[tiro3]

Hello,
I need some advices. I have decided to improve my sound system a little bit. My budget is 300-400$.
I am looking for portable full-size closed headphones. I am not interested in in-ear monitors or in earphones (I just do not believe in them, do not judge me...). I like to listen to very different types of music genres. My music collections mostly consists of 256kbps mp3 and some CDs.
There're two problems. First, I have a poor audio source - my laptop (Qosmio G30). I have a good midi discs player, but I am not using it as much as I use laptop for music. Second problem is that any better headphones require an amplifier and my budget is too low to buy both at once.

I know that picking audio system is very subjective job, but I need some general advices.

P.S. I like Sen HD 25-1 II so much (despite it is not really portable). Why there is so little discussion about them, isn't that a good headphones?

 

[member1982]

Humm most are fairly heavy, if u do some research the Audio Technica ESW9 weighs in at just 170grams, is probably the most portable headphone that is also closed. However the pads are rather small thus its also not gonna isolate against outside noise that well.

hehe if u dont think the HD25 is portable enough NOTHING else is for the similar price range and SQ.

 

[Phil Ramsay]

Several statements in OP were a bit confusing, but the last two sentences of the OP confused me the most...
Are you saying:

1. That you have or have tried HD25-1 and are looking for something better than that?
2. That HD25-1 is not portable enough?
3. That HD25-1 is not full sized enough?
4. That you're not sure of others' opinions on HD25-1?

If I'm understanding your desire for:
a. Improved sound quality
b. Not IEM
c. Closed style
d. Portable
e. Full-sized.

...and you don't have [good] source / amplification (yet)...

The best choice is (for my money) HD25-1 II... They meet all the criteria of a. through e., they don't need amp (but it helps), and they are not cheap, but will save you some cash for better source or amp (if that's what you want).

HD25-1 gets some negatives from people for being too expensive for what it is, but there really isn't anything else that is a better substitute IMO. It's certainly is within your proposed budget.

Do a search - there are lots of people that like the HD25-1 a lot. Hell, it's been a 'Flavor of the Month' in the past. For what it's worth, that's what I use, and what I would recommend (given that IEM isn't for you). I don't know of anything better with this use criteria.