[sthummel]

Please don't flame me for this, but I was young and naive and the current pair of headphones I'm using are Bose Triports. After having my dog go to town on the cord, it's time for a major upgrade; however, the audiophile lingo and widely varying opinions are sending me for a loop. That said, I have a few questions...

- I am a college student, so I will likely be using these in areas where it will help to have some noise reduction. I guess that means I'm in the market for closed headphones, even though from what I can gather their sound is generally not as good as open ones. In the same vein, not wanting much leakage is important to me, as my roommate and I don't get along and I really don't need him complaining about my music since it's really the only escape I have from that s.o.b. Also, I'll be using them in the library and won't want to bother anyone.

- I will be using these headphones with simply an iPod and a MacBook Pro filled with mostly v0 and 320 CBR mp3 rips, and I don't desire to do any amplification or tweaking or anything. If completely necessary in order to get the proper listening experience, though, I will buy a cheap amplifier. I must say also that I'm not well-versed in the more technical field.

- I listen to music like the following: Radiohead, Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mono, Metric, Animal Collective, Pink Floyd, TV on the Radio, Margot and the Nuclear So and So's. I'm also fond of hip-hop. Post-rock and experimental rock are the primary genres, though. Hopefully that gives you a good idea. That said, I'd like something that suits my musical tastes. I like the idea of a pair of headphones that will give me the most epic and massive soundstage as possible. I want to be enveloped in sound.

- My budget is no more than $200.

- Comfort is definitely a factor. One thing I do like about my Bose Triports is that they are relatively comfortable for extended periods, as I listen to music more or less all day. However, there's undoubtedly still room for much improvement in terms of comfort.

I've tried to keep this as short as possible while still providing all the necessary helpful information in order for someone to give me an informed opinion. If there is something I'm missing, then please let me know.

Thank you so much for all your time and help.

EDIT: Just for the record, I have already done extensive searching on these forums so that hopefully this post provides all the right info about my desires in headphones.

 

[iHelp]

M50, HD 25, SRH 840, Ultrasones, D1001, maybe a K271?

An amp would not be too beneficial for this price range...

And if only you wouldn't mind an open SR225i...

EDIT: Oh, and, closed headphones don't give nearly as much soundstage as open headphones can produce.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I'm not much up on closed headphones, but that crowd will show up here soon.

For what it's worth, you can have your Triports recabled. Visit the DIY Forum and start a thread asking for a recabler. A number of members recable headphones and I am sure someone would be happy to fix them for you.

You could keep them as a second pair or maybe put them on eBay to help pay for other headphones. Don't throw them away.

 

[InFn-0]

Check out the offerings from Shure. I think the Shure 440's will be nice, theres no point getting the 840s unless you plan to get an amp.

 

[sthummel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by InFn-0 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Check out the offerings from Shure. I think the Shure 440's will be nice, theres no point getting the 840s unless you plan to get an amp.

How much would a good amp run me if I was going to go that route? Would a fiio suffice?

 

[InFn-0]

to power up the 840s, i'm guessing something portable would get the job done. Mini^3 is a good way to go, which can be had used for about $100. If you get the 840s for $150 and amp for $100, it comes down to $250. The sq will be better, but you gotta suffer from the diminishing returns.

 

[thisismiller]

Consider getting Denon D2000 off of amazon or possibly thinking about getting in-ear shures due to your surroundings.

 

[stang]

Lol I would highly NOT recommend the D2000. A <$100 amp will not give it justice, sure it will sound good, but it would be sad to see someone doing that.

 

[VALIENTE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thisismiller /img/forum/go_quote.gif Consider getting Denon D2000 off of amazon or possibly thinking about getting in-ear shures due to your surroundings.

X2 for Denon D2000. I assume its an audiophile headphone, too.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VALIENTE /img/forum/go_quote.gif X2 for Denon D2000. I assume its an audiophile headphone, too.

Did you just blindly agree on a headphone recommendation?

I think that's a worse offense than your usual bot-like "SR60 or K701!!!" posts.

 

[stang]

Lmao, yes VALIENTE, don't just recommend headphones because you have them nor recommend them because someone else has and you think they will work great with his current setup.