So I listen to my iPod just about all day at work most days of the week and I want to find a really good sounding and great feeling set of headphones. I have been to Sam Ash and Guitar Center and listened to a bunch of headphones for about an hour yesterday and I found a $99 pair of Sony 7408's that I liked and also a Beyerdynamic DT770 that costs twice as much. But there are a lot more choices than the limited selection those stores had. What I'm looking for in a set of headphones is the following (in order of importance):

[MOST IMPORTANT]

1. Will have a low enough impedance that it will have enough volume with the iPod and no headphone amp (some of the higher end phones need more power than an iPod can supply to get decent volume)

1b. Needs to have a stereo 1/8" or 3.5mm plug on it, don't want to have to use a big adapter to plug in the iPod.

2. Fit: I need to be able to wear it all day long w/o hurting. I don't like earbuds or on-ear phones, only over the ear phone should be considered. Also, the headband needs less tension than the Sennheiser HD280 that everyone loves, that thing clamps down on my head too much causing a headache.

3. Sound Quality: The flatter the better, I want to hear the music in all its full-range goodness. Good bass, highs, and mids (in that order).

4. Build Quality: I want these things to last a long time if I'm gonna blow up to $200 on a set and they need to look good, but not all chromed out like some of those DJ phones out there.

5. Price: The lower the better, but I don't mind investing in something good if it's gonna last and be worth it.

[LEAST IMPORTANT]

Thanks in advance for your advice!

5/16/2007 8:17:57 AM

Grado SR-60

You can find them for around $70. Best headphones I've ever owned. Don't take my word for it, go read some reviews. They are on par with headphones that cost 3 or 4 times as much. Super comfortable, light weight, no need for a headphone amp either. I ordered mine from Audio Advisor. Free shipping and got them within a few days.

Obviously you can step up to the SR-80 or SR-120 but from what I've read once you get to the 120 you really should be using a headphone amp.

5/16/2007 9:07:50 AM

I second the vote for Grado, I've got the SR-80 myself and even though I've upgraded to the Sennheiser HD-600 I couldn't get myself to sell my trusty SR-80. They sound super clean, don't require a separate amp, and right now I'm using them to help me with some sound editing, though they're not the best choice for that because they are very open air. Not the most comfortable and they feel like they'll break, but mine have lasted many years of regular use and I've never had a problem with them. You'll be amazed when you listen to them for the first time if you're not used to high quality headphones.

5/16/2007 12:16:56 PM

do they come with a carrying case? i only ask cause 70 bucks for some headphones definitely requires some type of protection so they dont get fucked up

5/16/2007 12:44:56 PM

they don't come in a case, but the box that they come in have a nice custom foam cut out for the headphones that would fit nice in a cheap carrying case if you can find one the right size. I personally just store mine in the box when I'm done with them, not convenient, but it works.

5/16/2007 1:32:12 PM

sennheiser hd497 or any of their "super aural" open backs

5/16/2007 1:55:03 PM

I'll have to check out the Grados, they sound like they'd be pretty nice...

Any others I should consider?

5/17/2007 7:48:06 AM

^^ For that matter almost anything by Sennheiser.

5/17/2007 7:48:41 AM

I'm sitting here listing with my SR-60s on my head and I can't stress enough how awesome these are. For $70 they are such a steal for the quality of sound you get.

5/19/2007 11:28:52 PM

http://www.target.com/gp/search.html/601-9638713-4684932?field-keywords=Sennheiser&AFID=Google&LNM=sennheiser_hd497&LID=4045055&ref=tgt_adv_XSGT0072

5/20/2007 12:46:05 AM

bump

3/19/2008 10:38:56 PM

^^ Shit, the bookstore gets better prices than that. Don't buy Sennheiser products retail- get them through amazon or other online resellers. MSRP on sennheiser stuff is way too high of a markup even compared to other brands of headphones.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PX200-Collapsible-High-Performance-Headphones/dp/B000089GN4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1205984731&sr=8-1

My favorite sub $100 headphones. Light, durable, comfortable, and great sound.

These are heavily discounted and may be more your style- they also have a lower tension arch on them.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD555-HD-555-Audiophile-Headphones/dp/B0001FTVDQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1205984821&sr=1-7


[Edited on March 19, 2008 at 10:48 PM. Reason : ]

3/19/2008 10:45:16 PM

the hd-555s need a 1/4 to 1/8 adapter to connect to an ipod - it's included but it was mentioned as one of your criteria so that would throw them out

i can't think of anything for you that i like. hd555s and shure e2c's have been good enough for me, though your criteria rule them out - hd555s because of the converter and the fact that they are "chromed out like some of those DJ phones out there" and you will look like you are a wannabe black dude if you wear them around in public; and the e2c's because they are earbuds (very comfortable, enough to keep in my ear all day) and because they don't have the best of bass.

3/20/2008 8:38:05 AM

the mdr-700's that i have from sony are nice but they tend to mash on the ears and it starts to get uncomfortable after a few hours. then again, they are dj headphones so they weren't really made to be worn nonstop for hours (on and off)

3/20/2008 8:43:04 AM

^^ Yeah but it's a screw-on adapter as opposed to one that will pop off and get lost.

3/20/2008 10:54:58 AM

I just recently bought these and am very happy with them. They are comfortable, great sound, batteries last all day, and the "compression" feature makes it work perfectly with an ipod regardless of the input sound level.


http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-RS-140-Wireless-Headphones/dp/B0007QKXYU/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1206104402&sr=1-13

I've been using them everyday at work with my iphone and no complaints.

[Edited on March 21, 2008 at 8:03 AM. Reason : Oh yeah, they are wireless, but you can't really notice it.]

3/21/2008 8:02:18 AM

i had the gummy ones from walmart for forever. they had a variety of colors and were only like $7

3/23/2008 4:45:59 PM

i'm sure that was some super high quality sound coming out of them too

3/23/2008 5:16:02 PM

Ordered me some SR60's just now

5/2/2008 11:55:19 AM

For anyone looking to compare headphones, http://www.headphone.com is a pretty good guide and comparison tool.

5/2/2008 8:22:28 PM

I have some dt770pros and even though they're sweet as hell, they won't be driven by your ipod.

I'd suggest Audiotechnica A-500s, A-700s, or A-900s depending on how much you want to spend. They sound really good, and I'd still be using my A-500s if I didn't powerbomb them on accident. They also feel like a little piece of heaven just decided to surround your ears.

5/3/2008 1:17:06 AM