I quite like my Sennheiser RS140s

Cordless and pretty good.
Can go walking around the garden with them


Have some AKGs, forget the model number that weren't quite as good

Stopped using them as most of my kit doesn't have a headphone socket !

Stopped using them a lot after my Linn/Naim set up arrived.
Isobariks too good !

Very useful to be cordless though when you need to wander around

The headphone market seems to be dominated by the big names, apple just bought beats international I do believe or maybe that is old news now. I use HiFi Man myself, I did get some Musical Fidelity ones a few months ago for £100 they were pretty good too. I rarely have time to listen properly which is sad really!

Its all about image with youngsters, they are prepared to accept shitty sound to look cool!

Grado cans are indeed a required taste. Their sound signature is distinctive!

Sometimes I like using my old Grado SR-80's for listening enjoyment. If you like a fast, upfront yet musical presentation, then Grados are ideal.

S.

Headphones are a really subjective thing like any transducer.  You really have to listen to them.  I have been mucking about with this for a year or so trying to solve it on the cheap, and I think have reached 2 conclusions

1) Decent headphones need a decent headphone amp (although that surely shouldn't be that hard)
2) Stax electrostatics are hard to beat once you've heard them and less expensive than they appear given that conventional headphones also need an amplifier

Personally, having got most of the rest of my system where I want it, I think I am going to stop mucking about and blow whatever it takes on some Stax.  I appreciate that fails your £300 budget, but the headphone amplifier factor changes the rules a bit.

I tried Grados at Sevenoaks HiFi and they didn't really do it for me.  Mind - it was my first venture in modern times, and I naievly made the assumption that the new MDac from Westlake would be similar or better to what I was used to.  Having heard that dac a bit more since, I am underwhelmed, and I suspect its integral headphone amp (which is what I listened to the Grado's on) is not that great either.

I have tried Bose and Sennheiser, but liked the Beyer DT990's and still do.  Very comfortable to wear, they have a rich presentation - and a slightly forward mid response (there is a "Beyer family" lift in the frequency response around 2Khz).  We put them up against Stax Sigma, and although the Stax were my clear favourite, the Beyers acquitted themselves very well indeed (and through only a CMOY amp)



(We were experimenting with measurements and audition)  The cans in question were




I plan to take my 990's down to Kevins (wobbly custard or whatever he calls himself) to try on his Graham Slee amp, but Owen also claims he has had good results running his headphones direct of the Pip 2 which has the current to drive them.  So as soon as I find time, and summon the courage to modify a Pip 1 chassis to take Pip2 boards, I'm going to try that too - but I expect I will end up spending what it takes on Stax, because I have got the music bug again after borrowing a Dynavector xx20ii , and domestically there is so much more opportunity to listen on cans.  (I actually quite like it sometimes in preference to speakers).



BTW - are you the John who was going to attend a bake-off with Sovereign?  So many familiar faces in new guises

PS - the open chassis is a Firebottle moving coil phono stage.

At the moment none, just an NAD integrated with headphone section but prior an NVA AP10px which I think is exactly what you have. I do sometimes plug them into the iPad but its not ideal.

A match made in heaven , I think Grado headphones are the equivalent of Royd speakers - if that makes sense?

I use a fairly unusual combination.

Not exactly top of the range but surprisingly musical. Sennheiser HD518 with an old Rogers Ravenbrook amplifier.
In fact the amp still sounds pretty damn good driving the little KEF101s - in a small room of course.

I think many of us should get prepared to have to listen on phones more as we get older. I am already reaching the limits of what volume my wife can stand. Mind you, she is second cousin to a bat and is a wee bit sensitive in that area. She complains that I make too much noise switching the lights on!!