[miceblue]

Hi I'm looking to purchase a new pair of headphones/earbuds in the near future and I wanted to see what suggestions you guys have for me.
 
I currently have a pair of Sennheiser CX 300 earbuds (they sound all right; the bass is pretty prevalent but sometimes the high and some mid sounds hurt my ears when I listen to my music even when the volume is fairly low) which replaced my original V-Moda Vibe earbuds (nice bass but highs and mids were muddy).
 
My parents recently purchased me a pair of Skullcandy Hesh headphones which sound all right as well (the bass seems to be more defined with these than the CX 300's and the sound stage seems to be more open, I'm not sure how to word it). Although these sound okay, they're big and bulky since they don't fold or lie flat, making them rather cumbersome to carry around.
 
I have a budget of less than $300 at the moment so I was looking for a pair of headphones or earbuds that have a nice bass, accurate sound, and also look fairly stylish. I would prefer headphones that fold or lay flat since I'm a college student and when I don't need them around my head I would like to store them in my backpack safely.
 
The types of music I like to listen to are quite unique, I like Chinese-pop, Korean-pop, Japanese-rock, American pop, and some techno. I will primarily be using the headphones/earbuds at school, on the bus/carpool, and at home using either my iPod Touch or Macbook.
 
I've looked through some of Head-Fi's forum posts and I think I've narrowed it down to a few headphones:
 
(Not in any particular order)

1. Studio Beats by Dre-White (they have the nice bass sound but people say the overall sound quality is pretty muddy; I haven't had much time with these at the Apple store so I can't say for sure)
2. Audio Technica ATH-M50 (highly respected in the Head-Fi community as it seems with decent bass and accurate sound quality)
3. Ultrasone HFI-580 (also another respected heaphone in this community, I was thinking of purchasing these but my friends think the M50's look cooler >_<')
4. Phiaton MS-400 (I've read that these are pretty good for the amount of bass they output)
5. Monster Turbine Pro Copper (I haven't looked into these much but I've heard they're actually pretty decent)

 
In these forums I've read mixed opinions for the bass level of the M50's and the 580's. On one review it said that the M50's had better bass, but on a newer thread one review said that the 580's were pretty close to the Studio Beats.
 
Thanks in advance for any help/advice you guys can provide!
 
I decided to post a poll since I think it would help me decide which one you guys recommend.

 

[Peruvian96]

 
drop the beats off your list, it is waaay too overpriced. 
if your really serious about your music, the monster turbine coppers are one of the best IEMs at the moment (comparable to many high end IEMs)
the one with the most bass is between the ms400 and the hfi 580
ive heard the hfi 580 are great across the entire spectrum, the ms400 are seen as great on lows and mids, alright on highs. 
the m50 is definitely balanced as they are sold as monitoring headphones (flat response). they don't have a completely flat response as some higher end cans do, but they will satisfy your needs. they do have a little mid bass hump but the bass is well refined (many say it is not as refined as the hfi-580). 
so
 
more bass - ms400
 
more clarity - hfi-580
 
 the all arounder - m50
 
 monster turbine copper - great IEM, you will not be disappointed.
 
 Either one you pick, they will sound much better than your skullcandy hesh's and the sennheiser cx300 IMO

 

[miceblue]

Quote:

 
drop the beats off your list, it is waaay too overpriced. 
if your really serious about your music, the monster turbine coppers are one of the best IEMs at the moment (comparable to many high end IEMs)
the one with the most bass is between the ms400 and the hfi 580
ive heard the hfi 580 are great across the entire spectrum, the ms400 are seen as great on lows and mids, alright on highs. 
the m50 is definitely balanced as they are sold as monitoring headphones (flat response). they don't have a completely flat response as some higher end cans do, but they will satisfy your needs. they do have a little mid bass hump but the bass is well refined (many say it is not as refined as the hfi-580). 
so
 
more bass - ms400
 
more clarity - hfi-580
 
 the all arounder - m50
 
 monster turbine copper - great IEM, you will not be disappointed.
 
