New Headphones

[Balalaika0]

Alright... go easy on me.

I've had a pair of Sennheiser PC 155s for a year or two now, and want to move up to some high-end headphones (not a headset, as I don't think I'll need the mic too much in the future - only needed it before for gaming).

What I'm looking for:

1. Strong bass

2. High-quality mids and highs

3. Good ambiance (I listen to some trance)

4. DON'T LEAK SOUND - especially at high volumes. I'm guessing this would mean I'm looking for a closed-air product as opposed to open-air? Not sure if I'm getting the terminology right. Anyway, I'd like to use these on planes and in rooms with other people without having to turn them down out of courtesy. Not sure how possible this is, but I'll take any suggestions =)

5. Long-ish chord ... maybe 8 feet or more

6. Nice design. Don't want to look like I'm flying a space ship in a 70s sci-fi B movie.

My price range: $100 - $200 ... kind of low, but hey, tell me if it's not enough.

Have read reviews of HD555, HD585, HD600, etc., but most people claim that they leak a lot of noise. I like the design of the 555, if that helps anyone...


Thanks in advance. Hope I haven't offended anyone with my ignorance of the industry.

[Feanor]

Alright... go easy on me.

I've had a pair of Sennheiser PC 155s for a year or two now, and want to move up to some high-end headphones (not a headset, as I don't think I'll need the mic too much in the future - only needed it before for gaming).

What I'm looking for:

1. Strong bass

2. High-quality mids and highs

3. Good ambiance (I listen to some trance)

4. DON'T LEAK SOUND - especially at high volumes. I'm guessing this would mean I'm looking for a closed-air product as opposed to open-air? Not sure if I'm getting the terminology right. Anyway, I'd like to use these on planes and in rooms with other people without having to turn them down out of courtesy. Not sure how possible this is, but I'll take any suggestions =)

5. Long-ish chord ... maybe 8 feet or more

6. Nice design. Don't want to look like I'm flying a space ship in a 70s sci-fi B movie.

My price range: $100 - $200 ... kind of low, but hey, tell me if it's not enough.
...

Thanks in advance. Hope I haven't offended anyone with my ignorance of the industry.

Hi, Balalaika0,

Welcome to AR Forums.

A very good source of headphone info is the Head Room site (http://www.headphone.com/). They provided detailed descriptions and reviews of all the headhones they stock -- that isn't all headphones but certainly a remarkable portion of them.

At the link, towards the bottom of the page, look for Selection Guide > By Type > Sealed / Noise Cancelling.

[Ajani]

In addition to what Feanor said, I'd also suggest checking out this site and posting your question there:

http://www.head-fi.org/

That's the best site to ask headphone questions...