[deathrates]

Hi, I'm sure you get countless threads like this here but it seems like the best place for advice
 
I'm looking for my first pair of on/over ear headphones, but have only about £60-80 to spend on them (I'd put that into $ but exchange rates and rates of competition between stores seem to vary hugely). I mainly listen to electronic and hip-hop music (the headphones would be firstly to use with my laptop and iPod) and would be using them at home and on train journeys.
 
Could anyone help?
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[crinacle]

HFI-580? For moar bass you could go for the XB500.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

HFI-580 costs more than that but would probably be worth it if you can stretch the budget and XB500 isn't perhaps the most practical if using on the go (quite funny looking, leaks a bit and doesn't isolate particularly well) but perhaps you won't sit on the train that often anyway?
 
Maybe http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shure-SRH550DJ-Professional-DJ-Headphones/dp/B004SAP73I/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1306422152&sr=8-3 would be an option as well. Not much is known about it other than being a more "warm" version of DJ750.
 
Then there's AKG K518 DJ http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=akg+k518+dj&x=0&y=0 (LE just got shorter cable, 1.2m, the non-LE got 2.5m but these falls pretty short in terms of comfort, the most uncomfortable headphones I've ever worn but it's ok when you stretch it. Great isolation, huge punchy bass, not the deepest but quite ok, neutral mids, veiled highs unless you remove the foam which is easily done but it may make it too sibilant instead)
 
Aurvana Live has got a little less bass but still a bit more than what I'd call neutral bass and is great for the price and looks quite good (IMO) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-51EF0060AA001-Aurvana-Live-Headphones/dp/B000W6Y0JY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1306423163&sr=1-1
 
This is another good lowcost headphone for emphasized bass which hasn't got a lot of attention http://www.amazon.co.uk/ProdIPE-Pro800-professional-monitoring-headphones/dp/B000UH4RV6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1306423922&sr=8-5 or these which are nearly the same (same driver, a bit different cup design, extra pads included) http://www.amazon.co.uk/CHP-2500-Professional-Dynamic-Monitoring-Headphones/dp/B0018A20ZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306424010&sr=1-1

 

[desktophifi]

HFI-450's
Nice bass, good isolation. 

 

[Proglover]

all the info you need is here: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/433318/shootout-82-portable-headphones-reviewed-superlux-hd668b-prodipe-pro-800-added-05-15 

 

[Ultrazino]

A good first headphone would be the Beyerdynamic DT 880. It has something from everything. Treble, precise bass, great balance, good timbre, nice soundstage, great comfort, ...
It's a classic and should be the default recommendation for a first headphone.
 
If there's anything lacking or annoying, it's easy to move to a different direction, but if you start with something extreme (for example Ultrasone) it will be very difficult to figure out how far you want to move in which direction.
 
It's far over your budget, though. Your budget is too low anyway. You will have to rely on sales or second hand. I think IEMs have a far better price/quality ratio under 150 $ and mostly even under 300 $.

 

[deathrates]

Thank you so much for the help so far. Everywhere else has recommended the same couple of pairs (sr60i's, HD555's) so it's nice to see some people who genuinely know what they're talking about. I'll have a look at all these links and advice.

 

[vladimirK702]

Quote:

HFI-450's
Nice bass, good isolation. 

I personally like them, they are nice for the price. Bass response its good. 

 

[MtnSloth]

I worry about using any open design headphone while on a train. Some measure of sound isolation is almost mandatory (if not for yourself then for the benefit of those sitting next to you). The SR60s (from personal experience) and HD555s (by reputation) are fine first phones for the home - just not so great for travel.
 
For travel purposes, the link provided by Proglover is awesome but also awesomely long. Try the post after the massive review, and scroll up to see the summary. Then Ctrl-F to locate the detailed reviews of the phones that interest you most.

 

[Uncle Erik]

For your budget, consider the Alessandro MS-1. It sells for $100 USD the world over. The MS-1 used to be one of the most commonly recommended headphones here. I still think it's excellent and don't know where the love went. Go back through the owner's threads and reviews. It might be an excellent choice for you.

 

[deathrates]

Okay thanks man I'll have a look.
 
I'll probably also be using these in my crappy little home studio, it's nothing big time so doesn't have to be absolute, but I'd like to avoid too much leakage.

 

[deathrates]

Final bump, sorry.