Stylish headphones (@$200+)

As I seem to be gunning for something slightly different than the other thread, I thought I'd make a new one.

It seems my trusty Sennheiser HD 570 kicked the bucket, with the right speaker dying. With my iPod earbuds dying a bunch of months ago (maybe a year or so), I'm pretty screwed. So I gathered that a headphone that combined the purpose of the two would be great. As of yet there's not exact budget, so feel free to categorize your offers in different price ranges if you could.

The criteria are:
- Comfortable (duh)
- Good sound and bass (duh)
- Cool(-ish) look; I don't want to look like I just came home from a LAN in my parent's basement when walking with them on the street.
-- Colours? Not a must, but the Siberia headset's white and other bright colors looked incredibly cool and would definitely fit the bill.

If you know of any wireless or combined wireless and corded ones, I'd be interested in seeing what that market might - or might not - have to offer.

Cheers!

 

Sennheiser HD595. Denon D2000. AKG K701. None of these are known for their looks, but their sound quality is superb.

 

Beyer Dynamic DT770Pro's they are sweet headphones, the DT990's are good too, but it really depends on whether you want open or closed headphones. Thei phones are all made in Germany, so you will be getting an amazing product with ver high build quality. I cant tell much difference between them and my Sennheiser Hd280's, both are very good phones in my opinion.

K-TRON

 

If you want headphones not just for LANs or computer use but for general use as well I suggest Shure SE530's. They are in ear phones not headphones but I've found them to be extremely versatile while also being extremely good in performance.

Plus you can take them anywhere.

http://store.shure.com/store/shure/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.105460100

 

For looks? I recommend Grado SR-325i or Audio-Technica ATH-AD1000. Both can be used without amp, although they would benefit from it.

Actually, I tend to recommend lesser brothers of these headphones - SR-225 and AD-900 - more. However, they don't look as good as more expensive ones.

 

DT770's are awesome for movies and games. They are sooo comfortable. They are closed back headphones so you don't have to worry about sound leaking out.

 

The DT770's are probably the most comfortable closed headphones. I have some Ultrasone HFI-780's though. Some one that has both the HFI-780's and the DT770's suggested that I get the 780's. I did and I really like them, they look pretty sweet too.

 

Another vote for Shure se530. Truly the best sound for a pair of non custom earphones. I've used a few headphones in the past and keep coming back to the Technics RH 1200. Sound great, with lots of bass and decent highs and mids. They are also built like a tank so you don't have to worry about breaking them.

 

I'm not much of an in-ear person, I must say. Especially not when sitting at the computer.

Interesting suggestions so far; keep 'em coming!

 

I dare the OP to walk around in a K701. Pretty please?

If you want 'street compatible' there's the Beats from Dr. Dre. Active noise-cancelling (so won't work without battery power), and by all accounts, decent sounding. You can get them from an Apple Store, ~$300.

One of the most precise sounding 'street compatible' closed phones are the Sennheiser HD25-1. They look old school but not terrible, and are light as well as extremely robust. $200ish from many pro audio stores.

There's also the Bose Triport AE, which is relatively unobtrusive on the head, sounds OK and is very comfortable but a tad fragile. There's also on on-ear version, but it doesn't sound as good. Once again, the Apple Store carries them as do many other places. Both should be less than $200.

There's the Audio-Technica ATW-ESW9, which provides a pleasing sound that's very slightly above the Triport - so not actually worth the money, but it looks great in African Paduak wood. Comfort is not so great though - it presses down on the ears pretty hard. http://www.audiocubes.com/product/Audio-Technica_ATH-ESW9_Sovereign_Wood_Headphones.html

The Shure SE530's are great for portability but you will get higher quality out of >$200 HEADphones.

 

hmm.. How about the SOny PFR- V1,. its seen pretty good reviews in Head-fi, though i don't think it might fit your definition of something that looks cool..

 

I've seen someone walking around with K501 on campus, actually. I was impressed, but I bet not many in campus were.

You remind me that I was forgetting ATH-ES7. Very sleek, compact, and has decent sound.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000R0TPQ8/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

Personally, I think if you're considering an ES7 you should put the Triport AE on your shortlist too. The Bose is better isolated, has better quality sound and is more comfortable. It isn't made as well though.

 

For that I do not know much about headphones, I'd recommend you the Sony MDR-XD100's or MDR-XD200's, both output a great bass sound, 40% sound isolation, and run very great with a good sound card or amps, though they do not amplify the sound of gadgets such as MP3's or iPod's, also, they offer a really big "bang for your buck", and the both of them ook sleek, the XD100's in Silver and Black, and the XD200's in Black and Silver.

The differences between the two models are not too big, except for that the XD200's can reach 110 DB and have a Movie Watching / Music Listening toggle that changes the sound's output to better suit your current activity.

I own the MDR-XD100's and I am really impressed, the sound is really strong even at 40% Volume on my Sager NP9262, at 100% volume they can double as speakers and are almost as strong, or as strong as the laptop's speakers, they are cheap as well, I got my pair for $20.00 at a local store, but you can get them for as low as $10.00 - $12.00 nowadays, anyway, a pair of great-performance headphones, which are designed for DJ'ing, 1,500 MW, and can reach 100 DB.

They go great with my Sager NP9262's sound card and my Creative Labs SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook Express Card.

 

IMO, Sony XD200 are better in looks ..more stylish DJ headphones.

but in the end DJ headphones are all stylish ...

u shud see my Sennheiser HD205.. they are much more cooler AND MOST important... their Bass is very detailed & Tight unlike some headphones which have loose bloaty bass.

 

I don't agree necccessarily. I have used many different headphones in my lifetime. I am not an audiophile, years of clubbing has damaged my hearing a bit, but I can honestly say that the noise blocking of the shure in-ears + their great clarity has meant they have become my favourite all-purpose personal speaker system. I sometimes spend upwards of 6+ hours wearing these a day and because the music is so clear I don't have the volume very loud. Its at a level where I can appreciate the music and still know my ears are being looked after (ie quite low).

For actual headphones, I recommend the HD595's from Sienheisser. Inexpensive (comparatively not literally), reliable and proven.
There might be slightly better headphones out there however I haven't tried them yet.

 

They are my "beater phones" - I use the UE-11Pro for longer travelling, and my opinion on them as far as their absolute comparable sound quality goes is as meh-ridden as the Shures - and I do concur that for a practical balance of portability, isolation and quality, the Shures are very good.

However while you may not agree, it doesn't make me wrong. There are several ~$200 phones which can muster or exceed the general quality of the Shures while offering isolation not a million miles away from the silicone tips, although certainly lower. It is simply that they are not perhaps as ultimately tractable in a portable mode.

 

Say; would any of the mentioned headsets/headphones be available in colour?

(And just in case, headset suggestions are okay, too)

 

i dont think that the headphones mentioned are available in colors since these are meant more for the audiophile as opposed to someone who wants stylish headphones.. coz i dont think that sound quality and stylishness goes together..

One can also try the Sony SA-5000, they really do sound well when amped, but can be sound a little thin to some..