I got the headphones yesterday, and I am loving them! My only complaint is that the cable (impressive as it is) is about 4 million feet long. I'll have to do some digging on an alternative cable later tonight so I can make these a little more portable. Thanks for all the recommendations, folks...

Well, closed back is just a preference, not really a necessity. I actually already have open back sennheiser game zero's that I use for most pc activities and enjoy them a lot. I veered toward closed back in this thread just because it would be nice to have something that wouldn't disturb...

Excellent. I have just ordered the Elear + Utopia pads + hard shell case for $599 off headphones.com. Only other decent price I've come across for new was $699, and that was without the extras. Thanks for all the help everybody!

I've been looking at the different suggestions people have put out there, and I happen to have come across a decent deal on the Elear. I noticed that a lot of the reviews for it suggest an over-emphasized bass, which I don't like the sound of personally. How would you describe the bass for these?

Gotcha, thanks! Looks like all the places near me are sold out, so I'm out of luck on the Elear. Oh, well, if it really comes down to it there are several for sale on the forums here. Thanks for the feedback, Chris! I'll definitely keep an eye out for the SE-Master 5 and Monitor 1.

Would you consider the Elegia to be superior to the Elear? Not that price proves superiority, but it's $100 cheaper on Focal's website. To the uneducated (me) it would seem to be the next rung down.

Are you talking about a model that was discontinued? Focal's website still has them for sale for $1000. Just want to make sure I'm researching what you're actually talking about. I never realized you could get such sweet deals on head-fi with used headphones, but it seems strange to me that most...

Ah, thanks. Apparently I'm a dork and didn't navigate the site very well. Thanks, I'll definitely do some reading on these, and in the meantime any other suggestions are welcome from others as well! I have a lot of learning to do before I likely find what it is I'm searching for.

Well, I'm not particularly experienced in the realm of audio (especially describing it), but I'll do my best. If I had to pick a direction the sound comes from, it feels like it's coming from 3, 9, and 12 o'clock and fairly close-by. Bass is clear but not overwhelming; I think I would consider...

Hmm...I'm only seeing headphones over a grand on the ZMF website. Which models did you have in mind? I could be convinced to spend more than my budget, but it would have to be a considerably better pair of headphones than what I can get in my current range.

I suppose if I had to choose, closed-back would be preferred. I'll be using them for pretty much all PC-related tasks (games, music, movies), and I plan on driving them with the O2 SDAC/Amp if that matters (probably should have said that from the start). Is there a closed-back version of the...

I am looking to purchase a pair of over-the-ear headphones and I'm looking for really clean sound quality. I have an issue (hearing loss??) where it can be difficult for me to separate sounds as I hear them, so I want to get something that sounds very natural. I currently have a pair of NAD...

One thing I would note about the NAD HP50 (although I bought mine several years ago... I think 2014-2016?) is that for larger ears it is somewhat uncomfortable. I'm not sure if they have improved the design in recent years, but the ear cups don't fully cover my ears and press my ears into my...

That's good to know, thanks for the update! Any recommendations in the meantime?

So I'm interested in a sort of middle of the road-ish DAP. I have none, and the only one I've ever used is an iPod from way back in the early 2000s. I have a pair of NAD HP-50 headphones that sound nice, but hurt my ears after a while of listening (the ear cups are too small). Anyway, what I...

No space underneath, but after closer inspection one of the pads is already coming off, like it's too loose for the rim. I think it's back to research time.

Yeah, that's true. What makes it uncomfortable for me is the shallowness of the ear cups. It feels like my ears are just being mashed against my head. After listening for a while and switching to my PC headset to play games my ears were screaming relief (they have deep ear pads). I haven't been...

Okay, so I got those NAD VISO HP50 headphones in the mail a few hours ago. Been listening for ~20-30 minutes. Sound quality is good, there's definitely a clear distinction between where sounds are coming from and it feels very natural sounding. I am having an issue with comfort, though. These...

Wow, thanks for all the info, guys. The NAD VISO HP50 sounds great, but lawd it's ugly. The crossfade looks better aesthetically, but doesn't seem to have the detaching cable. I might just have to get over myself and focus on the function (god forbid I focus on the music). The DT 880 pro is...

Thanks for the response, that link was very helpful. The only thing I'm unsure of is what sound signature I'm looking for. The music I listen to can sometimes be very bass-centric, but it's in an articulate way (think Primus or Pink Floyd), so I want to be able to hear that clearly and feel it...

So recently I spent time with a friend that had some crazy record playing business that had the best audio quality I've ever heard on anything in my life. Call me a born again virgin. Now I'm interested in getting into the scene myself because I love music and know there's a better way. I don't...