[TheNewGuy8]

Hi all I know this is a subjective thing, but I'm looking for a pair of portable headphones that are not silly looking for use in public cafes.  
 
Things that seem like they fit the bill looks-wise:
 
Senn PX100, Bose Triports, Bose on-ear.
 
Anyone have experience with the Senn PX200 II?
 
I'd love all suggestions of headphoens with bands that stick close to the head and cups that aren't tooooo large.  I don't have a preference for open or closed.
 
Thanks!

 

[takoyaki7]

Monster Turbine Pro Gold
 

 

[vernicex]

b&w p5, decent performance and awesome look

 

[JxK]

If you're looking for discreet headphones, the sennheiser px200-ii is a great choice. Tiny, light, and good sounding. If going unnoticed is your goal, these are ideal.
 
If you want a fullsize headphone try the phiaton ms400, or perhaps the above mentioned b&w p5. Fullsize headphones will naturally garner more attention than the diminutive px200-ii, but both the ms400 and p5 will only turn heads in a good way.

 

[rymd]

I've always thought the meelec ht-21 looked nice

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Beats. You'll only be embarassing on Head-Fi. Elsewhere, most people will go, "Cool! Dre Beats!" and others still might say, "That's what they were wearing on Idol last night!"
 
 
On a more serious note, I sit in public cafes wearing Grados. I just don't walk with those because the cables are too long and too thick; I just keep them in the bag until I sit down with my coffee and a slice of cake.

 

[Bum0]

Haha!...  I really had to laugh on that one!  I was going to say the Copper since I just got that in the mail...  Looks ridiculous, I'm returning it.... hate to see what the Gold looks like.
Quote:

Monster Turbine Pro Gold
 

 

 

[munkyballz]

Quote:

Haha!...  I really had to laugh on that one!  I was going to say the Copper since I just got that in the mail...  Looks ridiculous, I'm returning it.... hate to see what the Gold looks like.


 

idk, they just look like IEM's to me.  i suppose they are a little bit shiny, but nothing outrageous.  i'm not sure what exactly you would be looking for if you thought iem's like those would look too ridiculous or embarrassing to you...
 
to the op, the b&w P5 look great, have solid build quality,  and have good sound.
 

 

[macrocheesium]

Ultrasone HFI Series, and the Koss Pro DJ100. Those and the already mentioned MS 400 (which gets my vote).

 

[sml1226]

Beats. You'll only be embarassing on Head-Fi. Elsewhere, most people will go, "Cool! Dre Beats!" and others still might say, "That's what they were wearing on Idol last night!"
 
 
On a more serious note, I sit in public cafes wearing Grados. I just don't walk with those because the cables are too long and too thick; I just keep them in the bag until I sit down with my coffee and a slice of cake.

See, people would comment on the Grados (negatively) here and ignore the Beats because they're everywhere. If you want to fit in with the beats look, just get anything black or white that's really glossy. Shure SRH240 for example, you'd blend in fine. People would probably notice you and think you were just wearing beats if you walked down the street here. They might actually be disappointed that you're wearing a brand they've never heard of if they got close enough to see Shure on them.

I haven't heard the Shure's, so I'm not recommending them, I'm just saying that's an idea if you don't want to stand out in a bad way (in most places).

 

[Postalisback]

AKG K518 DJ, I think they look pretty smart (although haven't seen anyone else wearing a pair so take this with a pinch of salt lol)
 
Also I have seen Sennheiser HD25-1 II being used in public, they look okay too.

 

[yliu]

the B&W P5 definitely looks very classy! I think the Sennheiser HD400 series look decent, it doesn't really catch peoples attention.

 

[Ultrazino]

 
Ultrasone Zino. Pure sexiness!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
Quote:

See, people would comment on the Grados (negatively) here and ignore the Beats because they're everywhere. If you want to fit in with the beats look, just get anything black or white that's really glossy. Shure SRH240 for example, you'd blend in fine. People would probably notice you and think you were just wearing beats if you walked down the street here. They might actually be disappointed that you're wearing a brand they've never heard of if they got close enough to see Shure on them.

I haven't heard the Shure's, so I'm not recommending them, I'm just saying that's an idea if you don't want to stand out in a bad way (in most places).

Well, most people I know loved the Grado look, even female friends and friends' girlfriends. Only my cousins didn't like them, but these guys are with the "buy only Apple gear so my laptop, desktop, player and iPad match each other" and "people still use CD's?! / what's an amp for? / what the heck is that? (points to vacuum tube)" crowd. By contrast, my female friends and friends' girlfriends are the sort who like vintage fashion. In short, the girls can see how their 1950's print in updated cut clothes match the WW2-look Grados; trendy cousins hate the WW2 look. (Oddly enough, they like film rangefinders and hate m4/3. Weird; I've wanted the M9 since it came out just to match the SR225.)

 

[TheNewGuy8]

Thanks everyone for the responses - very helpful.
 
The B&W's ARE gorgeous though they're expensive for this purpose (I'll be taking these in and out of a backpack a lot, so I'd hate to drop a pair fo $300 cans.
 
I like the grado look too, though the long cords can be a pain, right?
 
I'm not looking for IEMS (they hurt my ears) and I'm not a fan of the Beats look.  What do folks think of the Sony MDR-V6's? Are they too big for normal use? I like those Ultrasones though I haven't heard much about them.  How do they compare with Senn's PX200 II's?
 
Thanks all.