opinions please? xmas shopping for my boyfriend

[fleurette]

hi, everyone! i know that my boyfriend wants a good pair of headphones. unfortunately, i want this to be a surprise, so i can't really ask him about what he wants. so, i was hoping you all could be of some help.

here's a little bit about him: he likes to listen to music on his computer..mostly indie and punk. he also likes to play games on his computer. he used to use only headphones while on his computer, so they've got to be comfortable. he is on the computer A LOT.

i know that he is looking into getting an MP3 player or something sometime..so it would be a plus if they were portable, but he will mainly be using them while on his computer, so it's not a huge deal. we are thinking about putting a tv in the computer room, so..should i be getting the closed kind rather than open? or, is the open kind really that superior?

as far as price..unfortunately, i'm only able to part with about $100. i don't want to spend any less than $90, and no more than $120. with my limited research, i've come up with the following possibilities:

Sennheiser HD 280
Beyer Dynamic DTX-900
Grado SR-80
AKG K240S or M?

the akg240s are pretty nice. but, what is the different between the S and the M? are these four good choices? what do you think would be best for him? are there any others that i should look at? help, please!

this has been quite a learning experience for me, as i really had NO CLUE how many options there were with headphones. actually, i have a feeling i am going to be jealous once he gets them. i might have to get some for myself!

 

[Oink1]

The Grado's and the AKG's are probably a good bet - can't comment on the other 2 though.A lot of peeps on here seem to prefer the sr60's to the 80's though - go figure! Have you thought about the Alessandro MS1's? a sort of tweaked sr60 - surf over to HERE and check 'em out - $99 shipped - made for the job!

Good luck,i'm sure he'll love whatever you get.

 

[Jahn]

Welcome to head-fi and sorry about your wallet...actually not really since it sounds like a nice reason to spend the cash. But once you think about cans for yourself, "Sorry about your wallet!"

$100, and you'll be wanting some closed cans, and portable too, what with the TV in the same room and the MP3 player coming soon. Plus unamped, as the computer probably won't be able to push some of the beefier cans out there.

If it was just a home can I've read that the Audio Technica A500 is a good can right in that range - but it's definitely not a portable type. Also, I've never heard it, so i can't recommend it from personal opinion, so take that with a grain of salt.

The HD280 I have heard, and while it's not the best sounding, it will give you the isolation, and i've read over time it will get more loosey goosey and sound better. But again, not portable.

The problem is no can is really closed and portable and sounds good except for the HD25-1 (i've read, and too expensive) and the HD-25-sp, while similar in being closed and portable, is of lesser sound quality (i've read) and perhaps a tad uncomfortable.

I'm not familiar with the AKG offerings at all so i can't even suggest. Can you tell i'm not that familiar with closed/portable/$100?

Well it probably didn't help but good luck and hopefully that aids in pointing you in the general direction.

 

[oneeyedhobbit]

For what you've mentioned, I'd look at the Grado SR 80 or Allesandro MS1 as open cans that can potentially be used portably. However, if what you really want is closed, the only closed can in this price range that I would recommend is the AT A500--I should note, however, that I've not heard any other serious closed cans in this price range, only the A500s.

Edit: As mentioned above, the A500s are about as far from portable as you can get.

 

[Spankypoo]

I'd consider a less expensive pair (the Sennheiser PX100). It doesn't hit your $90 minimum, but you could put that toward an MP3 player, etc.

It's very portable, and he'll probably really enjoy the sound.

 

[1UP]

Hiya, nice choice of present!

But none of those are really portable. I think you should omit that particular criterion (portability) and get him something for Xmas that can fulfil the home / gaming / tv criteria - I don't think you can go wrong with the DTX900, especially in terms of value for money. They sound good for both games and music, are easy to drive out of a pc or hi-fi equipment, and they're certainly more comfortable (for me at least) than the Grado SR60s that I've since sold.

The only bad thing is they look plasticky!

 

[Blitzula]

The worst thing people do here is recommend cans like Grado for portability. Unless the portability is from home to work, a can like that will overwhelmingly not be used on the go by a large portion of people. Too big and bulky, with a long cord.

So if someone tells you a can is portable like that, check it out yourself first before buying.

