[PurpleAngel]

The Senn 555s & 595s have been replaced with the 558s($145) & 598s($175), both newer and better sounding.
You can get the Sennheiser HD 558s and do the black rubber tape removal modification (void warranty) which improves the bass.
OR
Get the Samson SR850 and/or the Panasonic RP-HTF600-S (with Beyer EDT 200 Velour pads).
 
A cheap way to improve sound and gaming is to get the Asus Xonar DG (PCI)
Comes with a half-way decent headphone amplifier, rated to 150-Ohms
Also comes with Dolby Headphone 5.1.
 
SR850 + RT-HTF600-S(Velour pads) + Xonar DG, in USA for all three would be about $135

 

[EpicPie]

@ OP, Ultrasone Pro 900's.

/thread

 

[Byakushiki]

Quote:

Thanks for that, ill look into that card. Yeah i was expecting that the Senns might be a little lacking in the bass. I know this is going to sound like a silly comment but although i can imagine the beyers offer excellent performance, the ear cushioning material and general styling of theee cans is not to my usual taste. Are there any others on the market that offer similar performance to the beyers but with more of a conventional styling found with the senns e.t.c?

What about a DT770/880 Manufaktur? Might be above budget but I mean, it'll look nice. Pick your colors and materials.

 

[AshJones17]

Suppose the two headphone set solutoon sounds clever but not ideal for me as i really cant warrant the purchase of. Two sets of headphones to do the job that one set could do almost as well. However, I am really interested in your thoughts about the Dt770 Manufaktur, do thwy need to be bought of of Beyers site, or are there some retailers (in the UK that you know of?) that may be able to order my specs in? How much will they set me back. Definitely want a soundcard with integrated amp now. Looks like that budget is slowly creeping up :O haha

 

[PurpleAngel]

Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro 80-Ohm, full bass headphone.
 
Asus Xonar DG (PCI) sound card, cost $30.
Half way decent headphone amplifier, rated up to 150-Ohms
Comes with Dolby Headphone 5.1

 

[AshJones17]

Ok guys, sorry to continue this but my local shop has a set of Beats Pro's for £280. Was just wandering (cos the beats look so cool) what kind of difference is there in the souns quality between Beats Pro and some Beyerdynamic dt990's? Thanks guys

 

[colmustard]

My vote goes to Denon D2000 or Ultrasone Pro900. The Pro 900's will have a very electronic sound signature with very strong bass and the Denons will sound more natural tonality wise and will have fantastic bass extension and enough quantity to satisfy your needs. In all honesty you'll be more than happy either way.
 
As far as the beyer's go they just don't have as much "ooomph" in my opinion. Though they are comfy

 

[shrimants]

If you just want your headphones to look cool, go for the beats. They sound like crap but at least all the cool kids will approve of your headphones. The DT990's should sound way better, much more balanced, rather than concentrating on getting as much bass as possible and screw the rest. You'll need a proper amplifier for the DT990 if you go for 600 ohm. I'd recommend 250 ohm because a portable amp can still make that work.

The DT990's will sound way better for your needs. Also, Denon D2000 and ATH-M50, and as the guy above said, ultrasone pro900. I would have gone pro900 but that is out of my budget, and you'll be hard pressed to find a pair of D2000's for sale new.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Ok guys, sorry to continue this but my local shop has a set of Beats Pro's for £280. Was just wandering (cos the beats look so cool) what kind of difference is there in the sound quality between Beats Pro and some Beyerdynamic dt990's? Thanks guys

What's the price do you find the DT-990 Pros for?
 

 

[sailorman]

 
Quote:

Suppose the two headphone set solutoon sounds clever but not ideal for me as i really cant warrant the purchase of. Two sets of headphones to do the job that one set could do almost as well. However, I am really interested in your thoughts about the Dt770 Manufaktur, do thwy need to be bought of of Beyers site, or are there some retailers (in the UK that you know of?) that may be able to order my specs in? How much will they set me back. Definitely want a soundcard with integrated amp now. Looks like that budget is slowly creeping up :O haha

Am I missing something here?  You can get two sets of headphones, each of them nearly ideal for the separate tasks they would be expected to perform. The total cost would be less than half of what a single headphone would be, and that single headphone would, in effect, be a compromise.  
 
Ignoring the maintenance factor, that's sort of analogous to a guy who needs to haul around building materials sometimes and kids sometimes, so instead of buying a sedan and a pickup truck, he pays twice as much to get a minivan.  Duh?
 
Take the two headphone solution.  Use all the money you saved to get a better sound card and still stay well under budget.