Updating to a High End Headphone - Suggestions & Help

[-Nightingale-]

Hello everyone,
 
It is time for me to finally upgrade to a high quality headphone. Any help and suggestions will be greatly appreciated because this is going to be tricky for some to answer. Firstly, something about myself, I have been listening to music for as long as I can remember. My two older brothers got me into the music and sound world. Only problem is, I`m hard of hearing (meaning both my ears are practically shot, lost my hearing around the age of 5) and require the use of hearing aids to be able to hear. Although, my hearing is neither horrible nor is it perfect, mostly falls into mild-medium hearing loss levels but I hear as good everyone else. I don't catch most sounds but mainly highs. So, finding suitable headphones for me where always huge problem.
 
I tend to listen to alot of old school hip-hop, rock, techno and house music, JPop/KPop. I`m also a casual gamer, love playing games on my consoles or computer (tend to just hook them to my tv). 
 
I bought some headphone from monoprice the ``Premium Hi-Fi DJ Style Over-the-Ear Pro Headphone - 8323`` for 30 bucks and these were amazing headphones for their price. I also got a Marley Jammin on ear headphones for a gift but sadly they were terrible and was astronomically hellish tight on my ears so I do not use them at all.
 
I am looking for a suitable headphone for me around the $50 - $200 bucks range, where better to ask for help than here at Head-Fi. Here are some criteria that I hope the suitable headphone will have:
 
- I base my headphones like this:  comfort > sound quality > portability.  They have to be extremely comfortable since I wear hearing aids. Sound quality have to be great or good for that price. They do not have to be bass heavy (don`t want my ears shot more than they are hahahha).
 
- Must be over the ear headphones, preferably closed, not open.
 
- detachable cord.
 
- looks good (doesn't really have to, if it cant)
 
- Does not require the use of amp or requiring modding, I'm really an audiophile and you can guess why .
 
Please keep in mind I am an amateur at figuring out headphones. I have looked into some headphones such as, Audio Technica ATH-M50 (which are highly recommended on here), Shure SRH440s, Numark Red Wave (which some people say are bass heavy), Some of the AKGs forgot which ones though (think it was the AKG K267 that i liked) and the V-Moda Crossfades LP.
 
I do not know what else to look at. So, I turn to you, the people of Head-Fi, and hope you can help me find some suitable headphones.
 
Thank You,
 
Ken

 

[GREQ]

The most comfortable headphones I've ever tried were from Beyerdynamic and AKG - they also have some of the largest earpads around.  
Sennheiser produces very comfortable headphones, but I'm not sure the earpads of most models would be large enough to surround hearing aids comfortably.
 
It's WAY out of your budget, but the one headphone that sticks out in my mind right now as a real potential winner is the AKG K550. Those cans are HUGE. 
I wonder if you'd be able to score a 2nd hand one for around $200 - it wouldn't be totally insane to find one around that price.... perhaps with some slight cosmetic flaws.
 
I would've suggested some older/vintage AKGs or Beyers, but they'd almost all require amplification. 
The original Beyerdynamic DT990 from 1988(?) for example has absolutely mind-blowing sound quality and huge soft earpads and can be bought for around $50-100* (+$30 for new earpads) - then buy a $30-50 FIio amplifier and you've got a VERY comfortable set-up for around $130.
Trouble is, they're also TOTALLY OPEN back headphones, so only good for home use.
 
* not sure what price they usually go for in the U.S. but that's what they go for in the E.U.

 

[Skymont]

Quote:

It's WAY out of your budget, but the one headphone that sticks out in my mind right now as a real potential winner is the AKG K550. Those cans are HUGE. 
I wonder if you'd be able to score a 2nd hand one for around $200 - it wouldn't be totally insane to find one around that price.... perhaps with some slight cosmetic flaws.
 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B004444O3W/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

 

[Skymont]

oops, its adding 701's 

 

[Skymont]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B006IBILRO/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used
thar we go
 
 
edit: just found the edit button, now wheres the delete button?
 
edit2: also i saw that you were thinking of getting crossfade lp's i wouldnt get them, v-moda makes nice over ear and in ear stuff, but the crossfades hurt to listen to after a while

 

[-Nightingale-]

Awesome!! Thanks for your reply guys, I really appreciate. I'm just checking out the AKG K550s right now, I gotta say I'm liking the looks of them (espcially the white one ). I'm always cautious of buying used electronics but If I have to I will.  I live in Canada actuallly, either way I am going to have  them shipped over. Does amazon.com ship to Canada or does it depend on the seller? I know they do free shipping if it is over 25 dollars or something, don't know if it applies to Canada.
 
