[Ajaxer]

Hi all,
 
I would like to please request some help in choosing a new pair of headphones. I am pretty new to all of this, but I have been browsing the forums as a guest and trying to learn about it all for some time now.
 
Due to the nature of my work I am able to listen to music for 7+ hours a day, should I choose to. When I do listen to music it is through a pair of IEM's (nothing special). I have neglected getting a good set of IEM's as I am more interested in getting headphones again, although I am looking to upgrading my IEM's in the near future.
 
For reference I did have a pair of Logitech UE 6000's, but somehow they were lost/stolen. I quite liked the sound out of those. I listen mostly to the various forms of metal music, and while I dont mind a bit of bass, I dont like lots and lots of it. The Logitech cups were close-ish to the right size, but needed to be bigger.

Headphone Requirements:
* Closed back: I work in an office so minimal to zero sound leakage is paramount.
* Over the ears: I find on-ear headphones uncomfortable, and they tend to leak too much sound
* Large cups: I have large ears attached to my large melon, and piercings on both ear orbitals. I have searched for forum threads regarding large cupped headphones, but there isnt much I found that was recent. I am curious to see what newer model headphones have come out recently that fit my requirements, if any.
* Build Quality: They would be traveling with me to and from work each day in my bag, so they need to be robust enough to handle everything that entails.
 
Use: Any headphones I buy will be used primarily at work to listen to music, plugged into my laptop. Apart from that I may use them in other PC's for music and gaming (music being far and away the primary function). I dont have an amp, but am not opposed to buying one if needed (it's something I have been thinking about anyway, along with a DAC).
 
Source: Mostly FLAC, but some MP3's. My HTC phone is my source of music when travelling. I have been looking into purchasing a dedicated music player but I am yet to find one that appeals to me. When not travelling I use a laptop for listening to music.
 
Budget: I'm happy to go to around $500-$600, maybe a little more if I think they are worth it. As there is potential for me to use them for many hours a day, many days a week, I am happy to pay for decent gear.
 
I am thinking that either Beyerdynamic or Shure will be my best bet. I generally steer clear of Sennheiser as the times I have used/listened to them I didnt like them. I am open to any and all suggestions, and am happy to answer any questions. 
 
Any assistance is very much appreciated.
 
Cheers!

 

[billybob_jcv]

How about the Mr. Speakers Mad Dog and an amp?

 

[KG Jag]

You don't have an amp, so that limits your options.
 
Take a look at the PSB M4U 1.  See:
 
http://www.cnet.com/products/psb-m4u-1/
 
Sizing headphones, especially blind and from afar, is much like being an amateur weight guesser at the fair.  Very unreliable.  You need to pay attention of the w x d x l of the ear cup interiors--and if at all possible try them on your own unique head and ears.

 

[Ajaxer]

Thank you to you both for the tips and advice. 
 
I think the PSB's may be too small - if the pic in the link is anything to go by. And to be honest I'm not that keen on the Beats-esque styling. 
 
I've been looking into the Shure 1540's. From the pics and reviews I have looked at they seem to be rather large, but light. Unfortunately there is nowhere in Sydney that I can test the fit/sound. In fact you cant really do that for any headphones anywhere in Sydney unless you are looking for a small selection of Sennheiser, Bose, or Skull Candy. The 1540's can be driven without an amp, although of course they will sound better if you do use one. 
 
I mentioned that I am happy to buy an amp if needed, what are the sort of things to look for in a decent amp?
 
Thanks again
 
Edit: I've had a look at a few manufacturers websites, and I haven't found any yet that list the internal ear pad dimensions. I'll keep looking though.

 

[moguai]

have a look also on akg 550/551/ from what i`ve seen, the cups seem big and comfy.
if you`re ok with somewhat flat/balanced sound, they might be an option for you.
as for dac+amp, i use a fiio e07k, the cheapest solution i guess for a decent sound. and i`m very happy with it. of course, you can go further, but i`m not an expert here to give you advices on specific models.

 

[Ajaxer]

  have a look also on akg 550/551/ from what i`ve seen, the cups seem big and comfy.
if you`re ok with somewhat flat/balanced sound, they might be an option for you.
as for dac+amp, i use a fiio e07k, the cheapest solution i guess for a decent sound. and i`m very happy with it. of course, you can go further, but i`m not an expert here to give you advices on specific models.

Thanks for the info.
 
I've been looking at portable amps/dacs and the Fiio range seems to be a common choice. Im tossing up between the E17 and the E18 (as I want to use the amp+dac for both pc and portable use), but Im not sure which to get. The E17 seems to be several years old but highly rated. The E18 is much newer but from what I can see people seem to buy them and then sell them on a few months later. Anyone have any thoughts?