Over-ear headphone recommendations?

[Hocky]

Anyone have any over-ear headphones that they enjoy and would recommend? I am looking for something that is relatively portable, but I am not neceassrily against something that will require external amplification. The only headphones that I've really had an opportunity to sample are big dollar units that don't make sense to carry around and beat on, so I really don't have a good feel for the market. Browsing around, the B&W P5 is attractive to me, but reviews of the SQ make me think that I will throw them out of a window..... I need to find somewhere to demo them. Looking to stay under maybe $400? for the phones and we'll figure out the amp after that if needed.

 

[tsv_1]

Anyone have any over-ear headphones that they enjoy and would recommend? I am looking for something that is relatively portable, but I am not neceassrily against something that will require external amplification. The only headphones that I've really had an opportunity to sample are big dollar units that don't make sense to carry around and beat on, so I really don't have a good feel for the market. Browsing around, the B&W P5 is attractive to me, but reviews of the SQ make me think that I will throw them out of a window..... I need to find somewhere to demo them. Looking to stay under maybe $400? for the phones and we'll figure out the amp after that if needed.

I own Senn HD600. Nice sound, very comfortable, but not to everyone's taste. Very long cord. Also, it's an "open" over-the-ear design so not the utmost in isolation (if that's what you're looking for).

I rarely use headphones so I'm afraid I can't help much further.

Cheers

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1297377723&sr=1-1

 

[MickeyVee]

Ditto on the HD-600's. Just got a pair last week and love them. Did a lot of research and auditioning before I finally settled on them. Now looking at the Matrix Mini-i dac/amp.

If you're looking at portability, check out the Sennheiser HD-25.
http://www.headfonia.com/sennheiser-hd-25-1/
I'll probably end up with these for my portable listening replacing my Grado SR 80i's.

If you're looking for pure portability, the Grado 80i's are OK but I find them a little much for anything longer than a 1/2 hour listening session. I purchased the cup pads as I did not like the stock ones. I ultimately came back to the Senn's.

headphonia.com is an awesome resource. I spent hours going through the various headphone forums across the net but it brought up more questions than answers. I narrowed it down to a few cans and then went out to audition. Check out this article on Cloased Cans Shootout. It should give you a good place to start:
http://www.headfonia.com/closed-can...s-studio-srh-840-srh-750dj-k181dj-and-dj1pro/

 

[Hocky]

Audio solutions had a pair of the b&w's in stock and I gave them a run today. Their fit and finish is great, they definitely look and feel great. They were relatively comfortable, but I question being able to wear them for a couple of hours at a time. The sound quality was ok, but the bass was loose and uncontrolled and the highs rolled off quite a bit. They definitely were not highly resolving and surprisingly their sensitivity was really not that great. Nothing was a deal breaker, but I couldn't commit to them without testing some direct competition first.

I also tried out the current high end denons which are quite a bit more money and quite a bit more bulky. The sound quality was pretty good; I couldn't pick out any glaring flaws in the short time that I was listening. Surprisingly enough, they had better sensitivity than the b&w stuff did. I didn't like the way that they fit, though, and they are definitely way too big to be portable.

 

[User211]

These are definately OK and won't break the bank. My personal pair of AKG702s. They are no good with company, as a lot of sound escapes the phone. They are light and comfortable, I think. They sound pretty good too.

Check them out.

 

[Hocky]

It is as if I am chasing a unicorn with this purchase. I was finding major flaws in everything that I was auditioning.

I went ahead and ordered a pair of Sennheiser HD238's. They had overall good sound when I demo'd them, are super comfortable, and are cheap+++++. The bass plays low and accurately, the midrange is about right, and the highs don't roll off like they do with so many other pairs. My only qualm with them was the in songs with sustain deep, heavy bass, they would fall apart badly and they're a bit difficult to drive. But, these will work as a temporary solution while I try to demo more headphones and see if I can find something that suits me better. They're certainly great bang for the buck.

http://www.headphone.com/headphones/sennheiser-hd-238.php

 

[repman]

My favorite cheapos , they have a pretty balanced sound and are super comfortable they have a huge cap over the ear. I do not listen to headphones much but I find these enjoyable for under 200 Bucks Audio Technica AD500's

 

[stuwee]

These are definately OK and won't break the bank. My personal pair of AKG702s. They are no good with company, as a lot of sound escapes the phone. They are light and comfortable, I think. They sound pretty good too.

Check them out.

X2 big time, I have the 601's just about the same.

My electrostat head cans, hard to find and very $$$ if you do are the AKG K-340's need lot's of juice, they reward big time tho!

 

[User211]

Sennheiser? Nein, nein, nein!

Blatant Sennheiser marketing scam

 

[Hocky]

Most comfortable pair without sounding awful. It is what it is. lol. And they were super cheap. I'll be on the look out for a nice pair still for sure.

 

[User211]

I guess the HD555s are a good buy for those now in the know.

Enjoy the Zens, Hocky.:music: