[KHart0126]

Hi everyone.
 
I've been asking around and I only seem to get people saying Skullcandy or Beats as an answer to this question. So I figured coming here and asking would be better.
 
I'm looking to spend $150 on headphones for rock and metal bands. What are the best available for that price?

 

[Kerry56]

Grado's are generally recommended around here for rock.  Both the SR60i and SR80i are within your budget constraints. 
 
I have the SR60i and really enjoy them, but you should know that Grado's tend to be very polarizing headphones....people tend to really like them or really dislike them, with a few in the middle.  Comfort with them can be an issue also. So I have a hard time recommending them to anyone who cannot audition them.
 
But what they do well, they do very well indeed.  Electric guitar and vocals can be amazing with Grado's. 
 
If you like a heavy bass emphasis in your headphone, you'll probably want to look elsewhere.  Grado's in this price range have clean, punchy bass, but don't have deep bass extension and the reverberation that bass heads crave.
 
Grado's are also open back and leak sound if that is an issue.
 
Let us know a bit more about your tastes in music..we don't mind if you get specific.  And let us know if you need isolation or not.

 

[djviciouscycle]

My favorites for rock are the Pioneer HDJ-1000.  They have this upper midrange spike which accentuates distorted guitars in a nice way.
 
I've never tried Grados, but I think it might be worth it for me to hear some.

 

[KG Jag]

Spend another $20 or so and get the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro.  They are bright (but not as bright) as the open Grado's; have superior bass and are much more comfortable.  They are also closed, so you won't bother those around you as might with open cans.

 

[Chris_Himself]

Home or mobile use?

 

[Azathoth]

Grados do electric guitar distortion the most justice, either the SR80i or the Alessandro MS1i are good choices within your price range. If you can stretch the budget a bit more, go for the Beyerdynamic DT150, they have this amazing tonality for rock and metal with the DT100 velour pads - they're my primary headphone and I'd definitely buy them again if they ever broke (unlikely as they're built like a tank).

 

[KHart0126]

Well right now I have a pair of Marley headphones I got for Christmas and I do like them, the only problem is they are extremely heavy with bass and don't sound as well as I had hoped for rock and metal music.
 
Some bands I listen to are Breaking Benjamin, Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Red, Five Finger Death Punch, Demon Hunter, and Skillet.
 
Also home use.

 

[308med]

 
Welcome to headfi, KHart.
 
From what you've posted so far, I'm guessing that you're very new to the world of high(er) grade audio equipment and don't have (or necessarily want) a dedicated headphone amp. As such, while you peruse the forum for information on different headphones, keep in mind that you're going to want to get a set that has a low impedance (# ohm). A low impedance means that your ipod/laptop/whatever will be able to easily drive the headphone properly at regular/higher volumes. The definition of "low" kind of varies depending on what you're using to drive the headphones, but I'd say a safe bet would be anything under 200 ohm at the absolute max. You could definitely go higher if you want, but you might find the volume of the headphone to be too low even when your ipod/laptop is maxed out.

Having owned the SR225 and auditioned the SR60 & 80, I agree 100% with what Kerry said (I ended up returning the SR225 after a few weeks due the issues/characteristics listed in Kerry's post--good headphone, not my cup of tea). 
 
That being said, I highly encourage you to search/browse the forum a bit more. There are a LOT of headphones out there in this price range and even more threads covering this topic. Don't limit yourself to what has been posted here thus far. You should probably do your own research and then come back to post a narrowed down list of what you think might work out. It'd be far more effective as this thread is only likely to get a few random recommendations from the people that happen to see it. Additionally, if you don't mind buying used, you should probably check out the FS section as most headfiers (from my experience, at least) take pretty good care of their audio equipment and buying used will open up your range a lot more.
 
 
 
TL/DR: Start over, beginning here:
 
 http://www.head-fi.org/search.php?advanced=1&search=%24150&titleonly=1&byuser=&output=all&containingforum%5B%5D=4&replycompare=gt&numupdates=&sdate=0&newer=1&sort=relevance&order=descending&Search=SEARCH
 
Good luck,
308med
 

 

[LithoJazoSphere]

Low impedance is not a bad starting point, but it can be a little misleading in terms of how hard a headphone is to drive, because you have to take into account sensitivity and other factors.  And even if the volume is loud enough, the sound quality can still be lacking if a headphone is not driven properly. 
 
For your needs a Grado SR-80i or Ultrasone HFI-780 would work well.  Alternative rock and metal like the artists you mentioned is especially one of the Grado's fortes.  The Shure SRH-840 is also worth looking into.

 

[clarkb]

Quote:

Well right now I have a pair of Marley headphones I got for Christmas and I do like them, the only problem is they are extremely heavy with bass and don't sound as well as I had hoped for rock and metal music.
 
Some bands I listen to are Breaking Benjamin, Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Red, Five Finger Death Punch, Demon Hunter, and Skillet.
 
Also home use.

I also listen to all of those bands quite often, recently mostly Red, Demon Hunter, TFK, and Skillet though. While they sound amazing with my K702, the kick drum and some of the bass guitar doesn't have the impact/presence that I feel the music should have. Listening with my Q460 is much more "fun" sometimes, but I end up missing the detail of the K702.
So I think a closed-back phone might be better suited, but something more "hi-fi" than the Q460.

 

[308med]

Quote:

Low impedance is not a bad starting point, but it can be a little misleading in terms of how hard a headphone is to drive, because you have to take into account sensitivity and other factors.  And even if the volume is loud enough, the sound quality can still be lacking if a headphone is not driven properly. 

 
 
^I totally agree. I just felt like, for someone new to the field, that impedance is one of the more salient (and simple) factors in just getting headphones up and running to a level where you can start to enjoy them. Everything else, imo, is something to start considering once you get a bit more involved in building a complete audio system. Then again, I was a pretty ignorant kid when I started out which is why I'm (incorrectly?) assuming the OP is the same and not someone experienced with audio equipment/looking for more than simply a headphone to plug in and play.

 

[KingOfTheWild]

Jeez 308med . . . you call people ignorant all the time?

jk

 

[Astrozombie]

Everything i tried the bass drums just weren't there the way i want them to be, until i tried Ultrasone. If they have to be portable the Sennheiser HD-25, which i eventually plan on getting, are supposed to be some of the best cans for Metal.
 
First i want to check out these Monoprice 8323s for $20 which are supposed to isolate well and have good bass. Don't forget to check out some IEMs, i first started with the MeElectronics M9 and was plenty happy. Brainwavz M1/M2 i know you would enjoy as well.

 

[Angelbelow]

Im in a similar boat but I looking at a ~300$ budget. I've also been recommended the grados or the alessandros. The models that fit your 150$ price range from those respective companies would be a great place to start.

 

[Han Bao Quan]

I had the SR125i, those were great. I sold them and got the RS1i, and I actually prefer RS1i over my Denon and HE-500 for rock, and that's saying something.