[Xandal]

 
Alright, I feel it's about time to upgrade my headphones.  I've been using my Sennheiser HD 555s for quite a while, but they're failing to meet all my expectations.  They're not the best set of cans to trek too and from class with, and definitely not meant for listening to while I'm sitting around the Library or school buildings.  The main reason I like these headphones though is because they're really light and feel great to wear for extended sessions at my computer desk.  Plus they're the best sounding headphones I've ever really gotten to listen to (scratch maybe my 30 second encounter with some Beyerdynamics).
 
Anyway, a few things I have questions about first.  My main device for listening on the go is an iPod Touch 3rd Generation, however I've read around that an iPod isn't the best thing to use for listening.  How true is that?  Second, I'm a little lost on what the difference is between amped an un-amped is.  I mean, I have a basic understanding of the words but I don't know how worth it getting an amp would be.  So, is it worth grabbing an amp as well?  While reading around I also noticed that the pair of headphones you want should be based on what kind of music you're listening to.  That sounds like something that makes sense, but I'd love to have this confirmed by someone with much more knowledge than myself.  And I just read the tutorial on equalizing your headphones from this forum and was curious if it would be worth it for me.
 
Now that my basic questions are out of the way, onto the main point of my post.  I'm looking for headphones, obviously, but my budget is fairly strict.  I'm looking to spend less than $200 and probably less than $150.  I like comfort over style (I can have these on for upwards of 6 hours a day, daily), quality over quantity, and I want them to last.  I'm not one to treat all of my things super delicately, these cans will probably end up getting dropped over the course of a couple years and might find other methods of being damaged physically so I'd like something with a nice, solid frame.  I also listen to a pretty wide variety of music.  It ranges from pop to metal to soft rock to classical and anywhere in between.  I honestly can't think of a genre I don't listen to besides Country (but that has its roots in stuff I do listen to)  The majority of my music is definitely metal - specifically progressive.  I only included the music part because I'm not entirely sure about the answer to my question and figure more information couldn't hurt.
 
Side Note: I don't expect anyone to go into extreme detail in answering my questions.  Simple answers that include some hard facts would be best, but if you feel like leaving me links/sources to more fulfilling information I will definitely take a look at it and possibly post again or revise my post to include what I learned.  I'm very willing to learn in order to make a better decision, and I'm open to talking through PM/IM or whatever if you feel it'd be easier to answer my questions that way.
 
Thanks to anyone who answers 

 
- Zack

 

[dirkgently]

 
Quote:

 
Anyway, a few things I have questions about first.  My main device for listening on the go is an iPod Touch 3rd Generation, however I've read around that an iPod isn't the best thing to use for listening.  How true is that?  Second, I'm a little lost on what the difference is between amped an un-amped is.  I mean, I have a basic understanding of the words but I don't know how worth it getting an amp would be.  So, is it worth grabbing an amp as well?  While reading around I also noticed that the pair of headphones you want should be based on what kind of music you're listening to.  That sounds like something that makes sense, but I'd love to have this confirmed by someone with much more knowledge than myself.  And I just read the tutorial on equalizing your headphones from this forum and was curious if it would be worth it for me.
 
Now that my basic questions are out of the way, onto the main point of my post.  I'm looking for headphones, obviously, but my budget is fairly strict.  I'm looking to spend less than $200 and probably less than $150.  I like comfort over style (I can have these on for upwards of 6 hours a day, daily), quality over quantity, and I want them to last.  I'm not one to treat all of my things super delicately, these cans will probably end up getting dropped over the course of a couple years and might find other methods of being damaged physically so I'd like something with a nice, solid frame.  I also listen to a pretty wide variety of music.  It ranges from pop to metal to soft rock to classical and anywhere in between.  I honestly can't think of a genre I don't listen to besides Country (but that has its roots in stuff I do listen to)  The majority of my music is definitely metal - specifically progressive.  I only included the music part because I'm not entirely sure about the answer to my question and figure more information couldn't hurt.
 
Side Note: I don't expect anyone to go into extreme detail in answering my questions.  Simple answers that include some hard facts would be best, but if you feel like leaving me links/sources to more fulfilling information I will definitely take a look at it and possibly post again or revise my post to include what I learned.  I'm very willing to learn in order to make a better decision, and I'm open to talking through PM/IM or whatever if you feel it'd be easier to answer my questions that way.
 
Thanks to anyone who answers 

 
- Zack

Amped v. unamped really depends on the resistance of the headphones in question.  Grados, for example, generally run at 32 ohm, which is perfect for an iPod without an amp.  Higher end headphones, though, usually have higher ohm ratings, topping out at around 600.  An unamped source, such as an iPod, won't have the juice to push these headphones.  They'll probably sound worse than cheap headphones in that application, really.  So if the headphones you're considering have resistance higher than 30-50 ohms, you should definitely consider getting an amp to go along with them.  That being said, even lower ohm headphones would sound their best with proper amplification, but the higher the resistance, the more an amp is truly necessary.
 
