[SpringHalo]

   i've been listening to music, and customizing speakers and such for all my life, but haven't been introduced to the high-end music "area" yet. Last year, I discovered lossless, but never really pursued it.
 
   I'm trying to figure out a good pair of headphones to become my all around pair, mainly for listening at home, or on the road (not driving) But i'm not sure if I want to sacrifice sound immersion for portability.
 
   Currently, I'm using an iPod Touch 2nd gen
i've had good luck with KOSS in ear headphones, so I've been through 2 pairs of those.
 
with MP3s and Apple Lossless music.
The genres I'm into are mainly Alternative rock, as well as Classical and some techno
 
   I'm not the super bassy type, but I want all around good phones. Stumbling through this site, I have just been overwhelmed. I'm thinking of getting ether the sennheiser HD280's, which were the first headphones I found good reviews on, but coming to this site, I've seen a lot of 280 haters.
   Another set I've seen are the ATH-A700s with apparent good reviews (good bass, excellent noise cancellation), but they seem to be quite large and unwieldy, with a really long cord.
 
Should I go with the closed over-ear headphones? Or are there any suggestions for more portable ones? Preferably under $100.
 
Thanks.

 

[Ashy]

I have a pair of HD595 and grado SR225 and both of these are light enough to be 'portable' though the grados are probably the better of the two for it.  It depends how portable you want them to be though, you couldn't go jogging with either of them but sitting in a car would be fine.
 
Just keep reading http://headphonereviews.org though and keep an eye on the For Sale forum here and you'll pick up something you like eventually.

 

[Mr Joboto]

ATH-M50?

 

[VALIENTE]

Grado SR60-the gateway to audiophile world of headphones. This is my first headphone.

 

[SpringHalo]

The grados sr60's look fairly portable, but would you suggest getting the sr80's?
Also, are the Grados open-air? Because I was thinking of an isolation-type headphone, so I don't bother anyone around me. :S

 

[earerror]

The Beyer DT770 have a respectable level of isolation. A little over your budget though...

 

[SpringHalo]

yeah, that is a bit too high for my budget. The grados seem to be small enough to give good sound, and by not using total isolation techniques, it removes the need for large sound chambers.
 
about how loud is the ambient noise coming out of these 'phones (the grados)
because I'm thinking more portability than isolation now, and the grados are pretty affordable too..

 

[supersleuth]

Quote:

about how loud is the ambient noise coming out of these 'phones (the grados)
 

Very. Everyone around you will get to share your music.

 

[brandnewgame]

Unless you're at all finnicky about second hand gear, I can't recommend it enough. As everyone on here will come to realise, enough is never enough. Now, I'm not dissuading you from starting on the journey in becoming an 'audiophile', it's very exciting to hear wonderful sounds, but you'll always be wondering what the next step up, or even what the competition, sounds like. When I bought a pair of Sony MDR-7509HD studio headphones I thought I would be set for life. I'm now in the process of buying a second amp to try to control the bass on some Grado GS1000s (their biggest flaw). Once you love hearing beautiful reproduction of music, you'll want a variety of gear to make the most of it. Buying second hand means that you've got more money for the next upgrade, or haven't really lost much if you come to the conclusions that the Grado sound signature isn't your thing. Buying second hand lets you try more stuff, and only by hearing it first hand will you know if its how you think music should be reproduced.
 
I can totally understand if for whatever reason it's not your thing. It would be good to audition these headphones if possible, especially if you're planning to buy new. Sadly I haven't heard your suggested headphones so I can't comment, but until you hear a few pairs, the comparisons between them will be a very rough guide.
 
Edit: oops, why did I start ranting. Oh yes, I was going to recommend the DT770s second hand since open headphones are only enjoyable for me in a very quiet environment (I had to ditch a noisy PC for that reason). It's quite rare to find somebody who doesn't like Beyerdynamics on here, and I've always wanted to give them a try. Good luck either way.

 

[taam]

I 2nd the Grado suggestion.  Goto a local hifi store that carries them and listen to the different models.  Even the iGrado's sounds good in my opinion and would be the most portable option from grado.

 

[SpringHalo]

 
Quote:

Unless you're at all finnicky about second hand gear, I can't recommend it enough. As everyone on here will come to realise, enough is never enough. Now, I'm not dissuading you from starting on the journey in becoming an 'audiophile', it's very exciting to hear wonderful sounds, but you'll always be wondering what the next step up, or even what the competition, sounds like. When I bought a pair of Sony MDR-7509HD studio headphones I thought I would be set for life. I'm now in the process of buying a second amp to try to control the bass on some Grado GS1000s (their biggest flaw). Once you love hearing beautiful reproduction of music, you'll want a variety of gear to make the most of it. Buying second hand means that you've got more money for the next upgrade, or haven't really lost much if you come to the conclusions that the Grado sound signature isn't your thing. Buying second hand lets you try more stuff, and only by hearing it first hand will you know if its how you think music should be reproduced.
 
I can totally understand if for whatever reason it's not your thing. It would be good to audition these headphones if possible, especially if you're planning to buy new. Sadly I haven't heard your suggested headphones so I can't comment, but until you hear a few pairs, the comparisons between them will be a very rough guide.
 
Edit: oops, why did I start ranting. Oh yes, I was going to recommend the DT770s second hand since open headphones are only enjoyable for me in a very quiet environment (I had to ditch a noisy PC for that reason). It's quite rare to find somebody who doesn't like Beyerdynamics on here, and I've always wanted to give them a try. Good luck either way.

Yeah, I've been looking around the FS section of the site, but i'm still hard pressed to find anything in my price range that fits my needs. I guess i'll keep on looking!
 

 

[Slaughter]

SpringHalo, Any reason you skipped the M50 recommendation above? In the budget, isolation and great entry into head-fi.

 

[zmd]

Light bass not gonna be a problem? Go for the Sennheiser HD428/448. They sound about the same (great, that is), the HD448 has more options (short/long cable).
 

 

[classakg]

The  ATH-M50's can fill your musical needs on this! 

 

[SpringHalo]

Those look great, but might be a small bit too large. I've been looking at a used pair of Grado SR125's for 100 dollars. Is that a reasonable price? And what is the approximate ratio of noise coming out of one earphone into your ear, to the noise coming out of the back of it? '
 
Update: fail. They're sold already. 120 is pretty much my MAX for headphones, if they were going to be a really good pair for the price, but from what i've seen, something ~$80  would be more preferred, as i'm not really thinking of graduating from these 'phones for two to three years. Live out the investment :3