[Centigonal]

Bought! Thank you!

see http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/540650/help-me-pick-some-new-low-end-headphones#post_7291850
 
 
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You guys have probably seen a hundred threads just like this one...
...which makes your answers all the better! 
Please help me find some headphones!
 
So my last headphones (a pair of Sennheiser HD202s) died recently, and all I have left now is a pair of $10 Inland headphones and my iPod earbuds. I've noticed that I don't listen to music nearly as often anymore.

 
My original thought was to get some HD203s (they seem to be like the 202s, but better), but I noticed that Slickdeals had an offer for the Shure srh440s for $65, shipping included. I figured, why not pay $20 more and get something nicer? I later learned that their bass wasn't very loud, and while I do like loud bass, lack of bass isn't a dealbreaker for me. So, should I jump for the srh440s? If not, what should I purchase?
 
 
Some history:
A bunch of years back, I bought the Koss KSC75s. despite people touting them highly, I didn't really like them. They sounded tinny to me, and leaked a lot. I switched to the Koss SPARKplugs I'd bought as a backup, and liked them a lot more, although it was nearly impossible to hear people talk with them (all bass, no treble). SPARKplugs, while cheap and okay-sounding, are ridiculously fragile, I soon found out, and after going through 3 pairs, I decided to go for a pair of sturdier "big" headphones. I got the HD202s, and liked them a lot! Music sounded a lot more "consistent" through them. They became uncomfortable after 2 or 3 hours of use, though. Now that the HD202s have given out, I think I want to buy something a tiny bit nicer.
 
 
What do I listen to?
I listen to some rap, a little metal, a lot of classical (plus opera!), chiptune-y stuff, and anything that's sufficiently funny or weird.
I also play video games, so that's something to be considered.
 
 
What do I like?
...I don't really know, actually!
I like full-sized headphones, I'm sure of that. Maybe the history section above would help ascertain what kind of sound I like.
 
 
What am I looking at?
There are the Shure SRH440s, of course.
Slickdeals also has these headphones on sale:

1. AKG K81s for $50
2. Sennheiser HD238Bs for $26
3. The new 202s (now lighter weight and with detackable earpads!) for $30

I was looking at the Sennheiser 280pros earlier, maybe they're worth a buy?
I'd buy some SR60s if I could find them for under $70. People call them bright, though...
...And there are always the HD203s.
...Or the HD205s
 
 
...as you may have noticed, I'm being pretty stingy here. I don't really want to pay more than $80 for headphones right now, unless it's something that's going to blow my mind.
 
Any replies or recommendations are appreciated!

 

[Digital-Pride]

While the Shures are excellent I think you might not find them bassy enough for your tastes, so I suggest going with the K81DJs.

 

[Centigonal]

The K81s look really nice, but I have a few concerns about them:

1. They seem to sit on top of the ear, rather than sealing it in. Is that comfortable?
2. The hinge parts seem a little fragile (they only go 1 way)
3. There's no detacheable cord, which is something nice that the Shure phones have

Those last two could be summarized as "oh no what happens if I pull the cord too hard by accident and break these phones!? 
They're not too fragile or uncomfortable, are they?

 

[smashing]

Budget, full-sized can that will blow the competition out of the water? I think you might be looking at the Superlux HD668B. http://www.headfonia.com/superlux-hd668b/

 

[Centigonal]

Quote:

Budget, full-sized can that will blow the competition out of the water? I think you might be looking at the Superlux HD668B. http://www.headfonia.com/superlux-hd668b/

Those look nice, and the price is great, but how would you get ahold of these in the US?
 

 

[Deep Funk]

The cables connected to the ear cups of the K81 are rather flimsy and are known to falter after a period of use. I would tape them up for good measure.
 
The Shure SRH440 has good reputation. 
 
Try a Superlux if possible and AKG. It might sound strange but Philips makes very interesting headphones too but audition them first, some of them can be unexpectedly good.
 
My two cents, for ultra portable and allround use check out the PX200 II by Sennheiser. 

 

[smashing]

Quote:

Those look nice, and the price is great, but how would you get ahold of these in the US?
 

 
Superlux has a distributor at US --
 
 

Address	：6655 TROOST AVE. KANSAS CITY,MO 64131 U.S.A
Tel	：816-581-9103
Fax	：816-581-9104
URL	：www.avlex.com
Email	：sales@avlex.com

 
You could try your luck on eBay too. Saw a couple of them few weeks back. 

 

[wol-va-rine]

I am definitely not an expert, but I took a lot of the experts' advice a while back and tried the JVC HA RX900s and haven't looked back since, and they are around $60 shipped ATM IIRC...
 
it just feels (and sounds) funny listening to music or gaming with anything else...

 

[Centigonal]

Alright. I'm either going to get the K81s, or the rx900s. Indecision time!

 
I will report back when my brain figures out what it really wants.

 

[Graphicism]

Go with the JVC HA RX700 ~ reviews I read back when I purchased these said 700 is aimed more towards music while the 900 games and music... could be that the 900 is looser yet has more of a soundstage. The 700 on the other hand if you're up for a couple easy mods you get a phenomenal headphone as a result. I like to label it as a cleaner, better behaved Denon D2000.

 

[metalh3ad]

Quote:

Go with the JVC HA RX700 ~ 

Great hp's, they were my first set of cans. They sounded like $200 headphones (when modded)

 

[Centigonal]

I ended up getting the HA-RX900s, for a bunch of reasons (like the more comfy earcups).
 
It sounds pretty nice! Better than all the headphones I've owned in the past, at least. Listening to it through my iPhone sounds a little better than through my computer (I have nothing in the way of an amp or DAC, so I guess my computer's onboard audio is just pathetic ). 
 
I only have two gripes:
First is that the 'phones are really heavy compared to the smaller-sized headphones I'm used to. I often find my head tilting backward after an hour or so of listening, and tomfoolery of any sort (a la headbanging) is impossible.
 
My second problem is that these guys creak like a door hinge made of haunted houses! It's especially noticeable when I lean my head back due to issue #1.
 
One last thing is that these headphones look *really* silly, so wearing them where anybody else can see me is a no-go. This isn't an issue, though -- I didn't plan to wear these outside, anyway.
 
All in all, the HARX900s are an excellent purchase at $65, with only a few tiny problems. They're not ideal for wearing outside or for those weak of neck, but they sound pretty sweet. Thanks, guys! 

 

[Digital-Pride]

Congrats on your purchase, and welcome to audiophillia!

 

[geegary]

I, too, really benefited from reading this post.  Thanks all.