Hi, foges. I copied this out of another thread, but it might hopefully be helpful to you now. There are other great suggestions and tips by other members in that thread (stickied) if you're interested:
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Originally Posted by boomana /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Before buying headphones
1. Think about the whole system and budget for that. I can’t stress this enough. There are really good sounding headphones to suit almost any budget and any system requirements, but you really need to know what you’re getting into. Don't just think about the headphone. If you’re looking to buy a headphone, you also need to know what else you need (or don't need) to make it sound good. If you’re buying a reference quality headphone, they most often (not always) require dedicated home components to bring out the qualities that people talk about. That’s just the way it is. They require a well-matched amp that can drive them well. Many will be revealing of poor quality recordings and low bit rate downloads if you’re using your computer. If, for example, you're interested in the HD650 because you’ve read it’s good, just know that you might be disappointed if you don’t amp it properly, and if you amp it properly, you might be disappointed in the sound you’re getting if your source and/or recordings don’t cut it. On the other side of things, there are really good headphones that sound just fine without an amp and straight out of an ipod or computer soundcard if that’s what you want. You can get good sound in a lot of different ways at almost any price point, but research what you’re looking for, and put what you need in your budget before you decide on anything. It will actually save you money in the long run.
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$400 is a decent budget, but some points to consider are if you want to use an amp or not, if you're interested in an external dac, etc. Some headphones that folks are recommending, like the 650s or 880s, are going to have different requirements than many other headphones, and you need to think about that when planning. For $400, if I were you, I'd raise the budget slightly, and get HF2s for $430. They sound quite nice unamped, but do even better once amped (a portable will do), and though I'm not really a Grado fan at all, I consider these one of the best headphone purchases I've made (and I've bought way too many...eeek). I'm really enjoying them, and they're definitely more comfy than SR60s. Because only 20 of us have gotten them so far (distributed at CanJam), you'll have to wade though a bunch of noise (my own included) to find some pretty accurate impressions hidden in the HF2 thread in this forum. There's a bit of a waiting period now with only 50 being shipped out per week, but as they're limited edition, and sound great, they're worth the wait and will retain their value. My other suggestion is to try ATH-ESW9s (do not buy off ebay as there are too many fakes there). They're impressive sounding portable headphones that also do not require amplification, but improve slightly with an amp. They go for around $250-280, and you can buy new music, and/or pick up an amp with the extra money. If you want to go into higher-end full-size cans, just do your research as to what they'll need to shine. Hope you enjoy whatever you'll choose.
