[fish99]

Hi, I'll try to make this as quick as I can.

Since selling my Grado SR80 I've been after some new headphones but haven't quite got round to getting them yet. The original plan was to sell the SR80 and buy Alessandro MS2i, but since then I've decided I want something with a wider soundstage than Grado and more open.

My temporary headphones at the moment are Koss Porta Pro and I love them. What I'm really after is a better quality version of that same sound. I've read AKG are open (I don't mean open back btw, I mean an open sound - spatious and airy) and have a good soundstage, so I'm tempted by the AKG K 240 which I've seen for around £75 delivered. Of course Koss do proper cans too so that's another option.

An quick idea of the music I like - Muse, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Beta Band, 80s indie stuff, basically rock/pop, some punk. Some other headphones I've used to give you an idea of what kind of sound I like - Sennheiser Ovation 465 - found them a bit soft and muddy - Grado SR80 - very much enjoyed owning but narrow soundstage and uncomfortable - Sennheiser CX300 - boomy bass and a little harsh - Koss Porta Pro are definitely the best match I've heard for my music and tastes.

I want open back and I would prefer circum-aural. Sound leak doesn't matter at all. High sensitivity, low impedence would be a bonus since I may occasionally want to use them with my MP3 player, although they will mainly be plugged into my Marantz CD. Take into account that I don't have a headphone amp.

Any thoughts on AKG and the K 240s, or any other recommendations?

Cheers
Simon.


edit:btw it's the 55 ohm studio version I'm looking at not the older 600 ohm monitors.