[heymian]

Hey all, I'm new to these forums so allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Steve and I've had a life long passion for audio.  I do consider myself an audiophile and a very finicky one at that.
 
I've been in the market for a decent set of headphones for a few months now.  I've done a great deal of research reading through articles and reviews online.  What's so surprising is the sheer amount of manufacturers and models that exist today.  It's a rather daunting task trying to find exactly what you want.  And as with all headphone purchases, unless you try before you buy, you are taking a shot in the dark.  I've found this out the hard way and it has cost me.  This is really my biggest concern, the closest store that has demo models available is over 100 miles away, not including the trip back.
 
So with that possibility out of the question, I've decided to take that "shot in the dark", but not without a little confidence first.  I was hoping some fellow audiophiles could point me in the right direction with my next purchase.
 
- The most amount of money I'd like to spend is $200.00 USD but if there's some compelling reason why I should spend more, I might go a little over.  Now I know this is going to be a point of debate.  Some will say "You won't find audiophile grade cans for $200".  And I can agree with that, to an extent.  But notice I said decent set of headphones, I'm not looking for the best of the best or even close.
 
- Open-air headphones are a must.  I will be using these in the privacy of my own home so there is no concern about bothering people on an airplane or on a bus.  I'm fully aware of the sonic differences between closed and open, and from what I've gathered, open is the way to go if you're looking for audio fidelity.
 
- Comfortability is also a factor here, not a huge factor though.  I dislike headphones that clamp on your head like a vise or and/or are rough on the ears but at the same time, I'm willing to endur some discomfort if it's the right price and open-air.
 
The pair I'm looking at right now are these:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD595-Performance-Premiere-Headphones/dp/B0001FTVE0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293251963&sr=8-1
 
From what I understand, these are an absolute steal at that price.  They're comfortable and open-air.  The only thing that's stoping me from buying these right now is this:  Bass.  I've read several reviews from websites and owners that say these headphones are "lacking in the bass department".  Before I go any further with that, I just want to say that I do plan on running my headphones through an amplifier.  Exactly which amplifier, I do not know but I will come to a decision sooner or later.  The reason why I bring this up is simple, the first thing to go out with underpowered headphones is usually the bass.  And bass is important to me.  I listen to mostly dance and electronic music so I need that deep, rich, warm bass to provide that energy and excitement.  Without it, tracks sound dull and lifeless.  But please don't get me wrong, I am not a basshead.  I don't want the bass drowning out vocals and other frequencies.  I guess you can say I want something that's balanced for highs, mids and lows.  The HD595's seem to do that well, and I'm really hoping the people who complained about the bass weren't driving them properly and/or are giving subjective opinions because I am rather interested in these cans.
 
I'm sorry for the wall of text, treat if how you like it makes no difference to me.  I'm just asking for some suggestions here, anybody got some?

 

[buffalowings]

you're not going to find any open phones that can match closed phones for electronic/dance and hiphop

 

[jasonb]

why do you say this?
 
i enjoy bass heavy electronic music on my HD650's. i listen to downtempo or chillout, whatever you wanna call it, and dubstep on them quite often and they do just fine. i prefer open to closed for all my music, and that includes quite a range of genre's. closed cans just don't sound right to me.
 
Quote:

you're not going to find any open phones that can match closed phones for electronic/dance and hiphop

 

[buffalowings]

Quote:

why do you say this?
 
i enjoy bass heavy electronic music on my HD650's. i listen to downtempo or chillout, whatever you wanna call it, and dubstep on them quite often and they do just fine. i prefer open to closed for all my music, and that includes quite a range of genre's. closed cans just don't sound right to me.
 
Quote:

you're not going to find any open phones that can match closed phones for electronic/dance and hiphop

 

opens cans in my experience can have the same bass slam, but the bass dies out much quicker than closed cans, different strokes for different folks

 

[heymian]

It's too bad the HD650's are out of my price range.  I still have to buy an amp or an amped soundcard.  Saving money and purchasing later is always an option but I'd prefer not to.  I've been without a good set of cans for a few months now.

 

[jasonb]

i think the bass "dieing out" quicker would be considered more accurate to me. i would think that closed cans would make the bass reverberate inside the enclosure, thus making the decay slower. fast decay sounds like a good thing to me, otherwise the bass lingers behind and can sound bloated. the best way to use subwoofers or even mid-bass drivers is in an infinite baffle design, which is the same concept as open headphones. you want to separate the back wave from the front wave, but not add the coloration that enclosures WILL add. 
 
Quote:

opens cans in my experience can have the same bass slam, but the bass dies out much quicker than closed cans, different strokes for different folks

 

[jasonb]

yea, i didn't mean to barge in and talk about my HD650. i just don't agree that closed cans are a must for electronic or bass heavy stuff in general. of course everyone's opinion of heavy bass is different. you'd have a hell of a time getting XB500 type bass out of any open headphone. you'd need huge drivers, a ton of power, and a lot of EQ to accomplish such a feat. if you aren't looking for vision blurring bass, then an open headphone can still be an option, and in my opinion should be a preference.
 
Quote:

It's too bad the HD650's are out of my price range.  I still have to buy an amp or an amped soundcard.  Saving money and purchasing later is always an option I but I'd prefer not to.  I've been without a good set of cans for a few months now.