[Ckaz]

They will be used mainly for ipod listening, so I don't want any headphones that would require an amp.
The Sennheiser 485's are way cheaper than they Beats, but I myself have listened to the Beats and was not all that impressed.
I listen to hip-hop, black metal, and techno/trance. This means I def like my base, but since I listen to metal, I need the base to be tight. Sometimes, the base is just too overpowering, and it is loose. The overall sound quality matters a lot more to me.

Which one is better?

 

[skidu]

I heard the Beats at the weekend and I too was quite disappointed. They didn't necessarily sound bad in any aspect but they certainly didn't live up to the £280 price tag - would probably pay around £100 for them max.
In regards to the HD485, i've had a pair for about 2 years now and use it mainly for my PC/iPod Classic - soundstage/bass are fantastic on these phones, especially considering they only cost me £45 -great for the music you listed.
Although advantage with the beats if they do look a lot 'cooler' compared to the bogey green of the Sennheisers - but they're for home use, so who cares!

 

[Uncle Erik]

I did not like the Beats or those Senns.

What's your budget? There are a lot of other headphones you ought to consider.

 

[sxr71]

There are 2 beats. The cheaper one and the expensive one. The cheaper one did not float my boat at all. The expensive one wasn't bad but there are much better phones for the price. I think it was $300 or $350.

 

[Ckaz]

I am talking about the expensive version of the beats.
I am not really sure what my budget is. I had seen the beats for sale for $250, so I suppose it would be around there.

I don't think the budget is so important though. I am not paying over $400, but anything below that is worth mentioning. The reason I say that the budget isn't that important is because most of those expensive $400+ headphones would require an amp for ipod listening.

I will repeat, these are primarily for mp3 listening, so I need headphones that won't require an amp. So basically I want the best in that category (headphones that won't require an amp for ipod/mp3 listening), no matter the price.

 

[DJPixcell]

I would not reccomend any 'Beats' branded headphone. The sound is horrible for what you are paying for, it may be acceptable at $50.. but not for $300+.

I have been looking at 2 pairs of headphones, you may want to check them out as well.

Shure SRH840 headphones, and the Denon AH D2000 headphones.

I'm not sure about the 840's, but I have been told that the D2000's do not require a amp to sound good, though it would be recommended if you wanted to meet its maximum potential.

 

[wordfool]

The Shures (which I have) are designed as monitor phones, so have a flatter response overall, which some people might find a bit uninspiring. The Denons AFAIK are a bit more punchy (tho I've not heard them... just considered buying them) and what some might call "fun" to listen to.

Price wise, however, the Shures can be had for significantly less than the Denons (about $150 vs. about $200). I also considered the Audio Technica ATH-M50, which is also available for about $150ish and has a lot of fans.

 

[mythless]

So I am guessing the OP would like an easy to drive headphones, with good tight bass, seems like the OP prefers closed headphones...I say give the SRH840 a try.

 

[Ckaz]

I'm really liking the sounds of the denon AH 2000's, and since it turns out there is a retailer where I live, I am going to go audition them over the weekend.

Mythless, you are right on my preferences, so I will give the SRH840's a look over too

 

[horribleman]

I listen to a lot of metal, and the Shure 840s are great, even unamped. They bring out everything in Arcturus' Sham Mirrors, if you're familiar with that record that should be a recommendation to you.

 

[pyrokid]

840s for the win, IMO.
nice, tight bass that doesn't overwhelm the rest of the music, and they're some of the most comfy phones I've tried.

 

[Ckaz]

the problem though is that the 840's are monitor headphones. Instead of making me appreciate the quality, I feel like monitor headphones would just bring out the bad in my mp3's, and in turn make my music less enjoyable, because as I said, these aren't for home theatre use. I will be using this primarily with my ipod.
I want something thats rich, and colourful, something I can awe my friends with, and something that will always make me look forward to wearing them.
Am I getting the wrong impression about the 840's?

 

[charliex]

I do not recommend any 'Beats' headphone. The sound is atrocious - $300+ for $40 headphones at best.
What's your budget - - and listen to the sage advice of Uncle Erik - he won't steer you wrong.

 

[cuba0555]

Again I like my Sony mdr-xb700 over my beats.
BTW: I find the bass on the sony to be powerful but slow(thats the only way to describe it). Hip-hop, techno/trance, dance, R&B, they do really well but not so good for metal. I find that they can't handle acoustical heavy music well. Fast hard drums, and roaring electric guitars are their Achilles' heel.

 

[headibob]

I don't pay attention to headphones all the time, but when I went to an Apple Store recently, Dr Dre was all over. They looked really nice, very sleek and sharp, and also very comfortable to wear. Sound isolation was excellent. But the sound itself was pretty horrible. They sounded pretty muddy and rough. The bass was just exaggerated and bloated out of proportion. I listened to classical music and vocal a lot, so I know what is real and what is artificial.

However when I switched to some hiphop music, the bass was very vivid and addictive. So I guess it's great for this type of music. But they are $$$$.

Happy listening.