[guyverlord3]

So this is the first time i am buying a nice set of headphones, have not spent over 15 dollars ever. my friend has a set of teh monoprice 8232 and i tried them out for a day and my head was hurting in the location it hit my head. So I have decided I want to send around 100$ on a nice set. I have been looking at the Audio technica M40x. My friend is a huge fan of audio technica so he said they were good. I tried a pair on today at Guitar Center and they sounded nice and felt real good. I listen to techno, classical music, and something with a good beat. I was just wanting to know if that is my best bang for my buck that want split my head open if I wear them for 6-8 hours at a time. If other brands or better please tell me. I am new to this stuff. 

 

[Boochie]

   I am new to this stuff. 

Since you are new, you need to consider the following BEFORE you make a choice or ask for help:
 
There is wide variety of headphones to choose from but first and foremost, you must decided what will be the source you will be using to power whichever headphones you ultimately end up purchasing.  Match your purchase to the source.  In other words, you must make sure your source is able to properly drive whichever headphone you end up buying.
 
Second, what kind of music do you enjoy listening too and what kind of headphone are you looking for?  You like deep, thumping BASS?  Or, do you want something more neutral.  Or, maybe you want a balanced set of phones.
 
Then, you need to consider what bitrate (quality) you plan to listen to.  High end headphones benefit from high quality recordings (high bitrates).  Poor quality recordings will sound like crap on quality headphones.  
 
Give us some more information (answer the questions above) and we will know better how to guide you.  

 

[guyverlord3]

1.I listen on my andriod tablet at work. I just stream spotify or pandora over it. Also will use my phone for the same thing. 
 
2. I listen to Techno/Trance, Classic( Beethoven), 80s hair bands, and stuff I with a good beat. I am looking for over the ear because alot of people talk where I work and I want to focus on what I am doing. I guess balanced so I can really listen to all that I stated.
 
3. I am streaming from those location. Not sure the bitrate, but what ever spotify or pandora is. I go free because I listen to alot and don;t want to stop. May download some trance so I can get more into, but not sure.  
 
but I am wanting to spend 100. tax not included 

 

[Boochie]

Okay.
 
If I understand you correct, your source is going to be, for the most part, unamped meaning you are not going to be using any sort of outside headphone amp (other than the one built into your device).  If that's the case, you should select a pair of headphones that are 65 ohms or less.  If you choose anything over that, you probably won't be satisfied with the sound quality or the volume level.  Lower ohms means that they a easier to drive (take less power).
 
I too use Spotify.  However, I have the paid version (subscription).  I think the bit rate on the paid version of is 320kbps.  I believe the free version is up to 192kbps which is still very good so you should be fine there.  Just remember, always look for the highest quality recording you can find to get the best out of your headphones.
 
Having said all that, almost any offering from Audio Technica, Sony, Sennheiser, AKG, Beyerdynamics, etc should work just fine for you.  Stick with a major brand name and buy them from a retailer with a generous return policy, just in case you don't like them.  Some models to select from just to get you started:
 
Sony MDR-7506 or Sony MDR-V6
Audio Technica ATH-30x or Audio Technica ATH-30
Audio Technica ATH-35
Audio Technica ATH-40
Sony MDR-XB400 (maybe an on ear model--not sure)
Sennheiser HD280pro
Shure SRH440
AKG K240
AKG K172
Sony MDR-V55
Sennheiser HD202/HD203
Sennheiser HD201
Sennheiser HD205
Sennheiser HD428
Panasonic RP-HTF600-S
Koss ProDJ100 or Koss ProDJ200
Superlux HD661
 
And their are others but you will have to decide what is right for you and what your sound preferences are.
 

 

 

 

 

[guyverlord3]

Ok. and if i get a headphone amp
 
1. what headphones should I get.
2, How much are some good headphone amps and what do they add to the sound quailty

 

[UNIFi]

So you are planning to listen from work, are you really concerned about appearance?
 
One headphone I've immediately thought of is the Fischer/Brainwavz HM5 and its clones. Its a very very good headphone for the price if you decide to get a clone of them which as the headphone is actually a OEM make. This means there are $70-80 dollar versions out there of this headphone, one which many are happy paying over $150 as the Fischer branded version.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/491632/review-fischer-audio-fa-003-a-neutral-champ/2820
 
This is a good thread to ask for information about them.

