Reddit mentions of Ultrasone HFI-780 S-Logic Surround Sound Professional Closed-back Headphones with Transport Bag

Based on my experience and trying a bunch, best headphones I've tried (and bought) around $100-$150 (they all sound way better than beats phones):

1. Etymotic HF-5 ($99-$125): Portable, go in your ear canal, block ALL sound (better than noise cancelling headphones) have great clarity (they sound awesome) and are very comfy with Comply Foam Tips, great for all music types
   
   
2. Grado SR125i (~$150): On ear, with a very bright, in your face sound, great for rock and metal
   
   
3. Audio Technica ADH-AD700 (~$100): Over-ear, big and really comfortable for use at home (they leak sound) with a big soundstage, but light on bass, great for classical (and gaming, if you're into that), great value
   
   
4. Ultrasone HFI-780 (~$150): Closed, over ear and best for bass-focused genres like electro and hip hop

Depends on some things.
Do you want virtual 7.1 simulation/EAX support? If yes, a standard Xonar DS soundcard for around 30-40USD will suffice. That will help with some of the more expensive headphones too, which will need a bit of extra power to drive.

Pretty much every gaming headset uses rather cheap mics and so can we. All voip comm will get heavily compressed, be it with TS, skype or ingame voice, so you really don't need a high quality mic for gaming. Many gamers are using a Zalman mic for around 10USD, but any cheap, sturdy clip on mic will do.

This left us with around ~150USD for a good headphone. There are plenty of alternatives in the <150USD range, I can give you a couple of often recommended options.

The favorite right now in hi-fi circles is the ATH-m50 at around 130USD.

A very comfortable pair are the AKG K271MKII at the same price level.

To complete the our maxing out the budget trio we have the Ultrasone HFI-780.

All three have superior drivers with very good sound characteristics, very decent isolation and are fun enough to listen to for gaming, music and movies.

But we don't really have to max out the budget to get superior sound quality. There are some very decent headphones under 100USD too, which can more than compete with any high budget gaming headset.

Some examples: Sony MDRZX700
Creative Aurvana Live, especially for Europeans where the price is better
similar famous like the ATH-M50 are the ATH-AD700. It's a open headphone though, so gone is any decent isolation in exchange for a better soundstage.

I could go on for a bit, but those mentioned above are pretty well known and tested with the hi-fi community. You should find plenty of reviews and user experience for them. While some of them are a bit more analytical than most users are used to, they are all pretty fun and warm and not so boring like traditional studio monitors.

Even if we look at the lower budget gaming headsets <100USD, many without any 7.1 simulation, we can find plenty of better sound headphones, especially if we don't need a soundcard.

So...here are a few suggestions at this price range:

Audio Technica ATH-M50x: $120 (Probably the most recommended headphone ever. Somewhat boomy bass at times).
http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86

Ultrasone HFI-580 S-Logic: $132.98 (Tighter bass than the M50x, typical Ultrasone v-curve, and pretty fun).
http://www.amazon.com/Ultrasone-HFI-580-Professional-Closed-back-Headphones/dp/B00101UHS8

Beyerdynamic DT770: $137.58 (Another classic. Built like a tank. Probably the second "brightest" pair of cans on this list next to the Ultrasone 780).
http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-770-PRO-250-ohms/dp/B0006NL5SM/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1463101103&sr=1-2&keywords=dt+770

AKG K553 Pro: $172.99 (My office cans. These are fairly flat with slightly accentuated bass. Their mids are a bit veiled. They can be had for $120 on Massdrop sometimes and are probably worth closer to that amount than the $170+ they usually go for).

Ultrasone HFI-780 S-Logic: $173.85 (Currently wearing these right now while while listening to Hotel California. These headphones have a strong v-curve and can be fatiguing due to how bright their treble is. However, with the right music, they can be really, really fun).
http://www.amazon.com/Ultrasone-HFI-780-Professional-Closed-back-Headphones/dp/B00101XVH2

Sennheiser Momentum: $188.90 (I've not heard these personally, so I can't give any appropriate opinion).
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Momentum-Headphone-Brown/dp/B009QV15DU

Shure SRH840: $189.95 (I've not heard these personally, so I can't give any appropriate opinion. However, in my limited experience, Shure's tend to be flat and cough boring).
http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SRH840-Professional-Monitoring-Headphones/dp/B002DP8IEK

Sony MDR1R: $199.95 (I didn't spend too much time with these as I wasn't very impressed. A few other options I listed above are much more fun or balanced, but I figured I'd put them on the list anyways).
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR1R-Premium-Over-Headphones/dp/B009A6CZ30


I almost always suggest Audio Technica M50x at this price range. That's not because I think they're the most fun or balanced. It's because they're a great entry level headphone for someone that doesn't know exactly what they want from their daily driver. If someone is sure that they like a nice v-curve, I'm not afraid to suggest Ultrasones or Beyerdynamics. I really want to try out the Sennheiser Momentums, but I haven't had the chance yet.

Audio-Technica ATH-M50 - Pretty much the standard for beginner's in the audiophile community.

Audio-Technica ATH-PRO700MK2 - Bass heavier cousin of the ATH-M50. Also very stylish.

Ultrasone HFI-780 - Also stylish and has good bass response according to reviews.

If you want to produce Psytrance, buy studio headphones. If you want to listen to Psytrance buy Ultrasone HFI-780, because they not only have very good bass, but at the same time super clear highs.
Downside is, these phones apply a little more pressure on the head. So be sure, it's possible to return them for free, if they aren't comfortable for you.

https://www.amazon.com/Ultrasone-HFI-780-Professional-Closed-back-Headphones/dp/B00101XVH2

Ultrasone HFI-780

Excellent for live sound reference. Great even bass response.

http://www.amazon.com/Ultrasone-HFI-780-Surround-Professional-Headphones/dp/B00101XVH2

Yo I'm on this hype really hard right now, pretty buzzed off charbono and guiness, trying out brand new hifi 780s with a fiio e10 amp.

New cans sound great, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00101XVH2/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details

and they're on sale right now...

ooh dat double bass with the clashing vocals and the guitar watap!

This band is gdlk! This is the music that dota champions listen to.

Thanks for introducing me to this song mayne. UPVOTE for you every post

I've got some Ultrasone HFi-780s. I love them so much. If you are looking for purely neutral these aren't the ones you want but I've found them insanely good for modern metal/djent particularly the low-end reproduction (and orchestral stuff if you're interested because I love the depth they have). They took a while to break in as far as some sibilance in the high end but once they mellowed out a bit I loved them even more. I'd say they are worth a look.

http://www.amazon.com/Ultrasone-HFI-780-Closed-back-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00101XVH2

You can get a really nice pair of ultrasones for $150, and your music will sound great.
HFI-780
They have excellent soundscape, so you'll be able to "hear" where enemies are in relation to you.

You're absolutely right about headsets; I would stick with Sennheiser, Denon, Ultrasone, companies that are reputed for their audio quality. You can always get a $5 boom or clip mic.