[seelamb]

Quote:

Without an amp and with the sound signature you want in a closed can, options are limited.  There is the Shure SRH 840 and Beyer DT 1350.
 
An amp opens up the Shure SRH 940, AKG K 550.

 
what kind of signature would bring out vocals and guitar? i ask for a punchy bass and warm mids but i'm not sure that would truly compliment what i listen to. and would a fiio e17 be good with the srh 940 and akg k550? i know i like a tight punchy bass for my pop/jazz though. and the infrequent hip hop that i listen to.

 

[Archenstone]

I'm hoping I wasn't skipped but I do have a question...
 
people use descriptors like Punchy and warm....what exactly do you mean? what are some of the common terms and their meanings? I'm showing my ignorance here but better to be informed than ignorant

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

 
what kind of signature would bring out vocals and guitar? i ask for a punchy bass and warm mids but i'm not sure that would truly compliment what i listen to. and would a fiio e17 be good with the srh 940 and akg k550? i know i like a tight punchy bass for my pop/jazz though. and the infrequent hip hop that i listen to.

It is very hard to beat the mids of the Shure.  The AKG will give you a bit more bass, provided you can get a proper seal, which is a problem for some--especialy if you have a beard or long sideburns and even (sometimes) glasses.  The problem is that punchy bass in your price range of closed cans is almost always paired with mids and highs you don't like.  Examples:Ultrasone HiFi 780 & Pro 750 and Denon AH-D2000.
 
I cannot help you with portable amp pairings, as I only use desktop amps and receivers.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

I'm hoping I wasn't skipped but I do have a question...
 
people use descriptors like Punchy and warm....what exactly do you mean? what are some of the common terms and their meanings? I'm showing my ignorance here but better to be informed than ignorant

This should help:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary

 

[seelamb]

Quote:

It is very hard to beat the mids of the Shure.  The AKG will give you a bit more bass, provided you can get a proper seal, which is a problem for some--especialy if you have a beard or long sideburns and even (sometimes) glasses.  The problem is that punchy bass in your price range of closed cans is almost always paired with mids and highs you don't like.  Examples:Ultrasone HiFi 780 & Pro 750 and Denon AH-D2000.
 
I cannot help you with portable amp pairings, as I only use desktop amps and receivers.

 
I see, well i have small ears if that affects the seal of the AKGs. What would be a good amp to pair with the AKGs and Shure's?

 

[eddieg24]

I am looking for a pair of over the air headphones in the 300 to 500 dollar range. Among the ones that seem to interest me are the he-400's pro900 and Senheisser 600's. I briefly had a pair of Beyer's 1250's. They were nice but just didn't excite me. Mid range was more laid back. My primary listening is classic rock and jazz. Occasionallt some classical. I have 60 year old ears, so keep that in mind. Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

I am looking for a pair of over the air headphones in the 300 to 500 dollar range. Among the ones that seem to interest me are the he-400's pro900 and Senheisser 600's. I briefly had a pair of Beyer's 1250's. They were nice but just didn't excite me. Mid range was more laid back. My primary listening is classic rock and jazz. Occasionallt some classical. I have 60 year old ears, so keep that in mind. Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

The Pro 900 is a basshead can.  So you don't want that.
 
The HE-400 & HD 600 are both excellent choices.  Also take a look at the (much cheaper) Q701, HD 650, (discontinued but still available) D5000 and DT 880 (+/-Pro).
 
BTW: did you mean to refer to the Beyerdynamic Tesla DT 1350?

 

[ksz210]

I have never invested money in a good pair of headphones, ive been using generic ones until last year when i bought a klipsh s4i, from what i heard they were the best in my price range. now im interested in purchasing a closed full size headphone. im a college student and i spend most of my time in noisier environments, so i need headphones that will isolate the noise. ive been doing a lot of research and everyone is saying to make sure the headphones have replaceable parts just incase something goes wrong. ive had my eyes set on the audio technica ath-m50, is that a good choice for what i need or is there something better? i love listening to classical/ instrumental music and occasionally a heavy bass song here and there. $150 is my maximum and if there is another headphone similar to the m50 but with a mic i might also consider them as well. 
 
