[Narzil]

 
Hello to everybody.
I've been looking for advice to buy good headphones and I would like to ask the pros , before commiting a mistake when expending money buying headphones.
In my recent birthday I've received my first real headphones (cheap 20$ in-ear headphones doesn't count as real headphones), unfortunately those were Beats SOLO HD,now I know these are "crap" headphones because of the SQ/price, information I never knew until I started to read forums and reviews). And now I want to buy real high performance headphones, although I'm comfortable with Beats, because I haven't tried better ones
I want to spend 100-170$ aproximately, I listen primarily Heavy Metal, but also Blues, Jazz, Rock, and Classical, I would like them not to bulky (I listen to music everywhere, and mobility is essential) with low sound leaks and if possible, good looking. Also I want to ask about these so called "headphone amp", ¿Am I obliged to buy one of those in the case I buy one of those high performance headphones? ¿Does the sound quality changes drastically using one of these? 
 
Thanks for your help.

 

[Darkblade48]

You may want to try the Sony XB700s, they fit easily within your price range, and would have the bass that you might be looking for, considering the music you listen to.
 
Unfortunately, mobility may be an issue with these headphones, they are not what I would consider mobile.
 
The Beyerdynamic DT770 might be a good alternative as well, I think.
 
As for an amplifier, you are not obliged to buy one, but it depends on the headphones you buy. Some headphones require an amplifier due to several reasons (i.e. high impedance, low sensitivity, etc) so that they sound their best. Without an amplifier, the headphones will sound muddy, weak, etc.
 
 

 

[wilky61]

I think the first question that anybody is going to ask you is, "What is your source?" In other words, do you listen to music from an iPod/iPhone mostly? Or do you plug your headphones into your laptop's headphone jack or possibly your desktop speakers' headphone jack?
 
Also, in what format do you store your music? Low-bitrate MP3s? High-bitrate MP3s? Lossless (e.g., FLAC)?
 
Not sure if you've seen this yet, but this link was helpful to me in my own headphone search:
http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide
 
Based on your original post, I am presuming that you would mostly be plugging your headphones into a pocket-sized MP3 player for mobile use and/or walking around. In this case, you are probably not going to want to carry a separate amp around with you. Coupling this with your budget constraints, it sounds like you ought to look for a set of headphones with a low enough impedance and/or high enough sensitivity that an amplifier is not necessary (a lot of headphones in the <$150 range are low-impedance anyway).
 
As far as specific recommendations, I would only be able to guess based on what I've read others post here. If I were you, though, I think I'd take a look at the closed-back headphones listed under "Entry Level Headphone ($75-$150)" in that Headphone Buying Guide to start.
 
Hope this is helpful.
 
Quote:

 
Hello to everybody.
I've been looking for advice to buy good headphones and I would like to ask the pros , before commiting a mistake when expending money buying headphones.
In my recent birthday I've received my first real headphones (cheap 20$ in-ear headphones doesn't count as real headphones), unfortunately those were Beats SOLO HD,now I know these are "crap" headphones because of the SQ/price, information I never knew until I started to read forums and reviews). And now I want to buy real high performance headphones, although I'm comfortable with Beats, because I haven't tried better ones
I want to spend 100-170$ aproximately, I listen primarily Heavy Metal, but also Blues, Jazz, Rock, and Classical, I would like them not to bulky (I listen to music everywhere, and mobility is essential) with low sound leaks and if possible, good looking. Also I want to ask about these so called "headphone amp", ¿Am I obliged to buy one of those in the case I buy one of those high performance headphones? ¿Does the sound quality changes drastically using one of these? 
 
Thanks for your help.

 

 

[Crossfire23]

V-MODA M-80 used pair for $130. Excellent sound, portability, and looks. Also it does not require an amp.

 

[MattTCG]

Quote:

V-MODA M-80 used pair for $130. Excellent sound, portability, and looks. Also it does not require an amp.

Good choice for the price range and requirement listed.