[TheChuckster]

 
After having the Sennheiser PX100, Etymotic ER6i, and Yuin PK3 die on me (the sound would only be heard out of one ear unless I jiggled the wire in a really specific way), I have decided to buy more reliable higher-end headphones because even after resoldering the connector on the Senns, they died again. I really loved the Sennheiser PX100 sound the most and hated the Etymotic sound. With the Sennheisers, the bass was deep and clean, and the highs were detailed. I like bass to be present but not overpowering or artificially boosted. The thing that impressed me the most was the soundstage -- I would hear sounds from the headphones and turn my head thinking they were coming from outside in real-life. If I could pick a target sound, that would be it. I listen to a lot of electronica like chillout, trance, dubstep, drum and bass, along with other demanding genres like classical so I'm looking for headphones that cater to these tastes and sound like the PX100.
 
The thing is I just can't seem to find what I'm looking for here. At first, I looked at the Sennheiser HD595 headphones thinking I could get a higher-end version of the PX100s since I really liked their sound, but I heard they have bad reviews and that the bass isn't very good. I liked that they were open headphones though. Do you have any recommendations for a $300 max budget? Maybe the HD595 is what I am looking for after all... I would like to try to stay away from amps since I have a Sansa Clip and a Creative Audigy 2 soundcard that I use to listen to music with, but if needed, I could probably solder together a DIY CMoy amp at university. I'm looking at brands like AKG, Denon, Audiotechnica, and of course Sennheiser, but they all seem to have their strengths and weaknesses -- nobody seems to be dead-on for trance music.

 

[Mr Joboto]

I haven't got mine yet, but from all accounts the Ultrasone HFI-780 may be a good bet for you

 

[clou91]

I've got a pair of HFI 780s which I recabled and modded and they're pretty good for electronic type music. Stock the bass is huge and a little uncontrolled IMO, but some dampening in the cups tightens the bass up while retaining the impact. I like mine enough that I don't feel the need to "upgrade" to any higher end Ultrasone models and IMO, the 780s are a steal for the $190 they are going for on Amazon.

 

[NapalmK]

I primarily listen to trance and can vouch for Ultrasones. They do exceptionally well with trance and the like. I'll recommend the Pro 750 which is essentially an all around more refined version of the 780 both are extremely good choices though. I believe there is a Pro 750 in the FS forum for $200 if it isn't already gone. Also Denons do a pretty good job with trance as well.

 

[Acix]

You can try the HFI-550/580, or the Pro/PL-650 better sound stage.

 

[Ypoknons]

HD595 is great in the sense they're efficient and they don't have glaring weaknesses, just generally lower performance than a HD650 for example... Electronica would definitely benefit from deeper bass than the HD595's can give you.