Looking for on-ear or over-ear headphones for general use and practicing bass, guitar, and keys.

[StankyMilkshake]

Hey everyone, 
 
I'm new to head-fi but I've been getting more into hi fidelity stereo systems in the past two years. Now I'm on the hunt after getting my backpack with the only two good pairs of headphones I've ever owned stolen. I currently do not own headphones and am borrowing a pair of Beats Solo HD where are boomy, muddy, and has the bass bleeding into the mids to my ear.
 
I'm looking to get a pair of headphones that'll be mostly for home use. I would like something that isn't ostentatiously large as sometimes I'd like to bring it with me on my NYC subway commute. Soon, I plan on practicing music through my headphones as I live with three roommates. 
 
My main genres of music listening are punk rock, rock, country, and R&B. Sometimes I'll listen to classical and hip hop. While some of my music collection is superbly mixed, a lot of it is old vinyl, or low bit-rate media. Headphones that are truly transparent would reveal the flaws in either compressed media  such as 128kbps mp3 or worn mediums like old vinyl. Some coloring might be of benefit. I like a tight focused bass response. I don't need heavy bass, because most 'bass heavy' headphones I've tried just sound plain muddy.

I have my PC hooked up through a digital analogue converter to my Onkyo stereo receiver. My portable listening devices are my Samsung Galaxy S4 and my HP chromebook 11. I currently practice music through my amps but I'll be purchasing either a Korg Pandora PDX5 or Cafe Walter practice headphone amp around January.
 
I do plan on purchasing a portable headphone amp as well, so I don't always have to crank the volume to hear the bass or nuances.

My budget is around $250 on the high side.

 

[Me x3]

Hi,
 
You should read about Sennheiser Momentums and V-Moda M80.
 
Best Luck!

 

[Cotnijoe]

The momentum over ears are a little out of your price range and i personally wouldnt recommend the momentum on ears. Vmoda m80 would indeed be a good suggestion, though it isnt the best for punk rock or more heavy metal stuff. Overall though its a great performer. 
 
You could also look at the sennheiser amperiors, which are also nice but personally for me not the most comfortable. 
 
There's also a lot of hype around the Onkyo ES-HF300. I've personally never heard it but it seems to outperform a lot of sub 300 dollar headphones. 
 
The AKG Tiesto k267 headphones are also a great choice. They sound pretty good with different sound signature settings. Treble is a little on the recessed side, so similar problem with the m80 of not the best for bringing out the grit in electric guitars. Some people complain about build quality though.
 
Finally i would also put sony MDR 1R on the table. Theyre nice sounding headphones that are SUPER comfortable to me.
 
Just a few picks for ya!

 

[StankyMilkshake]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I did a bit of research and the Sennheiser Momentum On-Ears seem to have a weaker than expected bass response so I'll probably steer clear. The Over Ears version is also way out of my budget.

The Sennheiser HD598 is also another highly rated offering from Sennheiser. Do you folks think that these cans would perform well for my applications?
 
I'm going to look into the Onkyo set as my receiver/power amp/equalizer is from the same brand. I currently run 7.1 surround with Canton Ergo speakers. Its beautiful. 

 

 

[Cotnijoe]

the momentum on ears are VERY bassy o.o
 
dont think the 598 are for you in terms of use.

 

[Me x3]

Sennheiser Hd598 are open air (no isolation and leak sound). Very good headphones with big soundstage but soft sounding and a bit weak in the bass. Not the best choice for rock, probably the best choice for classical or jazz specially if you prefer a relaxing presentation of sound.
 
Some good headphones you should consider:
 
Shure SRH-840:
 
Closed Back, over-ears with good isolation, extra pads and detacheable cable. Good all rounder with a detailed sound signature. This are maybe not the best choice for poorly recorded music, neither for very low bitrate mp3 files, but as far as  you feed them with good stuff, this are very good headphones for the money, and don't need extra amplification.
 
 
Yamaha Hph-200:
 
Open Back, on-ears (no isolation). Amazing all rounders with very good bass response and lively highs. This will always sound very good, no matter if you have high quality recordings or not. It is really hard to find something that doesn't sound good through this (quite unknown) headphones They are also really compact and easy to drive. Not as confortable as full size cans like Hd598, but I find them quite confortable.
 
(Most of the times on-ear headphones are less confortable than over-ears, you know.)
 
There are many, many good options out there, some fit some requeriments and some fit others.