[ThomasLi]

As a fellow student I have found that the best option is always to buy second hand, as long as you don't have any hang-ups about wearing something that other people have worn/sweat in/who-knows-what for hundreds of hours.

1. Research thoroughly, but always remember that a review is just one persons opinion, especially if they make outlandish claims (ie, FOTM-giant-killers)
2. Audition at hi-fi shops if possible
3. Check the second hand forums and ebay for bargain goodies (people are always upgrading or getting rid of unused or unwanted stuff)
4. Spend what you can afford and never look back (!)

 

[djviciouscycle]

There are DJ headphones in every price bracket, and they are frequently tweaked for their DJ function, but the result is awesome listening enjoyment.  I have Pioneer, Audio-Technica, and Allen & Heath DJ headphones.  I haven't heard the Koss and Shure models, but they cost a lot less, and I would like to get my hands on both eventually.  I'm just providing a perspective.  I just got into this crazy-headphones-guy phase less than a year ago.  I don't know if my ears have adapted this way from DJing over the past 10 years, but I enjoy DJ headphones better than any other kind.

 

[scottalot]

Well I'm doing some research on all of them right now... no concerns as of now.
 
Here's a random question that I hope isn't offensive to some (because it's kinda like asking what your salary is): What do some of you guys do for a living that allows you to afford these multiple-hundred, sometimes >$1000 dollar headphones and equipment? I come from a small city of about 60,000, so there aren't many people with truly distinguished/unique/interesting jobs here. The highest salaries go to doctors, here, but that seems like such a regular, stock job. I'm going to [most likely] be studying computer engineering next year at a school like UT Austin or Purdue (or if God allows it, MIT), so I'm going to have a comfortable salary... but even with a 6-digit salary, dropping that much on headphones seems like a kick in the groin. I assure you I'm not dissing audiophiles (as I know some of the joys of good audio), but I'm just too curious.
 
EDIT: I'm also from a family that has seen bankruptcies and the like, so maybe I'm just too unfamiliar with life in the city/suburbs.

 

[pyrokid]

I think a surprising amount of us (20%?) are probably high school kids with nearly 100% disposable income... Other than stuff like car insurance. 

 

[CharliyuAndCo]

Quote:

I think a surprising amount of us (20%?) are probably high school kids with nearly 100% disposable income... Other than stuff like car insurance. 

+1, except that my only income is money from Birthday and X-mas presents and miniscule allowance

 

[scottalot]

Is that so? I guess I had strange notions about this forum after seeing the Head-Fi Youtube channel with headphones galore...

 

[scottalot]

Well guys, I got a pair of Creative Aurvana Live! headphones. I've got to say, this was a great suggestion for a starter pair of headphones. I'm starting to figure out which things are essential in my perfect pair, and which features I don't care for as much. These truly are a very neutral pair of headphones, nothing specific to complain about at all. I'm listening to The Italian Job soundtrack right now, and it's given me a foundation to give a review on.

Because I haven't had the privelege of listening to a wide range of headphones, I won't say that any part of the performance is great; I will limit myself to saying "good" for the time being. I like how well-defined the highs are in this pair... while they aren't extremely crisp, they definitely are 'good'. Listening to the Boat Chase scene gives me a basis for mids and lows. I really can't figure out how to review the mids except by saying that they sound every bit as good as I had hoped. As for the lows, they are very warm throughout any song. However, they don't really give much kick unless you listen to a song that is geared towards bass (like some '90s rap song my step-dad was listening to). The soundstage is great for such a budget-audiophile set of cans; listening to these orchestra songs, I found myself jerking my head to the left and right as musical elements were suddenly-added to the medley that John Powell has formulated.

Also, my step-dad saw me looking at reviews of the HD 555, and he bought a pair [on a whim]. I'm trying to convince him to invest in a mobile amplifier, but he is somewhat stubborn and doesn't see the benefit in it because he's satisfied right now. I've tried to explain the benefits, but I don't know how to word them correctly. I usually talk about impedance of the headphones (as that's something that was easy to grasp for me), but he wants to discuss the end benefits of the amplifier. So if you were trying to explain the end benefits to him, how would you word it?

 

[Head Injury]

Quote:

So if you were trying to explain the end benefits to him, how would you word it?

Volume 

 
If he doesn't need that, don't force feed him an amp. Presumably he's using a portable DAP, and most of those are pretty good in all aspects but power. If he doesn't need volume, he's fine.

 

[scottalot]

Volume 

If he doesn't need that, don't force feed him an amp. Presumably he's using a portable DAP, and most of those are pretty good in all aspects but power. If he doesn't need volume, he's fine.

DAP? I know what a DAC is... what's a DAP? I guess he doesn't need an amplifier... though, I always figured having an amp would regulate the movement of the driver more. For example, my cousin has some cheaper Sennheisers (he's a bass-head) and whenever there was a surge of bass, the rest of his audio would suffer. When he put an amplifier on it and adjusted the volume, it sounded similar, except when surges of bass came in, the rest of the music stayed at the same volume.

He just uses his iPhone, which is what worries me... it's like someone buying a really nice computer and they're amazed on how quickly it opens Microsoft Word.

 

[Head Injury]

A DAP is a digital audio player. Stuff like iPods, Sansa players, etc. They have their own DAC and amp.
 
iPhones are pretty good, actually. It's an audiophile myth that anything would be a significant improvement, just like it's an audiophile myth that anything a run-of-the-mill plebe can buy in the store is inherently bad 

 
Your friend may have been clipping the peaks of the bass notes, or whatever he had the headphones plugged into was creating excessive harmonic distortion and muddying up the frequencies above the bass. Or any number of other problems, like noise, output impedance, etc. Or it was all imagination at work.

 

[CC Lemon]

It's good that you were able to start with something you enjoy so far. Once you've listened to those and tried out other headphones, you'll have a better idea of what you're looking for out of a headphone.
 
As someone else mentioned, I would definitely consider buying second hand. You'll be able to get a lot more for your budget. The pads are usually fairly cheap and easy to replace if it bothers you that someone else has been wearing them. If you find yourself wanting to move on to something else and still have a limited budget, that will definitely open your options up quite a bit.

 

[scottalot]

Yup, I've been watching the FS section for quite some time... looking for something to really pop out to me. Even when I don't find the headset I'm looking for, I still like researching them and learning the characteristics of each company and model.

 

[scottalot]

Also, I did find the top-band on the CAL! to be a bit scratchy after a while...

You said buying second-hand is a good idea, but what about refurbished?