[Magicthyse]

OK - I've decided to buy another set of cans as an alternative to the MDR-V700DJ when outside. Recommendations please?

* I listen mostly in buses and trains. Read: High ambient noise in the mid and low frequencies. Good noise isolaion is a must.

* When on the move, I listen to mostly guitar thrash music - punk, nu-metal, etc., and 'electronica' - at high volumes. Yes it's a bit boomy but I actually like the V700DJ for this. But I do occasionally listen to other music. This is where the second pair of 'outside' headphones would come in. So a totally different character with more accuracy is what I'm looking for.

* It's imperative that a) I can listen to the music and b) others can't.

* The phones must be incredibly easy to drive - 5mw+5mw is all they have to work with.

* It must also look extremely cool. In terms of colour, black alone is out.

Any suggestions? Thanks. Oh price: under $150 - I'll be buying in the UK.

 

[dohminator]

Sounds like the Sennheiser hd 280 or the beyerdynamic 250-80 is what you need.

I'll let people that actually own the phones to comment on them, but from what I've heard they will fit your needs perfectly.

You can also try the Audio technica A55. They are from Japan, and you can buy them from www.audio-cubes.com

These are the headphones that I have, and I love them to death, but with you living in England, it will be cheaper for you to go with the Senn's or Beyer's.

 

[andrzejpw]

Koss ksc-35s. About 20/30 dollars.

 

[fiddler]

andrzejpw, those Koss won't do much to give isolation on the train. The Senns and Beyers would work, as would the Sony MDR-V6, which can be driven by virtually anything and it blocks out sufficient amount of noise on the train. This is the headphone I use when I commute. Problem is, none of these really fit the "extremely cool" description... they're pretty much all black, which I prefer, but you may not.
Maybe consider the Etymotic ER-6, if you don't mind canal-phones that go INTO your ear. Etymotics are THE best for isolation. I'm not sure how good they are with your type of music, though.

 

[andrzejpw]

agh! sorry. Didn't catch the train part.

Any of the above would be fine.

 

[jlo mein]

fiddler:

i see you're from Canada eh? where did you get your sony v6's?

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Magicthyse, you may want to consider the Sennheiser HD 212 Pro headphones -- if you can find that model in the UK. Though it delivers a bit too much bass, it will likely deliver more accurate sound than those DJ Sonys.

 

[Magicthyse]

Thnx all. I'm gonna try the 212 and the 280 Pro.

 

[Audio-Me]

I second Beyerdynamic DT 250-80.

 

[Magicthyse]

Quote:

Originally posted by Audio&Me I second Beyerdynamic DT 250-80.

Yuuurgh. Butt ugly. Thanks for the suggestion but I think I'll look at the Sennheisers. Still not entirely happy about the looks though. Anyway, I'll see them 'in the flesh' and I'll know.

I probably didn't stress that requirement 'looks extremely cool' is just as important as the other attributes

Cuz if I want ultimate sound I do have a couple of Grados (which I will never wear outside - and not just because their openness) to listen to at home. On the move, it's less of an issue but I do want something more accurate than the V700DJ (which is probably not very hard - although the "driveable by 5mw+5mw" may be a problem).

 

[Audio-Me]

For me, sound is the ultimate deciding matter, but if fashion is your thing, hey that's cool too.

 

[Snufkin]

I too would have suggested the Beyer 250-80s, they sound brilliant with 'harsh' styles of music, but I guess if looks are more important than sound quality it leaves them out.

I don't understand it - when considering audio equipment, looks have never been a factor, just a bonus sometimes if something that sounds good also looks good.

But that's also subjective, some people love retro styling, some don't.

I personally think the V700DJs look f&kin stupid, but hey... that's just me

 

[Magicthyse]

Quote:

Originally posted by Snufkin I personally think the V700DJs look f&kin stupid, but hey... that's just me

Yes, I think it is just you

 

[acs236]

I don't think you'll care for the looks of the 280s. Not so much for how they physically look, but because of the way the headband fits -- it doesn't stay flush with your head. I wear them on the subway everyday, look like a dork, but hey, to me, it's worth it.

 

[Snufkin]

Quote:

Originally posted by Magicthyse Yes, I think it is just you

Well, I'm not sure about you - but I don't spend a lot of time checking myself out in the mirror when I'm wearing headphones, I'm far more interested in the music than how the headphones look

I guess Sony have done a good job with their "style" marketing, making people think looks matter more than quality product