[et10yl]

I used to own a set of circumaural (edited to change this to circumaural... oops!) Audio-Technica portable headphones. They were transparent plastic and folded up into a little ball. I lost them recently, so I can't find out what the model number was to replace them. In any case, I don't think they are being made any more (I bought them back in the mid 1990's in Asia).

Now I need a new set of headphones and need help with suggestions for a new pair. I’ve been reading around the site and am still having difficulty deciding. I liked the look of the Sennheiser HD280 but am worried about them being a little big for ease of packing/travel.

I’m also curious about noise cancelling sets (e.g. Audio-Technica Quiet Point); I’ve never had any noise cancelling headphones and wonder if they may be good for when I’m trying to study (my office is right next to an big undergraduate lecture hall). I also was curious about the ES-7’s but am not sure about how I would like the way they fold (i.e. flat rather than inwards…), though I typically carry a purse so that might only be a factor if I’m using a very small purse.

Typical listening: classical, alternative rock (think Linkin Park, Tori Amos), folksy (think Sarah McLachlan) , and just a teensy bit of trance type music

Preferred type: Prefer circumaurals (oops moment: edited to change this to circumaural) because they keep the sound in and kind of insulate against outside noise. I do not like the in-ear type phones.

Typical equipment pairing: I will use this mostly with my laptop and mp3 player.

Budget: preferably around the $50 mark, though I also don’t mind used so if the suggestions are higher in price, I’ll just look around for used to see if I can get them within my budget

Typical environment: home, office, gym, commute/travel, outdoors

Thanks for your suggestions and input!