[Kestrel452]

I've had my SR80i for 5 years now, and it was my first initiation into hi-fi headphones. I'm looking for something that'd be a decent upgrade from them. I'm pretty sure I want to go closed-back since I'd like to be able to use them on the go and even at home without other people hearing what i'm listening to. I mostly use cans for music, but also video games sometimes. I'm not tied to any particular music genre, so as the title says and all-rounder pair would be best. I don't want to break the bank so $250 is pretty much my limit. I also need it to work well just plugging straight into my laptop and iphone, I don't want to mess around with amps. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[Trunks159]

There are a ton of options at that price including:
MDR MA900
DT880
SR225I
ATH AD900x
Q701

 

[Kestrel452]

There are a ton of options at that price including:
MDR MA900
DT880
SR225I
ATH AD900x
Q701

Thanks for the recommendations. I'm looking for something to really bring my music alive. 
 
I thought the Q701 was open-air though? I'm looking mainly for a closed back pair of cans to do this.

 

[Sonido]

KEF M500. Get from Razordog Audio with $50 off coupon and that puts you squarely at $250. I use them at work, and they're very well rounded if you're comfortable with on-ears.
 
Some comparisons.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/672743/comparisons-b-w-p7-psb-m4u2-momentum-mdr-1r-qc15-dt1350-ue9000-beats-studio-2013-executive-kef-m500-and-skullcandy-aviators

 

[Me x3]

Hi,
 
You should consider Shure Srh-840.
I've also read good things about Soundmagic HP100.
 
Best Luck!

 

[jeremy205100]

I don't own them, but I'd agree with the KEF M500, especially if you don't want to mess with an amp. They sound amazing and are built like tanks. The only downside is that they are on-ear, not over-ear. If that isn't a deal breaker then these are your best bet.

 

[Kestrel452]

How about for over-ear headphones?

 

[Sonido]

Is portability important? Are you going to be using them on a bus or outside walking?

 

[Kestrel452]

Yeah thats why I want closed back, so I can take them out in public. 

 

[Sonido]

You should know then that most around-ears are too large to be considered portable. Even closed back ones with low enough impedance to not require an amp will likely come with a thick 2 meter cable that makes it unsuitable for portable use. If you really want around-ear, closed, portable, and doesn't require amping, that link I gave earlier pretty much covers all notable headphones that fit your description. I think only the M500 in that link are on-ear. Only the B&W P7 and Sennheiser Momentum are on par in sound quality with the M500 imo. Both are outside your price range, but you can try looking for deals on the Momentum which is $350 regular price. The P7 was released recently and there has not been any sales off its $400 price. Another one that people have said to be on the level of P7 or Momentum is the NAD HP50 which is $300 msrp. You can try to get one on sale and it would be close to your price point.

 

[HiDeF EnThusiAs]

I have big huge headphones..  Some DT 770's  lol..  they're closed Back..   I don't take them off..  it's so funny.. they almost keep you warm..   I'd say upgrade to some higher grado's but it nice to have closed headphones..     I have some AKG Hd 142's n I like em I seriously think the 701's would be great but I had to get some closed phones, so I looked at the Auto Technica ATX 900 for like 200 bucks.. up to nearly 40k response and the beyers' DT series up to 35K and they're comfortable so..   Bam!  there you go..  

 

[money4me247]

  You should know then that most around-ears are too large to be considered portable. Even closed back ones with low enough impedance to not require an amp will likely come with a thick 2 meter cable that makes it unsuitable for portable use. If you really want around-ear, closed, portable, and doesn't require amping, that link I gave earlier pretty much covers all notable headphones that fit your description. I think only the M500 in that link are on-ear. Only the B&W P7 and Sennheiser Momentum are on par in sound quality with the M500 imo. Both are outside your price range, but you can try looking for deals on the Momentum which is $350 regular price. The P7 was released recently and there has not been any sales off its $400 price. Another one that people have said to be on the level of P7 or Momentum is the NAD HP50 which is $300 msrp. You can try to get one on sale and it would be close to your price point.

that's not true. there are tons of portable closed over-ears designed for portable use on the market. if you are using them on-the-go, I would highly recommend over-ears (instead of on-ears) as they are generally more comfortable & more noise-isolating. what sonido is talking about is full-size closed over-ears like the AKG K550 vs Beyer DTs, but there are a lot of over-ears designed for portable use w/o an amp.
 
Within your budget of $250, there is the Logitech UE6000 ($100), Sony MDR-1R (sub-$200 w/ some searching), AKG K545 ($200 at razerdogaudio) off the top of my head. These all come w/ a short cable+mic designed for use w/ a smartphone.
 
IMO, the B&W Px series is over-priced. Momentum can be found for $300 on razerdogaudio. The $200 AKG K545 can compete with the momentums/HP50: http://www.head-fi.org/t/670709/akg-new-headphone-k545/585#post_10078792. NAD HP50 & KEF M500 have great reviews, but they are outta your price bracket.
 
EDIT: seems to me that the AKG K545 would be best suited for you & your budget.