[bklj2007]

Hi all,
     I stumbled onto this site while I've been looking into getting a new set of headphone to replace the ones I have.  Currently I have sony mdr-xd300 (received as a gift), but several years of heavy use has the foam pads disintegrating and the ear cover falling off so I'm using this as an excuse to take a step up.  I'm using them with an x-fi Forte in my computer mostly for music, but also some gaming.  
     There are so many contradicting opinions out there about specific headphones I'm hoping I can get better feedback just creating a new thread.
     Originally I had looked in the Sony mdr-sa3000 since I like the sound from my current headphones, but from comments here about their lacking bass has me currently leaning towards the Sennheiser HD595s.  Would I hear a noticeable improvement from what I have now? 
    I'm just looking for recommendations as I'm not that familiar purchasing headphones in this price range.  $150 is around what I'm looking to spend but it's not set in stone.

 

[prem]

I haven't heard the SA3000 myself. But I think one can safely assume that the bass impact will definitely not be as much as the XB300s. But the quality of bass should be very good.
 
Other headphones(that I have listened to 

) that you could consider in this range are Shure SRH840 and Ultrasone HFI580. You might need an amp for both the sennheiser and 
 
If you are looking for bass in terms of quality and quantity, the Ultrasones might just do the trick.
 
Btw, the Sennheisers and Shures MIGHT need an amp to achieve full potential.
 
Hope it helps.

 

[HTPCEngineer]

+1 for the Shures.

 

[bklj2007]

Would the forte have an issue driving either one of those?   Also I have the xd300, not xb. I think they are different models.  I'm not looking for bass specifically, but from what I've read the consensus on the sa3000's seems to be they are almost devoid of bass completely.  I listen to mostly rock and dabble in other genres, so that doesn't seem like a good choice for me.
Quote:

I haven't heard the SA3000 myself. But I think one can safely assume that the bass impact will definitely not be as much as the XB300s. But the quality of bass should be very good.
 
Other headphones(that I have listened to 

) that you could consider in this range are Shure SRH840 and Ultrasone HFI580. You might need an amp for both the sennheiser and 

 
If you are looking for bass in terms of quality and quantity, the Ultrasones might just do the trick.
 
Btw, the Sennheisers and Shures MIGHT need an amp to achieve full potential.
 
Hope it helps.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

you shoud try the Beyer DT440, imo, they're the best allrounder headphone under 200 bucks, has sounding so fun for mainstream songs.