[victor8810]

hi there 

 im victor and ive decided to buy some decent headphones.
 
some background info: currently i have some sennheiser px-100s i use for my computer and philips shp2000s i use for everyday use. these phones are so bad noones probably ever heard of them.
 
my budget is around USD$150 (~ 200 new zealand dollars) and i am rather keen on full-ear coverage headphones such as the sennheiser hd 518s. i am quite interested in the 518s as i tried some on today. basically my requirements are:
 

1. comfort (eg like hd 518s)
2. decent external noise cancellation (apparently the 518s arent known for this) as i will be catching a lot of buses and trains over the next 6 months
3. suitability for walking around (i see the cable for the hd518s is 9ft long, and needs a 3.5mm adapter for ipods, which i will be primarily using)
4. a volume adjuster somewhere on the headphones (so i dont have to go into my ipod every time to adjust the volume would be handy if this is possible)

 
i listen predominantly to drum'n'bass, hip-hop/rap, grunge, folk, shoegaze, heavy rock etc.
 
i guess overall the sound quality isn't that important as because im used to my px-100s, im guessing anything that gets suggested on here will be superior to those. 
 
overall i really like the hd518s but i dont think they are a wise choice considering my needs. are there any phones out there similar which tick all the boxes? i have looked around on some stickied threads but nothing is jumping out at me.
 
thank you in advance!

 

[JK1]

Sound isolation vs comfort is a tradeoff. More of one usually means less of the other. Closed circumaural(surrounding the ears) headphones will make your ears overheat. Many closed headphones that isolate well have great clamping force.
 
Using an IEM(in the ear canal earphone) might be the best idea for getting isolation with decent enough comfort. It won't give you the open sound of the HD518 headphone though. If your priority is isolation, then an IEM such as the Etymotic HF5 (or perhaps the cheaper MC5?) might be your best choice. The HF5 is a balanced armature design and some complain it lacks bass, although it has great detail. The MC5 offers less detail but somewhat better bass due to its dynamic drivers.

 

[zazex]

Ultrasone 580
M Audio Q40
Sony ZX700
Audio Technica M50

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

hi there 

 im victor and ive decided to buy some decent headphones.
 
some background info: currently i have some sennheiser px-100s i use for my computer and philips shp2000s i use for everyday use. these phones are so bad noones probably ever heard of them.
 
my budget is around USD$150 (~ 200 new zealand dollars) and i am rather keen on full-ear coverage headphones such as the sennheiser hd 518s. i am quite interested in the 518s as i tried some on today. basically my requirements are:
 

1. comfort (eg like hd 518s)
2. decent external noise cancellation (apparently the 518s arent known for this) as i will be catching a lot of buses and trains over the next 6 months
3. suitability for walking around (i see the cable for the hd518s is 9ft long, and needs a 3.5mm adapter for ipods, which i will be primarily using)
4. a volume adjuster somewhere on the headphones (so i dont have to go into my ipod every time to adjust the volume would be handy if this is possible)

 
i listen predominantly to drum'n'bass, hip-hop/rap, grunge, folk, shoegaze, heavy rock etc.
 
i guess overall the sound quality isn't that important as because im used to my px-100s, im guessing anything that gets suggested on here will be superior to those. 
 
overall i really like the hd518s but i dont think they are a wise choice considering my needs. are there any phones out there similar which tick all the boxes? i have looked around on some stickied threads but nothing is jumping out at me.
 
thank you in advance!

 
Heya,
 
Without the "in line controls (gimmick)" I would try to put you on a Shure SR750 DJ, Beyer DT770 32ohm, Ultrasone HFI 580 or DJ1.
 
Very best,

 

[MattTCG]

+1 on the Beyer dt770

 

[PurpleAngel]

KRK KNS 8400 (or 6400).

 

[jackwess]

HFI-580's. Forget about the volume control on headphones. 
 
If cable is long, just do this:

 

[victor8810]

thanks for all the replies everyone.
 
while the general consensus seems to be the HFI 580s, i cant find any store in my country that sells them!

the krk 6400's seemed pretty cool and quite a decent price but it seems they might be a bit unforgiving on my songs? i dont have any tracks in FLAC, mostly 320kbs or lower. or will this not matter too much as im not much of an audiophile! (yet?)

so im leaning towards the Audio Technica M50. they are an extra USD$40 than the krk's but are they worth it? are the krk's more comfortable?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Thanks for all the replies everyone.
While the general consensus seems to be the HFI 580s, i cant find any store in my country that sells them!
The KRK 6400's seemed pretty cool and quite a decent price but it seems they might be a bit unforgiving on my songs? I don't have any tracks in FLAC, mostly 320kbs or lower. or will this not matter too much as I'm not much of an audiophile! (yet?)
So I'm leaning towards the Audio Technica M50. they are an extra USD$40 than the krk's but are they worth it? are the krk's more comfortable?

I find my KNS 8400 very comfortable.

 

[zazex]

Quote:

thanks for all the replies everyone.
 
while the general consensus seems to be the HFI 580s, i cant find any store in my country that sells them!

the krk 6400's seemed pretty cool and quite a decent price but it seems they might be a bit unforgiving on my songs? i dont have any tracks in FLAC, mostly 320kbs or lower. or will this not matter too much as im not much of an audiophile! (yet?)

so im leaning towards the Audio Technica M50. they are an extra USD$40 than the krk's but are they worth it? are the krk's more comfortable?

 
Quote:

I find my KNS 8400 very comfortable.

 
The 8400's are comfortable.  So are the M50's.
 
The 6400's are a different model than the 8400's.
 
I agree that the M50's would probably work better
with your music than either/both the 6400's/8400's.

 

[MattTCG]

Quote:

 
 
The 8400's are comfortable.  So are the M50's.
 
The 6400's are a different model than the 8400's.
 
I agree that the M50's would probably work better
with your music than either/both the 6400's/8400's.

 
Sorry but the m50 clamps too hard for me.

 

[RobustOrange]

Try the Philips Citiscape uptown. I've used them a little, they seem quite nice for your needs.

 

[Dyaems]

I want to try those new Philips headphones but it seems they won't be around our country until next year
 
 
 
I also would go for m50, q40 (with beyer velour pads, better than m50 IMO) or those new KRK headphones. but if i would pick one, i would go for q40 with velour pads.

 

[zazex]

Quote:

 
Sorry but the m50 clamps too hard for me.

 
Interesting - haven't heard or read that complaint about them very often,
but if that's the way they feel to you, so it is.
 
I found the 840's and M50's clamping force very similar, but the M50's
fit me a bit better - just the way the padding was arranged, their
structural design overall.

 

[victor8810]

wow those philip citiscapes look sexy as hell. i cant find any locally though.
 
well ive been going round and round in circles over the ath-m50, krk kns 6400s, shure srh440s. akg k518 DJs, and probably a few others. this is a stressful decision!

im now thinking i might just go with some sennheiser hd448s seeing as they're closed but dont offer full isolation (from reading on here having full isolating headphones in a city is a bit dangerous and it doesnt seem like a great idea tbh), but im guessing would still be ideal for a buses/trains. apparently they feel cheap but look good enough, and the sound seems pretty decent although a bit light on bass. comfort seems relatively good as well, and theyre about USD$80 less than the ath-m50s.
 
so is this reasonable thinking or a complete shocker of a decision?

EDIT: now im looking at philips o'neil the stretch's.... and hd439's.....