[bmh_ca]

(In no particular order)

- HiFiMan - Grado - Sennheiser - Beyerdynamics - AKG - Philips - Marshall - Audio-Technica - Brainwavz

There are many other/niche brands as well. There are several great audiophile magazines that can help sort through the options.

Most brands have headphones that will do fine without, but some of the higher end options may need a DAC to power the headphones (e.g. the DragonFly USB DAC by Audioquest), so be mindful of that.

[bradleyland]

I'd skip the audiophile magazines, unless you want to spend hundreds extra for marginal returns. A website called The Wirecutter has fantastic recommendations in all categories of headphones:

http://thewirecutter.com/leaderboard/headphones/

Also, it would be a crime against bargain hunters everywhere if I didn't mention that for around $99, a set of Sony MDR-7506 headphones will crush anything Beats sells.

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-150-over-ear-headp...

[nogbit]

While the sound from the MDR-7506 is fantastic, and very comfortable, that thin lining around the ear muffs wears off within the first year of use and you get little itty bitty black pieces of it on your ears when you wear it.

I now have a Beyerdynamics DT77 PRO set that is fantastic and even more comfortable.

[bradleyland]

Not to poo poo your choice of headphones (they look great), but replacement pads are $15 if you go OEM; less if buy knock-offs.

[bmh_ca]

♥️ the wire cutter