 

[NeilPeart]

I recommend:

AKG K240S $100: It has a very fun sound and can be driven reasonably well by most sources so an amp isn't absolutely necessary; it can be found for under $100 at places like Guitar Center (I found it for $80 at my GC). It is fairly large and not the most portable headphone. Reasonably comfy.

Alessandro MS1 $100: Based on the Grado SR125 but modified slightly and features a 1/8" mini-plug that most portable devices feature; it's probably the best-sounding headphone of all of these but it's not very portable and it's very open and leaks sound in/out. I found it uncomfortable for long listening sessions.

Audio-Technica A500 $100: A very good sealed headphone that sounds great without amplification but it way too awkward for portable use. Quite comfortable.

Beyerdynamic DT440 $150: It's out of your budget and not closed, but it's easily driven and sounds very fun. Very comfortable.

Grado SR80 $100: Similar to the MS1 but not quite as good (less detailed and bass is not as tight). Like the MS1, some folks find the Grados uncomfortable.

Sennheiser HD280 $100: Good, if analytical-sounding headphone; it isolates well and performs decently without amplification; it's more portable than the K240S and A500, but it's not my top choice for portable headphoning. It's reasonably comfy.

Sony MDR-V6 $80: Can be found for less at GC and is a decent-sounding headphone; it's one of the more portable cans on this list with a lower profile than the HD280 but it doesn't sound as good (harsh treble); your BF may enjoy the bouncy bass of the V6, however. Is comfortable but can be improved with upgraded earpads.

Depending on his current or prior headphones' quality, he will probably be impressed by the sound of any of the above cans - perhaps features, price and portability should be of greater concern. My personal choices for portable headphones are the open and very portable PX100 ($40) and the sealed and reasonably portable HD25 ($150). Similar choices to the PX100 are the Koss PortaPro2 and KSC75 but again none of these are good full-sized home cans. I find it's much easier to get a nice, full-sized open headphone for home usage and a semi-portable sealed headphone for outside use, but of course budget limitations apply.

 

[commando]

So long as he won't be moving around while he wears them, i'd suggestion getting A500s. They're US$109, plus maybe another $10 in shipping. They're great headphones sound wise, very comfortable too.

 

[audiomortis]

I recomend some Grado SR60's for home, and maybe some Sharp MD 33's (no experience with the sharps, but they get good reviews) for the portable. That will fall right around your range.

You don't have to have just ONE pair

 

[blessingx]

The MS1s aren't portable, but then again neither is the A500.

Why not split the $100? Go with the SR60 ($70) and MX500 ($15). Or SR60 and KSC35 ($35) for $5 over.

Personally I'd go MS1 ($99 shipped) or 240S ($99 plus shipping) and pick up a pair of cheap MX500s or MX400s later. Out of the two it's about preferences. Both are very good for the price, but I like the Alessandros overall sound a bit more (both unamped and possibly in the future amped).

 

[gloco]

My vote goes to the V6's, since i own their identical twin, the 7506's. They would work well as closed cans when he's gaming and plus, they work quite well with positioning in First Person Shooters.

 

[scwtlover]

You mention putting a TV in the computer room. Is your concern avoiding sound leakage from your bf's headphones when you are watching TV? isolating him from the sound of the TV? or both?

If it's only avoiding sound leakage, then given your upper price limit and desire for portability, I suggest the Sennheiser PX200 at under $50. (You could spend the balance on another present.)

If you also want to isolate him from the sound of the TV, then, staying within your budget, you may need to consider canal phones.

Good luck.

 

[MD1032]

I personally prefer my SR-80's to my friend's V6's in many respects, but your boyfriend might like the V6's better. My personal vote goes to either the SR-80's or the MS-1's.

 

[fleurette]

now that i think about it some more, i should probably just focus on some nice headphones for him to use while gaming/listening to music on his computer, and save the portables for later. who knows when he'll even get an mp3 player.

as far as the tv...i don't even know if we'll definitely keep it in this room. so, i'm just going to ignore it. haha. i just want to get him a nice pair of headphones that will fit his needs. the tv can move if it needs to.

so i'm going to check out some of the new headphones that were mentioned.. wow. so many choices. thanks, everyone, for all of the replies! keep 'em coming. i really appreciate it.