[ET-4]

Initially it started off with a new pair of heaphones for at home listening. After speaking to a friend he said save up and buy the Fostex TH900 and be happy for the rest of your life. . oh but you'll need a DAC and headphone amp too.
I may not have the limitless funds of my friend but I am after something of a start point if you like. I have test drove about 6 headphones (all closed back due to family harmony constraints) and to my ears the B&O Beoplay H6's were my cup of tea. This however was through my 5th gen iPod touch only.
Question being, what will £500 get me and where should I begin ??
 
Thanks.

 

[i44p6NinS7fj5ka]

Though I don't have an answer to provide you with, let me tell you I'm facing the same problem.
 
Thing is, there are so many references out there, that when asking for some help, people will always show up with many different product references. And then starts the reading part, where some reviews will tell you that this or that product is brilliant, when other reviews will tell you the opposite. Some Android blogs will give a 50$ headset a 5 stars review telling you that they sound amazing. And then comes the Head-fi guy, testing out the same equipment, telling you that it's crap.
 
This problem is particularly affecting the mid-range equipments, where the average guy will tell you that a device is brilliant, where the more high-end junky will be telling you that it's great value for money.  Hard to make yourself a decision under those circumstances.
 
At the end of the day, my understanding is that it's always complicated to make yourself an opinion without listening to a headset. Reviews are a great starting point, but you never really know what's the knowledge of the reviewer and what was he looking for when he grabbed the headphones to review them.
 
For this reason, I always buy stuff on Amazon, because they a 30 money back policy. If you're not happy with the sound of the headphones you buy from them, you just put them in the box and send them back.
 
Good luck doing your research, you can do it !

 

[billybob_jcv]

I think you both are making two fundamental mistakes in your thinking.

1) I say this all the time: There is no "best" in audio. There is no list that ranks audio gear from 1 to 1000. There is no top-speed test or 0-60 time that can be run and instantly place the headphones in a relative list to each other. And, it's even worse than that - you can get 10 head-fiers in a room with 5 different headphones that are all in the same price bracket and considered "good quality" - and chances are that every one of those 5 headphones will get at least one vote as being the "best". We all have our own "head transfer function" that focuses on different aspects of the sound. And it goes way beyond just "basshead" vs "treblehead" - that is just one obvious way we differ. IMHO, the best you can do, when reading reviews, is read reviews on headphones that you have personally heard. Compare what you heard to what the reviewer has said. That will give you a basis to go from when reading reviews for headphones you have NOT heard. Now, obviously, the more experience you have, the easier this becomes. And that takes me to my second point...

2) Shopping for headphones as if you will never buy another pair seems like good, economical thinking - but it just isn't how most long-time head-fiers think. We know this isn't the ONLY headphone you will ever buy, it is simply the NEXT headphone you are buying. I own, and have owned, a variety of headphones (but not NEARLY as many as folks that have more money to spend). If you accept #1 above, then you also must accept that buying quality audio gear like headphones is not a one-time event - it is a journey. On this journey you don't make make bad purchases and good purchases, you make purchases that extend your knowledge and experiences.

There is a way to not have to worry about any of this. Simply don't worry about what "good", "bad" & "great" means. Buy some headphones in your price range and be happy - this is what 99% of the world outside head-fi does - and they seem to get along quite well!