Opinions needed for first-time buyer!

[Anggrian]

Greetings audiophiles! I am new to this forum and also to the world of headphones.

To introduce myself, I'm going to confess I was one of those guys who refused spending a lot of money for a pair of headphones. First, because I'm a student so I don't have many of them. And second, even if I have some of them to spend, I'd spend them on computer parts which is my main interest.

But as time goes by, my interest in music grows. Until I finally reach the point when I notice a pair of in-ear headphones that comes with my smartphone isn't enough, I am now searching for a higher quality headphone. I did a little research on which headphones are good and which aren't. But the thing about headphones is, unlike computers, you cannot tell how well they perform just by analyzing their specifications. And so I'm totally blind.

I know you probably suggest me to go out and try those headphones myself in the store. But it's essential to know that I live in an environment with very less audiophiles and excuse my words, there are ****loads of headphones out there. I tried a v-moda headphone once and it sounds great, I mean really great, hell I could write a poetry about it. I kept trying to remember what version was it but I couldn't, but that's not really a concern after knowing that most of v-moda headphones cost more than $200. Since I'm still a student I prefer the cost to be around $100, lower if possible.

So now as a first time buyer, it would be nice to hear opinions from experts concerning which over-the-ear headphones are worth buying for around $100. I mostly listen to dance/electronic music, dubstep, and very little rock. If you guys could give me names, I would gladly find and try them in stores, and probably go home with a pair.

Thanks and good day!

Sent from my PadFone 2 using Tapatalk 4

 

[formula1]

Hello and welcome to head-fi. 
 
For starters, this is a good guide:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/433318/shootout-108-portable-headphones-reviewed-denon-dn-hp1000-added-09-07-13
 
You can pick the models that caught your interest, and ask more questions about them if you have. 

 

[Machina]

I am the new to this forum too

 

[Anggrian]

Hello and welcome to head-fi. 
 
For starters, this is a good guide:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/433318/shootout-108-portable-headphones-reviewed-denon-dn-hp1000-added-09-07-13
 
You can pick the models that caught your interest, and ask more questions about them if you have. 

Hello and thanks for the link, I find it very useful as a guidebook to the world of headphones.
And as a matter of fact, I have to say that Sennheiser HD428 and Audio-Technica M30 have caught my special attention due to their decent looks, low price and similarly high value rate.

First I googled about HD428 and I accidentally saw an user sharing his experience with his HD428 after a year of use, these pictures belongs to him:

As we can see the buds on each side are nearly torn. The user claims it is normal considering the soft materials Sennheiser use. Does it happen to all headphones after a year of use? What can we do when ours are torn just like in the picture? Don't they usually come up with a replacement buds or is there at least a way to fix it? Is it now safe to say that in-ear-headphones are more durable because they don't encounter these kind of problems?

Sorry I asked so many questions but this is really freaking me out, I don't like the idea of spending $100 every year for a headphone.

Sent from my PadFone 2 using Tapatalk 4

 

[SonicBoy]

Ear pads, and if you handle your gear in a rough manner, new cables are all part of the running cost of owning a pair of headphones.
 
Fortunately parts for Sennheiser headphones can be easily obtained from EBay, Amazon, a Sennheiser retailer or even Sennheiser themselves very easily.
 
A new set of ear pads for a HD428 shouldn't cost more than 10 bucks, the part number is: 53444.
 
You may also find this helpful:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6k2HsHdB-I

 

[Anggrian]

I decided to get myself Audio Technica M-35 over M-30 or Sennheiser HD428, I suppose to receive it 2 days from now. I don't know if I have made a wrong decision (despite many reviews think I'm not) because the cable's quite long or the sound quality perhaps isn't as well as high-end headphones. But this is my first headphone so my requirement won't be as high.
 
Thanks for you guys!