I found these directions (http://www.head-fi.org/t/452404/just-listened-to-some-fostex-t50rps-today-wow/2445#post_7746934), are these the ones you used? Are there directions with more pictures? Would you say the Rastas are the best mod for the cash? Are the spare parts (like sure pads) easy to get? Did you double up on the earpads?

Sorry for all the questions...getting a bit too excited. :p

Mids? Quite neutral without coloration. Yes, they're the best mod for the price, that I've seen.

As for the other things, here ya go.

I'll just add that if you care about noise isolation at all I'd discount the D2000s (although I love them).

 

If you can find a pair online the Superlux Hd668bs might be a good choice.  They are a bit bright but offer the best isolation of the phones I currently have.  I think their mids are great and the bass would be plenty and of good quality (think a car with a good subwoofer).  They aren't the most comfortable though.  Still they're a cheap option if you're looking to try them out.

One last question if you mind (I've messed up this thread enough), is Dynamat and Akasa Paxmate interchangeable? Meaning can I use either to surround the driver and coat the back of the cup?