[mdonova33]

How do you guys figure out which headphones you are going to buy? 
Do you go to someplace like Guitar Center and try a bunch of them on?

 

[Dubstep Girl]

i think everyone's story is a little different, however, guitar center does have good headphones.
 
mine had the m50s everyone likes as well as shure srh750dj, some decent sony/pioneer ones, and the beyerdynamic dt 770 - 80 ohm as well as some akgs
 
umm, trying them all on is definitely the best way to decide what to buy, you learn what sounds good and what doesn't, its quite easy to tell when you first put on a good pair of headphones and compare them to apple earbuds or skullcandies.

 

[NamelessPFG]

Read up on them here, buy a set online if I can afford it, and hope for the best.
 
It's hardly ideal since the only way to know for sure is to listen to them first, but I very highly doubt any audio store in my area stocks Stax equipment (and being electrostatic, it naturally has a very different sound to all the dynamic-based headphones that proliferate in the market). Thus, buying a used Lambda setup here was quite a bit of a gamble...but now that I have it, I'd say it paid off big time.
 
Of course, with more elusive and specialized equipment like that, you're more likely to break even if it's not to your tastes and want to pass it on to someone that would appreciate them.
 
For headphones that are available new, it might be worth tracking down a local audio shop that has them ready to audition, just to make sure they fit one's preferences in sound signature and are comfortable. (Admittedly, I didn't do this with the AD700s I used to have, but it still paid off there in that they also did exactly what I expected.)

 

[Brooko]

Definitely if you can get somewhere (store) with a good selection - trying in store can be very beneficial.  Depending on where in the world you are - see if you can get to a loacl head-fi member mini-meet as well.
 
Unfortunately - living in NZ - I don't really get access to either.  I am lucky enough though that when I travel, I often get to NY, and if I'm in the Manhattan area, I try to get to either B&H or J&R.  Both have good selections - and are pretty happy for you to listen - even to higher end gear.
 
When I first started though - I made a list of what I thought I wanted in a headphone - then found some basic cans from each major 'house' to see what I liked and didn't like.  The good thing is that as long as you look after your gear (keep all the packaging as well) you can buy and sell used without blowing too much money.
 
What I've found as I've progressed, is that I've now refined my idea of what I'm really looking for.  Without trying the cans I've tried along the way, I wouldn't have known what I really like and dislike.  IMO experience with different sounds so far has been enlightening.  The more you learn, the more you can narrow your searches - and eventually get to where you want to go.
 
I'm now very happy with a strictly mid-fi set-up (see sig), and at the present time (aside from tweaking/modding the Alessandros), I'm one of those 'rare' head-fiers who's not really looking to make too many changes int he next couple of years (last purchase will be a LD Mk3 or 4).
 
Anyway - my advice - start low end, find out what you like - then look for more specialised advice.

 

[tomb]

IMHO, you can trust the write-ups at headphone.com.  That's Tyll Hertsens's old company.  You can get somewhat of a reasonable idea looking at the reviews on Amazon, but you're never quite sure of the perspective of the writer.  Someone may be writing a review coming from the experience of Apple iPod earbuds.  On the other hand, some reviews may be from genuine studio professionals.  The trouble is, neither is what you really want to know if you are a budding headphone audiophile.  That's the perspective of Headroom.  Yes, they're in business to sell headphones and no doubt, whichever model is going to give them more profit is going to get a good review.  That said, however, most of the headphone mfrs compete in the same market and pretty much set their price at comparable performance.  Headroom can give you a decent clue about how to spread the differences.
 
Even if some of their reviews are slanted toward the more profitable headphones, you can still take advantage of their 30-day return policy.  I'm stating this and I've never purchased a headphone from them.  Even so, I've collected a number of headphones through the years in conjunction with my business.  I've also met Tyll in person and seen him present at a couple of meets (before he sold the business).  Based on my experience and my own headphone collection, Headroom's reviews are pretty much spot-on.  If you're a noobie and haven't tried anything yet, it seems like a pretty good deal and is a lot better than trying to figure things out on the open market through Amazon or Best Buys.
 
P.S. Not everybody can live in or visit New York and walk into a showroom like J&R or B&H Photo.  Both are great companies and I've spent $hundreds at each through the years - with satisfactory results.  However, you need to know exactly what you want before ordering from either of them.