[StringUpStrumDo]

Hi there,

I've just started studying Music Composition & Production and have been looking at the Beyerdynamic DT-250-80 ohm headphones as a consideration for using throughout my course, hopefully even after. Currently I'm looking for full-sized sealed headphones with an as neutral sound as possible to give the closest representation of the music I'll be making/working with. While I'll lose out on some of the sound stage that would come with an open headphone, sealed does help remove the background noise from noisier environments and any leaking while doing live recordings. Also the 80 ohms offer me decent sound quality while being used with a laptop on the go. The Beyers seem to do well with these things in mind, but there are some areas where they could do better. More specifically, the Beyers don't fold or collapse. Seeing as I'll be bringing these to and from Uni, as well as in-between classes, portability doesn't seem to fair to well, even with the build quality.

All up the DT-250s seem to be a good choice, but the portability is questionable, especially over 2 years.

Any other headphones I could consider or is this the best pick within this price range?

 

[Beyakusenn]

I think the Focal Spirit Professional is a better option considering all your necessities.
- They are easy to drive (impedance 32 ohm, sensitivity 102 dB SPL).
- They are full-sized sealed headphones with a neutral sound signature.
- They have replaceable cables: good for durability.
- They fold into a (relatively) compact form.
 
Their sound is also very detailed to my ears. It's a great headphone at it's price point.

 

[StringUpStrumDo]

The Focal Professionals do seem like the next logical step up from the DT-250s, but I'm concerned for where I would be spending almost $500 AUD for something that doesn't have a hard case. I can get the DT-250s for $300, though they could still end up getting squashed and breaking.

What I'm wondering is if the Professionals would 'actually' last longer than the DT-250s on the basis that you are paying an extra $200.

Hard to speculate...

 

[Beyakusenn]

Those are some crazy prices! I can get the Focal Spirit Pro here for € 250 (356.49 AUD).
 
As for it's durability, the first models had a problem with cracks in the head band, but that has been fixed with the current models. I've had a new model in my hands and it seemed pretty durable to me.
 
I've found two places in your country where the prices are more reasonable (still expensive imo):
http://www.visionliving.com.au/headphones/focal-spirit-professional-headphones/id-4n#.VVnLIvmqqko
http://headphones.com.au/pbrowse?catID=1&subCatID=3&brand=Focal
 
The sitr from the second link is cheaper, but it says Spirit One Pro. The 'Spirit One' and 'Spirit Pro' are two different headphones, so if you go for that website, call them first to make sure it's the right headphone.

 

[lltfdaniel]

Thumbs up for the focals.