[gpk kuji]

Hello! (I am Korean so bare with my horrible grammar)
 
I am very new to the headphone world and would like some help from the experts here on the Head-Fi forums! I love listening to Classical, Rock, Alternative, Pop- Punk, Hip hop, rap, r&b, kpop, soul, dubstep, and basically every kind of music.. My ear is kind of sensitive and I can't really stand when headphones and earphones mush up the sounds and the different colors in the music start clashing with one another. I am interested in buying something that would make me feel like I am at the recording studio or live in the audience when I'm listening to these songs. Although I would love to invest a ton of money into this, I am very limited since I am only a college student. 
 
My setting will either be in my room where there is no distractions and basically open back headphones would be fine! Or, at the library where it is REALLY loud and I can not leak my music.. But if I do end up getting open back, I can just use my old earphones for whenever I leave the house...
 
I do like headphones, but I also REALLY like earphones. I do prefer Circumaural over supra aural. I am looking for a really clean and crisp sound with a little emphasis on the bass! I am a bass player myself and I love hearing riffs in the back by the bassist and crazy guitar solos. I also have a special ear for classical music and love to hear the ostinato coloring the main melody along with the counter melodies, rythms, and harmonies. 
 
OH! AND I am also a  VERY BIG GAMER! I play League of Legends competitively! and play many other online games whenever I get bored of playing a certain game.
 
The Headphones and IEMs that I've looked at so far are: * - Will indicate the amount of interest I have in them
ATH A900X - ***
ATH AD900 - ***
Monster Turbine PRO Copper - ****
AKG K550 - ***
DT 770 PRO (Not really sure between 250 OHMS and 80 OHMS)- ***
ATH M50 - **
Shure SRH840 - ***
Sennheiser HD 598 - ***
Sennheiser Amperior - ***
 
Also I do not have an amp and will not be getting one!!

 

[gpk kuji]

Bump.

 

[BillsonChang007]

Hello!
 
League Of Legend player here too! XD I'm using the North America server though... hehe anyway... 
 
It seems like you are looking for headphone or earphone under $300! My favorite IEM so far is the very best and well known Ultimate Ears UE900. From the headphone you listed above, I will only choose between HD598 and AKG K550. For gaming, of corse, the HD598 is a better all rounder but it does carry some sibilants with certain music and it doesn't play well with rocks music or fast type of music. It does lacking some details  but it is still a very sharp choice for classical music. What I like about the HD598 is its forward ,mids! Very alive sounding.
 
AKG K550 on the other hand, a closed headphone, offer wide soundstage with great imaging. Instrument separation is great too. At the same time, it is detailed sounding and neutral. Unlike HD598, AKG K550 is very clean sounding with minimum sibilants. Pairing with an amp, will highly improve these. The mids here is also less forward sounding. 
 
If you allow headphones other than what you have listed up there, I like PSB M4U1! It is similar to AKG K550 but do not require an amp. No fitting issue[K550 can be too big for some head size]. If you try to a/b the PSB M4U1 and K550, you find that the K550 offer deeper bass and also a little bit wider soundstage. Other than that, it's pretty much identical. 
 
Hope this help!
Billson 

 

[davidsh]

Maybe start at a lower price with the new Hifiman RE-400. Don't know if it makes any difference for you that they are from China, but it is like same continent at least

They are well rounded and said to be very good for the money. If you are hooked and like what you hear, you can think about full size cans.
 
Do you have a sound card, just asking?

 

[gpk kuji]

No, I do not have a sound card :/ Just whatever my mobo gives me

 

[davidsh]

Well, a sound card is most important for fps gaming anyway... But it would still offer you superior sound quality compared to your mobo if you had one.
Start out easy, go with a 100$ IEM or something, that is my advice. I am positive you will be impressed, but we'll see.