First set of practice headphones...

[edwinhurwitz]

Actually it's the DF's. Those were my first pair of nice headphones that I bought for recording. I never really heard how good they were until I bought my amp a couple of years ago. Still used them anyway. I haven't heard the other 240s, but I know they are easier to drive. My bad I actually have the AKG 701's now. I like them for listening to music, but prefer my HD650's or M50's for practice. I find AKG's to be bright for practicing, but I can only compare the headphones I own.

Edit: Here's the set up I used to use if anyone is interested.
Link Removed

I have to chime in on the AKGs as well. I have the 702s and they are fantastic headphones. They take a bit more power to drive than some of the others mentioned here, but boy do they sound nice! Not as hyped in the low end as many other headphones, which can be interpreted as bass shy, but when mixing through them, they translate well.

 

[P. Bass]

I haven't had a chance to read thru the thread but being a user of headphones for playing thru for many years of practice I would suggest open backed phones. The sound that escapes from the phones is minimal & will have less back pressure on the ear drum over extended use & less bass response than closed back, which can get fatiguing. I use Sennheiser myself. I also use a Tascam BT1 CD (or the newer BT2 CD) player for practice. Pretty good quality sound & ideal for use w/ head phones as you can move it anywhere (unlike an amp) & play w/ any CD music & loop sections & remove CD bass & slow the CD play etc, etc. Have fun.
B.
Edit: Sennheiser makes good over ear phones at a price range you mentioned But IMO I think the Sen. HD600 are the best phones on the market in the sub 1000 range.

 

[Guinness20]

So the AKG K240s II don't have any problems when it comes to driving them?

Close to buying my first set of audiophile phones for bass practicing. Have been looking at 280pro, ATH d40 and these AKG's. What do you think?

My bass can sound a bit muddy at times, so need clarity in low end, without having to fork out for a dead expensive headphone amp :/

 

[Ebi]

I use the MDR-7510:
With the low freq. rate you can really feel the notes you're playing
Due to the low impedance you don't require to buy an amp for your speakers
The price is decent (I bought mine for 110$)
And it's very comfortable to wear.
If you want to know anything more specific, please ask

 

[Green1]

I think the Audio Technica M50s are tough to beat at this price point, had mine for years and love them.

 

[AstroSonic]

I use a pair of Audio Technica M40r's: they are just within your budget I chose them over the M50's because they are more neutral - i mainly use them for live sound monitoring, so I need the overall tone that I hear to be what the audience hears. They really handle the bass well. They seal pretty well, allowing minimal sound out to disturb others. I had used a pair Grados, but one side blew out on bass notes, and the level wasn't really loud. To be fair, on music the Grado's are more transparent - you can hear more things going on. But for bass practice, the M40r's are do a much better job. Anyways, several good choices have been mentioned here. Opinions are all over the map, just like with bass cabs and bass guitars. Most of them are well built and will 'work' just fine. So, go audition a few and pick the pair you like the best. The important thing is to get a pair that you like the sound, are well built and are easy to drive (below a 40 ohm load). Then enjoy practicing!