[Nizi123]

What about the HD 280 pro's. They seem like very popular headphones and their specs are really good. Anybody have em?

 

[drtturnip]

Unless you want to use eq I think you will be disappointed by the 555's lack of bass. Heck even with eq I don't like the bass on my 595's. Something semi closed or closed would be better for your music preference The hd280 suggestion makes sense. 

 

[Nizi123]

what about the Audio-Technica ATHM40FS? They seen just like the 280 pro's but cheaper. 

 

[ssrock64]

Quote:

what about the Audio-Technica ATHM40FS? They seen just like the 280 pro's but cheaper. 

They've had a few pretty nice reviews from consumer blogs and the like, but are not very oft-reviewed on Head-Fi, so you'll be hard-pressed to find expert reviews. However, they seem like a pretty nice set if you don't mind it feeling like its trying to squeeze your head to death.

 

[roma101]

CAL! or MDR-V6.

 

[Mr Portable]

if you like mids and highs - i listen to a lot of DMB and jazz - SRH 440 is unmatched when talking about closed headphones under $100. you'll need to EQ a bit of bass in but clarity-wise this is my recommendation. i have etymotic hf5s and and HD 598 (and a bunch of other below $100 phones PX100s and superluxes) and i know good quality drivers when i hear them remember: JAZZ and CLASSICAL and ROCK. hiphop is a nono. 
 
*i reread your original post, looks like you're looking for phones for hiphop - stay away from these then XD i love my srh 440s even if i have better sets because of my jazzy music collection. though if im at home i use the 598
 
I modded it to get rid of the heavy padding on the headband and improved the depth of the earpads - now its my headphone of choice on planes and coffee shops
 
paired it with an e10 fiio. 
 
 

 

[GigaFi]

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Dakmart
 
Personally, I wouldn't.
Quote:

unfortunately, the HD 555's sold out just before i was about to buy it. There is also this wesite, DAKMART.com, says they're an authorized dealer. They have some really low prices on alot of headphones. They don't seem that legit though. You have to call or email to use paypal? Has anyone used that wesite before? They also have a amazon store but they don't have alot there. 

 

 

[Nizi123]

Surprisingly, my hd 202's sold on amazon. I really like the Hd 280 pro's. But some reviews say that is doesn't have a good sound stage. I don't really know what that is. Something about how you can tell where the instruments are playing. Is that a big factor when buying headphones? Does is sound un-natural? And since those are monitoring headphones, they only play music how it was recorded. Is that a good thing?  And would $56 for a refurbished pair of hD 280 pro's be a good deal (with warranty)?

 

[Ubersanger]

Quote:

Surprisingly, my hd 202's sold on amazon. I really like the Hd 280 pro's. But some reviews say that is doesn't have a good sound stage. I don't really know what that is. Something about how you can tell where the instruments are playing. Is that a big factor when buying headphones? Does is sound un-natural? And since those are monitoring headphones, they only play music how it was recorded. Is that a good thing?  And would $56 for a refurbished pair of hD 280 pro's be a good deal (with warranty)?

How big a factor soundstage is depends on your listening preferences. Listening to rap and hip-hop, it probably won't be a major issue. For online gamers, it can be a big factor because they can tell better what direction someone is coming from. I don't own HD280's, but the criticism is they are a tad lacking in the "fun" factor in the sound, which is why people refer to them as "flat" Just not a lot of sparkle and not the most detailed out there. $56 is a reasonable price for refurbs. Its pretty common to see them marked down to $75 new if you're patient.
 
From what you have posted thus far, I sort of think that maybe the Creative Aurvana Live may be a good choice for you as an alternative. Again, if you are patient, they go on sale somewhat frequently on Amazon for anywhere from $55-$65. The HD280s will be more durable, though.
 

 

[Nizi123]

Does anybody own a pair of the JVC HARX900's? Or have listened to them? They have the same specs as higher end headphones but cost a lot less.

 

[ssrock64]

Quote:

Does anybody own a pair of the JVC HARX900's? Or have listened to them? They have the same specs as higher end headphones but cost a lot less.

The HARX series is a good value, but nothing astounding by any means.

 

[djviciouscycle]

The Hd280 is one of my personal favorites.
 
I just tried out my friend's HA-RX700 last night, and they were slammmin.  Amazing sound for such an inexpensive headphone.  I tested them out with some progressive trance on my iPod, and they just sounded awesome.

 

[cha0s]

My experience was that the 555s sound better after both being burned in and adding an amp, but straight from an iPod they are still good, especially for the price they're going for now.  However, they do lack bass, as "drturnip" said earlier. For "bass-y" music, I usually used my PX100-IIs instead, though there may be better options.

 

[Nizi123]

After listening to the Hd280 pros at guitar center, I wasn't really impressed. The bass was good but besides that, it didn't really sound like an upgrade from the202's. Maybe it was because it wasn't burned in but it wasn't THAT great. I am leaning towards the ultrasone hfi 580's. Ill wait a bit to see if they get marked down all. Does anybody have any experience with the 580's?

 

[ssrock64]

Quote:

After listening to the Hd280 pros at guitar center, I wasn't really impressed. The bass was good but besides that, it didn't really sound like an upgrade from the202's. Maybe it was because it wasn't burned in but it wasn't THAT great. I am leaning towards the ultrasone hfi 580's. Ill wait a bit to see if they get marked down all. Does anybody have any experience with the 580's?

I owned them. They're great if you're a basshead, but the mids suffer a bit. However, coming from the 202 it'll almost definitely still be an upgrade. I preferred my M50s when I had both of them at the same time, but I'm not much of a bass lover.