Why...

[foothead]

I was just using my in-ears as an example of Skullcandy build quality xD Im going to get QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones | Bose or something similar soon, but that's a bit more of an investment. Might use my upcoming tax rebate on them.

I'd avoid Bose. They aren't bad, but they're really overpriced for what you get. I tried them a while back when I was looking at headphones, and they just sounded really flat, and the low bass was completely gone. The noise cancelling was great though. I ended up going with Ableplanet NC500SCs. They emphasize the higher frequencies, which makes classical and acoustic sound extremely clear, but rock loses a bit. They also aren't the most comfortable, especially if you have any piercings.

I've also heard lots of great things about Sennheiser HD555/595s (You can mod the 555 into a 595 by removing a piece of foam) but I haven't gotten a chance to actually listen to them. You should probably try those out before making any decisions.

 

[Cabbs]

Head-Fi.org - Headphone forums and reviews for audiophiles.

Read up on headphones Darkseeker and you will change your mind more times than you can remember on what headphones you'll end up wanting.

Knee-jerk response says to go with Audio Technica M50s if you're trying to stay under 175.

 

[CrackerJacker1]

When my old headphones broke (forgot the brand but it comes with the usb attachment from bestbuy) I bought a similar looking but better graphics on it skullcandy headset. It was such a downgrade in sound quality. Never again

 

[Tommy Boy]

I have a set of $8 Sennheiser earbuds that I bought years ago based on a review I read saying they were the best low cost earbuds around. I used them a lot and was happy with them. They sounded great.