Best ~$200 full-sized headphones for use at work
Jan 30, 2014 at 4:25 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 7

CheshireKate

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I lost the headphones I had, so it's time to bite the bullet and get a new pair.
 
I'm looking for a pair of on/over-ear headphones with very little noise leakage so I can turn it up without disturbing my workmates (I got complaints when I turned the volume all the way up on my old headphones)
Comfort is obviously also a big deal since I'll be wearing these all day every day. Can't have headphones that clamp down and crush my skull.
I mostly listen to Psytrance, Progressive, IDM, Glitch and Light Dub, with some occasional DnB, House, Electro, Techno, etc. so some cans with a good response curve for these types of music would be nice. I would love some headphones with good, punchy bass (I'd like to be able to *feel* the kick drums), but faithful reproduction and good separation are more important.
 
My budget is ~$200. I'd be willing to spend a little more (maybe up to $250) if it would make a big difference, and would prefer to spend less if I can do so and still get what I'm looking for.
 
So far the ones that seem to stand out to me the most are the Sony MDR-V6 and MDR-7506. I've also heard good things about ATH in terms of comfort, though I'm not sure which model would be best for me, or if I can get better value with them than I can with Sony (or someone else - there are so many options out there and so many conflicting opinions, I'm feeling a little lost)
 
Jan 30, 2014 at 5:26 PM Post #2 of 7
I haven't found a full-size headphone that you can't hear the music through if you're listening at good levels. K550, Amperior, Yamaha Pro, Momentum, UE6000, it's all audible to a degree if you're in a quiet environment. Maybe IEMs isolate a lot better. Out of all the closed headphones I've heard, the Yamaha 400 is the best in all areas, isolation included. I've written extensively on here about a lot of closed phones.
 
Feb 1, 2014 at 3:05 AM Post #3 of 7
The audio techinca ath-m50 would be perfect for you, imo, it's the best cans for the music you listen to (0-200$). They do leak sound at higher volumes though.

You should also take a look at sonys XB (500,700,1000) series, though these may be a bit too bassy, they,re also quite bulky.
 
Feb 1, 2014 at 10:02 AM Post #5 of 7
The ATH WS99 is my number 1 recommendation.  The MDR V6, M50, and all of those cans under $200 aren't in the same league.  It'd be foolish to compare them.  The K550 is light on bass, the DT770 is good but its bass isn't as good as the WS99, neither are the mids.  These cans were basically made for those genres,
 
Feb 1, 2014 at 2:38 PM Post #6 of 7
Definitely leaning toward the ATH WS99 now. I am a little bit concerned about their comfort level though - reading reviews of this pair on head-fi, one user says they are so comfortable you barely notice them, while another states they are very uncomfortable. Given that I'll be wearing them all day every day, comfort is very high priority. The Sennheiser HD 438s I used to have certainly weren't the best quality, but they were the most comfortable ones I've ever worn. Meanwhile, the Pioneer HDJ-2000s that a friend lent to me to use until I get new ones have been cited as being extremely comfortable, but leave my ears *very* sore after an 8-hour day (though I've also never heard better sound come out of a pair of headphones!)
 
Feb 1, 2014 at 7:14 PM Post #7 of 7
  The ATH WS99 is my number 1 recommendation.  The MDR V6, M50, and all of those cans under $200 aren't in the same league.  It'd be foolish to compare them.  The K550 is light on bass, the DT770 is good but its bass isn't as good as the WS99, neither are the mids.  These cans were basically made for those genres,

The AKG K545s are reported to fix the "light bass" problem of the K550. They have very light clamping pressure and I find them comfortable to wear for hours on end.
 

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