[hahyun92]

I'm actually really new to the headphone and mp3 scene.. And I was wondering if anyone could recommend a headphone that may be good with classical/acoustic vocals. I sometimes listen to thumping music too, but not as often as relaxing music. Hopefully something without needing an amp. Oh, my budget is up to 200 bucks. I was looking at HD555 but looks a bit old. I tried out beats solo hd by dre and they seem to SUCK with classical music.
 
Oh, and with Sansa fuze.

 

[doghouse]

My sr80's have very forward mids and highs, perfect for clasical. However, they do not thump unless I amp them. The clarity is awsome, the instrument seperation is just right, and they cost around 100$. Others may suggest the ms1s ( and slightly more subdued but tonaly better grado from what I read). The sr225's are about 200$, and some say the sweet point of the grado line for what your looking for. Your price range will open up a nice range of cans. Happy hunting!

 

[hahyun92]

I don't really need thumping as in Dr.dre (it kind of is overkill and drowns out all the important sound), but enough to appreciate, lets say, percussion tambourines or bass drum. 

 

[ghostof1777]

sr225i

 

[hahyun92]

how is its portability?

 

[Hennyo]

sr225i, Sr60i (modified!) or HD 555? Something along those lines. D2000 would be cool. Do not go with any Senn low end or you will be dissapointed. Fostex T50 is also beyond an honorable mention. The shure lineup is good. Even baby stax or HD 600 are an alternative.
 
Personally, If it was my first can I'd like to go with Sr60i. It's virtually impossible to regret your purchase. =/
 
Also many of us like to do stuff like this with our purchases. Sounds nothing like the original Sr60i. Actaully Ironically enough I tuned it similarly to the RS1.. I benched it on same setup (Grace M-902) and both had recables. The RS1 a Kimber Kable prototype silver cable and mine was Blue Dragon. I was amazed at how close they were. RS1 just barely edging me out in echoing / reverb retrieval. It took 4-5 swaps to tell which was super minutely better. We're talking 99.5% the same fr's. (They need to be measured one of these days..)
 

 
Blegh, sorry for the ramble

 

[ghostof1777]

All depends what you mean by portability

 

[zzffnn]

Closed headphones:
Fischer FA-003
Shure 840
ATH M-50
Sony ZX700
 
Open headphones:
ATH AD700
HD555 or 598

 

[hahyun92]

Which sounds better, closed or opened? I want a surround system feel.

 

[hahyun92]

Sr60i looks pretty nice, what would be the price you'd recommend for them? Amazon has em for 79 bucks.

 

[SoulSyde]

 
Quote:

Which sounds better, closed or opened? I want a surround system feel.

Open generally leads to a "surround" kind of feel as you described.  It's more often referred to as soundstage, which would be wider with open headphones.
 
The down side to open headphones is that they need a quiet listening environment or you will have to turn them up to almost dangerous levels to drown out the ambient noise.
 
EDIT: the SR80is would be a good headphone with the Fuze.  They do not need to be amped.  They are open and would be good for vocals and classical, but they could get a bit tiring for pop and rock music as the highs are very exaggerated and wear on you after a while.  I'll try to think of an alternative as well...

 

[SoulSyde]

(continued) A "closed" headphone that could be an alternative would be the Phiaton MS 300.  They tend to be a fairly even (with a slight) bump in the bass section and slightly recessed in the high frequency section.  They would be much better than the Grados in noisy environments because they are closed.  The soundstage would not be as good as the Grado line and they would not emphasize the highs as much as the Grados, but would also not be as fatiguing and you could likely listen longer with them.  If you're looking for a medium sized portable that will isolate outside noise, be non-fatiguing, sensitive enough to sound good without an amp, provide some kick in the bass/drum section and still sound amazing in the rest of the frequency range I would recommend the MS 300.
 
There is one more alternative: 2 different sets of headphones.  For the same amount of money you can get the SR60i and the V-Moda Crossfade LP.  Both very different headphones...
 
Grado SR60i

1. Peaked highs, forward mids, good vocals, good for classical
2. Open, wide-ish soundstage (compared to the Crossfade)
3. Not great in the bass section, drums may not kick as hard
4. Bad in noisy environments

 
V-Moda Crossfade LP

1. Slightly emphasized highs (but not as much as the Grados), recessed mids, not as good for vocals, better for pop, Hip-Hop music
2. Closed, isolate better, better for noisy environments
3. Much better bass section

 
Both headphones would serve different purposes for different music and different environments.  Plus, you'll get to learn the signature of each manufacturer which will make you better informed for future purchases.  These are just my opinions, but I hope I was of help to you.

 

[hahyun92]

Just curious, do you have all these headphones? lol
I want comfortable phones that I could listen to most music for a long time. I guess I'm asking for too much huh? . Seems rich people could afford 5 headphones for different genres lol. I want a keeper, which would let me satisfied for a long time, even though the cost is a bit high.

 

[SoulSyde]

Quote:

Just curious, do you have all these headphones? lol
I want comfortable phones that I could listen to most music for a long time. I guess I'm asking for too much huh? . Seems rich people could afford 5 headphones for different genres lol. I want a keeper, which would let me satisfied for a long time, even though the cost is a bit high.

I've listened to the Phiatons and they are great headphones, I only own a pair of their IEMs (PS 210s) which are fantastic.  I've owned a pair of Grados, but not the SR60i's.  The only ones I've never listened to are the V-Modas, but I can gather what they sound like from comparisons I've read between headphones I have either owned or listened to.  The Phiatons and V-Modas would likely be the most comfortable, but the Grados would be close.
 
Re-thinking it, I think you would be best off with my last suggestion (2 headphones).  You can pick them both up for <$200 which was your goal.  I've owned thousands of dollars worth of headphones over the years - the operative phrase being "over the years."  If you just want a couple of great headphones and plan to never upgrade you likely be perfectly happy with anything recommended in this thread.  If you plan on treating this like a hobby it's best to get into the game with a few different inexpensive headphones so you can learn.  I did that by starting with the AKG 240 MKII (which would not meet your criteria).  
 
Good luck with your decision.

 

[hahyun92]

Sounds like an interesting combo. How is the comfort? I had headphones where after 10 minutes it starts hurting my ears cuz of my glasses.
Oh yeah, and after listening to my fuze on my external speaker (VERY LOW VOLUME). I think I should get an amp too for an enjoyable experience. (funny enough, my clip sounds better on the external speaker and has more power). Any suggestions>??