[theiconoclast]

Hello Everyone,
 
I borrowed a pair of Studio Beats by Dr. Dre - and I loved the sound.  I mainly listen to rap music so bass is important to me.  And mind you, I am no audiophile (though I am considering it as a hobby).  But after reading reviews and hearing what true audiophiles have to say most people complain about how overpriced they are, how crappy the sound is and how there are cheaper alternatives.  Can any one tell me what those cheaper alternatives are because I was quite satisfied with the beats?  The only thing that really bothered me was how much sound leaked and how that would be a real concern when I want to bring them on a flight or something.
 
So any suggestions for good for rap music, cheaper, noise canceling, and less sound leaking over the ear headphones for me?
 
Thanks for the help!

 

[Caladbolg]

Audio-Technica's ATH-M50 and the Shure SRH750DJ may be suited for you. Neither are noise-cancelling, but both are closed and leak VERY little to zero noise. I can attest to that for the 750DJ's.

 

[theiconoclast]

Checked out some reviews for both of those phones you suggested....looks like the m50's might do it for me. Thanks!

 

[casioa5302ca]

You could take a look around Sennheiser HD 25´s family, too:
 
HD 25-1 II - 70 Ohms, 1.5m steel cable with rt.angled 3.5mm mini-jack and screw-on adaptor to 1/4" jack. These come with leatherette *and* velour earpads and a drawstring carry bag.

HD 25-1 II Special Edition - 70 Ohms, 1.5m cable with rt.angled 3.5mm mini-jack and screw-on adaptor to 1/4" jack. These come with only leatherette earpads and a nice zip case. These are no longer available as far as I am aware.

HD 25 II - 70 Ohms, 2m steel cable with straight 3.5mm mini-jack and screw-on adaptor to 1/4" jack.

HD 25-C II - 70 Ohms, 2/3m coiled copper cable with straight 3.5mm mini-jack and screw-on adaptor to 1/4" jack.

HD 25-13 II - 600 Ohms, 3m steel cable with straight 3.5mm mini-jack and screw-on adaptor to 1/4" jack.

HD 25-SP II - Lower quality version without the split headband, 60 Ohms, 3m cable with straight 3.5mm mini-jack and screw-on adaptor to 1/4" jack.
 
or something diff:
 
Allen & Heath XONE XD-53
 
http://www.allen-heath.co.uk/uk/DisplayProduct.asp?pview=71

 

[soundeffect]

hd25-1 II might be a good option.  The M50s are going to be more polite and clean bass compare to the beats studio. although they do go lower, but not as impactful. I would say the bass on the beats are more fun whereas the M50s are more refine and pleasing to the ears.  try searching more on bassy headphones and you will see a lot on this forum.  If you like bass then ask they more experience bassheads and not just anyone because sometime what is consider bassy for one person is not really bassy for bassheads.

 

[classakg]

If you love bass, probably you'll like the Sony MDR-XB500's. 

 

[KyungMin]

V moda crossfade I hear is great and you can get them on ebay for a little over $100

 

[lazyjae]

I wouldn't recommend ebay for electronics.

 

[SoSpecial]

Quote:

I wouldn't recommend ebay for electronics.

With all the fakes recently I wouldn't either.

 

[WhiteCrow]

Quote:

If you love bass, probably you'll like the Sony MDR-XB500's. 

shoot for the MDR-XB700's had a pair my self bass is unmatched. no amp needed.

 

[Slaughter]

M50 would be a good choice. I was in Best Buy the other day and decided to try on the Beats and they were terrible! I liked the Bose around ear much better, but the M50 is clearly better than both.

 

[area51]

I also tried the Bose around ear in a store and was impressed with the deep bass.are you saying that the M50 sounds the same in this area ?

 

[Mochan]

M50's bass is not the same as the Beats Studio's. It is nice and plump but does not have the same hard impact that the Studios' bass has. 
 
The Beats get a lot of hate here but personally I felt they were better than the M50s. But not $200 better. Also for airplane flights they are not going to cancel out the noise of the plane. Then again, I think the Studio's don't either, people say its NC capabilities are not as good as the king of this field which is the Bose QC3 -- might wanna check that one out. 
 
Another option to try would be the Denon NC732 which is pretty good as well, with deep bass, but again not as hard as the Studio's. Apparently it cancels noise better, though. But with NC on it does gain a hardish edge which might be to your liking.
 
Personally I would say get the Beats if you like them. I didn't get them because I hated the battery-requirement. The nice thing about the Denons is that they work even without a battery (NC is just off -- to turn them on put in an AAA battery anytime).
 
I have not heard too many audiophile headphones that have the same bass quality as the Studios. The ones that come closest are Ultrasones like the Pro 900....which are even more expensive than the Beats Studios, without noise cancelling.

 

[Mochan]

Quote:

shoot for the MDR-XB700's had a pair my self bass is unmatched. no amp needed.

Word of caution, the bass on the XB700 is very, very different from the Bass of the Studios. Studios Bass is very powerful and impactful. It's like a hard concrete wall hitting you in the face. The bass of the XB700 is like a deep ocean that you drown in. It is soft, fluid and all-enveloping. 
 
Very, very different kinds of bass. And BTW -- the XB700 without an amp loses about 50% of its bass potential. While it sounds good without an amp, you can only unlock its true potential with a powerful amp that drives the low end well -- portable amps generally can't do it. Not even the Sony X, which is a magnificent DAP without an amp, can really drive the XB700's bass. It is still lacking compared to a powerful home setup.

 

[Mochan]

Quote:

Audio-Technica's ATH-M50 and the Shure SRH750DJ may be suited for you. Neither are noise-cancelling, but both are closed and leak VERY little to zero noise. I can attest to that for the 750DJ's.

I would also like to note that the 750DJ has far less bass than the M50s. If you want more bass, M50 is better, Beats Studios even betterer. 
 
 
** EDIT
 
one more thing.... if you want to try IEMs out, they don't cancel noise like an NC can, but sometimes you can get a good seal and block a lot of noise out. While triple flanges do this best, you might want to check out the Monster Turbine, which is basically the sound signature of the Beats Studios in an IEM. It's also much cheaper, like less than half the price at some sites (like Amazon). Durability though is a bit iffy. But if you want Beats Studio sound in a small package on the cheap, these are the way to go.