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[forabetes]

so my cheapo pair of sony headphones broke today and i need to replace em soonish.? Do you guys have any recomendations/advice/overall knowledge and wouldnt mind steering me towards a good pair?

[bff]

i'm pretty attached to my sony studiomasters (MDR-V600).  They cover the whole ear but I don't get sweaty when I wear them for a long time and they feel pretty light. When I go DJ-style and flip up the right ear phone it stays in place well without the left one feeling like it is being torqued out of position.  You can get better one's of course, but for the money these serve me pretty well.

[muffy]

Try Technics - they generally hold up longer than most and don't do that thing where one ear cuts out...

[jmrz]

I just bought a new pair of Creative headphones ($20AU) because my pair of Sony ones died, one ear dropped out and I was not impressed. I do not like to spend absurd amounts on headphones as they will most likely just get broken, as long as they are decent sound quality I am a happy girl.

[salada]

my favouritest pair of headphone that i've ever owned were a pair of koss portapros. they have great sound quality for their size, aren't crazy expensive, are super lightweight, and -- favourite part -- they fold up in on themselves so when you chuck them in your backpack they have less of a chance of being destroyed, which is the way every other pair of headphones of mine have gone. also the warranty on them is super good, and more or less means that if they ever fuck up you can just send em back and you'll be fine.

sennheiser also do a similar headphone (lightweight, compact, folds up) for around the same price i think, but i much prefer the way these ones pack up.

this is, of course, assuming you want headphones for a portable music player / walking around, and not for, you know, crazy audiophile listening. and also that you don't have some kind of gigantor chunky headphone fetish (some people do).

[SpacemanSpiff]

Get in-ears. The better ones have a very good sound and because you don't hear the outside noise, you tend to listen to music at a lower volume, which is good for your ears. Normal headphones tend to damage your ears because of that after a while.
Don't get a system with active noise cancellation, I have yet to find one that doesn't also fuck up your songs.

As for companies: Shure and Ultimate Ears are pretty good, aim for the ~$100 range and you're off for a good start. Some higher-end equipment will set you back ~$400 though and if you only listen to MP3s or something, it's not worth it because the compression will prevent you from actually hearing a difference there.

As for me, back when I bought mine, in-ears weren't an option, so I went with the Bang & Olufsen A8. They have a very good sound and are very comfy to wear, but frankly, nowadays, I would get in-ears.

[pat101]

and also that you don't have some kind of gigantor chunky headphone fetish (some people do).

guilty. it's like getting your head hugged with music!

[thegreatbuddha]

I've had bad experience with Creatives.  The ones that came with my Zen Vision M blew after about 2 weeks of listening at about 3/4 volume.  I bought some $40 Sony ear-ins, and they're much better, but I can't remember the model right now.

[valley_parade]

I have a pair of $20US Sony MDV-150s (I think). Work pretty well.

[Redmage913]

I agree.  the Sony MDR-V150 is a good, inexpensive set of phones.  They have a decent frequency range and sound excellent when paired with an equalizer if you plug it into a sound system.

[Gridgm]

personally i'm fine with the 10 dollar pair i've got at the moment (for some reason their offering better fidelity than the $40 pair i bought before them)

if you really want to go over the top fork out the 300-400 on noise cancellation headphones...my mate gave me the chance to try his out...they blow your mind...but prevent you from talking to people

[valley_parade]

See, that's the reason I wear headphones.

Then again, it seems like people only want to talk to me when I have them on. Bitches.

[Kyros]

I've had pretty good experiences with 9.99 Philips SBC HS520's, i've always liked them because the cord is clothish material and not just wire so it doesn't tangle that easy, they're also pretty friggi resiliant. My only complaint is that the sound quality isn't that amazing, but it's perfect for walking around listening.

[grenade_pin]

My suggestion if you have a budget is Skullcandy Icons, they're only around $20 and they have fairly good sound. They're also not that big if you're not into bigass headphones. One thing i don't like about them is the headband tends to break very easily, i've had to duct tape mine a few times, but it doesn't affect the sound, so i'm good.

If you don't have a budget, i would say go with some sennheisers or audio technicas. My favorite headphones ever are the audio technica ATHPRO5 headphones. They're big, they're noise reducing, and they've got amazing sound. Another feature i like about them is the coiled cord, it can stretch from being about 2 feet long to being about 10 feet long. Very nice. I sadly lost my pair around halloween, but i'm hoping to save up enough to get new ones, because i'm suffering withdrawal. Don't get them if you

a. don't like camoflauge
b. don't like big headphones
c. don't take care of them
d. don't want to spend more than $30 (they're normally 70 but i got mine for 50)

My little brother got some nice skullcandy GIs recently, i tried them out and they have nice sound and look very sleek (i still like my ATHs better) But one thing i did like better about them is that they have 90 degree swivel both ways on the earcups, and they come with extra ear cups incase your old ones wear out.

