[wintermute]

I was wondering if y'all could help me decide what headphones to get, meeting the following requirements:
portable
not IEM
capable of being driven by an IPod w/o amp
capable of handling gym use
will be used to listen to anything from chamber music to industrial
good isolation

I've read alot of the reviews on headroom.com and based on those it seems like the Sennheiser PX100 or AKG k26 P would be best. Pros and cons as I see them: Senns: not as dynamic of a sound, not as rugged and I don't like the idea of foam cushions. AKG - more bass oriented and therefore not the best for baroque.

I'm open to suggestions. Thanks.

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

pick the K81s over the 26ps, px100 wont offer any isolation. and since u have an mp3 player with an EQ, u can cut the bass down with appropriate EQ, and the K81s respond well to EQ.

 

[infinitesymphony]

If you ever decide that portability or gym usage isn't a concern (since you could get some cheapies for those purposes), consider the Sennheiser HD-497 or the similar / updated version, the Sennheiser eH-350. Both can be found for around $50-$60.

 

[wintermute]

I can give up the 'phones at the gym, but I would still need (okay, want) them on the train. So they would still need to be portable and still seal me away from ambient noise. It seems that some say that the AKG K26 P's bass is "tame-able" with portable units' EQs, and some say it isn't. The K81S seems doable, but it has a pretty long cord.