Not sure if this kind of post is acceptable here.

Hey, I currently have Phillips SBC HP250 (http://www.ciao.com/Philips_SBC_HP250_headphones__10064394#productdeta il) headphones (20$ a few years ago now) and they distort during songs like ones from Sonata Arctica and was wondering what was good in the $70 to $110 ($ AUD) range? I've seen these (http://www.sony.com.au/product/mdr-xd200) at various places as well as the lower model and was curious if there any good or not? noise canceling is not needed and I don't need uber awesome bass. I just want clear undistorted quality audio.

I, myself, actually use my Xbox 360 Headset for my PC, and it works perfectly, and it's only about 15 British Sterlings.

I'm not interested in headsets as the microphone tends to detract from the quality of the headphones. (less money is spent on the headphones...)

I, myself, actually use my Xbox 360 Headset for my PC, and it works perfectly, and it's only about 15 British Sterlings.
Hmmm yes, a headset with one earphone is a perfect thing to recomend in this thread.

Don't ask me. I never buy any headset that costs more than €2.

I've only shopped for headsets, personally, but my searches brought me many a normal pair of headphones as well.

try Sennheiser (http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/category.asp?transid=cat0)and Skullcandy (http://www.skullcandy.com/shop/headphones-c-42.html?gclid=CJP1ofG5zZoCFRSfnAod4mjm2w). I have good personal experience with skullcandy and sennheiser is where every audiophile forum I found tried to send people asking for headsets.

What will you mostly be using them for? Games, movies, music? Lossy or lossless compression? Will you only ever have them plugged into that sound card from your signature or do you intend to carry them around? Perhaps plug them into your living room stereo too? Are you only interested in full-sized circumaural models or would you be fine with something a little smaller [earcups restsing on your earlobe] if it was still comfortable?

As far as really cheap models go, I've only ever heard one brand that makes full-sized cans that don't sound bad, Koss. I think this (http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-manufacturer/koss/koss-ur-20.php) is the model I had on me; it costs something silly like $20 now.

Sennheisers are generally nice, yes, but they are known for taking some time before they start sounding as good as they should [a hundred hours of listening or so] and you might have to cough up a bit more than $80 [USD] if you want them to be full-sized. Their ~$50 HD-205 model is a little smaller, but otherwise pretty damn nice for the price. The next step is the HD-555 (http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD555-HD-555-Audiophile-Headphones/dp/B0001FTVDQ/) model, which is open-backed [but as you say, you don't mind noise leakage] and sounds great after you've broken them in. If you're prepared to shell out even more, there's a whole world of great open-back headphones that spreads before you. A quick search reveals this (http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATH-AD700-Open-air-Dynamic-Headphones/dp/B000CMS0XU/) ridiculous discount on Amazon.com, for one. An awesome audiophile-grade Audio Technica model for all of $100.

Then there's the oldschool-looking American Grado (http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-manufacturer/grado/grado-sr-80i.php), which are supposedly the best for rock music... and their complete opposite in Austrian AKG (http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-manufacturer/akg/akg-k-81-dj.php). There's also beyerdynamic (http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-manufacturer/beyerdynamic/beyerdynamic-dt-235-black.php), who have this model that seems like it could fit your needs well if you can live with the slightly smaller earcups.

My personal obsession, on the other hand, is with these Denons (http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-manufacturer/denon/denon-ah-d2000.php)... aaaah. :o

What will you mostly be using them for? Games, movies, music? Lossy or lossless compression? Will you only ever have them plugged into that sound card from your signature or do you intend to carry them around? Perhaps plug them into your living room stereo too? Are you only interested in full-sized circumaural models or would you be fine with something a little smaller [earcups restsing on your earlobe] if it was still comfortable?Games, Music, Lossless when possible, both PC and hifi stereo, do not intend on carrying them around and maybe something smaller, but probably not. I am not sure about open backed ones, I am aware they eliminate the pain from wearing them for a long period of time.

I will have a look at some at places like Sanity Music and JB HiFi.

I am not sure about open backed ones, I am aware they eliminate the pain from wearing them for a long period of time.

There's that and it's also easier to make music reproduction more accurate and spacy, not boxed in, when working with an open back. The downside is that you'll need a quiet corner for your computer due to the lack of sealing and that their bass isn't as boomy, but that's a good thing in everything but action games where you want the explosions to give you a heart attack, really. The bottom line is that closed headphones that sound as good as open ones will be considerably more expensive, at least it's this way in the middle price ranges [$100 - $300].

I generally think the HeadRoom website explains everything quite simply and does a good job with quick reviews, despite advertising their headphone amps all the time. Here's their article on full-sized cans, both sealed and open, with their suggestions sorted by price at the bottom: http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-headphone-type/full-size-headphones/?ob=listPrice&dir=DESC

what would be a good australian shop to look at headphones? todds hifi?

He he, my kitten bit one of the buds off my brother's £30 headphones. OWN'D

what would be a good australian shop to look at headphones? todds hifi?

Don't look at me, I'm in over my head as it is trying to find someone selling anything Denon in the 300 kilometer radius... :(

It's always a good idea to ask if you can try a few models out once you've found some place. Possibly used models. Keep us posted!

I've only shopped for headsets, personally, but my searches brought me many a normal pair of headphones as well.

try Sennheiser (http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/category.asp?transid=cat0)and Skullcandy (http://www.skullcandy.com/shop/headphones-c-42.html?gclid=CJP1ofG5zZoCFRSfnAod4mjm2w). I have good personal experience with skullcandy and sennheiser is where every audiophile forum I found tried to send people asking for headsets.
skullcandy is overpriced, stupid **** for people who don't know their headphones

go with sennheiser. i have a pair of hd 485s right now that are great for general purpose stuff, including ipod use. i previously had a pair of hd 555s, which were gorgeous headphones, but i blew them out because i am stupid. i also plan on upgrading to hd 595s once i earn some cash this summer. basically, sennheiser 4 life. they also have a two-year warranty on all their stuff, so you can send in your headphones and get a replacement if anything goes wrong with them
Don't ask me. I never buy any headset that costs more than €2.
thanks for this helpful and informative post

I had a look at Todds Hifi and they only offered one brand to test, AKG. I'm gonna look in other stores eventually.

skullcandy is overpriced, stupid **** for people who don't know their headphonesagreed, but it's the best you can get readily available from generic stores and as such I've purchased a few things from them. they're fairly nice given their convenience. I wouldn't put them ranking on any sort of top list, but it was a nice counter to sennheiser's ridiculously expensive high quality.

I had a look at Todds Hifi and they only offered one brand to test, AKG. I'm gonna look in other stores eventually.
akg is pretty good too

These are sexy, (http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-audio/razer-piranha) but if you don't mind, these earphones ain't bad either. (http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-audio/razer-moray)