Hello all.
Let me start by saying that I am a complete newbie to high end headphones, and hi-fi music in general. I've almost exclusively listened to my music with portable devices, and in my car, as I find my commute and workout schedule to be the best times for me to listen to my music. So, please forgive my ignorance with terminology, etc.
Basically, I am looking for the best portable, over/on the ear headphones available. I plan to use these around the house, at work, and on my commute. I now understand the source device and quality of the audio files also make a big difference after reading several threads on here. I currently use an iPhone 3GS, just for the convenience of having one multi-purpose device. However, I am now considering purchasing a dedicated portable media player if the sound quality is significantly better over my iPhone (cowon device comes to mind). I will have to sample a few of these out, but to start I will continue to use my iPhone, since this where I have all my music stored. I would get a portable amp for a nice pair of headphones, if necessary.
A few other pieces of information to help focus my search/question.
1. I have tried IEM headphones in the past, and I have always had problems with them due to sizing and/or excessive wax buildup. This is why I specified over/on the ear, closed back.
2. I will be listening mostly in noisy city environments. I live in NYC, so think buses and subways.
3. I listen to a wide range of music, from classical, jazz, r&b, metal, rock, and hip hop. So, I guess I am looking for something that has good performance all around ... if that's even possible? If I had to rank what I listen to most, it would be : metal/rock, hip hop, r&b, jazz
4. I really like the size and fit of the Beats by Dre, but I know they are a terrible choice, due to their construction quality and SQ for the price you're paying. My head is pretty small and thin, so smaller, adjustable headphones would be nice.
5. Budget is around $300
Given that information, are there any headphones you guys can recommend? I really appreciate any and all help, and if you need any additional information, please let me know.
I have read quite a few excellent reviews about the Shure SRH840, however, it seems to be really big, and no so portable. Is there anything similar to the quality of these, with a more portable application?
Thanks so much!
Dan