need help in buying headphones

Does anyone have any advice on how to buy headphones? I was in Sam Ash today and all the information the salesman could give me was generic descriptions of various headsets (example: these sound great…this is a brand name…I sell of lot of those, etc).

Do I just tailor the headphones to my needs or do they actually sound different?

My needs are:

Rugged use as a DJ
Collapsible
Use with my computer sound card (possibly need volume control on the wire)
A full ear cup (to block outside sound)
Good bass reproduction

Anything else I need to look for?

I’m NOT doing recording with them so that’s not a factor.

Lucky

If you need isolation from the outside world, chose closed versions, if you want to hear the outside world, choose open.
Once this is sorted try a few out for sound and comfort, (Remember you may be wearing them a long time in all types of environment) then buy the ones that you find suits your ears and equipment.
Hope this helps

Bill

If you want mid-price, I would recommend Sony's. I have used several pairs of MDR-7506 over the years, and have always felt good about them...

If you want to go REALLY high-end, though, look into Grado headphones. Best thing I ever stuck on my head, period!

I, like most of us, have had many head phones through the years. My last pair was a pair of $50 Sony's I wasn't satisfied with, but kept for six years. I read the reviews on better ones, and bought Senheiser 280 Pro. http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-manufacturer/sennheiser/sennheiser-hd-280-pro.php

They are closed, but light and compfortable, and the sound is terrific. They are collapsable and I have a volume wheel I attached to it.

I have a pair of Bose Tunnel Port headphones, they are not collapsable. They may not suit your needs, but they are very comfortable. I wear them for hours at a time with no discomfort:
Bose

I have a number of Headphone for keyboard use inc Sennheiser HD 270 Pro.
You need to listen to a few headphone and choose that you like without looking at the price....forget price because the most expensive is not necessarily the best sounding.

Of all my headsets I own, the best for me is a low priced Wireless Headset from Lidl £17.99

Ultrasone..the best I have owned..

http://www.ultrasone.com/

Thanks for all your advice here. Between you folks and the various salespeople, I have a better handle on what to look for in headphones now.

I've been visiting various stores all week trying them out...hard to find a decent selection in just one place. Tried the Sennheiser's, Sony's, Bose, and couldn't find Diki's Grado (though I saw it on the Net).

It's been quite revealing. I never really sat and listened to music through headphones. The better ones really enhance the listening experience, so I think I'm going to go with expensive phones for when I just want to sit and “listen“ to music.

I'm very interested in these Ultrasone's that Fran mentioned and Donny pointed me to. They have them at the music stores on demo.

Anyone who has experience with the Ultrasone headphones, would you please let me know which model you've worked with? The salesperson thinks the Pro DJ would be best
for my needs. BTW, I'm NOT using them for recording so I don't need a "flat" response for that.
http://www.ultrasone.com/index_en.php?le...n&artikel_id=20

Lucky