 

[Boochie]

  Ok. and if i get a headphone amp
 
1. what headphones should I get.
2, How much are some good headphone amps and what do they add to the sound quailty

These are very tough questions to ask and there is no good answer. Why?  Because there are hundreds of options and combinations and sound quality is very much a subjective subject.  Therefore, I can't tell you which headphone to get and I really don't want to make a recommendation because what sounds good to me may not sound good to YOU.
 
Having said that, I will answer your question about the amp.  Headphone amps are, primarily, intended to be for at home use.  Sure, there are portable headphone amps but I find them cumbersome to lug around and too much trouble to try to set up and then move again to a new location.  So, I would say that if you mainly going to use the headphones at work, I would just find a set of headphones that can be used WITHOUT an amp.
 
I said I would not make a recommendation but if you backed me into a corner and forced me to give you one, I would recommend the Sony MDR-7506 or Sony MDR-V6. They are essentially the same model, highly sought after and are very well received.  Here is a link to the reviews of them on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/product-reviews/B000AJIF4E/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_btm?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending.  You can see my review about half way down the page.
 
I encourage you to check out all the models I listed.  Read the reviews.  Pay particular attention to the things people say they don't like about them.  Then make up your mind how close your expectations are to what you are reading.

 

[guyverlord3]

UNIFi- I really don't care how they look. If they bulky that fine. Means people will notice them and send me an email or IM instead of talking to me.
 
Boochie- Thanks for the advise. I will look into those. My friend gave me the monoprice 8232. So I think I am going to get me a 100$ pair of over the ear and then a headphone amp fiio 11, what I see alot of people are using.
 
If anyone else wants to chime in that would be great. Trying to get a idea what to get.

 

[guyverlord3]

Ok after talking in the amp area. I have decided that I am going to spend $200 on headphones. I am also going to get a fiio e07k. What headphones would yall suggest at that price point? I was looking at audio technica ATH-M50x.

 

[DangerClose]

$200 is a lot for someone who has never spent more than $15 on headphones before and says he is new to this stuff.  Having the 8323 already (I assume you mean 8323 since I can't find 8232 anywhere) and knowing what it sounds like is a good start though since it's so common you can look up people comparing that to other headphones.  Also, look at how many "giant killer" headphones for around $50 or less people talk about.  One of those might be just what you're looking for, or would be a good pair to use for a while to then figure out exactly what you want for your next pair.  If comfort is the main problem with the 8323, there are plenty of headphones more comfortable, and lighter, than those.  
 
If they're for work and other people are nearby, you'll probably want closed headphones.  That alone will narrow down your options.

 

[Boochie]

Ok after talking in the amp area. I have decided that I am going to spend $200 on headphones. I am also going to get a fiio e07k. What headphones would yall suggest at that price point? I was looking at audio technica ATH-M50x.

The Sonys I mentioned are just as nice (if not better) than the ATH-M50s and they cost less. Don't discount the Sonys just because the don't cost $200. They are damn fine headphones.

 

[guyverlord3]

I will have to try them out. Also thanks for the idea of moving to 320Kbps. Start Google Play Music, streams at 320kbps wifi, and my 8232 sound even better now. Can't wait to try on better headphones.

 

[Boochie]

One more thing you should know about this hobby.  The Law of Diminishing Returns is in full effect and hits awful hard. 
 
Spending more money doesn't guarantee better sound quality.  Be aware of this. I have a pair of $25.00 headphones that sound ALMOST as good as a $250 pair of my headphones.  Are there differences in the two?  You betcha, but I did not get 10 times better sound quality from the $250 headphones over the $25.00 ones. 
 
However, like I said before, sound quality is very subjective.  Good luck.

 

[guyverlord3]

I decided I am going to get a DAC/AMP first, fiio e07k, after reading that buyers guide that someone posted a few weeks ago. I think that will give me a good base before getting new headphones. Like I said my friend gave me his 8323 monoprice because he upgraded. So I'm going to use that for now and wait to make a headphone purchase after I buy the e07k by fiio. unless someone says that is not good.