Hooked on Headphonics

I feel hooked on headphonics right now; I'm having such a hard time deciding which new headphones to buy. I've been to the store to try them on several times now, and by the time I narrow it down, I find more headphones that I like. At the time of this post, these headphones are in the $200 price range on the internet. I am taking the following factors into account:

• Durable: I don't want to break them under normal use.
• Comfortable: Minimum pain after several hours of use.
• Sound quality: Crisp, clear sound separation of Highs, Mids, and Lows.
• Hearing Protection: Isolation from outside noise.
  
  

Pioneer HDJ-2000

I unfortunately haven't tried these on yet. The Pioneer HDJ-2000 is commonly regarded as the most durable DJ headphones on the market, since much of its construction is made of metal and the cord/earpads are both replaceable. They supposably have very good sound quality, but not the absolute best. They apparently provide good isolation and are very comfortable, due to the leather and memory foam. These also have a mono/stereo switch. I hope they are more than just hype. The hearing protection & comfort are my main concerns with this pair.

Ultrasone DJ1

I have tried on the Ultrasone DJ1, and they feel and sound absolutely amazing! They don't put much pressure on your ears, and they really produce surround sound, which helps the sound clarity and quality. They are targeted to protect your hearing by not requiring as much volume. They are all plastic, so I have my doubts on durability. The cord is also not replaceable, and I am unsure of the earpads. However, I have not seen a viable complaint of quality from any users, and many people have owned these for 2-3 years without any problems at all. The plastic material & lack of replaceable parts is my main concern with this model.



Ultrasone DJ1 Pro

I have not tried these on, but they have rave reviews. The DJ1 Pro is extremely similar to the DJ1, with the exception of a few technical specs. Overall, I've heard that this model is more "pro" with finer tuning, a hard case, replaceable earpads, and replaceable cord. The durability is the same, the hearing protection is the same, the sound quality is very similar, and the comfort is similar. Supposably your hearing is as good right after a gig as it is beforehand when using these cans. My main concern is the size of the earpads - they are a wider, circular shape instead of the DJ1's thinner oval shape. They might get hot or slide around on my head.



Allen & Heath Xone XD 53

I have tried this on, and they were comfortable, but not quite as comfortable as the Ultrasones. They are very durable, and I have yet to see a problem with these breaking. These are plastic with metal reinforcement inside. The sound quality in these were very good, but very loud. The isolation was good, and the headphones were comfortable at first. I have read where they begin to hurt after an hour or so. The sound volume began to hurt my ears after a few minutes. My main concerns with these are the comfort, the cord is not replaceable, and hearing protection. Please note that these are very similar to the Denon DN-HP1000 in structure and particularly sound. However, the Denon's lack the metal reinforcement, and Denons have more swivel. I would be glad to hear any comments or experience you've had with any of these headphones. I am leaning away from the Xone 53.