Newbie needs reccomendations

[ienhz]

Hey I've finally decided that I wanted a new pair of headphones to replace my crappy Sony EX51 earbuds.

I mostly listen to R&B, pop (Asian stuff; HK and Korean-type music), rap, and a bit of instrumentals from movie OSTs. I hardly ever listen to rock music though. I'll mostly be using these for music, though also possibly some light gaming and movie watching. I'll be plugging these straight into my computer headphone jack, so ideally I'd want something that sounds good without the need for an amp.

So far I've been looking at
Sennheiser HD-280 Pro
Sennheiser HD-555

I did a bit of searching and found a lot of people liked the KSC75 but i find clip-ons to be very uncomfortable so I need something with a headband/over-the-head and comfortable enough to wear for 3-4 hrs. Oh and my budget is about $90USD +/- $20.

Thanks

 

[souperman]

555's mos definitely. they leak sound though just to let you know. 280's are isolating.

 

[ienhz]

Yeah the whole open vs closed thing doesn't really bother me as I'll mostly be using them in my room when everyone else in the house is sleeping.

Btw, I'm also open to suggestions to other headphones besides the ones I've listed.

 

[nickchen]

I personally find it hard to suggest fons to somebody without knowing if he/she prefers neutral or thunderous sound.

 

[tek]

I'll say HD580 if you can find them for $110. For me, the HD555 would be a tad too bright for what you listen to.

 

[skellington]

The HD555 aren't bright at all. If you do decide on them, get a cheap pair off ebay. They're OK for music, great for movies/games.
It depends on your preferences. They have a slightly soft/muffled sound which, together with that they are extremely comfy makes them suited to games/movies, i.e. something which will take time. However for music they seem alittle boring.

 

[sharkz]

Where can you find HD580's for $110? Is this new or used. I think that would be a good investment.

 

[phon-o-phile]

Consider a used pair of Beyer 770's.
Keeps out most extraneous noises.
Colored - yes, but are a lot of fun with portables and computer jacks.
They show their weaknesses only when used with good front end equipment and compared to the much more expensive headphones you see described all over HeadFi.

 

[afton]

I haven't tried it yet (still waiting for my order), but many people
here seem to like Alessandro MS-1 {$99}

 

[afton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickchen /img/forum/go_quote.gif I personally find it hard to suggest fons to somebody without knowing if he/she prefers neutral or thunderous sound.

What's "neutral" and "thunderous" ?
Does neutral = classical, jazz
and thunderous = rock, hip hop ?

 

[Esidarap]

ATH-A500 and you're done.

 

[souperman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by afton /img/forum/go_quote.gif I haven't tried it yet (still waiting for my order), but many people here seem to like Alessandro MS-1 {$99}

he listens to music that MS-1's don't SUCK at, but are not the best for.

 

[afton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by souperman /img/forum/go_quote.gif he listens to music that MS-1's don't SUCK at, but are not the best for.

Didn't pay attention to that. I guess HD 555 is better for pop?

 

[souperman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by afton /img/forum/go_quote.gif Didn't pay attention to that. I guess HD 555 is better for pop?

nah i don't even think the 555's are good for that. i think there are other headphones that he could look into. i think the MS-1's would be better than the 555's for his music genre.

 

[afton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by souperman /img/forum/go_quote.gif nah i don't even think the 555's are good for that. i think there are other headphones that he could look into. i think the MS-1's would be better than the 555's for his music genre.

What genres would 555 be good at?