[veege]

This is my first post. 
 
 
Recently discovered the forum and really really got excited about the obsession with all things audio. I love music, I think I got a good pair of discerning, demanding ears, but I have absolutely no idea where to start.
 
This is my experience: I listen to music straight from my macbook on the cheapest Sennheisers I could find; I didn't know about DACs, special wires, tubes, etc. until 2 hours ago. Really. 
 
All I know is that I want to start today and this community seems the right place to do so. 
 
My musical taste: I primarily listen to classical music and electronica-- big brassy, thunderous symphonies usually (Mahler, Bruckner, Beethoven), and punchy electronica stuff (Aphex Twin, The Knife, Fever Ray, Crystal Castles), smooth ambient electronica too (Sigur Ros, Memory Tapes). Oh, and of course Radiohead. 
 
My budget: ~$600. I'm a college student living with a roommate so I don't need any speakers. I want good, versatile, beginner headphones and a starter DAC that suits my listening needs. 
 
I know there is a search function and I tried my best to use it. But a lot of the discussions were very specific to others' needs OR the comments were very much technical and over my head. If you pros can keep things simple I'd very much appreciate it. 
 
Thanks in advance!
 

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addendum: I forgot to mention that I live in a small town in Hawaii, so I have no brick-and-mortor stores to test out headphones in person. 

 

[Uncle Erik]

Welcome to Head-Fi and sorry about your wallet.

For your tastes, the Sennheiser HD-650 would be a good fit. They're great with classical and have a low end that suits electronica. You should be able to find a pair around $325. They do need an amplifier, but you'll find several good solid state amps in your budget. You can also use an old two-channel receiver if you want to put some money into a DAC.

One headphone you might enjoy is the Sony MDR-SA5000. It's my pick for electronica and it handles classical well, too. They don't get much love around here, but if the SA-5000 clicks for you, it's a wonderful headphone. Read some threads on it to see if it interests you.