If you're looking for earbuds, i would go with apple's in ear earbuds, but then again, those are the only ones i've tried, so i'm a bit biased.

[ComfortEagle]

I recently inherited some kick ass Sonys .

[megarobohobo]

I have some really neat AKG K26P headphones. I found them here: http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-manufacturer/akg/akg-k-26-p.php.
They fold, they're pretty small, very little outside noise, and have amazing bass.

[Kwi]

I have some rockin Sennheisers PMX 60's.  As far as sound quality goes, they make my uneducated ears orgasm.  However, they cannot cancel sound worth shit, so I find myself drowning out the monotony of school with pure volume, this has three majour disadvantages;

1) My hearing.  I like my ears not to bleed.
2) The Sound leaks.  At my Creative Zen Touch MP's lower register, those seated around me can hear the wailing guitar chords of Cause = Time.  This however can double as an advantage, maxing out my players volume while wearing my headphones off of my ears turns me into a portable speaker.  I mean that too, very little sound quality is lost when projecting from my neck to my buds' (no pun intended) ears.
3) Drains my Batteries.  When I decide I don't want to listen to Bus noises, I'm leeching my battery like the hookworm drains blood from a kitten. 

However, if you want a lightweight, portable, super sexy sounding set of headphones (with a rockin' warranty) I recommend these bad boys.

[kid_militia]

I use Grado SR80's; extremely good set of headphones for the just-under-$100 price. They're comparable and sometimes better than Sony's or Sennheiser's more expensive offerings; most people just don't like them for their "low-tech, retro" look. I've been using them for about a year on my computer (I don't generally use them for my portable players) and they are so much better than the speakers I used before. Check some reviews on them, I recommend them to everyone on the market for headphones.

I have a friend who uses the SR60's (a bit more affordable for some one who may not notice the difference, they only have a bit lower bass range) and also has only good things to say about them. If you're willing to spend the extra money, the SR125's are supposed to be even more totally awesome sweet alabama liquid snake than either of the others.

in summary:
SR60's- willing to try something new with headphones, the smart place to start
SR125's- entry level audiophile
SR80's- happy medium

[Mikendher]

I can vouch for grados, they are pretty ridiculous.

[jeph]

Sennheiser HD280 pros. Best headphones I've ever owned.

[Eva:Gina]

I want huge old stero headphones
or a helmet with the headphones inside...

not much good in summer tho
the little ones make my ears go gross

my headphones got wet this morning, when I was blotting hte water out of the padding all this old make up and crap was coming out of them
I dont even wear much make up 

[Fleagle]

I have some really neat AKG K26P headphones. I found them here: http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-manufacturer/akg/akg-k-26-p.php.
They fold, they're pretty small, very little outside noise, and have amazing bass.

I got those but the bass was just too much. I ended up getting AKG K81DJ, which is a DJ-style phone that also folds up like the K26P but sounds better and is not much bigger.

[TheCourtJester]

I like the Sony MDR-V150. Cheap, sound pretty damn good, and they take a BEATING. I've had my set for about three years and they've literally been across the globe and back, and they still sound great.

For the headphones that I don't carry around, I've got Sennheiser HD25SP.
Though I'd used the HD212Pro and the HD250-II in-studio...the prices are about $80 US and 250 US, respectively. Definitely the #1 brand of pro-quality headphones, IMO.

I've also got a pair of mid-rangish Philips headphones with noise-cancelling, but it bugs the living shit out of me because all the NC headphones somehow lose all high-range when you turn then on.

PS...thank you JEEBUS, no one's even mentioned BOSE.
Fuck that shit with a dog's nose, I say.

[valley_parade]

I don't know about that, man. I've been using the MDR-V150s for about a year and have gone through three or four pair.

[El Opium]

I've got some Koss UR-29 headphones that I neither love nor hate. I find they sound a bit flat, and don't really have particularily good bass response, but they do cancel noise pretty well. Best headphones I ever listened to are a thiry year old pair that my stepdad owns, though I'm not sure what brand they were.

[adara]

I currently use Panasonic RP-HT355 (whatever that number means) headphones. They are pretty good for only costing around 35 dollars. One neat little feature about them is that they have a volume adjustment right on the cord, so you don't have to go reaching for your music player to turn up the sound all the time. They have a really long cord, which could be a plus or a minus depending on what you are doing with them...great if you want to walk around your room while plugged in to your stereo, but kind of annyoying when you want to walk around listening to music and you have this twenty foot long cord that you have to stick in your pocket or risk tripping over. They're pretty big but they double as earmuffs for me in the winter, which is nice.

I had a friend who had a pair of BOSE headphones, said they were the best headphones he ever had, but they cost around two hundred dollars or something.

I guess it kind of depends on how much cash you can part ways with.