Headphones

My personal favorite as far as earbud headphones are MEElectronics A151. Those are about $50. As far as on-ear (large) headphones, I prefer JVC Flats - only $10-20. They are surprisingly high quality for the price.

 

i have this... pretty solid... http://www.amazon.com/Maxell-AMP-B-Amplified-Heavy-Headphone/dp/B004WZVO68

 

I really like the v-moda's m-80's, currently saving up for the m-100's.

But the m-80's have gotten good reviews everywhere

http://www.head-fi.org/products/v-moda-crossfade-m-80

 

http://www.turtlebeach.com/

Quality headphones/headsets

 

Audio technica

 

I second this, the Vmoda M-80(http://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-Crossf...UTF8&qid=1367202452&sr=1-1&keywords=vmoda+m80 ) is a good set of cans. My friend has them and he can say he's really impressed by the durability of the headband. You can twist and bend them without even breaking them! Another great factor is you'll get a perfectly balanced sound, something that is peaceful, unlike the over-bassed Beats by Dr. Dre. With these great features, it's not a surprise why there are many good reviews.

Personally, I have the Soui Sl150CB by Ludacris(http://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-Crossf...UTF8&qid=1367200625&sr=1-1&keywords=vmoda+m80) and they work like a charm! These cans are similar to the vmoda m80's,(minus the headband) When I'm wearing them, it's comfortable to the point where I don't even know I have them on. I'd recommend these headphones, for comfortability and balanceness.

TLDR; If you want balanced sound, then go with the headphones above. The Vmoda M80 provides durability, while the Soul Sl150CB provides comfortability, which make both of them great headphones

 

I'm completely in love with these headphones. Sennheiser HD 437.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106325
(The padding looks purple in the photos, but it's black.)
Have them on right now actually. They are soo comfortable, don't give you headaches, and stay on pretty well. I like the foam padding instead of the sticky leather like covering. Doesn't get too hot. A lot of reviews say people like them better than Beats, I feel the same way. The bass is so clear. This model has been discontinued, but they are still available on eBay. Oh, and they're super affordable!!

Downsides- DJ length cord (mine's always in knots), and they're not too noise cancelling

 

How much more to get a substantial increase in fidelity & flat response over sony v6's, without needing an amp or taking a downgrade in build quality?

 

Go for these closed cans. I'd buy them if I didn't own the AKG Q701 (open):
http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=ATHA900X

This is a great deal at 150 and they compare well for higher quality headphones. People like these over the AudioTechnica M50s, which people here jumped on for 200 as a deal. The open version AD900X compares well against the higher priced Q701s.

Both are considered mid-range audiophile quality headphones.

After that point there are diminishing returns for higher price: No one will tell you that bit in their recommendations on Head-Fi...which is a costly oversight and damages my opinion of those forums.

If you want more info then read on...

from a different thread...

When headphones get around that price, it depends on what you're looking for and how you're going to use it.

Since you mentioned beats, 1) would you wear it in public or outside your home? 2) Does it matter if it leaks sound or have no noise isolation from the outside?

1st question is looking for Noise Cancellation...which phones like beats and I think Vmoda has. If Vmoda doesn't have NC, then the reviews I've read of it are that the isolation is good enough for subways.
2nd question covers the difference between open and closed headphones

Some people like open headphones because it offers crisper and detailed sound and better simulates a soundstage...the 3d feeling and positioning of instruments around your ears. But the con to that is everyone can listen to what you hear and they're worthless walking around with it in public, subway, on the plane. The principle difference is simple, if you allow air to travel naturally like open headphones, then there's opportunity to make it sound more realistic. Shielding it from the outside world (closed) also means the sound generated from the inside will either bounce back or have to be absorbed or dampened.

3) What kind of music would you listen on it? On pretentious audiophile forums, you'll see descriptions of "warm" and "cold" sounds. Warm means that all kinds of bass are displayed well on the cans while cold generally means the treble. Other things that describe treble are "sparkle" like better detail in cymbols crashing or bells tingling. Since I like orchestral music, the spectrum of bass can be described in something like plucking a cello in jazz. You'll hear a booming sound at the very lowest, but even if you cancel out the booming sound there are other layers of the bass (mid bass) that are there if you notice it. That's what people who buy Beats love. The presence of that boom and "punch" (imagine techno or hip hop booms) across the entire sound spectrum. It feels like a blanket wrapping around your head.

I'm the opposite of that range. I like detail in my sound and how all the instruments come together. And as phones get pricier, you'll notice that they reduce the bass as an easy way to allow the details in. Beats customers pay the opposite, but it doesn't mean they're terrible choices either. I'm not someone with OCD audio tendencies, but I do get spoiled by pricy and quality cans and the best way to sift them out is still paying attention to the treble range.

The reason why I recommended the A900X is because I've owned the AD700s and the only thing missing from them was the lack of bass. The new X series supposedly cleans all of those flaws. There is a 700x (open or closed) series if you want to save on cash and don't care much about detail. The positioning and soundstage on the 700s is good enough on those to play First Person Shooters and hear if people are creeping up behind or beside you.

If you're interested in the Q701s, which is the more detailed brother of the AD900X, I bought them refurbished from AKG's ebay front for around 180.

They hover around 200-260 new, but again they're open so they can only be listened to in a private setting. I don't amp them but reviews I've read said that the Audio Technicas are more easier (and unnecessary) to amp than the Q701. Personally, if you mostly listen to your music on a portable source, I'd ditch the craze for amping until you get too spoiled with your awesome headphones and want a little more edge. Diminishing returns are a lot higher on a portable source.

The only catch to this recommendation is I don't know how well it isolates noise from outside traffic, so you'll have to do your own research for that if you need it.

 

News to me, I should stick to open then since that's generally not a con for me.

 

The A900X that I recommended are closed.

Open version, AD900x, is a little pricier. I forgot the differences between them, but I figure either is a big upgrade over the beatz/soul/skullcandy variety, and the google probably has more than enough coverage between the two.

 

Also forgot the most important thing.

Use camelcamelcamel.com as an Amazon price finder. You can set your price that you want to buy on there and it'll keep tabs on the item and email you when it reaches your target.

I don't mind manufactured refurbished items, but I know some people love new things...

 

I would recommend the old school Sony MDR-V700DJ. They were the industry standard for studios and djs around the world for many years, and are still very good headphones. About 10 years ago, they retailed for $175, but now you should be able to get them for about $75. The sound is perfectly balanced, meaning the highs are crisp but not tinny, the mids actually have some beef to them, and the bass has good low end, that won't drown out the rest of your mix. The only problem is that they can be a little uncomfortable after 3 hours of wearing them and they do break at the hinges easily. This is my third pair now.

Other good ones are the sennheiser HD25SP-II. Very comfortable, versatile and great sound. But... I found them a little lacking in power when i really cranked them up 100%, and they started to crack. These are about $125

The best ones in my opinion are the top of the line sennheiser HD25-1 II. They sit on your ears, excellent sound, great power, and built to last. They have replaced the sony's as the industry standard now for dj and monitoring, and with that comes their hefty price tag of $250.

The beats by dre... trash.

 

the beats ..reallty?

 

my roommate just got an AMAZING pair of headphones for about 160$. I just dished out on the ATH-M 50s this year but I am super tempted to get them Will post the name as soon as I ask.

 

You can buy these used on amazon for about $180 which is a great deal. These are the best headphones I've ever used. The quality is second to none.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B005N8A4Z0/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used