[THRiLL KiLL]

Around a year ago i got the upgrade bug after my headphones broke. I got it suck in my mind i wanted surround sound in headphone format. It was recommended to me not to get a surround sound headphones, and get a decent pair of headphones and a sound card.
 
I went from a Sony mdr-v150 ($20) and on-board sound (Irealtek) to  Sennheiser 280 pros and a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series Sound card.
 
i tried the surround sound, and for the most part it sounded awful. In games it was decent, but for watching movies, i never got into it.
 
Fast forward to 2 weeks ago. the 280s i had, the right channel died, It happened when i was adjusting the headband. a friend of mine thinks he can fix it, but I'm doubtful.
 
So in the mean time i picked up a pair of skullcandy uprocks for $17. I think i got spoiled by the 280's.  so here i am back again with questions. First, i read the new users guide here, and found that helpful.
 
What i am listening to.
Mainly i am watching tv shows, anime and movies.  I do game, but i don't play 1st person shooters.
Most of the music i listen to is in my car. but for reference i listen to dub-step, techno, industrial and pop. But i don't find my self listening to music that often on headphones.
 
i guess i am finding my self getting older. I find my self turning down the bass, and looking for better sound quality.
 
Where I am using them:
they are stationary, and  connected to the sound card on my computer.
 
 
now here is where i need help. I am looking for a pair of headphones, for under $100 new or used.
The 280's headband i was not a fan of, as it would hurt after a while of wearing.
 
the other question i have do i need a seperate amp for the headphones? i would pick it up at a later point, but would want to be around the $100 range, new or used.
 
then for my last question, i see that the sennheiser makes a dsp amp that does surround sound, should i even bother with surround sound, or is this just a lost cause? or should i look for surround sound headphones?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[THRiLL KiLL]

another question, instead of buying a headphone amp,  would a recevier for home audio work through the headphone out?

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

A common suggestion for sub-$100 is the Koss Pro100DJ. I don't think you'll need an amp, and surround sound isn't really worth it.

 

[Magick Man]

Closed or open? You can get the A-T ATH-AD700 for $100, very nice cans for the price.

http://www.zzounds.com/item--AUTATHAD700

Also, Sennheiser HD 518s can be had for <$100 if you shop a little.

 

[Ubersanger]

I've been enjoying my ATH-T400s. They may be of interest to you. As of now, I seem to be the only person on here that has them. Unless you have a large head, I find them quite comfortable and isolation should be in the same class as the HD280. You should have no problem driving them from your soundcard.  Treble on them is slightly weak which can be fixed with minor eq-ing, but otherwise they have a very balanced sound. Cheapest place to get them right now is below but you can do a google search for other buying options.
http://www.nothingbutsoftware.com/catalog_type.asp?ProductCode=159462&ai=1550

 

[DVDRey]

 
Quote:

the 280s i had, the right channel died, It happened when i was adjusting the headband. a friend of mine thinks he can fix it, but I'm doubtful.

 
Normally its simple to fix it. If the problem arrived while you adjusted the headband, its probably the cable has been cut and not a driver problem.
 
 
Quote:

What i am listening to.
Mainly i am watching tv shows, anime and movies.  I do game, but i don't play 1st person shooters.
Most of the music i listen to is in my car. but for reference i listen to dub-step, techno, industrial and pop. But i don't find my self listening to music that often on headphones.

 
For less 100$ and your genre of music, you can try the SRH750, good bass, not boomy and very good soudstage for a closed headphone.
 

 

[THRiLL KiLL]

thanks for the responses so far.
 
i took apart the pro 280's.  it looks like the cable for the right ear snapped. Looking at fixing them right now
 
so for now it looks like the 280's will do me good (unless i cant fix the cable.)
 
as for the surround sound. I am still trying to figure things out.
 

 

[THRiLL KiLL]

well i have one thing to say. i spent close to 6 hours on this website. i dont think i scratched the surface!
 
here is what i have learned.
 
1. for movies, you want a larger soundstage (before today i had never heard this term used with headphones)
 
2. open shell headphones produce a much larger soundstage.
 
3. home receivers can be used for virtual surround sound, but are limited. Yamaha makes a line that do "silent cinema"  they range from 250 to 700 and are on par with dolby headphone, but can be tweaked a ton more.
 
4. dolby headphone is much better then cmss-3d for movies.
 
 
5. you can find out tons of info by reading other peoples "looking for headphones for xxxx"
 
 
lastly i think i found the pair i want.  i am going with Magick man' suggestion and go with A-T ATH-AD700's
 
thanks for all the help!