[syNRG]

Hi all
 
I'm new of course, signed up just to post this since everyone here seems to know everything.
I'm looking for a new pair of audiophile headphones. I'm kinda a wanna-be i suppose wanting to become an audiophile and having excellend headphones
So far, i've narrowed it down to the:
Sennheiser
HD515 ($95)
HD518 ($157)
HD 558 ($170)
Grado sr60i ($120)
Grado sr80i ($155)
 
I live in australia which is why my prices may be more expensive than yours (it's a very expensive country with games retailing for more than double that of games sold in the US) THese are my options, which will be bought off the internet imported from the US.
Best set of headphones I've had are Beats studio which I now realise are terrible after i watched some gameplay that i recorded from my PS3 using them. The gun sounds were so terrible I couldn't believe it. My notebook computer speakers sounded better (which says something).
Anyways, i'm looking at those options, and i'll be using them in my computer for things such as music as well listening to commentary, audio and video editing of games. are audiophile headphones overboard for such tasks? I do love music (but everyone does) and i don't plan on using an amp as i'm strapped for cash 'cos i'm a secondary school student.
http://www.youtube.com/heroicfag that's my youtube channel (my commentaries feature a lot of profanities as i'm still in my teens so i apologise to anyone who watches them) and i will need to listen over all tracks. 
Have you got any other recommendations?
$170 looks to be my max if it's worth it. If there's a clear difference between the HD518 and the HD 558, i'll go for the 558, but it can't be anymore.
 
 
Any help is appreciated, thanks 

 

[Focker]

Over the past few months I've owned both the Sennheiser HD518 and the Grado SR80i. I fell in love with the Grados and sold the Senns on Amazon. The Senns low end was muddy to my ears and it was like wearing an oven on my head. The Grados were light and airy, the low end - while not as deep - was crisp and clean, and I was very impressed with the overall presentation of the music. They're much more comfortable to wear, IMO. The Senns sounded pretty good when I watched movies and tv shows on my laptop, but even though they're more expensive, I consider the Grados clearly the better headphones.

 

[syNRG]

Quote:

Over the past few months I've owned both the Sennheiser HD518 and the Grado SR80i. I fell in love with the Grados and sold the Senns on Amazon. The Senns low end was muddy to my ears and it was like wearing an oven on my head. The Grados were light and airy, the low end - while not as deep - was crisp and clean, and I was very impressed with the overall presentation of the music. They're much more comfortable to wear, IMO. The Senns sounded pretty good when I watched movies and tv shows on my laptop, but even though they're more expensive, I consider the Grados clearly the better headphones.

sorry i don't know how to only quote part of a reply yet
are the grado's comfortable, and is the build quality ok? to be honest they don't look like the most durable things in the world, and i'm not sure about the comfort just by looking at it. 
by the way, for console gameplay, which do you think would produce the best sound? god the beats were so bad when i tried listen them with my gameplay  -_- and which would you say is the best overall?

 

[Focker]

The only part of the Grados that wasn't comfortable at first was that the earpads were a little scratchy. But someone on here said to just wash them and that would fix it, so that's what I did. Now I fall asleep with them on nearly every night. They are very light and comfortable. I can't really speak to which is better for gaming since I haven't used them for that application. I've mainly used them for music and viewing movies on my laptop. Aside from the deeper low end on the Senns for explosions during movies, the Grados are better in every way in my opinion. I have heard people say the Grados appear to have poor build quality, but I also read about people who have owned theirs for years with no problems. I'm not experienced enough with headphones to be able to speak to longevity, but I have no issues with the build quality on the SR80is. The build on the Senns seemed fine too.
 
It sounds like you favor the Sennheisers, so if that's where your heart is at, you should go with those. I'm not trying to talk you into the Grados, I'm just offering my personal experience with them since those are two of the first sets of cans I purchased.

 

[syNRG]

Quote:

The only part of the Grados that wasn't comfortable at first was that the earpads were a little scratchy. But someone on here said to just wash them and that would fix it, so that's what I did. Now I fall asleep with them on nearly every night. They are very light and comfortable. I can't really speak to which is better for gaming since I haven't used them for that application. I've mainly used them for music and viewing movies on my laptop. Aside from the deeper low end on the Senns for explosions during movies, the Grados are better in every way in my opinion. I have heard people say the Grados appear to have poor build quality, but I also read about people who have owned theirs for years with no problems. I'm not experienced enough with headphones to be able to speak to longevity, but I have no issues with the build quality on the SR80is. The build on the Senns seemed fine too.
 
It sounds like you favor the Sennheisers, so if that's where your heart is at, you should go with those. I'm not trying to talk you into the Grados, I'm just offering my personal experience with them since those are two of the first sets of cans I purchased.

Thanks for your help. Grados seem good and i hear that they're excellent.