[Prize78]

Hi all,
 
I have been trawling through other threads on this forum but couldn't seem to quite find what I was after.
For some reason, I appear to have been bitten by the headphone bug....no idea quite why, but there you go!
Basically, I'm after a 'starter' pair (an introduction to the whole headphone topic) of headphones that are closed back, and have a powerful sound.  I have been to some shops and had a listen and found that some are louder than others at a given volume.  I liked the sound of a fair few Sennheisers, but they didn't seem to go all that loud to me.....don't get me wrong, I don't want to deafen myself, but in the same breath, a bit of volume headroom would be nice.  I liked the sound of some Sony's (think the model was mdr-xb950) and some Sony mdr 1A's.  I read very favourable things about the Audio Technica ATH-m50's but have no heard them myself.  Also, i'm in the UK, which could possibly affect availability and shipping etc, so that may perhaps be a consideration.  I like to listen to a whole host of music from rap and hip hop, through to rock,....Queen, Pink Floyd etc, and a lot of current chart stuff.  Budget is a max of £150GBP.  So, what do you recommend, folks???
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[KG Jag]

What will be powering and feeding these cans?

 

[Prize78]

It will be straight out of iPhone or iPod. I want to keep it simple initially

 

[KG Jag]

XB = extra bass = bass heavy can.  That's not my thing, but hopefuly a fellow basshead here can help you and maybe also be familiar with UK pricing.

 

[Prize78]

Yes, hopefully.  I'm a complete novice in headphones and would like to make a good first choice.

 

[cel4145]

Some headphones are more sensitive than others, which means they need less power to drive them. And lower impedance headphones are also typically easier for your portable devices to drive. So keep that in mind. You could always add an amp like the FiiO E11K to help with giving you additional volume. It also has a bass boost switch

The basshead lounge thread could be a good place for recommendations since you liked the Sony XB series: http://www.head-fi.org/t/715697/the-audiophile-bass-lounge-basshead-club-part-ii. Be sure to tell them which Sony models you liked and what you liked (or didn't like) about the bass.

 

[Prize78]

Thanks very much for your reply.  I'll head over there now.  

 

[inthere]

I would seriously revisit the SONY MDR-1A if I were you, you're not going to get a better sound for under £150. The problem is, just above £150 
are a bunch of headphones that are "loud enough" and will give you the sound you're after:
 
1. Beats Solo 2 are the loudest but while a bit recessed in the highs, you get used to them over time because the sound feels balanced and smooth. They usually sound horrible in stores because some idiot decided to put them on a separate display with separate amps away from the regular headphone displays and they didn't account for people cranking up the volume on their phones all the way and distorting them. 
2.  Sennheiser Urbanite On Ears are very loud and I found a pair that fit your budget: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-Urbanite--Ear-Headphones-iPhone/dp/B00M3NZYKI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435860202&sr=8-1&keywords=sennheiser+urbanite the Urbanite has clearer highs than the Beats and can sound magical on some songs, but on others may feel a bit unbalanced leaning towards bass-heavy. The Sennheiser Urbanite Over Ears are not loud enough for you.
3. Monster Adidas http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Adidas-Originals-Headphones-Blue-128553/dp/B00KVP5K2M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435861096&sr=8-1&keywords=monster+adidas are still in a lot of stores but I can't find them on UK Amazon. Very clear highs, lots of bass while feeling more balanced then the Urbanites. I replaced the pads on mine with Audio Technica pads so they're even louder and more intimate than the stock version, with a better soundstage, at the penalty of not being as comfortable. The stock version sounds very good though. 
 
I would focus on these the next time you visit a store in the UK with a headphone rack because just about everywhere in the UK has a headphone rack.

 

[Prize78]

Great. Thanks very much. Are the Beats decent then? I always thought they weren't overly well regarded??

 

[inthere]

Great. Thanks very much. Are the Beats decent then? I always thought they weren't overly well regarded??

I think so, but trust your own ears. Plenty of shops have them on listening racks. 
 
It's somewhat fashionable here on Head-Fi to hate Beats and a lot of guys here dislike heavy bass, but there's a small contingent that like a lot of bass so it boils down to your personal preference. I like the Solo 2's quite a bit but kind of hate the Beats Studios because they're a bit cold and digital sounding to me. They are however probably the loudest portable cans on the planet if you're going to just connect them to a smartphone. 
 
My Studio Beats also broke (couldn't recharge the battery) and that's another thing to deal with. No batteries in the Solo 2's, they're very loud, and pretty much designed for portable smartphone use from the ground up.

 

[Prize78]

To be honest, I heard the solo 2's a while ago and thought they sounded pretty good. A nice powerful sound and plenty of volume headroom which is what I like. Maybe I should pay them a bit more attention?!