Best $500 Headphones?

Hello.

I have to say that $500 is a very generous budget! Heck, you could buy like 3 different headphones to do 3 different things (one for school, one for home and one for gaming! lol) ;-)

1) How are you planning on listening to the headphones at school?

Straight from your phone?

2) How are you going to watch movies?

From your Computer? Or from a Blu/DVD connected to a Stereo Receiver?

3) Do you need them to be closed (partial isolation, prevents sound leakage) or open?

I have a bunch of headphones and when I'm playing PC games or watching movies on the PC, I use my $30 trusty Panasonics (on my signature). Trust me, the quality of these headphones are phenomenal and in my opinion rivals a lot of other headphones in the 0 to $100 bracket. Apart from these, again for the purposes of gaming and movie watching ON the PC, I use my Sennheiser HD600s (connected to a Nuforce Icon HDP)

For playing PS3, I usually never use a headset but when I do, I use the PS3 Wireless headphones they released last year. Not the best audio quality ever, but does it job.

For straight up music listening, at work I use the Denon D5000s (they go great with music and movies!), or the Panasonics, or any other portable I have at the moment -- right now the V-MODA V80s!)

At home I use the Sennheiser HD600s or the Shure SRH940s.

Again $500, you can do a whole lot.

In my opinion, I would just tell you to go with the D5000s since they excel with everything I throw at them but they are not really all that portable... nor do they isolate a whole lot.

Not sure if I helped you but if you answer the questions above, hopefully we can narrow down the choices and the community might help you better also.

Thanks and Good Luck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoMann 

 

P.S. I also just heard that headsets are usually bad quality. But then I was thinking how would you talk to your friends on PC and PS3?

Sennheiser headsets sound quality is fine, either the PC350/360. 

Or you can buy a regular set and attach a boom mic/clip on mic. 

Usually for headphones less than $500 an amp is NOT a necessity. Yes it helps, but it depends on the headphones you end up getting!

A lot of people just pair a microphone such as:

http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/ref=pd_bxgy_e_text_b

to their favorite headphone and that's it.

You COULD look into a specialized gaming set from Astra, Creative or Turtle Beach or Tritton, etc. BUT again, for pure audio bliss these guys wont do (have just tried Turtle Beach FX41s, Creative's Tactic 3D Omega and in my personal experience, sound-wise, they don't hold a candle to my headphones).

I suggest you also look on this thread:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-updated-5-9-2012-he-4-and-dt990-pro-added

and see if you find post from people with your similar situation and go from there.

I have been using Sennheiser HD650 for school for over a year now. If you get a hard case for them you can even fit a decent amp and DAC in the case which will make them portable. For the music you listen to, you will not be disappointed with the bass. I would certainly recommend them

I am not sure about the PS3 since I dont own one but for a computer if you use a USB DAC to run the headphone amp, you can get a cheap USB ADC for a clip on mic and connect both perfectly

DAC stands for digital to analog converter and ADC obviously analog to digital converter

This is a clip-on microphone. It'll turn any pair of headphones into a headset. :)

http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/ref=pd_bxgy_e_text_b

Be sure to use the rear mic input on your computer, the front usually doesn't have enough oomph.