While I finaly settled on a $15 pair of headphones from Target to use with my iPod when I exercise, I was left looking for good headphones for other situations. After a few months of use, I am ready to recommend three pairs for three occasions.
glasses + headphones = ear pain
The first thing I should note is that I wear glasses. Glasses totally change the headphone experience because you now have two things on your ears. Most headphones compress my glasses into my head and ears which quickly becomes painful, even unbearable. The reality for me is that comfort is really more important than sound. You can check a lot of other sources for sound reviews: my focus is on comfort along with good sound.
Headsets have two styles: on the ear (supra-aural) or around the ear (circum-aural). The differences is supposed to be in comfort and ability to block out ambient, ie room, sounds.
Since I have a big head, big ears and wear glasses - three strikes for headphones - I knew it would be tough to find a pair that were comfortable but I did.
headphone heaven
In the past, I would go to a big box retailer and look at their selection. Then someone tipped me off to HeadPhones.com. I was very impressed with the site, which I highly recommend. Headphones.com provides good data for research plus editorial opinions/suggestions and good prices. They have replaced Newegg as my retailer of choice for things audio.
PC gaming
The first reason I wanted headphones was PC gaming. I needed the relative silence from headphones but I also needed a microphone. After doing some research, I settled on the Sennheiser PC160.
The 155 and 165 models are the same as the 150 and 160 models except that they include a USB adapter which uses an "integrated sound card chip" instead of a soundcard. There is a big price difference for the USB feature ($38 vs $82 for the PC150/155 at Newegg) which seemed unnecessary for me.
The 160 model has slightly different specs than the 150 but mainly has an XXL earpiece vs XL earpeace. Without trying them on, its hard to know if that is worth a difference. I opted for the larger model.
I am reasonably pleased with these headphones but they are not the most comfortable for me. The microphone works well, and the sound is good. I like the single, long cord but it is very thing - just the kind of thing my cat likes to chew through.
Unfortunately, the ear cushions are not very soft and they apply enough pressure that they definitely irritate my ears because of my glasses. Not perfect but since I dont wear them for long periods, they fine.
Travel & the office
I was surprised by how much I liked the Sennheiser PX100. This pair looked like every other cheap pair of headphones but I don't think they are and I highly recommend them.
This is a very light pair of headphones which I use for commuting on the train and at the office. They sound great, they fold up and come with a hardshell case, and they are comfortable to wear all day long. A great buy!
My only complaint with this pair is the cord. It is plenty long for walking around but it is too short for the office. Sad, since that is where I use them 95% of the time.
Even so, this pair is highly recommended.
General listening
Although I don't use them nearly as much as the PX100's, my favorite pair are the Grado SR60. At $60, this was the most expensive pair I bought but it was worth it.
They sound terrific, they fit terrific, and they have a very high-quality, thick cord that is 9 feet long! While this pair does not cover your ears, the speakers are very soft and very large. More importantly for me, the headphones are quite wide and fit very well on my bulbous mellon such that I can wear them for long periods without pain from my glasses.
If you are looking for a great pair of headphones for your living room listening pleasure, treat yourself to the Grado SR60.
