[flacisntgudinuf]

And to answer cel's other question, I listen to music on my laptop (it's a Dell xps 12 that uses little power) and on my phone, but I am planning on converting to a lossy format to put on my phone because I only have a 16gb sd card. My phone is an lg volt, comparable to a Samsung galaxy s3

 

[GearMe]

Budget? Any preferences between...Open and Closed?...On-ear vs Over-ear?

 

[flacisntgudinuf]

My budget? I really won't be able to get anything over two hundred bucks I don't care about the type of headphones, I just want the best quality that sounds closest to the music I am running through the headphones

 

[Music Alchemist]

Right now Koss ESP-950s are $700 including the amp -- NIB with lifetime warranty.

Here's a review by Jude...
http://www.head-fi.org/a/head-fi-buying-guide-ultra-high-end-headphones-summit-fi#user_koss_esp950

 
That's extremely expensive in the context of budget stuff. Electrostatic systems are available for as low as just a few hundred dollars, some even under $100 if you get lucky. I technically got mine for free, in a trade for some of my CDs, so I'm one of the lucky ones. Anyone wanting affordable electrostats can go to eBay and search for electrostatic headphones.
 

Well electrostatic headphones are too expensive for my budget lol. I got Beats because they were under $200

 
Fair enough. If you want the most accurate-sounding headphones under $200, I would recommend a used Yamaha HPH-MT220, available here. It's my favorite non-electrostatic headphone. Impressions here and here.

 

[Feilong4]

  Find a musical instrument store that sells headphones. in the US there are stores such as Guitar Center. Listen to some headphones by brands such as Sennheiser, Beyerdynamics, Audio Technica, and the better quality AKG headphones. 
 
As for mp3 files, those at 320kbps or 256kbps can sound quite good.

I agree. You will have to test out headphones at a store so you have a better idea of what you like. Maybe you can list what you liked or didn't like about the Beats Solo HD.
 
I personally started out with the Audio Technica ATH-M50S (which most people also did), but of course over time I explore more and more headphones, and start to hear some "flaws" that I can nitpick. Though I still have them for almost 3 years, so they're quite reliable in that respect.
 
But most important of all, you will have to test some headphones out to see which ones you liked and which ones you didn't and report back to us 8] 
 
See if you can test some headphones out at an Apple store or at a Best Buy. At a Best Buy, there are some extra headphones back in the Home Theater or whatever it's called. I found that recently, and at my local Best Buy I found some ATH-A-900X/700X (forgot which one), PSB headphones, V-Moda M-100, and the new Sennheiser Momentums.

 

[flacisntgudinuf]

The msrp of theYamaha HPH-MT220 is 400 bucks while the msrp of the m50 is 200. However I can find both on amazon for about the same price of 200/230 bucks. Why is the Yamaha only half of the msrp

 

[Music Alchemist]

The msrp of theYamaha HPH-MT220 is 400 bucks while the msrp of the m50 is 200. However I can find both on amazon for about the same price of 200/230 bucks. Why is the Yamaha only half of the msrp

 
Ignore MSRPs. Street price is what matters, but is not a gauge of quality. (I like the MT220 more than non-electrostatic headphones that cost thousands of dollars, whereas, to my ears, the M50x sounds like a $20 headphone.) The MT220 used to sell for $150, but was discontinued. It can be found used for under $150. Also, the M50 is $132 on Amazon.

 

[ahunatu]

The msrp of theYamaha HPH-MT220 is 400 bucks while the msrp of the m50 is 200. However I can find both on amazon for about the same price of 200/230 bucks. Why is the Yamaha only half of the msrp

Yamaha was very ambitious with their MSRP. They are well made headphones with really good drivers and to many people including me the 150 sale price they had recently was a steal. I'd say they are comparable to 200-250 dollar headphones. 
 
This does not mean you're going to like the Yamaha better than the M50X. You may not like the forward treble in the MT220 or you may prefer the more expansive bass in the M50X. Sometimes a cheaper headphone is better depending on your preferences and music tastes and uses, etc. 

 

[flacisntgudinuf]

You guys are saying that the Yamaha has "forward treble" and the m50 has "expansive bass" but I don't want a portion of the sound to be stronger than the rest. I want it to be more of an accurate representation of the music. Also, apparently Sennheiser is popular. How does it compare?

 

[Music Alchemist]

You guys are saying that the Yamaha has "forward treble" and the m50 has "expansive bass" but I don't want a portion of the sound to be stronger than the rest. I want it to be more of an accurate representation of the music. Also, apparently Sennheiser is popular. How does it compare?

 
No headphone is perfect. You can use EQ to make any headphone more accurate.
 
http://www.sonarworks.com/headphones/overview
http://www.head-fi.org/t/413900/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-a-tutorial
http://www.head-fi.org/t/587703/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-a-tutorial-part-2
http://www.head-fi.org/t/615417/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-advanced-tutorial-in-progress
 
Sennheiser is a company that makes many things. I have owned or heard many of their headphones and honestly like the MT220 more than all of them, including the most expensive ones.

 

[ahunatu]

You guys are saying that the Yamaha has "forward treble" and the m50 has "expansive bass" but I don't want a portion of the sound to be stronger than the rest. I want it to be more of an accurate representation of the music. Also, apparently Sennheiser is popular. How does it compare?

"Accurate" is relative. This is too indepth a convo though until you've tried some other headphones other than beats my friend, then it will make more sense. 

 

[Music Alchemist]

  "Accurate" is relative. This is too indepth a convo though until you've tried some other headphones other than beats my friend, then it will make more sense. 

 
Yeah, all these other headphones are a lot more accurate than Beats.

 

[flacisntgudinuf]

So I think I'm leaning toward the Yamaha.

 

[Music Alchemist]

So I think I'm leaning toward the Yamaha.

 
If you get it, here are my tips:
 

1. Experiment with the position of your ears in the pads. Moving my ears from the center to the front made the mids more upfront instead of recessed.
    
2. Experiment with stuffing gauze under the left and right sides of the pads, to separate your ears from the drivers. (Caution: too much will make it sound bloated!)
    
3. Look into more advanced modifications, covered in the main thread for the headphone.