Headphone advice

[Pkupman57]

So, I am looking to get some headphones. Im not made out of money, and it'll take me a while to save up for a good pair (baby and all, and I've just dropped a bunch of money into my '12 MBP, and an EMT course since its been so long since I originally took it.)

Im looking at the Beats solo3 headphones. Though the price is pretty steep for me at the moment.

Now, I know Beats are known for being bass heavy, but at 36, Im still a bass head. Ive got a few subs/amps in all of my trucks, I have Swan M50s with the bass turned up a bit on my desk. But there are times when headphones would be better. (when sampling new music, and when I cant sleep (insomnia), but the wife and baby are asleep.) At the moment, I just use the apple headphones that came with my 6s, but Id like some nice over the ear headphones.

So, I am looking for advice on other brands/models of headphones that are at the same price, or lower than the solo3s, with good bass. I know there are other models that people swear by for a much lower price. But Im definitely not looking to spend more than $200-300, as thats hard enough to convince the wife of. Im also the type of person that won't by cheap just for the sake of having an item. I prefer to save up and buy quality the first time. No sense in throwing good money after bad (this coming from a ford 6.0l owner, tho I did spend the $10k to build the engine... the single guy days. lol) Im not what I would consider an audiophile, and as much as I like my bass, I like clear mids and highs. I generally listen to 90s rock and rap, and the more modern "country rap" and dubstep... though in general, it depends on my mood. I listen to pretty much all types of music.

So, What do you guys have, and why would you recommend your headphones over others? Id like to hear from actual owners the most. Wireless is not a requirement. If anything, I would prefer corded so I don't have to worry about charging yet another item, and they would be used almost exclusively at my desk. though a cable on the longer side would be nice. A mic and the ability to take phone calls/control music or apps is also not a requirement.

Thanks in advance for you guys' help. Ive really never looked into headphones before, since before the wife/baby, I had no issues in listening to my music as loud as I want.

 

[ZapNZs]

If you are looking for high fidelity, I can't comment much. But I've had my Sony MDR7505 since like 2003. I purchased them when running soundboards during plays and for mixing. They are huge in professional circles because they are rugged, comfortable to use when mixing, have good noise reduction, have reasonably good clarity (I'd argue better than many products that cost over twice as much), are loud, and have an extremely durable cord. Bass is pretty true to form. Mids are crystal clear. I've struggled to buy a pricier model because I feel the returns for significant investments are relatively marginal considering how much you can get for $80-ish.

The version I have is an older generation - here is the current 7506:
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YZAFSECRZ30EWVP0Z7YQ
(there are a lot of fakes on the market)

The MDRv6 may also be of interest to you.

 

[Bart Kela]

Well, since only two people have responded to this in about two weeks, I'll give it a shot despite the fact that my usage case is pretty different from the OP.

I mostly listen to classical music, heavy bass is not desirable.

I bought a pair of Grado SR-60 headphones almost twenty years ago and they were the best $70 I've ever spent on A/V equipment, hands down. I still have these cans.

Grado SR series headphones are open air design, so think about that based on your usage case.

Other headphones I've owned: Grado SR-80 (sadly they broke, sounded better than the 60s), some cheap pair of AKG headphones (modded, still pretty good for sub <$100 phones), Bose QC25 (only use these during air travel but awesome in that situation).