[PaulieB]

Hi All,
 
I know there is a lot of threads like this but I have been reading for days now and I cannot decide on the right set of headphones for me ao I said I ask myself directly.
 
I am looking for suggestions for an upgrade to my Sennheiser HD205 headphones.
 
I am in no way an audiophile but I am really getting into good quality sounding music and I am looking for a set of headphones that will sound amazing.
 
I will be mainly using them at home listening to music on my laptop and ipod.
 
I listen to all kinds of music such as;
 
Trance, House, Techno, Chillout, Ambient, New Age, Rock, POP, Classical, Hip Hop, Reggae
 
I am willing to buy an amp such as the Fiio E11 to improve the sound if necessary.
 
I think closed cans would be best for me as I was told open cans can leak sound quite badly but I am open to opinion on this.
 
Some of the headphones I have in mind are;
 
Audio Technica ATH-M50
 
Sennheiser HD25-1
 
Shure SRH-840
 
Denon AHD 1000
 
Sennheiser HD558 (I know these are open but I would consider these if the leakage was not too loud)
 
I am looking for a pair that will sound noticeably better than my HD 205's even to my untrained ears and I am willing to buy an amp to aid in this if the headphones require it.
 
My budget for the headphones (not including the amp) is 200 euro (I live in Ireland) 
 
Any suggestions welcome

 

[Doc-holliday]

You have a nice list there. I havent heard the denon. The 558 will prolly not suit your music taste. I would go with the DT990 if you were looking for open. The 990 is going to rank a couple notches above the M50. The HD25 is good for that music if you need portable use. If it is just at home you can stick with closed. In terms of leakage it is really going to depend on your volume. Leakage from my open headphones don't bother anyone around me at home but I don't know what your home environment is like.

An amp is not required for the HD25 or M50. 990 will benefit from amping.

The DT770 is the closed version if the leakage will be a problem and are also a cut above most on your list and again will perform optimally with some extra juice.

SRH840 is a good choice as well and will not require an amp.

Pretty much ALL of the above will be a notable upgrade to the 205

 

[PaulieB]

Thanks mate.
Would it be worth the extra money to go for the DT770 and amp compared to the SRH840 or M50. Is the sound quality that much better with the DT770?

Also sound wise what's the difference between the DT700 and DT990?

 

[Doc-holliday]

The 770 and 990 are similar except for a more open airy sound with the 990 and more impactful bass with the 770 to put it in a few words.

For sure worth it over the M50 and the 840 in comfort. I much prefer the 770 and 990 over the M50 and I don't want to comment on the 840 because my only experience with it is in a shop once earlier this year.

If you can go open get the 990 premium version as the clamping force is a little less and you can really wear the forever with no problem.