[billcheese5]

I only recently joined head-fi.org, because frankly before I never cared about high-quality headphones. This changed when I listened to my friend's new audio-technica ath m50. It was mind-blowing. And now I would love to get some nice cans, but I really don't know where to start. Any recommendations? I'm looking for the best music headphones I can get for under (or around) $100. Preferably over-ear, because I would like the isolation they provide.
 
Thanks for all recommendations!

 

[skuntruk]

Open or closed?
 

 

[wind016]

types of music or preference in sound? The Audio Technica M50s are recommended ALOT around here so if you like them, you can consider one.

 

[skuntruk]

Open = Audio technica ATH-AD700
Closed = Shure srh440

 

[billcheese5]

what does open or closed mean? and which are the ath-m50's?

 

[billcheese5]

And I listen to mostly rock, with some electronic. I would like to at least have pretty good bass, too.
 
And thanks, everyone

 

[Bilavideo]

A closed headphone is sealed so that the back wave is contained within the back of the headphone.  Closed headphones offer the best sound isolation and typically offer louder bass.  In an open headphone, the back is vented so that this back wave flows out.  You lose sound isolation but you typically get a cleaner presentation because the resonance of the back wave is vented out instead of being allowed to reflect back and into the presentation.  Audiophile headphones tend to be open.  That's the case with the Sennheiser HD600, 650 and 800; the beyerdynamic DT880, 990 and T1; the Ultrasone Ed 10, the AKG K701, 702, and K1000; and all of the Grados north of the iGrado.
 
The M50 is a closed can.

 

[Speedv1]

Quote:

what does open or closed mean? and which are the ath-m50's?

Open = clearer sound, poor isolation (lacks it really...), tight and accurate bass
Closed = Isolation, boomier bass - some like this base, but I think it's technically "inaccurate". In general you can get closed phones that sound as good as open ones but you're talking more $$
 
Where do you intend to use these phones?

 

[Speedv1]

And do you have an audio store near you that you could try out some headphones? Sound is always going to be subjective, on Head-fi we'll recommend some, but your taste in 'sound' may differ.
 
The Shure 440 for midrange, M50 for bass. Both are near or less than $100. That being said I've heard of mods to adjust the M50 to be less boomy.

 

[smashing]

Quote:

A closed headphone is sealed so that the back wave is contained within the back of the headphone.  Closed headphones offer the best sound isolation and typically offer louder bass.  In an open headphone, the back is vented so that this back wave flows out.  You lose sound isolation but you typically get a cleaner presentation because the resonance of the back wave is vented out instead of being allowed to reflect back and into the presentation.  Audiophile headphones tend to be open.  That's the case with the Sennheiser HD600, 650 and 800; the beyerdynamic DT880, 990 and T1; the Ultrasone Ed 10, the AKG K701, 702, and K1000; and all of the Grados north of the iGrado.
 
The M50 is a closed can.

 
Open headphones tend to leak out music from the open back. In practical terms, closed headphones are usually preferred if you envision yourself using it a bit in public, especially since has a better capability at blocking out ambient noises and is more considerate to the others. 

 

[Bilavideo]

 

Quote:

A closed headphone is sealed so that the back wave is contained within the back of the headphone.  Closed headphones offer the best sound isolation and typically offer louder bass.  In an open headphone, the back is vented so that this back wave flows out.  You lose sound isolation but you typically get a cleaner presentation because the resonance of the back wave is vented out instead of being allowed to reflect back and into the presentation.  Audiophile headphones tend to be open.  That's the case with the Sennheiser HD600, 650 and 800; the beyerdynamic DT880, 990 and T1; the Ultrasone Ed 10, the AKG K701, 702, and K1000; and all of the Grados north of the iGrado.
 
The M50 is a closed can.

 
Open headphones tend to leak out music from the open back. In practical terms, closed headphones are usually preferred if you envision yourself using it a bit in public, especially since has a better capability at blocking out ambient noises and is more considerate to the others. 

 
The volume at which headphones "leak out music from the open back" is fairly slight.  In most situations, the ambient noise is easily overcome as well because of the difference in the perceived volume of ambient noise versus the perceived volume of a driver jammed up against your ear.  Unless you're planning to wear the headphones on a plane, to a disco or while working your jackhammer, open headphones are not a problem.  I've worn open-air Grados to doctors' offices, libraries, to the beach, and even in front of the TV while my wife was watching it.  The only time I felt screwed by the outside sound was at a Chuck E. Cheese style place, where the PA system was up pretty loud, and while traveling in the car at high speeds (where the sound of the road cancelled out my bass).  The only time anybody near me felt screwed by my music "leaking out" was when I brought the headphones to bed and my wife, a light sleeper, asked me to turn them down (I took them off).
 

 

[billcheese5]

I think I'm gonna go with closed, cuz I like the isolation and better bass. Thanks guys

 

[desktophifi]

The M50's could be a nice choice. Save up a little more and buy them. 

 

[billcheese5]

Any good closed cans cheaper than the m50's? $120 is a little much, id prefer under $100

 

[billcheese5]

what do you guys think of ath-m40's? I think they're similar to m50's, and they're much cheaper