[sotto123]

Out of the ones listed (please also add other similarly priced ones that you think are suitable), which one would you go for?
 
Music I listen to pretty much has to have a guitar in it somewhere, although I do listen to Kanye West, Nujabes, Eminem and Jay Z among others now and again. Some of the artists I listen to include The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Arcade Fire, The Antlers, The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Bright Eyes, David Bowie, Sigur Ros, John Mayer, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Led Zeppelin, The National, The Libertines, Pavement, Pink Floyd. I also listen to acoustic stuff, like Jack Johnson, Elliott Smith and Jason Mraz. There's plenty of other artists, but that should do. Blues and pop music should also be taken into account, but to a lesser extent.
 
 
I'm planning on powering one of these headphones with an O2 amp. I was considering one manufactured by FiiO, but keep on hearing how the O2 is better. If anyone has any other recommendations for £100, however, then I'm all ears.

 

[iancraig10]

My preference is to try to go for a headphone that is kind of 'neutral' if possible, regardless of the genre. I don't particularly like using a headphone just because it 'enhances' a certain type of music. That way, you might even widen your horizons!!
 
I have the SR225, HD600 and the HD650 and I also use the O2 sometimes.
 
I'm not over keen on the SR225. It's ok, but it can be a bit too toppy for some stuff. Good for guitar sound if you like it 'enhanced'. No real deep bass going on tbh and not a great soundstage.
HD50 is a lovely headphone, although some prefer the HD600 since the HD650 can sound 'bloated' to some ears, depending on the amp and listener's tastes. It has quite a hump in the mid bass and so can sound quite heavy but it does actually match quite nicely with th O2 which gives a lean(ish) sound that helps the HD650 sound clean.
 
The HD600 is my favourite. It's pretty flat in response although the treble response isn't quite as refined as the HD650. I much prefer it though because it's just a tad more balanced sounding.
 
One of my favourite headphones is a modded T40 which I have a filter for. The filter extends the treble and it has been modded to as flat as possible. It's really natural sounding like this. It can also be driven by the O2 but the filter can't be added so it's less open without the filter.

 

[sotto123]

To be honest, the HD600 and HD650 were my main choices (I would love a pair of Grado R1/R2, but they definitely aren't in my price range at the moment), but I added the others just to see if they were worth considering at all. I've read countless threads on the differences between the two, but am still having a hard time deciding.
 
I think my main priority is a wider soundstage and good imaging. I know you can't compare the two, but my only other high-end purchase was a pair of Triple Fi 10s, which I hated due to the harsh treble. I'm assuming that this won't be an issue with either? Also, apart from the warranty issue, do you see any downside to purchasing second hand headphones?