[shawn42]

i need some good headphones in a bad way. i don't have a huge budget (in the $200 or less range), and have some other specific criteria:

1) my main 2 considerations are sound quality and comfort. circumaural is a must. i do most of my music listening at work. it's not uncommon for me to be wearing my phones for 4 or 5 hours on end, lunch break, followed by 3 or more hours. comfort is key. but comfortable cans with crappy sound will do me no good. good to great sound is a must.

2) for the most part, i'm using a sony discman to do my listening while at work. i would like to steer clear, for now, from having to use an amp, though i'd be willing to entertain most any option that fits into my budget.

3) and lastly, my music preferences are WIDE ranging. i listen to a lot of jazz and rock, mixed in every now and then with some country, rap, classical, and acoustic music. i like to think that i know what sounds good, but this being my first foray into high end headphones, i expect to be surprised by what i thought sounded good.

thanks in advance for any advice you good folks can provide.

 

[KR...]

This will be a tough one, since Sony Portables have such low powered headphone jacks.

You can forget about Grados, and the Sony MDR-CD3000.

 

[shawn42]

specifically, the discman in question is a sony d-141 with a mega bass switch. the headphones i've been using are koss wm/60. i get plenty of volume from this particular combination, but i have no point of reference for how higher end phones would work with this disc player. also have the option of using my pc cdrom/soudcard headphone jack. but i have no idea what brand/model card is in the pc. they get kind of upset at work when you go around cracking open their pc's. but i'm open to the idea of a new discman, or even, if it's a necessity, an amp. i had already figured the grados were out for me because of my need for circumaural phones. but the descriptions i see of their sound are very enticing. that detailed sound (with a nice smooth bass) is really what i think i'm after. but after more than about an hour and a half, if the phones aren't circumaural, my ears just begin to ache. are there no mid to high quality circumaural phones out there, that don't require the use of an amp?

 

[aeberbach]

Sennheiser HD580s are probably going to make you very happy, as long as you use an amplifier. They sound great, you can wear them for hours, and they cut out almost exactly the right amount of outside noise for work - you can hear someone talking to you but you can ignore it all just as easily.

Although I am a bit curious about Sony MDR-CD780 now after putting them on in an Apple store yesterday. They might be even more comfortable than the Sennheisers, and they sounded OK. I couldn't really tell from the iMac-powered MP3 in a noisy store though.

 

[coolvij]

KR - I would think Grados and CD3Ks would run WELL off of portables compared to say, Senns......

 

[KR...]

Quote:

KR - I would think Grados and CD3Ks would run WELL off of portables compared to say, Senns......

They sure will, but he said he didn't want Grados, and those Sonys cost too much. has to be under $200 and he doesn't want an amp.

 

[dhwilkin]

True, but he did say he'd at least entertain options w/ an amp. So I'd cast my first vote towards a DBSE cmoy variant and some Senn 580s. Or he could get the V6 and put the Beyer pads on them.

 

[dgs]

I guess the first question is open or closed.

 

[kerykeion]

Sennheiser HD565 + DBSE amp, 'nuff said.

 

[MooGoesTheCow]

I wouldn't mind a pair of these

 

[coolvij]

aha......thanx for letting the clouds part from before my mind - and subsequently bestowing upon me the ability........to see clearly now

 

[dngl]

V6s + portable are a good introduction to hifi sound. Don't forget that some people don't like the hifi sound and want big bass and recessed highs, etc. V6s are only $80, (compared to $250 for 580s+dbse) so if he doesn't like what true audio reproduction is, no big deal. If he likes it, he can get 580s + DBSE amp. He could keep the V6s because they are different from 580s or he could sell the V6s.... lots of possibilities...

 

[coolvij]

Does the V6 provide as much detail as the 580? out of say - a DBSE CHA47?

Just wondering....

 

[KR...]

What about these headphones?

Koss A-250

Here's a review :

http://listeningstation.safeshopper..../cat35.htm?925

update :

You can get them here for $106.44

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/gigabuyz/a250.html

Product Description:

Dynamic element construction utilizes Neodymium iron boron magnet
Oxygen-Free copper voice coils
Closed leatherette ear cushions
Extra wide, detachable padded headband
Straight 8' dual-entry cord
16Hz - 25kHz
Includes leatherette storage bag, 1/8" and 1/4" stereo plugs

 

[Braver]

Quote:

Originally posted by kerykeion Sennheiser HD565 + DBSE amp, 'nuff said.

yeah, he's got 565 written all over him

they're too damn hard to find tho.

I'd say stretch the budget a bit and get a HD580 and a JMT build amp.