[Lorfa]

I've probably owned 10 or 11 different headphones in my life, and none of them have been that great. I don't think I ever spent more than maybe $ 50 though. I'd like to 'up the ante' and try to get something of much greater quality.
 
I am not planning on using them with an amp, on an ipod, or even a dedicated sound card. I will just be using them on my pc. I listen to a wide range of music, but certainly including dnb and psybient. Bass is important to me. 
 
I have a love for music, but I end up having to use speakers to really enjoy the music that I have, as I have never owned headphones that can compare to the sound they deliver.
 
I am looking for closed headphones because I would like some degree of passive noise cancellation. 
 
The highest end headphones I have heard were two different versions of the 'monster beats by dr. dre'. They sounded pretty good, certainly plenty of bass. It seemed like the bass was turned up though, I cannot be sure because I don't know exactly what they were plugged in to. I almost got the cheap(er) version of them, but decided to do more research into the matter. 
 
I have heard good things about the HD448, but I am concerned over the supposed lack of bass. 
 
Thanks in advance for any help. 
 
 

 

[hifihead]

You might want to try Shure SRH840. They are closed headphones. It has a good quantity of bass. You can get them from J&R for $130.

 

[Rankiz]

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 ohm cost 184 USD on amazon.com. Superb bass and good in everything else, will by far outclass any other headphones you've owned. They're really comfortable also.

 

[joelpearce]

If you have a chance to give a few of them a listen, it will help you choose something that you like.  There are some really great headphones in that price range.  Also, do some reading because we have conversations about headphones in this price range a few times a day.
 
The DT770s should give you tons of fun and plenty of bass, but it's a signature that a lot of people don't like as much.
 
The Shure 840 is a great headphone, with a fairly neutral signature, but I found it a bit bland for a lot of music.
 
The Beyerdynamic DT250 is a very neutral, great-sounding pair of headphones.
 
The Audio-Technica M50, at the bottom of your range, is often recommended as a first pair of serious headphones because it's relatively cheap and everyone seems to like it (well, most people).
 
You could also check out the Denon D1000/D2000, which a lot of people really enjoy.

 

[JayB18]

Your looking mostly at the M50, SRH440, or DT250 in that pricerange.  DT250 has the most neutral sound with the best overall balance, and is fairly forgiving so it works well with almost anything.  M50 has the most bass if that is all your concerned about however.

 

[eucariote]

^ I owned the DT250-250 and have SRH840.  Both are great- but if you're not going to amp them I'd recommend the Shures.  They are a touch bass-heavy, which seems like something you like.  I thought the DT250 were broken until I played them out an amp (at which point I heard angels sing).  Other considerations are soundstage (which DT250 lack completely) and sound blockage, which SRH840 do much better.  The SRH840 were also much cheaper -got them for $135 new at Northern Sound & Light, you have to ask for a quote.

 

[Germancub]

SRH-840 without a doubt, they're the headphone bargain of the century. I can't get over how good they sound.

 

[Lorfa]

So I've got it narrowed down to five then:
 
Beyerdynamic DT770 PRO 80 Ω
Beyerdynamic DT250 80 Ω
 
Shure SRH440 44 Ω
Shure SRH840 44 Ω
 
Denon D1000 38 Ω
 
I have some questions. 
 
First of all, how concerned should I be about impedance? I heard that when headphones are underpowered they tend to not be able to put out much volume (and probably other issues). Will my computer sound card be able to do the trick? Other headphones I have had were probably 30 Ω. 
 
Is there a way for me to get an idea of the "signature" from looking at frequency response graphs such as the ones used at headphone.com?
 
Some comparisons with their app here: 
 
=2651&graphID[]=223&graphID[]=2231&graphID[]=913]http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=2651&graphID[]=223&graphID[]=2231&graphID[]=913
 
=903&graphID[]=863]http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=903&graphID[]=863
 
I put in an HD 800 for comparison purposes. Should I interpret these graphs as the DT 770 being the most bass-heavy headphone?

 

[joelpearce]

That's what the DT770 is known for, as is the Denon.
 
Impedance only tells part of the story, and probably a smaller part than many people think.
 
Most of those will drive okay out of a soundcard, but in my experience the big problem with most sound cards is sound quality, not amp strength.

 

[MacedonianHero]

The best balanced closed headphones I've ever heard are the DT770/600s. But the catch is you're going to need a good amp (preferably tube) to get their best. Otherwise, I'd go with the Shure SRH-840s.
 

 

[earerror]

Quote:

The best balanced closed headphones I've ever heard are the DT770/600s. But the catch is you're going to need a good amp (preferably tube) to get their best. Otherwise, I'd go with the Shure SRH-840s.
 

I agree with Hero...Shure's are a good choice if you dont have a good amp. (unamped)
 
The beyers sound is not good when you dont have a proper setup. 

 

[Lorfa]

Ok thanks everyone, it looks like the shures might be a 'sure' fit. Any suggestions for ordering sites? 

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Shure 750DJ