I'm going to check my local stores if they have them as well. I'm so excited right now I really want to try them.
 
Edit: The AKG K550s dont have a detachable cable right? You have to do a mod for em? If they don't it doesnt matter.

 

[Skymont]

free shipping? i dont think so, not for canada, amazon prime is US only i believe, if you have a good pair of headphones, save some money and take the cheap shipping, just hope they dont use the universal package smashers, depending where you are shipping for a product that size an be anywhere from $10-$30 if you live far enough away from an amazon storage center or from the seller.
 
and no, no detachable cable, sorry, but a mod is easy enough, see the base of the cable from the phones? it has a stiff part that then transitions into the cable its self, if you want to mod it, you'll need the following
 
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/catalog/24916.jpg (might want a longish one 6 inches?)
 
a male to male 3.5mm cable
 
shrink wrap http://preview.tinyurl.com/c4x6qdw   look for a size similar to the cable size, the one in the link looks to be good
 
a lighter & pliers or a wire cutter that supports multiple thicknesses, i recomend the lighter and pliers, works best imo
 
electrical tape
 
and scissors 
 
 
(note on a 3.5mm and 6.3 mm jack, tip is left channel, center is right, and base is ground)
cut the cable of the headphones about 4-6 inches away from the base of the headphones (more if your not too sure about yourself, better safe than sorry), stick the shrink wrap on, and heat the near tip of the cable with the lighter, after it barely starts smoking, use the pliers to rip off the plastic from just above the heated point, connect the individual cables to the m-m 3.5mm cable til you find left right and ground (ground is usually the copper braiding on the outside) cut the male end of the adapter off, heat it and rip off the rubber, do the same to it.
 
after you know what individual wire are what, connect them and tie them individually, then use electrical tape (or a min shrink wrap on each individual wire) to isolate them from each other. Finally take the bigger shrink wrap and move it over the uncovered wires, make sure its long enough, use the lighter to swipe up and down the shrink wrap at a moderate speed to shrink the rubber, but not burn it.

 

[-Nightingale-]

Quote:

free shipping? i dont think so, not for canada, amazon prime is US only i believe, if you have a good pair of headphones, save some money and take the cheap shipping, just hope they dont use the universal package smashers, depending where you are shipping for a product that size an be anywhere from $10-$30 if you live far enough away from an amazon storage center or from the seller.
 
and no, no detachable cable, sorry, but a mod is easy enough, see the base of the cable from the phones? it has a stiff part that then transitions into the cable its self, if you want to mod it, you'll need the following
 
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/catalog/24916.jpg (might want a longish one 6 inches?)
 
a male to male 3.5mm cable
 
shrink wrap http://preview.tinyurl.com/c4x6qdw   look for a size similar to the cable size, the one in the link looks to be good
 
a lighter & pliers or a wire cutter that supports multiple thicknesses, i recomend the lighter and pliers, works best imo
 
electrical tape
 
and scissors 
 
 
(note on a 3.5mm and 6.3 mm jack, tip is left channel, center is right, and base is ground)
cut the cable of the headphones about 4-6 inches away from the base of the headphones (more if your not too sure about yourself, better safe than sorry), stick the shrink wrap on, and heat the near tip of the cable with the lighter, after it barely starts smoking, use the pliers to rip off the plastic from just above the heated point, connect the individual cables to the m-m 3.5mm cable til you find left right and ground (ground is usually the copper braiding on the outside) cut the male end of the adapter off, heat it and rip off the rubber, do the same to it.
 
after you know what individual wire are what, connect them and tie them individually, then use electrical tape (or a min shrink wrap on each individual wire) to isolate them from each other. Finally take the bigger shrink wrap and move it over the uncovered wires, make sure its long enough, use the lighter to swipe up and down the shrink wrap at a moderate speed to shrink the rubber, but not burn it.

 
Alright, I guess I will look into it. Thanks for the instructions to, If I manage to get the AKG k550s, i'll decide then whether to mod em or not.
 
Thanks again Skymont and GREQ!
 
I greatly appreciated it.

 

[Skymont]

good luck