Hello all. I'm looking to buy a pair of full size headphones and I was hoping for some advice.
The primary use will be for playing my digital piano (a Kawai ESX, if you care; it has a built-in amp that should be sufficient). I mainly play baroque, classical, and romantic period music; I also occasionally play more modern jazz, ragtime, and pop (think Ben Folds). I may also use the 'phones to listen to music on my phone (HTC One X) during my subway/bike commute (pop/rock/classical, mostly), but this is less of a priority (so don't worry too much about portability, amping needs, or how it sounds with compressed media). I also will listen to them a bit in lab while I'm working, but again don't worry too much about that.
I probably want a closed back design just for sound isolation, though I'm open to exploring appropriate open backed designs as well if the leakage isn't too bad. My major needs are accurate sound reproduction, followed closely by comfort for glasses-wearers. Durability is also a concern - I would like these to last a long time (I'm willing to trade some durability for a gold-plated warranty, though). Features I'm interested in include a detachable cable and a hard carrying case. I don't care much about looks.
My budget is in the $200-300 range, but I'm willing to go up or down if there is something appropriate.
I've been trying to get my hands on some headphones to get an idea of what I like. The ones I've tried out so far are below so you get a feel for my taste:
1. I tried out a pair of ATH M50s my friend recently bought. I thought they sounded good but not fantastic. They were also mildly uncomfortable after listening to them for a few minutes. For the price they seemed quite good, but I'm willing to pay more for something even better.
2. I tried out the Shure SRH940 the other day. I thought they sounded pretty fantastic for most pieces, though they were a little... off... for a couple more 'poppy' tracks I tried. I can't describe it better. Comfort-wise, I thought they were really wonderful compared to other full-size cans I've tried, especially with glasses. I am concerned about the reports of cracking/etc. at the hinges, though, and question whether the durability is worth the price point.
3. I tried out the Beyerdynamic DT770 today. Their sound was decent, if a bit bassy perhaps. No way am I buying these, though, since I found them quite uncomfortable to wear with glasses. Maybe I was wearing them wrong or something, but it was obvious after only a couple minutes. So let's assume Beyerdynamic is out.
I will be trying out some B&W P5s tomorrow but I find it unlikely I will like it - while I'm at the store, I'll also try out some Grados though I doubt I'm interested in an open-backed design. I have yet to find a place to try out some Sennheisers, Ultrasones, or AKGs.
I would really appreciate some guidance here. I find it unlikely I'll be able to try out every highly reviewed set meeting my basic criteria, so I thought your input regarding my particular listening needs would be worthwhile. Thank you!
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