[Amputate]

Hellow Head-fi!
 
I hope you guys don't mind me making an account here just to pick your brains 

Anyways, For the longest time I've been using Sennheiser HD 598s (those ugly beige/brown ones) and overall have been very disappointed with them.
There are 2 reasons why I dislike them.
 
1. They sound way too... euh... airy? if that makes sense.
Basically it feels like music is everywhere except in my ears...
This made my amp the volume by such a margin that it was so incredibly loud it would probably damage my cans...
2. The main reason I dislike them is because they seriously hurt my ears...
Even after 4 months I still haven't gotten used to it and need to take frequent breaks because the top of my ear feels like it's on fire from being pressed against the headphones.
The ear cups themselves are quite comfy though...
 
So now that I've got some extra cash I'm finally getting around to replacing them but sadly, I don't have a lot of experience with headphones so I wouldn't even know where to start... =/
 
 
Most of the time I'll be using them for listening music on my desktop and playing games.
When I play starcraft 2, the game sound is set super low so it's basically almost exclusively music.
I listen to a wide variety if music to keep an open mind ^^
Mostly it's drum & bass and the most extreme forms of metal, but I can listen to the occasional jazz or even classical music.
(almost anything except pop and R&B tbh)
 
When I'm not using them for music I'll probably be playing Battlefield 3 while on teamspeak with friends
 
 
 
So what am I looking for?
Good headphones (duh) with a good amount of bass.
Doesn't have to be noise canceling since I use them at home but I wouldn't mind it since the kids can get very... 'exited' when they are on the playstation 

Probably closed cans (not sure if this airy sound I mentioned before is common with open cans or if it's just the 598s. If it's something with the 598s then I could go for open cans I guess )
I'll be plugging them into a Asus Xonar Phoebus which is a really good sound card if you ask me 

My budget would be around the 200-250€ but if someone can suggest headphones that really are worth it I could go as high as 300€.
 
I know that the best thing to do is to try headphones in a store but the thing is that I live in Belgium atm which is a very backward country if you're looking for anything related to technology.
For example, there is only 1 part in my gaming computer I can buy in this country, Fibernet costs 80€/m without TV, 3G networks hardly exist and are extremely unstable and no store anywhere stocks interesting products...
So finding headphones better then your average run-in-the-mill iPod buds is (near) impossible
 
 
I'd like to thank all of you for your time!
Hugs 'n kisses for any advice you can give me

 

[streetdragon]

since you don't like the airyness of the sound, you might like something more upfront and narrower (hd598 has a very wide soundstage) uou may want to try a grado or an audio technica M50 since their soundstages are a lot more narrower, not sure about grado but i think they should satisfy your genres pretty well, try to audition them if possible, whats your budget by the way?

 

[Amputate]

Quote:

My budget would be around the 200-250€ but if someone can suggest headphones that really are worth it I could go as high as 300€.

I'm currently looking into AKG K550.
Surprisingly I found a shop that sells them new for 180€ which is a lot cheaper then most places so I'm reading up on them to see if it's worth it
 
Anyone got experience with those?
AKG in general seems like a very good brand with lots of positive reviews and comments

 

[Amputate]

just found this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/609898/the-akg-k550-my-initial-experiences-and-a-review-comparison-with-the-d2000
 
I think I'm sold

 

[iLLicit1]

Originally my plan was to pick up the HD598s as the successor to my HD590s, but ended up with a pair of Q701 which I haven't become a huge fan of. I find it lacking for the music I listen to.
 
I still absolutely love my 590s, and wanted to see what I was missing with the newer tech that has been going into cans.
 
I'm also the open-air headphone type of person as I like my ears to breathe.
 
We have very similar tastes in music as well.
 
I was curious about the Bayerdynamic DT880 which feature a semi-open design.
 
Anyone have any experience with those?

 

[roBernd]

If the HD598 hurts your ears/head after some time... you might skip the K550 due to their massive treble-spikes and ringing due to no dampening material inside the cups.
The M50s are dampened, but still have a treble-spike (which you seem to be affected) they might be okay though.
 
Also... any Grado will shred your ears.
 
I'd vote for the K242HD
or the T50rp (after some modding)

 

[disastermouse]

A real audiophile would have gotten his or her ears surgically reduced.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(But not for HD598s...)

 

[disastermouse]

Quote:

I know that the best thing to do is to try headphones in a store but the thing is that I live in Belgium atm which is a very backward country if you're looking for anything related to technology.

 
Great beer, though!  So....it sort of equals out.

 

[skit]

I can't recommend the akg k550,for what its worth.I am completly in love with it right now.

 

[Amputate]

Quote:

If the HD598 hurts your ears/head after some time... you might skip the K550 due to their massive treble-spikes and ringing due to no dampening material inside the cups.

Oh sorry, I seem to have failed to specify the cause of my ear pain
The 598s hurt my ears because my ear-shells are constantly touching the inside of the cans since the ear cups are so flat.
If headphones hurt your ears because they go to loud it's probably time to consider suicide 

 
 
 

 
Great beer, though!  So....it sort of equals out.

The reason I can endure this country 

 

[Schonen]

Quote:

I can't recommend the akg k550,for what its worth.I am completly in love with it right now.

Must mean "can".

 

[streetdragon]

Quote:

Oh sorry, I seem to have failed to specify the cause of my ear pain
The 598s hurt my ears because my ear-shells are constantly touching the inside of the cans since the ear cups are so flat.
If headphones hurt your ears because they go to loud it's probably time to consider suicide 

 
 
 
The reason I can endure this country 

i must have very small ears then, since my hd558 gives me a lot of spare room, maybe beyerdynamic headphones offer more space inside since their earcups are so huge, maybe a dt 880 or 990?

 

[Schonen]

beyer cups are larger but also shallow so can still be problematic if you have large ears. I have large ears and have both DT990pro and HD595 and overall I find 595 more comfortable to wear for long periods.

 

[TK277]

I'm surprised to hear you don't find the 598s comfortable. They're bar none the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. I have average-sized ears though.

 

[XxDobermanxX]

Beats by dr dre pro should do you well, they have excellent clarity and bass and make you hear songs as how the artiste intended to, you cant go wrong with beats