As far as headphones for a particular genre, very few headphones have "flat" frequency response, especially at the consumer level.  Most listeners want certain frequencies to be exacerbated, also, so flat response isn't necessarily desireable.  For example, if you listen to any sort of bass heavy music and want your headphones to have really deep, thumping bass, Grados are a bad idea (generally speaking).  On the other hand, you may find headphones with a lot of bass emphasis to be unsuited for the task of listening to music that focuses on highs and midrange.  I'm not really familiar with closed cans, so I can't give you a specific recommendation (that seems what you're leaning towards).

 

[fabio-fi]

Take a look at the HD-25 I II. They are solid built, not to say indestructible...they excel with metal. 
 

 

[Xandal]

Quote:

Take a look at the HD-25 I II. They are solid built, not to say indestructible...they excel with metal. 
 

That's honestly not all I want :<  One of the many things I'm looking at.

 

[HeroicPenguin]

Quote:

That's honestly not all I want :<  One of the many things I'm looking at.

They fit a bit more of your expectations too -- they're pretty good for rock and pop (and not bad with any genre except maybe classical). They're very portable (great for a college kid to take to the library) and don't need to be treated too nicely. The only problem for you might be comfort (some people find this an issue due to tight clamping, but I've always been ok with it. Plus, you can stretch it) and soundstage (which is small, but perfect for fast-paced music like rock and metal).
 
Hope that helps.
 

 

[Xandal]

Quote:

They fit a bit more of your expectations too -- they're pretty good for rock and pop (and not bad with any genre except maybe classical). They're very portable (great for a college kid to take to the library) and don't need to be treated too nicely. The only problem for you might be comfort (some people find this an issue due to tight clamping, but I've always been ok with it. Plus, you can stretch it) and soundstage (which is small, but perfect for fast-paced music like rock and metal).
 
Hope that helps.
 

Alright then, they'll be something I try out.  I intend on looking around to try on some of these headphones before I buy.  The tight clamping sounds very bad for me - I had huge issues with a pair of headphones that did that.  Any other suggestions?  And would it be a good idea to invest in different headphones for different listening?  

 

[Xandal]

I honestly really hate bumping my own thread, but I'd really like to start testing out headphones tomorrow so the more suggestions the better.
 
Currently going to try out the DT770s and HD 25 I II.  I'll probably try on a few pair of other headphones while I'm there, but I'd like some real insight into some other cans before I go.
 
Sorry for bumping, thanks in advance :>

 

[PurpleAngel]

CALs (Creative Aurvana Live) usually go for under $100.
 
Beyerdynamic DT770, DT880 & DT990 headphones really need to be used with a headphone amplifier.
The32-Ohm versions will work with out a headphone amplifier, but have the least amount of bass and are more expensive.
 
Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 250-Ohm and DT770 Premium 250-Ohm
and DT990 Pro 250-Ohm are selling mail order for a really good price right now.
 
The Fiio E10 headphone amplifier/DAC are great for plugging into laptop or PC's USB port, E10 gets a digital feed from the USB port.
The Fiio E11 headphone amplifier is very portable.

 

[catchedge]

As far as the amped and un-amped statements that were mentioned above.  Yes, you don't really need an amp with something that has a low resistance.  However, it's more about synergy than power.

 

[extrabigmehdi]

You could mod your hd555 into a hd595, free.

 

[catchedge]

Quote:

You could mod your hd555 into a hd595, free.

I'll give credit to this.  I've done this and it's really easy.  Plenty of forums and videos.

 

[Xandal]

Oh, my bad.  I forgot to mention here that I wasn't willing to invest much further into my 555s.  They're starting to get physically worn.  Also, I've stated this in the OP already.  I'm looking for headphones that I can use in public situations.  Open-back headphones in a library just doesn't really fly.  So even if I do mod them to 595s it's not solving my problem.  Anyway, thanks for helping.  If anyone has more suggestions related to what I intend on listening to as well as some of my other requests that'd be great.

 

[catchedge]

I looked into the M50's for a long while.  Closed solution for you there.  They aren't that much more than the HD555 and I felt it was a nice jump in quality.  AD-700s are also nice.

 

[holylucifer]

I suggest the fostex t50rp very good value, nice mids, nice clarity better than hd 555 of course i don't like the sennheiser sound.
 
If your tastes are like mine get the t50rp they sound satisfactory as stock, the way these sound is nice regarding the way the sound comes to your ear unlike most if not all none are like these as far as i know.
 
These t50rp cost like 79 usd get those and get an amp and dac.
 
If you are not going to have an amp at all get the panasonic htf 600s but if you want a further increase in quality get the t50rp.

 

[ztreb185]

The HD 558s are the direct upgrade to the HD 555s.  It will expand on soundstage as well as the bass.  They go for <$145.  If you loved your 555s and want to upgrade just a bit more 558s is the safest bet within your budget.  Very similar construction, comfort is great, but Id recommend just going for the HD 598s, the flagship of the series.  Lowest price I've seen is around $170, but now they  around $200.