Thank you very much in advance

 

[TheEvilNarwhal]

The basic story is that I am looking for a good pair of headphones that are open so I can listen at home. Closed can recommendations are allowed also. I will mainly be using them to listen to Alternative Rock, Rock, Metal, Classic Rock and a little bit of hip-hop(Beastie Boys, NWA), country, and house. If the headphones could be used for gaming or watching movies that is definitely an added plus. My budget is around $250. I have been recommended the sr225is because I mainly listen to alternative rock and rock. I was wondering if the sr60i with mods is worth the money it saves you or if I should just jump the gun on the sr225i's.
 

 

[eddieg24]

Yes I meant the Tesla driven 1350's. I bought those because I thought i wanted a more even sound, but now I think i want something with a bit more punch, thus the pro 900's. I don't know about the 701's. I've read such mixed things about them. I didn't realize the 650's were discontinued. Is there much of a difference between them and the 600's.
 

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Yes I meant the Tesla driven 1350's. I bought those because I thought i wanted a more even sound, but now I think i want something with a bit more punch, thus the pro 900's. I don't know about the 701's. I've read such mixed things about them. I didn't realize the 650's were discontinued. Is there much of a difference between them and the 600's.
 

The 650 is not discontinued, the D5000 is.
 
If you want punch, then the AKG is not for you.  Headphones with punch brings to mind the Ultrasone Pro 750 or HiFi 2400 (strong bass, but not basshead cans) or something from the Grado family and its "wall of sound"--the SR 225, 325 and Alessandro MS2.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

The basic story is that I am looking for a good pair of headphones that are open so I can listen at home. Closed can recommendations are allowed also. I will mainly be using them to listen to Alternative Rock, Rock, Metal, Classic Rock and a little bit of hip-hop(Beastie Boys, NWA), country, and house. If the headphones could be used for gaming or watching movies that is definitely an added plus. My budget is around $250. I have been recommended the sr225is because I mainly listen to alternative rock and rock. I was wondering if the sr60i with mods is worth the money it saves you or if I should just jump the gun on the sr225i's.
 

If you go with the Grados, the 225 is the one to buy.  Be aware that Grado does not have a heavy bass sound.  In addition Grados, while great for rock, are not good for gaming with their small sound stage.

 

[eddieg24]

Why the 750's over the 900's. I thought they are similar sounding with a slight advantage to the 900's. If the 750's will do the job I just assume I'd get them and save a few bucks.
 

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

I have never invested money in a good pair of headphones, ive been using generic ones until last year when i bought a klipsh s4i, from what i heard they were the best in my price range. now im interested in purchasing a closed full size headphone. im a college student and i spend most of my time in noisier environments, so i need headphones that will isolate the noise. ive been doing a lot of research and everyone is saying to make sure the headphones have replaceable parts just incase something goes wrong. ive had my eyes set on the audio technica ath-m50, is that a good choice for what i need or is there something better? i love listening to classical/ instrumental music and occasionally a heavy bass song here and there. $150 is my maximum and if there is another headphone similar to the m50 but with a mic i might also consider them as well. 
 
Thank you very much in advance

The M50's are a poor choice for classical and instrumental music.  The have a "V" shaped sound signature--which means they have recessed mids.  The Shure SRH 840 is a better choice at covering the genres you enjoy.  Even with the mid-bass hump of the Shure, you'll give up some overemphasized bass, but more than make it up with superior mids.
 
BTW: the Shure has a replaceable cable that the M50 does not have.

 

[hatecrew1992]

Quote:

Thank you very much. Do you think the T50P have enough isolation? I don't blast my music extremely loud, so I'm not sure if it would be a problem. I also have my Bose IE2 ear buds (my current main form of music listening) for back up, I suppose.

I think they do.I don´t really have much experience with full size closed back headphones, but the t50p have had much better isolation than all the other closed backs i tried. So they work fine while listenning to music at a lower volume. Here is the question wether the full sized ones can keep the sound out as well as the t50p do. I never had a problem with sound leakage either way, unless it got really noisy or i turned up the volume to max, wich is much louder than I can stand.