Good headphones?

After 2 years with my wonderful Sennheiser HD-540's they started to die. They were absolutely the best head phones I've ever had the opportunity to listen to, and I spent $120 on em when I bought em. They died prolly because I was somewhat abusive with them, took them everwhere (work, home, car, friends) and listened to them roughly 8-15 hours every day.

However, now that they have died, I'm in the market for some new head phones, and am willing to spend money on them. I want something that is cirumaural (Pad that surrounds the entire ear, unlike superaural which sits on the ear), and sounds good. Gets good bass response, will get loud, and has good mids and highs.

I'm more that willing to continue going with Sennheisers (the HD-650's are what I have my eyes on), but does anyone else have suggestions for wonderful Circumaural head phones?

How important is it for the headphones to isolate you from external noise? I love my Grado Labs SR60's, particularly for the infinitely bendable and adjustable headstrap, but you can hear every noise in your environment. For ultimate fidelity, and amazing environmental isolation, I was entirely happy with my Etymotic in-ear headphones until I left them on the airplane.

*sigh*

I am partial to Grados myself (RS2), but they are superaural...

Most people I talk to about headphones don't like mine, but I'm quite fond of my Sony V600's

I've got a pair of Sennheiser HD545s. The cable on mine went bad, making the sound drop out often. Sennheiser has replacement cables for like $30. I just want to make sure that it's your 'phones that are bad and not just the cable.

I like my Sony MDR-V6 but:
1) I think they quit making them
2) there's an irregularity on one of my ears that it sometimes irritates.

Yeah I did check the cable, it ended up that it appeared to be something inside the headphones that I could not service

I've heard the Grato's are nice, but unfortunately are superaural, which hurts my ears, and I also can't use in ear head phones as I have small ear holes and really start to hurt and fatigue my ear.

I don't really mind hearing some external noise, in my HD540's I was able to hear stuff and cary on a conversation if I turned the music down enough. But if I would keep it turned to a moderate or louder level I was not able to decern any speaking, and I was really only able to hear loud noises.

Check out HeadRoom. They have good headphone reviews even if you don't want to buy from them directly.

BTW, I'm in the same boat as you as far as both supra-aural headphones and earbuds hurt me. The Sony EX51/EX71 style fit me pretty well, though. I still prefer a circumaural headphone when possible, though.

Thanks for the site! And they have damn good prices. I'll prolly end up going with the Sennheiser HD600 or HD650's

I've got some Sennheiser HD-590's. I've used them for the past 2 or 3 years. The big problem I have with these headphones is that they make everything sound so good it makes all my other stuff sound rubbish (if that makes sense).

I plug them directly into the output of my Creative Audigy2, sounds great (not set to headphone output mode).

I can wear them for hours and hours and never notice they are there. I have them on now, have had for the past 4 hours or so, my ears hardly touch the phones at all, they are very light and comfortable.

I've often wondered if a headphone amp would be worth it, but can never bring myself to part with the cash.

Good luck with your choice, can't go wrong with Sennheiser.

Cheers

Cris.

did you ever go with the HD650's? I have my eyes on them too and was wondering what you could tell me about them. I was wondering how much sound bleeds out from them when listening to them at a fair volume. Also, how much outside noise bleeds in? I was interested in using them to block out noise from my office, and listen to music while i work. I thought the open air (aside from sounding really good and "natural") would help me hear someone calling me while working, or the phone, etc. I don’t want to totally block everything out.

What do you think of them for use in an office with people close by.

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did you ever go with the HD650's?

I have a pair of these that I used to use at work, though I'm currently using a set of HD280pro.

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I was wondering how much sound bleeds out from them when listening to them at a fair volume.

Some, but not too much -- I never had any complaints from my cube mate about it, anyway. But then, they've always been on my head, so I can't really say anything from first-hand experience.

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Also, how much outside noise bleeds in? I was interested in using them to block out noise from my office, and listen to music while i work. I thought the open air (aside from sounding really good and "natural") would help me hear someone calling me while working, or the phone, etc. I don’t want to totally block everything out.

They do not work at all for blocking outside noise. They overpower outside noise (depending on the volume level you're listening at), giving you something more coherent to focus on, instead of the standard office environment noises. The open back design definitely allows you to hear what's going on. Frequently, I'd just mute the music, and have a conversation with someone, without ever removing the headphones.

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What do you think of them for use in an office with people close by.

I like them, and will probably go back to them, once I figure out which box I put them in. They're certainly the most comfortable pair of headphones I've worn, so I highly recommend them if you're going to be wearing them for 8 hours a day -- well worth the price. They're a solid set of headphones that have, so far, withstood nearly daily use for a couple of use -- by contrast, my HD280s, after less than a year of use, are being held together with packing tape.

Edit: Sorry... I have the HD600, not the HD650. They're pretty much the same in terms of the open-back design, though, so what I say above should still apply.