[bralack42]

Hi everyone, please excuse that I'm a newbie, but since I got my HD-497 cans a couple months ago, I've gotten really excited about headphones! Compared to the crap I used before, these sound great!

So here's the question: I'm looking for cans (around the $100-$150 range) that are portable (although good for home use) and sound great. I listen primarily to jazz as well as classical and a little bit of rock. I'm not gung-ho about too much bass, but rather something that sounds clear all around. Would Grados (SR-60, 80, or 125), for instance, suit me well?

I also don't use an amp, but I'd be interested in a nice inexpensive one that would enhance whatever you would recommend. I'm thinking HeadRoom AirHead.

Thanks everyone for this great place to learn about headphones!

 

[bangraman]

The Sony Eggo D66 might be just the thing you're looking for. Certainly they have the 'clear sound' that you seem to be looking for. It's ampable, very portable, and hasn't got too much bass. It's right on $100 as well.
If your use is mainly portable, forget Grados... They are even less unsealed than the Eggos, which are already borderline for slightly noisy areas, and are seemingly much harder to drive from portables despite their specs pointing otherwise. And that's before the inferior sound (certainly when comparing the D66 against the SR60).
Another one to look at is the bulkier Sennheiser HD280. Another popular phone here, getting towards the Grado harshness but much more practical for portable use as it folds, and also is fully sealed, In my opinion the general musical balance is inferior to the D66, but it may work for you.

 

[Steve999]

Well, I was just listening to acoustic jazz on my Sony MDR-V6s with the Beyer pads on them. Wait until you hear the low notes on an acoustic bass with these. It's awesome, and the rest of the sound is extremely clear, and these fold up and look decent too. These might be the ultimate high quality portable headphones. The bass is incredibly DEEP but not overdone. I have the HD-497s and I really like them too, but they're not portable, as I 'm sure you noticed. I have the Grado SR60s and they are great as well, but I don't think of them as portable either... they're not nearly so durable or convenient as the V6s. Good luck!

 

[bangraman]

How could I forget the V6?
It has some faults in the actual quality of sound, which are easier to notice than the HD280 and D66, but it's still a very good, practical headphone with an excellent (to me) musical balance.