[HeadFiManiac]

I am interested in purchasing an over ear set of headphones with good isolation and no leakage with excellent sound quality. I want something versatile that can be used in classical genres and in bass heavy rap. I am looking to spend less than $200 but may be willing to go over it. I have looked at the V-MODA Crossfade lp's ($100 amazon) and the Audio Technica ATH M50 ($147 amazon)...
 
Suggestions are appreciated!!

 

[biggbenn74]

Check out the Audio Technica M50. It has great sound isolation, and it doesn't leak hardly any. You can find a pair on Amazon for $148. They have great overall sound quality for your classical music listening, and probably one of the best parts of this headphone is the bass for your bass heavy rap listening. It goes anywhere your music leads it. Definitely a headphone to consider. Hope this helps.

 

[HeadFiManiac]

Thanks for the reply!

 

[ssrock64]

I find the isolation on the ATH-M50 sub-par at best. I can easily have conversations while wearing a pair. Also, the current pricing for the M50 is too much and makes it no longer a competitive value. You used to be able to buy a pair for $90 a few years ago, and they were a world-beater at that price. They're still great headphones, but I don't believe they're best for the OP.
 
You probably won't have trouble finding something bassy (or at least bass-capable) that works well with classical and rap, as having a strong low end tends to liven classical up anyways. Looking at something that's dynamic enough for classical but still detailed enough not to ruin modern genres like rap, one can that comes to mind is the KRK KNS8400, and if you plug it into any bass-boosting amp (like the cheapo FiiO E6 or the higher-end JDS Labs CMoyBB 2.03) you can have plenty of bottom end oomph for your other genres.

 

[HeadFiManiac]

Are the Shure SRH840 any good?

 

[ssrock64]

I was actually thinking about suggesting the SRH840 also, because it's more warm than the KRK, which can make classical sound great. However, I don't think they perform as well as a bass-boosted KRK at rap, loosing detail to dynamics.