[OnlyWantToSearch]

I've been searching through the forums for a couple days, just looking up opinions and specs on several phones I was considering. Seems like every time I thought I found a deal, there were one or two features that killed it for me. So now I'm just going to ask for some advice straight-up, since y'all know a lot more about these 'phones than most off-site reviewers do.
 
First, my budget is $100, with a little lee-way. No more than $140, preferably.
 
My intent is casual listening for stuff like prog rock, maybe a bit of pop, but mostly house, electronica, and a dash of dubstep. For most of my music, cheap $15 earbuds have done me fine. But lately I've been craving more bass, and overall more quality and isolation with my music. I'm not saying I'm a huge basshead--I don't want the mid/upper ranges to be muffled out--but if I'm going to listen to house regularly, there's obviously going to be some emphasis that I don't want to find lacking in a new set.
 
Anyway, here's the basics of what I'm looking for:
 
 - Over-ear. I'm not looking for the absolute best quality of music, but neither am I looking for absolute noise-cancellation. I just want something I can wear away from the desktop from time to time, say if I go out walking with an mp3 player.
 
 - Closed-back. When I work, and especially when I travel, I'd like to know that the person next to me isn't listening in on my groove, or rather that I'm not interrupting theirs.
 
 - Comfortable. I use to own Skullcandy, but got over that fad because of this (and quality of music). I usually listen to music hours on end while I draw, so not having to constantly adjust the cups and my ears just to get comfortable again would be a huge plus.
 
- Detachable cord. This one isn't a must, but it was one of the main reasons I was looking at the AKG K271MKII, first to safeguard against my own clumsiness with long wires (or, you could say the convenience of switching between long and shorter coiled wires), and the faint hope that I could opt for a microphone cord. I know there isn't a large market for those, but I'm willing to pay a bit extra if I can get one with a decent headset. If not, oh well--I care more about the comfort and quality.
 
I should also mention that I never have, nor do I think I have the money to, use(d) an amp. And from what I read, that would pretty much be a requisite to my top two choices in my search: AKG K271MKII and Audio Technica ATH-A700. So now I'm looking for anything along the same line as either headphone. From what I've read along the forums, I've seen a lot of suggestions for ATH-M50, but I'm curious how that lines up against something like the Shure SRH 440. Any opinions?
 
O'course, if you guys have any other suggestions for me, I'm all ears.

 

[darkswordsman17]

I wouldn't say that is correct about the A700s, in fact one of the reasons they were so popular is they did quite well without amping. You might also look into the JVC HA-RX700 and 900.
 
I haven't heard the M50s myself, but I know they've gotten popular around here. Likewise with the Shure.
 
I see portability is somewhat of a factor, so I'd say look at the Denon AH-D1000 (might be D1001 now). Isolation isn't the best though, but it would be more portable than the A700.
 
Really, I'd say that it seems like portability and isolation are a factor for you, so I would say the M50s or the Shure (you might look into the 840s, as I thought it was pretty easy to get them for about the upper end of your price range, but that might not be true anymore) might be your best bets.

 

[clarinetman]

Shure SRH840 indeed. You can find them on the FS forums here for about $130.

 

[Region2]

Yes, the K271 MKII definitely need an amp.  I enjoy it quite a bit with the RSA P-51, but since that's not what you're looking for you can look elsewhere.
 
Though I don't see these mentioned lately, I quite enjoyed the Sony 7506 (V6) which when listened to now aren't amazing as when I first heard it, but will be a definitely improvement over the the skullcandy ones you're used to.  They are fairly cheap and can be had for around $60 (the V6's are cheaper and pretty much the same as the 7506 other than the plating on the plug).  The M50's are fairly good but also more expensive.  Though I enjoyed the bass on it a bit more.
 
If you do get the 7506/V6, I'd swap them out for the velour beyerdynamic pads.  I personally don't care for pleather.  There was more sound leakage with the change, but the comfort was well worth it.

 

[shnitz]

I think the K271 actually sound pretty solid without an amp.  When I tested them against Sony V700DJ, plugged straight into a consumer-grade (aka low-end) laptop, they were driven just fine.  It is the low end that really suffers when you don't have enough power, and the K271 have as much bass as the V700DJ unamped.  However, the bass sounded better and more detailed, plus any part that wasn't techno/dubstep, it was obvious that the K271 were absolutely superior.  They are definitely too big for travel though.  Out of curiosity, where are you finding them for $100?  The ATH-A700 are too big for travel in my opinion too.  How important are you valuing travel, because you're choosing some large, unwieldy cans.
 
Try the Creative Aurvana Live.  They are Denon 1001, with a different looking casing, and 2/3 the price because of a different name on the side.  I can also recommend AKG K518LE or the older model K81DJ (respectively $80 and $55 on ebay right now), since you have a strict budget.  The only problem is that they may be a little tight for you.
 
If you want portable, these seem to be on a pretty decent sale right now:
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SE-MJ3-Over-Ear-Headphones-DJ-Inspired/dp/B0033PROQ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1281681888&sr=1-1
There isn't much info on them, they seem to be a Russian-market Pioneer product that isn't really available here until now.  But for $35, I'm on the edge of pulling the trigger.  Pioneer is a great company.

 

[OnlyWantToSearch]

Thanks guys for the responses. I hadn't actually thought of portability being a factor until now. I'm not too overly concerned about it, since 90% of my travel is walking or in a car, and in both instances I'm fairly certain the size will not be an issue. But that's using my impression from my old Skullcandy GI, and a recent Sennheiser HD280 that I was able to sample. Speaking of, does anyone here have experience with the HD280, or know how it compares to the others listed here?
 
The 'phones I'm still considering are:
Shure SRH440/840
ATH M50
JVC HA-RX700/900
and maybe ATH A700 (depends on the amp-issue)
I tried looking up the K271's again--thought I had seen a used for $150--but shnitz was right, and they're out of my price range.
 
I had considered Denon AHD1001, but I'm still wary of on-ear headphones. The pair I'm borrowing now (some cheap Altec's) are absolute torture for my ears, but then again that could be more of a vice than what I should expect elsewhere.
 
Last bit I want to ask about is an amp--I found this cheap one on amazon, but I don't know if it would even do a half-decent job with the headphones listed. All the other options seem out of my price range, unless I go for a cheaper headphone to compensate.