[NexusCrow]

Hiya. I'm a longtime lurker and music listening enthusiast - but I'll get right to the point.
 
I'm looking for a solid over-the-ear set of headphones I can wear for long periods of time while I'm writing. I have a four-year-old set of Sennheiser HD-1 IIs I love and use for everything: portable music listening, audio editing, and for camera work, but I find they hurt my head after more than an hour or two's worth of use. The left can cuts in and out every once and awhile too, requiring me to wiggle and press the cable back in to get it working again - they need some tinkering, and unfortunately, I don't have the time to fix them for awhile. They're stock, with the pleather pads. I tried using the velour pads but found they don't do much for comfort. They cut the punch out of the bass too because of the lower isolation.
 
My DAPs of choice are a Cowon D20 and a Samsung P3 (that's currently out of commission because the cable attaching the battery to the power button came off and needs replacing). I've never needed to use an amp with either, both drive the HD 25s just fine.
 
So, what I'm looking for is something that's perhaps not as portable as the HD 25s, can still be driven by an MP3 player, but comfortable for the long sessions when I'm stuck typing away on my laptop in a library or some other quiet place.
 
I listen to lots of electronica (house, ambient, drum and bass, chiptune), punk and prog rock, metal and some classical. For sound, I like more neutral phones, good detail, punchy bass (not bloated or overdone), clear mids and highs and not sibillant (after doing tech editing for a radio program, my ears have gotten used to picking up excessive noise in the higher ranges). My budget is between $200-300.
 
Any recommendations of where to start looking would be helpful. Thanks!

 

[KG Jag]

Get a used Sony MDR 7520.  There is a "like new" one listed through Amazon for $310 shipped.

 

[NexusCrow]

Oh, I should mention, I live in Canada. My options are kind of limited where I can buy from. I used to get stuff from B and H Photo online, but for whatever reason, they refuse to ship here anymore.

 

[Mr Rick]

  Hiya. I'm a longtime lurker and music listening enthusiast - but I'll get right to the point.
 
I'm looking for a solid over-the-ear set of headphones I can wear for long periods of time while I'm writing. I have a four-year-old set of Sennheiser HD-1 IIs I love and use for everything: portable music listening, audio editing, and for camera work, but I find they hurt my head after more than an hour or two's worth of use. The left can cuts in and out every once and awhile too, requiring me to wiggle and press the cable back in to get it working again - they need some tinkering, and unfortunately, I don't have the time to fix them for awhile. They're stock, with the pleather pads. I tried using the velour pads but found they don't do much for comfort. They cut the punch out of the bass too because of the lower isolation.
 
My DAPs of choice are a Cowon D20 and a Samsung P3 (that's currently out of commission because the cable attaching the battery to the power button came off and needs replacing). I've never needed to use an amp with either, both drive the HD 25s just fine.
 
So, what I'm looking for is something that's perhaps not as portable as the HD 25s, can still be driven by an MP3 player, but comfortable for the long sessions when I'm stuck typing away on my laptop in a library or some other quiet place.
 
I listen to lots of electronica (house, ambient, drum and bass, chiptune), punk and prog rock, metal and some classical. For sound, I like more neutral phones, good detail, punchy bass (not bloated or overdone), clear mids and highs and not sibillant (after doing tech editing for a radio program, my ears have gotten used to picking up excessive noise in the higher ranges). My budget is between $200-300.
 
Any recommendations of where to start looking would be helpful. Thanks!

I'm starting to sound like "Mr Sennheiser" but the HD598s are really a good set of all-around cans.

 

[billybob_jcv]

The Philips X1 or X2 might also fit your description.

 

[Youth]

Soundmagic HP200

 

[NexusCrow]

  Get a used Sony MDR 7520.  There is a "like new" one listed through Amazon for $310 shipped.

 
They sound awesome, but I can't get a set anywhere near me for less than $500, unfortunately.
 

  I'm starting to sound like "Mr Sennheiser" but the HD598s are really a good set of all-around cans.

 
No worries on that end, I've had my Senns for four years and love them. The open-back design might be a problem. Not that I listen at blisteringly high volumes or anything, but I'm often in the library and might disturb others. I used PortaPros at one point though, and they bled everywhere, so it might not be as big a problem as I think. I'll keep them in mind.
 

The Philips X1 or X2 might also fit your description.

 
They sound sweet too, but they're a bit out of my price range.
 

  Soundmagic HP200

 
Never heard of this one before. It may have the same problem as the HD 598s with sound leakage. But I'll keep them in mind as well.
 
---
I'm thinking closed-back phones, like my HD-25s, might work better than open ones, since I don't want to disturb others in the library.
 
I'm looking at another brand I've never looked at before: V-MODA. I'm not opposed to getting another supraaural set as long as they're comfortable enough.
 
Also, anybody have an idea why B&H Photo Video won't export headphones anymore? I bought my Senns from them 4 years ago - still have the bill and everything.

 

[NexusCrow]

I'm looking at the Soundmagic HP-150s now. The 200's sound great, but they're an open-backed design and won't work for what I need, and I can get a set of HP150s for around $250, which isn't too bad given my location and the current state of the dollar. I'm thinking my D20 should drive them unamped (like I said, I don't listen at huge volumes), but I'm not sure. Is there any way to tell via the numbers, or am I going to have to take a chance?