Quote: Originally Posted by ranz_blacker hd25's are not available at 100$ !!! cmonn.. I was just going by this 13-page thread cryptically titled " NEW Sennheiser HD25-1 II for CHEAP! (~$100 shipped)."

In my opinion the RP21 is superior to the HD280 in terms of sound quality and comfort. They both do fine without an amp. The other contender that has now dipped in price to equal your budget is the HD25-I. I haven't heard them so I can't recommend them directly and don't know how they do...

Quote: Originally Posted by douglasjboehme <quickly getting out my wanker dictionary> OK . . . 1) Ewww 2) I didn't know anyone wanked to the dictionary - though I probably should have known that every inanimate object has its inappropriate fan base. 3) It should say a...

The amp in the 0404 is not the greatest but it's a great and flexible addition that you can easily build on later.

Quote: Originally Posted by jinx20001 . . . the triport ie were astonishingly bad . . . For the love of Pete, would you people stop the Bose-bashing.

You probably hit the checkout button but reassurance after-the-fact never hurts. For $200 (or $150 if that deal is still floating around) it's hard to imagine a better deal. You can finder cleaner DACs but $500 would be a bargain to beat the 0404 IMO. Enjoy!

* finds 10-foot pole, considers briefly, shakes head, drops pole, runs fast despite advancing age and girth *

I forgot . . . anything by Tom Leher

richierich: I'm also in the Bay Area. If you haven't heard it yet, we could arrange for you to hear the LBII with the RP21 before you start a new amp fund.

Here's another take on the issue . . . if you expect to add something to your system right now with the HD555 that will make the sky open up and angels descend then other posters are right who say to save your money. However, if you appreciate subtle improvements and will probably always have...

The DT880s are great, you would love them with your musical preferences and they can be snagged pretty regularly in the FS forum for under $200. However, you will want/need an amp to power them, which would then put you out of your price range. I'm not sure that even the low impedance Beyers...

I always find it hard to respond when people stress the portable aspect for mid-cost cans. I think the opinions on what makes a headphone portable are more diverse than the opinions about actual sound quality. You mentioned that small and light is not a big deal for you . . . this helps. Some...

If Equation is reading this, then allow me to summarize one man's opinion of the RP21s: Pros 1) Great headphone overall 2) Amazing synergy with the Lunchbox II amp makes for a real budget yowsa! For improvement 1) Stock pads could be more plush 2) Foam could be less dense 3) Resonance...

Step Right Up - Tom Waits

The RP21s sound great but are not great portable phones and would probably leak just a tad too much for library use depending on how loudly you listen. I've heard the Denons are not great isolating cans either but that they don't leak too much sound out and are probably a little better SQ-wise...

Quote: Originally Posted by Zadok Make no mistake....If they deserve to be hated on, then I don't mind =P Whether they deserve it or not, they get it around here. If you had put "Bose" in the title of your thread, the hatred would be flowing by now. Mostly people are split...

Quote: Originally Posted by Zadok Alright, thanks for all the input. I'll go do that research now By the way, is there a reason why there is no mention of bose anywhere to be found? Are they just not good compared to these other brands (Sen, Beyer, A-T, etc)? If there really is a...

Quote: Originally Posted by rei_yano the emu 0404 can still function as a dac and apparently another amp can be used in conjunction whereas with the corda move you are stuck with the amp inside no matter what.... You've put your finger on the real issue. It really depends on...

Quote: Originally Posted by rei_yano so I have narrowed it down to these headphones: http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-ma...mic-dt-880.php http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-he.../akg-k-701.php http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-he...ser-hd-595.php Im gonna need to read some more...

I'm not as familiar with the Bithead as I am with the Move - though I can't recommend either as I haven't heard them. Just make sure that the amp will power and match well with the headphones you end up with. If you can narrow your headphone choices down a little, you can search the forums to...

If your budget is fixed and you want to do everything at once, I would consider something like used DT880s - as already mentioned - along with something versatile like the Corda Move. The phones are great all-'rounders for your diverse tastes and the amp is both portable and can function as a...

Quote: Originally Posted by d-cee If you want the spine tingling, lady singing in your lap sensation this is hard to beat. I know a place where you can make this happen for $20 US although the quality of the singing may vary.

Quote: Originally Posted by RasmusseN yep that's it so basically anything I say is correct I am 18 you guys are all old farts :P Yeah, but your generation is damaging their hearing faster by listening to over-compressed crap so it evens out.

Two things: 1) The RP21s - while easy to drive - will respond favorably to the right amp. I use mine with a Lunchbox II and the problematic highs that you accurately describe are a distant memory. Plus, you could eat the bass with a fork. Great synergy. However, it doesn't sound like that's...

The HD25-1 really does sound like what you are looking for. As the budget squeezes though, the RP-21 - while not great for travelling - performs great per your other criteria. You might also look at the RP-15 which is a little more portable and slightly cheaper. Great bang for your buck...