 Either one you pick, they will sound much better than your skullcandy hesh's and the sennheiser cx300 IMO

Definitely, the Beats are no longer on my list. For now I'm considering the HFI-580's, SRH-840, or the Pro DJ100's, as well as an E5 amp since I've had a recommendation for it.
 
For the Moster Turbine Copper, while they sound pretty promising, they are a little out of my price range and I was hoping to move towards closed full-sized headphones.
 
 

 

[Mdraluck23]

I would go with the M50. A great starting point.

 

[Peruvian96]

Quote:

Definitely, the Beats are no longer on my list. For now I'm considering the HFI-580's, SRH-840, or the Pro DJ100's, as well as an E5 amp since I've had a recommendation for it.
 
For the Moster Turbine Copper, while they sound pretty promising, they are a little out of my price range and I was hoping to move towards closed full-sized headphones.
 
 

well the HFI-580s are going to be more of a "in your face" kind of headphone while the srh-840 is more laid-back
the first time you try the srh-840, you would really like it as it really shows you the details in a song, but you would get bored real quick of its analytical sound signature (probably, I'm not sure if you would). 
A shure product thats in your face also is the SRH-750DJ which are regarded here as one of the best "bass" headphones alongside the HFI-580s (both in bass quantity and quality). 
Have not heard the Koss DJ100 but considering the name of it has the word DJ in it, it may have a V-shaped sound signature as well (pronounced bass and treble, recessed mids). 
Sorry I didn't notice earlier but for the genres you listen to, I would personally pick the HFI-580 or the M50, but its really more your choice. 
 
 

 

[miceblue]

Quote:

well the HFI-580s are going to be more of a "in your face" kind of headphone while the srh-840 is more laid-back
the first time you try the srh-840, you would really like it as it really shows you the details in a song, but you would get bored real quick of its analytical sound signature (probably, I'm not sure if you would). 
A shure product thats in your face also is the SRH-750DJ which are regarded here as one of the best "bass" headphones alongside the HFI-580s (both in bass quantity and quality). 
Have not heard the Koss DJ100 but considering the name of it has the word DJ in it, it may have a V-shaped sound signature as well (pronounced bass and treble, recessed mids). 
Sorry I didn't notice earlier but for the genres you listen to, I would personally pick the HFI-580 or the M50, but its really more your choice. 
 
 

Yeah I was leaning towards the HFI-580's. Thanks for your view of the SRH-840's. I haven't heard that before, but that sounds like something I don't want in a pair of headphones (for now) as I was looking for a 'fun' sounding headphone.
 
 

 

[miceblue]

Oh man, this was one of my first posts here at Head-Fi. I really, really can't believe I was actually considering the Beats back then.

I guess the 'average' headphone buyer really doesn't know a whole lot about headphones nor sound quality based on my own personal experience.
 
Over the last 8 months, I have learned more about headphones than I ever imagined. I would like to thank everyone (not just the users who replied to this thread) who helped me pick out a headphone that I might like. I've gotten many suggestions from bassy headphones to more balanced headphones. I've learned that the lows aren't the only thing in my music and that the highs and mids can really sound beautiful when presented clearly.
 
I ended up purchasing the Shure SRH940's if you didn't know. They are not the bassy headphones I was originally looking for when I first posted here, but after learning more about higher quality headphones (and getting the chance to try a handful of higher-quality 'phones at Guitar Center and a local Head-Fi meet), the 940's truly offer what I have been wanting for a while; namely transparent sound, defined bass that isn't muddy, highs that aren't muddled nor sibilant, and forward mids for vocals.
 
Sorry if this thread in itself isn't very meaningful in the whole of Head-Fi (as there are many threads similar to this), but I just wanted to acknowledge those who helped me understand more about music, headphones, and high-fidelity sound in general.
 
Thanks again Head-Fi!