[NamelessPFG]

He decided on the Shure SRH940 in the end and has become quite impressed with them. More details below.
 
The topic pretty much sums it up. He thought about buying Beats, but this is where I can point him toward something better with your help. Unfortunately, I'm not too knowledgeable myself on portable headphones that need no amplification other than what's already in an iPod nano (square touchscreen-only gen), iPhone 4, or iPad 2.
 
He lives in Kuwait and can order direct from Amazon if it's available there, but if it's from a US dealer only, I can help him out.
 
To reiterate the important bits:
 
-Closed-back and isolating
-Comfortable (of course)
-Does not need a portable amp (Actually, he just might consider a portable amp. Maybe. But it would be nice if he didn't need one.)
-Full-size (which is why it's going in this forum)
-US$500 to possibly $600 total (not that the whole budget has to be used, but it's a possibility; might want to leave some room for shipping costs)
 
I'm looking forward to your suggestions.
 
EDIT: Sound quality-wise, he wants something with "crispness" and "clear sound", and his genre tastes are pretty eclectic. Too bad that electrostatics and portability don't really mix at all, and since he wants circumaural and no portable amp, that rules out the one portable Stax setup.

 

[BotByte]

Shure 940

 

[JasonZ10]

Do you know what genres of music he likes? If he likes bass, pretty much any Ultrasone Pro's or HFI's sound good.

 

[NamelessPFG]

"lol I dont have a preference / I listen to everything from techno to trance to lady gaga to neyo to freakin oldies like elvis XD / if the song is good I listen to it / Well bass is a good thing but its not on the top of my list / I prefer crispness / and clear sound / but ofcourse bass is still a welcomed addition"
 
His exact words. In other words, he's not specifically a basshead, but he wouldn't mind it. Do you think Ultrasones are still competent even when you take the bass out of the equation?

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Need more information on genres. Or basically let's just rule one problem out right away: will he want neutral or heavy bass, or is he ok with bass-light?
 
Other than that, we can narrow it down to a few cans to start looking at:
 
Shure SRH940 - A mids & highs detail, vocal monster that is sort of bass shy, even though it can hit low notes fine, it doesn't reverb them or sound bassy.
 
Denon D2000 - Perfect mid-tier ` all rounder' closed back headphone. Good at everything, does bass with authority, has great mids and highs. Uses leather pads.
 
AKG K272 HD - Reference quality on the go. Not shy in any department. An excellent headphone.
 
Beyer Dynamic DT770 32ohm - Excellent treble forward headphone with strong bass. Very comfortable. Slightly recessed mids. Can be considered bright.
 
Very best,
 

 

[NamelessPFG]

"If bass doesnt sound bassy then there is no bass XD / Like basically I want bass, but it doesnt have to be amazing bass. I just want to be able to feel the bass aswell as have super crisp sound. So I think that should help narrow it down right? / well you got to feel the reverb, thats what good bass is imo / you got to feel the shakyness in a sense.."
 
I'll take that as a sign that he doesn't want anything bass-light.
 
Out of those, he seemed most interested in the Denon D2000 and AKG K272 HD, though he's pretty torn between these two, and given what he just said, it's a safe bet that Ultrasone would be right up his alley (if they have any models that are adequately driven by portable sources, and the Pro 900 likely wouldn't be).
 
EDIT: Excerpt from an Amazon review of the Denon D2000:
 
 
Quote:

This headphone is really meant for use for a home stereo, and if you use it with an iPod, the volume level is definitely weaker and may lack some punch. So I'd definitely recommend a separate headphone amplifier for that application.

 
That's not exactly reassuring given that these are meant to be used as portable headphones without a portable amp. Then again, that can arguably be said of every headphone mentioned thus far, so I suppose the matter is how much the sound quality hit would be unamped.
 
"Okay I might give into the whole amp thing, found a FiiO E11, a guy bought that with his 940's to use with his ipod / Battery life says 10+ hours"
 
...Or not.

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

That's not exactly reassuring given that these are meant to be used as portable headphones without a portable amp. Then again, that can arguably be said of every headphone mentioned thus far, so I suppose the matter is how much the sound quality hit would be unamped.
 
"Okay I might give into the whole amp thing, found a FiiO E11, a guy bought that with his 940's to use with his ipod / Battery life says 10+ hours"
 
...Or not.

Heya,
 
Absolute rubbish. I have a D2000 and it powers perfectly well from my Sansa Fuze with no additional amp.
 
Very best,
 

 

[NamelessPFG]

 
Quote:

Absolute rubbish. I have a D2000 and it powers perfectly well from my Sansa Fuze with no additional amp.

Point taken. Just another one of those subjective things, I suppose...unless the Sansa Fuze beats out Apple's portables in terms of driving headphones.
 
Still, he could try it without a portable amp to begin with, and if he's not satisfied, get one later.

 

[BotByte]

Quote:

Still, he could try it without a portable amp to begin with, and if he's not satisfied, get one later.

Yep
 
My Clip has more power then my Cowon.
 
But my Cowon has better sound
 
But my clip is more portable
 
But my Cowon has better sound
 
But my clip has better controls
 
But my Cowon has better sound
 
But my clip has the capacity to hold more music
 
Buy my Cowon has better sound
 
 
Sorry, got into a echo fight there.
 
 
Anything on the market today that's talked about on HeadFi has enough power to push decent cans under 100ohms.
 
Now some cans at 12ohms need a amp, but that's to be decided UNTIL YOU TRY IT

 

[JasonZ10]

Sorry for intruding this guy's thread and asking questions, so a Cowon with an amp is the best choice? Are android phones (Samsung Galaxy S II) good enough for music or are they basically on par with an iPod (Still good enough I guess but still...)
 
Quote:

My Clip has more power then my Cowon.
 
But my Cowon has better sound

 

[ballfan]

i have the d2000's and i use them mostly with a jds lab cmoy and i think they make a great pairing. ive listened to the cans straight from an iphone and the sound is fine, but the sound is better, and more lively from the cmoy. if you want more details i can try and give specifics.

 

[BotByte]

Quote:

Sorry for intruding this guy's thread and asking questions, so a Cowon with an amp is the best choice? Are android phones (Samsung Galaxy S II) good enough for music or are they basically on par with an iPod (Still good enough I guess but still...)
 

Not really
 
The power is very, very small in difference.
 
Cowons power most cans without problem.
 

 

[NamelessPFG]

 
 
Quote:

Im not really a basshead though am I? Bass isn't more important than crispness, but its not so unimportant that it could be completley gone
I just want to be able to feel the thing

not to get my head shaken to hell

 
The plot thickens...does that Ultrasone bass detract from the clarity of the sound as a whole, or are we still looking at the Denon D2000s and AKG K272 HDs here?
 
EDIT: He's certainly ordering tonight. Almost committed to the Denon D2000s...if not for the talk of loose screws.

 

[NamelessPFG]

Only bumping to let everyone know that he's pretty thrilled with the Shure SRH940 so far, even without an amp.
 
Quote:

Ah its clready super clear. I can make out everything. I really didn't expect this much of a difference dude I am amazed.

 
He also says that the bass response is just right, so that's not an issue.
 
The only remaining factors now are burn-in and for "new toy" syndrome to wear off...if it does, anyway.