I’m looking to get a new pair of headphones I can use either at home from my stereo or on the go powered from my Creative Zen (which I am going to be getting a portable amp for soon). I currently use Panasonic RP-HTX7s. I mostly listen to rock and some classical. My budget is about $150-$200. If they look cool that’s a plus.

Any suggestions would be awesome and please explain why you’re suggesting them.

I would definitely recommend the Sennheiser HD series models. Sennheiser’s have great sound quality with punchy bass and smooth mids/highs, and they have excellent build quality. I have tried many models of Sennheisers and have always come away impressed.

At retail prices, you can spend around $100 for a mid-range Sennheiser model, all the way up to $1,000+ for their top of the line model. At eBay or other online retailers, you can find them for much cheaper prices. It just depends on how far you want to stretch your budget and your personal tastes.

I have been using my Sennheiser HD-280 Pro headphones for over 2 years now and haven’t had any problems. A full review of my experience with these headphones can be found at the link below.