[rosstex]

Hello Head-Fi. I've been using a cheap pair of Logitech headphones for years and I'd like to make a one-time upgrade to some great, long-lasting headphones that will satisfy me, hopefully without getting dragged into the allure of the audiophile culture. My budget is about ~$200-250.
 
Here's a few facts about me:
*My roommate is always playing League with his friends, so I definitely need them closed-ear to keep the noise of his chatting and incessant clicking out!
*I listen to a wide variety of genres, vocal and instrumental. Most of it is video game music, which spans pretty much every kind of music (classical, jazz, techno, rock, etc.) but mostly on the instrumental side of things. I don't do dubstep, house or any hardcore DnB stuff. I also listen to a good amount of film scores, but vocal music should sound good too!
*I only game on the PC, but I don't care about having fantastic surround audio; music is more important. Don't need a mic either. Anything that won't totally muddle my gaming experience is fine.
 
Most importantly, I collect a lot of music in lossless formats and my current setup doesn't do it any justice. Mainly, I want a pair of headphones that will let me appreciate my music a lot more! I assume I've come to the right place

 
Thanks!
P.S. Make sure they're not TOO good, or I'll keep coming back here for amps, cables, there's no telling what could happen to my wallet!

 

[Trunks159]

Not too good... lets see what I can find for you there... damn, that's not in my programming!

I'd pick:
MDR 1r
ATH WS99
Focal Spirit One*
UE6000*
ATH A900x *

The FS1 is great for everything, and it has top notch isolation.

The UE6000 may not be quite as great as the FS1, but it has a larger sound stage (sense of space) and slightly better isolation (though these two are the best you'll get for passive noise isolation).

The A900x sounds the best and has the largest genre bandwidth. It's also the most comfortable and it doesn't lack in isolation, though the isolation isn't on the same level as the UE6000 or FS1.

1R is good, just good at damn there everything.

Ws99 is like the 1R, but it sounds much better and has slightly less isolation.

Test out the A900x at best buy.

 

[rosstex]

Thank you! I haven't found a story with A900x's to try on, but I've been researching the options you gave me and that pair seems like my best choice. However, there's one huge thing I totally forgot to mention:

I wear glasses!

Is this going to cause me any difficulty with comfort? There's probably a mod for whichever headphones that's easier than going for whole new pair, but I'm still open to opinions.

 

[rosstex]

Unfortunately, I had to take the A900X's back. I tried rubber bands, hair ties, taking glasses off, etc. but they just weren't going to fit my head. I guess I wasn't meant for the audiophile scene after all. Thanks anyway!

 

[Trunks159]

That's ok.  The A900x barely fits on my head.  I don't own them but I've worn tried them a couple of times.
 
Did you like the sound?

 

[Garraty]

The SoundMAGIC HP100.

 

[rosstex]

Yes, I was very pleased with the sound! It handled everything I threw at it, and I thought I'd never look back...

 

[Trunks159]

What would you sacrifice, and where would you like to see improvements? What did you like most about them?

 

[fateicon]

Try an Amperior, Yamaha Pro 400, and AKG 550. Before you consider buying all sorts of expensive stuff that largely doesn't have verified performance, I would recommend trying stuff that's not too much money that has verified measurements. Like a Sansa clip for portable and an Odac for the computer.